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

Random Musings of an Old Fart

I just had reason to look back across my posting history, and… wow. Hard to believe this roller-coaster ride’s been going on two years already… and how many good people we’ve had on this team, and that I appear to be the last one left of the original group.

• December 2015: After an intermittent series of Open Threads by Westcoastpatriette, decision is made to initiate a Daily Open Thread. TNgal (we miss you, wherever you are!) is first team leader. Starting cadre is TNgal, myself, Checkmate2012, and Dan Sweigard.
• April 2016: Beginning of transition with “1st generation” WC members dropping out in the midst of acrimonious primary and transition from Erick’s RedState to Leon’s.
• August 2016: With TNgal’s disappearance (next-to-last of the Original Four), consensus settles on earhartam as interim Team Lead, since made permanent.
• November 2016: ColonelFlagg joins the team; RS Dept. of History formally established to expand from just a modest “this week” blurb to full features soon after.
• Now: The team has grown almost enough to have a dedicated contributor for each day of the week, and the WC has become ensconced as a minor institution here.

Not patting myself on the back, just looking back and thinking of departed teammates dearly missed. (And to tell the truth, I never thought I’d last this long, given my openness about being an EX-Republican thanks to the Huckster and some of his local Jonestowners, and more “libertarian” than “True Conservative”!) Fair Winds and Following Seas, wherever you all are now… that, and starting to think that maybe it’s time for me to start looking for and grooming a protege, someone to start some On-the-Job Training with at first one, then maybe two WC’s a month while waiting for my domino to fall. (Don’t panic, I have no plans on going anywhere anytime soon–unless Streiff leaves this site for any reason, then I’m outta here without so much as the delay of a “Hasta Luego.” Just remembering the chaos when the Team was decapitated, and starting to think it might be prudent to work on a plan for a smoother transition when the time comes to finish the passing of the torch to the new generation–though I think I’m now past the second generation of WC Team and into the third… and starting to feel like a relic of a bygone era at times.)

This Week In History

• Sunday, 12/31: Montgomery turned back from Quebec invasion, 1775; Virginia divided, 1862; incandescent light first demonstrated, 1879; Breakup of the Bells, 1983
• Monday, 1/1: “Amazing Grace” first sung, 1773; Norfolk burned, 1776; Emancipation Proclamation takes effect, 1863; The Rock opens for business, 1934
• Tuesday, 1/2: Northwest Indian War begins in Ohio, 1791; Battle of Stones River/Murfreesboro ends, 1863; Duquesne spy ring convicted, 1942; Reagan sworn in as California governor, 1967
• Wednesday, 1/3: Battle of Princeton, 1777; Brooklyn Bridge construction begins, 1870; Boyington shot down, 1944; Hamilton introduces first electric wristwatch, 1957
• Thursday, 1/4: Colt sells first revolver to US government, 1847; NYSE opens first permanent HQ, 1865; USN Tomcats win Round Two against Libyan MiGs over Gulf of Sidra, 1989
• Friday, 1/5: Arnold leads burning of Richmond, 1781; House votes to terminate US/UK joint control of Oregon Territory, 1846; Golden Gate Bridge construction begins, 1933
• Saturday, 1/6: Washington National Cathedral chartered, 1893; Edison’s last patent application, 1931; “Four Freedoms,” 1941; Pan Am offers first round-the-world air ticket, 1947

Today’s Birthdays: Author J.R.R. Tolkien, 1892; musician-comedian Victor Borge, 1909; filmmaker Sergio *wah wah wah* Leone, 1929; TV producer Glen Larson, 1937; actor Mel Gibson, 1956.

Holidays Around the World: Armenia celebrates Nakhatsenendyan toner from today to the 5th; Japan has the Tamaseseri Festival.

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 an SCCY CPX-3 .380ACP or Glock 19 Gen 5 9mm pistol package: http://americanhandgunner.com/giveaway/
• *Guns Magazine, for a Devil Dog Arms RIS-15 AR-pattern rifle or Auto-Ordnance 1911BKOW WWII-style .45 pistol package: http://gunsmagazine.com/giveaway/
• Davidson’s Gallery of Guns, for one of two SCCY CPX-2 subcompact 9mm pistols: https://ggg.galleryofguns.com/
• GrabAGun, for a Springfield TRP Operator 10mm 1911 pistol: http://grabagun.com/giveaway
• Springfield Armory, for another TRP Operator 10mm 1911: http://www.springfield-armory.com/resources/giveaways/

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

Quote of the Day

Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.–Mark Twain

As always, the Watercooler is an Open Thread. And as so eloquently coined by ntrepid, “Thanks for the click! Your effort helps fund future posts of this nature.”

“It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.”–Voltaire