- Musings and HistoryQuote of the day:“The love that lasts the longest is the love that is never returned.”Somerset MaughamTrivia question of the day:Who was the commander of the German tank column that broke out of the Ardennes Forest resulting in the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. Answer at the end of the blog.I read an interesting concept about the Exodus. The author surmised that the Hebrews did not get lost and wander the desert but Moses intentionally camped out for those 40 years. The reason being was after leaving Egypt the Hebrews could only mount an army of about 5,000 warriors and Moses felt that he needed at least 9,000. Not only that, the army was poorly trained and poorly armed. According to to the descriptions in the Bible the Hebrews camped in Saudi Arabia on the eastern shore of the Red Sea about 150 miles southeast of Egypt. The only volcano (Mount Sinai) within a reasonable distance is in this area. In the span of two generations (40 years) it would be feasible for Moses to increase his army the desired amount, have Joshua train them and would be able to forge iron into a sufficient number of swords, daggers and spears. I personally do not see how they could “be lost” in the desert. Egypt had been squabbling for centuries with the Assyrians, Hittites and Canaanites from present day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and southern Turkey. It was well known that these lands were north of Egypt and so was the Jordan River valley. I am sure that Moses and/or one of the Hebrews would be able to find which direction is north. It would be simple. At dawn just turn until the sun is shining on your right cheek and you would be facing north, more or less. Far be it for me to second guess what the Bible says about the Hebrews wandering the desert as punishment from God but it is more logical for me to imagine that Moses knew better that to head directly into combat with an untrained, undermanned and ill-equipped army. Moses was no dummy.This Date in History June 31800 On this date the second President of the United States John Adams moved to the new nation’s capitol of Washington, D.C. Before this the nation’s capitol was Philadelphia but a new capitol was established that was nearer to the center of the 13 colonies. The states of Maryland and Virginia ceded land on both sides of the Potomac River for the new city. Both the Capitol building and the White House were under construction so Adams moved to his temporary quarters in the Union Tavern in Georgetown. There is a man after my own heart. Eventually Adams notified his wife Abigail in Braintree, Massachusetts that the White House was ready for occupancy and they moved in. There was a small ceremony when they moved in and Adams dedicated the White House with these words. “I pray heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house, and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but wise men ever rule under this roof”. In the war of 1812 the British troops set fire to the Capitol building and the White House. A massive thunderstorm prevented the destruction of the Capitol but the White House burned to the ground. The British burned these buildings in retaliation for American troops burning British government buildings in Canada. The city of Washington was designed by French architect Charles L’Enfant. He visualized a city with streets arranged in spokes with a lot of circles and parks and one of the most beautiful cities in the world emerged. The White House was designed by an Irish-American architect named James Hoban who used a building in Dublin, Ireland as a model. After the original White House was burned to the ground, Hoban was again tasked with resurrecting the new White House and what he came up with is pretty much what we have today. By the way, if we were to re-locate the nation’s capitol to the center of the continental United States it would be in the middle of a prairie just south of Omaha.1937 Edward, the Duke of Windsor, after abdicating the throne of England married the former American socialite Wallis Warfield Simpson on this date. Edward was born in 1896 making him the eldest son of King George V and heir apparent to the crown with the title of the Prince of Wales. By the age of forty Edward still had not married but he was indeed involved in London’s social elite. Also involved in London’s social elite was Wallis Simpson and her husband John who were residing in London. Evidently Edward and Wallis hit it off and in spite of being married, Wallis became Edward’s mistress and he fell hopelessly in love. John was not Wallis’ first husband; she had been married and divorced to an American pilot before. Edward was going to discuss his dilemma with his father the King but before the meeting took place, King George V died, making Edward the King of England with the title of King Edward VIII. Eventually Wallis was able to secure a divorce from John clearing the way for Edward to marry her. But British law forbade a divorcee from becoming queen, especially one without a royal blood line, so Edward did what he had to do. He abdicated, meaning he gave up the crown. He was then titled the Duke of Windsor and Wallis became the Duchess. I do not know where the Duke got his money but for the majority of his life with Wallis they traveled the world in luxury and lived primarily in Paris. They would go to England only on rare occasions and they were not invited to many Royal events in London. They did attend the funerals of his brother King George VI and his mother Queen Mary. Edward died in Paris in 1972 and was buried in Frogmore which was a section of the grounds of Windsor Castle. Wallis died in 1986 and was buried at Edward’s side.1961 On this date a man named Clarence Gideon was arrested for breaking into a poolroom in Panama City, Florida. This event and subsequent actions changed the legal system in the United States forever. A man living close to the poolroom told the police that he had seen Clarence Gideon (a poor drifter with a record) leave the closed poolroom with his pockets