June 29, 2011











CHO-LOOKE: YOSEMITE FALL












THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN--SHERMAN'S MARCH TO THE SEA
THE BATTLE OF KENNESAW MOUNTAIN NEAR MARIETTA, GEORGIA
Sherman's 1864 campaign against Atlanta, Georgia, was initially characterized by a series of flanking maneuvers against General Joseph E. Johnston, each of which compelling the Confederate army to withdraw from heavily fortified positions with minimal casualties on either side. After two months and 70 miles of such maneuvering, Sherman's path was blocked by imposing fortifications on Kennesaw Mountain, near Marietta, Georgia, and the Union general chose to change his tactics and ordered a large-scale frontal assault on June 27, 1864.

The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was fought on June 27, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the most significant frontal assault launched by Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman against the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, ending in a tactical defeat for the Union forces.

Kennesaw Mountain was not Sherman's first large-scale frontal assault of the war, but it was his last. He interrupted his string of successful flanking maneuvers in the Atlanta campaign for logistical reasons, and also so that he could keep Johnston guessing about the tactics he would employ in the future.

In his report of the battle, Sherman wrote, "I perceived that the enemy and our officers had settled down into a conviction that I would not assault fortified lines. All looked to me to outflank. An army to be efficient, must not settle down to a single mode of offence, but must be prepared to execute any plan which promises success. I wanted, therefore, for the moral effect, to make a successful assault against the enemy behind his breastworks, and resolved to attempt it at that point where success would give the largest fruits of victory."


MARIETTA, GEORGIA












LANDSCAPE















ONE HUNDRED FAMOUS VIEWS OF EDO (TOKYO)

NUMBER SIXTY-SIX
SPIRAL HALL, FIVE HUNDRED RAKAN TEMPLE
Together with the people on the balcony, we gaze out over bright green fields on the far eastern fringe of Edo.  The view is to the northwest, over what is now Oshima 2-chome, with the houses and lumberyards along the Tatekawa Canal visible in the distance.

This balcony, some thirty feet above the ground in a completely flat expanse of the delta area of eastern Edo, was famous for its panoramic view.  More than two decades earlier, Hokusai had used the same balcony as the stage for one of his Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, with the fields below appearing as a sea of gray.












RAINBOW DIPHOGENA






It has been said, in effect, that I was a warmonger. Nothing could be further from the truth. I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting. I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a means of settling international disputes.

- - - General Douglas MacArthur






Fort Keogh is located on the western edge of Miles City, Montana. Originally a military post, today it is a United States Department of Agriculture livestock and range research station.  It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It was the development of Fort Keogh as a military installation that brought about the formation of the city of Miles City.


The fort was named for an adjutant of General Custer's, Myles Keogh, who was also killed in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.  Keogh was born in Ireland on March 25, 1840.  He had 12 brothers and sisters, and came from a very comfortable background.  Feeling the need for adventure, Keogh opted to leave the farming to his brother and enter into battle.  In 1860 he went to Italy after the Pope called for Irish men to come take up the fight to save the Papal States.  In those battles he won two medals, and later went to Rome to join the Papal Guard.

German Singing Society--Fort Keogh, 1894

But after the action was over, Keogh still felt the need to be in the thick of the battle.  He resigned his post, and in March 1862 he headed to the United States to take up battle in the American Civil War.  He was given the rank of Captain in the Union Army, and proved his ability again and again.  He won many commendations, and his bravery in the Battle of Gettysburg earned him the rank of brevet Major.  Keogh took a placement in the west wars in 1863 and began working under Custer's command until his death in battle.

Skating Party--Fort Keogh, 1890

Keogh's last minutes of battle were as tense as Custer's.  He too was surrounded by Indians and stood his ground with the company he commanded around him.  His body was later found in the center of all of the soldiers.  He also was the rider of the famous horse "Comanche" that was found walking around the battlefield.  The horse was nursed to health and became a legend.

The Good Old Days Canteen--Fort Keogh, 1890-1894












WINTER FARM












The product we know today came into being in 1902, but it had existed in similar forms for generations. During the Christmas season of 1902, packaging became an important factor. It was designed with a string attached to it so it could be hung as a Christmas tree ornament. In total, there have been 37 different varieties, currently there are 22. More than 40 million packages of these are sold each year, and they are exported to 17 countries. They are turned out at the rate of 12,000 per minute, and nearly 6,000 miles of string are used on the packages. Poet-philosopher Christopher Morley wrote a poem named for them. What are they?

???

PASS YOUR MOUSE OVER THE QUESTION MARKS FOR THE ANSWER!


ANIMAL CRACKERS

"Animal crackers, and cocoa to drink, That is the finest of suppers, I think.
When I'm grown up and can have what I please,
I think I shall always insist upon these."

by Christopher Morley

In 1902 the National Biscuit Company's Animal Biscuits assumed the legal trademark name of BARNUM'S ANIMALS. They designed the colorful five-cent box that looked like a circus wagon cage, and attached a string so the box could be hung from the Christmas tree. In total there have been 37 different animals represented since 1902. The current lineup is tiger, cougar, camel, rhinoceros, kangaroo, hippopotamus, bison, lion, hyena, zebra, elephant, sheep, bear, gorilla, monkey, seal and giraffe.










BERTHOLD'S WINGED SWORD






A FRIGATE OF THE BALTIC FLEET OFF GREENOCK






In cooking, brining is a process similar to marination in which meat is soaked in a salt solution (the brine) before cooking. Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, via the process of osmosis, and by allowing the cells to hold on to the water while they are cooked, via the process of denaturation.

Brining does a couple of things---both equally important.  It makes the meat taste better (who doesn't season with salt?).   And it makes the meat juicier.  Smoke/BBQ a chicken on the grill for 3 hours without brining and you might have a good bird.  Maybe dry it up a little bit, but good nonetheless.  Brine it first, and you have a great bird.  Doesn't work so well on beef from what I have read.

The basic brine solution is detailed below.   Some recipes call for adding flavoring ingredients such as cracked pepper, herbs, sliced peppers and such.  As long as you have the basic brine down pat your bird or hog will be so much more divine than without the brine.

BASIC BRINE

  1 gallon cold water in a non-reactive container

  3/4 cup Kosher salt (rock salt can be used, but do not use "regular" salt)

  1/2 cup sugar (light brown can be used)

Water should taste very salty---like sea water.   Add or delete salt/water as necessary.

Immerse bird (whole or parts), or pork roast/ribs/chops for up to an hour.  Cut up portions of chicken will only need about 45 minutes.  Chops/ribs around 30.

Cook as you normally would, but remember that the meat will already have salt added, so watch how much salt is added in your seasonings.


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