About This Last Weekend-- Part 2: A Civil War Meeting and Was John Wilkes Booth Actually Killed?

SATURDAY, JULY 24

I had breakfast out on the front porch as usual, then went on the internet and prepared the questions for the McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion group and researched some information about the Lincoln Conspirators which was today's topic.

Drove to Crystal Lake listening to WXRT's Saturday Morning Flashback to 1974, my first year out of college and teaching.  Too bad I had the meeting.

We had seven people at the Panera Bread store in Crystal Lake.  And, our friend Frank even e-mailed his famed impossible questions in from down south where he is recovering from a sickness.  Seemed more like the good old days.  As usual, great discussion and quite a bit of it revolved around whether John Wilkes Booth was actually killed or was it a coverup by persons in the Union government who wanted to get rid of Lincoln.

The name Joseph Holt was mentioned quite often.  There were three John Wilkes Booths according to this conspiracy theory:  the real one who died as an old man in Missouri, one who passed as Booth on the run and one who looked enough like him to pass for a dead Booth when examined.

I'd never heard of this Booth Conspiracy before.  Like any good conspiracy, maybe true but most likely not.

--RoadDog

LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE:  LAW OF PROBABILITY:  The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

Past Movie Scratches: Museum-- Godfather-- Godfather-- Dark Knight-- Menace-- Return

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2020.

19.  NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM:  BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN--  1-20--  Old Abe to the rescue and dear Amelia flies again.

20.  GODFATHER III--  1-20--  Every time he tries to go legit, he gets drawn back.  The loudest, longest scream ever.

21.  GODFATHER II--  1-21--  Fredo wants respect.  Sure doesn't get it.  Dad gets payback in Sicily.  Mikie wipes the slate clean again.

22.  DARK KNIGHT--  1-22--   "Let me get this straight."  "You complete me."  "I'm an agent of chaos."

23.  STAR WARS I:  PHANTOM MENACE-- 1-24--  Meet Jar Jar, R2D2, CP30 and Anakin Skywalker.  "How rude!"

24.  STAR WARS VI:  RETURN OF THE JEDI--  1-26--   "It is your destiny."  Right, Mr. Emperor?   "My young apprentice."  The attack of the Ewoks.

--RoadApprentice

STUDENT TEST ANSWERS:  A planet is a body of earth surrounded by sky.

JSIS: Two NIU People Killed in Aurora-- Alabama Omits Lincoln-- Super Snow Moon

JSIS--  Just Some Interesting Stuff.

1.  TWO NIU PEOPLE KILLED IN AURORA--  As if Valentine's Day isn't bad enough fot Northern Illinois University, because of the five murders 11 years ago, but the day after it this year, two people with NIU connections were murdered by another gunman,  Trevor Wehner was starting his internship in preparation for his May graduation and alumnus Clayton Parker were both killed.

2.  ALABAMA OMITS LINCOLN--  Monday was Presidents' Day and Alabama did not include Abraham Lincoln.  Some called it racism, but it was actually a Yankee thing.  By the way, I didn't know Presidents' Day was a day to honor all presidents, not just Washington and Lincoln.

3.  SUPER SNOW MOON--  The last two nights were almost as bright as daylight because of it.  No sneaking through the blockade these last two nights.

Thinking About Millard Fillmore.  --RoadDog

I'd Celebrate That!!! Feb. 11 to Feb. 14: Mardi Gras Season Begins Wesnesday

**   I'd Celebrate That.

FEBRUARY 11

CLEAN OUT YOUR COMPUTER DAY**  --  You're supposed to clean the outside and inside of your computer.  I can do the outside, but not going inside.  Too complicated.

NATIONAL DON'T CRY OVER SPILLED MILK DAY**--  If it's gone ot lost, get on with your life.

NATIONAL PEPPERMINT  PATTY DAY**   I sure love those.


FEBRUARY 12

LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY**  The 16th President.

