Thursday OYSTERS

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Quote of the day,

Along time ago in Geneva writers Percy Shelly, Mary Godwin (soon to marry Percy Shelly), Lord Byron and one other challenged each other with writing the best horror story. With a stupendous feat of human imagination Mary delivered “Frankenstein: A Modern Prometheus. She won going away. It was a story about a Dr. Victor Frankenstein assembling a human being with a variety of body parts from different corpses and somehow bringing it to life. When this creature realized what it really was it asked the question “Do I have a soul?” Good question.

A while back down in Pensacola the cops were called to the 1900 block of Cypress Street (downtown)...there was a shooting. It appears that there were two men sitting in a Saturn Vue automobile and decided to shoot each other...they both were accurate. They both were hit in the chest and one of them died instantly. The brother of the other one pulled the dead man out of the car and drove his brother to the hospital...but it was for naught, he died anyway. The cops were questioned and they said they knew what happened but they didn't know the motive but they did wish everybody a Merry Christmas.

Since I dissed Trump a few blogs ago I have been asked to say who I favor now. Keep in mind this is my opinion and I am notorious for over simplifying. Here are my thoughts on the front runners.

Hilary Clinton...The most untrustworthy person that is part of the most corrupt executive branch since William McKinley...but probably will be nominated.

Bernie Sanders...I like what he says but unfortunately he has no chance of being nominated...so far.

Mario Rubio...The most well spoken of all the candidates of either party. His youthful appearance and clean cut image plays against him during the present turmoil. I think most people realize that we need a “tough guy” personae for now. My eldest daughter and I met and shook hands with him a few years ago in Pensacola when he was campaigning for Senator from Florida as a Republican. My daughter (a Democrat) rues this day. Mario was elected, by the way.

Jeb Bush...He has the credentials but even when he tries to talk forcefully I just don't get it. He does not have the right demeanor for me at this point in time.

Carly Fiorina...Probably the most qualified executive of them all. Some people are resentful of her wealth ($58 Million) but she earned it with her management skills. How did JFK gain his wealth? Carly has a masters degree from MIT. I just feel that it is not her time...yet.

Ted Cruz...Has a “tough guy” image and speaks well. He seems to be the most informed of the Republicans. This is my choice for now.

There are others but these are the ones that I see as possibles.

Your President made an impassioned speech about global warming a few nights ago saying that it is imperative that everyone should be immediately concerned. Perhaps he is not watching Fox News and is not aware of what is going on in the world. Global warming is not our most immediate threat, terrorism is. I think your President is trying to establish a “legacy” for his presidency and it will be global warming, mass murder and unspeakable atrocities by terrorists be damned. There is an old Chinese proverb that says “Do not worry about draining the swamp when you are up to your ass in alligators”.

While in office Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina declared December 3 as “Christmas Open House” at the Governor’s mansion in Columbia. This meant that we the tax payers got a chance to see what our tax dollars have bought. Knowing how much taxes we have contributed and the reputation of Governor Sanford I would have expected a bevy of Argentine beauties in thong bikinis to greet me at the door. On second thought that might be a little sleazy, let’s make it a variety of brightly colored teddies, fishnet stockings and spike heel shoes.

This Date in History December 3

1776 The Continental Army was in real trouble. They had inadequate clothing, arms and leadership to combat the mightiest army on the planet. George Washington sent a letter to the Continental Congress advising that he found that his position in Trenton, New Jersey was untenable against the British onslaught and that he was taking his army across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania and indeed he did. He commandeered every boat within 50 miles and took his men and arms across the river and then burned all the boats that they did not use denying the British access to them. To add insult to injury Washington sent his second in command, Charles Lee, on a mission into New Jersey and Lee and his second in command, John Stockton, were captured by the British. But Washington was not deterred. Upon the arrival of Prussian General Baron Von Steuben, a training routine that shaped the Continental Army from a mob to a fighting unit was initiated. After these many days of rigorous training and drilling, the army was finally ready to hold their own against the Redcoats and not a minute too soon.

1989 A crime was committed in Fairfax, Virginia that was solved by the fledgling forensic evidence. 5 year old Melissa Brannen was attending a Christmas party and showed up missing. A search of the grounds discovered nothing. So the police went over the guest list and found out that a man named Caleb Hughes had left about the same time little Melissa was discovered missing. The police descended on Hughes’ house that night at 2 am only to find Hughes washing a shirt, pants, belt and socks. The police use tape on almost every surface looking for fiber evidence and did the same thing to Hughes’ car. They found some blue fibers on the front seat that appeared to be the same color of the sweater Melissa was wearing. Further investigation revealed that the fibers came from a sweater from the Sesame Street collection by J.C. Penny. Melissa’s mother had bought Melissa a sweater from that collection three days before. Hughes was tried and convicted of abduction with the intent to defile. They could not go any further because little Melissa’s body was never found. I can assure you that if I had my selection of implements and was given 10 minutes with Hughes we would find out where little Melissa’s body is.

1984 In Bhopal, India an accident happened at the Union Carbide plant there. This particular plant manufactured the pesticide Sevin. Sevin is composed of the chemicals carbon tetrachloride, methyl isocyanine (MIS) and alpha–napthol. The MIS chemicals are held in three partially buried tanks of 15,000 gallons each. If one of the tanks begins leaking, the plant operators are suppose to use pressurized nitrogen to move the chemical from the leaking tank to one that is not leaking. The plant operator found that one of the tanks was leaking and began pumping nitrogen into the tank. The only thing here is that the remotely operated discharge valve did not open completely and pressure began building inside the tank. The plant operators saw that the instruments indicated that the tank was approaching a dangerous pressure level but they ignored it as being inaccurate. At 2:10P a thunderous explosion occurred on the Union Carbide plant site, rupturing all three of the MIC tanks. A gray chemical cloud arose from the site and drifted downwind. The MIC chemical has a base of cyanide and people began dropping like flies. The cloud reached the local train station that was jam packed and when people began falling the rest of the crowd stampeded and several hundred were trampled to death. In all there were 2,000 killed and 20,000 injured. It is the worst chemical accident in history. Soon after this disaster, the name of Union Carbide disappeared and “Kemet” appeared at their former plants. I guess that was a good public relations move because even to this day, Bhopal and Union Carbide brings an image of disaster.

                Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow