A Brief History On October 7, 1988, a native Alaskan hunter found three Gray Whales trapped by the sea ice near Point Barrow, Alaska in the Beaufort Sea, initiating a chain of events that culminated in a massive international rescue effort of the giant cetaceans. The rescue effort, named Operation Breakthrough, failed to save the youngest whale, which died before being freed, and the fate of the other 2 whales that were ultimately freed is unknown. Digging Deeper Whales and their kin have been hunted by humans ever since humans took to the sea in any sort of boat. Prior…
Author: Major Dan
Major Dan
Major Daniel Zar is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.
Read More
A Brief History On September 20, 1947, Fiorello La Guardia, the most famous as the Mayor of New York City (1934-1945), died at the age of 64 of pancreatic cancer. Also serving as a Representative to Congress from New York (1923-1933), La Guardia was distinguished enough to serve as the second 2nd Director General of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in 1946, an organization created to assist the victims of World War II. A highly respected politician, La Guardia stands in stark contrast to some of the not so respectable politicians of today and the past. Today we…
A Brief History On September 15, 2021, we took a ride through the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to enjoy the annual Asian Lantern Festival. Available as a walk through or a ride through (in your car), this colorful homage to the Asian Lantern Festival tradition is currently in its 4th year at the Cleveland Zoo, an indication of its popularity. Far from merely a bunch of colorful lanterns, the numerous decorations grouped into 70 displays include all sorts of animatronic flowers and animals as well. Zoo visitors may tour the exhibit either during daylight or in time of darkness when the…
A Brief History On August 23, 1244, the main central citadel of the city of Jerusalem, the Tower of David, fell to the invaders from the remnants of the Khwarezmian Empire, a vast polyglot land that included parts of what is now Iran and Afghanistan along with other areas in Central Asia. Afghanistan has a long history of war and fighting, and the people there have been battle hardened by centuries of conflict. In August of 2021, the lone military super power in the world, the United States of America, has found out the hard way that Afghanistan may be…
A Brief History On August 6, 2021, we got to watch our long awaited viewing of the latest film in the DC comic book based movie universe, The Suicide Squad, a sequel to the 2016 blockbuster movie, Suicide Squad, though in a stand alone sort of way, using some of but not all the same characters. In a word, this movie is Great! Action, lots of colorful action, gore and comedy rolled into a 132 minute package that feels like a half hour of mayhem. Wow, this time they really hit the mark… Digging Deeper While we do not like…