More Big Dig Folly
A failed ceiling bolt from Boston's Big Dig.
Here is a story that is certain to be talked about.
A designer of Boston's Big Dig originally wanted twice as many ceiling bolts than were actually installed.
Half of the desired bolts were installed because project managers disagreed with the designer as to how many bolts were needed.
Here is the beginning of the AP story, as posted on the website of WJLA-TV (Story Link):
BOSTON (AP) - Big Dig project managers persuaded the designer of the Interstate 90 connector tunnel ceiling to reduce by half the number of bolts supporting each ceiling hanger, The Boston Sunday Globe reported. The newspaper reported it obtained a 1998 memo in which an official of Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff, the joint venture that supervised the Big Dig, expressed confidence that two bolts would hold up the concrete ceiling panels.
Why did the Big Dig's project managers cut in half the number of ceiling bolts that the designer wanted?
I suspect that there are several answers to this question. I also suspect that one of the answers is money.
it is likely that a 4-bolt system would have cost more than a 2-bolt system, and the managers of any public building project are under pressure by politicians to keep costs down.
I am only guessing here, and I could be wrong.
However, if money wasn't an issue, then why didn't the project managers approve of using a 4-bolt system, which would have been stronger bolt system?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Posted by Dodo David at 03:30 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Remembering 9/11
As you pause to remember the horrid events that took place 5 years ago today, be sure to check out Shattered, Time magazine's photo essay about 9/11.
Posted by Dodo David at 03:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The Patriot Guard Riders
Here is the PGR Mission Statement:
The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation. We have one thing in common besides motorcycles. We have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America’s freedom and security. If you share this respect, please join us.This blogger had the pleasure of stopping by the gathering and meeting some of the PGR members, including PGR Founder/Executive Director Jeff "Twister" Brown and Co-founder/Deputy Executive Director Jason "Waldo" Wallin. Brown and Wallin were guests of the Oval Office when President Bush signed into law the bill which gives legal protection to the funerals of slain members of the U.S. military (and to other funerals, also).
We don’t care what you ride, what your political views are, or whether you’re a "hawk" or a "dove". It is not a requirement that you be a veteran. It doesn't matter where you’re from or what your income is. You don’t even have to ride. The only prerequisite is Respect.
Our main mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family. Each mission we undertake has two basic objectives.
1. Show our sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families, and their communities.
2. Shield the mourning family and friends from interruptions created by any protestor or group of protestors.
We accomplish the latter through strictly legal and non-violent means.
As the PGR mission statement says, you don't have to ride a motorcycle in order to join the PGR.
To learn more about the Patriot Guard Riders (and/or to join them), visit their website at www.patriotguard.org
Founder Jeff Brown (Left) and member Nick "Ancient-1" Petty
Co-founder Jason Wallin
Member Larry "Tazman" Klein shows off his bike
This entry cross-posted at Dodo World.
Posted by Dodo David at 05:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
America in Crisis Mode: Which Is Real?
Thomas Sowell has written another gem. Today, he discusses the crisis of "domestic spying."
Like the French official in "Casablanca," politicians and much of the media are shocked, shocked, to discover that the government has been listening in on calls involving international terrorist networks. Congressional leaders of both parties have in fact known this for years without saying a word.
Only after the New York Times published the news and made a big noise about it have politicians begun to declare their shock.
That is not the only thing that makes this big uproar phony. The same people who are going ballistic over what they spin as "domestic spying" never went ballistic over one of the most gross examples of genuine domestic spying during the Clinton years.
As Sowell points out, Clinton received FBI files on plenty of Republicans - not as a matter of security, but a matter of having dirt on one's political opponents. Of course at the time, the Clinton administration denied any misuse of the files, but why did they have them?
That is the phony crisis. People are now afraid to make salon appointments to have their Botox injections refreshed because "Big Brother" might be watching.
According to Sowell, here's the real crisis:
There are nations and movements that respect only force or the threat of force. Regardless of anyone's politics, the President of the United States is the only one who can launch that force.
In the early days of the Iraq war, when it was clear to all that American military force would be unleashed against our enemies, Libya suddenly agreed to abandon its nuclear program and other countries backed off their hostile stances.
But when our domestic obstructionists began undermining the President and dividing the country, they were undermining the credibility of American power. North Korea's government-controlled media gave big play to Senator John Kerry's speeches against the U.S. hard line on the development of North Korean nuclear weapons.
