I started looking at these awkward photos and couldn't stop. This one is entitled "Too Close for Comfort."
When it comes to mom, hand placement is everything.Found it at Miss Cellania
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Arctic Summer
Summer in the Arctic Circle means 24-hour daylight. The sun doesn't set; it just bounces along the horizon. This time-lapse video covers a week of Arctic summertime.
Found it at the Presurfer:
Found it at the Presurfer:
Friday, May 15, 2009
Friday Presidents
18. ULYSSES S. GRANT 1869-1877
Late in the administration of Andrew Johnson, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant quarreled with the President and aligned himself with the Radical Republicans. He was, as the symbol of Union victory during the Civil War, their logical candidate for President in 1868.
When he was elected, the American people hoped for an end to turmoil. Grant provided neither vigor nor reform. Looking to Congress for direction, he seemed bewildered. One visitor to the White House noted "a puzzled pathos, as of a man with a problem before him of which he does not understand the terms."
Born in 1822, Grant was the son of an Ohio tanner. He went to West Point rather against his will and graduated in the middle of his class. In the Mexican War he fought under Gen. Zachary Taylor.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Grant was working in his father's leather store in Galena, Illinois. He was appointed by the Governor to command an unruly volunteer regiment. Grant whipped it into shape and by September 1861 he had risen to the rank of brigadier general of volunteers.
He sought to win control of the Mississippi Valley. In February 1862 he took Fort Henry and attacked Fort Donelson. When the Confederate commander asked for terms, Grant replied, "No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted." The Confederates surrendered, and President Lincoln promoted Grant to major general of volunteers.
At Shiloh in April, Grant fought one of the bloodiest battles in the West and came out less well. President Lincoln fended off demands for his removal by saying, "I can't spare this man--he fights."
For his next major objective, Grant maneuvered and fought skillfully to win Vicksburg, the key city on the Mississippi, and thus cut the Confederacy in two. Then he broke the Confederate hold on Chattanooga.
Lincoln appointed him General-in-Chief in March 1864. Grant directed Sherman to drive through the South while he himself, with the Army of the Potomac, pinned down Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.
Finally, on April 9, 1865, at Appomattox Court House, Lee surrendered. Grant wrote out magnanimous terms of surrender that would prevent treason trials.
As President, Grant presided over the Government much as he had run the Army. Indeed he brought part of his Army staff to the White House.
Although a man of scrupulous honesty, Grant as President accepted handsome presents from admirers. Worse, he allowed himself to be seen with two speculators, Jay Gould and James Fisk. When Grant realized their scheme to corner the market in gold, he authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to sell enough gold to wreck their plans, but the speculation had already wrought havoc with business.
During his campaign for re-election in 1872, Grant was attacked by Liberal Republican reformers. He called them "narrow-headed men," their eyes so close together that "they can look out of the same gimlet hole without winking." The General's friends in the Republican Party came to be known proudly as "the Old Guard."
Grant allowed Radical Reconstruction to run its course in the South, bolstering it at times with military force.
After retiring from the Presidency, Grant became a partner in a financial firm, which went bankrupt. About that time he learned that he had cancer of the throat. He started writing his recollections to pay off his debts and provide for his family, racing against death to produce a memoir that ultimately earned nearly $450,000. Soon after completing the last page, in 1885, he died. From here:
Late in the administration of Andrew Johnson, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant quarreled with the President and aligned himself with the Radical Republicans. He was, as the symbol of Union victory during the Civil War, their logical candidate for President in 1868.
When he was elected, the American people hoped for an end to turmoil. Grant provided neither vigor nor reform. Looking to Congress for direction, he seemed bewildered. One visitor to the White House noted "a puzzled pathos, as of a man with a problem before him of which he does not understand the terms."
Born in 1822, Grant was the son of an Ohio tanner. He went to West Point rather against his will and graduated in the middle of his class. In the Mexican War he fought under Gen. Zachary Taylor.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Grant was working in his father's leather store in Galena, Illinois. He was appointed by the Governor to command an unruly volunteer regiment. Grant whipped it into shape and by September 1861 he had risen to the rank of brigadier general of volunteers.
