Potomac River of 1634

In early spring of 1634, when Father Andrew WHITE and the English colonists on the Ark and Dove sailed into the Potomac River, they were enthralled with the beauty of the “great stream” and its wooded shores. They named it Saint Gregory, in honor of the canonized Pope of that name. "Never have I beheld a larger or more beautiful river," wrote Father WHITE. "The Thames seems a mere rivulet in comparison with it; it is not disfigured by any swamps, but has firm land on each side. Fine groves of trees appear, not choked with briers or bushes or undergrowth, but growing at intervals as if planted by the hand of man, so that you can drive a four-horse carriage, wherever you choose, through the midst of the trees. Just at the mouth of the river we saw the natives in arms. That night fires blazed throughout the whole country, and since they had never seen so large a ship, messengers were sent in all directions, who reported that a canoe, like an island, had come with as many men as there were trees in the woods."

The image, Potomac River, was originally uploaded to the Internet by Edna Barney. It was posted here by Neddy of .

Red Poppies In Memory

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.

In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem, cited above. She then conceived of wearing red poppies on Memorial day to honor those who died serving the nation during war. She sold poppies as a fundraiser to benefit needy veterans. When Madam Guerin, a visitor to the United States from France, learned of this new custom she began making artificial red poppies to raise money for French war orphans and widows. The Red Poppy tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922, the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell Red Poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948, the US Post Office honored Moina Michael for founding the National Poppy movement with a three cent postage stamp with her likeness upon it.

The image, Poppy at Lion House, was originally uploaded by Edna Barney. It is posted here from Barneykin's account.

Understanding Baltimore Speak

Hiya Hons! Here's how to understand and talk BAWLAMERESE.

• Bawlamer : American city north of Warsherton.
• Amlance : Will take you to the horsepital.
• Arn : Will press your pants.
• Baffroom : Where the terlet is.
• Blair Road : spelled "Belair Road."
• Cammer : What you take pixtures wiff.
• Chimbley : It's on top of the ruff.
• Downer Shore : Chesapeake Bay.
• Earl : an engine lubricant or Earl's name.
• Farplace : Fireplace.
• Formstone : A cement, stone-shaped rowhouse application.
• Iggles : Eagles.
• Orster : where you get perls.
• Po-lice : They lock you up at the Station House.
• Sem-lem : Any convenience store, such as 7-11.
• Stoop : Marble steps in front of a Baltimore Row Home.
• Tars : What your car rides on.
• Par a Plars : Tool for removing nuts and bolts.
• Youse All : All of you.
• Zink - where you wash dirty dishes.

Baltimore, My Baltimore -- My Hometown.

How The Scots Invented New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve madness is a modern-made celebration. Before the Scots popularized midnight debauchery, the New Year was soberly celebrated on the first morning of the year with respect and reflection. Then, someone went and invented public clocks, great clanking iron engines with enormous hanging bells to inform mankind of the precise passing of time. When clocks arrived in Scotland, the Scots promptly went into “party mode,” combining two peculiar Scottish customs, Hogmanay and First Footing. By the 1680s, New Year’s Eve was born. A century later Scotland’s beloved Rabbie Burns wrote "Auld Lang Syne," setting it to a raucous Scottish dance tune.The Scots contributed a wee bit of Scotch whiskey and soon all of civilization ended the dignified moderation and temporal respect they had formerly displayed when ushering in the New Year. The rest is history, or so say those who claim that the Scots invented Everything.

The Case Against the New Year from the Wall Street Journal

A Soldier's Lament

"NO PATRIOTISM"


This is one example of graffiti that occupying Union soldiers left upon the walls of Blenheim in Fairfax, Virginia during the War Between the States. This photograph is from the attic, however when wallpaper was recently removed from the main floors of the old Greek Revival farmhouse, graffiti was discovered everywhere. This "Soldier's Lament" records:

4th Month

No money

No whiskey

No Friends

No Rations

No Peas

No Beans

No Pants

No Patriotism (underlined)

"Blenheim," located at 3610 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax, Virginia, is a brick home built by REZEN WILLCOXON about 1858, to replace an earlier frame dwelling. This 12-acre former farm, includes a cemetery for several generations of the Willcoxon family who lived here. Blenheim is renown for its outstanding examples of Civil War soldier graffiti. It is currently being restored. The day we were there, a recent tropical storm had left many downed trees, but no damage to the structures.

