Huge, Excellent Breaking National News

It was just announced at the Washington Post that President Biden will announce tomorrow he plans to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks later this year.

Excellent, even intelligent and the right thing to do, at long, long last, for America. God help Afghanistan in general but more specifically, the women of that nation.

A Very Important Anniversary Today

Three years ago today, 17 students and educators were killed and 17 more were injured at Marjory Stoneman Douglas—the deadliest high school shooting in US History. 

In just a day, countless students, teachers, staff, and family members were burdened with unimaginable grief and trauma. No parent should lose their child to an unspeakable act of hatred. No child should fear for their safety in the place they’re meant to learn and flourish.

Today, we remember the Parkland 17. And we will continue honoring all victims and survivors with action. 

Please join us. Let's work together on this. We are, we must be, better than this.

GUN CRAZED AMERICA

Now is the Time to Discuss Gun Safety & Insist on Appropriate Gun Laws !!!

Entertainment Overnight -- 50th Anniversary Edition

In honor of--and thanks to--the one and only Jimi Hendrix and all his great, great music, in remembrance on this the 50th anniversary of his passing, September 18, 1970.

  NOW PLAYING

Jimi Hendrix Greatest Hits

I was a freshman in high school at the time.

Wow.

Overnight

Entertainment Overnight -- Happy Birthday, Frank

Tomorrow would have been Ol' Blue Eyes 100th birthday, in case you hadn't already read or seen that in some media out there.

Launched this day, 1967

Happy birthday, Sgt. Pepper

Yesterday's important anniversary

Yesterday in 1945, the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp was liberated by the Russian army. The Nazis had abandoned the camp 10 days earlier, forcing most of the prisoners into a death march that killed thousands. Those deemed too weak for the march were left behind, including these children. 

They did not know their ordeal was over until the 322nd Rifle Division of the Soviet Red Army arrived.

Since 2005, January 27th is known as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, which resulted in the murder of one third of the Jewish people along with countless members of other minorities.

See the United Nations Resolution which created this Remembrance Day at http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/remembrance/international/pdf/un_decision.pdf

Still photograph of the children from the Soviet Film of the liberation of Auschwitz, taken by the film unit of the First Ukrainian Front, shot over a period of several months beginning on January 27, 1945 by Alexander Voronzow and others in his group. Child survivors of Auschwitz, wearing adult-size prisoner jackets, stand behind a barbed wire fence. Among those pictured are Tomasz Szwarz; Alicja Gruenbaum; Solomon Rozalin; Gita Sztrauss; Wiera Sadler; Marta Wiess; Boro Eksztein; Josef Rozenwaser; Rafael Szlezinger; Gabriel Nejman; Gugiel Appelbaum; Mark Berkowitz (a twin); Pesa Balter; Rut Muszkies (later Webber); Miriam Friedman; and twins Miriam Mozes and Eva Mozes wearing knitted hats.

An anniversary today

"Today marks the 1-year anniversary of the Republicans taking control of the House. After promising to deliver jobs for the American people they've instead delivered 2 near government shutdowns, 14 votes to repeal patient health care protections, 4 votes to restrict women's access to health care, 3 votes to end medicare, 1 vote to raise taxes on middle class workers, and 0 votes on a comprehensive jobs bill." --Niki Tsongas, from her Facebook page. Politician from Lowell, Massachussetts. Link: https://www.facebook.com/nikitsongas

On the 9/11 anniversary

I watched some news programs this past Sunday morning and naturally virtually all of them advertised that they'd be doing long anniversary specials on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. It depresses me for so many reasons it's nearly overwhelming. News junkie that I am, that day I'm going to skip these things. Besides the worst tragedy of all these attacks, what gets me most is that it was so unnecessary and so avoidable. The FBI, internally, knew Al Qaeda members were learning how to fly planes, hastily and in pretty good numbers, across the country and, worst of all, President at the time, George W. Bush had a Daily Presidential Brief back in August, warning that Osama bin Laden was trying to do this very thing. That is, that he was preparing to attack New York by plane. Finally, that same administration was still allowing small pocket knives on commercial flights across the nation. As you'll recall, that was how one group of terrorists were able to take over at least one plane, with small pocket knives. European security hadn't allowed such things for years. What it boils down to is, 9/11 shouldn't have happened, absolutely. It was totally, utterly and completely avoidable. That it did happen is shameful. Yet George W. Bush is off in Texas, fully enjoying his cushy, wealthy, fatcat life. It would be nice if Americans recognized and kept in mind his dereliction of duty and what it ended up meaning to the thousands of people who died that day, unnecessarily. Links: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/07/AR2006030700216.html; http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=131432&page=1; http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20040801215339657; http://www.slate.com/id/2097476/; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bin_Ladin_Determined_To_Strike_in_US

The Civil War's beginning in Missouri

There's a fascinating article today in The Columbian Daily about today's 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War in Missouri.  It gives terrific background information:

150 YEARS AGO: War is declared between the United States and Missouri

Enjoy the weekend, y'all.  It surely is beautiful--and comfortable--out there.

South Carolina: Amazingly still fighting the Civil War (that they lost)

I don't suppose you saw this, did you?  South Carolina is--yes--actually going to celebrate, yes, celebrate the beginning of the Civil War.

That is some stunning ignorance.

Check this out:

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Starting Monday, South Carolina will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War with a series of events that underscore the state's central role in that titanic, tragic struggle.

Two of the first events scheduled to mark the anniversary — a privately sponsored secession ball Monday in Charleston and an effort to display the original Ordinance of Secession — show just how divisive the Civil War remains.

There is some internal protest against it, thank goodness, and they see it for what it is, at least in part, and that is that it is a "a celebration of treason and slavery."

If it's not that, it's nothing.

But hey, what the heck, this way a whole lotta' white people can get together and have lots of big parties.

For a whole year.

That is some kind of twisted sick.

Party on, South Carolina.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/12/19/105532/150-years-later-s-carolina-celebration.html#ixzz18cfMz749

Hats off to Martin Luther today

Today, December 10, 1520, Martin Luther had the courage and conviction to publicly burn the papal edict demanding he recant his accusations of heresy to the Catholic Church, or face excommunication.

Take that , Pope.

I mean, really, the Catholic Church was taking money from what were poor people, so they could assure themselves a place in heaven, among other insane, deplorable, despicable things.

Talk about blood money.

The guy was smart. The guy had guts.

Our hats off to you, Martin Luther, for standing up to ignorant thought and a great deal of peer pressure.

This is my favorite thing he did, however, as this is what lead up to today's date:

"On Halloween of 1517, Luther changed the course of human history when he nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg, accusing the Roman Catholic church of heresy upon heresy."

Good on ya', Martin.

Our thanks.

Link: http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/martin-luther.html

To read his 95 Theses, go here: http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/luther/web/ninetyfive.html