He sought to win control of the Mississippi Valley. In February 1862 he took Fort Henry and attacked Fort Donelson. When the Confederate commander asked for terms, Grant replied, "No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted." The Confederates surrendered, and President Lincoln promoted Grant to major general of volunteers.
At Shiloh in April, Grant fought one of the bloodiest battles in the West and came out less well. President Lincoln fended off demands for his removal by saying, "I can't spare this man--he fights."
For his next major objective, Grant maneuvered and fought skillfully to win Vicksburg, the key city on the Mississippi, and thus cut the Confederacy in two. Then he broke the Confederate hold on Chattanooga.
Lincoln appointed him General-in-Chief in March 1864. Grant directed Sherman to drive through the South while he himself, with the Army of the Potomac, pinned down Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.
Finally, on April 9, 1865, at Appomattox Court House, Lee surrendered. Grant wrote out magnanimous terms of surrender that would prevent treason trials.
As President, Grant presided over the Government much as he had run the Army. Indeed he brought part of his Army staff to the White House.
Although a man of scrupulous honesty, Grant as President accepted handsome presents from admirers. Worse, he allowed himself to be seen with two speculators, Jay Gould and James Fisk. When Grant realized their scheme to corner the market in gold, he authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to sell enough gold to wreck their plans, but the speculation had already wrought havoc with business.
During his campaign for re-election in 1872, Grant was attacked by Liberal Republican reformers. He called them "narrow-headed men," their eyes so close together that "they can look out of the same gimlet hole without winking." The General's friends in the Republican Party came to be known proudly as "the Old Guard."
Grant allowed Radical Reconstruction to run its course in the South, bolstering it at times with military force.
After retiring from the Presidency, Grant became a partner in a financial firm, which went bankrupt. About that time he learned that he had cancer of the throat. He started writing his recollections to pay off his debts and provide for his family, racing against death to produce a memoir that ultimately earned nearly $450,000. Soon after completing the last page, in 1885, he died. From here:
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
FIRST JOB
Here's a truly heartwarming story about the bond formed between alittle 5-year-old girl and some construction workers that will makeyou believe that we all can make a difference when we give a child thegift of our time.
A young family moved into a house, next to a vacant lot.One day, a construction crew turned up to start building a house on theEmpty lot. The young family's 5-year-old daughter naturally took an interest inall the activity going on next door and spent much of eachday observing the workers. Eventually the construction crew, all of them gems-in-the-rough,'more or less, adopted her as a kind of project mascot.They chatted with her, let her sit with them while they had coffee andLunch breaks, and gave her little jobs to do here and there tomake her feel important. At the end of the first week, they even presented her witha pay envelope containing ten dollars.
The little girl tookthis home to her mother who suggested that she take her ten dollars'pay' she'd received to the bank the next day to start a savingsaccount. When the girl and her mom got to the bank, the teller wasEqually impressed and asked the little girl how she had come by
hervery own pay check at such a young age. The little girl proudlyreplied, 'I worked last week with a real construction crew building thenew house next door to us.' 'Oh my goodness gracious,' said the teller,'and will you be Working on the house again this week, too?'
The little girl replied, 'I will, if those assholes at UBC everdeliver the fuckin' sheet rock...
Kind of brings a tear to the eye - doesn't it?
A young family moved into a house, next to a vacant lot.One day, a construction crew turned up to start building a house on theEmpty lot. The young family's 5-year-old daughter naturally took an interest inall the activity going on next door and spent much of eachday observing the workers. Eventually the construction crew, all of them gems-in-the-rough,'more or less, adopted her as a kind of project mascot.They chatted with her, let her sit with them while they had coffee andLunch breaks, and gave her little jobs to do here and there tomake her feel important. At the end of the first week, they even presented her witha pay envelope containing ten dollars.