The image, Soldier Graffiti, was originally uploaded by Edna Barney. It is posted here from Barneykin's account.

Visit Neddy's Archives for more of Edna's writings.

Happy Bjarne Day

Bjarne, America’s Discoverer 986AD

Most people have no idea that the first European to discover America was a Barney. They think it was Leif Erikson or Christopher Columbus. When Leif found the coast of America he was following Bjarne’s discoveries. Bjarne, a Norwegian Viking, found what is now New England in 986 AD. He went back to Greenland where his family was living and told his father, Harold, what he had seen. Harold was a member of Erik the Red’s sailing team. Erik the Red then ordered his son, Leif, to go and find the lands that Bjarne had described. The rest is history, and Christopher Columbus ended up getting the credit, as he had a great publicist. Leif came in second place, and Bjarne was forgotten.

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Military Culture

A country can never know exactly when it may need to call upon its warriors to take on the enemy; to fight to the death if necessary in order to protect its citizens' lives and property. For this reason, it has always been necessary for countries to have a strong and well-defined military culture that is built upon ancient traditions and respect for national history. Governments and civilians who allow their military institutions to dissipate into an unhealthy state, will bring devastating effects upon their nation's security if not corrected. No country, even one as wealthy as the United States, has ever been able to financially reward soldiers fairly for the risks they take and the deeds they do. Therefore a people must rely upon the ancient military culture to give the soldier the rewards necessary to have him go into battle and to fight valiantly for his homeland.

If one were to ask military people what they like about their careers, most would answer that they enjoy the opportunities to lead, to work and train with other soldiers, the military camaraderie and the opportunities to be patriotic. Military people enjoy the "esprit de corps" that comes from working on a team, the sense of accomplishment for jobs well done and the pride and prestige that comes from just being soldiers, representing their beloved homeland. These opportunities can only be found in the military lifestyle. No other job offers them. Seldom does a soldier mention pay or benefits, and every military person understands that his pay is in no way comparable to what his job would gain in the civilian sector.

What exactly is a healthy military culture? The military is a world of the young and always will be. There is no generation gap, but instead a hierarchy among the various ranks from low to high, which the military finds comforting. Each soldier knows exactly where he fits in the grand scheme and he call tell another soldier's place by the uniform, rank and medals worn. There is a "warrior spirit" interwoven into the framework of military culture, which is built upon basic moral and institutional values held in common between the warriors. Additionally, the military is rich with old fashioned traditions that have been bequeathed from soldier to soldier, as civilians hand down unseen treasures from father to son. Rather than having an occupation, a soldier feels part of an institution that is far greater than himself.

The military is expected by its commander in chief and the taxpayers who fund it to maintain a high code of ethics. In order to fight and win in battle, each soldier understands that discipline is demanded at every level of his job. Because military culture is almost always more conservative than that of the civilian sector, it can hurt morale to change codes of behavior which were in effect when the soldiers joined up. Although a civilian employee can walk off the job when he dislikes new rules imposed by his employer, a military person is subject to imprisonment for doing the same. Although a soldier fights to uphold freedom, he in fact has been required to give up some of his own freedoms in order to serve as a soldier. Ofttimes, this causes a lack of understanding from civilians as to why a soldier does or does not do certain things.

In the United States of today, with its entirely volunteer fighting force, it seems that, more than ever, the military culture should be upheld and respected. In fact, even a bit of emulation could be of great benefit. Those who belittle it, or try to merge it into the more modern civilian culture, or attempt to destroy it in various way, are actually harming all of us, not just the military.

Put ICE in Your Cell Phone

The 7/7 London bombings highlighted the "National "ICE" Awareness Campaign campaign that had been launched in the U.K. in April of 2005. The idea had originated with the East Anglian Ambulance service in 2004, when it suggested that people store the word "I C E " in the memory (address book) of their mobile phones, and against it enter the name, telephone number and other details of the person to be contacted "In Case of Emergency".

