03sep11

The owner of the restauant walked menacingly toward his cashier.
“I see,” he barked, “that you’re a little behind in your accounts.”
“Oh, no,” answered the cashier, happily. “The restaurant’s behind—I’m a few bucks to the good!”




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1939, France and England declare war on Germany.

1941, First experimental use of gas chamber at Auschwitz.

1965, Charlie Sheen is born.

1969, Ho Chi Minh, President of North Vietnam dies.

1970, Vince Lombardi football coach, dies in Washington DC at 57

1982, Michael Thoma actor (8 is Enough, Fame), dies at 55

1984, Arthur Schwartz actor, dies after a stroke at 83

1984, Duncan Renaldo actor (Cisco Kid), dies at 80

1990, David Acer Florida dentist, dies of AIDs after infecting 5 patients

1991, Frank Capra director (It's a Wonderful Life), dies at 94

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Well the weekend is upon us again and it is the famous Labor Day Weekend!! What a joke it is nowadays because there is nothing to do except brave the heat if you wanna go outdoors~~Otherwise every body has been watching the fires out at Possum Kingdom Lake near Weatherford. Been watching bad programs on TV which seems to migrate to the air waves during holidays!! Reminds me of when I was a kid some years back watching the marathons which used to dominate the weekend!! Now I don’t see em much because of the variety that’s on television nowadays~~but the stations have made up for it with the long commercials that they put on. I have seen an hour program but that hour is filled with at least at the minimum fifteen minutes worth of commercials which means you can go to the bathroom a lot if you need to.
Enough said about that which reminds me of an old joke my grand dad told me when I was a kid.
Henry Ward Beecher, famous New England clergyman, was opening his mail one morning. Drawing a single sheet of paper from an envelope, he found written on it the one word: FOOL!
The next Sunday, in the course of his sermon, he referred to it in these words: “I have known many an instance of a man writing letters and forgetting to sign his name. But this is the only instance I’ve ever known of a man signing his name and forgetting to write his letter.”

I have been having problems with my blog because The Layout Tab has disappeared and now I get some support jock at Google that tells me to change to another system. I don’t understand why they just don’t fix it and let me go on. Better to just make life difficult for me. If I wanted to do that I would have did that and wouldn’t have said anything to them. It’s bad enough having to search through their help forever for an answer that only a support rep can fix, And then have to gripe at them to get a support rep to contact you, and then to have the support rep throw you out the window. They may be right I might just go ahead and get another web page to put my blog on, because it’s a waste of their time to help anyone.
Anyway I pray you never have any problem with your blog and have a nice weekend.!!

29Aug11

We have everything on the menu today sir, the waitress said.
So I see, the customer said, How about a clean one?


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1915, Ingrid Bergman is born

1949, Richard Gere is born

1958, Michael Jackson is born

1967, George Rockwell American nazi party leader, murdered

1975, Eamon de Valera Irish independence fighter, dies at 92

1982, Ingrid Bergman dies.

1983, Simon Oakland actor (Toma, Kolchak, Baa Baa Black Sheep), dies at 61

1985, Evelyn Ankers actress, dies at 67

1985, Patrick Barr actor, dies at 77

1987, Lee Marvin dies in Tucson, Ariz at 63

1990, Saddam Hussein declares America can't beat Iraq

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The Irene storm is still on the news even though it has more or less dissapated into Canada and the Atlantic as a tropical storm, but the news is all about the damage on the eastern seaboard the flooding and the electricity being off and people playing board games and listening to battery radios.
Which reminds me of a joke about a lady who phoned her TV serviceman and complained that something was wrong with her set. The serviceman asked her if there were any visible symptoms.
“The newscaster is on right now,” said the lady,” and he has a very long face.”
“Madam,” replied the serviceman, “if you had to report what’s happening these days you’d have a long face too.”
Of course nowadays they don’t have television repairmen as they used to in the old days. Now you send it off to a repair center or buy a new one. What a waste progress can bestow on all of us. Not to mention the loss of jobs that it entails.
According to the weather forecasters it is supposed to be another 100 plus degree day today~I am looking forward to Autumn in earnest.
Have a nice day and stay cool!!

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States.

From discussing the physical peculiarities of Douglas, who was a
very small man, a group of Lincoln's friends turned to the question
of how long a man's legs should be. Upon Lincoln's joining the group,
he was asked the question.
"Well," he said, "I should think a man's legs ought to be long enough
to reach from his body to the ground."

28Aug11

A man in his carefree bachelor days, had been very fond of a Washington restaurant which specialized in waffles with honey. Year after year he had journey to to the place to get the delectable viand; so, when he finally married, he decided to take his wife there, in order to share the pleasure with her. He did not tell her what was coming; merely ordering an excellent meal, with two orders of waffles.
The meal came, the waffles came; but there were two small pitchers of near-maple syrup, and no honey.
He called the waitress over, and whispered, loud enough for his wife to hear: “Where’s my honey?”
The waitress beamed intelligently, “She’s on her vacation now, sir,” was her answer.


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1949, Soviets detonate their first atom bomb.

1963, Martin Luther King reads his famous speech I Have A Dream.

1972, Mark Spitz-US Swimmer, 1st athlete to win 7 Olympic gold medals.

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Just enduring this hot summer~~It’s been a hundred degrees here for so long I wonder what it’s gonna feel like when autumn finally does get here, other than hot!!
Well school has started again down here. Whatever happened to the school year that started on Sept the first??
The hurricane Irene slammed into the eastern seaboard of the United States and that’s all there is in the news nowadays.
What did Charles D. Warner say? “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.
But then I got my own ideas about weathermen and their lot! There is an old saying:
FIRST FARMER: “Don’t think much of that weather prophet the government’s got on the radio.”
SECOND FARMER: “Well, let’s don’t do any complainin’ about it. Just think how bad it would be if the government started regulatin’ the weather instead of predictin’ it!”
Another line of thought!!
Just watch what happens after Irene goes away= Just watch the gas prices go up!! For what reason?? Who knows but the oil companies will find an excuse to jack it up at the pump no matter what. Wait and see.
Today is another Sunday gone into history~~Enjoy your week!!

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States


Lincoln's innate democracy was humorously expressed in this mark
about his ancestry: "I don't know who my grandfather was, and
I am much more concerned to know what his grandson will be."

13Aug11

“Now, girls,” said the restaurant manager, “I want you all to look your best to-day. Add a little dab of powder to your cheeks and take a bit more care with your hair.”
“Somethin special on?” asked the head waitress.
“No,” informed the manager. “The beef’s tough.”


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1899, Alfred Hitchcock is born.

1926, Renowned Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro is born/

1961, Building of the Berlin Wall

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On this day in 1981, at his California home Rancho del Cielo, Ronald Reagan signs the Economic Recovery Tax Act (ERTA), a historic package of tax and budget reductions that set the tone for his administration's overall economic policy.

During his campaign for the White House in 1980, Reagan argued on behalf of "supply-side economics," the theory of using tax cuts as incentives for individuals and businesses to work and produce goods (supply) rather than as an incentive for consumers to buy goods (demand). In Congress, Representative Jack Kemp, Republican of New York, and Senator Bill Roth, Republican of Delaware, had long supported the supply-side principles behind the ERTA, which would also be known as the Kemp-Roth act. The bill, which received broad bipartisan support in Congress, represented a significant change in the course of federal income tax policy, which until then was believed by most people to work best when used to affect demand during times of recession.

The ERTA included a 25 percent reduction in marginal tax rates for individuals, phased in over three years, and indexed for inflation from that point on. The marginal tax rate, or the tax rate on the last dollar earned, was considered more important to economic activity than the average tax rate (total tax paid as a percentage of income earned), as it affected income earned through "extra" activities such as education, entrepreneurship or investment. Reducing marginal tax rates, the theory went, would help the economy grow faster through such extra efforts by individuals and businesses. The 1981 act, combined with another major tax reform act in 1986, cut marginal tax rates on high-income taxpayers from 70 percent to around 30 percent, and would be the defining economic legacy of Reagan's presidency.

Reagan's tax cuts were designed to put maximum emphasis on encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship and creating incentives for the development of venture capital and greater investment in human capital through training and education. The cuts particularly benefited "idea" industries such as software or financial services; fittingly, Reagan's first term saw the advent of the information revolution, including IBM's introduction of its first personal computer (PC) and the rise or launch of such tech companies as Intel, Microsoft, Dell, Sun Microsystems, Compaq and Cisco Systems.

Economists have argued to what degree Reagan's economic policy drove the boom of the 1990s, but his tax program undoubtedly set in motion powerful forces of change that would result in both short- and long-term economic gains. On the other hand, critics of so-called "Reaganomics" argued that his tax cuts and the effects of steady economic growth disproportionately benefitted the wealthy, and increased the gap between the nation's rich and poor.

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

Lincoln once dreamed that he was in a great assembly where the
people made a lane for him to pass through. "He is a common-looking
fellow," said one of them, "Friend," replied Lincoln in his dream,
"the Lord prefers common-looking people--that is why He made so many
of them."

10aug11

Patron---“Do you serve fish here?”
Waiter---“Certainly, we cater to everyone.”


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1938, Air France offers a flight route between Marseille and Hong Kong. The voyage lasts 5 days.

1959, Rosanna Arquette is born.

1960, Antonio Banderas is born.

1953, In Canada, liberal Louis Stephen Saint-Laurent is re-elected for a second time as Prime Minister.

1980, Allen, the most powerful hurricane in Caribbean hits Brownsville, Tx

1988, UN estimates Asia's population hit 3 billion


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Today is Wednesday~~Another hot day they say. Which brings this thought to mind. Man, in his anxiety to refute evidence that he is a monkey, manages to further to the belief that he is an ass.

Nothing going on today except that heat wave~~When summer is gone I will probably be wishing that it would come back haha. It always amazes me to wish for something that is gone but gripe and complain about it when it is handy and in the foremost part of the mind. I reckon that is a part of human nature. I don’t think I am alone in this observation. There is this book that I have been reading by Ed Morrow called “599 Things you should Never do.” Some of the things in this book are hiliarious. The first thing in this book is named ‘ Academia.’ With this quote by Paul Samuelson. Referring to a former Harvard treasurer. “Never consult the economics department….never consult the business school.”
First off I don’t know who Mr Samuelson is and what is the quote about?? When I was going through college in my younger years. Economics was not my choice of a subject matter to spend my money on but it was a required subject for my major so like all the rest of the courses which everyone called core courses, you know the course had to taken to get the degree in that field of endeavor. Courses that you didn’t pass that were required usually ended up with you sitting in the hot seat of a counselor who would try to get you to switch your major to something that you would be able to pass the core courses in and the major itself. I remember this one kid who was with me had switched his major twice and he was still there when I graduated with my bachelors degree~~he not like me working to make ends meet in college his parents were well off and he didn’t apply himself to the subject matter at hand. But of course I have wondered what ever happened to him. As with most of his kind when I was going through he probably ended up in the family business which he probably knew inside and out anyway so his future was secured for the rest of his life.
The only thing I personally get out of this quote that if you are a treasurer and you get into trouble don’t consult those departments. Any treasurer worth his salt is going to have his hands full just keeping his department in line much less worry about outside intelligence that may be able to help him if he needs it.
Anyway why the book?? A bunch of quotes that begin with Never! Anybody could do that~There are dictionaries on quotes which if it is worth it’s salt you can find in the index typically all the quotes in the book alphabetized so that you could see every quote in that book beginning with whatever letter you wish so that you can look up a quote you may have heard but don’t know who said it.
I will lay my choice of who the culprit was for this book at the doorstep of the publisher who was in search of something to make money with. And of course who should come along but me the sucker of the lifetime to give my hard earned cash for this pot boiler. He either saw the hook in the title to grab a certain psyche ~~I bought this book in haste apparently because after sitting down and going through it and seeing the contents my better judgment tells me that I should have never bought it. So I kick myself for that every time I see this book. There are some things in here that are fun to read though in spite of the bad choice to purchase it. For example” A quote by ‘American Adage” this writer just pulls any non verifiable quote out of nowhere “Never choose between two good things, take both.” That’s a great quote unless both things are terribly expensive then you can either choose one or none depending on what you have in mind. So with further ado I am going to lay this to rest. One day in the future I may return to this book and talk about some of the quotes in there.

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States


The Northern armies had been inactive for some time, when a telegram
came to Lincoln from Cumberland Gap saying that firing had been
heard toward Knoxville, where General Burnside was in much peril.
Lincoln calmly remarked that he was glad of it. Some one expressing
surprise at his remark, Lincoln said:
"You see, it reminds me of Mistress Sallie Wared, a neighbor of mine,
who had a very large family. Occasionally one of her numerous progeny
would be heard crying in some ou-of-the-way place, upon which Mrs.
Ward would exclaim, "There's one of my children not dead yet.'"

09Aug11

A well known, but shy, actor, dropped into a Broadway restaurant very early the other morning.
He sat at a table and waited--- and waited. Three waiters, at a table in the rear were earnestly playing pinochle. Finally, after long minutes, the proprietor sauntered through and caught the situation at a glance.
“That’s how it is!” he roared. “I got three waiters and they can’t even wait on one lousy customer!”


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1962, Marilyn Monroe dies.

1936, Jesse Owens wins fourth gold medal at Summer Olympics in Berlin.

1945, The United States drop the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki.

1957, Melanie Griffith is born.

1963, Whitney Houston is born.

1969, Sharon Tate actress, killed by Charles Manson's gang

1974, Richard Nixon resigns presidency, VP Gerald Ford becomes 38th president.

1988, Alan Napier (Alfred the Butler on Batman), dies at 85

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Tuesday and it’s gonna be another scorcher outside. Another 100 degree plus day. Who can change the weather nowadays??

IT WAS SO HOT, the cows were giving evaporated milk.

Here is another Vernon Howard story:

Edward Arlington Robinson sums up the desperate predicament of man in his classic poem, Richard Cory.
Everyone in town admired Richard Cory’s princely manners. They envied his apparently exalted station in life. He seemed the very ideal of the successful individual. But it was all a stage performance. No one knew it better than Richard Cory. In his despair, he finally fled the stage in the only way he knew, in self-destruction.
Genuinely happy people are much rarer than one supposes. People wear a variety of masks: smiling masks, wise-appearing ones, excited ones, masks of worldly success, all in a frantic attempt to convince themselves and others that the act is real. But, sooner or later, the play must come to its end, leaving the actor alone and afraid on his little stage.
What does every man want? He only senses what he wants. He wants to be free. From what? From his heartache and suffering, from his compulsive desires, from his fear of what other people can do to him, from secret shames and guilts carried over from past folly.
He wants self-liberty. But he doesn’t know what it is, or where to find it. Still, he anxiously seeks, and almost always in the wrong places. In despair over finding the right needle in the haystack, he doesn’t even see he is searching in the wrong haystack.
He hopefully comforts himself, “Well, tomorrow will be different.” But it won’t. And he knows he will look back and find himself in the same old despair. The only change will be in a few exterior surroundings. But it’s still the same old haunted house.
The famous prisoners-in-the-cave allegory of Socrates, as told by Plato, explains man’s condition: A number of men are chained in a dark cavern. A fire blazes around them, producing fearful shadows. Falsely assuming that the shadows are real, they cringe in terror and hostility.
But one prisoner gets tired of it all. Taking courage, he decides to risk all in an attempt to escape. Fighting his way through the darkness, he emerges into the sunlight of the real world. He finds himself a free man.
And what happens if he goes back to tell others of his wonderful discovery? What if he explains that their agonies result from their illusions, that an entirely new world exists on the outside? Will they welcome his message? They will not. What!-and give up their smug assumptions that they already know what is real? And disturb their ego-centered ways? No! They will scorn and resent him, call him a deluded fool-and remain in their secret despair.


