Although we celebrated Presidents Day a week ago, today is the actual anniversary of the birth of President George Washington, the first president of the United States, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

From WikiPedia:

George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) served as the first President of the United States from 1789 to 1797 and as the commander of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1783. Because of his significant role in the revolution and in the formation of the United States, he is often referred to as “Father of His Country”.

The Continental Congress appointed Washington commander-in-chief of the American revolutionary forces in 1775. The following year, he forced the British out of Boston, lost New York City, and crossed the Delaware River in New Jersey, defeating the surprised enemy units later that year. Because of his strategy, Revolutionary forces captured the two main British combat armies at Saratoga and Yorktown. Negotiating with Congress, the colonial states, and French allies, he held together a tenuous army and a fragile nation amid the threats of disintegration and failure. Following the end of the war in 1783, King George III asked what Washington would do next and was told of rumors that he’d return to his farm; this prompted the king to state, “If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world.” Washington did return to private life and retired to his plantation at Mount Vernon.

We often discuss the topic of parenting, or the lack of it these days. We look around our neighborhood and see a mixed bag of the products of modern parenting. Some families seem to have their act together, with well-disciplined and polite children and teens. Others, most of them in fact, are rude, inconsiderate and irresponsible. I have no idea whether they are ‘victims’ of California public education or not, but the schooling here doesn’t help matters any.

We like it when we’re at the range and see gun-owning parents teaching their children about guns and shooting them. Occasionally, we see a group of scouts and their mentors at the range. That’s a good thing too. Learning about shooting and guns is a much better investment than developing a skill set only suitable for X-Games like skateboarding down a stair rail or something.

I saw this cute poster on a forum yesterday and it got me thinking how parents and schools are letting kids down these days.

Click on the poster for a larger view.

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” — Abraham Lincoln

Today is the 201st anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, one of the nation’s greatest presidents.

Abraham Lincoln

16th President of the United States, 1809 - 1865

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in a log cabin in Hardin County (now LaRue County), Kentucky. He rose from humble origins and less than a year of formal education to become the 16th President of the United States, and one of the great men of American history.

Lincoln was elected President on November 6, 1860, and led the United States through the nation’s greatest crisis, the Civil War (1861-1865). He is credited with saving the Union from disintegration and eliminating slavery in America.

On the evening of April 14, 1865 Lincoln was assassinated as he watched a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C. He was the first American President to be assassinated. Thousands of mourners lined the tracks as his funeral train moved him from Washington to his final resting place in Springfield, Illinois.

Saturday, February 6, 2010 marks the 99th birthday of President Ronald Wilson Reagan, one of three great presidents whose birth is celebrated this month. Washington and Lincoln were born in February and it’s fitting that Presidents Day is also celebrated on the fifteenth of the month.

Image - President Reagan fielding questions from the White House press

Rather than trying to describe this great man to you on this anniversary, I’ll let him speak for himself by offering some of his most famous and endearing quotations.

On the second amendment . . .

“You won’t get gun control by disarming law-abiding citizens. There’s only one way to get real gun control: Disarm the thugs and the criminals, lock them up, and if you don’t actually throw away the key, at least lose it for a long time… It’s a nasty truth, but those who seek to inflict harm are not fazed by gun controllers. I happen to know this from personal experience.”

On entitlements and Government control . . .

“I would suggest that no one should have a vested interest in poverty or dependency, that these tragedies must never be looked at as a source of votes for politicians or paychecks for bureaucrats. They are blights on our society that we must work to eliminate, not institutionalize.”

“It is not my intention to do away with government. It is rather to make it work - work with us, not over us; stand by our side, not ride on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it.”

On conservatism in politics . . .

“Our people look for a cause to believe in. Is it a third party we need, or is it a new and revitalized second party, raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors, which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people?”

On American Pride . . .

“We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we may always be free.”

“Why should we be frightened? No people who have ever lived on this earth have fought harder, paid a higher price for freedom, or done more to advance the dignity of man than the living Americans, those Americans living in this land today.”

And then there was always his sense of humor . . .

“Republicans think that every day is the 4th of July, while Democrats think it is April 15th.”

“You can tell a lot about a fellow’s character by his way of eating jellybeans.”

“Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.”

“Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born.”

“I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency, even if I’m in a cabinet meeting.”

“Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book.”

“Détente is what a farmer has with his turkey until Thanksgiving Day.”

From the 1992 Republican Convention . . .

“And whatever else history may say about me when I’m gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty’s lamp guiding your steps and opportunity’s arm steadying your way. My fondest hope for each one of you — and especially for young people — is that you will love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism. May each of you have the heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, and the hand to execute works that will make the world a little better for your having been here. May all of you as Americans never forget your heroic origins, never fail to seek divine guidance, and never lose your natural, God-given optimism. And finally, my fellow Americans, may every dawn be a great new beginning for America and every evening bring us closer to that shining city upon a hill.”

And Finally,

“I know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will always eventually triumph, and there is purpose and worth to every life.” — Epitaph, Tomb of Ronald Reagan

Cross-posted at The Wandering Minstrel

Despite having a mild stroke, Charlie Daniels can still play his guitar and fiddle.

“I can still play my fiddle. I can play my guitar. One of the first things I did when I came home from the hospital in Denver was to pick up my guitar and make sure my fingers still worked on it.”

Daniels, 73, suffered the stroke Friday just outside Durango, about 230 miles southwest of Denver. He was treated at a local hospital then airlifted to a Denver hospital, where he was released on Sunday. Daniels has returned to his Durango home, where he goes in the winter to enjoy snowmobiling and winter sports.

Damsel and I are big fans and we wish Charlie all the best for a quick and complete recovery.

Back in the summer of 2008, Damsel and I went on vacation to Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. We visited several of the National Parks, including Bryce Canyon NP. At Bryce, the weather was nice, but a bit cloudy and overcast at times. Regardless of the weather, we enjoyed our stay at Bryce very much.

We were gawking and taking pictures of the canyon and all the colorful hoodoos that make this place so spectacular, when we encountered a nice gentleman who told us he had come here from Scotland. I asked him if they had anything like this in his home country.

Now, for his answer you have to imagine his voice, which I thought sounded a lot like Sean Connery in his role in the 1999 movie “Entrapment” as Scottish master thief Robert MacDougal :

“Aye,” he replied, “that we do. Almost every day, we have clouds.”

I wish I had taken a picture of his wide grin as he spoke.

Click on Damsel’s image of Bryce Canyon to enlarge.

I recently posted about our travel strategy of first driving to Phoenix before renting the travel trailer for our vacation in Arizona. The strategy worked out great and we enjoyed the vacation a lot.

Image: The cruise America Travel Trailer at Apache Junction KOA. Click image for full-size. We were in one of several Cruise America RVs there.

When we returned the rental trailer to Cruise America in Mesa, AZ, we inadvertently forgot Damsel’s Canon Camera battery charger which was still plugged in to one of the AC outlets in the kitchenette. As soon as we discovered it was missing, I called the Rental Supervisor, Joe Morales, and asked him if he would look for it. He agreed, and was to call me back later. He did call back later that day, but I missed the call. By the time I got his voice mail, Joe would not have been at work. I sent him an email asking him if he would send the charger to us, with an offer to pay for shipping and handling. The next day, Joe emailed us back saying he would send the charger and advise us of the cost.

Two days later, the big brown truck of goodness (UPS) delivered the charger. It was bubble-wrapped in a small parcel - a real professional-looking package. Damsel was glad to have the charger since the battery was low and you know how she loves to take pictures.

After the package showed up, I sent Joe a follow-up email thanking him for the effort and asked how I could pay them back. Joe sent this response today:

No problem, just let your friends and family know how great we are, nice doing business with you.

Joe said it - they were great! We’ll be back to the Mesa Cruise America for sure. Soon, we hope.

Damsel and I are very proud to be able to honor Marc Scott Zeplin on the eighth anniversary of the Islamic Terrorist Attacks against America on September 11, 2001 and to be part of the 2996 Project. This is the fourth year we have posted about Marc Scott Zeplin.

“Zep” is what his friends called him. Zep was one of the 2996 victims who perished in the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Marc Scott Zeplin, age 33.

Place killed: World Trade Center. Resident of Harrison, N.Y. (USA).

Marc Zeplin worked in the World Trade Center offices of Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial services company. Reading what Marc’s friends and family have written about him, Marc was well-liked and respected by peers, friends and others who wrote words about him following his death.

The following is from Zep’s tribute at the memorial site that his company set up to remember their employees that were lost in the attack:

Date of Birth: January 12, 1968

Department: Equity Sales

A group of friends named and registered a star in the heavens in memory of Marc Zeplin. How fitting as he was a star in the eyes of so many.

Successful as an equity trader, he formed close relationships with his clients but he was foremost a family man. Marc was very caring and devoted to his wife Debra, sons Ryan (3 yrs old) and Ethan (10 months), parents, sister and in-laws. He adored his children and treasured the time he spent with them. Marc was very proud of the new home he and his wife built in Westchester and enjoyed the change from urban to suburban living.

Raised in Long Island, Marc attended Oceanside High School and the University of Michigan where he also continued to earn a master’s degree in the acclaimed business school. Marc’s first career calling was sports casting. He loved sports of all kinds and enjoyed broadcasting games in Michigan during his college years. However, when he returned to New York, he found immediate employment in the financial world and soon after started at Cantor Fitzgerald where he became a partner.

Marc was truly a “master of the word.” He knew how and what to say in order to put you at ease, make you laugh or help you resolve a problem. Marc loved people. He had many friends and demonstrated a zest for living life to the fullest. He was tops in every way. He even worked at the top. The right position for so many years unfortunately was wrong on only one day - September 11, 2001.

— Debra Zeplin and Leora Zeplin, Marc’s Wife and Mother.

Please join us today as we remember Marc Zeplin and the rest of the victims of those attacks, and please, NEVER FORGET.