Lost and Found – January 21st Edition

What to remember about January 21st…

• 1738  American patriot, Revolutionary War hero, and founder of Vermont, Ethan Allen is born in Litchfield, Connecticut (d. 1789)
• 1855  (21st or 23rd) American firearms designer and inventor John Moses Browning is born in Ogden, Utah (d. 1926); known as father of modern firearms
• 1861  Jefferson Davis delivers farewell speech and then resigns from the senate; will become president of the Confederate States of America
• 1924  Architect of the Bolshevik Revolution and 1st leader of the Soviet Union Vladimir Lenin dies (b. 1870); replaced by Joseph Stalin
• 1950  Former State Department official and Soviet spy Algier Hiss is convicted of perjury
• 1954  USS Nautilus is launched; worlds 1st operational nuclear powered submarine
• 1968  Initial engagements of the 66-day long Battle for Khe Sanh
• 1976  Concorde SST aircraft carries its 1st commercial passengers with simultaneous departures from London and Paris
• 1977  President Carter unconditionally pardons thousands who dodged the draft during the Vietnam War
• 1985  Ronald Reagan inaugurated to second term as president; ceremony delayed as the 20th fell on a Sunday
• 2003  U.S. Census bureau announces that Hispanic population outnumbers African-American population in U.S. for the 1st time
• 2010  Supreme Court rules in Citizens United v. FEC that portions of McCain-Feingold Act are unconstitutional; 1st Amendment prohibits limits on campaign spending by corporations and unions

From beginning in this humble shop in the old West, J.M. Browning went on to bring the world such important weapons as the M1911 pistol, the Browning M2 .50 caliber machine gun, the Browning Hi-Power pistol, the Browning Automatic Rifle, and the Browning Auto-5, and the Ithaca Model 37 semi-automatic shotgun.

Lost and Found – January 20th Edition

What to remember about January 20th…

• 1732  American Patriot and statesman Richard Henry Lee is born in Virginia; President of  Continental Congress and Senator
• 1783  Gret Britain signs peace treaty with France and Spain ending last hostilities of the American Revolution
• 1801  President John Adams nominates John Marshall to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; establishes Court role and tradition
• 1841  China cedes Hong Kong to Britain in bid to end 1st Opium War; in 1898 2nd Convention of Peking grants 99 more years of British rule; Hong Kong turned back over to China in 1997
• 1920  American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is founded
• 1942  Wansee Conference is held to inform senior Nazi officials of Hitler’s “final solution to the Jewish question” and their roles in it
• 1945  Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes 1st and only President elected to 4 terms in office; in 1947 22nd Amendment to the Constitution is passed limiting office holders to 2 terms
• 1981  20 minutes after Ronald Reagan is sworn in as the 40th President Iran releases American hostages it has held for 444 days
• 1996  Terrorist and founder of Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Yasser Arafat elected president of Palestinian National Council

25 Statements On Politics And Government

You can double-check the sourcing on these, but I think I have them right (Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it. – Edmund Burke)

1. In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm and three or more is a congress.–John Adams
2. If you don’t read the newspaper you are uninformed, if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed–Mark Twain
3. Suppose you were an idiot.. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But then I repeat myself.–Mark Twain
4. I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.–Winston Churchill
5. A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.–George Bernard Shaw
6. A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money –G. Gordon Liddy
7. Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner–James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)
8. Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.–Douglas Casey (Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University)
9. Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.–P.J. O’Rourke, Civil Libertarian
10. Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.–Frederic Bastiat, French economist(1801-1850)
11. Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it.. If it keeps moving, regulate it.. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.–Ronald Reagan (1986)
12. I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts–Will Rogers
13. If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it’s free–P.J. O’Rourke
14. In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other–Voltaire (1764)
15. Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you!–Pericles (430 B.C.)
16. No man’s life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.–Mark Twain (1866)
17. Talk is cheap except when Congress does it.–Anonymous
18. The government is like a baby’s alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.–Ronald Reagan
19. The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.–Winston Churchill
20. The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.–Mark Twain
21. The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.–Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)
22. There is no distinctly Native American criminal class save Congress–Mark Twain
23. What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.–Edward Langley, Artist (1928-1995)
24. A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.–Thomas Jefferson
25. We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.–Aesop

