9-11

   You all know that this is 9-11. No year, no description, nothing else is needed to bring that to your mind. Three numbers and a dash describes an entire event. You all know where you were and what you were doing during that day in 2001, when Islamic terrorists attacked the United States, crashing two hijacked airliners into the twin towers at New York's World Trade Center and another into the Pentagon outside Washington. A fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania, apparently en route to Washington, when passengers jumped their captors. A reported 2,974 people were killed, most of them in the trade center towers, which collapsed. I hope that you all take time to reflect on the seriousness of that tragedy and that this day NEVER becomes a holiday like Memorial Day, Independence Day or Veteran's Day when people are more occupied with cooking out, drinking beer and not working than with the meaning of the Event. BUT, as the curmudgeon and realist that I am ... I know that I shall see that transpire before I leave this small blue planet. 

   I (and the ever fetching Ms Hilda) shall be at the Legion today, starting at about 1000. Hopefully next year also. Today will be a day of remembrance ... not of mourning. We shall watch College kids play football, we shall probably have a beer or three, we shall see friends ... but the EVENT shall never be far from our minds, this year or any other. Life goes on after all.
 
On a lighter note, some people were actually born on this date, including:
American short story writer O. Henry (William Sydney Porter) in 1862 ... he was the man who gave us the Cisco Kid, born in Greensboro, N.C. but moved to Austin, Texas in his 20's. Often called 'The Father of the Short Story'
Author D.H. Lawrence in 1885 ... English author, poet, playwright, essayist and literary critic
Jimmie Davis, former Louisiana governor and songwriter ( You Are My Sunshine ) in 1899
Football Coaches Paul "Bear"Bryant (University of Alabama, among others) in 1913 and Tom Landry (The Dallas Cowboys) in 1924 (Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach)
Former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in 1917, ... he of the wife of many shoes
Filmmaker Brian De Palma in 1940 (age 70) ... Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Scarface, Carlito's Way, The Untouchables, and Mission: Impossible, to name a few.
Lola Falana in 1942 (age 68) ... singer, dancer, actress
Mickey Hart in 1943 (age 67) ... drummer for The Grateful Dead
Leo Kottke in 1945 (age 65) ...  one of the best acoustic guitarist of all time.
Amy Madigan in 1950 (age 60) ... actress who is known for her role as Annie Kinsella in the 1989 film Field of Dreams, but was also a singer with Danny Sheridan's Eli Radish Band replacing former Pure Prairie League vocalist Starr Smith. She was (with singers Fred Bliffert and Jesse Roe) one-third of the group Jelly.
Actress Virginia Madsen in 1961 (age 49)
Kristy McNichol in 1962 (age 48) ... Buddy in the television series Family (1976–80), Barbara Weston on the sitcom Empty Nest
Actor/singer Harry Connick Jr. in 1967 (age 43)