Monday

Good morning,

Quote of the day:

“Well if I called the wrong number why did you answer?”

                               James Thurber

Yesterday (Easter) Ben-Hur was on TCM uninterrupted except for intermission. I was exhausted after the chariot race.

This past weekend I decided that I was tired of eating out so I decided to cook my own breakfast. For the first time in many moons I used a frying pan on my electric range. I ended up with blackened pancakes and Karo syrup, instant rice swimming in margarine, blackened turkey kielbasa (texture of beef jerky and the flavor of a road kill) ), canned biscuits BB (burned on the bottom), lots of salt and pepper (more salt than pepper) and washed it all down with a Diet Pepsi. I do not drink coffee at home. After this experience I decided not to cook on the range again and go to IHOP, Waffle House or Omega. I could go to Another Broken Egg, I like their breakfast but it has two strikes against it. It is on Woodruff Road, better known as Talladega East, and if you ain't there at the crack of dawn you may have to wait. I made a promise to myself when I was in the Air Force that I would never again stand in line for food...sitting down reading a newspaper and doing two crosswords or reading about the history of the Comanche (Thanks to Dottie in Texas) while waiting 45 minutes for an order is OK...just as long as I keep my mind occupied.

            This Date in History    April 6

1862 Yesterday CSA General Albert Sidney Johnson and his army based in Corinth, Mississippi detect a US army led by US General Ulysses Grant headed his way from Tennessee. He also found out that Grant has the army of US General Don Carlos Buell moving down the Tennessee River by boat to provide reinforcements. Johnson decided that now is the time to strike before both armies are joined. On this date the CSA army slammed into the Union right flank and the battle is joined near a church named Shiloh Baptist Church which is near the Tennessee River. The howling Confederates are well arrayed and well led and begin a push forcing the Union forces back closer and closer to the river. As the battle reaches a critical point, Grant knew that if the Confederates are not slowed or delayed the Union army would be annihilated or forced to surrender with their back against the river. He ordered a particular infantry unit to stop the Reb advance at all costs so Grant could organize a defense. This particular Union infantry unit dug in and would not budge. The Confederate advance was indeed slowed and when CSA General Johnson rode forward to encourage his troops to advance he was killed by a shot through the thigh and he bled out in a matter of minutes. There was a brief time of confusion before Johnson was replaced by CSA General Beauregard but the delay provided by the stubbornness of the US infantry at a place that became known as “The Hornets Nest”. The brief confusion with the death of Johnson, gave Grant enough time to set up a defense and for a few Union warships to arrive and provide naval gunfire to turn back the Confederates. Beauregard called a halt to the attack after dark. US General Don Carlos Buell’s army arrives during the night and the next morning Grant launched a counter attack that drove the Confederates from the field. This is the bloodiest single day in United States history. Had not that US infantry unit held their ground at the Hornet’s Nest and General Johnson had not been killed, the war probably been over that day and we would have been two nations.

1895 On this date the famous Scottish writer Oscar Wilde was sentenced to prison. A few years earlier Oscar, a flaming homosexual, had been having a relationship with the son of the Marquis of Queensbury much to the Marquis’ chagrin. The Marquis finally called Oscar a homosexual in the press and Oscar sued for slander. The Marquis had no problem with providing a ton of evidence showing that Oscar was indeed aflame which was a crime in those days in England. Oscar lost his law suit and went to the slammer. The strange thing was that after he was released his writings became even better. It is reported that the first words he said upon getting out of prison was “Now, where was I?”

1832 In 1767 the future chief of the Sauk Indians Black Hawk was born in the village of Saukenuk in present day Illinois. From the very beginning of his life he and his tribe had to deal with the encroachment of the settlers coming in from the east. Eventually one of the Sauk chiefs met with a group of settlers. They fed this chief a bunch of whiskey and then persuaded him to cede all their lands west of the Mississippi. Finally they began moving in on Black Hawk’s village which eventually became Rock Island, Illinois. Black Hawk got fed up and on this date, began a war against these white devils. He was successful at first but units of the United States Army came in and put a stop to it. Eventually Black Hawk was forced to surrender and the Native Americans took yet another step toward oblivion.

Born today:

1892 US newscaster/explorer Lowell Thomas. He said “After you reach the age of 80 everything you see reminds you of something else.” Say, that reminds me.....

1725 Italian writer Giovanni de Seingalt. He said “Every man is free, but not if he does not believe it”. I believe it Gio, just test me.

1882 Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. He said “Music is better understood by children and animals.” Igor did not include Rap in this generalization.

Died today:

1996 US actress Greer Garson. She said of Marlon Brando “He is a good actor on the whole but I do not enjoy those who try to commune with their armpits, so to speak.”

1998 US country singer Tammy Wynette. She said “I never said I was the best singer in the world, just the loudest.” Stand by your man, Tammy.

               Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow.