In Italy, the fireworks known as "Roman Candles" in the US, are called "Tiratori Americani" or, in English, "American Shooters".
More hot dogs are consumed on the Fourth of July than any other day of the year.
Eigthy-seven percent of American males over the age of 14 have exploded at least one firecracker.
On at least three separate occasions, a bill has been introduced to Congress to make Independence Day occur on the first Monday in July. It has never made it out of committee.
Each year from 1998 through 2007, the Fourth of July has had the lowest internet traffic of any day in the given year.
Hey Norm! Today's Revolutionary War Trivia Quiz:
Question 1: The first President of the United States was:
(a) George Washinton
(b) Thomas Jefferson
(c) Samuel Huntington
(d) John Adams
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 1:
*Technically, it was Samuel Huntington (July 16, 1731 – January 5, 1796), an American jurist, statesman, and revolutionary leader from Connecticut. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress where he signed the Declaration of Independence, as Governor of Connecticut, and later as the first President of the United States in Congress Assembled, that is, the presiding officer of the Congress of the Confederation, the sole governing body of the first central government of the United States of America. His office was not that of today's President of the United States, which is a federal chief executive position created under the later United States Constitution.*
Question 2: Which British Commander was known as "Butcher":
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Answer to Question 2:
*Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton, also known as "Bloody Ban". On orders from Tarleton, his men were known to slaughter many colonial soldiers who surrendered by hacking them down with their sabres. Tarleton also believed that civilians aiding and abetting the Patriots had chosen sides in the war against England and as a result, deserved to be treated as combatants or punished as spies. Although technically under the overall authority of British commander Lord Charles Cornwallis, Tarleton waged war as he saw fit.
Tarleton alienated the South Carolina citizenry by numerous acts of cruelty to the civilian population. As an example, at one plantation of a deceased Patriot officer, he had the man's body dug up, then required the widow to serve him a meal.
In Mel Gibson's movie 'The Patriot', Tarleton's character was portrayed as British Colonel William Tavington, and like Banastre Tarleton, the William Tavington character was depicted using ruthless tactics. However, unlike the movie character Tavington, who is killed by Gibson during the war, Banastre Tarleton died peacefully in January of 1833, at Leintwardine in Shropshire, England, unrepentant for his actions in the Revolutionary War even unto his last breath.
As an aside, it is interesting to note that after the surrender at Yorktown, all of the British commissioned officers were invited to dine with their American counterparts, except for one — Banastre Tarleton.
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 4:
*Thomas Jefferson. The document, formally entitled The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, explained the justifications for separation from the British crown, and was an expansion of Richard Henry Lee's Resolution (passed by Congress on July 2), The "Lee Resolution" presented by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia on June 7, 1776, read (in part): Resolved: That these united Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved. The Second Continental Congress formed a committee, consisting of John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, Robert R. Livingston of New York, and Roger Sherman of Connecticut (the "Committee of Five"), to draft a suitable declaration to frame this resolution. The committee decided that Jefferson would write the draft, which he showed to Franklin and Adams. Prior to deciding on Jefferson, both Adams and Franklin turned down the offer, citing that if they wrote it people would read it with a biased eye. Franklin himself made at least 48 corrections, including changing the slogan "Life, Liberty and Property" to "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." The full Declaration was reworked somewhat in general session of the Continental Congress. Congress, meeting in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, finished revising Jefferson's draft statement on July 4, approved it, and sent it to a printer.
At the signing, Benjamin Franklin is quoted as having replied to a comment by John Hancock that they must all hang together: "Yes, we must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately," a play on words indicating that failure to stay united and succeed would lead to being tried and executed, individually, for treason.
Speaking of John Hancock, according to popular legend, Hancock signed his name largely and clearly on the Declaration so that King George III could read it without using his spectacles and King George III could double the reward for his head.
Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
There is some confusion about the LAST signature of the 56 signers. Some say it was Thomas McKean, because his name does not appear on the official version released in January 1777, but it's possible that was a printer's error, and McKean claimed to have signed it much earlier. In that case Matthew Thornton of New Hampshire would be the last to have signed it, in November 1776.
*
Question 5: How many grievances against the king were named in the Declaration of Independence?
(a) 5
(b) 13
(c) 72
(d) 27
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 5:
*The document cited 27 separate grievances against the king of Great Britain, George III. These grievances included refusing his assent to "wholesom" laws, making judges dependent on "his will alone," and bringing in foreign mercenaries to wage war on the colonies in a way "totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation."*
Question 6 At the Battles of Saratoga in September - October 1777, the real colonial army hero responsible for the American victory was:
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Answer to Question 6:
*Benedict Arnold. The Battles of Saratoga in September and October 1777 were decisive American victories resulting in the surrender of an entire British army of 9,000 men. While the field commanders and men universally credited Arnold for their success--almost all the troops involved were from Arnold's command and in fact Arnold was the one directing the battle while Gates sat in his tent--Gates did not even mention Arnold's name in his dispatch. Arnold protested, and the dispute escalated into a shouting argument which ended with Gates relieving Arnold of his command and giving it to Benjamin Lincoln. Arnold asked permission to leave for Philadelphia, which was granted. The importance of the battles of Saratoga and the surrender of John ("Gentleman Johnny") Burgoyne's 9,000 man army cannot be overstated.