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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

When practicing law in Illinois, Lincoln wrote upon a subscription
paper passed to him in behalf of the worn-out trouser-seat of
his opponent:
"I refuse to subscribe to the end in view."



.

8Aug11

Waiter—“Would you mind settling your bill, sir? We’re closing now.”
Irate Patron---“But, hang it all, I haven’t been served yet.”
“Well, in that case, there’ll only be the cover charge.”


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1919, Dino De Laurentiis is born.

1922, Jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong, part of the great exodus of Blacks from the southern to the northern US, leaves New Orleans to play jazz in Chicago with mentor King Oliver.

1925, An estimated 40,000 Ku Klux Klan members march through Washington, D.C. as part of the organization’s national congress.

1937, Dustin Hoffman is born.

1974, Nixon announces he will resign the Presidency.

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Monday, Monday!! The heat wave here in Texas is still over 100 degrees daily and it will be the same today they say.
For the lack of something to write about I think I will put some of Vernon Howard’s ideas on here starting with the one below. I really enjoyed his books because to me he tried to put complicated ideas into stories that I could remember. Of course everyone is so sophisticated nowadays these quaint ideas seem really old but I still enjoy them. I hope you do to.

You may have heard the story about the tourist visiting a beautiful tropical isle of the South Seas. As he strolled along the white sands he came across a native resting comfortably in the shade of a palm tree. Alongside him was his grass-skirted girl friend. The tourist asked the native:
“How come you don’t work?”
“Why?” replied the native.
“To earn some money.”
“Why?”
“So you can retire peacefully.”
“Peaceful already.”
That amusing story contains a curious truth, which is: comfort and peace of mind can be yours now.




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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

Lincoln and a judge were having a friendly contest of wits on the
subject of horses, when Lincoln said:
"Well, look here, Judge! I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll make a
horse trade with you, only it must be upon these stipulations:
Neither party shall see the other's horse until it is produced
here in the courtyard of the hotel and both parties must trade
horses. If either party backs out of the agreement, he does so
under a forfeiture of twenty-five dollars."
It was agreed, and Lincoln and the judge each left to find
a horse for the joking trade, while a crowd collected to
watch the fun. When the judge reappeared there was a great
laugh at the incredibly skinny, dejected-looking animal, blind
in both eyes, that he led. But the uproar came when Lincoln strode
upon the scene eith a carpenter's saw-horse on his shoulder.
Relieving himself of his burden, Lincoln with a disgusted air
scrutinized the the judge's animal.
"Well, Judge," he said, "this is the first time I ever
got the worst of it in a horse trade."

05aug11

Customer—“What does this mean? There’s a fly in the bottom of my tea-cup?”
Waitress---“How do I know? I’m a waitress, not a fortune teller.


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In 1906, John Huston is born

1962, Nelson Mandela, South African freedom fighter, imprisoned. He was not released until 1990.

1966, Beginning of the Cultural Revolution in China with the publication of Mao’s Little Red Book.

1984, Death of Richard Burton.

2002, Divers recover USS Moniter turret.

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Nothing in the news today except the crazy heat wave summer that we are having. Somebody in Fort Worth died because someone stole the outside air-conditioner. They said on the news that thieves steal them because of the copper in them is scrapped for money.

If you ask around the story is that the police station had been quiet most of the wee. Things were so slow the detectives were playing cards to pass the time. “What a life,” grumbled one of the officers, “No fights, no thefts, no riots, no murders, no nothin’.”
“Rest easy, Mike,” said the captain, “Things’ll break soon. You just gotta have faith in human nature.”

Seems like everything is in meltdown. The financial markets, the power grid is close to have another set of running blackouts and all the rest of the stuff this summer. I think that the most obvious thing is wrong is what congress did about the job market~~You got that right no jobs were created but they sure can worry about their own stuff. They don’t give a damn about the American people all they care about is the rich people who send all the money they make over seas to their little factories and so they protect them so they can have funds to run for re-election There ought to be a time limit some of these senators because they rob the people blind with their little programs to help the rich and help themselves. They stay in office forever doing nothing but helping their cronies or the old boy network. The whole crap with the debt ceiling was just that~crap! So what if the government stops~it needs to stop. Maybe if they didn’t work for themselves and instead work for the country this land wouldn’t be in the mess that it’s in.
The country needs to set time limits that a senator can stay in office just like the president. That way there can be different mind sets and ideas to keep this country on track. Because there would be ideas that were more current with the ideas of the present population instead of some old fart who has been up there for a hundred years doing the same old stuff for his buddies like Sen. Robert C.Byrd of Virginia. Who robbed the taxpayers blind in support of his programs for his state. He was a US Senator from 1948 until 2010
How much money do you think he had funneled to his old buddies in Virginia from the taxpayers??
But the big problem in this country now is jobs!! Everybody knows that the jobs are going overseas because of the tax benefits that multinational companies get for having factories overseas. They not only get tax breaks but they also get cheap labor to boot! What a win win situation. And who catches the brunt of it? You guessed it Your neighbor and mine whose place of employment all of a sudden just ended up in India, China or Mexico. And what does congress do about this? Nothing! They need to nationalize foreign companies who have factories in this country that way the money stays in this country instead of going overseas to their parent companies. And they need to set up a taxing program for goods coming into this country from foreign entities because these products are so cheap that everyone buys them but if the taxes bring their cost up to the same thing that we produce then the choice would be about quality instead of quantity.

Well I have rambled on too much about government and their shortcomings. Here is a parting shot about congress.

The toastmaster was seated between two distinguished United States senators at a big New York dinner. He rose, and in complimentary language declared: “Ladies and gentlemen, it is my very high privilege to present to you an old friend; a man who is a staunch supporter of the Constitution. He is regarded in Washington as a friend of the veteran, a friend of business and of labor, a brilliant lawmaker. May I present to you at this time, the Honorable…the Honorable…”
Here the toastmaster became bewildered. Then, turning quickly from one senator to the other, he sputtered, whith a broad flush:
“By the way, which one of you fellows wants to speak first?”

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

When complaints were made to Lincoln of the strenuous dictatorial
methods of Secretary of War Stanton, Lincoln made this comparison:
"We may have to treat Stanton as they are sometimes obliged to
treat a Methodist minister I know out West. He gets wrought up
to so high a pitch of excitement in his prayers and exhortations
that they put bricks in his pocket to keep him down. But I guess
we'll let him jump awhile first."

01Aug11

Restaurant Patron (crossly)- “Waiter, what are those black specks in my milk?”
Waiter-“I dunno, suh—unlessen dey’s some ob dem vitamins dey’s talkin’ so much about,”


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1920, Mahatma Gandhi begins national campaign to rally the population of India to use passive resistance and disobedience against the occupying British colonialist government. He embarks on a trip to urge disobedience with courts, schools, government, and military service, and advocates boycotting of foreign goods. The action is prompted by an earlier massacre of Indians and is also a protest against strict British laws clamping down on political activities. During Sept, 4-9, the nationalist Indian Congress, inspired by Gandhi’s popular actions, commits itself to fighting for home rule.

1966, Charles Whitman takes a stockpile of guns and ammunition to the observatory platform atop a 300-foot tower at the University of Texas and proceeds to shoot 46 people, killing 14 people and wounding 31. A fifteenth died in 2001 because of his injuries. Whitman, who had killed both his wife and mother the night before, was eventually shot to death after courageous Austin police officers, including Ramiro Martinez, charged up the stairs of the tower to subdue the attacker.

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Ah Monday, and everybody is still waiting to see what Congress is going to do about the debt ceiling!!
What a joke.
The taxpayer no longer fears that Congress will let him down; he just hopes it will let him up.

