Magic Glue

Second World War, the Japanese were spread out all over the creation of Indochina and trying to break into India (i.e., Kohima, the battle of). Their supply lines were overtaxed and medical situation desperate. What, someone asked, could be done to quickly seal up hemmoraging wounds so that a soldier could live long enough to be transported to a proper hospital? be healed? and returned to the field?

The solution was not better bandaging but glue. Instant glue. It worked, it did not work without complications, and it was often a disaster for the tragic victim who might have been left better off it his wound had been compressed and left to air.

It was more than thirty years before that technology resurfaced as a practical item among homeowner supplies, for kitchen, for shop, for office. Now it is produced under a variety of brand names by several manufacturers.

At least one of them is working with medical researchers to improve the way military corpsmen can seal the wounds of soldier in the field long enough for transport to a proper hospital. The experiments are beyond the stage of tryouts and have become commonplace in some field supplies. Tomorrow, you will be stuffing a small tube in your pack for a canoe trip into the remotest waters of the United States and Canada. And you certainly wouldn't go (e.g.) up the Amazon with less than several tubes.

Military necessity seems to be the common source of most new and useful items for the citizen and homeowner.

As for what that neighborhood T-cell ressearcher did for you recently? If you run a pizza shop, maybe you got a midnight order. Not bad ... but somehow it doesn't stick ... like magic glue or (speaking of the military) duct tape.

Red, White & Blue River Valley of Tears

They used to derisively assert that Ronald Reagan was a cowboy, and a dull-minded one at that, who fell asleep during important staff meetings, and drifted off during meetings that had consequence for matters of state, here and abroad.

Then he upped and managed to take the edge off the cold war (no, I do not believe all the cold warriors are dead: Putin, the former KGB official is beginning to look only too much like himself as he responds to the Chechnyan terrorist assaults on the grand country for which he holds responsiblity) and won the heart and confidence of his primary opponent Michael Gorbachav, who closed up the USSR shop and moved to Santa Barbara, CA -- then later followed the casson carrying the body of the deceased Preesident around the country. Now we learn something else that gives color, texture, and depth to the Old Ranger:

"In a newly reissued book, 'Musical Highlights from the White House' (Krieger Publishing), [music historian] Ms. [Elise] Kirk describes chronologically the musical events that have occurred over the years in the executive mansion, as well as the presidents' own instrumental abilities.
....
"More recently, President Reagan betrayed a little musical talent in the last days of his administration, recalls U.S. Marine Band conductor Col. John Bourgeois.

"'It was the day he was saying farewell to his staff, and I presented him with a Marine Band harmonica," Col. Bourgeois says. Mr. Reagan accepted the harmonica and played "Red River Valley," "which was rather
poignant in a way.'"

Rather.

If we do not confuse ourselves with too much self-satisfaction in name calling and twisting the truth for personal or partisan advantage in the wistful exercise of false witness, perhaps we will finally acknowledge that to be a cowboy, to follow the "cowboy code," is something more than an after-the-fact exercise in convenient nostalgia. Ride the river.