The Mississippi Delta has been said to extend from the front door of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, to Catfish Row in Vicksburg, Mississippi. That this is a true statement is proven in the book, Holt Collier, His Life, His Roosevelt Hunts, and the Origin of the Teddy Bear. Written by a fellow Mississippian (Minor Ferris Buchanan), the book takes a look at the life of one of Mississippi's most famous sons, Holt Collier.

Born in approximately 1846, Holt was a slave of the family of General Thomas Hinds. General Hinds is famous in history as the leader of Hind’s Dragoons of Mississippi. This mounted military force fought the British and their Native American allies during the War of 1812. Under the command of General Andrew Jackson at New Orleans, Hind’s Dragoons helped give America one of its most famous military victories.

The world in which Holt Collier lived was quite different than the Mississippi Delta of the year 2010. The delta was little more than one large swamp, with immense cane breaks. Today it is one of the richest farming areas in the world, with topsoil depths of over twenty feet. In the Mississippi Delta of the 1800’s, wild game (such as bear, cougars, and deer) was abundant. Today, only the vast numbers of whitetail deer speak of the not too distant past.

Holt Collier could neither read nor write; but his life was that of legends. He served as a scout and sharpshooter for the Confederate army. During the Battle of Shiloh, he was present at the death General Albert Sidney Johnston. After the Civil War, he was charged with the murder of a corrupt Union officer, an officer in charge of the "reconstruction" policies of a vengeful federal government. He went to Texas and became a cowboy, herding cattle along the Chisolm Trail.

I highly recommend this book.

"We're announcing the expansion of offshore oil and gas exploration but in ways that balance the need to harness domestic energy resources and the need to protect America's natural resources. This announcement is part of a broader strategy that will move us from an economy that runs on fossil fuels and foreign oil to one that relies more on homegrown fuels and clean energy. And the only way this transition will succeed is if it strengthens our economy in the short term and long term," concluded our "Fearless Leader.

On February 18, 2010, the Iranian web site Asr-e Iran stated that Iran's possession of nuclear weapons would threaten Israel's existence and lead to the elimination of Israel. The web site explained that Israel's sole reason for existence is the illusion that it can provide absolute security for the Jewish people. The web site further states that once Iran possesses nuclear weapons and shifts the balance of power in the Middle East, this will be end of Israel.

The Iranian web site states that Israel knows that even if Iran obtains nuclear weapons, it will never use them except in self-defense (i.e., in the event of a non-conventional or nuclear attack on Iran). Rather, Iran's possession of such weapons will sow in Israel a sense of "insecurity". This sense alone will be enough to shatter the "glass house" of an Israeli state in the Middle East.

Asr-e Iran writes in this article the following statements:

"An Iran with nuclear weapons means an end to the dream of 'secure Israel' – and this means the exodus of most of the residents of this occupied land (who immigrated there for absolute security and for jobs). This exodus will include human, financial, and other capital, and therefore will be a death sentence for this regime."

I gather two things from this Iranian web site. First, the intention all along of the Iranian nuclear program was the construction of nuclear weapons and the destruction of Israel. The lie put forth by the Iranian government that the nuclear program was to develop nuclear power for electric generation was just that, a lie.

Second, Iran must have a death wish. Any nuclear strike on Israel will mean the complete Israeli destruction of Iran. And I do mean any nuclear strike, including a terrorist smuggled nuclear bomb into Tel Aviv. Israel knows that this web site is no more than adjunct of the Iranian government. The Iranian government approves anything placed on this web site. (Also, as a corollary, Jerusalem and the surrounding vicinity now become the safest place in Israel. Islamic fundamentalists would also attack Iran if Jerusalem were attacked with a nuclear weapon.)

Again, the plot thickens. (Also here is an address to this Iranian web site's article: http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/3989.htm.)

Also the study of US History can be a powerful training tool for the youth of this country. As I mentioned, there are literally thousands of men and women in our history who are worthy of emulation. They were from all walks of life and all races. These include such diverse people as: Charles Proteus Steinmetz (engineering), George W. Carver (botany), John F. Reynolds (US military), Jonas E. Salk (medicine), and Booker T. Washington (education). Today’s young person can do a lot worse than pattern their lives after the people I just mentioned.

Examples are important. Without them our children are lacking a "reference" point.

US History is fixed. Unless new evidence is found, it cannot be changed. My wife is a public school teacher. She has taught for 28 years. In the last few years I have noticed subtle changes occurring in the high school level history textbooks. For example, these books now state that slavery was the only cause of the Civil War. That is like saying that grape jelly is the only "condiment" that can be used to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. There are no discussions that it was the primary cause along with the rise of "regionalism" and the political factor of "states’ rights". There are no discussions of economic causes. There are no discussions of the political chaos brought about by a battle between the differing factions in the US Congress. No, the only cause of the Civil War is now said to be slavery.

Is this being written to: to increase the tension between whites and blacks in this country, to alleviate the guilt felt by the writers of these textbooks, or perhaps to change the regional perceptions felt by all parts of our nation? Whatever the reason for this change in recent textbooks (and other changes I did not mention), they do have one great effect: they will dissolve the bonds that join us together. A black New Yorker will now tend to be more than ever distrustful of a white Tennessean. A Hispanic from Los Angeles will now tend to be more than ever distrustful of an Asian from Baltimore.

By "changing" history, "distrust" is being entered into the US equation.

1. Battleground: Release Date: November 9, 1949; B/W; Winner of two Academy Awards (nominated for 6, including Best Picture).