Obviously this all-out attempt to damage the President at all costs makes any threat of the use of military force less credible with the country divided.
Exactly.
Posted by Pam at 12:39 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Ten Worst Americans
Alexandra von Maltzan of All Things Beautiful has invited the blogosphere to name the ten worst Americans in American history. The Dodo has accepted the invitation.
Without further ado, the Dodo presents his list of the Ten Worst Americans.
10. John L. Stevens
On January 14, 1893, while serving as an American diplomat, Stevens caused a small, peaceful, sovereign nation to lose its sovereignty. Acting without authority from the U.S. government, Stevens ordered members of the U.S. military to provide back-up for the people who led the coup against that nation’s lawful government. As a result of Stevens’ action, the natives of that nation lost their independence.
Six days later, during his 1893 State of the Union Address, President Grover Cleveland stated that the government of that small nation “had been subverted with the active aid of our representative to that Government and through the intimidation caused by the presence of an armed naval force of the United States, which was landed for that purpose at the instance of our minister.”
President Cleveland went on to say, “Upon the facts developed it seemed to me the only honorable course for our Government to pursue was to undo the wrong that had been done by those representing us and to restore as far as practicable the status existing at the time of our forcible intervention.”
As it turned out, the U.S. government failed to undo the wrong that had been done by Stevens. The nation that lost its sovereignty because of John L. Stevens ended up becoming the 50th state of the USA.
9. Lee Harvey Oswald
Although Oswald didn’t live long enough to be tried for President Kennedy’s assassination, the federal government has convincing evidence that Oswald indeed assassinated President Kennedy. Yet, before the assassination took place, Oswald proved himself to be anti-American when he tried to defect to the USSR. However, Oswald was so bad that not even the USSR wanted him. It has been speculated that Oswald shot President Kenney in order to win the favor of the Soviets.
Normally, killing just one person wouldn’t be enough to warrant inclusion on the “Ten Worst” list. However, by assassinating President Kennedy, Oswald very likely changed the course of American history. Furthermore, he deprived U.S. citizens of the right to have their leader of choice.
8. John Wilkes Booth
Ed Morissey of Captain’s Quarters gives an excellent explanation of why Booth deserves to be among the Ten Worst Americans.
7. Raymond Washington
Washington co-founded the Crips gang. Click here to discover the result of Washington’s action.
6. William Randolph Hearst
Near the end of the 19th Century, Hearst used yellow journalism to stir up American hatred toward Spain. Hearst sent artist Frederick Remington to the Spanish colony of Cuba to report on an alleged war taking place there. Hearst was hoping that stories about war in Cuba would boost sales of his newspapers.
When Remington sent word to Hearst that there was no war, Hearst sent the following reply: “Please remain. You furnish the pictures, I'll furnish the war.” In short, Hearst wanted a war to take place because he believed that a war would benefit his newspaper empire.
When the U.S.S. Maine battleship mysteriously exploded while visiting Havana, Hearst quickly used the incident to promote an American war against Spain. In the end, Hearst got the war that he wanted, resulting in the loss of human lives.
5. Timothy McVeigh
This domestic terrorist lit the fuse to a bomb that destroyed the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. In doing so, McVeigh killed 168 people – 19 of them small children – and injured hundreds more.
4. John Milton Chivington
As an officer in the U.S. Army officer during the 19th Century, Chivington was responsible for the Sand Creek Massacre, in which Chivington led his men in the slaughter of 200 peaceful Native Americans after those Native Americans signed a peace treaty with the USA.
It is speculated that Chivington’s deed provoked some Native Americans to join the fight against the U.S. Army at the Battle of Little Bighorn.
3. Andrew Jackson
As President, Jackson did everything within his authority to remove Native Americans from their lands.
In 1830 Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, which called for the Cherokee Nation to leave its home in Georgia. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against such a forced removal, Jackson took advantage of a treaty signed by a small group of Cherokees who had no authority to sign such a treaty. Jackson sent the treaty to the Senate for ratification, knowing that if the Senate ratified it, then Jackson could carry out his plan to remove the Cherokee Nation from Georgia.
Jackson’s action resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Cherokees as they walked 1,000 miles along the Trail of Tears.
2. Nathan Bedford Forrest
Long before the USA had to battle foreign terrorists, U.S. citizens had to fight a domestic terrorist organization founded by Nathan Bedford Forrest. His terrorist group expanded throughout the southern USA, frightening and and murdering U.S. citizens in order to deny those citizens their civil rights. Forrest named his terrorist organization the Ku Klux Klan.