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

Douglas once thought to score off Lincoln by relating how,
when he first knew him, Lincoln was a "grocery-keeper," selling
among other things whiskey and cigars. "Mr. L.," said Douglas, "was
a very good bartender!" But the laugh was on the other side when
Lincoln made the following reply:
"What Mr. Douglas has said, gentlemen, is true enough;
I did keep a grocery, and I did sell cotton, candles and cigars,
and sometimes whiskey; but I remember in those days that
Mr. Douglas was one of my best customers. Many a time have
I stood on one side of the counter and sold whiskey to
Mr. Douglas on the other side, but the difference between
us now is this: I have left my side of the counter, but
Mr. Douglas still sticks to his as tenaciously as ever."

29 Jul11


“Are you the waiter who took my order?”
“Yes, sir.”
“H’m, still looking well, I see. How are your grandchildren?”


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1921, Hitler becomes leader of the National Socialist Party.

1948, Opening of the XIV Summer Olympic Games in London.

1953, Geddy Lee, bassists and vocals for Rush, is born

1958, NASA was created.

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Friday at last!! We are getting down to the time of the last weekend in July and wondering if congress is ever gonna do anything about the debt ceiling~~ The running joke on capital hill.

Here’s a little entertainment in the meantime.

A legislative committee was assigned to investigate conditions in a mental hospital in an eastern state. There was a dance the evening of the day the committee arrived, and the members were invited to attend.
During the course of the dance, a legislative member took for his partner a pretty patient, to whom he had been introduced by a supervisor. “I don’t remember having seen you before,” she inquired. “How long have you been a patient here3?”
“Oh, I’m not a patient,” said the legislator. “I’m a member of a special legislative committee which came down here today to investigate the hospital.”
“Of course,” returned the lady patient. “How stupid of me. However, I knew the moment I saw you, you were either a member of the legislature or an inmate, and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out which.”

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

Lincoln told the story of how he became possessed of a jack-knife.
"In the days when I used to be on the circuit
(traveling on horseback from one county court to another)
I was once accosted by a stranger, who said:
"Excuse me, sir, but I have an article which belongs to you.'
"How is that?' I asked, considerably astonished.
"The stranger took a jack-knife from his pocket.
"'This knife,' said he, 'was placed in my hands
some years ago, with the injunction that I was to
keep it until I found a man homelier-looking that I
am myself. I have carried it from that time till this;
allow me to say, sir, at that you are fairly entitled to
the property.'"

28Jul11

A man hurried into a quick lunch restaurant and said: “Give me a ham sandwich.”
“Yes, sir,” said the waiter, reaching for the sandwich: “will you eat it or take it with you?”
“Both,” was the unexpected but obvoious reply.

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1907, Scout movement founded by Robert Baden Powell

1914, The Austria-Serbia war starts World War I

1933, All non-German books are burned in Germany.

1984, Opening of the XXIII Summer Olympics in Los Angeles

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Yesterday was another hot day with the temperature above 100 degrees. I don’t remember how many days but its been 23 or 24 consecutive above 100 degree days in a row. The drought is killing all the cattlemen because they are selling off their stock because the price of hay has gotten to where they cant afford to keep them. I don’t know how the flood of extra beef is going to affect the supermarket if at all.
I spent a couple of hours watching Congress on our satellite television debate about the debt ceiling bill with no results. You would think they would do something about that thing because of all the effects it’s going to do to the economy!!
Abraham Lincoln said “The legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, but cannot do at all in their separate and individual capacities.”

In my observations of Congress this is what they do. A man gets up to speak and says nothing. Nobody listens-and then everybody disagrees.
I believe that practical politics consists in ignoring facts.
I know that a lot of people are depending on their social security checks to survive~but then the military is not going to get paid if they don’t get this debt ceiling bill through the house and senate. Can you believe that all the government functions will be affected in one way or another. All the payments going to the states that the senators in congress have passed will be stopped. Health program payments to the states and the road construction funding that the states get amidst all the other programs that are in the works for them.
But to listen to all the stuff that they are saying they are more concerned with CUT CAP AND BALANCE which affects the credit rating of the nation.
If they really wanted to do something about the nation they would do something about all the billions of dollars that the multi-national companies in this country are shipping out of the country to cheap labor of their factories in foreign countries a simple solution like putting a high tax on them for doing so.
Why don’t they nationalize all the foreign companies in this country doing business to keep all their profits in the states instead of letting all these monies go overseas to their parent companies.
You know the answer to that as well as I do ~~Congress is not going to upset this apple cart because of all the special interest groups that they cater to because of their campaign contributions from all these groups so that they can stay in office.
So there you have it all the jobs are going overseas because congress made it profitable for multi-national companies to go overseas because of the tax incentive for them to do so. Foreign companies come in and manufacture here because they make more money here than they do by manufacturing at home and shipping their product over and thereby avoiding the excise tax of importing their goods into this country.
And I wonder why is it that there are no term limits on these congressmen like there are on the presidents of the United States. Some of these senators stay in office for decades not bringing any new ideas on how to improve this country. Their sole object is to create funding for their home states. This is a big flaw in the system as far as I am concerned. Everybody that pays taxes in this country goes into a big pot and these senators figure ways of getting their states to get as much of this money as they can to go their state. Of course you have guessed it as many of us have that the most persuasive conversation are going to reap the biggest profit for their states no matter how much money from their state goes into the pot.
Of course I have written more than I have intended to for the blog for today. So maybe tomorrow a different subject.

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

A member of the church, being at a Presidential reception,
closed some remarks with the pious hope that the Lord would
be "on our side."
"I am not at all concerned about that," commented President
Lincoln, "for we know that the Lord is always on the side of
the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I
and this nation should be on the Lord's side."

27Jul11

He had been trying to secure the attention of a waiter for ten minutes, but at last got up[ from his chair and, going to the cashier’s desk, demanded to see the manager.
“What for?” asked the girl
“I’ve got a complaint.”
“Complaint?” retorted the girl, haughtily. “This is a restaurant, not a hospital..”

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Today in 1953, US and North Korea sign armistice at Panmunjon. The 38th parallel is established as boundary between North and South Korea.

1996, Olympic Park in Atlanta bombed

2003, Bob Hope dies at 100

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Another hot day yesterday. Alas, Summertime and the electric bill is outta sight cuz of the air-conditioner.

“The weather here in Florida is wonderful,” said the old lady. “How do you tell summer from winter?”
Replied the hotel clerk: In winter we get Cadillacs, Lincolns and stuffed shirts. In summer we get Chevrolets, Fords and stuffed shorts.”

And the congressmen in Washington are still wrestling with the crappy debt ceiling ~~what a waste of time!!

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

A friend thought Lincoln took much counsel with David Davis,
Judge of the Circuit Court, but Lincoln enlightened him
with the following story:
"They had side judges down in New Hampshire, and to show
the folly of the system, one who had been a side judge for
twenty years said the only time the chief judge ever
consulted him was at the close of a long day's session,
when he turned to the side judge and whispered, 'Don't your back ache?'"

26Jul11

After placing an order for a Swiss cheese sandwich, the customer changed his mind. Would it be possible to change his order to an American cheese sandwich he asked.
“Naturalize that Swiss,” called the counterman to the cook.

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In 1922, Highest temperature ever measured on Earth is recorded at el-Azizia Libya: 136 degrees Fahrenheit (58 degrees Celcius) –in the shade.

1928, Stanley Kubrick is born.

1941, Roosevelt freezes Japanese assets in United States and suspends relations.

1943, Mussolini arrested and Fascist government falls; Marshall Pietro Badoglio takes over and negotiates with Allies.

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Hotter than blazes yesterday when I drove to my doctor appointment at the VA. As we sat around waiting to see our doctor a lot of the conversations everyone was talking about was the drought and the ranchers having to sell off stock because they couldn’t afford the hay~~Of course the debt ceiling was another running conversation there.
Tonight President Obama made a plea to the American public to have everyone call their senator about the debt ceiling~~what a mess they have in Washington.