Van Johnson, Ricardo Montalban and George Murphy star in this remarkable war film. The movie deals with the 327^th Glider Regiment of the 101^st Division at the Battle at Bastogne.

 

2. They Were Expendable: Release Date: December 20, 1945; B/W; Nominated for two Academy Rewards.

Robert Montgomery, John Wayne and Ward Bond star in this war film, directed by John Ford. It is a dramatized account of the role of the American PT Boats in the defense of the Philippines in early World War II. The screenplay was taken from the book of same name.

3. Twelve O’Clock High: Release Date: February 13, 1950; B/W; Winner of two Academy Awards (nominated for 4, including Best Picture).

Gregory Peck and Dean Jagger star in this movie about the 8^th Air Force during World War II. In this story of the early days of daylight bombing raids over Germany, an American General must take command of a "hard luck" bomber group. Much of the story deals with his struggle to whip his group into a disciplined fighting unit in spite of heavy losses, and withering attacks by German fighters over their targets. Actual combat footage is used in this war drama.

 

4. Sergeant York: Release Date: September 27, 1941; B/W; Winner of two Academy Awards (nominated for 11, including Best Picture).

Gary Cooper stars in this true story about one of America’s greatest heroes and Medal of Honor winner, Alvin York of Tennessee. Alvin York was an advisor during filming.

 

5. The Story of GI Joe: Release Date: July 13, 1945; B/W; Nominated for four Academy Awards.

Burgess Meredith and Robert Mitchum star in this movie about the US Army in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. The film is directed from the viewpoint of war correspondent Ernie Pyle. And the movie shows how the individual G.I. survived the drudgery of war, the discomfort of war, and the terror of combat.

 

6. Gettysburg: Release Date: October 8, 1993; Color.

Jeff Daniels steals the show while portraying Medal of Honor winner Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain of Maine. The screenplay is taken from the Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Killer Angels.

 

7. Guadalcanal Diary: Release Date: October 27, 1943; B/W.

Anthony Quinn and Lloyd Nolan star in this movie about the Marines at Guadalcanal . The screenplay is taken from the book of the same name, written by war correspondent Lamar Trotti.

 




8. Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo: Release Date: November 1, 1944; B/W; Winner of one Academy Award (nominated for 2).

Van Johnson and Spencer Tracy star in this true story about the first bombing of Japan during World War II. The screenplay is taken from the book of the same name, written by a participant in the raid (Ted Lawson). (Note: My mother dated Ted Lawson’s copilot during the raid, Dean Davenport, for awhile during the war.)

9. To Hell and Back: Release Date: October 18, 1955; Color.

Audie Murphy of Texas stars as himself, the most decorated soldier in US history and winner of the Medal of Honor. The screenplay was taken from his autobiography.

10. The Sands of Iwo Jima: Release Date: March 1, 1950; B/W; Nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Actor for John Wayne.

This morning, I read an excellent article concerning Thomas Alva Edison, written by my fellow electrical engineer "Redhead". In this article, Edison is described as an "@$$hole". "Redhead" is indeed correct. The real Edison is in no way is like the "Edison" portrayed by Spencer Tracy, in the 1940 movie, "Edison, The Man". Instead, he was a vindictive, aggressive, recluse. But he was a great "tinkerer". Although he "stole" many of the inventions he is famous for perfecting, he did have many ideas that deserve recognition. "Redhead’s" article can be found at the following address:

http://redhead.blogtownhall.com/2009/09/28/modern_corporate_warfare.thtml

One of the many things Edison did that are richly deserving of fame was the "help" he gave to Charles Proteus Steinmetz in becoming a "world known" electrical engineer. Perhaps Edison did this for personal gain. But the "world" benefited from this "greed".

                

He also read widely in economics and politics, and in 1884 he associated himself with the Socialist party in Breslau. As he pursued his scientific education, he also continued his political activities, a pattern he was to continue throughout his life. As ghost editor of the Breslau Socialist newspaper, People's Voice, Steinmetz attracted the attention of the police. In 1888, just as he had finished the work for his doctor's degree, he learned of plans for his arrest and fled to Switzerland. He never received his degree. He immigrated to the United States in 1889.

Despite his earlier efforts and interest in socialism, by 1922 Steinmetz concluded that socialism would never work in America because the country lacked a "powerful, centralized government of competent men, remaining continuously in office" and because "only a small percentage of Americans accept this viewpoint today."

           

He fostered the development of alternating current (AC) that made possible the expansion of the electric power industry in the United States. He formulated many of the mathematical theories used by electrical engineers. He made the first important discoveries in the understanding of hysteresis and "sequence reaction studies" that enabled electrical engineers to design electric motors and study "events" on an electric system.

In August of 1973, my wife and I traveled to Schenectady, New York. As an employee of the General Electric Company, I was to be trained as an "application engineer". It was at Schenectady, that a "country" engineer (myself) gained the training and knowledge that my father and grandfather (both electrical engineers) lacked. It was in Schenectady that I became intimately acquainted with Charles Proteus Steinmetz. I trained under engineers who trained under Steinmetz. My master in engineering was acquired at Union College under professors who had also trained under Steinmetz.

It can be said, that my knowledge of the field of electrical engineering is a direct result of Thomas Alva Edison’s greed and the scientific discoveries of a "hunchback" German, Charles Proteus Steinmetz.

For those who would like some additional information on Steinmetz, I recommend going to the following sites:

http://chem.ch.huji.ac.il/history/steinmetz.html

http://www.yonkershistory.org/stein.html

http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=1512