bulging with coins and an armload of soft drinks and get into a cab. The police found and arrested Clarence. He asked for a lawyer claiming he had not robbed the poolroom but the state of Florida did not have to provide a lawyer if the accused could not afford one. Clarence went to trial having to represent himself and he was quickly convicted and sent to prison. Clarence wrote out an appeal on a sheet of notebook paper and a pencil claiming that he was constitutionally entitled to a lawyer. His appeal went all the way to the United States Supreme Court and a lawyer named Abe Fortas plead Clarence’s case before the court. As y'all know, Abe Fortas became a Justice of the Supreme Court himself. Anyway, the Supreme Court agreed with Clarence and he was ordered released. The state of Florida chose to try Clarence again for the poolroom break-in but this time, because of the notoriety he received, Clarence was represented by a first class lawyer who shot the state’s case full of holes and Clarence was acquitted. The end result of all of this is if an accused cannot afford an attorney one will be provided at no cost. That ruling and another one that resulted in when anyone is arrested they must be told of their rights as soon as possible or the so-called Miranda ruling. It just goes to show you that anyone can make a change in the system if you are persistent enough.Born today:1771 British clergyman Sydney Smith. He said “There are three sexes, men, women and clergymen.” What are you trying to tell us Sydney?1865 British monarch King George V. After hearing Strauss’ “Elektra” he said “His Majesty does not know what the band has just played but it is not to be played again in his presence.” I wonder what King George V would think of Metallica.Answer to the trivia question:The commander of the German tank column was Joachim Peiper.Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow
This is my commentary on current news items, what's happening around my neck of the woods and what happened on this date in history. I sometimes get on my soapbox and stay there a while so be prepared.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Tuesday
- Musings and HistoryQuote of the day:On the TV show Hollywood Squares he was asked “As people get older who has the most trouble sleeping men or women?” He said “My worrying about which one I am is what keeps me up at night.”Don KnottsThoughts from a while back:Harambe is that 450 pound gorilla that was killed in his Cincinnati zoo enclosure. A 3 year old kid escaped his parent(s) and somehow found his way into the gorilla enclosure. We all have seen the film where he seemed to be protecting the kid and all of a sudden drags the kid through a moat more than once. What the film does not show is the shrieks and screams for the people witnessing all of this which obviously scared the hell out of Harambe and caused him to panic. From this point on Harambe's actions are dangerously unpredictable. I have a friend that is a veterinarian and he said that even tame animals can be unpredictable under the right circumstances. The zoo personnel did the right thing by shooting Harambe, that kid's life was at stake. There are those that believe Harambe should have been darted. I believe a sudden pain would have panicked Harambe even more and it would have taken about 7 minutes for a tranquilizer to knock him down. It would not have been worth the risk. It is unfortunate that Harambe was killed but in the short run there was no other option. By the way, the workers in that zoo said that they had seen Harambe crush a coconut with one hand.I am once again reading about the history of the Comanche. At one time they were the lower class of the plains tribes. That is until they were the first to capture and train the wild Spanish mustangs that had escaped from the conquistadors and bred unhindered on the great plains for 200 years. They were acknowledged as the best light cavalry in the world.To them slavery was currency and a method of survival. They would buy and sell human beings for horses and firearms.They would also keep a close watch on their tribe's census. If there were more people dying that being born they would capture women and make them members of the tribe to have children to keep pace with the deaths. They knew they would become extinct if they didn't. If there were more children being borne than could be given food and shelter they would sell or trade women and children down to a population that the tribe could provide for. Pragmatism at it's most basic.This Date in History June 21935 George Herman Ruth was born in Baltimore in 1898. He parents were very poor and sent George was sent to a Catholic parochial school. He excelled at sports especially baseball. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles which was a farm club for the Boston Red Sox at the time. He quickly came into the major leagues as a pitcher and won 69 games before 1920 for the Boston Red Sox. For reasons known only to the Boston Red Sox front office, they traded Ruth to the New York Yankees. This stupid trade gave the Red Sox what was called “The Babe Ruth curse” meaning they did not win another World Series until 2004, while the Yankees won seven pennants and four World Series. It was not until Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in an extended season that Ruth’s record of 60 home runs in one season was broken and Hank Aaron broke his record of 711 home runs. But Ruth’s slugging percentage of .690 has never been equaled. In his later years Ruth was traded to the Boston Braves hoping he would become the manager but “The Babe” decided he liked gambling, girls and the sauce better and on top of that he developed cancer of the throat. Babe Ruth retired on this date and died in 1948 and his body was held in repose in Yankee Stadium for two days. His corpse was visited by over 150,000 people. Ruth was one of the most beloved sports figure in world history. Yes, his memory rests in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.1865 In spite of the CSA Army of Northern