Fugit irreparabile
tempus
[Time passes
irrevocably]
- Virgil
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Monday, December 30, 2013
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Quote of the Day
I do not believe
in the creed professed by the Jewish Church, by the Roman Church, by the Greek
Church, by the Turkish Church, by the Protestant Church, nor by any Church that
I know of. My own mind is my own Church.
- Thomas Paine
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Quote of the Day
Nothing is wrong
with California that a rise in the ocean level wouldn't cure.
-Ross MacDonald
Friday, December 27, 2013
Quote of the Day
In California they
don't throw their garbage away - they make it into TV shows.
- Woody Allen
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Quote of the Day
It's a scientific fact that if you stay in California you lose one point
of your IQ every year.
- Truman Capote
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Quote of the Day
The day will come
when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being of His Father, in
the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of
Minerva in the brain of Jupiter.
- Thomas Jefferson
Monday, December 23, 2013
Quote of the Day
As long as the world shall last there will be wrongs, and if no man
objected and no man rebelled, those wrongs would last forever.
- Clarence Darrow
- Clarence Darrow
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Quote of the Day
Life in Lubbock,
Texas, taught me two things: One is that God loves you and you're going to burn
in hell. The other is that sex is the most awful, filthy thing on earth and you
should save it for someone you love.
- Butch Hancock
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Quote of the Day
Women and cats
will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.
- Robert A. Heinlein
Friday, December 20, 2013
Sam Houston Museum
My first story from this year's trip to the US is from the Sam Houston museum in Huntsville, Texas. I've posted earlier about the huge statue of him that stands right by the side of the interstate, and how interesting he was as a politician and statseman, but I can confirm that a deeper look makes the man even more colorful.
Houston is indeed one of the greatest statesmen America has ever fostered, and in addition he has that hint of lovable rogue about him that I like in a politician. He left school after just a few months and only worked on the family farm for a short time, before running off at age 16 to join the Cherokees. He stayed with them for around two years and was adopted by a chief and learned the language. He acquired the nickname "The Raven".
Later, he started a school for about half a year - something quite brazen, considering he could barely write and do maths himself. Around 20 he finally joined the army to fight against the British in the War of 1812. In a fit of maternal love his mother is reported to have said that she'd rather see all her sons placed in a grave than have one of them value his life above that of honor. The heart swells at the thought.
During the war he was injured, but made such an impression that he caught the eye of general, later president, Andrew Jackson. The two struck up a friendship that lasted through their lifetimes. Houston had a failed marriage that lasted only three months and then was accused of slander by a Congressman. Houston physically beat the politician (again an endearable trait) and the subsequent trial, in which he was found guilty, provided him with a national audience and ended in his popularity increasing.
Much followed, much, much more than I can reasonably fit in here. He was elected governor of Tennessee, but left office to live with the injuns again. This time he was given the nickname of "the big drunk" by them, on account of his alcohol consumption. In addition he was made a member of the Cherokee nation and also married a native woman.
Finally, Houston ended up in Texas. Here, he fell in love with the land and fought for independence from Mexico. He was elected president of the new, independent Republic, but always favored inclusion in the United States. When that goal was finally obtained some ten years later, he was elected Texas' first Senator, but was recalled when he voted against the Kansas-Nebraska act. Houston was also governor for a while, but was kicked out because he refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.
As a Senator, he bravely stood on principle on numerous occasions and claimed the role of a "national politician", rather than a sectional one, as was so common not just in the south in those days. Indeed, special interests like geography continue to play an oversized part in US (and Norwegian!) politics.
Finally, a little story about his views on slavery. While not a principled opponent of the abominable practice in any way, he treated his slaves much better than most. As with so many other farmers he would sometimes rent out his slaves for other labor when they were not required on the farm, but unlike others he let them keep the proceeds.
It seems that he struck up a genuine friendship with his main slave, Joshua, who he encouraged to learn to read and write (which was banned at the time) and who took his name - not an uncommon thing back then. After the Civil War, when Houston was dead and his wife and children were in economic need, a freed Joshua offered to give them his life savings of 2,000 dollars - quite a huge sum of money at the time. The widow turned down the money, but I find the gesture moving. I don't know about y'all, but I just don't think I would make that kind of offer to people I viewed as my oppressors.
In later years, Joshua became a respected member of the Huntsville community and actually served as an alderman during Reconstruction. American history has quite a few of these little stories, which is one reason why I loooove traveling around, visiting museums and learning about this stuff.
Sadly, I don't have a single photo from Huntsville, as my camera decided to die on me (for now at least), but you can read more about Sam Houston and view pictures and more stories about him on the museum's webpage.
Houston is indeed one of the greatest statesmen America has ever fostered, and in addition he has that hint of lovable rogue about him that I like in a politician. He left school after just a few months and only worked on the family farm for a short time, before running off at age 16 to join the Cherokees. He stayed with them for around two years and was adopted by a chief and learned the language. He acquired the nickname "The Raven".
Later, he started a school for about half a year - something quite brazen, considering he could barely write and do maths himself. Around 20 he finally joined the army to fight against the British in the War of 1812. In a fit of maternal love his mother is reported to have said that she'd rather see all her sons placed in a grave than have one of them value his life above that of honor. The heart swells at the thought.