The little girl tookthis home to her mother who suggested that she take her ten dollars'pay' she'd received to the bank the next day to start a savingsaccount. When the girl and her mom got to the bank, the teller wasEqually impressed and asked the little girl how she had come by
hervery own pay check at such a young age. The little girl proudlyreplied, 'I worked last week with a real construction crew building thenew house next door to us.' 'Oh my goodness gracious,' said the teller,'and will you be Working on the house again this week, too?'
The little girl replied, 'I will, if those assholes at UBC everdeliver the fuckin' sheet rock...
Kind of brings a tear to the eye - doesn't it?
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Future Begins
Star Trek has been a staple of science fiction fans for over 40 years beginning with the original T.V. series created by Gene Roddenberry. The Premise was simple, Captain James T. Kirk and his crew traveled through space on the USS Enterprise encountering different planets and races. Since then it has spawned 6 television series and ten films. After the last film, Nemesis, and the last T.V. series, Enterprise, it seemed as though it had run its course and was lost in the vacuum of space.
Along Came J.J. Abrams who in the past was most famous for developing the T.V. series Alias and producing last years blockbuster Cloverfield. He had a vision to take the series to a place where it had never boldly gone before, the past. Reinventing the series in a way that would hold true to the original but yet give it its own twist on the future. Which he did.
The eleventh feature film, aptly named Star Trek, tells the story of how the crew of the Enterprise came together. James T. Kirk, the rebel who could care less about joining Starfleet. Spock, who defies the Vulcan elders by deciding to join Starfleet instead of the Vulcan Academy of Science. And Bones, who although has a fear of the vacuum of space wants desperately to be in it. As the film progress' we meet the rest of the crew Chekov, Sulu and Scotty.
When a Romulan named Nero threatens the lives of whole planets, the young crew meets the challenge of proving their collective worth to Starfleet. Taking them through fast paced action sequences and breathtaking worlds is the newly commissioned USS Enterprise, helmed by Captain Pike.
This new Star Trek injects new blood into the dying series. It was perfectly casted and well written. The only downfall of the film is the Villain. The villain, Nero, is not the problem; it's the actor, Eric Bana, who was good but could have been alot better. Other than that one flaw the rest of the film had done the unthinkable, surpassing the original as the greatest Star Trek film to date. There were so many great revelations and cameos, but I can't tell you any of them as they have something to do with the plot.
Whether or not your a Star Trek or Science Fiction fan, you will love this movie. It is pure edge of your seat entertainment, and easily the best movie to probably come out of the 2009 summer season.
Along Came J.J. Abrams who in the past was most famous for developing the T.V. series Alias and producing last years blockbuster Cloverfield. He had a vision to take the series to a place where it had never boldly gone before, the past. Reinventing the series in a way that would hold true to the original but yet give it its own twist on the future. Which he did.
The eleventh feature film, aptly named Star Trek, tells the story of how the crew of the Enterprise came together. James T. Kirk, the rebel who could care less about joining Starfleet. Spock, who defies the Vulcan elders by deciding to join Starfleet instead of the Vulcan Academy of Science. And Bones, who although has a fear of the vacuum of space wants desperately to be in it. As the film progress' we meet the rest of the crew Chekov, Sulu and Scotty.
When a Romulan named Nero threatens the lives of whole planets, the young crew meets the challenge of proving their collective worth to Starfleet. Taking them through fast paced action sequences and breathtaking worlds is the newly commissioned USS Enterprise, helmed by Captain Pike.
This new Star Trek injects new blood into the dying series. It was perfectly casted and well written. The only downfall of the film is the Villain. The villain, Nero, is not the problem; it's the actor, Eric Bana, who was good but could have been alot better. Other than that one flaw the rest of the film had done the unthinkable, surpassing the original as the greatest Star Trek film to date. There were so many great revelations and cameos, but I can't tell you any of them as they have something to do with the plot.
Whether or not your a Star Trek or Science Fiction fan, you will love this movie. It is pure edge of your seat entertainment, and easily the best movie to probably come out of the 2009 summer season.