1. James Warren Jones
As an American minister, Jones founded the religious cult called Peoples Temple Full Gospel Church. Jones and members his church moved to the nation of Guyana, where Jones founded a colony called Jonestown.
In November of 1978, U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan led a delgation to Jonestown in order to investigate allegations of human rights abuses taking place there. On November 18th, while Congressman Ryan was boarding a plane to leave, a group of armed men from Jonestown attacked Ryan’s delegation, killing Ryan and 4 other people.
Later that same day, Jones ordered the mass killing of Jonestown’s 900+ residents, including the colony’s 276 children. The killings were done either by suicide or by murder. Jones was among the suicide victims.
Posted by Dodo David at 12:41 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Good News about some Student Evacuees
ABC affiliate KTUL has on its website a positive story about some New Orleans-area high school students who were evacuated and sent to Oklahoma. Click here to read the story.
Posted by Dodo David at 07:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
U.S. Dept. of Education accused of being slow in aiding Katrina victims
Last Thursday, U.S. Rep. Dan Boren (D-Oklahoma) sent a letter to U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spelling claiming that the federal Education Department was slow in aiding states that are housing Katrina evacuees. Boren requested that Sec. Spelling release emergency money under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act.
A spokesperson for the Education Department replied that there was not enough money available to help in such a massive emergency.
[Story Source: Tulsa World newspaper, 09/09/05, Section A-9]
To the Dodo, Mr. Boren's complaint appears to be his attempt to bash the Bush Administration. Here is the reason why.
Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act pertains to homeless children, and this legislation was reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
Here are two excerpts from the U.S. Dept. of Education's non-regulatory guidance for the McKinney-Vento program:
The Department awards McKinney-Vento funds to States by formula. The amount that a State receives in a given year is based on the proportion of funds allocated nationally that it receives under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), for that year.
An SEA (State Educational Agency) must award funds not reserved for State-level activities to LEAs (Local Educational Agencies) on a competitive basis.
The McKinney-Vento Act requires that a state's education department receive federal funds according to a set formula. Then, school districts are required to compete for the funds granted to that state.
The Dodo has no doubt that the federal Education Department has already distributed the McKinney-Vento funds for the current federal fiscal year.
So where is the federal Education Department supposed to obtain the emergency money that Rep. Boren is requesting?
The U.S. House of Representatives is responsible for initiating spending bills. Perhaps Rep. Boren can write a spending bill that gives emergency money to the federal Education Department.
There may be slowness in educational aid, but that slowness may be caused by congressional inaction. Rep. Boren needs to learn that, whenever he points a finger at Education Sec. Margaret Spelling, three of his own fingers are pointing back at him.
Posted by Dodo David at 04:19 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Katrina: A Photographic Timeline
Click here to see an absolutely amazing photographic timeline of New Orleans, from just before Katrina hit to after. Called 5 Days with Katrina, the photos were taken by an ordinary--scratch that, make that extraordinary--citizen with his camera as he sought to take refuge the day the storm hit.
Here are a couple of the quotes that accompany the photo slide show:
The media, of course, was having a field day. Although I'm skeptical about saying they "enjoyed" it, I now have a profound dislike for the media. They distorted everything from the beginning. Making things look even worse than they were. I guess that's their job... so I "guess" that what I'm trying to say is that now I'm confidentally aware that disaster sells.
As I turned unto Saint Louis Street, where I reside, I took probably the last image of the Bourbon Street that everyone has grown to love. For the next 12 hours, I would be stuck in a hotel answering back my voicemails, text messages, and assuring my family and friends that I was in a safe place. I also helped around the hotel providing food for the guests and once in a while snuck a peak that the TV to see the Katrina's path. Around 6:30 in the morning, the power went out in the entire city of New Orleans. Around 8 in the morning on Monday August 29th... hell.
Don't take my word for it, see it all yourself. It's riveting stuff.
Thanks to John for bringing it to my attention!
Posted by Pam at 09:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Who padded Michael Brown's resume? (and will he retire?)
The Michael Brown damage-control machine is in full operation, as evident by media reports.
First, an AP story appearing on the WJLA-TV website makes the following statements:
A beleaguered Michael Brown said Friday he doesn't know why he was removed from his onsite command of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts . . .
He [Brown] was assistant to the city manager in Edmond, Okla. "I have no clue" why the FEMA Web site says he was assistant city manager, an important distinction.
A 2003 White House press release incorrectly says Brown was executive director of the Independent Electrical Contractors, which is headquartered in Virginia. Brown said he worked for the group's Denver chapter, and he didn't know why the White House suggested otherwise.
Are we to believe that Michael Brown let other people write his resume for him?
The AP story makes this particularly-interesting statement:
Brown said he will still oversee FEMA, including housing, victims' assistance and other aspects of Katrina recovery efforts. But he may not be there for long, according to two officials close to Brown who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss his plans. They said the FEMA chief had been planning to retire after the hurricane season, and Friday's action virtually assures his departure.
So a 50-year-old man plans to retire this year, while other people his age don't retire until they are much older.
Are we to believe that Brown's retirement plans have nothing to do with the fact that his name is now Mud?
Meanwhile, Brown's hometown of Edmond, Oklahoma has issued the following press release:
Claudia Deakins, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, statement to clarify comments in Time Magazine's story about Michael D. Brown's employment with the city of Edmond."I spoke with two reporters from Time Magazine Thursday. I answered questions about the city of Edmond, the organizational structure and role of the city manager and his staff. My comments were in the context of the organization as it functions today. I explained that my employment with the city of Edmond began in 1997, several years after Michael D. Brown's employment by the city and that I could not speak to the specifics of the organizational structure as it was during that time. I also explained that I could not I speak to the details of Mr. Brown's role within the organization.
The only people who can speak with authority with regard to Mr. Brown's position in the organization are those who were at the city of Edmond during that time and worked with Mr. Brown, such as the city manager or members of the city council.
I regret any misunderstanding that may have occurred as a result of my comments."
What nonsense! There was no misunderstanding. A former Edmond city counselor has stated that when Brown worked for the Edmond government, there was no position of Assistant City Manager [Info Source].
Edmond's public-relations director says that she can't speak of Michael Brown's role when he was a city employee. The Dodo thinks that she is lying. A few days before the Time report was published, the Tulsa World newspaper published a story about Michael Brown's image problem, and the newspaper gave its readers data about Brown's background.
So an Oklahoma newspaper knows what Brown allegedly did as an Edmond employee, but Edmond's top PR person doesn't know? Granted, Okies (the Dodo being one) aren't known for great intellect, but Edmond's PR person should at least demonstrate that she has some.
Perhaps Ms. Deakins is attempting damage-control in regards to her own job. The Dodo has no doubt that she told the truth to the Time reporters, but the truth isn't always welcomed by Oklahoma politicians.
Being that he is an Okie, the Dodo will monitor what members of the Oklahoma media find out about Michael Brown.
Posted by Dodo David at 06:15 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Saving Face at FEMA
Wow! Someone in the Bush administration finally got a clue. FEMA director Michael Brown is no longer in charge of FEMA operations in Louisiana. Better late than never.
Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad W. Allen will now oversee the Katrina relief effort.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi stated the following:
At last President Bush has recognized what I have been saying for more than a week -- the federal response to this disaster must be managed by a capable leader. Admiral Allen is an emergency response professional, which has been lacking from federal management of this crisis. Admiral Allen has a difficult job ahead, but at least he brings to it years of experience.
The Dodo agrees with Ms. Pelosi. Mr. Brown wasn't the leader that the nation needed. In reference to Brown, Mississippi Senator Trent Lott stated, "He acted like a private when he needed to act like a general."
According to Senator Lott, FEMA was slow in moving emergency housing trailers because Brown wanted all paperwork and legal questions resolved. [Info Source]
Brown is still director of FEMA, but his credibility has been shredded.
Meanwhile, according to a FOX News report, information in Michael Brown's resume has been called into question by government officials in Oklahoma, where Brown worked before becoming FEMA's director.
Now for the Dodo's interpretation of this latest development:
Folks, what we are seeing is an example of saving face, a custom practiced in Japan and in politics. The Dodo believes that President Bush wants to be rid of Brown, but also wishes to give Brown a graceful exit. After all, Brown is a presidential appointee. No American president - regardless of political orientation - wants to admit to making errors in political appointments. For the sake of saving political face, it is better for Brown to resign from FEMA than be fired.
