Wednesday

                             Musings and History

Quote of the day:

“New York is a place where if you have talent, and you believe in yourself, and you show people what you can do, then some day, maybe--just maybe--you won't get shoved in front of a subway train.”

                                                    Dave Barry

Trivia question of the day:

There was a famous wrestler named “Andre the Giant”. What was his nationality and how big was he? Answer at the end of the blog.

I did a brief research on Jeff Sessions. He is the son of a small convenience owner in a tiny town near Selma, Al. He went to Huntington College and the University of Alabama Law School. He is an Eagle Scout and has been honored with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award for his continued service to that organization.

He served as the Attorney General for the state of Alabama before being selected to be the US Attorney for the South Alabama district. He selection to the US Attorney's office was opposed by Coretta Scott King who in 1986 wrote, and I paraphrase, “He used his powerful position at Attorney General to suppress the black vote.”

I personally think that using that letter 31 years old in opposing Sessions as US Attorney General by Elizabeth Warren was at best a desperate attempt to find anything they could against him for political expediency. If she had to go back 31 year to find something controversial on Sessions she is just blowing smoke for the sake of blowing smoke. She loves to blow her own horn.

I am sure that Mrs. King is an honorable person but at the time of that letter her husband had been assassinated by a down home honky making her far less that objective. Trump canned him anyway.

                  This Date in History   February 13

1776 On this date Patrick Henry is joined the First Virginia Battalion and assigned the primary duty to protect the considerable stores of gunpowder in state from the British. Henry was a talented orator and had the ability to say the right words at the right time to stir men’s souls. It was before the Virginia House of Burgesses in St. John’s Church in Richmond that he made his most famous utterance. There had been debate about whether or not to take up arms against the advancing British troops with the majority against such action when Henry arose and said: “Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains or slavery? Forbid it Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” Immediately after these words were heard the rest of the gathering shouted “To Arm! To Arms!” He was a gifted speaker. The Royal Governor of Virginia Lord Dunsmore became more and more alarmed about the rebelliousness of his subjects and sent a military detachment to Williamsburg, Virginia to capture a known large cache of gunpowder there. The British militia stood eyeball to eyeball with Patrick Henry and his contingent over the store of gunpowder. A compromise was reached and bloodshed was avoided but there is not doubt in this writers mind that Henry would have ordered his troops to open fire if things had gone too far. After the Revolutionary war was over, Henry fought tooth and nail against the Constitution as being too in favor of the Federal government and he was instrumental in the addition of the Bill of Rights. He was a dedicated anti-federalist and favored Washington and Adams but not Madison. He died at his Red Hill Plantation, Virginia in 1799 at the age of 63. To those of you that are Civil War buffs, Patrick Henry’s sister was the grandmother of CSA General Joseph E. Johnston. Here is more trivia. Henry’s second wife was the granddaughter of Virginia Governor Alexander Spotswood. It was Spotswood that sent out an assassination team to kill Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard the Pirate, who had taken residence in Albemarle Sound, North Carolina with the protection of the Governor of North Carolina if Blackbeard would split his booty with him. Albemarle Sound is right next door to the Chesapeake Bay and Governor Spotswood knew that Blackbeard would be preying on all the shipping coming to and going from Virginia. The assassination team cornered Blackbeard near Edenton, North Carolina and, with much difficulty, capped his ass. He was shot three times and suffered seven saber wounds, but he was gone. There is no question that Blackbeard was a mean and tough bastard.

1861 The first military action for which a Medal of Honor was eventually given began on this day. Earlier Lieutenant George Bascom and 60 of the 7^th Infantry were surrounded by the group of Chiricahua Apache led by Cochise. Colonel Bernard Irwin set out with a group of 14 to rescue the Bascom and his troop of 60. Originally Irwin started out on their 100 mile trip without horses, they were riding mules. But eventually they gathered up enough horses by picking up loose horses and killing a few Apaches and taking their horses. Irwin and his 14 arrived at Apache pass in Southeast Arizona where Bascom was trapped and broke the siege and Bascom and company was able to escape. The first of the Apache Wars began when the US cavalry captured three of Cochise’s relatives on trumped up charges of rustling and kidnapping. Cochise responded with the capture of three cavalrymen and offered a prisoner exchange. The Cavalry refused so Cochise killed the three cavalrymen and the US Cavalry killed Cochise’s relatives and from there the wars began. Cochise proved to be a formidable adversary and it took several years to bring him to bay.

1945 One of the most controversial events in WWII began on this night. The combined forces of the United States and Great Britain had almost swept the skies clear of German fighters and bombed with impunity any target they chose. Tonight the English Air Force chose Dresden, Germany. Dresden had no military significance. There were no munitions plants close by. There were no plants that manufactured the “tools of war” anywhere near Dresden. Dresden was a beautiful city dedicated to the arts and sciences. Some of the most architecturally beautiful building in the world was here. However on this night the English bombers showed up by the hundreds with a mixed load of high explosives and incendiaries. The next morning Dresden was a smoking pile of rubble. No one knows why Dresden was chosen except as revenge for the carpet bombing of Coventry, England by the Germans. Coventry was of no real military significance either. It is estimated that over 135,000 residences and soldiers of Dresden died on this night due to the firestorms created by the incendiaries. If the heat and poison gasses did not kill them, they suffocated due to the fires consumption of the oxygen. It was very similar to the firestorm that befell Hamburg, Germany. I am not sure that revenge is that sweet. After all, Germany was just two months before surrendering. However, if I had a loved one that was burned alive in Coventry, maybe it would be as sweet.

Born today:

1892 US artist Grant Wood. He said “All good ideas I ever had came to me while I was milking a cow.” I ain’t going there.

It was Grant Wood that gave us the famous painting “American Gothic.” Y'all remember the painting it is of an elderly woman that is obviously on a farm and standing beside her is a man with a pitchfork.

1923 US legendary test pilot Charles “Chuck” Yeager. He said “Rules are made for people who are not willing to make up their own.”

Answer to the trivia question:

Andre the Giant was a Frenchman that stood 7'-4” and weighed 520 pounds. He had a famous “feud” with Hulk Hogan.

             Thanks for listening   I can hardly wait until tomorrow