Friday Follies...

Welcome to the weekend...and a FULL MOON tonight, so we have a good idea what THAT could mean in certain parts of Fort Wayne (lookin' like a fool wif yo pants onna ground...LOL). Actually, it'll be a nice autumn weekend, and if you like rain, there's even more reason to smile.
Today's temps are expected to rise into the low 60s (and we'll ALL be wishing it were THAT warm in a few months), some morning fog (in low-lying areas), partly cloudy skies, and a mild breeze. And yes, leaves are falling a bit more than LAST week, so get out and scope some fall foliage...while the scoping's good.
Meanwhile, let's kick it back a notch, pour a cup of whatever you prefer and see what is going on elsewhere...
*** First up today, the FWCS has a day off, so that means the Lovely Mrs. Bobby G. will be HERE (and that also means a breakfast OTHER than cereal...lol)
Why the schools have THIS day off beats the hell outta me...I mean United Nations Day isn't until NEXT week, and Canada's Thanksgiving Day was this past Monday, so go figure.
*** Next out the door is the fact that after ALL these years...yes, you CAN still "have it YOUR way" at Burger King.

Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20131018/LOCAL07/310189930/1002/LOCAL
This took place at the BK located at 2511 Spy Run Ave. just before 2100 hrs Wednesday night.
Two bandits came in, locked three employees in a walk-in freezer and then took an undisclosed amount of money.
When police came, they found the employees in the freezer and were told the bandits ordered the manager to open the registers, after which the manager and two other employees were forced back into the freezer.
It wasn't until AFTER the perps left with the money that an alarm was tripped.
Good thing, too...otherwise the employees would STILL be "chillin".
I'm wondering WHY no descriptions of the robbers has been forthcoming, or whether they were armed (and with what)?
Maybe there are too many stories about black robbers?
Just a wild guess.
*** And then there's THIS item from the "Sure ain't the Lone Ranger" files..
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20131018/LOCAL07/310189928/1002/LOCAL
Two masked men robbed the Family Video store, located at 3606 E. State Blvd , west of Coliseum Blvd around 2350 hrs Wednesday night.
One of them was armed with a handgun (that trumps up the charges nicely).

I was nowhere NEAR the place!

The men ran into the store, told an employee to hand over cash from the register, his wallet and car keys.
The robbers left with the cash and stole the employee's car (another charge noted).
One robber was described as being 5' 10:, 180 lbs, wearing black jeans and a blue hoodie, while the other was described as being (also) 5'10", 200 lbs, wearing a black hoodie and jeans. Both men had on black masks and gloves.
Since I didn't heard anything about a KATANA, I can only conclude that this was NOT the work of any NINJAS...
(just a couple of wanna-be thugs-ass bastards)
Moving on...
*** Here's one of many "epilogues" relating to the government shutdown (such as it was) and why it wasn't that big a deal.
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20131018/BIZ13/310189942/1031/BIZ

Shutdown? Whatta joke!

If there was ANY real problems over this event, it was MANUFACTURED by this administration...plain and simple.
Like the closing of the memorials...just something to make things seem WORSE than they really were (which wasn't that much).
And those of you that paid attention, knew this for what it was,...diversion and propaganda.
(Goebbels would be proud).

Ain't THAT the truth!

The story states that it would take a LOT more political bungling to do any REAL damage to America's reputation or wreck it's financial markets.
I say give this administration a little more time, they're making mistakes AS FAST AS THEY CAN...lol.
America's budget deficit HAS been shrinking...albeit very slowly (was that a SNAIL that passed us?)
And yes, the world still runs on American DOLLARS (for the time being).
Over in Mumbai, there are those that are likening OUR politicians to those in INDIA when it comes to corruption and incompetence.
Wow, we really ARE getting noticed...and not in a good way.
And, as one person stated...all this drama (here) DOES have a way of sucking the oxygen out of the room.
*** Yes, I have to do some "blog-pimpin" today, and with good reason...
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20131018/LOCAL/310189967

There is a tank (memorial) stationed near Johnny Appleseed Park, and our very own Chris Martin (Tilting At Windmills blog) has featured this vehicle in a couple of his posts from last year (along with General "Beagle"), and this tank will not be sitting on the concrete pad near the park for much longer.
It has been purchased by the Breakfast Sertoma Club, said the co-owner of D. O. McComb and will be transported out to Riverview Cemetery on 11425 Carroll Rd, just east of Rt 33 by Veteran's Day. It will be  the centerpiece of a new veteran;'s area of that cemetery.
McComb says there are few M 41 Walker Bulldogs left, and he's right about that.

See, we sent a LOT of them over to the 'Nam, because it was a "light" tank, compared to the M 48 and M 60 MBTs we had over there.
It ONLY weighs in at 23.5 tons and was created to replace the M 24 Chaffee light tank, used at the close of WW 2.
It's not a bad tank, either...for it's time.
It could hit 45 MPH and had a range of 100 miles. It carried a 76 MM main gun, one .30 caliber machine gun alongside the main gun, and a co-ax .50 cal on top of the turret to be used by the commander.

Where is General Beagle?

One of the best things the ARVN troops liked about the M 41, was that the interior matched the stature of the soldiers.
In other words, no one OVER 6 feet tall would be comfy inside...lol.
(maybe that's why I like this tank)
There was one drawback, though...at night, when the engine got hot, the external mufflers would glow red, and that made it a good target for anything that was heat-seeking, as well as giving off a nasty visual cue for the bad guys. Later versions corrected this.
Most notably, the M41's sent to theater were involved in a 1971 battle known as Operation Lam Son 719, in which 17 of these tanks took on NVA supply lines and armored forces near Laos. The ARVN forces only lost five of the "Bulldogs" while taking out 22 NVA tanks, six T-54s (Russian-built), and sixteen PT-76 APCs (also Russian-made)...not a bad tally.

And THIS baby STILL runs and can fight!

Today, some of these tanks are STILL in service. The greatest number of exports of these were to Braxil, who got 300 of them.
The M 41D was the latest upgrade, with a 90 MM gun added, reactive armor, NBC capable, new targeting systems, and better, more powerful and cost-effective diesel engines.
Taiwan's still has some operational.
And now you know a LOT more about the history of this tank...probably more than most brass in the Pentagon.
*** Lastly today,  items like that tank represent part of our history, and there's nothing wrong with boning up on our past.
There is good reason WHY we should know our history, and it's because we are meant to LEARN from it...pay attention to what took place in our past, because we can often be destined to REPEAT that which we do NOT learn from.

Whether it's colonial history, our own Civil war, the two WORLD WARS, Korea, Nam, or the Middle East, there are lessons to be learned, both on the fields of battle as well as in the political and societal arenas.
I think such lessons serve to makes us all stronger, and at least a lot more knowledgeable when dealing with the problems of today.
Those that shirk their responsibility to learn from history will be the ones at the tip of the spear when the time for repetition comes around, and they won't like that..
Our responsibility is to make sure we never forget our history...as it happened.

Do have yourselves a great weekend.
Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...
Stay SAFE out there, America.