Being that President Bush is ineligible for re-election, the Dodo thinks that President Bush errs with the over-use of face saving. The Dodo believes that, for the sake of the USA's morale, President Bush should completely remove Mr. Brown from the position of FEMA's director.
After all, President Clinton had the decency to fire his Surgeon General after she kept making mistakes. Maybe the current president needs to learn a lesson from his predecessor.
As it turns out, President Bush doesn't listen to dodos. Or maybe he does. Why else would he have appointed an ineffective leader to the position of FEMA's director?
Posted by Dodo David at 04:30 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Hurricane Refugee Relocation
Late last Saturday night, 34 buses carrying 2,000 hurricane refugees arrived at Camp Gruber, a military training facility operated by the Oklahoma Army National Guard. Camp Gruber is located a few miles outside of Muskogee, Oklahoma.
Upon their arrival, several refugees were taken to the Muskogee Regional Medical Center. Sadly, a 58-year-old woman died after being admitted to the hospital.
Meanwhile, 3,000 refugees are expected to arrive at Falls Creek, a camp owned by the Oklahoma Baptist Convention. The camp is located outside the southern Oklahoma town of Davis. The American Red Cross will oversee operations at Falls Creek.
[Information Sources: The Tulsa World newspaper; ABC television affiliate KTUL in Tulsa.]
Posted by Dodo David at 07:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Hurricane Katrina: One Church's Response
The Dodo wishes to share with you how his church is responding to the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. The following is a letter written by Charlie Curran, Senior Minister of First Christian Church of Owasso, Oklahoma.
September 2, 2005
Dear friends,
This week our country has suffered an immense disaster in the Gulf Coast. As the days pass by, it seems that lawlessness increases and the devastation expands. It is a very difficult situation for many. Last Sunday we prayed for the impending disaster. I know that many, many of you have prayed for the people there, and for the situation to point people to God.
Our prayers are certainly needed. But so is our support. So many of you have asked me in the last few days “What are we going to do?” Well, we have some ideas and plans. I want to share these with you today.
First, several of our members are aware of a church in Lake Charles, Louisiana, which is setting up a refugee center as we speak. There is so much need there. Lake Charles is west of New Orleans on the way to Houston. The Elders of our church have authorized sending $10,000.00 to the church to help with their immediate need to house, feed, and clothe the people who will be there. This summer our church has experienced unprecedented blessings financially. Our general giving has been over $500.00 per week above our budget needs. Most summers, churches experience a slump in giving. But that has not been true for us this year. Through your generosity and God’s blessing we have come through the summer in great shape. The Elders believe it is right to thank God for this blessing by using this surplus to help meet the needs of others.
Jim talked with Pastor Dave Dooley of the Gateway Church of God in Lake Charles, and he told of them having 27 refugees in their church. They may be there 3-4 months minimum. There are people in the parks of their community as well. The need is so great. And they are so grateful for churches like ours who are stepping up to help them meet this need.
Second, we will be taking up an offering over the next two weeks to allow all of us to share in the effort to help people. The Christian Church has a new church plant meeting in New Orleans called Journey Christian Church. They have had a great impact on the New Orleans area in the past couple years, winning many people to Christ. But now, they need our help in helping people rebuild, when the time comes. So through the Journey Christian Church we will be sending a “love offering” to them that will go to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the people in New Orleans. If you want more information on this effort you can log on to www.JourneyNewOrleans.com or www.Stadia.com. This money will be sent to Stadia, which will in turn make sure that it gets to the church in New Orleans.
I must ask you to remember that this is an offering over and above your commitments to the General Ministry Fund and Building For Christ. Make out your checks to FCC, and in the memo line put “Hurricane relief effort.” We will get the money to Stadia.
In addition, Journey will be organizing work crews for future ministry opportunities to rebuild neighborhoods. This is another area where we can put shoe leather and our hands and feet to our faith. We will have more about that later.
It is no secret that New Orleans is an area that is in need of a huge infusion of God’s love, grace and strength. Journey has been there, and now is positioned to make a difference to so many people please pray that the people will see the church rise up and point them to Jesus who can meet their needs in EVERY way.
I am reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:37-40 “Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirst and give you something to drink. When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you. When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of theses brothers of mine, you did for me.”
I know from the questions that I have gotten that you will do what you can. That is what God asks… every penny helps. What an opportunity for the Church to be the church!