The new order of Ascension
After recent developements from the Obama administration, the new order of Ascension to the heavens (aka White House) will be 2nd in line VP Biden, 3rd in line the union leader with the most members. If it coninues VP Biden better be careful or he will become 3rd. in line.
My new favorite golf reporter
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- CBS Sports golf analyst David Feherty apologized Sunday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for a morbid joke that went bad in a Dallas magazine.
Feherty, one of the most popular golf analysts for his sharp wit and self-deprecating humor, was among five Dallas residents who wrote for "D Magazine" on former President George W. Bush moving to Dallas.
"From my own experience visiting the troops in the Middle East, I can tell you this though," Feherty wrote toward the end of his column.
"Despite how the conflict has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you gave any U.S. soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Osama bin Laden, there's a good chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled to death."
Feherty, a former Ryder Cup player who grew up in Northern Ireland, has gone to Iraq over Thanksgiving the past two years to visit with U.S. troops, and he created a foundation to help wounded soldiers. More here:
Feherty, one of the most popular golf analysts for his sharp wit and self-deprecating humor, was among five Dallas residents who wrote for "D Magazine" on former President George W. Bush moving to Dallas.
"From my own experience visiting the troops in the Middle East, I can tell you this though," Feherty wrote toward the end of his column.
"Despite how the conflict has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you gave any U.S. soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Osama bin Laden, there's a good chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled to death."
Feherty, a former Ryder Cup player who grew up in Northern Ireland, has gone to Iraq over Thanksgiving the past two years to visit with U.S. troops, and he created a foundation to help wounded soldiers. More here:
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
New Montana Gun Law Signed
Sovereignty Bills Have National Scope
Gun Law One Of Many Proposals By States To Curb Federal Power
HELENA (AP) — Gov. Brian Schweitzer has signed into law a bill that aims to exempt Montana made guns from federal regulation, adding firepower to a battery of legislative efforts to assert states’ rights across the nation. “It’s a gun bill, but it’s another way of demonstrating the sovereignty of the state of Montana,” Democrat Schweitzer said. Because the law applies only to those guns that are made and kept in Montana, its effect is limited. The state is home to just a handful of specialty gun makers, known for recreating rifles used to settle the West, and most of their customers are out-of-state. But supporters of the new law hope it triggers a court case testing the legal basis for federal rules governing gun sales. “What we need here is for Montana to be able to handle Montana’s business and affairs,” bill sponsor Rep. Joel Boniek, a Republican and wilderness guide from Livingston, told fellow lawmakers during the bill’s House debate.
THE MEASURE is one of many introduced by state lawmakers across the nation seeking to confront what some see as a federal overreach into state matters that will be extended with the national stimulus plan. Along with the gun bill, Montana regislators are considering a resolution that affirms the 10th Amendment principle that the federal government only has those powers that are specifically given to it by the U.S. Constitution. “The whole goal is to awaken the people so that we can return to a properly grounded republic,” Rep. Michael More, R-Gallatin Gateway and the Montana resolution’s sponsor, said at a House committee hearing Wednesday. As many as 15 other Legislatures have also been mulling resolutions that buck federal control in states such as New Hampshire, South Carolina, Missouri and Oklahoma. “The balance has swung far to the extreme to the empowerment of the federal government, and to the harm of the individual states,” More said.
OPPONENTS OF the state sovereignty bids, however, warn they could give legitimacy to the kind of anti- government ideas that fueled the militia movement in Montana and elsewhere. “When you really actually get in and look at it there is a lot of what we feel is very dangerous, very anti-government language that reads very similar to posters for the militia movement in the 1990s,” said Travis McAdam, the interim director of the Montana Human Rights Network, a group formed to oppose racism and extremism. One of the few state senators who voted against the gun bill — Sen. Christine Kaufmann, D-Helena — is that group’s director when the Legislature is not in session. She ties the bills’ proliferation to fears about the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama and stimulus spending. “I do think that there is a kind of renewed vehemence to this kind of right-wing rhetoric being spewed by conservative talk show hosts to rile the troops and they are using the fact that we have a Democratic, black president as one of their rallying calls,” Kaufmann said. The Montana bills are being sponsored by freshman legislators who ran as part of a broader effort to oust more moderate Republicans in last spring’s elections. House Resolution 3, the one sponsored by More, follows another states’ rights declaration that deadlocked in the same committee earlier this session, though the committee’s chairman said it may have a shot on its second try.
HOUSE BILL 246, the Montana-made gun bill, cleared the Legislature easily before reaching the governor’s desk. Its supporters next plan to find a “squeaky clean” Montanan who wants to send a note to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives threatening to build and sell about 20 rifles though federal dealership licensing. If the ATF says it’s illegal, the gun bill’s backers plan to file a lawsuit in federal court with the goal of launching a legal showdown that lands in the U.S. Supreme Court. The Montana Shooting Sports Association, which drafted the bill, has said it will raise the money to pay for any legal costs. “It doesn’t cost us any money and I like guns,” Schweitzer said after signing the bill. “I like big guns, I like little guns, I like pistols, I like rifles, and I would like to buy a gun that’s made in Montana,” Schweitzer said.
Yes, and the Federal Gov. wants more power. Lets hope the states win some back.
Gun Law One Of Many Proposals By States To Curb Federal Power
HELENA (AP) — Gov. Brian Schweitzer has signed into law a bill that aims to exempt Montana made guns from federal regulation, adding firepower to a battery of legislative efforts to assert states’ rights across the nation. “It’s a gun bill, but it’s another way of demonstrating the sovereignty of the state of Montana,” Democrat Schweitzer said. Because the law applies only to those guns that are made and kept in Montana, its effect is limited. The state is home to just a handful of specialty gun makers, known for recreating rifles used to settle the West, and most of their customers are out-of-state. But supporters of the new law hope it triggers a court case testing the legal basis for federal rules governing gun sales. “What we need here is for Montana to be able to handle Montana’s business and affairs,” bill sponsor Rep. Joel Boniek, a Republican and wilderness guide from Livingston, told fellow lawmakers during the bill’s House debate.
THE MEASURE is one of many introduced by state lawmakers across the nation seeking to confront what some see as a federal overreach into state matters that will be extended with the national stimulus plan. Along with the gun bill, Montana regislators are considering a resolution that affirms the 10th Amendment principle that the federal government only has those powers that are specifically given to it by the U.S. Constitution. “The whole goal is to awaken the people so that we can return to a properly grounded republic,” Rep. Michael More, R-Gallatin Gateway and the Montana resolution’s sponsor, said at a House committee hearing Wednesday. As many as 15 other Legislatures have also been mulling resolutions that buck federal control in states such as New Hampshire, South Carolina, Missouri and Oklahoma. “The balance has swung far to the extreme to the empowerment of the federal government, and to the harm of the individual states,” More said.
OPPONENTS OF the state sovereignty bids, however, warn they could give legitimacy to the kind of anti- government ideas that fueled the militia movement in Montana and elsewhere. “When you really actually get in and look at it there is a lot of what we feel is very dangerous, very anti-government language that reads very similar to posters for the militia movement in the 1990s,” said Travis McAdam, the interim director of the Montana Human Rights Network, a group formed to oppose racism and extremism. One of the few state senators who voted against the gun bill — Sen. Christine Kaufmann, D-Helena — is that group’s director when the Legislature is not in session. She ties the bills’ proliferation to fears about the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama and stimulus spending. “I do think that there is a kind of renewed vehemence to this kind of right-wing rhetoric being spewed by conservative talk show hosts to rile the troops and they are using the fact that we have a Democratic, black president as one of their rallying calls,” Kaufmann said. The Montana bills are being sponsored by freshman legislators who ran as part of a broader effort to oust more moderate Republicans in last spring’s elections. House Resolution 3, the one sponsored by More, follows another states’ rights declaration that deadlocked in the same committee earlier this session, though the committee’s chairman said it may have a shot on its second try.
HOUSE BILL 246, the Montana-made gun bill, cleared the Legislature easily before reaching the governor’s desk. Its supporters next plan to find a “squeaky clean” Montanan who wants to send a note to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives threatening to build and sell about 20 rifles though federal dealership licensing. If the ATF says it’s illegal, the gun bill’s backers plan to file a lawsuit in federal court with the goal of launching a legal showdown that lands in the U.S. Supreme Court. The Montana Shooting Sports Association, which drafted the bill, has said it will raise the money to pay for any legal costs. “It doesn’t cost us any money and I like guns,” Schweitzer said after signing the bill. “I like big guns, I like little guns, I like pistols, I like rifles, and I would like to buy a gun that’s made in Montana,” Schweitzer said.
Yes, and the Federal Gov. wants more power. Lets hope the states win some back.
Yes - make the IRS bigger - good stuff
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama proposed on Thursday nearly doubling funds to enforce U.S. tax laws next year, with an aim of more than quadrupling funding for tax compliance to $2.1 billion within five years. More here:
Yes - because every other commercial on television is for peeps who are in trouble with the IRS - but that's not enough. Just wait another few years ... EVERYBODY will be headed for the gulags.
Friday Presidents
17. ANDREW JOHNSON 1865-1869
With the Assassination of Lincoln, the Presidency fell upon an old-fashioned southern Jacksonian Democrat of pronounced states' rights views. Although an honest and honorable man, Andrew Johnson was one of the most unfortunate of Presidents. Arrayed against him were the Radical Republicans in Congress, brilliantly led and ruthless in their tactics. Johnson was no match for them.
Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1808, Johnson grew up in poverty. He was apprenticed to a tailor as a boy, but ran away. He opened a tailor shop in Greeneville, Tennessee, married Eliza McCardle, and participated in debates at the local academy.
Entering politics, he became an adept stump speaker, championing the common man and vilifying the plantation aristocracy. As a Member of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 1840's and '50's, he advocated a homestead bill to provide a free farm for the poor man.
During the secession crisis, Johnson remained in the Senate even when Tennessee seceded, which made him a hero in the North and a traitor in the eyes of most Southerners. In 1862 President Lincoln appointed him Military Governor of Tennessee, and Johnson used the state as a laboratory for reconstruction. In 1864 the Republicans, contending that their National Union Party was for all loyal men, nominated Johnson, a Southerner and a Democrat, for Vice President.
After Lincoln's death, President Johnson proceeded to reconstruct the former Confederate States while Congress was not in session in 1865. He pardoned all who would take an oath of allegiance, but required leaders and men of wealth to obtain special Presidential pardons.
By the time Congress met in December 1865, most southern states were reconstructed, slavery was being abolished, but "black codes" to regulate the freedmen were beginning to appear.
Radical Republicans in Congress moved vigorously to change Johnson's program. They gained the support of northerners who were dismayed to see Southerners keeping many prewar leaders and imposing many prewar restrictions upon Negroes.
The Radicals' first step was to refuse to seat any Senator or Representative from the old Confederacy. Next they passed measures dealing with the former slaves. Johnson vetoed the legislation. The Radicals mustered enough votes in Congress to pass legislation over his veto--the first time that Congress had overridden a President on an important bill. They passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which established Negroes as American citizens and forbade discrimination against them.
A few months later Congress submitted to the states the Fourteenth Amendment, which specified that no state should "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."
All the former Confederate States except Tennessee refused to ratify the amendment; further, there were two bloody race riots in the South. Speaking in the Middle West, Johnson faced hostile audiences. The Radical Republicans won an overwhelming victory in Congressional elections that fall.
In March 1867, the Radicals effected their own plan of Reconstruction, again placing southern states under military rule. They passed laws placing restrictions upon the President. When Johnson allegedly violated one of these, the Tenure of Office Act, by dismissing Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, the House voted eleven articles of impeachment against him. He was tried by the Senate in the spring of 1868 and acquitted by one vote.