If the unforeseen should befall, ambulance and hospital staff will be able to quickly contact one's next of kin.It is so simple that everyone should do it. SO DO! Please do. It could save your life, and even more lives if you convince your friends and family to do the same. For more than one contact name, enter ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 and so on. The Washington Post reported on this:

The idea was conceived by Bob Brotchie, a clinical team leader for the ambulance service, after years of trying to reach relatives of people he was treating. He began the ICE initiative in April, but it gained momentum only after the bombings in London, when information about the plan spread by e-mail.

Paramedics, police and firefighters often waste valuable time trying to figure out which name in a cell phone to call when disaster strikes, according to current and retired members of the emergency services, who said they must look through wallets for clues, or scroll through cell address books and guess. Many people identify their spouse by name in their cell, making them indistinguishable from other entries.

Lt. Robert Stimpson, acting police chief of Madison, Conn. ... "I think it's a great idea. . . . It's so simple I can't believe that other people haven't thought of it before. Not only does it help emergency workers identify a responsible party when they come upon an unconscious person, it also helps identify the owners of lost cell phones,". (Washington Post)

This message about the 'ICE' Campaign has been sent around the world in e-mails, which for a change are mostly based on the truth. However, according to BBC News of 13 July 2005, there are "false" e-mail virus hoax warnings targeting the ICE Campaign. Some malicious person with time to waste is writing that "ICE" entered into a mobile phone makes it vulnerable to a virus attack or hidden charges. Virus Experts say these warnings are false and should be ignored.

Linked at basil's blog Lunch: 7/28/2005.

No Celts in Ancient Britain

The Isle of Albion was invaded throughout its history by Saxons, Romans, Vikings, and finally, the Normans, who conquered and ruled the land. In modern history the British welcomed Jewish and Protestant refugees from Europe. Yet, amazingly, the genetic makeup of today's white Britons is much the same as their prehistoric ancestors, a few thousand Ice Age hunters.

Author, archaeologist David Miles, believes that about 80 percent of the genetic characteristics of most white Britons have passed down from their progenitors of 12,000 years ago. The ancient hunter-gatherers arrived at what is now Britain immediately after the Ice Age. They were tribal nomads who followed herds of reindeer and wild horses northward to Britain. As the climate warmed and sea levels rose, the Isle of Albion became cut off and isolated from mainland Europe.

This same race of Ice Age hunter-gatherers settled also in the part of northwest Europe which is now the Netherlands, Germany, and France. Because of random genetic mutations, those populations are now different from the British population. Red hair, a mutation that probably occurred 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, is the most visible British genetic marker. It was noted when the Romans arrived 2,000 years ago. Today, studies show that there is more red hair in Scotland and Wales than anywhere else in the world.

One area of Miles' book is certainly destined to foment debate. Writing that there are no historical references to Celts in ancient Britain, he explains; "In the 18th and 19th centuries, as Ireland, Wales, and Scotland started to assert national identity, they began to talk about themselves as Celts", a group of tribes living in ancient Gaul, which is now France. Their language shared the same roots as those of the British tribes and that heritage was more palatable to those eschewing British customs and rule.

No Celts in ancient Britain? Now that is a new twist. David Miles did acknowledged that the techniques used to explore genetic ancestry are still in their infancy and that much more study will be need to more fully understand British origins. However, I found more at the BBC history site. "The Peoples of Britain" by Dr. Simon James explains:

"However, there is one thing that the Romans, modern archaeologists and the Iron Age islanders themselves would all agree on: they were not Celts. This was an invention of the 18th century; the name was not used earlier. The idea came from the discovery around 1700 that the non-English island tongues relate to that of the ancient continental Gauls, who really were called Celts. This ancient continental ethnic label was applied to the wider family of languages. But 'Celtic' was soon extended to describe insular monuments, art, culture and peoples, ancient and modern: island 'Celtic' identity was born, like Britishness, in the 18th century."

Coffee Anyone?

This post has been moved to "Neddy's Palaver".


Have you ever wondered about those fancy push button Italian coffee makers? Especially when the coffee is a bit too flavorful? Make your own free coffee in this self-service coffee maker.

Bon appétit.

