Tuesday

                         Musings and History

Quote of the day:

“Cats were put here by God to show us that not everything on Earth has a purpose.”

                                               Garrison Keillor

Trivia question of the day:

In the movie “Silence Of The Lambs” in what city was the asylum located?” Answer at the end of the blog.

                    This Date in History March 5

1770 In 1768 the British army occupied Boston because the gnarly Bostonians were giving the British hell about taxes that had been levied on them by Parliament while there was no one in Parliament representing Boston or any other city or state in the colonies. Three days before today, a group of British soldiers had gone down to John Hancock’s dock seeking a part time job. There is no need for me to tell you what the response was from the American dockworkers already there. That’s right, ya’ll, it was a wall banging brawl. It took the British army to straighten it out. The fight was over but the hard feelings were still embroiled. On this cold and snowy night a group of hard-ass Bostonians gathered outside the Custom House where the British gathered the tax money and began throwing snowballs and rocks at the lone British guard posted at the door. The pelting became so severe that the guard called for help and seven other troops showed up. Well, five of the guards that showed up and several of the Bostonians were the same ones in the fight at Hancock’s dock. Y'all know what happened next, the snowballs came at more speed and more tightly packed along with many words of profanity exchanged. One of the guards named Robert Montgomery slipped and fell and discharged his musket. Upon hearing gunfire, the rest of the guards fired their weapons also. After the smoke cleared, five Bostonians lay dead or dying. This event was from that moment on was known as the Boston Massacre. All of the soldiers were put on trial and were defended by John Adams and Josiah Quincy as a show to the British that justice existed in the Colonies. All the soldiers were acquitted with the exception of two. Those two had the letter “M” branded on their thumbs to identify them as murderers. I suppose justice was served but what a strange punishment.

1962 On this date actor George C. Scott rejected his Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “The Hustler”. George said the award was a waste of time and meaningless. This wasn’t the only time he turned the Oscar down. He rejected his winning Best Actor award for “Patton”. In “The Hustler” he played the money backer to a pool shark named “Fast Eddie” Felson played by Paul Newman. Felson’s girl friend was played by Piper Laurie. Scott’s promiscuous wife was played by Ann Margaret. The core of the whole movie was “Fast Eddie” in a showdown with a world famous pool shark named “Minnesota Fats” played by Jackie Gleason. It was a great movie. “Fast Eddie” played by Paul Newman showed up in another movie later on where he was the advisor and mentor to another young pool shark played by Tom Cruise in “The Color of Money.” It was another good movie. George C. Scott went to that great sound stage in the sky in 1999, an actor unparalleled.

1953 On this date one of the most evil persons the world had ever known died much to the relief of the rest of the world and mostly his own countrymen. Josef Stalin, the Russian dictator since 1924 died of a brain hemorrhage in Moscow. This man had no honor. He signed a peace agreement with Adolph Hitler hoping to gain land and fortune siding with this jackass. Not long after this, Hitler unleashes Operation Barbarossa which was the attempt to subjugate Russia under heel of Germany. Hitler sent in three armies totaling over 2 million men. The Germans would have succeeded had they started the operation two months earlier. The worst winter in 50 years caught the German Army out in the open without sufficient clothing to handle the blistering winter wind coming across the Steppes at 50 to 60 MPH at -20 degrees. During all his reign, Stalin would keep a close watch on his Generals and if one of them became extra popular, he would have the General executed under false pretenses. This way he cut short any coups that may be afoot. He also had murdered thousands if not millions of his own people for real or imagined plots against him. It was rumored that if the forecast for crops showed that there would not be enough food to feed all the people, he would murder enough of his people that the remainder could be fed. And as strange as it seems, he would not allow his people to immigrate. The world is a better place without Josef Stalin, and hell applauded his arrival.

Born today:

1958 Australian rock singer Andy Gibb. He said “Girls are always running through my mind, they don’t dare walk.”

1879 English economist William Beaveridge. He said “Scratch a pessimist and often you will find a defender of privilege.”

Died today:

1893 French historian Hippolyte Taine. He said “I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.”

1953 US movie producer Herman Mankeiwicz. He said “If people are not sitting at Charlie Chaplin’s feet, he goes out and stands where people are sitting.”

1981 US songwriter E.Y. Harburg. He wrote “This we learn from Watergate, that almost any creep will be glad to help the government overthrow the people.”

Quotable quotes:

“The fundamental fault with fathers is that they want their children to be a credit to them.”

Bertrand Russell

“Feminism is just a way for ugly women to get into mainstream America.”

Rush Limbaugh (I am just the messenger here)

“I don’t believe in drunk driving, but those kids have to get to school.”

Joan Rivers

When asked if he liked grass or Astroturf Joe Namath said “I don’t know I have never smoked Astroturf.”

Answer to the trivia question:

The asylum in the movie “Silence Of The Lambs” was in Baltimore.

            Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow