What will be the hot military items in 2016? Trends in the military hobby are not always difficult to predict: Items that soldiers were eager to find as souvenirs have become the hot collectibles today. For example, German Luger pistols … More
JAG File
The Night Santa Stole a Tank.
Just as the midnight moon broke free from the clouds on Christmas eve, the only sound in a small southeastern Minnesota town came from the Peterbilt cabover releasing its air brakes. In the moonlight, three people clad in Santa Clause … More
Lessons From Opening Day
“Do you deer hunt, John?” my 30-something neighbor yelled across the road separating our town houses. I suppose, seeing someone sitting in a garage, cleaning a rifle in late November, indicates that person must be a hunter. He probably couldn’t … More
Know the facts before crying ‘wolf!’
Most will remember the Aesop’s fable, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” The tale concerns a shepherd boy who repeatedly tricked nearby villagers into thinking a wolf is attacking his flock. When a wolf actually does appear, and the boy again … More
A Halloween Tale
With his head wrapped in what appeared to be bandages, a dark bloody figure rolled out of the Belgian darkness on All Hallows’ Eve in 1914 into the entrenchment of a huddled group of British soldiers. Regaining their composure, the … More
THE “PHYSICS” OF RESEARCH
“Being a physicist, I am interested in what makes things work,” a stranger announced to me. We happened to be sitting next to each at a dinner for two young lawyers who just got married. “That said, I am fascinated … More
Let’s Trade!
It might surprise some to know, I am not much of a “trader.” After living a childhood marred by bad trades for model tanks, fireworks, and football cards, I grew up to realize the best trades begin with, “I will … More
Put this under your table.
I admit it. I am guilty of one of the most selfish show tactics. Hopefully, you don’t recognize yourself in my confession. It happened several years ago. I was walking a show, stopped at a friend’s table who had a … More
Rosie the Riveter: A True Symbol of Labor
Labor Day is one of those days when the original meaning is lost in a mix of smoke from grills, exhaust from millions of cars as Americans scramble to enjoy one last day before “summer ends.” This clamor to enjoy … More
Remembering When the Belgian Lion Roared
In the spring of 1910, a Belgian farmer by the name of Adolph Coninx sold all of his property, bid farewell to his two eldest children, and together with his wife and his nine other children, boarder the SS Vaterland … More