Virginia, General Robert E. Lee commanding, surrendering two months earlier, the Civil War was not completely over. There were a couple of more organized Confederate armies in the field. There was the army under the command of General Joseph E. Johnston primarily in the Carolinas and Georgia. This army surrendered within days of Lee. Then there were the Confederate armies of General Kirby Smith and Sterling Price who were primarily in Arkansas and Missouri. On this date General Kirby Smith surrendered virtually eliminating any organized resistance for the Confederacy. There were still a few guerrilla bands but they were quickly subdued. There were 680,000 Americans killed in this war, y'all. That is more than all other wars combined...think about it.1953 On this date Elizabeth II is crowned the Queen of the United Kingdom in a lavish ceremony dating back a thousand years. She was 27 years old and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh was 30. The ceremony was held in Westminster Abbey (been there). According to legend in 616 the site of the Abbey was determined by a fisherman who said that he saw an image of Saint Peter there and soon the river Thames was full of salmon. The actual first stones for the abbey were laid in about 950 AD and was completed and made into a home for Benedictine monks. The Abbey was used for the first coronation for King Harold and then later his successor King William the Conqueror in the year 1067 AD. Speaking of William the Conqueror, he was a Viking that had been living in France and could not speak English but this man was an awesome leader and organizer, not to mention a ruthless military leader. It was William that built the home of the present Queen Elizabeth II... Windsor Castle.1823 Two years before William Ashley had set forth down the Missouri River on a fur trapping expedition. Included in this expedition were some of what would become the greatest explorers of the great American west. Names like Jim Bridger, the Sublette brothers, Jedediah Smith and Edward Rose among others. They had a hard go of it on the first expedition because of their lack of experience. They were not that much better off on this expedition two years later but the 70 trapper headed upriver. On this date they got to what is now the border of North and South Dakota and were set upon by about 600 Arikara Indians. The Arikaras were the chief fur traders among the Indians in that area and did not take kindly to others moving in on their livelihood. The 70 trappers were soon overwhelmed and 20 were killed and many more wounded before they hightailed it back to the safety of Saint Louis. The trappers told their tale and asked for military assistance and a Colonel Leavenworth organized a 200 man cavalry and headed out for the Arikara territory. Colonel Leavenworth and his cavalry caught sight of a few Arikara braves but they faded away and none of the other Arikaras were ever seen. Leavenworth headed back to Saint Louis. But the threat of an Arikara attack in the river persuaded Ashley to make his next expedition across country by horseback. It was in expeditions such as this that much of the exploration of the American west was accomplished thanks to the Arikara raids on the river.1944 From his headquarter in England US General Eisenhower and his staff is putting the final touches on the invasion of Europe. It was on this date that June 5 was set as D-Day. As we all know the date ended up being June 6. Eisenhower himself said that he and his staff only got cat naps for the last four days before the actual launch of the mightiest amphibian assault in history.Born today:1947 US swimmer and gymnast Jocelyn Smith...She said “Live young”. She is one of my dearest friends and has been my pleasure to have known her.Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow
Monday, June 1, 2020
Monday
- Musings and HistoryQuote of the day:“I think that everybody should be rich and famous and have everything they ever wanted then they would realize that that is not the answer.”Jim CarreyTrivia question of the day:Scientists Luis and Walter Alvarez discovered something that proved a meteor about 6 miles in diameter had struck the Earth 65,000,000 years ago that doomed the dinosaurs. What did they discover? Answer at the end of the blog.I am reading the history of pirates. In the Western hemisphere (Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and the western Indian ocean) they were prominent between about 1680 and 1805. In the Eastern hemisphere (China, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc.) they were prominent much longer. In addition to gold, silver, silk, slaves, etc., nearly all pirate captain were seeking carpenters, coopers (wooden barrel makers), anyone with medical knowledge and strangely enough...musicians. But doctors by far were the most sought after. In the Caribbean carpenters were especially important because the warm waters promoted wood rot in addition to the rapid growth of barnacles and seaweed on the hull seriously reducing their speed. This called for frequent “careening” of the ship. This meant that with the use of block and tackle in shallow water the ships were tipped over and the hulls scraped clean, rotten planking replaced and a coating of wax and tar applied. Pirate ships were the first demonstration of democracy ever known. A pirate ships captain was elected by the crew and the destinations was also up for a vote. The captain could also be kicked out if the crew saw fit. It was a tough life but a profitable one.This Day in History June 11779 On this day the trial of Benedict Arnold began in New York City. This trial was the precursor to the most infamous betrayal in American History. Arnold was a superb military field commander and proved his worth on many occasions especially at the Battle of Montreal and the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga but there were other encounters where his brilliance came to the fore. He was on trial for misuse of government wagons and the buying and selling of illegal goods. I think I know why. His wife Peggy came from a privileged family and was clearly high maintenance and Benedict was not a person of wealth. Peggy was a member of the Shippen Family of Philadelphia, a well known and well heeled group. Peggy was courted heavily by a British officer named John Andre’ that played a role in the life of Benedict Arnold. During the courtship of Peggy Shippen and Major John Andre, Andre’ was captured by Colonial General Montgomery and thrown in prison for 14 months. It was during this time that Arnold made his successful move on Peggy. Anyway Arnold was cleared of most of the charges but Washington gave Arnold a letter of reprimand. All of this weighed heavily on the vain Arnold and he felt that he should have been promoted for his actions in combat rather than get a letter of reprimand. With his little scam of dealing in the black market scuttled and Arnold, still smarting from the Court Martial, sought other ways to get money to support Peggy in the lifestyle to which she had become accustomed. He began secretly bargaining with the British government suggesting he wanted to defect...for a price. Arnold had been assigned the command of West Point, New York by the Patriot army and the British countered his offer with making him a General in the British army, paying him 20,000 pounds sterling if he would deliver West Point and the 3,000 troops there to the British. With the British in control of West Point and the Hudson River, it would essentially split New England down the middle. The messenger delivering these offers and counter-offers was John Andre’, who had been recently paroled from prison. Two things happened that sent the deal down the toilet. Andre’ was captured by Patriot Army deserters and they found the plans for the betrayal in Andre’s boot and delivered it to George Washington. And number two, the British navy was sailing up the Hudson to take control of West Point and in spite of Arnold telling his troops not to fire on the British ships, the Patriot artillerists opened up and shattered the British formation and they hauled ass back to New York City. When he found that he had been discovered and the plan had gone to hell, Arnold and Peggy got aboard a British warship HMS Vulture to avoid capture. Arnold joined the British army and fought with distinction against his own countrymen. After the war, Arnold had no home so he went to England where he died in 1801 and was buried without military honors. John Andre’ was hanged as a spy. I have not chosen to pursue what became of Peggy. She was aware of Arnold’s intentions and did not prevent it from happening.1864 US General Ulysses Grant and his gigantic Army of the Potomac had been chasing CSA General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia from one battle site to another but always finding the Confederates there ahead of him. The same thing happened on this day when Grant arrived at the small crossroads town of Cold Harbor, Virginia. When Grant arrived the Confederate army was there and dug in. Grant sent US General Phil Sheridan to take control of the actual crossroad and he succeeded but could go no further. Lee wanted control of the crossroad back and sent the young and inexperienced South Carolinian Colonel Lawrence Keitt and the 20th South Carolina Division to take it back. A sharp fight ensued and Colonel Keitt was killed almost with the first shots fired and the rest of the 20th began melting away and the Yankees held. Grant decided to wait another day to allow his full forces to arrive and be deployed. This was a serious error in judgment because it allowed Lee and the Confederates to continue to reinforce the breastworks bring up more artillery and when Grant finally launched his all out attack....well, y'all need to read about what happened next.1871 Gunslinger John Wesley Hardin arrived in Abilene, Kansas where Wild Bill Hickok is sheriff. By this time Hardin had been responsible for at least 22 killings that began when he was 14. When 14 he killed his best friend in a dispute over a girl by stabbing him twice with a knife. He killed a black man at the age of 16 when he lost a wrestling match to him. Hardin had joined up with a trail herd coming up the Chisholm Trail from Texas to Abilene. He needed to get away because a few days before he had killed a Texas State policeman who was taking him to Waco for trial. During the trail drive, a herd of beef driven by a group of Mexicans began crowding Hardin’s herd from behind. Hardin rode back and told the Mexican trail boss to back off. The Mexican gave him shit, so Hardin shot him through the heart killing him. When the herd finally arrived outside Abilene, Hardin went to town and met with the renowned Wild Bill Hickok and they became friends. Hickok was not interested in murders committed outside his jurisdiction and I think he saw a little of himself in Hardin. Hardin was staying in a boarding house and one night a man in the next room began snoring loudly to the point that Hardin got so aggravated that he shot twice through the wall. The first shot was high and just woke the man up, but when he rose up the second shot killed him. Hardin knew that even Hickok would not sit still for this and he escaped out the window of the boarding house, hid in a haystack, stole a horse and hot-footed it back to Texas. Hardin was eventually captured and spent 15 years in the Huntsville, Texas prison. After getting paroled he moved to El Paso where the local sheriff was looking to build his reputation and walked up behind Hardin while he was standing at a bar and shot him in the head point blank. This ended the days of John Wesley Hardin. It is documented that he was responsible for the deaths of 44 men.Answer to the trivia question:The Alvarez brothers discovered a worldwide iridium layer that is 30 time more than normal on Earth and carbon dated to 65,000,000 year ago. Iridium is a metal and common in meteors. Above this layer there is no dinosaur fossils, below it there is.Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow
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