NATIONAL LOST PENNY DAY**  --  What's the saying?  A penny saved is a penny _____.

PAUL BUNYAN DAY**  --   Always enjoyed that story when I was growing up.   That and Pecos Bill.


FEBRUARY 13

BEGINNING OF MARDI GRAS SEASON** --  Well, I do love my Mardi Gras for so many reasons.  Though it looks like we won't be having it down at Panama City and Panama City Beach this year.

INTERNATIONAL PANCAKE DAY**  --What's a Mardi Gras without pancakes?

WORLD RADIO DAY** --  I don't know anyone who likes radio better than me.  I'm listening to WBRF, 98.1 FM Classic Country out of Galax, Virginia, right now, one of my favorite stations.

PACZKI DAY**  --   What's a Mardi Gras without those  good ol' Polish paczkis.


FEBRUARY 14

ASH WEDNESDAY--

LIBRARY LOVERS DAY**  --  Few places I enjoy more than a library.

NATIONAL CREAM FILLED CHOCOLATE DAY**  Like a box of chocolates, right Forrest?

VALENTINE'S DAY--  One of the biggest worthless events anywhere.   You do this everyday.  But it does make the greeting car, candy and flower folks mighty rich.

Mr. Radio Guy--RoadRadio

This Past Weekend, December 2-- Part 2: "Rubber Soul," McHenry County Civil War Round Table and Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2

Bob Stroud saluted the 53rd anniversary of the Beatles' "Rubber Soul" album.    He played all the songs on both the British and American editions.  Over a century old.

Drove to Pine Crest Golf Club in Huntley, Illinois, for the McHenry County Civil War Round Table Christmas party.  We had about 40 in attendance and I met some interesting people from the Northern Illinois History Association, an umbrella group for all history groups in the northern part of our state.  The problem with all history groups is how to get the younger people interested.

We had an excellent buffet followed by an evening with Mr. and Mrs Lincoln, Max and Donna Daniels, very fitting as we approach the 200th anniversary of Illinois statehood tomorrow.  Mrs. Lincoln reminded us that this was also the 200th anniversary of her birthday (December 18, 1818).  If you ever get a chance to see one of this pair's shows, go see it.

--RoadDog

FOOD COMMENTS (from the July 1, 2017 Orange Peel Gazette):  "Artichokes ... are just plain annoying....  After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual 'food' out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking thirty or forty postage stamps.  Have the shrimp cocktail instead."  --Miss Piggy

About Last Weekend: A Grand Buffet, Legion, 145,000 Miles and the Lincoln Funeral Car

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7

A day of the doctors.  Afterwards a grand buffet at the Grand Buffet Chinese restaurant in McHenry.  You sure get some great food (including crab meat and shrimp) at a price just a bit more expensive than a Big Mac meal.

Went to the Legion for 50-50 but didn't win anything.  Enjoyed Margaritaville and the Ultimate Jukebox when we got home.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

The 2003 Malibu rolled over 145,000 miles on my way to Antioch.  Before this car, we'd never had a car go over 100,000.  We're impressed.

I toured the Abraham Lincoln Funeral Car which was on display in Antioch, Illinois, by the bandshell behind Main Street.  That is an amazing recreation of the train car that carried the body of Abraham Lincoln from Washington, D.C., to Springfield, Illinois, in 1865.

I'll write more about this eventually in my Saw the Elephant Civil War blog.

--RoadDog

TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD:  When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do as long as you're down there.   That old "Help I've fallen, and can't get up" isn't so funny anymore.

Civil War in Illinois-- Part 4: A Cozy-- Mr. Lincoln-- Norb's-- A Curve-- Southside

MAY 2ND, MONDAY

Lunch at the Cozy Dog and had the usual, four Cozies, large fries and two drinks ($8.95). Found a new Acadia book on Springfield, Illinois for sale, but didn't buy it. As usual, enjoyed reading the Route 66 magazines.

