#NotInMYName

Welcome back to another installment of the Watercooler, RedState’s daily Open Thread! Today, we’ve got…

IN MEMORIAM: John “Jack” Keil

If you were alive in the 1980s, you remember the gravelly-voiced, trenchcoat-wearing McGruff the Crime Dog and his catchy “Take a Bite Out of Crime” tagline. Sadly, the brains and voice behind the grizzled, world-wise canine crimefighter, adman Jack Keil, passed away yesterday at the age of 94.

In Pace Requiescat.

Weird News

• Seems Maine has their own version of Punxsutawney Phil. He’s Passy Pete the Lobster, and was just fished out of the river predicting six more weeks of summer.
• Seems somebody in Lititz, Pennsylvania is just a LITTLE too hyped about the upcoming movie adaptation of Stephen King’s It… local cops are freaked out by all the red balloons tied to local sewer grates just like the killer clown’s signature lure.
• Car stolen in 1979 returns to owner, almost forty years later.

This Week In History

• Sunday, 9/3: U.S. flag first flown in battle, 1777; Treaty of Paris ends Revolutionary War, 1783; invasion of Italian mainland, 1943
• Monday, 9/4: L.A. founded, 1781; “Dawn of Electrical Age,” 1882; Geronimo surrenders, 1886; Mark Spitz first to win seven medals in one Olympics, 1972
• Tuesday, 9/5: 1st Continental Congress convenes, 1774; first legal Forward Pass, 1906; Camp David peace talks begin, 1978
• Wednesday, 9/6: Thoreau leaves Walden, 1847; Piggly Wiggly first self-service grocery store, 1916; Belyenko defects with MiG-25, 1976
• Thursday, 9/7: USS Turtle attempts first submarine attack, 1776; Ft. Wagner taken, 1863; first Miss America pageant, 1921
• Friday, 9/8: Astor’s fur traders set sail for Oregon, 1810; Grant drives Northern Pacific Ry.’s golden spike, 1883; Star Trek premieres, 1966
• Saturday, 9/9: United States officially named, 1776; California statehood (OOPS!), 1850; Attica Prison Riot begins, 1971

Today’s Birthdays: Soldier-statesman William Rosecrans, 1819; “Flying Tigers” leader Claire Lee Chennault, 1893; “Twister” game creator Charles Foley, 1930

Holidays Around the World: It’s National Coffee Ice Cream Day here. Bulgaria celebrates Unification Day, Swaziland has their Independence Day, and Bonaire observes their Flag Day.

This Week In History is compiled with assistance from History.com and Wikipedia. Something interesting not listed here? Please share in the Comments section–this is an Audience Participation Encouraged featurette.

Gratuitous Gun Giveaways

• *American Handgunner magazine, for a Glock 19 Gen 5 9mm pistol, Coonan Arms .357 Magnum 1911 pistol, or Taurus Air-Lite .38 revolver (Taurus ends 9/13): http://americanhandgunner.com/giveaway/
• *Guns Magazine, for an EAA Tanfoglio pistol or BlackSword Scythe AR15 package: http://gunsmagazine.com/giveaway/
• Davidson’s Gallery of Guns, for a 7mm Remington 700 American Wilderness Rifle or Remington V3 Field Sport 12ga shotgun: https://ggg.galleryofguns.com/
• *Aero Precision, for a custom AR15: http://gvwy.io/xonvd81

*Note: FMG Publishing giveaways require you to provide an FFL dealer’s info at entry. Aero Precision giveaways give me one entry each per person who uses my referral link.

Quote of the Day

History teaches that when you become indifferent and lose the will to fight, someone who *has* the will to fight will take over.
–Col. Arthur “Bull” Simons, delivering words of wisdom that so many of our Congressional Do-Nothing Douchebags would be wise to heed

As always, the Watercooler is an Open Thread. Now that you’ve had a chance to wet your whistle, the table’s all yours to leave your tasty morsels of commentary…