This day in history, August 29

On this day in 1877 Brigham Young, famous leader of the Mormon Church, passed away. Young would become a legend for his polygamy and his leadership in bringing the Mormons to the Salt Lake valley to live.

On this day in AD 70 the city of Jerusalem fell to the Romans. It would mark the end of an era when the Jews would have a temple in Jerusalem. The temple has never been rebuilt and most likely never will be even though some evangelicals would like to see it rebuilt. The rebuilding of the temple fits in with their eschatological schemes, so they want to help God out with this project.

World Wide Coal fires

To begin with, I want to say that I am not on the "Global Warming" bandwagon that is so popular these days. We have a great deal of emphasis, being led by Al Gore, who discovered the Internet, on global warming. The Hollywood community is supporting him as well. It is interesting that we never hear anything from the "other side." What are other scientists saying? We are led to believe that all scientists believe in global warming. My rule of thumb is simple: whenever I am told everyone is doing it, I have my doubts.

But recently I came across articles like the one I am about to append to this page which point out that coal fires in India and China are producing more pollution than all the automobiles in the world. Where is Al Gore with his trusty fire hose to put out these fires?

Andries Rosema of the Environmental Analysis and Remote Sensing (EARS) firm in the Netherlands worked with colleagues using satellite and airplane data to analyze the damage uncontrolled fires caused in China. The team found that the fires released up to 360 million metric tons of carbon dioxide — 2 to 3 percent of worldwide production per year from burning fossil fuels, an amount equivalent to that emitted per year from all automobiles and light trucks in the United States. The economic loss of coal from these fires is as high as US$125 million to US$250 million, estimates Zhang Xiangmin of the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) in the Netherlands.

Reports from the World Bank, World Resources Institute, and United Nations Development Program confirm that China’s atmospheric pollution, primarily from coal combustion, is among the highest in the world. Coal gas and particulate matter are responsible for acid rain and human disease in more than 100 Chinese cities and the problems have spilled into other countries including Japan, Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan. Lung cancer, bronchitis, stroke, pulmonary heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — which accounts for up to 26 percent of all deaths in China — are on the rise. In some cases, such health effects are directly linked to coal emissions from indoor cooking and heating (Geotimes, November 2001).

This Day in History August 25

August must be a special month. We have another day when a number of exciting things took place.

For one, this is the day that the famous actor, Sir Sean Connery, was born on this day in 1930. Sean Connery is one of my all time favorites. If a movie comes out that he is in, then it is one I want to see. He became famous as one of the early James Bonds.

Also on this day the city of Paris was liberated in 1944. I was not aware that the liberation of Paris took place only two months after the invasion at Normandy. The Free French were allowed to roll into Paris first and of course, they were more than glad to take the credit for the deliverance of the city. It is sad that the French have forgotten who delivered them from the Nazis. Apparently a short-term memory issue.

On this day an American named John Birch was executed by the Chinese Communists in 1945. He was an American intelligence agent and an American Baptist Missionary. As a result of his death an organization, very right wing, called the John Birch Society, was born. I had a professor in seminary who was a staunch believer in the John Birch Society, so we heard a lot about the organization. Although I never belonged to the Society or agreed with all it had to say, it opened my eyes to the media manipulation of the news. It showed how situations had actually been staged by the media to deliver a message that was exactly the opposite of what was really happening. Of course we gullible Americans believe that if it is on TV then it must be the truth. How can pictures and video lie? After that I always watch the news with a jaundiced eye. I am not sure that what I am seeing is true because I am well aware of the capability of the media to change the story.

For people who refuse to read and who refuse to check out other sources of news such as BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor, they are going to be led astray on what is really going on.

In 1900 Friedrich Nietzsche died. He was a great contender for the "God is Dead" theory. But he also developed the "Superman" concept suggesting that there should be a superior race that would rule over the rest of the world. Adolf Hitler would take his theory and attempt to accomplish that. During WW II Hitler had breeding camps where he put his SS troops in with the most beautiful women he could find with the purpose of breeding this superman race. Of course they had to be blonde haired and blue-eyed. Hitler himself was brown eyed and had black hair. Nietzche became the spokesperson for the prevailing attacks on the Bible and Christianity and his thinking is still very much alive to this very moment.

The first Tsar (Czar) of Russia, Ivan IV was born in 1530. He had the distinguished title of "Ivan the Terrible."

Finally, on this day in 325, the Council of Nicaea brought to an end the controversy over the relation of the Son to the Father. The outcome was the trinitarian concept with which we are familiiar--the Son is equal to the Father. The controversy developed when a group let by Arius and called Arians claimed that the Son was inferior to the Father. The Jehovah's Witnesses today still hold to the Arian position rather than the traditional one. Either by translation or by explanation they remove all references to the deity of Jesus Christ from the Bible and their material.

A Notorious Day in History

This day in history—August 24
What a day this has been in history. Note the following events.
It is the birthday of Yassar Arafat in 1929 who would be the key leader of the Palestinian revolt against Israel. When you read his biography you realize that he was a ruthless man who would do whatever he had to do to gain his goals. He was not someone you could trust as the Israelis would soon learn. But he maintained control of the Palestinian rebellion until his death.
In AD 79 Vesuvius erupted in Italy totally destroying the cities of Pompeii and Herculanium. The cities would not be uncovered until the 18th century. When they were it was obvious that the moral level of these cities was incredibly low as seen in the wall art that was found. For years people were not allowed to visit because of the obscenities found there.
In 1572 Roman Catholic nobles encouraged by Cartherine de Medici, massacred the French Huguenots in the notorious St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. The Huguenots were French protestants.
Then in 410 Alaric, chief of the Visigoths (so-called barbarians) led an army into Rome which signaled the end of the Western Roman Empire. As a result of this the Roman Catholic Church stepped to the front to replace the lost authority of the government and would become a force to be reckoned with politically for the rest of history.

General Tom Romig reception

Early in August we received in the mail for Vicki an invitation to a reception for the new dean of the Law School at Washburn--General Tom Romig (retired). Vicki is in Alaska learning how to be a lawyer and her parents and dog are here. So I sent an e-mail to the person in charge of the reception and requested permission to go to the reception as parents of a graduate and a friend of Tom Romig. In a few minutes the reply returned that we were welcome. I just needed to send my wife's name.

Well, last night, August 22, was the big night. We drove out to the most posh area in town next to the Colbert Hills Golf Club. The reception was in a million dollar home. We were cheerfully greeted by the hosts of the reception and immediately were greeted by Tom Romig. A little later we were privileged to visit with President Farley of Washburn. He was quite excited about the success of our little girl.

There were a few speeches concluded by Tom.

Arletta took this event very seriously. She went out and bought a beautiful black dress. I didn't ask what it cost. She also got me a new black suit, so we made quite the couple. But the event was fun. Good food and good visiting. Can't call it fellowship; that's reserved for church.

Life in a small church

Last summer we experienced a real blow to the church when the associate minister decided to resign. I felt especially close to the young man, so it was a very painful experience for me. The church was in shock. BUT

Since that time some interesting changes have taken place. First of all, the Angel Food Ministries project which the former minister had introduced, took off with a great deal of enthusiasm. People stepped up from every direction to make the project go. There is a strong sense of unity in this helping-hand program that we have started.

Secondly, one of the men in the church said the rest of the men, "Let's get together occasionally and do some good deed in the area." Last night, six men responded to the call and we cleaned up the yard of an elderly man who has cancer. This man is 70 years old and is still caring for his mother. The six men had a good time, great fellowship and we stopped for ice cream at Shakes in Manhattan. I took a leap of faith and ordered ice-cream. Diabetics are not supposed to eat the stuff--too much sugar. But when I checked my glucose levels later, everything was normal. A great time of fellowship for a bunch of guys covered with dust and grime.