1. CLICK ON THE LATTE to access the Expresso Machine
2. PUT THE COIN IN THE SLOT
3. CHOOSE YOUR DRINK
4. CLICK ON THE CUP WHEN IT IS READY
5. CLICK ON "APRI" (OPEN - very important, don't forget!) to open the machine and see the coffee being made.

It's Italian humor.

Blogger Blogs

Users of Blogger -- If you have trouble sending Trackbacks or perhaps even leaving comments at blogs outside of the Blogger network, then read this and you may understand. I wrote to Blogger a long time ago about the "fake" blogs that are being created on Blogger for just that purpose, to spam and to gum up the works of the search engines. Blogger wrote back to me and said that these fake blog creators have as much right to use the free Blogger system as do those writing "real" blogs. This is from Captain's Quarters, where Blogger bloggers can no longer leave Trackbacks.

Spammers Use Blogger

I have to temporarily block blogspot.com URLs because Blogger sites have begun spamming my trackbacks. Using a number of different sites, Blogger spam has flooded my site this morning. At first, I tried blocking the specific site URLs, but apparently Blogger has allowed a number of commercial sites to spam other bloggers. Until they fix their problem and block access to spammers, I have to keep the block on CQ. If your blog is part of the Blogger community, you may want to write Google (Blogger's owner) and tell them to clean up their act.

Here are some examples: http://pzwjynf.blogspot.com/
http://superstartanning.blogspot.com/

Some Give All, Some Give Some

What is the Purple Heart? The Purple Heart is an American military medal and is the world's oldest military decoration still in use. It was the first American medal to be awarded to the common soldier. Initially it was named the Badge of Military Merit and was created by one of the world’s most famed and best-loved heroes— General George Washington.

The PURPLE HEART is a combat decoration awarded to members of the armed forces of the United States who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy. When the wounds are mortal, the PURPLE HEART is posthumously given to the fallen soldier's next of kin in his name.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart

John S. McCain III (Veterans History Project), was a recipient of The Purple Heart. The Purple Heart medal on the chest of a young soldier reminds us that ...

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE
I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze
A young soldier saluted it, and then
He stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many Pilots' planes shot down?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No Freedom is not free
I heard the sound of taps one night,
When everything was still.
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That taps had meant "Amen"
When a flag had draped a coffin
of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No Freedom isn't free!
Author--Cadet Major Kelly Strong

Linked at Mudville Gazette's 'Open Post' and 'Beltway Traffic Jam' at Outside the Beltway.

First Battle of Manassas

The first major battle of the Civil War was fought, 21 July 1861, near the Manassas, Virginia railway junction, and became known as the First Battle of Manassas by the Confederates and the First Battle of Bull Run, by the Union. The armies in this first battle were not very large by later Civil War standards. The Federal forces of about 30,000 troops were commanded by Brigadier General Irvin McDowell. The Confederates had two armies, the Confederate Army of the Potomac under command of Brigadier General Pierre G. T. Beauregard, and the Army of the Shenandoah, commanded by Brigadier General Joseph E. Johnston.

When General Beauregare ordered his fresh troops to attack the right flank of the advancing Union army, the Yankees heard for probably the first time a sound that would bring instant chills throughout the remainder of the war. The 6,500 attacking Confederates let loose with a shrill, yelping fox hunter's call, which became known as the "Rebel Yell." It terrified the Yankee soldiers into a disorganized rout.

The heroes of the day were a brigade of Virginia soldiers commanded by Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson who refused to lose any ground. Because of their heroic obstinancy, Confederate Brig. Gen. Barnard Bee famously shouted the order: "Look! There is Jackson standing like a stone wall! Rally behind the Virginians!" The Confederates did and the battle resulted in a humiliating rout of Union forces and a disorderly retreat, bringing the battle to a halt. General Jackson became known as "Stonewall Jackson" and the brigade as the "Stonewall Brigade".

General Beauregard won the day by attacking the Federals and causing their disorganized retreat. The elite of Washington, D.C. had treated the war as a spectator sport and rode out to the battlefield to picnic. When the Union Army was driven back, the roads back to Washington were blocked by terrified civilians and their carriages. If the Confederates had chased the Yankees back to Washington, they could probably have won the war. However, they were too tired and inexperienced to conduct an effective pursuit, so the battle ended.

