Tuesday, February 17, 2009

[1653 - Arcangelo Corelli, violinist,
composer, born in Fusignano, Italy]

[1801 - Thomas Jefferson is selected as President (House breaks electoral college tie)]

[1844 - Aaron Montgomery Ward, mail order tycoon, born in Chatham, New Jersey]

[1908 - Red (Walter) Barber, sportscaster,
born in Columbus, Mississippi]

[1914 - (John) Arthur Kennedy, actor,
born in Worcester, Massachusetts]

[1929 - Chaim (Herman Harold) Potok, rabbi,
philosopher, author, born in the Bronx]

[1934 - Sir Alan (Arthur) Bates, actor,
born in Allestree, Derby, England ]

[1979 - China invades Vietnam and is repulsed]

[1982 - Lee Strasberg, director, founder method school of drama, dies]

Death Rattles On

Saber rattling, military bullying, and war posturing are of questionable value under the best of circumstances; when one cannot walk the walk after talking the talk, they can be downright counterproductive. Threatening words directed at Iran, North Korea, Syria, and assorted other nations ring a bit hollow when one stops to notice that our army is stressed to the breaking point just trying to cope with the mess in Iraq and the worsening situation in Afghanistan. Having worn a reasonable facsimile of a saber on several formal occasions, william can report that when properly fitted in a scabbard a sword does not rattle at all. The ones carried by modern day military officers do not even have an edge. I cannot imagine a saber rattling, unless it was way too small for its scabbard or missing part of its blade.

William's Whimsical Words:

When it comes to your saber, size matters.

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