The French, who had been providing covert aid to the American rebels for some time, now decided that the Americans were a good bet to win. France and the United States signed a treaty of mutual alliance in February 1778 and France's declaration of war on Britain followed soon after. The presence of France in the war as a belligerent not only threatened the British Isles directly but also menaced Britain's colonies all over the world--Canada, the West Indies, Gibraltar, India. Thus the English, faced with much more territory at risk, ended all offensive operations in the northern American colonies and so England devised what was called "The Southern Strategy" in an effort to defeat the colonies and win the war.
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 7:
*The Treaty of Paris in 1783 signed at the Hôtel de York (now 56 Rue Jacob) in Paris, France. The peace treaty with Britain gave the U.S. all land east of the Mississippi River and south of the Great Lakes, though not including Florida (On September 3, 1783, Britain entered into a separate agreement with Spain under which Britain ceded Florida back to Spain). The Native American nations actually living in this region were not a party to this treaty and did not recognize it until they were defeated militarily by the United States.
Issues regarding boundaries and debts were not resolved until the Jay Treaty of 1795.
As an aside, if Lord Charles Cornwallis had been victorious at Yorktown, which perhaps would have brought the Revolutionary War to a successful end for England, King George III promised him almost the entire state of what is now Ohio, as his own personal estate.
*
Revolutionary Joke of the Day:
On December 26th 1776, George Washington prepared to surprise attack 1,200 German Hessian mercenary troops garrisoned inTrenton, New Jersey. His army had been loaded on small boats, piloted by Marblehead, Massachusetts ex-fisherman and ferried across the Deleware River from Pennsylvania to the shores of New Jersey. During the night and pre-dawn hours, these boats had traveled stealthily back and forth across the Deleware River with muffled oars but as daylight approached, tension was running high among the defenseless boatmen that they might be discovered and attacked.
One of the few commanders remaining to be transported was Boston born patriot General Henry Knox, Washington's Chief of Artillery. Knox was a portly, rotund man, and as he prepared to board a boat, Washington casually remarked: "Don't swing your balls Henry, or you'll swamp the boat."
Washington's humorous remark at Knox's expense was passed down throughout the fleet of boatmen which greatly relieved the pent up tension.
This would not be the only time that poor Henry would be the butt of obese jokes, especially at Valley Forge. Many of the American Continental Army soldiers quartered there over the winter of 1777–1778 often remarked that it seemed to them that the porky Knox hadn't seemed to have missed any meals like they had.
In spite of being on the wrong end of fat jokes, Knox, who was completely devoted to his Commander-in-Chief, was not only a favorite of Washington but that of the soldiers under his command. He not only knew how to effectively position his artillery for maximum effect, but he also ensured the safety of his gunners as best he could.
The Battle of Gettysburg: July 1st to July 3rd 1863 - Three Days that Saved The Union
Gettysburg Quote: "General Lee, I have no division." After George Pickett's famous but disasterous charge at Cemetery Ridge (the center of the Union line), this was Pickett's reply to Robert E. Lee when Lee told Pickett to rally his division for the defense of the army during its retreat back to Virginia.
1800's Southern Belles. Babes of their Day:
Following his success at the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863, Robert E. Lee led his army through the Shenandoah Valley for his second invasion of the North, hoping to reach as far as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, or even Philadelphia, and to influence Northern politicians to give up their prosecution of the war.
Robert E. Lee - one of the most celebrated - and beloved - generals in American history:
Prodded by President Abraham Lincoln, Major General Joseph Hooker moved his army in pursuit, but was relieved just three days before the battle and replaced by Major General George G. Meade.
Day 1: July 1st 1863 - The starting combatants:
Union Major General John Buford:
Confederate Major General Henry Heth:
The irony of Gettysburg is that Heth's southern army division of 7,461 troops approached the town primarily from the north down the Cashtown Road, while Buford's 2,748 northern unit of dismounted cavalrymen had riden in from the south of Gettysburg to meet Heth.
Supposedly Heth was in search for shoes in Gettysburg, but some historians consider this an apocryphal story. Heth knew that Confederate Major GeneralJubal A. Early had been in Gettysburg a few days earlier and any available shoes would have been taken at that time. Besides, sending two brigades on such a scavenger hunt would have been wasteful. Heth's true motivation remains hidden to history.
But by engaging Heth's division, Buford stacked up the rest of Lee's army just long enough to beat the Confederate's to the heights outside of Gettysburg. Buford's skirmish with Heth's division also allowed Union Major General John Reynold's I Corps of infantry (and the reknownIron Brigade, aka The Black Hat Brigade) time to arrive in sufficient strength to bolster Buford's cavalry in an attempt to fend off the rebels from taking the high ground.
Union Major General John Reynolds:
However, two large Confederate corps eventually assaulted Federal troops from the northwest and north, collapsing the hastily developed Union lines, sending the defenders retreating through the streets of town where they finally ended up taking a new position on the hills just to the south.
Day 2: July 2nd 1863 - Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the 20th Maine Infantry - The savior of the Union Army on Little Round Top:
On the second day of battle, most of both armies had assembled. The Union line was laid out in a defensive formation resembling a fishhook. Lee launched a heavy assault on the Union left flank, and fierce fighting raged at Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, Devil's Den, and the Peach Orchard. On the Union right, demonstrations escalated into full-scale assaults on Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill. Across the battlefield, despite significant losses, the Union defenders held their lines.
Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
The extreme left flank of the Union Army consisted of the 20th Maine regiment and the 83rd Pennsylvania. Seeing the Confederates shifting around his flank, Chamberlain first stretched his line to the point where his men were in a single-file line, then ordered the southernmost half of his line to swing back during a lull following another Confederate charge. It was there that they "refused the line"—formed an angle to the main line in an attempt to prevent the Confederate flanking maneuver.
The Confederate attacks came in waves, each one more intense than the one before. At the height of the fighting, a Confederate bullet struck Chamberlain on his left thigh. Luckily the metal sword scabbard hanging at his side diverted the bullet, leaving him with only with a painful bruise. The colonel leapt to his feet and continued to encourage his men, directing the defense of the rocky hillside.
Despite heavy losses, the 20th Maine held through two subsequent charges by the 15th Alabama regiment (led by Colonel William C. Oates, the regiment's spirited young commander) for a total of ninety minutes.
But the relentless Confederate assaults shredded Chamberlain's ranks and the situation looked grim as ammunition began to run out. Soldiers ransacked the cartridge boxes of the wounded and dead strewn on the hillside, but there was not enough to continue for much longer and that meager supply soon ran out. Chamberlain had not only been directing his men, but closely observing the southern attacks as well. Sensing exhaustion among the Confederates who were also probably running out of ammunition, he formulated a final plan to defend the 20th Maine's part of the shrinking Union line. There was a brief lull in the fighting when the colonel called all of his officers quickly to a meeting and explained his proposal- the 20th Maine was going to make a charge.
On the final Confederate charge, knowing that his men were out of ammunition and knowing that another charge could not be repulsed, Chamberlain ordered a maneuver that was considered unusual for the day: He ordered his left flank, which had been pulled back, to advance with fixed bayonets. As soon as they were in line with the rest of the regiment, the remainder of the regiment were to charge, akin to a door swinging shut.
When all preparations were completed and with a great roar, the men of the 20th Maine rose and charged the enemy.
This simultaneous frontal assault and flanking maneuver halted the 15th Alabama. Startled, the onrushing Confederates fired a scattered volley and broke. Those who fought back were either killed or captured.
During their retreat, the Confederates were subjected to a volley of rifle fire from Company B of the 20th Maine and a few U.S. Sharpshooters, who had been placed by Chamberlain behind a stone wall 150 yards to the east, hoping to guard against an envelopment. This group, who had been hidden from sight, caused considerable confusion in the Confederate ranks.
The daring attack by the soldiers of the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment was a stunning success.
In 1893, 30 years after the battle that made the 20th Maine famous, Chamberlain was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Gettysburg. The citation commends him for his "Daring heroism and great tenacity in holding his position on the Little Round Top against repeated assaults, and carrying the advance position on the Great Round Top."
Chamberlain's Great Charge:
The failure of James Ewell Brown ("J.E.B.") Stuart's cavalry to protect and alert Lee and his army at Gettysburg:
As Lee and Meade marched toward each other at Gettysburg, Lee ordered Stuart to screen the Confederate army as it moved down the Shenandoah Valley and to maintain contact with the lead element, Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell's Second Corps, as it advanced in the direction of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Stuart once again attempted to circle the Union army and eventually found himself well to the east of Ewell, out of contact with the Union army, and out of communications with Lee. Lee's orders gave Stuart much latitude, and both generals share the blame for the long absence of Stuart's cavalry, as well as for the failure to assign a more active role to the cavalry left with the army. Stuart and his three best brigades were absent from the army during the crucial phase of the approach to Gettysburg and the first two days of battle. Lee's army was left blinded in enemy territory without detailed knowledge of the terrain, roads, or their opponent's strength and positions. This lack of knowledge was a significant reason that the Battle of Gettysburg started on July 1, 1863, before Lee could fully concentrate his army as planned.
Stuart arrived at Gettysburg late on the second day of the battle—bringing with him a caravan of captured Union supply wagons—and received a rare rebuke from Lee. (No one witnessed the private meeting between Lee and Stuart, but reports circulated at headquarters that Lee's greeting was "abrupt and frosty." Colonel Edward Porter Alexander wrote, "Although Lee said only, 'Well, General, you are here at last,' his manner implied rebuke, and it was so understood by Stuart." On the final day of the battle, Stuart was ordered to get into the enemy's rear and disrupt their line of communications at the same time Pickett's Charge was being conducted against Cemetery Ridge, but his attack on East Cavalry Field was repulsed by Union cavalry under Brigadier Generals David McM. Gregg and George Armstrong Custer.
Although Stuart was not reprimanded or disciplined in any official way for his role in the Gettysburg campaign, it is noteworthy that his appointment to corps command on September 9, 1863, did not carry with it a promotion to lieutenant general. Historian Edward Bonekemper notes that since all other corps commanders in the Army of Northern Virginia carried this rank, Lee's decision to keep Stuart at major general rank, while at the same time promoting his subordinates Wade Hampton and Fitzhugh Lee to major generals, could be considered an implied rebuke.
Day 3: July 3rd 1863 - Major General George Pickett's Charge at Cemetery Ridge:
After Confederate attacks on both Union flanks had failed the day and night before Lee, believing that the Union line must be weak somewhere, was determined to strike the Union center on the third day. On the night of July 2nd, General Meade correctly predicted at a council of war that Lee would try an attack on his lines in the center the following morning, so he bolstered the Union center with more artillery and troops behind a solid stone wall.