The Federals lost about 3,000 casualties (killed, wounded, and captured or missing), and the Confederates suffered about 2,000. These horrific casualty numbers for one day's battle stunned the nation. The Stone House, which served as an aid station, still stands today as it has since the 1840s, overlooking the Warrenton Turnpike.

Linked at Llama Butchers where there is more discussion.

Doubting Atheists

It is the worst of times for atheists. They have always been a small minority, but today God has become so popular, that they dare not express themselves. Some are even doubting their own beliefs. Read about it here: A Time of Doubt for Atheists. To me it just proves that humankind needs something to latch onto; something to believe. Believing that God does not exist is a form of religion, as the credo of atheism must be accepted on faith, as it cannot be proven that there is no Creator. Agnosticism seems to be a different philosophy, as it makes no claims one way or the other.

The Neanderthal Theory

Who would have ever known that Neanderthals were freckle-faced redheads? Does that mean the Vikings were descended from them? You know, Eric the Red, Leif, Bjarne and the gang of conquering Norse explorers?

The image is a modified reconstruction of Gibraltar Neanderthal child, from the web site: "The Neanderthal Theory of Autism, Asperger and ADHD".

Scientific Thoughts writes that Neanderthal was a species of the genus Homo (Homo Neanderthalensis) that inhabited Europe and parts of western Asia about 230,000 to 29,000 years ago. Their bodies were designed for cold, short and robust with large noses. Scientists are now isolating genetic fragments from fossils to map their DNA.

"How cool will it be, if we could reconstruct an extinct animal from the fragments of its fossilized genome? Such a project is currently being unveiled at the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, where U.S. and German scientists have launched a project to recreate the Neanderthal genome."

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"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: For the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." ~~Joshua 1:9

"Be not afraid. I go before you always. Come follow me, and I will give you rest." ~~prayer hymn

"But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid." ~~John 6:20

"lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid;" ~~Isaiah 40:9

Cat Lovers Gone Wild

In staid and colonial Mount Vernon, Virginia, just a mile from the home of George and Martha Washington, animal control officers removed 273 feline creatures -- 86 of them dead -- after neighbors complained vehemently of odors last Friday. As of the following Monday, cats were still being found in the house, hidden in the walls and in the brick fireplace chimney. "I don't know how they got in there," said a Fairfax County police officer. Curbside, the home appears as charming and well cared for as others in the neighborhood, but it smells much different. Think feline feces, feline urine and the decomposing corpses of dead cats. Authorities posted an orange condemnation order on the home and ordered the the cat lovers, 82-old Mrs. Kneuven, her husband and daughter to leave. However, after the police left, the elderly woman returned to her home and ripped down the condemnation order. Animal-control officers were alerted and found her trying to smuggle out an additional 30 cats, bringing the total by Monday night to 303 confiscated animals. Traps were set for any remaining beasts, therefore the number is expected to rise.

Strong Odors Expose Northern Virginia House's Secret: The neighborhood of Mrs. Knueven is an enclave of stately homes that back up to George Washington's Mount Vernon plantation. Neighbors say that the woman was obsessed with cats. She spent years taking in strays, which then multiplied inside her home and caused years of headaches for them. They say she tried to mask the odor by burning incense in her back yard. The attempts were unsucessful, but fortunately she did not cause any house fires.

Few have any emotion except disgust for the cat lovers gone wild. However there is more to the story. In 2001, Fairfax County authorities secretly removed more than 100 cats from the Knueven household, and allowed Mrs. Kneuven to keep five cats as pets. Fairfax County Animal Countrol obviously neglected to require neutering of the animals, as now, four years later they have multiplied to over 300. And there is no other way, short of the unmentionable, to separate a cat from his home, as the old folk song reminds us:

The Cats Came Back

Old Mrs. Kneuven had troubles of her own.
Had lots of cats that wouldn't leave her alone.
She tried and tried to give them all away,
She gave them to a man going far, far away.

But the cats came back, the very next day.
But the cats came back, She thought they were goners,
But the cats came back, they just couldn't stay away, away, away.

Linked at basil's blog Breakfast: 7/13/2005, Eschaton and Wizbang's and Carnival of the Trackbacks XX..