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

To a delegation who begged the commissionship of the Sandwich
Islands for a certain man, urging that besides being a qualified
man he was in bad health, President Lincoln said:
"Gentlemen, I am sorry to say that there are eight other
applicants for the place and they are all sicker than your man."

25jul11

Bill told me to go over to that new restaurant if I wanted some good roast beef.
And?
It was a bum steer

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On this day in 1952, First television program from Radio-Canada Regular program start on September 1952.

1978, First test-tube baby born

1992, Opening of the XXV Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona Spain.




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The big debate in Washington DC about the debt ceiling. Reminds me of a sign in a gift shop which read, “For the man who has everything: A calendar to remind him when the payments are due.” Which brings to mind “You pay a small deposit,” said the salesman, “and then make no more payments for six months.” “Who told you about us?” demanded the lady of the house.
One sure thing about Congress is that they can’t agree on anything. Too many conflicts of interest brought together in one location.
There is a simple solution to all this nonsense. Come November vote them all out and start fresh. Here’s another idea, term limits for all members of congress, if a president only serves two terms then why should these crooks be able to spend sometimes decades stealing from the American public.
I believe Will Rogers said it best when he said: “This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer.”
Enough said on the subject everyone will just have to wait until the August 2nd deadline to see what happens.

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

In the early part of the year 1865, when Joe Johnson had reached
Raleigh with his army, fears were entertained lest he might
suddenly join Lee, and the two crush Grant. The Congressman
then representing the Springfield Ill. district called upon
President Lincoln, when the following conversation ensued:
CONGRESSMAN-"They are becoming anxious, some of them in the House,
about the situation. Have you received anything later? Aren't
you afraid Grant is making a mistake in not moving?"
THE PRESIDENT- "Do you remember that Baptist revival in Springfield,
in such a year?"
CONGRESSMAN- "I do not recall it."
THE PRESIDENT- "Well, Bill, a hardened sinner, was converted.
Upon an appointed day the minister baptized the converts in a
small stream. After Bill had been plunged under once, he asked
the preacher to baptize him again; the latter replied it was
unnecessary. Bill, however, urged the matter, and he was
accordingly put under for the second time. As he came up, he again
asked, as a particular favor, that he might be baptized just
once more. The minister, a little angered, answered that he
had already been under once more than the other converts. Still
Bill pleaded, and the preacher put him under for the third time.
As Bill came up puffing and blowing, he shook the water from his
hair and exclaimed: "There! I'll be blowed if the devil can get
hold of me now.'" The President continued, "General Grant is
very much like Bill. He is determined on making sure of the thing,
and will not move until he has."

05Jun11

A man hurried into a quick lunch restaurant and said: “Give me a ham sandwich.”
“Yes, sir,” said the waiter, reaching for the sandwich; “will you eat it or take it with you?”
“Both,” was the unexpected but obvious reply.

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On this day in 1947, Marshall plan to restore a war-decimated Europe comes into effect.
1963. Alexander Douglas-Home becomes British Prime Minister.
1975. Start of civil war in Lebanon.

To a recently arrived immigrant the processes of law and order were baffling. He had the misfortune to be arrested for peddling without a license. Now he stood before the bar of justice with three young ladies arrested for soliciting. When the first young lady gave her profession as “actress” the judge sentenced her to thirty days in the workhouse. When the second said she was a “model” she drew a sixty-day sentence. “And what do you do for a living?” the judge fired at the third girl.
“To tell you the truth, your honor,” she answered. “I’m a prostitute.”
Taken aback by this burst of frankness the judge said, “Honesty has become such a rare commodity in these parts that for telling the truth I’m suspending sentence. You are free to go.” Then he turned to the peddler, his face hardened. “And what do you do for a living?”
“To tell you the truth, judge,” he replied, “I’m a prostitute also.”

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

In the early part of the year 1865, when Joe Johnson had reached
Raleigh with his army, fears were entertained lest he might
suddenly join Lee, and the two crush Grant. The Congressman
then representing the Springfield Ill. district called upon
President Lincoln, when the following conversation ensued:
CONGRESSMAN-"They are becoming anxious, some of them in the House,
about the situation. Have you received anything later? Aren't
you afraid Grant is making a mistake in not moving?"
THE PRESIDENT- "Do you remember that Baptist revival in Springfield,
in such a year?"
CONGRESSMAN- "I do not recall it."
THE PRESIDENT- "Well, Bill, a hardened sinner, was converted.
Upon an appointed day the minister baptized the converts in a
small stream. After Bill had been plunged under once, he asked
the preacher to baptize him again; the latter replied it was
unnecessary. Bill, however, urged the matter, and he was
accordingly put under for the second time. As he came up, he again
asked, as a particular favor, that he might be baptized just
once more. The minister, a little angered, answered that he
had already been under once more than the other converts. Still
Bill pleaded, and the preacher put him under for the third time.
As Bill came up puffing and blowing, he shook the water from his
hair and exclaimed: "There! I'll be blowed if the devil can get
hold of me now.'" The President continued, "General Grant is
very much like Bill. He is determined on making sure of the thing,
and will not move until he has."

04Jun11

He had been trying to secure the attention of a waiter for ten minutes, but at last got up from his chair and going to the cashier’s desk, demanded to see the manager.
“What for?” asked the girl.
“I’ve got a complaint.”
“Complaint?” retorted the girl, haughtily. “This is a restaurant, not a hospital.”


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On this day in 1923, Autosuggestion takes the US by storm, French psychologist Emile Coue arrives to promote his self-suggestion method, in which confidence and motivation are said to be boosted by repeating the phrase. “Day by day in every way I am getting better and better.” Institutes are founded to teach Coue’s principles.

In 1944 Rome surrenders to the Allies.
In 1989 Imam Ruholla Khomeini dies at 89.

Ah Saturday!! What would the week be without the weekend.~~So what subject to tackle today??
All over the news everyone is talking about the economic problems of this country and the big unemployment that has everyone wondering about. But my wife told me that If I started talking about this subject I would probably bore everyone to death and I wouldn’t want everyone falling asleep on their desktop. So let'’ take up something that is not funny. Banks!!
There’s an old joke here in Texas about a wealthy Texas oilman who cashed a huge personal check which came back from the bank with ‘INSUFFICIENT FUNDS.” Stamped across it’s face. Beneath the stamped words was the handwritten notation. “Not you….us.”
In this country there are good banks and bad banks!! I have had some bad experiences with certain banks whom I will not identify. There was this bank that I used to bank with that was terrible. The personnel that replaced the bank that they had just bought out or merged with replaced all the people too. And the customer service went from great to horrendous. At that time I was purchasing US Savings bonds every payday and after standing in line for what seemed an eternity, In addition to the deposit I gave them the money for the bond which they wrote out a form showing that I had purchased a bond and the amount that I had paid for it.
At that time it generally took the government about six weeks to process a bond request and I would receive my bond in the mail in that time frame.
I was getting paid bi-weekly from my job and generally I would receive a bond from the government every other payday. Then all of a sudden the bonds stopped. So I called the bank and they told me that they had been processed. So I called the treasury department and they told me to write a letter of complaint to my congressman to get an inquiry started. I did that and at the time I didn’t reflect on the fact that I was getting into a process that began to look like whose chasing who in the government. I just wanted my bonds or the money back I didn’t care which.
The first letter back from the congressman was that according to the treasury department all the requests from the bank had been processed and that I had no bonds coming whereupon I sent the forms in that I had not received back to the congressman to send back to the treasury department where upon the treasury department replied six weeks later that the bank had made a mistake and that they had not submitted the forms for processing.
Needless to say I stopped doing business with that bank and I got the bonds a few weeks later which I was rather angry about because of the interest I had lost in the process. For those in the know bonds have a really low interest rate but they are considered a very safe investment therefore the rate is low.
I reflected on all the time and the people involved.
I am really sure that the congressman has really more important things to do than chase down some bank error and I am sure the treasury department has a bigger problem than mine to worry about, but in retrospect after the meltdown of the economy and the roles of banks involved in it I am not surprised of all the rip off schemes they have initiated in the last few years. The government bails out the economy and the Bank CEO’s rip off the money so they can live high. What a mess!!