During the war he was injured, but made such an impression that he caught the eye of general, later president, Andrew Jackson. The two struck up a friendship that lasted through their lifetimes. Houston had a failed marriage that lasted only three months and then was accused of slander by a Congressman. Houston physically beat the politician (again an endearable trait) and the subsequent trial, in which he was found guilty, provided him with a national audience and ended in his popularity increasing.
Much followed, much, much more than I can reasonably fit in here. He was elected governor of Tennessee, but left office to live with the injuns again. This time he was given the nickname of "the big drunk" by them, on account of his alcohol consumption. In addition he was made a member of the Cherokee nation and also married a native woman.
Finally, Houston ended up in Texas. Here, he fell in love with the land and fought for independence from Mexico. He was elected president of the new, independent Republic, but always favored inclusion in the United States. When that goal was finally obtained some ten years later, he was elected Texas' first Senator, but was recalled when he voted against the Kansas-Nebraska act. Houston was also governor for a while, but was kicked out because he refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.
As a Senator, he bravely stood on principle on numerous occasions and claimed the role of a "national politician", rather than a sectional one, as was so common not just in the south in those days. Indeed, special interests like geography continue to play an oversized part in US (and Norwegian!) politics.
Finally, a little story about his views on slavery. While not a principled opponent of the abominable practice in any way, he treated his slaves much better than most. As with so many other farmers he would sometimes rent out his slaves for other labor when they were not required on the farm, but unlike others he let them keep the proceeds.
It seems that he struck up a genuine friendship with his main slave, Joshua, who he encouraged to learn to read and write (which was banned at the time) and who took his name - not an uncommon thing back then. After the Civil War, when Houston was dead and his wife and children were in economic need, a freed Joshua offered to give them his life savings of 2,000 dollars - quite a huge sum of money at the time. The widow turned down the money, but I find the gesture moving. I don't know about y'all, but I just don't think I would make that kind of offer to people I viewed as my oppressors.
In later years, Joshua became a respected member of the Huntsville community and actually served as an alderman during Reconstruction. American history has quite a few of these little stories, which is one reason why I loooove traveling around, visiting museums and learning about this stuff.
Sadly, I don't have a single photo from Huntsville, as my camera decided to die on me (for now at least), but you can read more about Sam Houston and view pictures and more stories about him on the museum's webpage.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Quote of the Day
The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change
everything -- or nothing.
- Nancy Astor
- Nancy Astor
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Quote of the Day
Suburbia is where
the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them.
- Bill Vaughn
New plans for the holiday
Ok, developments, developments. I've just ascertained that my friends in San Diego are more flexible than we'd all previously assumed, so I'm changing my itinerary.
The Texas part remains unchanged. I land in Houston, do a tour of Huntsville - College Station - Dallas - Austin - San Antonio - Houston. I then go on a mad trek to San Diego by way of El Paso.
After two nights in San Diego, Albie and Court go with me to Flagstaff - Grand Canyon - St George - Zion - Bryce Canyon - St George - San Diego.
The last two days will be a mad dash from San Diego back to Houston again, by way of El Paso. I hit Houston sometime in the evening, do New Year's there and then fly back to Norway, an exhausted wreck who'll blanch at the thought of ever touching a steering wheel again.
The Texas part remains unchanged. I land in Houston, do a tour of Huntsville - College Station - Dallas - Austin - San Antonio - Houston. I then go on a mad trek to San Diego by way of El Paso.
After two nights in San Diego, Albie and Court go with me to Flagstaff - Grand Canyon - St George - Zion - Bryce Canyon - St George - San Diego.
The last two days will be a mad dash from San Diego back to Houston again, by way of El Paso. I hit Houston sometime in the evening, do New Year's there and then fly back to Norway, an exhausted wreck who'll blanch at the thought of ever touching a steering wheel again.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Monday, December 16, 2013
Quote of the Day
All are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusions is called a
philosopher.
- Ambrose Bierce
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Quote of the Day
The laws of God, the laws of Man
He may keep who will, and can;
Not I: let God and Man decree
Laws for themselves and not for me.
-A. E. Houseman
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Friday, December 13, 2013
Quote of the Day
A committee is a group of men who individually
can do nothing but as a group decide that nothing can be done.
- Fred Allen
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Quote of the Day
Books are good
enough in their own way, but they are a mighty bloodless substitute for life.
- Robert Louis Stevenson
- Robert Louis Stevenson
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Quote of the Day
I don’t want to be quoted, and don’t quote me that I don’t want to be
quoted.
- Winston Burdett
- Winston Burdett
Monday, December 9, 2013
Quote of the Day
If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased.
- Katharine Hepburn
- Katharine Hepburn
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Quote of the Day
It is no accident
that the symbol of a bishop is a crook, and the sign of an archbishop is a
double-cross.
- Gregory Dix
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Quote of the Day
He who will not
reason, is a bigot;
He who cannot, is
a fool;
And he who dares
not, is a slave.
- William Drummond
Friday, December 6, 2013
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Quote of the Day
He who fears he will suffer, already suffers because of his fear.
- Michel De Montaigne
- Michel De Montaigne
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Quote of the Day
The whole religious
complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a
lunatic asylum.
- Henry Havelock Ellis
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