Friday

                    Musing and History

Quote of the day:

“A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.”

                                      Winston Churchill

It was a busy Labor Day weekend. Over in Hanover county North Carolina (on the coast) there was either a triple homicide or a shootout where all participants killed each other. It was a lot better in Durham, North Carolina. In a residential neighborhood 12 people were shot but only three were injured seriously and no one was killed.

It is the same down here in rural South Carolina. A woman called her estranged husband and told him that her present boyfriend, 31 year old Dave Mauger, was coming to shoot him. The man blew it off but about 20 minutes later Dave did not disappoint and came by and fired five or six rounds into the man’s double-wide. He did not hit anyone and only one round went into the trailer. Dave needs to spend more time at the range. Anyone that can only put one round out of six into something the size of a double wide needs help. Dave is in the joint right now, though.

Early Saturday morning Fred Lester was in the Boom Boom Room over near Woodruff, SC knocking back a few. He got into an argument and his antagonist pulled a hogleg and fired one round into Fred’s chest. Fred was declared dead at the scene. The cops are still looking for the shooter.

According to the latest statistics about 4,400 American soldiers were killed in Iraq. We have been there in a combat role for about nine years. That is about 450 a year. There are nearly that many killings PER WEEK in America. Where is the combat zone?

            This Date in History   September 9

1939 The Fox theater in Riverside California has a surprise premier of the movie Gone with the Wind. The producer of the film David O. Selznick is sitting in the rear of the theater to see the audience’s reaction. Selznick had bought the film rights from Margaret Mitchell for $50,000 the year before and immediately began a search for Rhett and Scarlett. He was unsuccessful at first but he made a deal with MGM for Clark Gable for which MGM got a piece of the action. The newly arrived British actress Vivian Leigh came to the set to see her agent who was Selznick’s brother and was persuaded to read for the role of Scarlett. The official premier was in Atlanta in December.

1956 Elvis makes his first appearance on the popular TV variety show Ed Sullivan’s Toast of the Town. Elvis does Don’t be Cruel and Hound Dog and as usual swivels his hips. Sullivan was so incensed by this that he swore that he would never allow Elvis back on his show but a year later with Elvis on top of the recording heap, he has him back but instructs the cameramen to not show him from the waist down. Times have changed, haven’t they?

1863 The Yankee army occupied Chattanooga after US Gen. William Rosecrans severely out-generals CSA Gen. Braxton Bragg. Bragg has to retreat to a point south of Chattanooga but has his army dig in at a place called Chickamauga. Rosecrans follows Bragg and the ensuing battle is one of the bloodiest of the war. Rosecrans is defeated and he and his army retreats back to Chattanooga. Bragg was acknowledged to be the worst field commander in the Confederacy and many attribute the loss of the war to his inadequacies.

1971 The worst prison riot in American history happens at Attica Correctional Facility near Buffalo, N.Y. The riot occurred spontaneously but was primarily caused by the severe overcrowding which resulted in deplorable living conditions. The inmates could take a shower only once a week and had one roll of toilet paper to last a month among many other things. Nearly all of the 2200 inmates joined in the riot. The riot was essentially contained in a recreational field but the inmates had 39 guards and civilians as hostages. There were long and tedious negotiations between the inmates and the prison officials, even the Governor Nelson Rockefeller came and talked with the inmates but the negotiations stalled and the governor order a forceful takeover. The officials sent a helicopter over the yard and dropped tear gas into the yard and the prison guards charged through the mist guns blazing. 10 prison guards were killed and 89 inmates were either killed or wounded. The prison officials at first said that the inmates had killed the guards by cutting their throats but autopsies proved that they were all killed with gunfire. A congressional investigation ensued.

1943 A Japanese float plane launched from a submarine drops incendiary bombs on a forest in western Oregon causing a forest fire. This is the only time a bomb has fell on the continental United States and hopefully the last.

1850 California receives statehood. In 1847 California had only 7,500 residents and to become a state there must be at least 60,000 residents. After gold discovered the state’s population grew by 60,000 in 1849 alone. Normally a state must become a US Territory for a period of time before becoming a state but this was foregone because of the gold. Uncle Sam wants his piece of the action, don’t he?

Born today:

1868 US writer Mary Austin. She said “People would be surprised to find out how much I found out about prayer while playing poker.” I found out about prayer trying to hammer out a divorce settlement. I had always heard that “Prayer changes things”.... it didn’t.

1890 US chef Colonel Harlan Sanders. He said “There is no reason to be the richest person in the cemetery. You can’t do business there”. I concur with the first sentence, the second one is unnecessary.

1925 US actor Cliff Robertson. He said “This isn’t exactly a stable business; it is like standing up in a hammock with your pants down.” Even more unstable would be making love standing up in a hammock, Cliff.

1949 NFL quarterback Joe Thiesmann. He said “The word “genius” is not applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.” Joe, you are a dumb-ass.

1958 US Comedian The Amazing Johnathon. He said “A duck walks into a drug store and says”Give me a stick of Chapstick and put it on my bill” No comment

               Thanks for listening   I can hardly wait until tomorrow