Thursday, May 25, 2006

15th Indiana letters, photos, anything related to this famed Civil War regiment sought

If you or anyone you know has anything related to the 15th Indiana Regiment, an American Civil War unit, please let me know. Some friends and I are writing a history of the regiment. Therefore, we'd certainly like to see anything anyone has.
The 15th's is a fascinating, terrible story. It fought two major battles, the Battle of Stone River on the last day of 1862 and the first couple of days of 1863 and then the Battle of Missionary Ridge. In each battle, it lost half its soldiers, killed or wounded. Oh, how terrible. After the last battle there were so few soldiers left that those who were were put in the 17th Indiana Regiment for the remainder of the war.
My friends and I have found some awfully good stories related to the regiment: like the horror one soldier remembers of seeing and burying thousands of soldiers killed at the Battle of Shiloh. Oh, if everyone who decided to wage war could read his description first--there were be far, far fewer wars.
Then there is the story of the 15th's Chaplain Whitehead who ministered to the wounded left behind when the regiment retreated from the advancing Rebel forces. The Chaplain told his commander he could not leave those men on the filed. So, under fire, he went to several of his own men and then even some wounded Rebel soldiers to comfort them in their last moments on this earth.
Good stories all, as good history is all good stories.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Berlin Diary...resonates today!

"Berlin Diary" by William L. Shirer is one of the most exciting books you can ever read. It is about Shirer's years as a reporter in Nazi Germany as Adolph Hitler came to power. His diary then continues on through the German army's march into Paris and the French surrender. All this, of course, led up to World War II.
Read his diary and you will be amazed--as he was--at the things Hitler said and did and that the German people believed--and then allowed him to do. What they allowed him to do led to the almost total destruction of their country.
"Berlin Diary" resonates with the events of today because the blatant lies and incredible propoganda that Hitler and his cronies put forth to justify the incredibly horrible things they did to the World are similar to what you have heard from other dictators. The President of Iran is doing exactly the same today.
What happened in Germany when Hitler did that, by the way, is that he turned all the resources of the country to building for war. So, life for every day workers became grim, very grim with coal to heat homes hard to find, food harder and everything else you can think of almost impossible to find. Why? Because all of it went into the German war machine.
I suspect the Iranian president is doing something like that. He is distracting his country men and women from the real problems with their lives by screeching these horrible things about Israel, the US etc. He is saying those things as a "cover" for what he is really doing--trying his best to make a nuclear bomb. Once he gets the bomb Iran probably will use it. That probably will not lead to a world war--but it will lead to some great pain and heart ache for millions of people--as it did for the Germans who supported Hitler.
Anyway, find a copy of "Berlin Diary." It is an great book, and Shirer was an incredible reporter. And, what you read will have to remind you of so much that you hear today in Iran and used to hear in Iraq.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Daily headlines: Bomb kills ___ Iraqis! Fill in the number!

I keep wondering when Iraq will run out of things to make bombs from. It seems as many as go off every day that there should one day be an end to them.
That also makes me wonder: when will the world run out of suicide bombers? I mean there has to be an end to those people who believe they will go to wherever if they kill a whole bunch of people they don't even know? Or is there?
Probably not.
The rest of the world gets revolted by these people and the things that they do. When will those people get revolted by the things they do?
When will these people stop saying "God is great" and kill a whole bunch of people? Can it be a great god that approves so much pain and hurt?
Sad world.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Stopping Illegals from Mexico?

If the US paid the illegals who try to come into the US the money spent trying to keep them out--Border Patrol, fences, US military now, other who knows how many agencies--it'd probably save everyone money!
How? Buy more Mexican exports/products to create more jobs. Encourage more investment by US firms.
Obviously, this solution would be complex--but it would have to work better than the present one!

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Forget the booze!

I just saw another story about an American politician in trouble over drinking alcohol. My answer to that: don't drink. Don't drink at all. It's easier to do than you might think.
I used to drink and a lot, at night, sometimes really getting drunk.
Then one night I got stopped by a cop for driving crazy. I had been drinking. I passed the breath test, but he still charged me with driving under the influence.
I won the case, but at a cost of $2,200, and that probably was just barely that I won the case.
That was 22 months ago, and I've not had a drink since. Futher, I haven't missed it, not even a little bit.
I don't expect to ever do it again, and I've been to places since where I thought I would be tempted. Yet, I've not felt the least bit tempted. Why? I realize there is no good in it.
So, don't drink. That's don't drink PERIOD.
That is best.