August 24 (A Quadruple)

79 - Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae in volcanic ash, killing an estimated 20,000 people.

The power of the planet showed its ugly face…Earth is truly a 'Mother,' and over time will destroy, recycle and recreate us all - creating another world. As it has many, many times in the past.

410 - Rome was overrun by the Visigoths, an event often used to symbolize the Fall of the Western Roman Empire.

The 'Fall of Rome' is a difficult issue, and those who pay attention probably think I’ve repeated this matter over and over, on different events...Which is partially true.

There was no defining event signifying the end of the Empire, but a series of events which brought it down...378 should be marked as the beginning of the end (Battle of Adrianople), and 410 should be seen as the end of the beginning.

From 400-476 Rome was invaded by a succession of varying groups (Vandals, Suevis, Alans, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Burgundians, Franks, Huns, etc., etc.)

It’s a miracle Rome lasted in any form till 476, the date most historians use for the fall of the Western Empire, not 410...By the way, remember the Empire wasn't destroyed at all in the 400's, because it continued in the east (ruled from Constantinople) for another thousand plus years - a fact which adds even more confusion.

1572 - The Massacre of St. Bartholomew (August 23 and 24) killed as many as 50,000 Huguenots in Paris and its provinces. Urged on by the queen mother, Catherine de' Medici, Catholics disemboweled the young king's adviser Gaspard, Admiral de Coligny, and threw him from his window still alive. Pope Gregory XIII and all the Catholic powers congratulated Catherine, and the Pope commanded that bonfires be lit to celebrate the massacre, which he called "better than 50 Battles of Lepanto."

So much for the Religion of Peace...Ooops. Wrong religion.

But in reality, the Church of the Middle Ages was much closer to that of modern-day Islam in its behavior than modern day Christianity.

If you don't get the Battle of Lepanto reference you aren't paying attention...But you can find it here.

1968 - France became the world's fifth thermonuclear power, exploding a hydrogen bomb in the South Pacific.

Just what the world needed. I'm sure they'll hand over their nukes to the next invader they roll over for...Bunch of Vichy pukes.

1349 - Blamed for the plague, 6,000 Jews were killed in Mainz.

If in doubt blame it on the Jews...Some things never change.

1524 - The Peasant's War began.

This war was an outpouring of the peasant class (most of the populace) in the Holy Roman Empire (German states), and a natural result of the general 'protestation' against the Church.

1814 - British troops under General Robert Ross captured Washington, D.C., which they set fire to in retaliation for the American burning of the parliament building in York (Toronto), capital of Upper Canada:  War of 1812.

A little ‘tit-for-tat’...It’s terrible most Americans don’t understand the importance of the War of 1812, but it must be looked at as a continuation of the American Revolution, and an absolute statement of the young nation’s ability to defend its sovereignty, interests and citizens against the European colonial powers.

1894 - The U.S. Congress passed the first graduated income tax law, which was declared unconstitutional the next year.

UNCONSTITUTIONAL IS RIGHT!!!! Until the Leftist lawyers took over the courts that is.

1954 - The Communist Control Act went into effect, virtually outlawing the Communist Party in the United States.

No one bothered to tell the Democrats.

1966 - The U.S. Congress passed the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act. The intent of the original act was to protect owners of animals but by subsequent amendments and enforcement, the intent has shifted to protecting the animals.

What’s really insane is the same clowns who push to protect animals are the same fools who push to do as many abortions and Mengelian science projects as possible.

”Lunatic Fringe, we all know you’re out there…” - Red Ryder

1970 - A bomb planted by anti-war extremists exploded at the University of Wisconsin's Army Math Research Center in Madison, killing 33-year-old researcher Robert Fassnacht.

Bunch of John Kerry, Jane Fonda, Bill Clinton SOB’s.

Acts like this should be looked at as an act of sedition, and put down with the most harsh methods imaginable...But the Democrats won’t allow it, because it is their 'base' and kindred of spirit.  A fact we are seeing almost daily from ANTIFA.

1989 - Baseball Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti banned Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose from baseball for life after having been caught gambling.

Pete Rose was, and should have been, banned 'for life'...When he dies he should go in the Hall of Fame, as should Joe Jackson (who’s been dead for quite awhile). Both were given 'lifetime bans,' but should be in the Hall after they die.

That said, which is worse: Rose betting, or the cheating bastards who took steroids?  To me the answer isn't even close - the cheaters effected the game much more.

1991 - Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as head of the Communist Party, culminating a stunning Kremlin shakeup which followed the failed coup by hard-liners.

Who could have ever foreseen the USSR dying a quiet death...Lenin and Stalin had to be rolling over in Hell.

1999 - President Bill Clinton declared a war on tobacco, taking aim at teen smoking with new limits on the cigarette industry.

Sounds logical too me...Smoking is a terrible habit.

But how can the government 'go to war with tobacco' yet continue to subsidize the industry??? I guess the economy is more important than health...Which is fine, but we should be honest about the issue.

Another logical question for the illogical smoking crusaders:  How can they go to war against tobacco yet want to legalize drugs?