A Brief History On November 5, 2020, we screened an advance showing of the new motion picture starring Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, Let Him Go, a film set to open the next day. (Release was delayed from August 2020 to November 6, 2020, because of the coronavirus pandemic.) Set in the late 1950’s in the remote areas of Montana and North Dakota, the movie takes us to dark places of life altering events and decisions. Neither eye candy nor uplifting, the film is drama with a hint of horror. If you have read our previous movie reviews, you will…
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.
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A Brief History On December 14, 1909, the last paving brick was laid at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana, giving the venue its iconic nickname, The Brickyard. Previously, the racing surface was a miserable concoction of limestone, gravel, tar and oil, a surface that ate the tires of cars and motorcycles for lunch! Road surfaces and the motor vehicles that drive on them have improved immeasurably in the years since 1909, and today we take a look at some of the automotive gadgets and features we believe best illustrates those advances. As always, feel free to nominate those automotive…
A Brief History On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Imperial Navy conducted a surprise (or less politically correct, “sneak”) attack against the US military installations and ships at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The early morning attack undoubtedly caught many Americans in the bathroom, doing their “duty.” Those American heroes had to be desperate to finish their business with “John” and get to their military duties, undoubtedly having no time to contemplate the fantastic advances in bathroom technology that makes our lives so much more bearable. Today we look at a sampling of things you might take for granted but were actually…
A Brief History On November 30, 1718, while manning a front line trench in a battle in Norway, the King of Sweden, Charles XII, was killed by either a musket ball or a grape shot ball right through his head. Despite the horrific wound, he immediately grasped his head at the entrance wound with his left hand, leaving his glove soaked in blood. Not only are we not sure if the fatal shot came from a musket or a cannon, but we are also left with various conspiracy theories that the King may have been accidentally or purposely shot by…
A Brief History On November 23, 2009, the Philippines were the scene of a travesty of failed democracy when in the town of Ampatuan in Maguindanao province on Mindanao, 58 people were slaughtered while on their way to formally file for a candidate for governor, including the wife and two sisters of the candidate. In late October of 2020, as this article is being written, the United States Presidential and General elections looming for November 3, 2020, seem to hold an almost certain level of distrust, dissatisfaction, and even potential violence in an election predicted to be plagued by accusations…