Update on my resolution, plus a fun new feature!
This morning I weighed myself. As my loyal readers know, I have one New Year resolution - to lose weight. I started out the year at a ridiculous 234 pounds, earning the opprobrium of my skinny friends worldwide! This morning I weighed 217 pounds, so I lost 17 pounds in 12 months. Which is fine, and it's also fine that in December, despite the last few weeks of visiting relatives and big amounts of food, I lost a pound. But when you consider that at the beginning of June I was at 213, it's not all that great. Sigh. This year my goal is to get below 200 pounds. I'll keep you updated.
Earlier this week I bought 365: Your Date With History, which lists each day of the year and significant historical events that happened on that date. I thought I'd share, so come back every day to learn if something interesting happened today! Today's event:
1 January 1863: Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all the slaves in the United States. Most people already know this about Lincoln, but freeing the slaves was not his primary concern. He wanted to preserve the Union, and he would have kept the slaves if it meant keeping the country together. When he realized that freeing the slaves was the only way he could keep the country together, he did so. He waited until the North looked like it would win the war (after Antietam in September) because he wanted to negotiate from a position of strength, and then this became law. Lincoln was a great president not because he did the right thing, but because he tried to do what was best for the country even if he personally didn't like it. He was anti-slavery, but didn't free the slaves until 1863 because he thought it was best for the country. Only in hindsight did we come to recognize Lincoln as a great president. That's why, even though I dislike Bush and think he's a bad president, we can't really judge until we have a few years to digest his presidency. Although it seems that Bush does what he personally believes in whether it's good for the country or not, which seems to be the opposite of Lincoln. We'll see.
Go on, impress your friends with your newfound knowledge! They will shower you with compliments!
Earlier this week I bought 365: Your Date With History, which lists each day of the year and significant historical events that happened on that date. I thought I'd share, so come back every day to learn if something interesting happened today! Today's event:
1 January 1863: Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all the slaves in the United States. Most people already know this about Lincoln, but freeing the slaves was not his primary concern. He wanted to preserve the Union, and he would have kept the slaves if it meant keeping the country together. When he realized that freeing the slaves was the only way he could keep the country together, he did so. He waited until the North looked like it would win the war (after Antietam in September) because he wanted to negotiate from a position of strength, and then this became law. Lincoln was a great president not because he did the right thing, but because he tried to do what was best for the country even if he personally didn't like it. He was anti-slavery, but didn't free the slaves until 1863 because he thought it was best for the country. Only in hindsight did we come to recognize Lincoln as a great president. That's why, even though I dislike Bush and think he's a bad president, we can't really judge until we have a few years to digest his presidency. Although it seems that Bush does what he personally believes in whether it's good for the country or not, which seems to be the opposite of Lincoln. We'll see.
Go on, impress your friends with your newfound knowledge! They will shower you with compliments!
posted by Greg | 9:32 AM
3 Comments:
No, I haven't. Tell me about it, please - anything that begins with "gross" has to be good!
I did already know this, but wanted to say I enjoy your musings. More linkfests soon?
I'll probably be able to surf the Internet this week, Chance. So the links will probably be back next weekend. I hope. It's always dicey because of the Demon Children and the demands they make on my time.
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