A couple weeks ago Tim sang a song, after a powerful monologue by Amy Eddings. The main line of that song is,
“But if we are the body why aren’t His arms reaching , why aren’t His hands healing, why aren’t His words teaching, and if we are the body why aren’t His feet going, why is His love not showing them there is a way, there is a way?"
Here is an opportunity to respond. The church will rise up and respond… I know it!
Thanks
Charlie
Posted by Dodo David at 07:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Katrina Flood Aid
Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit is encouraging bloggers to recommend a charity that is involved in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
The Dodo recommends the Salvation Army. Here is why.
The Dodo was an employee of the Salvation Army in Oklahoma when the Oklahoma City Bombing took place. The Dodo saw first hand (and participated in) the Salvation Army’s mobilization of resources immediately after the bombing. The Dodo also saw how the Salvation Army continued to aid bombing victims after other relief agencies packed up and went home. The Dodo is certain that, after the flood waters leave New Orleans, the Salvation Army will be aiding the victims of Hurricane Katrina for years to come.
Click here to reach the Salvation Army’s Crisis Response Emergency Website.
A Word of Advice: When you give a financial donation to a charity in response to a disaster, specify that your donation be used for that disaster. Otherwise, your donation may be used for something else.
When the Oklahoma City Bombing took place, Americans gave $13 million to a particular charity, believing that the charity would use the entire $13 million for the bombing relief effort. Instead, the charity used only $8 million for bombing relief, because donors hadn’t specified that their donations be used for the bombing relief.
Posted by Dodo David at 05:39 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Deep Throat: Yesterday's News
Maybe W. Mark Felt's daughter should have considered hiring a market research specialist before revealing her ailing father's identity to the world.
The man known as "Deep Throat" in the Watergate scandal is finally known, and his daughter made no bones about the fact that the family should get part of the money that could be generated by the revelation.
A new book, written by Bob Woodward (who along with Carl Bernstein broke the Watergate story) and entitled "The Secret Man," isn't selling quite up to expectations. In other words, it's tanking.
After all, wasn't part of the allure of the story the anonymity of the source? The speculation and constant wonder? Knowing who it was is kind of like reading the last chapter of a whodunnit first--it takes all of the fun out of it.
Posted by Pam at 09:36 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
The American Revolution: The Battle at Cowpens
Mel Gibson’s movie The Patriot depicts a group of South Carolina militia men fighting in the American Revolution. The movie concludes with an unnamed battle that the American army wins with the aid of the militia men. The movie depicts this particular battle as being the turning point of the American Revolution.
The actual battle was the Battle at Cowpens in South Carolina. The U.S. National Park Service gives the following description of the battle:
On January 17, 1781, Daniel Morgan led his army of tough Continentals, militia, and cavalry to a brilliant victory over Banastre Tarleton's force of British regulars. The battle at the "Cow Pens," one of only a few successful double envelopments in history, is recognized by historians as one of the most important of the American Revolution. . . Coming on the heels of a patriot victory at nearby Kings Mountain on October 7, 1780, it was the second successive staggering defeat for British forces under General Charles Cornwallis. Only nine months after the Battle of Cowpens, Cornwallis was forced to surrender his army to General George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia in October 1781. [Source]
National park ranger Scott Withrow writes,
The Battle of Cowpens, January 17, 1781, took place in the latter part of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution and of the Revolution itself. It became known as the turning point of the war in the South, part of a chain of events leading to Patriot victory at Yorktown. The Cowpens victory was one over a crack British regular army and brought together strong armies and leaders who made their mark on history. [Source]
In 1928, by order of the 70th U.S. Congress, the Historical Section of the U.S. Army War College published an official report pertaining to the Battle at Cowpens. The report states the following about the battle’s effect on the American Revolution:
The effect at the time was to hearten greatly the patriotic cause and to distress the British Army and their Tory sympathizers beyond measure. It was the second link in the chain of events, soon to be followed by others, which finally led to the surrender of Cornwallis's army at Yorktown. [Source]
The report quotes British commander Cornwallis as saying, “The unfortunate affair of the 17th of January was a very unexpected and severe blow; for, besides reputation, our loss did not fall short of 600 men.”
Historian Edwin C. Bearss writes,
Tarleton, in commenting on the disasters at Kings Mountain and Cowpens in his Campaigns, wrote that the defeat of Ferguson was a catastrophe which put an end to the first expedition into North Carolina, and the battle of Cowpens overshadowed the commencement of the second invasion. The battle of Cowpens greatly heartened the Patriots and cast a pall of gloom over the British army and their Tory sympathizers. It was a prelude to Yorktown. [Source]
The Battle at Cowpens may not be well known outside of South Carolina, but if the battle had ended with a British victory, then the outcome of the American Revolution may have been very different.