In 1875, Tennessee returned Johnson to the Senate. He died a few months later. From here:
With the Assassination of Lincoln, the Presidency fell upon an old-fashioned southern Jacksonian Democrat of pronounced states' rights views. Although an honest and honorable man, Andrew Johnson was one of the most unfortunate of Presidents. Arrayed against him were the Radical Republicans in Congress, brilliantly led and ruthless in their tactics. Johnson was no match for them.
Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1808, Johnson grew up in poverty. He was apprenticed to a tailor as a boy, but ran away. He opened a tailor shop in Greeneville, Tennessee, married Eliza McCardle, and participated in debates at the local academy.
Entering politics, he became an adept stump speaker, championing the common man and vilifying the plantation aristocracy. As a Member of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 1840's and '50's, he advocated a homestead bill to provide a free farm for the poor man.
During the secession crisis, Johnson remained in the Senate even when Tennessee seceded, which made him a hero in the North and a traitor in the eyes of most Southerners. In 1862 President Lincoln appointed him Military Governor of Tennessee, and Johnson used the state as a laboratory for reconstruction. In 1864 the Republicans, contending that their National Union Party was for all loyal men, nominated Johnson, a Southerner and a Democrat, for Vice President.
After Lincoln's death, President Johnson proceeded to reconstruct the former Confederate States while Congress was not in session in 1865. He pardoned all who would take an oath of allegiance, but required leaders and men of wealth to obtain special Presidential pardons.
By the time Congress met in December 1865, most southern states were reconstructed, slavery was being abolished, but "black codes" to regulate the freedmen were beginning to appear.
Radical Republicans in Congress moved vigorously to change Johnson's program. They gained the support of northerners who were dismayed to see Southerners keeping many prewar leaders and imposing many prewar restrictions upon Negroes.
The Radicals' first step was to refuse to seat any Senator or Representative from the old Confederacy. Next they passed measures dealing with the former slaves. Johnson vetoed the legislation. The Radicals mustered enough votes in Congress to pass legislation over his veto--the first time that Congress had overridden a President on an important bill. They passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which established Negroes as American citizens and forbade discrimination against them.
A few months later Congress submitted to the states the Fourteenth Amendment, which specified that no state should "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."
All the former Confederate States except Tennessee refused to ratify the amendment; further, there were two bloody race riots in the South. Speaking in the Middle West, Johnson faced hostile audiences. The Radical Republicans won an overwhelming victory in Congressional elections that fall.
In March 1867, the Radicals effected their own plan of Reconstruction, again placing southern states under military rule. They passed laws placing restrictions upon the President. When Johnson allegedly violated one of these, the Tenure of Office Act, by dismissing Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, the House voted eleven articles of impeachment against him. He was tried by the Senate in the spring of 1868 and acquitted by one vote.
In 1875, Tennessee returned Johnson to the Senate. He died a few months later. From here:
Thursday, May 7, 2009
LMAO - "Help help, call the cops."
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. -- A group of college students said they are lucky to be alive and they’re thanking the quick-thinking of one of their own. Police said a fellow student shot and killed one of two masked me who burst into an apartment.
Channel 2 Action News reporter Tom Jones met with one of the students to talk about the incident.
“Apparently, his intent was to rape and murder us all,” said student Charles Bailey.
Bailey said he thought it was the end of his life and the lives of the 10 people inside his apartment for a birthday party after two masked men with guns burst in through a patio door.
“They just came in and separated the men from the women and said, ‘Give me your wallets and cell phones,’” said George Williams of the College Park Police Department.
Bailey said the gunmen started counting bullets. “The other guy asked how many (bullets) he had. He said he had enough,” said Bailey.
That’s when one student grabbed a gun out of a backpack and shot at the invader who was watching the men. The gunman ran out of the apartment.
The student then ran to the room where the second gunman, identified by police as 23-year-old Calvin Lavant, was holding the women.
“Apparently the guy was getting ready to rape his girlfriend. So he told the girls to get down and he started shooting. The guy jumped out of the window,” said Bailey.
