Alternatives

So, OSU won, and the long national nightmare is over....I am glad, mainly because everyone seemed to be in a happier mood.  Beating the SEC and then Oregon -- who I thought was pretty good -- prolly does exorcise some ghosts, and Urban knows he has a bit more job security in Cbus.  Rah.

I watched "Atlantic City" last nite as well; I liked it, even if I had to see Susan Sarandon (at least it wasn't Commie-traitor-bitch Jane Fonda).  It was a Louis Malle flick -- did not know it going in -- so I paid extra attention to the camerawork, where I think he excelled.  I think the film was interesting in what it left unsaid for the viewer...

Finished reading McPherson's Embattled Rebel today; it is about the Presidency of Jefferson Davis and his role in the Confederate war effort...I think the book could have had more detail, but I did appreciate how McPherson tried to point out that most of the time, all of Jeff's options were, if not all bad, were often not exactly good, and that -- with the exception of Lee -- he didn't have a lot of help.  One thing he discussed at some length was the decision to send Hood north after the fall of Atlanta.  I've always wondered about that; I mean, yes, it was a spectacular failure, but mainly because Hood -- for reasons known not even to him -- decided to smash his army on the Union fortifications at Franklin, setting up the catastrophe at Nashville.

Again, all of the options were bad -- Hood and his army were not strong enough to beat Sherman in Georgia -- but I think the move is panned because it failed so miserably.  What if Hood had won a battle?  For instance, had he been able to beat Schofield's army, it would have been a victory.  It would have wrecked half of the army used by Thomas a few weeks later...there might not have been an offensive (knowing Thomas and his tendencies) or it would given Hood freedom to go north, shielded by Forrest...which would have been a major headache at that stage of the game.  Thomas in the open country...I think the Union still would have had an advantage, but of course it would have caused all sorts of other troubles as Grant tried to corral Hood.