Ask Grandstander

[Nighthawk]

Why are people so interested in classic rock? Doesn't look like such a big deal to me...

[jtur88]

Are you in favor of the proposal that whenever the 31st of the month falls on a Monday, it is a holiday, because it has to share a square on a calendar with the 24th, and there isn't enough space to write in appointments for another normal business day?

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by Nighthawk

Why are people so interested in classic rock? Doesn't look like such a big deal to me...

They are still trying to figure out who painted it red.

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Are you in favor of the proposal that whenever the 31st of the month falls on a Monday, it is a holiday, because it has to share a square on a calendar with the 24th, and there isn't enough space to write in appointments for another normal business day?

I'm in favor of all days being holidays and feel that any sort of excuse justifies any sort of holiday.

[vtred]

Weekly "what if" fight match-up:

Iphone vs. Bat phone?

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by vtred

Weekly "what if" fight match-up:

Iphone vs. Bat phone?

Gotta go with the Batphone because it summons Batman. The Iphone summons I-Man, disgraced former shockjock Don Imus, and he's no damn good at all at battling supervillains. Batman punches them out and sends them to jail. Iman interviews them and mocks them a bit, but that seems to have no deterent effect on their criminal ways at all.

[heyterry]

How about an interesting story from the War of 1812 that we probably wouldn't hear anywhere but here?

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by heyterry

How about an interesting story from the War of 1812 that we probably wouldn't hear anywhere but here?

The war produced if not the worst, than certainly one of the worst generals in American military history. This was William Hull who had a reasonably decent record as a lower ranking officer during the Revolution. He went into law practice after the war and eventually was appointed governor of the Michigan territory. When the 1812 war erupted, he was made a brigadier general and charged with conducting the western portion of America's invasion of Canada.

He opened affairs by issuing an especially bombastic threat to destroy all in his path if the Brits and Canadians failed to surrender without resisting. He got his force underway, moving out of Detroit and into Canada, and then instantly retreated depsite no opposition when he received the news that the American outpost at Mackinac Island had been captured. Despite outnumbering the enemy by two to one, Hull continued to retreat after losing small scale battles, one of which was the incredibly humiliating battle of Brownsville where 200 Americans were utterly routed by 25 Indians led by Tecumseh. The other was the battle of Maguaga where 600 Americans escorting a supply column were attacked and scattered by 205 Brits and their Indian allies. (This was an astonishingly inept battle by both sides, the Brits throwing away a chance for a large victory when they screwed up and fired a volley into their Indian allies. ) These setbacks sent Hull flying back to his starting point in Detroit.

Forted up in Detroit with 2500 soldiers, Hull then stupidly fell for a trick by his opponent, British general Issac Brock, who managed to magnify his 1,200 member force by sending a fake message meant to be captured where he claimed 5000 Indians were on their way to join in the siege of Detroit. Hull bought this and surrendered Detroit and his entire force without a fight.

Hull was ultimately court martialed and sentenced to death for his wretched performance, but President Madison pardoned him. There was probably some justice to the pardon in that an examination of the whole story shows Hull was hardly alone in ineptitude, the entire campaign was the definition of a cluster-flub from conception to execution.

[phenweigh]

My college history professor blamed the US Civil War on young women. His premise was that the only reason young men would subject themselves to the horrors of that war was to impress their girlfriends/wives that they were as brave and noble as the females expected them to be. He read personal letters to support his argument. Was he simply being provocative to stir class discussion, or does he make a legitimate point?

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by phenweigh

My college history professor blamed the US Civil War on young women. His premise was that the only reason young men would subject themselves to the horrors of that war was to impress their girlfriends/wives that they were as brave and noble as the females expected them to be. He read personal letters to support his argument. Was he simply being provocative to stir class discussion, or does he make a legitimate point?

Blaming it on women makes it sound like it was all their fault. That the war was started for such reasons seems a casual, blunderbus thesis, but that the South was sustained by their women is certainly correct.

Sherman wrote a great deal on the subject and it was the support and encouragement of women on the home front which helped him make the determination that total war was going to be needed to crush the South and end the rebellion.

I suspect that your Prof actually said that women were among those deserving of blame.

[jtur88]

Hand-to-hand, Vladimir Putin vs. Arnold Schwartzenegger.

[skrable]

Didn't Lincoln blame the Civil War on Harriet Beecher Stowe?

[phenweigh]

Originally Posted by Grandstander

Blaming it on women makes it sound like it was all their fault. ... I suspect that your Prof actually said that women were among those deserving of blame.

He was pretty much solely blaming women. So I take it you believe he was only trying to stir discussion. Which is what I thought, but he may have been a nutcase. Anyway, it was effective in getting the students to discuss why we thought he was wrong, especially with the females in the class.

What is your fondest Independence Day memory? (Note: I'm not referring to the movie.)

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Hand-to-hand, Vladimir Putin vs. Arnold Schwartzenegger.

Arnold the Barbarian is backed by Krom.

'nuff said.

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by skrable

Didn't Lincoln blame the Civil War on Harriet Beecher Stowe?

Tongue in cheek he did. When he was introduced to her, he said "Well, here's the little lady who started this war" or something close to that.