U.S. Navy Jack Flag
May 4, 2024
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April 30, 1798 — The United States Department of the Navy (DoN) was established by an Act of Congress to provide a government organizational structure to the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps (from 1834 onward) and, when directed by the President (or Congress during time of war), the United States Coast Guard, as a service within the Navy, though each remain independent service branches.
Categories: Shaving the Yak
Book Review: Open Cockpit
May 2, 2024
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Open Cockpit is a well-written account of a Royal Air Force pilot during World War I, from Arthur Gould Lee’s initial instruction, deployment, and return to England to command a training squadron. The book’s best parts were the descriptions from the cockpits of Sopwith Pups and Camels he flew during the war. I had no idea that pilots patrolled up to 20,000 feet exposed in the open cockpits of the Pups, where they had the only performance advantage over the German Albatross aircraft. Lee also has some less-than-favorable things to say about ground strafing. There are insights into the thoughts and feelings of pilots and comparisons between life on the air base and the trenches. One of the best WWI aviation books written. (5 of 5 Stars)
Categories: What I've Read
Conch Republic Flag
April 27, 2024
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April 23, 1982 — The Conch Republic (República de la Concha) declared itself a micronation as a tongue-in-cheek secession of the city of Key West, Florida, from the United States.
Categories: Shaving the Yak
Book Review: The King Tides
April 25, 2024
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The storyline in this mystery is okay, though please bring a healthy suspension of disbelief to make it to the end, but that’s okay because the plot moves along quickly. Frankly, the main characters aren’t all that memorable and the author invests an awful lot of narration explaining things that need no explanation—like what a calculator app is on a smart phone. And why in the world is the hero, Jon Lancaster, reading a weather app on a suspect’s phone? Don’t ask, just move along. (3 of 5 Stars)
Categories: What I've Read