Not sure if we like the Cozy Dogs or fries best. What's the best way to eat a Cozy Dog. I have mine with mustard and raw onions. Met two girls from Poland and a guy from Mongolia who were driving the length of Route 66. Just left Chicago this morning.

Spent the afternoon researching Illinois Civil War regiments from along Route 66 counties at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.

Liz and I later went to Norb Andy's on Capitol Avenue which is finally open again. Sure glad to get back in the place where we had our first horseshoe sandwiches. It's been closed for several years.

Then to Curve Inn and Southside Pub at the TraveLodge where we were staying.

Another Great Day in Mr. Lincoln's Hometown. --RoadDog

It's a Lincoln Thing-- Day 2

Day two at the Lincoln Highway Association's annual conference was a long one with plenty of storms and a long bus trip.

We left Dixon in a steady rain and took I-88 to I-355 to I-55 to Joliet and visited the Joliet History Museum, the new Lincoln Highway picnic shelter and an 1920s automobile dealership in Aurora where we had lunch. It continued raining until we left the Joliet museum.

Then, it was off to Dekalb where we toured the old Egyptian Theater and on to Franklin Grove where we went into the Lincoln Highway National Headquarters.

Of course, we also saw many other interesting sites along the way, but didn't stop.

A huge storm struck between Ashton and Franklin Grove with winds really bouncing the bus around.

Back in Dixon, Denny and I had drinks and eats at O'Leary's Irish Pub and went to the Lincoln Highway art show at the Loveland Community Center and had a long talk with Russel who has more Lincoln Highway postcards than probably anybody in the world. And, for that matter, lots of cards of many, many, many different roads. He has also "clinched" many roads, which means driving the whole length, including US-421 which has a southern terminus near my old younger-days stomping grounds, Carolina Beach and Fort Fisher, North Carolina.

Sure Worn Out After Today. --RoadDog


No Pun Intended: Any woman can have the body of a 21-year-old, as long as she buys him a couple drinks first.

How About Some Good Old Lincoln DNA?

The Feb. 23rd Newsweek had an article about scientists using some Abraham Lincoln DNA to determine whether or not he suffered from some diseases.

The National Museum of Health and Medicine has a glass case housing parts of the man himself: blood from the handcuff of the surgeon's shirt, snippets of his chocolate brown hair, and a handful of bone fragments removed from his skull.

Scientists have been wondering about the president's health for years. Was he suffering from malaria, small pox, depression, even syphilis? There is also discussion about three rare genetic disorders: Marfan Syndrome, spinocerebellar ataxia 5 and multiple endocrine neoplasia 2B. These should be used in spelling bees, were they ever hard to type at just one letter at a time.

ATAXIA 5

If he had this, another 90 relatives of his had it from his paternal aunt and uncle. If so, he would be a great example of someone overcoming physical challenges to achieve greatness.

MARFAN SYNDROME

Characterized by a tall, lanky body, long face, and deep-set eyes (Lincoln sure had these). If he had it, he outlived most and probably wouldn't have lived much longer.


One worry, however, is that the remnants could be damaged or lost (or stolen) in checking them.

I'm not sure where I stand on this question. It would be something to know, but then, there goes the mystery.

Oh, Well. Happy 200th A.L.. --Cooter

Happy Birthday, A.L.

Well, it was 200 years ago, today.

Even though I'm essentially Southern and a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, I have to give credit to the man. He was one amazing man. To have kept the country together during one of the worst times in its history is an amazing feat in itself, especially in light of the problems in his private life.

His sense of humor as well as ability with words, before presidents had full-time speech writers, is par excellence. Then, there was his rise from extremely humble beginnings to the nation's top office. Truly a self-made man.

Even though I was born in North Carolina, I have lived all but 11 of my 57 years in the Land of Lincoln.

We were even thinking of driving down to Springfield, Illinois, today, but have just gotten back from a 12 day trip to Florida's panhandle and a six day trip out to the Mississippi River to see the bald eagles. Time to stick around the house for awhile.

Happy Birthday, Abe. --RoadDog