No, The Velvet Rocket has not been forgotten. Instead, we have found ourselves in an awkward situation following our trip to the battlefields of eastern Ukraine. We obtained a lot of great material – some of our best ever – and have multiple projects in the pipeline right now, but news flow through the outlets … Continue reading
Category Archives: Miscellaneous
The Mysterious Antonov of Umm Al Quwain
Article and Photos by Bernie Debusmann If you ever find yourself driving in the small, sleepy emirate of Umm Al Quwain, you’ll no doubt soon come across an abandoned old cargo plane, which is currently used as a signboard for a local hotel. But this isn’t just any old abandoned aircraft. According to the Aero … Continue reading
Abu Hajaar And That ISIS Video On Vice…
Well, this certainly turned into a bigger story than we expected: The Washington Post, The Independent, News Australia, La Stampa, The Huffington Post, RT, The Daily Mail and many more along with a flood of Abu Hajaar internet memes… For those of you that haven’t seen it yet, Vice published a video that we provided … Continue reading
Capture Of Suspected ISIS Fighters Near Mosul
Our Peshmerga friends in the Hiza Agre Fire Force Unit 80 just sent these pictures over to us, which The Velvet Rocket audience may find interesting… A group of suspected Islamic State members detained by Hiza Agre volunteers this morning while trying to sneak across the front lines from the ISIS-controlled territory around Mosul: The … Continue reading
The Lost Libraries And Works Of Ancient History
The Lost Libraries: * During the Hellenistic Period (323-31BC) there were several major libraries in the Mediterranean world, the greatest being the Library of Alexandria, established about 300BC – it was damaged in 48BC and probably destroyed in the reign of the Roman Emperor Aurelian (270-275AD). * Alexandria’s closest rival was the library at Pergamum, … Continue reading
Programming Notes # 19
Well, it was bound to happen eventually… The pool of writers for The Velvet Rocket will no longer be exclusively a boy’s club. Yes, following a rigorous interview process and thorough security background investigation, it has been determined that Kelly Clarke is in possession of the appropriate strength of character, trustworthiness, honesty, reliability, discretion and … Continue reading
Indian Wars Campaign Medal
Following Congressional approval on January 11, 1905, the Indian Wars Campaign Medal was authorized for wear by US Army personnel via General Order 12 in 1907. The medal was awarded for service in a variety of campaigns and engagements against Indian tribes throughout the western states between 1865 and 1891. Personnel qualified for award of … Continue reading