A Brief History On October 29, 2018, Americans celebrate National Cat Day, or at least some Americans do. Those with bumper stickers that say “Cats, the Other White Meat” probably pass on the opportunity to regale themselves in cat trivia. If you are one of these anti-cat people (“I Like Cats, They’re Delicious” bumper sticker), pass this article up and wait for National Dachshund Day or something! (For the record, we are “Dog people,” not “Cat people,” though we do see the brighter side of having cats around.) Feel free to take exception to any of our reasons to love…
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 October 27, 1553, a Spanish scientist versed in many disciplines, Michael Servetus, was burned at the stake for heresy. The first researcher to correctly identify pulmonary circulation as the aeration of the blood through the lungs, his mind was a valuable tool for the Renaissance world that was snuffed out because of religious bigotry, a problem history has seen again and again over the years. Does religion continue to suppress the advance of science? Are religion and science incompatible? Today, we look at some of the ways religion and science have crossed swords over the years,…
A Brief History On October 26, 2001, President George W. Bush signed a new law into effect known familiarly as “The Patriot Act” or “The USA Patriot Act.” Of course, the name intentionally evokes nationalistic feelings in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the subsequent Anthrax terrorist mailings, but did you know the name is actually an acronym? It is, with the long version called, “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001,” (Note how the first letters in the words spell out USA PATRIOT ACT) a…
A Brief History On October 25, 1999, American golfing professional Payne Stewart was on a Learjet chartered to fly from Florida to Texas, when the jet apparently lost pressurization (air rapidly leaked out of the plane) causing all on board, including the pilots, to pass out. Or the jet failed to ever properly pressurize in the first place. The pilot-less jet continued on a 1500 mile flight with no one on board regaining consciousness. When the jet ran out of fuel over South Dakota, it fell uncontrolled out of the sky and crashed. All aboard the Learjet were dead, probably…
A Brief History On October 24, 2018, Americans have just two days to wait for the latest action-adventure movie showcasing brave and capable American heroes saving the world, a submarine based thriller featuring almost super-hero-like Navy Seals. Oddly enough, Hunter Killer has a high profile cast of Hollywood stars that are not even American! Gerard Butler (Scottish, as the captain of the USS Arkansas), Gary Oldman (English, as the American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff), Caroline Goodall (English, as the American President), David Gyasi (British, as Chief of the Boat on the Arkansas), Troy Stephens (English as the…