The infantry assault was preceded by a massive artillery bombardment that was meant to soften up the Union defense and silence its artillery, but it was largely ineffective. However, the Confederate cannonade could be heard in Pittsburgh, 140 miles away.
On July 3rd, although fighting resumed on Culp's Hill, and cavalry battles raged to the east and south, the main event was the dramatic infantry assault against the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge by 12,500 Confederate soldiers from nine infantry brigades. These nine brigades advanced over open fields for three quarters of a mile under heavy Union artillery and rifle fire. Although some Confederates were able to breach the low stone wall that shielded many of the Union defenders, they could not maintain their hold and were repulsed at great losses to the Confederate army.
As the rebels came up Cemetery Ridge, entrenched Union troops pounded the attackers with volley after volley of musket and artillery fire, all the while taunting the Confederates by shouting "Fredericksburg!", "Fredericksburg!" in revenge for the Federal disaster during the Battle of Fredericksburg in December of 1862.
Total losses during the attack were 6,555, of which at least 1,123 Confederates were killed on the battlefield, 4,019 were wounded, and a good number of the injured were also captured. Confederate prisoner totals are difficult to estimate from their reports; Union reports indicated that 3,750 of the enemy were captured.
The futility of Pickett's Charge was predicted by the charge's commander, Lieutenant General James Longstreet, who argued with Lee most of the night on July 2nd against initiating such an attack (Longstreet has been quoted as saying "No 12,000 infantry can take that position"). It was arguably an avoidable mistake from which the Southern war effort never fully recovered psychologically. The farthest point reached by the attack has been nicknamed 'The high-water mark of the Confederacy', since the Army of Northern Virginia would never invade the Union again.
When asked, years afterward, why his charge at Gettysburg failed, General Pickett said: "I've always thought the Yankees had something to do with it."
Pickett never forgave Lee for this catastrophe.
During the three-day conflict, the Army of the Potomac suffered 23,049 casualties. The Army of Northern Virginia suffered 28,000 casualties. With a total of 51,000 casualties, the Battle of Gettysburg is the bloodiest battle in American history. In an area of 25 square miles, the battle was fought with 172,000 men and 634 cannon. 569 tons of ammunition was expended, and 5,000 horses were killed.
On July 4, 1863, the 87th anniversary of the American Independence, the Confederate army waited for a counter-attack that never came. Around noon, it began to rain and washed away the blood. During the night, Lee retreated for Virginia. Some Union soldiers blocked Lee’s escape by destroying a bridge at the Potomac River, preventing his army from getting back to Virginia. Meade had decided not to attack Lee, but slowly pursued him. Although Meade had lost a fourth of its army to casualties, he was provided with reinforcements, boosting his army strength up to 85,000. Lee had lost a third of his army to casualties, and his army strength was further reduced by stragglers and deserters, leaving him with 35,000 men. On July 13-14, Lee’s men had rebuilt the bridge and crossed the Potomac River and went back onto Confederate soil.
After the battle, Meade had written that "We have driven the enemy from our soil." Lincoln was furious that the remnants of Lee's army hadn't been captured or destroyed. His reaction was "When will these generals understand that this entire country is all our soil."
Some haunting Gettysburg What Ifs ...
What if ... Robert E. Lee had accepted command of all Union forces at the start of the Civil War. Would Gettysburg (and Antietem, Shiloh, Fredericksburg or other horrific battles have never been fought) or, better yet, would the Civil War have been over in six months or, at most, a year? Probably so.
What if ... J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry had arrived at Gettysburg on or before July 1st to give Lee a detailed description of the Gettysburg terrain, intercept Buford's cavalrymen as well as advise Lee of Meade's army movements. Would that had made a difference? Probably.
What if ... A.P. Hill's Corps (and subsequently Henry Heth's entire division) had obeyed Lee's order to avoid a general engagement until his entire army was concentrated? Would that have made a difference? Maybe so.
What if ... On July 1st, as Federal positions collapsed both north and west of town, Major General Oliver Howard ordered a retreat to the high ground south of town at Cemetery Hill. Lee understood the defensive potential to the Union if they held this high ground. He sent orders to Lieutenant General Richard Ewell that Cemetery Hill be taken "if practicable." Ewell did not deem it "practicable" and chose not to attempt the assault. This decision is considered by many to be a great missed chance. But what if Lieutenant General Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson had not been killed at the Battle of Chancellorsville that previous May and Lee had given him the order instead of to Ewell? Would Jackson have seen the opening, grasped Lee's meaning and seized the opportunity? Would the Battle of Gettysburg have had a different outcome? Definitely so.
What if ... George Meade had not replaced Joseph Hooker as commander of the Army of the Potomac, Would Hooker have beaten Lee at Gettysburg? Probably not (after all, Lee had just defeated Hooker at the Battle of Chancellorsville).
What if ... The bullet that struck Chamberlain on Little Round Top severely incapacitated or even killed him? Would the remnants of the 20th Maine, as well as the 83rd Pennsylvania, the 44th New York and the 16th Michigan regiments been able to hold the Union left flank and prevent the rebels from sweeping across and thus perhaps destroying the entire Federal army? Maybe, maybe not.
What if ... just a single additional Confederate regiment had joined the assault with Colonel William Oates' 15th Alabama, could the attack on Little Round Top on July 2nd have succeeded in sweeping all Federal troops off Little Round Top, thus turning the union's left flank, and threatening the entire Army of the Potomac? Maybe, maybe not (after all, Oates' Confederates would have been exhausted after its attacks on the 20th Maine and still would have had to face the 83rd Pennsylvania, the 44th New York and the 16th Michigan Regiments in defendable positions on Little Round Top).