Lost and Found – January 11th Edition

What to remember about January 11th…

• 630  Muhammad leads army of 10,000 to conquer city of Mecca
• 1755  Founding Father, soldier, and 1st United States Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton is born (d. 1804)
• 1861  Alabama secedes from the Union ahead of the Civil War
• 1863  Union forces capture crucial fortifications at confluence of Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers; secures supply lines for coming offensive at Vicksburg
• 1908  President Theodore Roosevelt bypasses Congress’ power to designate national parks by declaring Grand Canyon a national monument
• 1935  American aviator Emilia Earhart becomes 1st to fly solo from Hawaii to North America; 18 hour flight wins her $10,000
• 1949  Cornerstone is laid for the 1st major mosque in the United States; 160-foot minaret rises above Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C.
• 1973  Baseball’s American League adopts the designated hitter rule
• 1989  President Reagan delivers his farewell address as his second term comes to a close; declares America “respected again in the world”
• 2003  Illinois Governor George Ryan commutes sentences of 167 death row inmates as a result of investigation into illegal police interrogations

Warbirds – B-1B Lancer

Today’s installment of Warbirds brings us to the supersonic, swingwing marvel the B-1B Lancer.  Unofficially known as the “Bone” (from B-one), the development and deployment of this strategic bomber increased pressure on the Soviets and helped shorten the Cold War.  The B-1’s first flight took place on December 23, 1974.

Envisioned in the 60’s as a Mach 2 replacement for the B-52, it was hoped that the Lancer would have the range and payload capacity to meet or exceed her predecessor.  Actual development of the aircraft didn’t start until the 1970’s and the design changed many times as political views of what her mission would be were revised.  President Carter actually cancelled the B-1A program after 4 aircraft were built in another misguided attempt to placate the Soviet Union.  But, the Reagan administration resurrected the project in 1981 to counter mounting worldwide Soviet adventurism.  Subsequently, Rockwell received a contract in 1982 and B-1B became operational with the U.S. Air Force October 1st, 1986.

It was known early on that the Lancer would not be able to take the place of the Venerable B-52.  What was envisioned was a strategic bomber that had the ability to elude Soviet radar and strike without warning deep within enemy territory.  Many viewed this capability as destabilizing in a Nuclear world.  However, the necessity of countering the perceived threat of the B-1B forced the Soviets into ever more unsustainable research, development, and defense spending.   Without ever delivering a nuclear weapon, the Lancer helped shorten the war.

In the 90’s, further development proceeded on the “Advanced Technology Bomber” (which became the B-2 Spirit), leading to a role change for the B-1B.  Part of the fleet was converted over to a fledgling conventional munitions capability.  However, engine issues prevented the Lancer’s participation in the Gulf War.  It would be 1998 before B-1Bs would take part in Operation Desert Fox and undertake conventional combat operations.  That successful mission against Saddam Hussein’s regime would presage deployments in Kosovo, the invasion of Iraq, Operation Enduring Freedom, and they continue to perform “armed overwatch” in support of ground forces in Afghanistan today.

Of the original 100 built, only 93 remain in the inventory and a good portion of those are in reserve storage.  Without the refits and upgrades that the Obama administration has placed on hold, the aging B-1Bs are looking ahead to retirement in the 2030s.  Debate continues over the true effectiveness of the Lancer as further deployment of the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber continues.

Further information on “Bone” can be found on the U.S. Air Force website on the B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet or in the Air Force documentary below.

 

Lost and Found – December 8th Edition

What to remember about December 8th…

• 1775  Colonial troops under Benedict Arnold and General Montgomery begin siege of Quebec; disaster awaits American forces
• 1863  Looking ahead to reunification after the war, President Lincoln issues Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconciliation
• 1941  Congress votes to declare war on Japan; Representative Jeanette Rankin is sole vote against going to war
• 1980  English musician and former member of the Beatles John Lennon is murdered in New York City by Mark David Chapman
• 1987  President Reagan and Soviet Leader Gorbachev sign 1st treaty agreeing to reductions in both nation’s nuclear arsenals
• 1993  President Clinton signs into law North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); creates worlds largest free-trade zone
• 2010  SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is launched; 1st commercially developed spacecraft to orbit Earth and return
• UPDATE:  2016  Death of American pilot, engineer, Mercury 7 astronaut, and US Senator John Herschel Glenn, Jr. (b. 1921); first American to orbit the Earth and later became the oldest person to fly in space.

