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Places We’d Like to Add to the United States

By Major Dan on June 14, 2021 June 14, Lists, Places, Travel

A Brief History On June 14, 1900, the United States expanded by officially adding the territory of Hawaii to is growing empire. The Pacific region became an American area of interest during the Spanish-American War in 1898, with the US adding the islands of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to its territory. Today we take a look at some places we would like to see become American someday, just as Hawaii (which I have visited and believe is truly paradise) was added over a century ago. What country or territory would you add to this list? (OK, Donald Trump,…

Book Review of Conquering Jerusalem, a New Look at the 66-73 AD Jewish Revolt

By Major Dan on June 7, 2021 Israel, Jerusalem, June 7, Military, Politics, Religion

A Brief History On June 7, 2021, we have had the opportunity to read and review a great new historical examination of “the Roman campaign to crush the Jewish revolt,” as the book calls itself. Conquering Jerusalem, by Stephen Dando-Collins, is just about 200 pages long, long enough to address detail while compact enough to keep the reader engaged. (By the way, this reviewer has personally been to Jerusalem, a fascinating place.) Digging Deeper We found the text highly readable, while retaining academic accuracy and serious addressing of facts and events, the flow of the book is more like a…

10 Incredibly Stupid Ideas!

By Major Dan on February 2, 2020 February 2, Humor, Inventions, Jerusalem, Lists, Military, Politics, Religion

A Brief History On February 2, 2020, we celebrate yet another Groundhog Day, a day in which Winter weary people find out if we are in for 6 more weeks of Winter or if we are facing the joy of an early Spring. As implied by the name of the day, an actual Groundhog is “consulted” for his (or her) “prediction.” But…. This year the animal rights organization, PETA, is recommending we immediately end this act of animal cruelty (?) and replace our beloved Marmots with (gasp!) animatronic replicas of Groundhogs! A discussion of why this plan is “stupid” is…

October 21, 1096: The First Crusade Was Not the First Crusade!

By Major Dan on October 21, 2018 Jerusalem, Military, October 21, Religion

A Brief History On October 21, 1096, a Seljuk Turk army led by Sultan Kilij Arslan I massacred a Christian army from Europe, known as the People’s Army, ending the first of the religious wars known as the Crusades. This particular “Crusade” is not considered an “official Crusade,” a distinction reserved for the Catholic Church sanctioned invasion of the Middle East (i.e., Holy Land) a year later. Digging Deeper The so called “People’s Crusade,” “Popular Crusade,” “Peasants’ Crusade” or “Paupers’ Crusade” was the work of a charismatic French monk called Peter the Hermit. In keeping with the multiple names theme,…

September 20, 1187: Saladin Lays Siege to Jerusalem, Ends Christian Domination of the Holy Land

By Major Dan on September 20, 2018 Israel, Jerusalem, Military, Politics, Religion, September 20

A Brief History On September 20, 1187, the Islamic forces of the famous Kurdish Muslim leader Saladin laid siege to the capital of the Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem, the holiest city in the Christian world and likewise in the Jewish world, and the third holiest city in Islam. By October 2, 1187, the siege came to an unusually quick conclusion when the Christians surrendered the city, never to regain the main object of the Crusades again. Saladin, an historical character praised for his humanity during a time of terrible excesses allowed generous terms for the Christians, including continued access to…

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