What if ... George Meade had completely crushed Lee's army at Gettysburg, would the Civil War have concluded? Maybe, maybe not (after all, there were other Confederate armies in the field capable of fighting on).
What if ... Lee had won at Gettysburg. Would his Army of Northern Virginia (or another Southern army) have marched on Washington D.C., captured the city (and perhaps Abraham Lincoln, as well), forcing the Federal Government to abdicate (or at least sue for peace)? And would Union army commanders have carried on the war in spite of these disasterous events? Maybe, maybe not.
Hey Norm! Today's GettysburgTrivia Quiz:
Question 1: Who led the first Confederate Corps to reach the battlefield, led by Heth's Division?
(a) A. P. (Ambrose Powell) Hill
(b) Richard Ewell
(c) James Longstreet
(d) George Pickett
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 1:
*A. P. Hill (affectionately known as 'Little Powell' to his soldiers), commander of the Third Corps of Lee's army.*
Question 2: What Union Commander of the First Corps was killed on the first day?
(a) John Buford
(b) George Meade
(c) John Reynolds
(d) John Sedgwick
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Answer to Question 2:
*John Reynolds, who was offered command of the Army of the Potomac before the battle.*
Question 3: Who commanded the Brigade that held Little Round Top for the Union on the second day?
(a) Strong Vincent
(b) William Oates
(c) Joshua Chamberlain
(d) Henry Slocum
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Answer to Question 3:
*Brigadier General Strong Vincent. However, Vincent was killed and replaced by James Rice of the 44th New York.*
Question 4: Who was in charge of the Confederate cannonade before Pickett's Charge?
(a) W. Poague
(b) J. Pelham
(c) E. Porter Alexander
(d) H.J. Hunt
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 4:
*Brigadier General E. Porter Alexander*
Question 5: What Confederate Brigade commander led his men over the stone wall and was killed during Pickett's Charge?
(a) Cadmus Wilcox
(b) Lewis Armistead
(c) Jubal Early
(d) James Kemper
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 5:
*Brigadier General Lewis Armistead. He waived his hat on his sword yelling 'give them the cold steel boys!'*
Trivia Quiz by FunQuiz
What if ... a Southern Confederate Nation actually became a reality?
Palmeto Ranch, Texas:
Bentonville, North Carolina:
West Virginia was admitted to the Union as a separate state on June 20, 1863 (an anniversary now celebrated as West Virginia Day in the state). It is one of only two states formed during the American Civil War (along with Nevada) and is the only state to form by seceding from a Confederate state and one of two states to secede from another state (Kentucky also seceded from Virginia but before the Civil War). The mountain region of Tennessee (whose residents were mostly fiercely loyal to the Union) almost broke away from the rest of the state and was to be named East Tennessee as a separate state. However, because the Civil War ended and Tennessee rejoined the Union, this did not happen.
Female Spies of the Civil War:
Women were among some of the most forceful movers and shakers during the Civil War. Instead of simply staying at home waiting for their man to return from the war, many women became spys smuggling stuff beneath those huge hooped skirts that they wore. Even a man could crouch under those skirts and stay hidden from harm (although other sorts of 'harm' could occur, I reckon).
ClickHere andHere andHerefor more about female spies.
Quote of the Day: The economy is so bad, I saw a beggar who was so broke that he was standing on the corner shouting as the cars went by... 'WILL WORK FOR CARDBOARD AND A MAGIC MARKER!'
The Lady Godiva Riding Academy
Today's BOTD:
What Women Really Want?
Cheating Wife For Sale on Ebay:
The Perfect Woman?
Hmmmm:
Oh-Oh - Scientists' Prediction:
This is news?
Wear it Proudly:
Oooohhh ... Escargot:
Some Toons:
Hey, Norm! Bar Trivia from Cliff:
Penguins weren't officially recognized taxonomically as a bird until 1867. There was a strong and vocal minority that felt that they should be classified as a new genus of fish.
When the circulation department of the Library of Congress was computerized in 1988, it was discovered that 17 Presidents (including founding fathers John Adams and Thomas Jefferson) had each not returned one or more books. A bill to forgive their debts has been submitted to one or both houses of Congress four times in the intervening years, but it has never made it out of committee.
Despite Coca Cola's commercial proclaiming that "sip stealing is not a felony in all 50 states," Thomas Gomes of San Diego, California was recently convicted of it for his third strike and thus received mandatory lifetime imprisonment.
The word "bicalendrous" has reportedly not appeared in print since the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in 1888 (it was dropped from later editions). The word was used to refer to a calendar or ledger that contained dates in both the Julian and Gregorian systems, but had rarely been used since most of the English-speaking world switched in 1752.
Albert Einstein slept ten hours every night.
Only 30% of us can flare our nostrils.
Today is: Today is Please Take My Children to Work Day, sponsored by MommaSaid.net.
NOW Day, marking the founding of the National Organization for Women on this date in 1966.
1859: French acrobat Blondin (real name: Jean Francois Gravelet) crossed Niagara Falls on a tightrope as 5,000 spectators watched.
1926: McGraw Electric Company of Minneapolis sold the world's first pop-up toasters.
1934: The NFL Portsmouth Spartans became the Detroit Lions.