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

When Noah Brooks had carefully explained to President Lincoln
how a California politician had unwittingly been led into speaking
the truth, the President recalled a similar circumstance about
a Negro barber in Illinois, who was a great liar. A crowd
in front of the barber shop stood one evening gazing with
admiration at the planet Jupiter. "Sho," said the barber,
"I've seen that star before. I seen him 'way down in Georgy."
Said Lincoln: "Like your California friend, he told the truth,
but thought he was lying."

03Jun11

After placing an order for a Swiss cheese sandwich, the customer changed his mind. “Would it be possible to change his order to an American cheese sandwich” he asked.
“Naturalize that Swiss, “ called the counterman to the cook.


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On this day in 1924 Czech novelist and short story writer Franz Kafka dies in obscurity in Austria., In 1963, Pope John XXIII dies. He is replaced by Paul VI.

James Arness died today~~He was an actor who played Marshall Dillon on Gunsmoke~~An American television western. The old west~~what a joke the movies have made of this period of time in American history.

I have delved into this period of American history with some fascination. This period is usually referred to as the Manifest Destiny period of the United States when everybody was moving west toward California from the Eastern seaboard. It was a hard fought piece of land that the people of the United States struggled to settle against the Indians, adverse weather and other conditions with no real hope of surviving without fortitude and effort. It basically was an individuals hope to make anything out of his endeavors across this frontier. There were cattlemen and frontiersmen trying to tame this vast expanse of real estate. Frontier towns sprang up around forts and gold rushes and any place else where there was an expectation of having water and ways of making housing and food without interruption. Wagon trains were formed to get settlers from seats of civilizations in the midwestern united states to points west, where one might be able to build a homestead and raise a family. So much for the actual facts of this movement now to the advent of the movie industry in the early 1900’s and their portrayal of what individuals did during this time period d.




Movieland has made this piece of history a big fantasy world of cowboys and gunfighters and railroadmen and outlaws and saloons and bank robberies and cattle barons and whatever the imagination can put together for a good show that one will sit through. And I am a big fan of all this stuff but when I reflect on some of the stuff that I see on the screen and what actually happened in real life I really get a chuckle out of some of it. I have researched some of the stuff about some of the good guys and bad guys of that period which can readily be found in bookstores and the internet.
Hereafter is the truth as far as I can find out about what each individual actually did. No plot just living in a dangerous time.


Consider Wild Bill Hickok. Students of this period generally agree that Wild Bill got a cut in the sporting houses in Abilene Kansas, while he was a town marshal there. How else could he have gambled heavily, drunk the best whiskey the town afforded and dressed in such fancy style? Certainly not on the fifty dollars or so a month the town council paid him.
Hickok was a good man with a gun. In his celebrated duel with Dave Tutt in Springfield, Mo. In 1865, Wild Bill displayed the cool nerve and accurate marksmanship his legion of admirers claim was always his. The shoot out even went off according to fictionalized protocol, to a degree. After an argument each warned the other that the next time they met there’d be powder burned. Hickok killed Tutt at an estimated range of 75 yards the next day: Bill on one side of the town square, Dave on the other. Tutt, tensed and nervous, drew first and got off 4 shots –all misses-Before Bill, steadying his 1860 Army Colt with both hands, fired one shot that drilled Tutt dead center.
Contrast this classic shootout with a later bloody even in Abilene in 1871, when Hickok was marshal there. He got into a fist fight with gambler Phil Coe over Jessie Hazel, a local dancehall girl. Drunk and ugly, Bill was slapping the girl around for making up to Coe, when the powerfully built Texas gambler stepped in and beat up Hickok. If Jessie hadn’t intervened, Phil might have killed the marshal. In any case, Phil sealed his own doom by making a punching bag out of Hickok. Bill sobered up the next day and came around to Coe’s Bull’s Head Saloon to apologize to Phil. The two men shook hands, and Phil figured that was an end to the to the quarrel. He couldn’t have made a worse guess. Several days later Coe used his six-shooter to kill a vicious dog in the street. Hickok heard the shot and came running, his long hair flying, and demanded to know why Phil had fired. Coe started to explain when Bill drew two derringers and shot Phil in the chest at a range of 6 feet. Coe went down, gasping “Hickok, you bastard!” before a gush of blood from his mouth drowned his voice forever.
Out of the corner of his eye Hickok saw an armed man running toward him from across the street. He dropped the empty derringers, whipped out a sixgun and killed him. Only then did Bill recognize the second victim as Mike Williams, his own deputy who had been stationed at the theater down the street. Mike had heard the shots and was rushing to help Bill. Hickok dropped to his knees, took Williams’ head in his hands and sobbed wildly. “Mike was my friend!” he cried “I never meant to kill him!”
More despicable than this shocking incident was Hickok’s callous murder of a harmless old Sioux chief named Whistler in the fall of 1872, after Whistler had stopped at Hickok’s bufffalo hunter’s camp on the prairie to ask for food. The old chief made the mistake of also asking for coffee after accepting the piece of fried buffalo steak the white men gave him. Bill and partner, Newt Moreland, ignored the chief’s sign. Whistler walked to the pot hanging over the cookfire and made the sign of pouring. Hickok’s insane temper flared; he pulled a sixgun and shot the chief dead. The subchief tried to knock down Bill’s gun hand and was killed by Moreland. Hickok completed the slaughter by shooting down the nephew. The bodies were hidden in a gully west of camp and the killers lit out fast before Whistler’s band discovered the body of their missing chief and came after them.