A neighbor heard the shots and heard someone running nearby.
“And I heard someone say, ‘Someone help me. Call the police. Somebody call the police,’” said a neighbor. Oh, the ironing is delicious.
The neighbor said she believes it was Lavant, who was found dead near his apartment, only one building away. More here:
The Klown says, this guy needs more practice with his weapon. Good job anyway though. At least there's one less piece of shit on earth now. I hope the guy doesn't lose any sleep over it ... I know I won't.
Channel 2 Action News reporter Tom Jones met with one of the students to talk about the incident.
“Apparently, his intent was to rape and murder us all,” said student Charles Bailey.
Bailey said he thought it was the end of his life and the lives of the 10 people inside his apartment for a birthday party after two masked men with guns burst in through a patio door.
“They just came in and separated the men from the women and said, ‘Give me your wallets and cell phones,’” said George Williams of the College Park Police Department.
Bailey said the gunmen started counting bullets. “The other guy asked how many (bullets) he had. He said he had enough,” said Bailey.
That’s when one student grabbed a gun out of a backpack and shot at the invader who was watching the men. The gunman ran out of the apartment.
The student then ran to the room where the second gunman, identified by police as 23-year-old Calvin Lavant, was holding the women.
“Apparently the guy was getting ready to rape his girlfriend. So he told the girls to get down and he started shooting. The guy jumped out of the window,” said Bailey.
A neighbor heard the shots and heard someone running nearby.
“And I heard someone say, ‘Someone help me. Call the police. Somebody call the police,’” said a neighbor. Oh, the ironing is delicious.
The neighbor said she believes it was Lavant, who was found dead near his apartment, only one building away. More here:
The Klown says, this guy needs more practice with his weapon. Good job anyway though. At least there's one less piece of shit on earth now. I hope the guy doesn't lose any sleep over it ... I know I won't.
Complete idiots at Cheapair.com
My email to CheapAir:
I unsubscribed from your unsolicited emails on April 27, 2009. When I clicked on "unsubscribe, I saw the following screen:
I unsubscribed from your unsolicited emails on April 27, 2009. When I clicked on "unsubscribe, I saw the following screen:
Inexplicably, on May 6th, 2009, I get another unsolicited email from you. I unsubscribed ... again. I guess you think I have nothing better to do in a day except spend my time dealing with your idiotic spam.Perhaps you need to become acquainted with the spam laws through the court system. Be assured I've saved all the unsolicited emails I've received from you (and the ones I sent asking to be removed) expressly for that purpose. Please don't send me any further emails. If you persist, I will try my best to ensure you learn a difficult and expensive lesson in court. Thank you.
A few hours later, I received this:
A few hours later, I received this:
Dear [Evil Klown],
Thank you for your email. We have successfully removed you from any further emails. We
apologize for any inconvenience.
Regards,
Lynn C.
CheapAir Support
www.CheapAir.com
1-800-CHEAP AIR (1-800-243-2724)
Yes, I will still be holding on to their emails for a while. Why? Because I don't believe them.
Ahhh new --- AHH NEW, Bru
Little Johnny wakes up several nights in a row when he hears a thumping sound coming from his parent’s room.
Finally, one morning he says to his mom, “Mommy, every night I hear you and daddy making noises and when I look in your bedroom you`re bouncing up and down on him.”
His mom is taken by surprise and says, “Oh…well…ah…well, I`m bouncing on his stomach because he`s fat and that makes him thin again.”
The boy responds, “That won`t work!” His mom says, “Why not?”
The boy replies, “Because the lady next door comes by after you leave for work each day and blows him back up!
Finally, one morning he says to his mom, “Mommy, every night I hear you and daddy making noises and when I look in your bedroom you`re bouncing up and down on him.”
His mom is taken by surprise and says, “Oh…well…ah…well, I`m bouncing on his stomach because he`s fat and that makes him thin again.”
The boy responds, “That won`t work!” His mom says, “Why not?”
The boy replies, “Because the lady next door comes by after you leave for work each day and blows him back up!
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