Paving the Way

This Day in History: January 10, 1901

The Modern Oil Industry Was Born
"Gusher of the Day"

Listen to a story about a man named Jed, a poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed, then one day he was shooting at some food, and up from the ground came a bubbling crude. Oil that is. Black gold. Texas tea. —Beverly Hillbillies, 1962-1971

Crude. Oil. Black gold. Texas tea. All are synonymous with the term "gusher." Of course, by the time the popular television series Beverly Hillbillies premiered, the oil industry was booming with Jed Clampett's gusher already having been preceded by thousands of others. One of those precedents was the First Great Texas Oil Gusher discovered at Spindletop Hill near Beaumont, Texas. A well at Spindletop struck oil ("came in") on January 10, 1901. As a result... continued HERE!

 

This Day in History: January 10, 1776

"Common Sense" by Thomas Paine, published

 

Thomas Paine, Common Sense (London: J. Almon, 1776).
The Charles J. Tanenbaum Collection of the Eighteenth Century TAN-0650

 "I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death." —Thomas Paine 

 

Thomas Paine spoke to the common people of America using plain language. His pamphlet Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government, as well as the royal monarchy. This production set forth his arguments and advocated American independence from Britain. It is credited with uniting average citizens with political leaders paving the way for the Declaration of Independence. The highlight of Paine's pamphlet Common Sense is the remarkable role it played in transforming a colonial squabble into the American Revolution. More to the story...

In today's society, What's Happened to COMMON SENSE? A rude awakening in today's society is the seemingly lack of common sense. Are we simply becoming robots attuned to the surroundings of a non-believing world? Are we being guided toward decisions of truth vs. perception, right vs. wrong, freedom vs. control, positive vs. negative, fact vs. opinion (and, the list goes on. . .) without real sensical thinking?
The rest of the story...

 Know your history...it is from whence you came!

 Embrace Your Past, Empower the Present, Enrich Your Future