Then there was Wyatt Earp, practically deified by author Stuart Lake in his book Frontier Marshal and immortalized by actor Hugh O’Brian in a lengthy television series. The truth is that Earp was a pretty shady character who often operated on both sides of the law. Ed Bartholomew, a Texas writer who has made a career of ferreting out the truth about these heroes of the Old West, makes this fact abundantly clear in his thoroughly documented books. (Wyatt Earp, The Untold Story) and (Wyatt Earp, The Man And the Myth) Among other indictments, Bartholomew accuses Earp and his cohorts of murder in the notorious OK Corral gunfight with the McLowerys and Clantons at Tombstone, Arizona. In September 1881. Ed also cites the interesting information that Wyatt was once arrested for horse stealing in Indian Territory.
Earp’s favorite sidearm was the 12 inch barreled Buntline Special presented to him by dime novel writer Ned Buntline. However, despite all the wild claims made about his gun-slinging ability, Earp preferred a double-barreled shotgun stuffed with buckshot when he had to face some hard-case gunman aiming to perforate his hide. The success of this tactic may be judged by the fact that cagey Wyatt died in bed at 83.
Incidentally, Buntline also presented one of his Specials, reputedly made to order for him at the Colt factory to lawmen Bat Masterson and Bill Tilghman in Dodge City in the fall of 1875, on the occasion of his gift to Earp. Each Colt had “NED” carved into its walnut butt and fitted smoothly into a fine handtooled holster. Each was also provided with a demountable stock and buckskin sling. The value of this fancy extra equipment obscure to the flattered recipients until Buntline explained that if a man was caught out on the prairie surrounded by hostile redskins, he could quickly convert his six-shooter into a rifle and make the rascals bite the dust.
Earp Tilghman and Masterson were unconvinced, but of course they promptly accepted the expensive Colts.
Masterson and Tilghman waited until Buntline left town, and then cut the barrels of their Specials down to 8 inches. Earp kept his intact, using it mostly to belt obstreperous drunks over the head with the footlong barrel. The gun was lost in the Yukon in 1901, when Wyatt lent it to a friend whose boat capsized in a storm. Private collectors are believed to acquired Masterson’s and Tilman’s Specials at their deaths in 1921 and 1924 respectively.
The tubercular ex-dentist, Doc Holliday, was another Old West gunfighter who preferred a shotgun to a sixgun when the chips were down. In the over-rated and much-publicized OK Corral fight, Doc packed his shotgun while Wyatt Earp unaccountably stuck to his Colt 45. Doc, who was especially dangerous because he knew he was doomed by “the bug” gave Tom McLowery a double dose of buckshot right in the bread basket as he later described it with his macabre brand of humor. Of the six men killed or wounded that bloody day in Tombstone, all except Tom McLowery were hit by revolver bullets. Significantly, all except Tom managed to get off a shot or two after being hit. Another famous shotgun yarn, probably apocryphal but possibly true, is Wyatt Earp’s melodramatic account of killing the outlaw Curly Bill Brocius at Iron Springs, Arizona Lord knows who Wyatt’s ghost writer was.
Earp’s story (condensed) “ I climbed down off my horse…As I stood there cocking my gun, I looked the nine men(outlaws) over. Every rifle seemed aimed at me. I rather resented that. I wanted to kill Curly Bill, I believed he had been in both plots that had resulted in the wounding of my brother Virgil and the death of my brother Morgan. I felt that if any one of these nine men killed me before I killed Curly Bill, he would rob me of my one chance of vengeance, and I’d never have another. I suddenly seemed to be praying, and my prayer was that I wouldn’t be killed before I killed Curly Bill. So I raised my shotgun to my shoulder and drew a careful bead on Curly Bill. As I sighted at Curly Bill, he was sighting at me. I could see the deep wrinkles about one of his eyes that was squinted shut. His other eye, held down close to his gun, was wide open. I noticed with curious interest that this one eye blazing murderously at me over his rifle barrel, was blacker than I remembered his eyes to have been when I saw him last. Then I pulled both triggers.
Curly Bill threw up his hands. His rifle flew high in the air. He gave a yell that could have been heard a mile as he went down. I saw him no more. Each one of my shot gun shells was loaded with nine buckshot. Both charges struck him full in the breast…My hat, added fearless Wyatt in conclusion, had 5 bullet holes in it, 2 in the crown and 3 in the brim. Bullets had ripped ragged rents up and down the legs of my pants. The bottom of my coat on both sides, where it had been held out by the holsters and the handles of my six-shooters, had been torn into strings and shreds. But, as by a miracle, I had not received a scratch.”

This alleged killing kicked up a storm of controversy around Tombstone. The pro-Earp Epitaph printed an account of Curly Bill’s death, agreeing in all detail with Wyatt’s colorful report. The anti-Earp Nugget ridiculed the story. Interested citizens asked the logical question. If Earp killed Curly Bill, what did he do with the body? Where is it?.

The Nugget offered a $1000 reward for proof that Curly Bill was dead; The Epitaph countered with an offer of $2000 for proof that Curly Bill was alive. It appears no search for the body was ever made, and no evidence ever produced that he had been killed. Wyatt Earp maintained a grim, mysterious silence.

This is just a couple that I have researched but if you are interested in these characters that actually lived you might want to do a little research of your own on Billy the Kid, and John Wesley Hardin. There have been books and books written on the men of this time. But the best sources for reliable and hopefully truthful information is from the old newspaper accounts of their time.

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

After the battle of Antietam, when McClellan's army lay unaccountably
idle, Lincoln, whith his friend, O.M. Hatch of Illinois,
went to the front. They stood on a hill from which they
could view the vast camp, and Lincoln said:
"Hatch, Hatch, what is all this?"
"Why said Hatch, "that is the Army of the Potomac."
"No, Hatch, no," said Lincoln, "that is General McClellan's bodyguard."

02Jun11

“Bill told me to go over to that new restaurant if I wanted some good roast beef.”
“And?”
“It was a bum steer.”





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On this day in 1976, the first reports on the depletion of the ozone layer by aerosols are published. Which brings to mind the old saying: Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. Which was originally published in the Hartford Courant in 1890 and the person behind the saying was Charles D. Warner. It’s not who you think it was who said it first!!
I have always rummaged through a book that my wife gave me some years back called Poor Richard’s Almanack. I have often wondered where Benjamin Franklin got his inspiration for all the sayings in it.
I know that some of the inspirational sayings he has in it are most likely from the philosophy that had been handed down from the philosophers of the 15 and 1600’s like Roger Bacon , Augustine of Hippo, Brethius, Anselm and Rene Descartes. But all in all the sayings about practical application of conduct in certain situations is pure observation of what is going on around oneself and pure American in the thought process, for example the following quotes from this book:

A full Belly is the Mother of all Evil.

Wars bring scars.

Poverty wants some things, luxury many things, avarice all things.

Great spenders are bad lenders.

Here comes the orator, with his flood of words, and his drop of reason. (doesn’t that sound like some politician that you know?)

Three things are men most likely to be cheated in, a Horse, a Wig, and a Wife.

Good Sense is a Thing all need, few have, and none think they want.

What I usually do is read one of his sayings and try to visualize where he got the idea for it. Most of it is pure eighteenth century observation put into words and it affords me with an insight into the mind set of that day. In a way to me it is kind of refreshing looking into a world that does not exist anymore where they had no communication except word of mouth and the newpapers of the day.

I have rambled on for too long today.

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

The artist, Frank B. Carpenter, who painted a picture of the Cabinet
assembled to hear the Emancipation Proclamation and witnes the
signature of President Lincoln to this historic document, told the
following story:
One evening the President brought a couple of friends into the
'state dining room' to see my picture. Somethin was said in the
conversation that ensued that 'reminded him of the following
circumstance: 'Judge____,' he said, 'held the strongest ideas of
rigid government and close construction that I ever met. It was
said of him on one occassion that he would hang a man for blowing
his nose in the street, but he would quash the indictment if it
failed to specify which hand he blew it with!

1Jun11



A man went into a restaurant and called for a glass of whisky and water. Having tasted it, he exclaimed:
“What did you put in first, the whisky or the water?”
“The whisky, of course,” the waiter replied.
“Ah, well,” said the man, “perhaps I’ll come to it by and by.


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Another month has come and I am looking out across the lawn which needs mowing again. Lemme see what is June noted for besides D-Day and Father’s day?

On this date in 1921 Oklahoma race riots kill 60 Blacks and 25 Whites, and in 1926 Marilyn Monroe was born. I guess my fascination with history just keeps dragging me back into areas that nobody but myself seems to care about. Especially to events that are not news worthy nowadays.

Talking about the news nowadays there seems to be nothing on it that is worth watching. It’s the same old stuff for all of them. If one station reports something all the stations pick it up and repeat the same stuff. We have a channel here that at the first break of bad weather it decides to stop all programming and goes into a Weather Marathon~You get to watch the storms run from 500 miles west from where we live to 500 miles east of here. And not only do they cancel all the regular programming you get to watch the meterologist say the same thing over and over and over for whatever time it takes the storm to go from the beginning point to just about Louisiana. And I am sure if the station didn’t set the boundaries at the Texas state line he would keep giving regular updates all the way to Georgia. Enough for today.


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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

As commander-in-chief of the army, Lincoln was disposed to treat
his absent without leave cases with leniency.
"If the good Lord has given a man a cowardly pair of legs," he
reasoned, "it is hard to keep them from running away with him."

.

31May11

Waiter—“Yes, sir, we’re very up to date. Everything here is cooked by electricity.”
Diner—“I wonder if you would mind giving this steak another shock?”


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To many, money means a successful life. I do not share in this thought. Just what is the cost of success? Some will say it is just not worth it. To be a successful person one needs to be a leader which brings the cost of this state of being. The price is not cheap. You must be humble, you must be a servant. Late and hard hours are necessary. You must help others to grow and in so doing you will grow and overcome obstacles.

