Beatles Best Work

Forty years ago, June 1st, 1967, the Beatles released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
The album, which took four months and $75,000 to record, spent 15 weeks at No. 1.
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Paul later found fame as the ex-husband of that Dancing with the Stars human pogo stick.

John Wayne

On Saturday May 26, 2007, John Wayne would have been 100 years old.
Born in Winterset, Iowa, was christened Marion Michael Morrison.

Duke was a friendly childhood nickname.

Morrison applied at the Naval Academy, but was not accepted. He attended the USC and played on the football team but lost his scholarship because of an injury received while body surfing

Duke Morrison was his earliest credited screen name .

In 1969, he won an Oscar for his role in True Grit.

He died from cancer in 1979.

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My favorite John Wayne movie is "The Quiet Man". This is always good to see on Saint Patrick's Day.

100 Years Ago Today

Laurence Oliver was born in Dorking, England.
Gifted Shakespearean actor.
Famous for stage and movie works as Hamlet.
Awesome in Wuthering Heights.
Knighted in 1947.
Laurence Oliver died in 1989.

There are no actors working today that possess Oliver's presence and bearing.

Nelson's Trafalgar

Just finished reading "Nelson's Trafalgar, The Battle That Changed The World", written by Roy Adkins.
A decent book,like most war episodes, preceded by length buildup and followed by straggling details. In short the British fleet knocked the crap out of the combined Spanish French fleet. This effectively removed the potential for Napoleon to invade Britain and maintained the opportunity for invasion of the European continent and eventual crushing of the height impaired emperor at Waterloo.
Daily life on these wooden battleships is best described treacherous. In day to day living fresh food was impossible to maintain and living quarters were extremely cramped.
During battle dismemberment and death were inescapable. If injury did not come directly by cannonball or grapeshot, it came indirectly by piercings by splinters and from above by falling masts.
Some expressions used today came from this life style:

• SLUSH FUND comes from the process that cook's boiled meat and collected the greasy scum. Half of the grease was used for waterproofing on the ship and other other half belongs to the cook as a means of supplementing low wages.
• SQUARE MEAL comes from the the use of square plates which were more space efficient in cramped quarters.
• HEAD comes from the practice of sailors relieving themselves at various ship ship locations such as the catheads, beakheads and figurehead.

On a scale of 1-10, "Nelson's Trafalgar" gets a 5.

A Frog with Insight

"In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant."

Charles de Gaulle

On this day in 2002

The remains of kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl were unearthed in Pakistan.

Normally the Islamic captors would use the kidnapping as an opportunity to illuminate to the press the reasons for their anger, thereby creating a thankful ally. In this case Daniel Pearl was beheaded because of his faith. Why should the reasons for such hostility be considered? Why doesn't the press treat these murderers, terrorist and kidnappers in a manner more in line with their actions?

Big Mac

"History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline. There has been either a spiritual awakening to overcome the moral lapse, or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster."

Douglas MacArthur

Dueling Fool

"War, like most other things, is a science to be acquired and perfected by diligence, by perserverance, by time, and by practice."

Alexander Hamilton

Responsible?

Liberals hold us individually responsible for nothing but collectively responsible for everything.

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Make a Choice

If you come to a fork in the road, take it.

Yogi Berra