Coming to this blog on July 4th: an account of a South Carolina militia man who fought in the Battle at Cowpens.
Posted by Dodo David at 10:00 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
100 Greatest Americans
The blogosphere is buzzing about the Discovery Channel's quest to discover who are the 100 greatest Americans of all time.
Jheka at The Daily Blitz writes, "As you might have heard, The Discovery Channel is leaving it to the American voting public to determine who is the greatest American of all time and you know what? It's a complete joke."
Well, the Dodo knows of a few Americans who should be included on the list of the 100 greatest Americans.
Here they are in no particular order:
Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, Booker T. Washington, Martin Luther King, Jr., Frederick Douglass, Thurgood Marshall.
Who would you add to the list of the 100 all-time greatest Americans?
Posted by Dodo David at 09:10 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Weighty Matters
If you're like me, you struggle with the odd few pounds. My job, for instance, involves a lot of sitting on my duff and a 5-hour round trip commute, which leaves me precious little time for exercise. So I am constantly hopping on and off the diet merry-go-round, hoping that "this time will be the last time."
Of course, there are people out there who struggle with much more than 5, 10, or even 20 pounds. These people are either obese or morbidly obese, and they have become the latest punching bags of American culture.
The debate rages on about whether those who are obese die disproportionately earlier deaths than those who are not obese. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recently said the numbers of people who die as a result of their weight was lower than they originally stated...down from 400,000 per year to 112,000.
That's quite a difference.
Of course, no one would dispute that being morbidly overweight definitely has its drawbacks as far as quality of life. But the gamut of public opinion on those who are obese range from pity to outrage. (This column by Larry Elder illustrates the latter. No, Larry's not outraged...one of his talk show callers is.)
Is there a happy medium somewhere?
Enter Paul Campos, author of a new book entitled The Diet Myth: Why America's Obsession with Weight is Hazardous to Your Health. I haven't read it (it's on my ever-growing list). What I have read, however, is this interview with him by Nick Schulz on Tech Central Station. He makes a few interesting points:
That's one of the things people don't appreciate about this phenomenon. It's not that this is somehow, in any way, limited to the United States. If you look at any developed economy, roughly half the population or more is "overweight." Nations in Western Europe have the same average BMI or even higher than we have in the United States...
Fat people...they aren't just in America anymore.
I really think that what's fueling this on a basic level are these anxieties about decadence and over-consumption and laziness and that somehow we've got something wrong with ourselves as a nation. And this is always being projected out on to this matter of weight.
Translation: capitalism is bad.
One that really sums up the depth of the craziness on this is the initiative that has been undertaken in Arkansas by Gov. Huckabee, who is pushing through legislation to mandate the placement of a weight index that is on the report cards of all children in Arkansas Public Schools to grade them by weight. A similar initiative has just been passed in Texas and others along the same line are being considered in a variety of other states.
Being graded on weight? What's next, being graded on personality?
I'll have to read the whole book before I make up my mind as to whether or not I completely agree with Campos. What I do agree with, however, is that extremely overweight people in this country are fast becoming second class citizens, and that thinner folks need to realize there are more factors to being overweight than simply "having no control."
And, being overweight doesn't mean you are a loser.
Posted by at 10:06 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
Woman Gives the Finger...Literally!
Remember the woman who found a finger in her bowl of chili at Wendy's?
The mysterious finger...came from an associate of her husband who lost the finger in an industrial accident, police said Friday.
This should be no surprise, considering the woman had been the instigator of a number of lawsuits regarding faulty food or products.
Authorities said last month that they believed the story was a hoax, and they arrested the 39-year-old Ayala at her home in Las Vegas and charged her with attempted grand larceny for allegedly trying to shake down Wendy's. But whose finger was in the chili remained a mystery.
The owner was traced through a tip made to a Wendy's hot line, Davis said. He said the man lost the finger in December, and authorities "positively confirmed that this subject was in fact the source of the fingertip." The nature of the industrial accident was not disclosed.
Apparently, more charges are in store for the fraudulent couple.
She'll have a lot more to worry about than fingers in her food if she ends up doing prison time...heh heh heh.
Posted by at 04:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack