Thursday 16 Sept

Today is Thursday, Sept. 16, the 259th day of 2010 with 106 to follow. The moon is waxing and so are my ears. The morning stars are Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter and Saturn. The evening stars are Neptune, Venus and Mars. The night time stars are too numerous to mention in this short note. Only 100 days until Christmas, and the stores are putting in Christmas stuff already ... that's over three months for Gawd Sakes!
    I have been hard at work on a Full Page Ad for District 2 for the Fall Conference and working up a letter for the District 2 Meeting (Sunday) begging for funds to buy the Veteran's Reps at SAVAHCS (the area Veteran's hospital here in Tucson) a new computer and printer. It's only $1400.00 and so if the other Posts help out at all, we can Git-er Done!
    Today is Mexico's Independence Day ... although their War of Independence didn't actually start for about 4 more days and it didn't end until August 24, 1821, when representatives of the Spanish crown and Colonel Agustín de Iturbide (more about this dear soul later) signed the Treaty of Córdoba, which recognized Mexican independence under the terms of the Plan of Iguala. Today is just the day that a priest ... Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla ... arrived at the conclusion that a revolt against the colonial government was needed because of the events of the Peninsular War (between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars). I guess that he figured Spain would be occupied in Europe and easy pickings were to be had in old Mexico. (Father Hidalgo had already achieved some notoriety - he gambled, fornicated, had children out of wedlock and didn't believe in Hell. Most seriously, he encouraged his parishioners to illegally grow vines and olives. And yet he was a big hit with the Catholic Church ... go figure. Real cool dude.) And now, back to Colonel Iturbide. On the night of the May 18, 1822, a mass demonstration led by the Regiment of Celaya (which Iturbide had commanded during the war) and containing almost totally HIS supporters, marched through the streets and demanded that their commander-in-chief accept the throne. The following day, the congress declared Iturbide emperor of Mexico. On October 31 Iturbide dissolved Congress and replaced it with a sympathetic junta. The real beginnings of politics "south of the border style". While Iturbide’s reign lasted less than a year, it was the result of and further defined the struggle between republican and traditional ideals, not only in Mexico, but also in Europe. He was exiled to Europe, but returned To Mexico in 1824. The local legislature held a trial and sentenced Iturbide to death. He was executed by firing squad. Wish we could do that in this country. Well, that's your history lesson for today.
   Yesterday was the birthday of my dear cousin Jean in N.C. and my grandson Devin in Benson. Devin is now 15 years old (and Jean is NOT), he and his older brother make me feel very old indeed.
   Today's B-days include:
Department store founder James Cash Penney in 1875 ... J.C. Penney, Hilda's patron Saint

British car designer Walter Bentley in 1888 ... designer of the Bentley automobile and later an engineer with Aston Martin. Bentley placed his 2.6 L straight-6 engine under the bonnet of his Aston-Martin  DB2.
This durable DOHC engine would continue in use at Aston through 1959. Bentley remained as an engineer at Aston Martin for a time, moving to Armstrong Siddeley where he designed a twin overhead cam 3 litre engine before retiring.

Entertainer Allen Funt in 1914 ... Smile, 'You're on Candid Camera'
 
Lauren Bacall in 1924 (age 86) ... actress and wife of Humphrey Bogart

Blues musician B.B. King in 1925 (age 85) ... B.B., the Best

Actor Peter Falk in 1927 (age 83) ... always loved this guy in films and on TV

Actor Jack Kelly in 1927 ... best known, I guess, as the OTHER Maverick brother

    Not much else going on this week. I had a Legion meeting Tuesday night, a Parade Committee meeting Wednesday night and nothing on the agenda tonight. We may go get some Brats at the club, but don't know yet.