Place your aim high and where you reach a certain level of success don’t rest on your laurels, but continue your climb. Don’t get in a rut. There will always be competition and through this you will be stimulated to greater efforts. If you are working for a company, learn all you can about the jobs ahead of you.
From my personal experience, the secret of success is WORK, WORK, WORK.
Money is a very important factor in your existence from the beginning to the end of your life. It is expecially important in later years when you can no longer get a job or begin a business of your own. It is a well known fact that men and women live longer when they know they have financial security. This takes a great burden off their minds. Their economic status determines where they live and how well they live.

The economic condition of this country is undergoing a marked change. The dollar today is worth about half of what it was worth a few years ago. The cost of living has almost doubled in the last few years. This causes older people who made plans several years ago to retire on a certain amount, to have to change their plans.
I write this for people of all ages who may someday expect to retire. Reports and statistics from the Department of Vital Statistics, Geriatrics, and some large insurance companies show that women have around ten years longer life expectancy than men.

Records reveal that one out of a hundred people sixty five or older, selected at random, only about ten percent are able to take care of themselves without the aid of relatives, their church, or the government.
Another ten percent have a fairly good living with the aid of pensions and social security. The other eighty percent have to depend on outside help. The standard living of this last eighty percent varies with the help that they can obtain. Many of this last group have only a bare existence and consist mainly of immigrants.

Experience is a great teacher. It is my opinion a young person should get all the experience that he can.

I believe that a person should live well, dress well, and have some fun in life. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses.

We are fast becoming a welfare state. At first we pass into a socialized government. We are fast going down this road. Suddenly we will find ourselves being forced by political and police action of the government.
In looking back over this nations history, we can at once realize what made our country great. This is expecially true when we look at the early settlers on the eastern part of the United States, then later in the development of the of the western part of our country. The settlers had to contend with hostile Indians, outlaws, and the lack of water in many areas. These early settlers had to depend upon their own ingenuity and action. They had to use self reliance if they were to exist. The government was far away and communications and transportation was slow. They could not count on the government. They had to make their own laws. Today it is quite different. We are beginning to depend on the government for almost everything. We are expecting the government to take care of us from the cradle to the grave. It hasn’t been more than a generation ago when the greater number of families raised almost everything they needed. Of course, we cannot go back to times like that but we can plan our lives so the government won’t have to think for us.
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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of the United States

To a group of citizens who had called to urge
him to emancipate the slaves, the President said
it was impossible at that stage of the war, and
that proclaiming the Negroes free would not make
them free. By way of analogy, he asked his callers:
"How many legs will a sheep have if you call the
tail a leg?" "Five," was the reply. "You are mistaken,"
said Lincoln, "for calling a tail a leg don't make
it so."

30May11 MEMORIAL DAY


A discouraged restaurant patron called solemnly for pen and ink.
“What are you going to do?” the waiter inquired.
“Well, I’ve given up all hope of ever seeing that dinner I ordered, so I want to make a will leaving it to my heirs and assigns, forever.


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Not much doing today~~Just sitting around watching old war movies on television~~The longest day and Midway. Vanessa cooked spaghetti and Sarah Watson came over for supper. We all watched Megamind and then she left. Just been a lazy day!!
I guess tomorrow I will talk a little bit about financial planning or just finances in general because that seems to be on my mind nowadays.

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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of
the United States


"In early days," said Lincoln, "a
party of men went out hunting for
a wild boar. But the game came
upon them unawares, and they
scampering away, climbed trees,
all save one, who, seizing the
animal by the ears, undertook
to hold him. After holding him
for some time and finding his
strength giving way, he cried out
to his companions in the trees:
"Boys, come down and help me let go!"

29May11

Diner—“Waiter, this soup is spoiled.”
Waiter—“Who told you?”
Diner—“A little swallow.”

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Health? I will divide it into two aspects~~Mental and physical.
Mental health revolves around two outcomes~A happy cheerful individual who will not have a nervous breakdown or end up in a mental institution.

If you can answer the following questions in the affirmative then most likely you will not have the problems I have mentioned.

1. Is my faith great in a Supreme Being?
2. Am I willing to call on a higher power in time of difficulty?
3. Can I cultivate a sense of humor and participate in what life has to offer with peace of mind and a cheerful attitude?
4. Am I not afraid of growing old?
5. Do I avoid brooding over my station in life, feeling dejected, bored and sorry for myself?
6. Can I be optimistic, cheerful, happy and glad to be alive rather than blaming the family for my condition?
7. Do I have that love for friends, family and neighbors that is so essential for my happiness?
8. Do I look forward to seeing my friends rather than wanting to be left alone?
9. Can I get along with young people and adjust to their activities and interests?
10. Do I have love and consideration for my wife (husband) rather than nagging, fussing and complaining about minor problems?
11. Do I keep young by looking to the future with an interest or hobby rather than constantly complaining about pains, aches, and misfortunes?
12. Have I learned not to resent people, carry grudges, and live in the past?
13. Can I take disappointment rather than having to resort to alcohol and tranquilizers for relief?

Good physical health is just as important as mental health. In fact, you can’t very well have one without the other. Almost all of you know what you need to do to have a good, healthy body.
As you grow older the tissue of the body changes. It is necessary to adjust your diet and activities accordingly. In both male and female, the glandular system of the body is altered. From the age of forty-five to sixty there is a marked difference in the male glands as well as the female glands. This is usually spoken of as the “change of life” Many people feel that this takes place only in the female, but this is not true. In this stage of life many have a hard time adjusting. Many nervous breakdowns and mental cases develop at this time. Also at this period you have a tendency to gain weight. Your blood pressure usually goes up. Your nervousness causes you to smoke more and drink more coffee, and this increases your nervousness so that there develops a viscious circle. At this point you call on your doctor to relieve the situation. You may resort to tranquilizers, which I oppose. If used in small amounts at a time they are not harmful, but the continued use of them in large amounts will affect the mind. Tranquilizers are as habit forming as narcotics.


If I should select two of the most important things in health I would choose exercise and diet.

You all know that at the age of sixty-five you cannot and should not participate in strenuous exercise. Many are playing golf, but with golf carts. You do not get enough walking. Almost all health magazines recommend walking at a brisk pace every day that the weather will allow. Another form of exercise is working in the yard or garden. Hunting and fishing are other excellent forms of exercise, and, if you are somewhere where you can ride horseback that too is to be recommended. There are many others but in all of these you should start out in moderation and never overdo it. Your exercise should be regular, not spasmodic.

Some very important factors at this particular time of life are your habits, Sleep, rest, exercise, and lack of worry are very important, but smoking, eating, and drinking habits are also significant.

The heart is your motor or engine. When this stops you are through. It is necessary constantly to guard the heart at this age.

Go to your doctor for regular checkups. Have him check your blood pressure and make other routine examinations that are essential. This should be done at least once a year. See that you have the proper diet and vitamins. Check your weight, get plenty of rest and sleep, have proper elimination and drink plenty of water. Avoid tension and worry.

There are many other factors that should be guarded against as we grow older, but the above mentioned are essential.

For multitudes of people, proper diet is of major interest today. I feel that overweight is a problem that should be checked early in life and not passed up until middle life. If a very young person is overweight it can be caused by two things: Overeating and lack of exercise~~

At middle age when we have cut our exercise to about one half the amount used many years earlier, it is essential that we cut our diet in the same proportion. If we continue to eat large amounts, the excess of what it takes to operate our body activities will be stored as fat. You have often heard the remark “middle age spread.” Many executives and office workers do not have the time for exercise and are seated in a chair all day and have no chance to exercise the excess off. The great number of us are in air conditioned rooms and do not perspire. Perspiring is a great aid in weight control.

If your weight is due to a diseased condition or not eating the proper kind of food, this should be looked into by your doctor.

As you have heard many times before, moderation in everything is the safest road to a long and happy life: why not practice it.


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Here is another story about Abraham Lincoln past President of
the United States

Once during the war, Barnum
was at Washington exhibiting
General Tom Thumb and Admiral
Nutt. Mr. Lincoln said: "You
have some pretty small generals,
but I think I can beat you."