Third, we had three baptisms yesterday, August 19. Two of these were adults who are determined to focus on Christ for their lives. One, a young woman, has struggled with pain in her back. Yesterday she announced the pain had gone away, an answer to prayer.

So what looked like a potential disaster turned into a real blessing.

This Day in History August 20

A Dane named Vitus Bering working for the Russians found Alaska in 1741. I'm sure that Vitus had no idea what a great treasure he had uncovered. Our younger daughter, Vicki, moved to Alaska in 1988 and except for occasional visits to the "lower 48" made that her home. I have other relatives who made and lost their fortunes in Alaska. One year when we had our only family reunion on my father's side of the family, one of my great-uncles brought smoked salmon to the reunion. Everybody raved over how good it was. I never eat smoked salmon without thinking of Uncle Clarence Pearson and what he brought that day. Last year for Christmas Vicki had king crab legs shipped in. We had a feast on them because only Vicki and I would eat them. So I just want to thank Vitus, who must be a cousin somewhere along the line. Of course we did not completely forget him. The stretch of water between Alaska and Russia is now known as "The Bering Straits."

On a sadder note, on this day in history in 1619 the first slaves were brought to Jamestown. What started there we have never recovered from.

Genghis Khan and Butch Cassidy

1227: Death of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan—a warrior and ruler of genius who, starting from obscure and insignificant beginnings, brought all the nomadic tribes of into a rigidly disciplined military state—died this day in 1227. The grandson of Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan, would meet Marco Polo. At the time of Kublai Khan a request was made to send Christian teachers to Mongolia. Marco Polo walked all the way back to Rome to try to recruit teachers. He was not well received by people in Rome. Some thought that he was out of his mind. Marco Polo recruited two teachers who never made it to Mongolia/China. A great opportunity for Christ was lost and would not be recovered until the late 20th century. Today there is a strong church in Mongolia due in large part to the work of English Language Institute—Mongolia. This group was invited by the Mongolian government to teach English in Mongola.
1896-- According to lore, more than 200 outlaws from regional gangs gathered at Brown's Hole in the American West, where Butch Cassidy proposed to organize a Train Robbers' Syndicate, which became familiarly known as the Wild Bunch.

Life in Leadville Colorado 1950s

The other day I received an e-mail from some of my Colorado relatives. Jerry Pearson is a nephew of my grandmother Hagberg. His Mom and Dad died of acute alcoholism when Jerry was a teenage. Jerry would go on in life to work for the Colorado State Fish Hatcheries and marry the daughter of a prominent attorney in Leadville. Pat Trevathan was a beautiful young lady and continues to be a special part of Jerrry’s life.

In the e-mail I received mention was made of a grade school classmate named Doug Brown. I immediately contacted Pat and Jerry and asked if Doug had an e-mail address. He did and we have begun to correspond.

I went to school in Leadville with Doug Brown through the ninth grade. Doug was a tall good looking young man. His father ran a grocery store in town that had been started by his grandfather. Doug chose not to go into the grocery business and took up flying airplanes. It was great to make contact with one of the old gang.

The school that we attended in Leadville was a three story brick building. The floors were oil-soaked to keep the dust down. Looking back, I realize I went to school for seven years in a virtual fire trap. If the building had ever caught on fire most of us would not have gotten out. But we did get a good education and we had a good time going to school there.

In spite of what the grandchildren might believe we walked to school regardless of the weather. The concept of “snow days” was totally foreign. If we had observed “snow days” we would have gone to school all summer to make up for the school missed. When I left home in the morning with my lunchbox and a few books to take to the Carnegie Library, I walked out through a snowbank seven feet tall. My mother would not see me again until I came back through the snowbank that night. It was downhill to the school, but a long uphill trek to come home.

Often in the winter we would spend entire days out sledding. Every child had some sort of sled. The temperatures would hover around 0, but we never thought anything about it. It seemed that late in the evening as the sun was setting over the western mountains that someone would say, “I’m getting cold. I’m going home.” Everyone would grab their sleds, pulled by ropes and start for home. We didn’t have Nintendo or WII or even television. Life was lived outside in the elements and we loved every minute of it. But it was nice to go home to a nice warm house.