Mark David Chapman reads Catcher in he Rye while waiting to assassinate John Lennon in New York City.

Lost and Found – November 23rd Edition

What to remember about November 23rd…

• 1749  Edward Rutledge, reluctant signer of the Declaration of Independence, is born in Charleston, South Carolina (d. 1800)
• 1804  14th President Franklin Pierce is born in Hillsborough, New Hampshire (d. 1869)
• 1814  Elbridge Gerry ,Vice President to James Madison, dies of heart failure while still serving in office (b. 1744)
• 1863  General Grant’s Union troops counter-attack; Battle of Chattanooga begins
• 1943  Islands of Tarawa and Makin fall to U.S. forces
• 1981  President Reagan signs secret order ordering CIA to organize and recruit Nicaraguan Contra rebels
• 1985  Palestinian terrorists hijack Egyptian airliner; 60 hostages die either at captors hands or during botched rescue attempt
• 2004  World of Warcraft MMORPG is released

Lost and Found – November 19th Edition

What to remember about November 19th…

• 1794  U.S. and Great Britain sign Jay’s Treaty to resolve issues still creating tension after end of the Revolutionary War
• 1831  Future President James A. Garfield is born near Cleveland, Ohio (d. 1881)
• 1863  President Lincoln delivers Gettysburg Address at dedication for military cemetery in Pennsylvania
• 1942  Soviets begin counterattack at Battle of Stalingrad; by January this battle will turn the tide in the Allies favor
• 1967  For heroism on the battlefield this day U.S. Army Chaplain Charles Watters will receive Medal of Honor (posthumously)
• 1977  Egyptian President Anwar Sadat is 1st Arab leader to set foot in Israel; peace process moves forward
• 1985  President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet for 1st time at summit in Geneva
• 1998  Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives begins impeachment hearings for President Clinton
• 2002  Cameras capture King of Pop Michael Jackson dangling his infant son from a hotel balcony in Berlin
• 2006  Nintendo releases their 7th generation gaming console the Wii

Lost and Found – November 18th Edition

What to remember about November 18th…

• 1493  Christopher Columbus 1st sights island of Puerto Rico
• 1865  Mark Twain has 1st publishing success with printing of The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
• 1886  Former President Chester A. Arthur dies in New York City from complications of Bright’s Disease (b. 1829)
• 1928  Walt Disney animated film Steamboat Willie is released; 1st cartoon with synchronized sound
• 1961  President Kennedy sends 18,000 military advisors to Vietnam
• 1978  Over 900 die in mass murder-suicide in Guyana at cult leader Jim Jones’ order; most die from cyanide-laced Kool-aid
• 1988  President Reagan signs bill authorizing death penalty for drug traffickers that kill
• 2004  William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park opens in Little Rock, Arkansas

Lost and Found – November 8th Edition

What to remember about November 8th…

• 1889  Montana is admitted as 41st state in the Union
• 1900  American journalist and author Margaret Mitchell is born in Atlanta, Georgia; most famous for “Gone With The Wind“
• 1923  Adolf Hitler attempts to seize power for the 1st time with Beer Hall Putsch in Munich; he will spend 5 years in prison
• 1939  Hitler survives assassination attempt; blames British spies
• 1942  Allied forces land in North Africa for Operation Torch
• 1950  American pilot Lt. Russell J. Brown shoots down 2 North Korean MiG-15 fighters; first jet-to-jet dogfight in history
• 1965  Army medic Lawrence Joel earns Medal of Honor for aiding his comrades though he had been wounded twice himself
• 1966  Ronald Reagan is elected governor of California
• 1974  Serial killer Ted Bundy botches kidnapping of Carol DaRonch in Utah; later he is arrested for attack but escapes from jail
• 2000  Statewide recount begins in Florida to decide 2000 U.S. presidential election
• UPDATE:  2016  Donald John Trump (R) defeats Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) becoming the 45th President of the United States