Today In U.S. History

On this day in 1775, Congress establishes the United States Post Office and namesBenjamin Franklin the first United States postmaster general.

William Goddard, a Patriot printer frustrated that the royal postal service was unable to reliably deliver his Pennsylvania Chronicle to its readers or deliver critical news for the paper to Goddard, laid out a plan for a Constitutional Post before the Continental Congress on October 5, 1774. Congress waited to act on the plan until after the Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. Benjamin Franklin promoted Goddard's plan and served as the first postmaster general under the Continental Congress beginning on July 26, 1775, nearly one year before the Congress declared independence from the British crown. Franklin's son-in-law, Richard Bache, took over the position on November 7, 1776, when Franklin became an American emissary to France. Franklin had already made a significant contribution to the postal service in the colonies while serving as the postmaster of Philadelphia from 1737 and as joint postmaster general of the colonies from 1753 to 1774, when he was fired for opening and publishing Massachusetts Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson's correspondence.

While postmaster, Franklin streamlined postal delivery with properly surveyed and marked routes from Maine to Florida (the origins of Route 1), instituted overnight postal travel between the critical cities of New York and Philadelphia and created a standardized rate chart based upon weight and distance. Samuel Osgood held the postmaster general's position in New York City from 1789, when the U.S. Constitutioncame into effect, until the government moved to Philadelphia in 1791. Timothy Pickering took over and, about a year later, the Postal Service Act gave his post greater legislative legitimacy and the service more effective organization. Pickering continued in the position until 1795, when he briefly served as secretary of war, before becoming the third U.S. secretary of state. The postmaster general's position was considered a plum patronage post for political allies of the president until the Postal Service was transformed into a corporation run by a board of governors in 1971.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congress-establishes-us-post-office

Sets the Mood

Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song (1972)
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Chuang qian ming yue guang

Yi shi di shang shuang.

Ju tou wang ming yue,

Di tou si gu xiang.

Before bed bright moon light

Looks like frost on the ground

Lift head to gaze at bright moon

Lower head to dream of home.

Student production from Jilin Normal University, located in Shenyang. I will be teaching at Dongbei Normal University which is in Changchun.

We'll Be Waiting

Hope this author misses Powell's for his book tour. Dublin ain't got nothin on PDX. Flip-flops! We'll be throwing our caulks.

This war criminal decided to go to war.

That's my Peeps!

DUBLIN – Protesters hurled shoes and eggs Saturday at former British Prime Minister and Carlyle Group whore Tony Blair who held the first public signing of his memoir amid high security in Ireland's capital. Hundreds more people lined up to have their books autographed — evidence that the divisions left by Blair's decade as British leader have yet to heal.

Blair's new book, "A Journey," has angered opponents of his policies, especially the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

About 200 demonstrators chanted that Blair had "blood on his hands" as the warmonger and profiteer arrived at a Dublin bookstore. Shoes, eggs and other projectiles were thrown toward Blair as he emerged from a car, but did not hit him. A flip-flop could be seen lying on the roof of a BMW in Blair's motorcade.

I can only hope that Bush gets the same treatment when he goes on book tour, not to mention Cheney. Blair says in the book that he is not sorry for his decision to enter the U.S.-led war, although he has wept for its victims. He is donating all proceeds from the book to a charity for wounded troops. How about the dead ones?

Dominating the News Cycle

Visited His Vorpal Sword today and read this. You should too. I have only read Ben Smith in other people's commentary on the web, and the same for Politico. Sarah Palin's climb to the top of the media whore mountain reminds me of something...

Broke 80 Today

Played 18 at Glendoveer today, and finally had a day where I putted well and played well. I could tell I am out of shape though as I faded down the stretch and started leaving things out to the right. No doubles, one 6, one birdie. Drove the ball great, played from the fairway all day.

Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 in tot

Par 4-4-4-3-4-4-4-4-5 36 4-4-3-4-4-5-4-4-3 35 71

Brian 4-4-5-3-3-4-4-4-5 37 5-4-3-5-5-6-5-4-4 41 78

Land Visit

Margo & I camped on the property this week. Weather was beautiful, shooting stars were infrequent (Persids, next week) but large. We mowed the meadow, cut brush until the handle broke on the machine, and chainsawed. And picked up the tarpaper that winter had ripped off the platform. Margo watered the trees by the road.

Land Visit 08/2010