1953: The first Chevrolet Corvette rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan. It was the first laminated plastic car. Sticker price: $3,250.
1974: Steven Spielberg filmed the famous July 4th scene for his movie, Jaws. A crowd of 400 screaming extras in bathing suits ran from the water — again and again and again.
1975: Cher married Gregg Allman. The marriage lasted nine days.
1985: Continental Baking executive James A. Dewar died at age 88. In the early 1930s, he invented Twinkies.
1985: Actor Yul Brynner ended his reign as the King of Siam in "The King and I" after playing the role on and off for 34 years in over 4,500 performances. He won two Tonys and an Oscar.
1986: Calling his Playboy Bunny a symbol of the past, Hugh Hefner closed Playboy clubs in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
1992: Newspapers reported singer Tom Jones' new television series was rated lower than British TV's hymnfest "Songs of Praise."
1994: Twelve miles of highway in Waverly, Tennessee, became Loretta Lynn Parkway.
1994: The U.S. Figure Skating Association stripped Tonya Harding of her 1994 national title and banned her for life for the attack on competitor Nancy Kerrigan.
1995: The movie "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" opened throughout the U.S.
2002: Brazil won its 5th World Cup soccer championship with a 2-0 victory over Germany.
2005: A Solomon Islands man who had lived as a hermit in a jungle cave for 40 years returned home when his fire went out. After relatives welcomed him home, 80-year-old Philip Uduota decided to stay.
boxer Mike Tyson is 42 Dire Straits’ Hal Lindes 55 singer Fantasia ("American Idol") 24 actor Brian Bloom 35 actor Rupert Graves 45 actor Vincent D'Onofrio 49 actress Monica Potter 37 baseball's Tony Fernandez 46 basketball's Mitch Richmond 43
Hey Norm! Today's Trivia Quiz:
Question 1: The founders of Portland, Oregon, chose the name by flipping a coin. If the coin had come up on the other side, Portland would be named:
(a) Providence
(b) Boston
(c) Hartford
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 1:
*Boston*
Question 2: Actor Tom Cruise’s real name is:
(a) Tom Mapother
(b) Tom Mapotter
(c) Tom Cruise
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 2:
*Thomas Cruise Mapother IV*
Question 3: "Oklahoma" is a native-American word that means:
(a) land of tornados
(b) red man
(c) friend
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 3:
*It’s the Choctaw word for red man*
Question 4: To increase blood flow to the brain and release hormones that relieve stress, you should:
(a) blow your nose
(b) cough
(c) smile
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 4:
*Smile (The Walking Magazine)*
Question 5: The last U.S. state to dis-establish a state-sponsored church was:
(a) Massachusetts
(b) Connecticut
(c) Rhode Island
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
To take a quote from Shakespeare (Othello referring to the imminent murder of Desdemona) : [Neil Entwistle] put out the light, then put out the light.
A Double Murderer
Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! on all four counts
This next one ranks right up there with the Charles ("Chuck") Stuart murder of his pregnant wife Carol DiMaiti-Stuart on October 23rd 1989.
On Wednesday, 29-year-old English-born Neil Entwistle, an unemployed computer engineer, was convicted of murdering his American wife Rachael and their infant daughter Lillian on January 20th, 2006 in their rented Hopkinton Massachusetts home. The verdict rendered, Entwistle was carted off to jail to await sentencing.
The case was highly circumstantial since there were no eye witnesses to the crime and the accused did not make a confession. But there was enough circumstantal evidence to tie Entwistle to the deaths.
The Facts of the Case:
On January 21st, the day after the murder is alleged to have been committed, police officers attended the Entwistle's home at 8:27 pm following up a call by Rachel Entwistle's mother and a friend. The police however failed to find the bodies of Rachel and Lillian after making only a cursory check. A second search the following evening revealed the bodies which had previously been obscured by bedding.
Police subsequently discovered that just hours after the deaths of his wife and daughter, Entwistle returned the .22 handgun he had taken from his father-in-law’s home in Carver, Massachusetts and then on the morning of January 21st purchased a one-way ticket to London, boarded a British Airways flight at 8:15 am and left Boston for England.
Police subsequently named Entwistle as a person of interest in the investigation before later issuing an international arrest warrant. On January 23rd, Hopkinton Police located Entwistle at his parents' home in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England. After he was traced to London, on February 9th 2006, Entwistle was arrested on a Tube train at Royal Oak station, following detailed searches by officers at his parents' house. He initially requested that he not be sent back to the United States. However he later conceded to extradition.
Entwistle told police that when he left his Hopkinton home at around 9:00 am on January 20th 2006 to run an errand, his wife and daughter were both alive and well and in the bed in the couple's master bedroom. When he returned home around 11 am that day, he said he found the bodies of 27-year-old Rachel and 9-month-old Lillian shot dead in the bedroom. He said he then covered the bodies of his wife and infant daughter with a blanket. He did not alert authorities.
Upon seeing the corpses, Entwistle said he was so distraught, he decided to end his life with a knife. Unable to do so, he drove the family car to his father-in-law Joseph Materazzo's house to get a .22 caliber handgun in order to kill himself.
Entwistle's speedy departure from the scene of the deaths of his family wouldn't be the only reason authorities questioned his version of the events. Entwistle's DNA was found on the handle of the same .22 handgun owned by his father-in-law that he told authorities he'd never touched. Additionally, DNA matching his slain wife Rachel was found on the gun's muzzle. Also, a set of keys to Materazzo's house were found in the car Entwistle left at Boston's Logan Airport.
