Completely Random Thursday

It's been a scattered day, so why not end it with a scattered post ...

Insensitive Religious Joke of the Day

Q: How many Baptists should you take on a fishing trip?

A: Two. If you only take one, he'll drink all of your beer.

And if you don't get it, this blog can help.

Reading Update

I just finished "The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941-1945." History buffs will enjoy it for its extensive look at a fairly compact subject: how two American presidents began rebuilding plans for Germany before the war was even over. The casual reader, however, might be most interested in the parallels between World War II and the current War on Terrorism -- although author and historian Michael Beschloss doesn't connect the dots for you (the book was published in 2002). According to one review:

"... The underestimated Truman did a remarkable job of negotiating a pact that 'created the opportunity for the United States, Great Britain, and France ... to create, at least in part of Germany, a democratic state whose system ... would one day spread to the East.' As it did, Beschloss observes, in some measure because of the foresight of the American leadership."

As an added bonus, the book can be found on the surplus shelves for under $10.

I've now moved on to "Churchill and America," which I received as a Christmas gift. The book examines the special relationship British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had with the United States. Churchill's mother was an American, which explains his curiousity as a young man about his mother's native land. But as the United States grew in international stature, Churchill also understood the special bond between countries who share a common ancestry and language.

One good anecdote so far:

Churchill was proud of his American ancestry. During a discussion at the Truman White House in 1952, to standardize the type of rifle to be used by the two countries' armies, the following exchange too place between Churchill and the senior British officer present:

Field Marshal Slim: "Well, I suppose we could experiment with a bastard rifle, partly American, partly British."

Churchill: "Kindly moderate you language, Field Marshal. It may be recalled that I am myself partly British, partly American."

Churchill expert and official biographer Martin Gilbert wrote the book. No doubt it will be a good read throughout.

RIP, Johnny Jenkins

Pinetoppers guitarist Johnny Jenkins of Macon, Ga., has died at 67. He was best known for playing for Otis Redding.

Jenkins was touring around the South, playing fraternity parties and other venues with his band, the Pinetoppers, when he met up with Redding.

"So I went up to him, and I said, 'Do you mind if I play behind you? ... I can make you sound good,'" Jenkins recalled in the book "Sweet Soul Music" by Peter Guralnick. "Well, he sounded great with me playing behind him — and he knowed it."

Jenkins was an energetic left-handed musician whose tricks included playing his guitar behind his head. A soon-to-be-more-famous left-handed guitarist saw Jenkins perform onstage while visiting an aunt in Macon. He later co-opted some of Jenkins' moves while playing a right-handed guitar upside down. That kid was named Jimi Hendrix.

Cold Air Killed Liberalism?

Brit Hume of Fox News notes this interesting sociopolitical theory:

The American left is blaming a new culprit in the country's turn towards the Republican Party in recent years -- air conditioning.

An article on the liberal Web site Alternet.org, titled "America's Air Conditioned Nightmare," argues that the southward migration made possible by AC's ability to beat the southern heat has caused citizens who might normally be influenced by the more liberal north to instead soak up the Sun Belt's conservative culture.

The piece also blames air conditioning for a "social chill" that's weakened the political system, making people "less inclined to gather spontaneously" and crippling grassroots political action.

I agree that air conditioning has impacted American politics. But I always thought the Red State explosion was caused by the ability for future parents to mate for an extra six months -- April through October -- because the excuse "It's tooooooo hot" has been taken away.

Hey, we have four seasons in the South: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME??!!