Grover Cleveland Marries in the White House – June 2, 1886

Grover Cleveland’s Bride Frances Folsom is 27 years his junior!!

On June 2, 1886 Grover Cleveland became the first US president to be married in the White House and guess what it was kinda’ creepy! At the time of his marriage, Grover Cleveland was a forty-nine  year-old bachelor. The woman he married Francs Folsom was 22 year-old. She was the daughter of Cleveland’s late best friend and law partner Oscar Folsom. Frances, at the time of their marriage, had known Cleveland  from birth. In fact, she used to climb on his knee and call him “Uncle Cleve”. Frances’ father Oscar Folsom died when she was 11. Upon Oscar’s death, Cleveland became Frances legal guardian Cleveland  remained close friends with her mother to the point that many thought Cleveland  would marry her, but no! Instead Cleveland wed young Frances or Frank as Cleveland called her! Read More

Police Killings Out of Control? – Today's Reads

America is Number One in Police Killings – Western Democracies not even close!

So it’s been a long while since I’ve done a daily reads post, so here goes……before we start let me remind everyone that I am a liberal Democrat and have been since the 60s!
So one of the aspects of life in America that certainly has me pissed off recently is the number of  police killings over the last year or so. Certainly as a percentage of deaths and or arrests the rate is still fairly low – in other words what I’m trying to say is that the percentage of good policemen is still high. I just wish those cops could get the other cops over on their side!! I for one can’t  understand how with all the publicity surrounding these police killings that al of the policemen aren’t on their  best behavior everywhere.
These police killings certainly bring shame to our country and need to STOP!! The following post from AlterNet shows how bad things really are… Read More

Battle of Fairfax Court House – June 1, 1861

Battle of Fairfax Court House – First Battle of the Civil War?

So while the Battle of Manassas or Bull Run, depending on whether you are from the South or North, is considered the first major battle of the U.S. Civil War, there were two land engagement prior to that battle. The first land engagement of the war happened on June 1, 1861 at the Fairfax Court House in Fairfax, Virginia. . Read More

E.J. de Smedt Patents Asphalt Pavement

Edward J de Smedt Patented Asphalt Pavement – May 31, 1870

On May 31, 1870 Belgian immigrant Edward J de Smedt who was at Columbia University in New York City patented asphalt pavement. So we all know what asphalt is, as we all drive on it, and have all felt that heat rising off of it in the summer! But do you know how it is made? I didn’t until I started to deal with it at my job. From Wikipedia: Read More

Reading Challenges End of May Update

Six Books Finished for My Reading Challenges 

So as we come to the end of May it’s time to check in and see how I’m doing on my various Reading Challenges. May was another great reading month. I finished six books that go towards my Reading Challenges and one that doesn’t. The one that doesn’t fall into any of the Reading Challenges is a free Kindle ebook that I read Payback and a Bottle of Merlot – Bria Marche. Hey it was free and worth every penny of it! Cough! Cough! So here are the books and the Reading Challenges that the book falls into….. Read More

Joan of Arc – May 30, 1431

Joan of Arc was burned at the stake – May 30, 1431

On this date in the year 1431,  a peasant girl, the daughter of Jacques d’Arc and Isabelle Romée, known as Joan of Arc, after a trial for heresy that was politically motivated, was burned at the stake. The tribunal was composed entirely of pro-English and Burgundian clerics, and overseen by English commanders including the Duke of Bedford and Earl of Warwick From Wikipedia:  Joan of Arc…. Read More

Night and Day – Vincent Herring

Night and Day - Vincent Herring

Vincent Herring – Night and Day – A 2015 Favorite!

Back on May 12 I was excited to see that saxophonist Vincent Herring had released a new album titled Night and Day. Then I saw on the album cover who Herring had playing with him on the album and I was even more excited! The other members of this quintet include: Brandi Disterheft on bass, Joe Farnsworth on drums, pianist Mike LeDonne and trumpeter, Jeremy Pelt, Both Disterheft and Farnsworth played with Herring on his last album Uptown Shuffle. Read More