A Brief History On July 14, 2004, Robert Novak of the Washington Post exercised irresponsible journalistic ethics by publishing an article outing Valerie Plame as a CIA operative. Digging Deeper Plame was the wife of Ambassador Joseph Wilson, a career diplomat that had been the US Ambassador to a few minor countries and had served other diplomatic roles.  Plame, who was already a CIA agent when she married Wilson, was used to good advantage by the CIA with her husband providing diplomatic cover. All that changed when Wilson angered the administration of George W. Bush by publicly opposing the expected invasion of…

A Brief History On July 14, 1933, the Nazi Party that had just taken power in Germany began a program of eugenics with their institution of The Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring.  This law demanded the sterilization of any person deemed to have a genetic disorder. Digging Deeper The alleged goal of the this program was a purification of the gene pool, with allowing genetically “fit” people to reproduce abundantly without their children having to compete for valuable resources with genetically inferior children.  Achieving this goal would theoretically make the German people and thus the German state…

A Brief History On July 14, 1881, the outlaw known as Billy the Kid was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in New Mexico.  The Kid was a wild one, having killed at least 8 men and possibly many more (legend says 21) by the time he was 21 years old.  The West was called Wild for a reason.  Outlaws and rough justice were the way of life and battles between ranchers, rustlers, cattlemen, and robbers were not rare.  Here we list 10 of the wildest of the characters that made the West Wild.   Digging Deeper 10. Apache Kid. Named…

A Brief History On July 13, 1863, New Yorkers angry about military conscription (draft) started 3 days of rioting that would go down in history as the worst US riot ever. Digging Deeper White New Yorkers, largely poor Irish immigrants, could not afford to buy their way out of the draft like rich people could.  Nor could they afford to pay someone else to take their place, and they cared little one way or another about the issue of African slavery.  African Americans were not subject to the draft, further inflaming rage against them. With the Emancipation Proclamation of January…

A Brief History On July 13, 1923, the world famous “Hollywood” sign first loomed above Hollywood on the hills outside Los Angeles.  The sign originally read “Hollywoodland” but it was shortened in 1949 to a simple “Hollywood.”  Since then, the sign has become the symbol of Hollywood, unmistakable and iconic.  Back on March 31, 2014 we listed 10 Iconic Structures that Identify a City, and today we will do it again, with a sequel that will catch some of those iconic structures neglected last time.   Digging Deeper 10. Christ The Redeemer, Rio De Janiero. Towering 98 feet tall (and standing on…