April 26

On April 26, 1865 Gen. Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to Union Gen. William Sherman at Bennett Place near present day Durham, North Carolina. This effectively closed all major action of the war. Georgia chose this date to honor their war dead and classified this day as Confederate Memorial Day. I have sat long and pondered what to say about this but came to the conclusion that I cannot say anything that could measure up to what the stones in the picture below say on their own. The stones at Oakland, as well as the unmarked graves, represent about 7000 (3000 unknown) of the approximately 300,000 Confederates that did not survive the war. Regardless of any of our thoughts, opinions or motivations, these men gave everything they had.

I can add nothing to that.



The Confederate Section of Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia





I Don't Get It

Ok, so I write this blog and share with the masses, tens, yea, even ones of readers that frequent here....ok, would you believe stumble by accidentally? How about wind up here due to some sort of software glitch in a rogue search engine?

However it happens, someone usually reads my ramblings. And usually I'm spouting facts, opinions, propaganda and statistics about things I purport to understand. This post is different. In today's culture there is much that I feel like I have a pretty good handle on. And then there's stuff that baffles me to no end.

Here's a few of them:

1) People who drive around with a dog in their lap. I don't care what you say, how small the pooch is or how well it may behave. It is fundamentally impossible for you to safely operate a motor vehicle with Fifi in your lap. It can't be done. Most of the people that I see doing this can't drive to begin with. Trying to keep a Milkbone-crazed Pomeranian from jumping out the window does nothing to help them maintain a lane, stop for pedestrians or approach a safe driving speed IN THE FAST LANE. If your dog is so much of an extrovert that he can't manage to sit at home and chase his tail for 45 minutes while you pick up a pack Lee Press-on-Nails and some Diet Shasta, then slide him in a crate with one of those squeaky toys. That might keep him from flying into traffic when you rear-end the UPS man.

2) People who wear their pajamas in public. I had pretty much succumbed to the fact that there was a segment of the population that was just going to wear pajamas to Wal-Mart. I have managed to wean myself from the five-and-dime turned global superpower for this and other reasons. Nothing says "I've given up on life" like walking down the sidewalk in your pajamas at 2:30 in the afternoon. When a t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans has become too formal for the post office...like I said, I don't get it.

3) Duck Dynasty. I'm Southern. I've been known to hunt winged animals using a shotgun and calls. I'm married to a beautiful woman that can cook. I still don't understand  Duck Dynasty. Between the guys'  pallid, monotone personalities and their refusal to shave or bathe, it makes me think they should call it "Duck Die Nasty." It's real simple. First you're watching this show. Then you quit wearing deodorant. Next thing you know you're walking around Wal-Mart in your pajamas carrying a chihuahua.

4) News on the Weather Channel, aliens on the History Channel, mud bogging on MTV and whatever that crap is on "The Learning Channel". I'm not sure how to elaborate on this one. The best formula I can figure leaves propaganda on the news channel, science on ESPN...no, wait, that's the poker channel now. Hunting...I think they said that's on Animal Planet, the chess tournament is on the comedy channel and my history programing is on...well, I don't think my wife would want me watching that channel. Now you know why I like to read.

This is a short list. There's more. I might share more in a later post but I have to go for now. The Food Network is doing a special on Gandhi's hunger strike.

For Boston.

I'm a Georgia boy, no doubt. But Boston has played a major role in my life. In fact, if it weren't for Boston I might not be here. For me it's more than Minutemen and Larry Bird and Red Sox baseball.

All that to say, prayers go out to all involved in today's tragedy. I tip my hat to the emergency workers who did what comes as second nature.

Through fire and war and disease and even a less-than-navigable network of roads, Boston has survived and even thrived. They will get through this, I know.

Prayers for victims, responders and the families of both.