Sometime around 1955 the old schools were demolished and new schools, much safer, were erected. I remember coming back to Leadville in 1957 and coming to that corner where Ninth Street School stood. I was shocked to see nothing there but a playground. That building had been a major part of my life and now it was gone.

The class that I would have graduated with will have its fiftieth reunion in September. Unfortunately I will have just gotten home from my high school reunion for Central High in Grand Junction, Colorado.

This Day in History August 15

Today in History.
August 15, 1888 marks the birth of T. H. Lawrence who became the famous “Lawrence of Arabia.
Likewise, in 1769, Napoleon was born on the island of Corsica.
On the other end of the spectrum in 1935 this is the day that Wiley Post and Will Rogers were killed in a plane wreck near Pt. Barrow Alaska.
It is also the day that the Panama Canal was opened in 1914. It took ten years to build during the administration of Theodore Roosevelt.
And Macbeth, king of Scots, a real person in 1057, was killed in battle on this day by Malcolm, eldest son of Duncan I. I assumed that Macbeth was an invented person by Shakespeare.

This Day in History August 14

This day in history, August 14, 2007
In 1947 Pakistan became a sovereign state, bringing an end to British rule. This would happen throughout the British Empire and it would soon not be possible to say, “The sun never sets on the British Empire.”
In 1935 The Social Security Act was passed today.
In 1457 the first printed with a colophon bearing the name of the printer was completed in Mainz Germany.

Alfred Hitchcock

This is the day that the famed writer and film producer Alfred Hitchcock was born. His television programs along with his films are classics. He was a master at bringing an unusual twist to the ending of a program. His profile was his signature for his work.

This Day in History, August 8, 2007

On this day in history the famous Mexican general Zapata was born in 1879. He would lead a guerrilla force against the government from 1910-20.

This is also the day that Richard Nixon resigned as president of the United States as a result of the Watergate Scandal in 1974.

In 1963 the famous Great Train Robbery took place on this day in which 2.6 million English pounds were stolen from a mail train.

Finally, in 1588 the British defeated the Spanish Armada off the coast of France.

In 1946 on this day Harry Truman signed the documents that would lead to the establishment of the United Nations.

This day in History August 3

 

I have a daily program that comes from Britannica called "This Day in History." I have been a user of Encyclopedia Britannica since 1961 and one of my sons has my original set. Now Britannica can be purchased every year inexpensively on CD or DVD. I usually upgrade every two or three years.

However, today's list was interesting.

This is the day in 1492 that Columbus began his journey to discover America. Certainly, Columbus had no idea of the changes that his trip would bring to the world. Those three little boats set a course that would change the course of history for the entire world. Thousands would be displaced or killed. People who were fleeing from persecution would occupy new lands.

This is also the day that the first atomic submarine surfaced at the North Pole by breaking through the ice in 1958. I can remember how excited I was to read about that. Atomic power for ships was a new thing and to have a submarine that could break through the ice was just incredible. In later years, I would travel to visit my sister Susan and her husband Colin who lived near Groton, Connecticut. On one occasion, we went down to the submarine pens at Groton. There was a tour available in one of these early submarines. What seemed huge in my mind was quite small and crowded inside. Nevertheless, I could say I had been in an atomic submarine.

For my children this day in 1949 is important because it is the day the National Basketball Association was established.

For one of my good friends this day is important because in 1940 Lithuania was formally acknowledged as part of the USSR. I am not sure the Lithuanians were excited about this. In my visit to Estonia, I discovered that the Baltic peoples far preferred the Germans to the Russians when it came to occupation. Of course, they really would have preferred to be free.

It is on this day in 1914 that Germany declared war on France.

Finally, in 1583 on this day Sir Humphrey Gilbert arrived at St. John's, Newfoundland, and claimed it in the name of Queen Elizabeth I.