A search of Entwistle's computer also revealed that days before the slayings, Entwistle looked at a website that described "how to kill people" and searched for escort services. Contrary to outward appearances, Entwistle had been unemployed since September 2005 and was essentially penniless at the time of the killings. Authorities suspected a financial motivation for the killings.
In his closing arguement, Entwistle's court appointed defense attorney stated that Rachel Entwistle had been suffering from post-partum depression (PPD) and insinuated that this was the reason why she killed her daughter then herself. This theory of the crime did not sit well with the jury, I think. Besides, there was no suicide note from Rachel found at the scene. And by all accounts she was a very caring and loving mother.
It's been theorized that perhaps Entwistle planned a murder-suicide but that, in the end, after killing his wife and daughter, Entwistle could not bring himself to take his own life.
The Verdict:
After 11 hours of deliberations, a jury of 6 men and 6 women found Entwistle guilty in the first degree murder of his wife Rachel and daughter Lillian. He was also found guilty of illegal possession of a handgun and ammunition.
The Sentence:
At 10:10 am, on Thursday, June 26th 2008, just one day after the verdict was rendered, Entwistle was sentenced. After the sentences were pronounced, Entwistle declined to make a statement.
Counts 1 and 2: Life sentences for the murder of Rachael and Lillian Entwistle, with no possibility of parole.
Count 3: Illegal posession of a handgun - 10 years probation to run concurrent with sentences 1 and 2.
Count 4: Illegal posession of handgun ammunition - 10 years probation to run concurrent with sentences 1,2 and 3.
In addition, Entwistle will receive no profit or benefit from selling the rights to the crime to any media outlet (After all, when he was apprehended, Entwistle had crumbled papers in his pocket which read that he had a great story to tell and would sell it to the highest bidder. Judge Diane Kottmyer took this into consideration when making her ruling).
All sentences are to run concurrently.
He was immediately remanded to (Massachusetts Correctional Institution) MCI - Cedar Junction state prison in Walpole, Massachusetts, where he will serve out the remainder of his natural life behind bars.
MCI - Cedar Junction is a maximum security prison for males in Massachusetts. The name of the prison, originally known as MCI - Walpole, was changed in the mid-1980s.
The Massachusetts Department of Corrections plan to keep Entwistle isolated from the general prison population for fear that he may be killed for the murder of his daughter Lillian. However, I have a feeling that no matter how much prison protection he's afforded, somewhere, somehow, some prison inmate will get to him and do him serious harm, which possibly could be fatal.
So now the lengthy automatic appeals process will begin. Keep in mind that nationwide, only a mere 5% of first degree murder convictions are overturned on appeal.
I suppose that Entwistle's attorney's could try several different appellate strategies. Some of the arguements defense counsel might make are:
1. their motion for a trial change of venue was denied by the judge (although appellate courts rarely view denial of a change of venue motion as a compelling reason to overturn a jury conviction);
2. there were irregularities in voir dire (the preliminary examination to determine the competency of a juror);
3. improper rulings by the judge during the trial;
4. improper/erroneous/incomplete instructions from the judge to the jury prior to their deliberations;
5. improper introduction of some evidence;
6. extensive local and national pre-trial publicity poisoned any chance at a fair jury pool;
7. the two times the police entered the Entwistle home they had no valid search warrant to do so;
8. reasonable doubt existed, since gunshot residue was found on Rachael Entwistle's hands;
9. ineffective defense counsel. After all, the defense called no witnesses on Entwistle's behalf (including no expert testimony witnesses that might have provided insight into Rachael Entwistle's state of mind). Even the defendant Entwistle didn't take the stand, even though he had every right not to do so.
There is also a slim outside chance that a Governor of Massachusetts may commute Entwistle's sentence and/or grant him a pardon at some future date, although that is highly unlikely.
Despite Entwistle's parents' protestations to the contrary, I believe that Entwistle received a fair trial and the accused, even though foreign born, was afforded every right under the American rule of law.
Yowza, this is the first day in the last two weeks that we're not gonna get violent late afternoon thunder showers.
Which is good 'cause The Lovely D don't like thunder and lightning.
Quote of the Day: Did you hear about the new deodorant for men called - Umpire? It's for foul balls
Fun on the Computer
Today's BOTD:
Speaking of computer fun ...
A computer geek's t-shirt:
The Late, Great George Carlin:
Say What?
Here ya go, girls:
Batman's got a new job:
Some Toons:
Political Item:
Hey, Norm! Bar Trivia from Cliff:
Today is: National Fried Okra Day.
Sense of Humor in Bed Appreciation Day.
Little Bighorn Day. The Sioux army, led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, wiped out Lt. Col. George Custer’s U.S. forces on this date in 1876 at the Little Bighorn River in Montana. (See Little Bighorn Stuff)
Log Cabin Day.
Independence Day in Mozambique, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bhutan.
1730: King August II fed some 30,000 people at a military feast in Radewitz, Poland. It was history's largest banquet.
1785: George Washington retired from hunting and gave away all of his dogs.
1935: United Press reported persistent rumors that Ford was building a 4-cylinder diesel automobile to compete for auto sales in Japan. The new secret car would fly at 70 miles an hour and sell for $300.
1949: Billboard magazine renamed its "Hillbilly Music Chart" as "Country & Western."
1962: Italian screen star Sophia Loren and film producer Carlo Ponti were charged with bigamy in Rome because Ponti's Mexican divorce from his first wife was not recognized by Italy.
1969: Guitarist Mick Taylor first appeared with The Rolling Stones at the Coliseum in Rome, replacing Brian Jones. Jones was found dead a week later.
1983: Denzel Washington married Paulette Pearson.
1990: Phoenix recorded an official high temperature of 120 degrees. The next day it would reach 122.
1991: Francis Johnson’s world record 8.7-ton ball of twine, which he had been building since 1950, was moved to a prominent place in downtown Darwin, Minnesota, where more people could see it.
1993: Kim Campbell was sworn in as Canada's 19th prime minister and the first woman to hold the post.
1999: The San Antonio Spurs won their first NBA title by defeating the New York Knicks, 78-77, in game five of their championship series.
2002: A five-year-old Sicilian boy tore up $1,525 in cash, his father's monthly salary, the day after his grandfather told him money was trash and couldn't buy happiness.
2005: Tehran Mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner of Iran's presidential runoff election.
2006: Warren Buffett committed $30 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
singer George Michael is 45 comic Jimmy Walker 61 singer Carly Simon 63 musician Ian McDonald 62 rapper Candyman 40 TV’s Phyllis George 59 actress Linda Cardellini 33 basketball's Dikembe Mutombo 42 basketball's Willis Reed 66 baseball's Carlos Delgado 36
Hey Norm! Today's Trivia Quiz:
Question 1: At the Little Bighorn, Custer’s cavalry numbered 225 soldiers. The Sioux warriors numbered:
(a) 500
(b) 1,500
(c) 2,500
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 1:
*2,500. The Sioux lost 40; all 225 cavalrymen were killed.*
Question 2: At his heaviest, U.S. President James Madison weighed:
(a) 198 pounds
(b) 298 pounds
(c) 398 pounds
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 2:
*98 pounds*
Question 3: More parents of U.S. teenagers set rules about:
(a) what kind of movies the teens see
(b) what time they have to come home at night
(c) the amount of TV they watch
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 3:
*87% set rules about what time teens have to come home at night; 45% about what kind of movies they watch; 30% the amount of TV they watch; 24% the amount of time they spend on the computer; and 21% with whom they can be friends (survey reported in The New York Times).*
Question 4: Albertan Michael J. Fox was born in:
(a) Jasper
(b) Calgary
(c) Edmonton
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 4:
*Michael J. Fox was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on June 9, 1961.*
Question 5: Practice sessions for soccer players ages 5 to 7 should not exceed:
(a) 30 minutes
(b) one hour
(c) 2 hours
For the answer click, hold and drag your mouse from star to star (below)
Answer to Question 5:
*No longer than one hour, and sessions should include a variety of drills, activities, and games (Youth Soccer Drills by Jim Garland).*
Trivia by Joe Hickman
Joke of the Day:
Having had one drink too many, a bar drinker began to get rude
with an unescorted female who had come into the bar.
He whispered to her, "Hey! How about it babe? You and me?"
As she began to move away to another part of the bar, he shouted loudly and insultingly,
"Honey, you sure look like a hooker who could use some money, but I don't have two dollars."
She looked back, smiled and replied just as loudly,
Quote of the Day: I wrote a check for some new golf clubs the other day and the bank returned it. Which is good, because now I can use it to buy that stereo I've had my eye on.
and 
colonial girls.
1776 - Boston's Dorchester Heights:
Paul Revere's Other Ride.
Women of the Revolution:
Revolutionary War Female Spies:
Hey Norm! Today's Revolutionary War Trivia Quiz:
Revolutionary Joke of the Day:
On December 26th 1776, George Washington prepared to surprise attack 1,200 German Hessian mercenary troops garrisoned in 
Later on, Crouton 
Union Major General John Buford:
Confederate Major General Henry Heth:
Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:
Hey Norm! Today's GettysburgTrivia Quiz:
What if ... a Southern Confederate Nation actually became a reality?
Palmeto Ranch, Texas:
Bentonville, North Carolina:
Later on, Crouton 
The Lady Godiva Riding Academy
What Women Really Want?
The Perfect Woman?
Oh-Oh - Scientists' Prediction:
This is news?
Oooohhh ... Escargot:
Some Toons:
Pole Dancing Hits China:
Tattoo Truths:
Final Joke of the Day:
On Wednesday, 29-year-old English-born Neil Entwistle, an unemployed computer engineer, was convicted of murdering his American wife Rachael and their infant daughter Lillian on January 20th, 2006 in their rented Hopkinton Massachusetts home. The verdict rendered, Entwistle was carted off to jail to await sentencing. 
Entwistle told police that when he left his Hopkinton home at around 9:00 am on January 20th 2006 to run an errand, his wife and daughter were both alive and well and in the bed in the couple's master bedroom. When he returned home around 11 am that day, he said he found the bodies of 27-year-old Rachel and 9-month-old Lillian shot dead in the bedroom. He said he then covered the bodies of his wife and infant daughter with a blanket. He did not alert authorities.
Despite Entwistle's parents' protestations to the contrary, I believe that Entwistle received a fair trial and the accused, even though foreign born, was afforded every right under the American rule of law.
Fun on the Computer
A computer geek's t-shirt:
Say What?
Here ya go, girls:
Batman's got a new job:
My Kinda Maid Service.
Redneck Items:
New from Fisher Price:
Them Wacky, Wacky Canadians: