Tuesday Tidbits - Veteran's Day Edition...

Welcome to one of those SPECIAL days of the year - a day to celebrate and commemorate those brave souls who place themselves in harm's way so that we, the people can enjoy the freedoms and liberties this nation provides.
More on that subject in a little bit, but first, let's check out the forecast.
Our Hooiserland weather today will find us with possibly the last MILD day for a while, with temps topping out around the 50-60 degree range.
Looks to be starting out sunny, but turning partly to mostly cloudy later on, as rain moves in this afternoon into evening.
Tomorrow, is a whole other animal...gonna get some of that COLD that the upper states are suffering through, so be warned...and be prepared for a somewhat drastic change in local conditions.
Now, with that dispensed with, let's go and pour ourselves a soothing cup of our favorite morning drink and let's get moving with..."the rest of the story"...
*** First out of the mess hall today is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
November 11 - 
Well, yes, it is VETERAN'S DAY...formerly known as ARMISTICE DAY (or Remembrance Day, depending on where you're at in the world).

Here's the WIKI on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day
Amazing that THIS was possibly one of the FEW (if any) THINGS that President Woodrow Wilson got RIGHT.
This is a FEDERAL holiday, although MANY state and local governments observe it as well.

-- It's also YOUNG READERS DAY, and how better to get a "two-fer" than to get a youngster to read about our veterans, or have stories told to them BY veterans...sounds like a win-win to me.
Moving on...
*** Megyn Kelly had a wonderful spot on her show last evening regarding the FLAWED Obamacare program and it's implementation.

Everyone should bone up on a man named Jonathan Gruber, the "architect"  of this costly fiasco.
Here's the link to the story and video:
http://insider.foxnews.com/2014/11/10/megyn-kelly-marc-thiessen-slam-video-obamacare-architect-gruber-admitting-lack
This is one of those "revelatory" moments in what we used to know as REAL JOURNALISM, because it provides us all with...THE TRUTH.
(fair and balanced, too).
I can not commend Kelly enough for her investigative reporting...
And, it clearly demonstrates that the leftists (like Gruber) truly believe that you and I are "too stupid" to know what's best for us...
What was it I said last week about reawakening a "sleeping giant", when it came to we, the people discovering the truth about this administration and it's "agenda"?
Kudos to Megyn.
*** An armed robbery took place last Friday (and we're JUST NOW finding out about it?) at the S&V liquor store along E. State Blvd.

Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20141111/LOCAL07/141119920/0/SEARCH
--And, we also had some shootin' going on down in (where else?) the SOUTH side of town.

Here's the story link (w/ video):
http://www.21alive.com/news/local/Reported-Shots-Fired-New-Weisser-Park-282084131.html
Goes to show that no matter the day, date, or time, there is ALWAYS something going on down here, unfortunately most of it is NEVER any good.
*** Next up, FWCS has seen fit to provide RAISES to educators (and about damn time).

A 3% raise (retroactive from beginning 2014) will ge given to those with between 3-20 years of service.
Those over 20 years get a 2% raise.
Hey, it's better than nothing.
*** Another "diversion" from the :whiner-in-chief...this time (again) it's "NET NEUTRALITY".
This was first floated a few years back, and was soundly thumped on it's ass, because of the fallout from such another potential screwup by this administration.

What Constitution?

Here's the story link (had to look hard, because the paper buried it back in the business section):
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20141111/BIZ/311119973/1031/BIZ
Just another ploy to "level another playing field"...that's all this guy seems to want to do...at everyone's expense.
*** And a FWPD officer is accused of theft.
Here's this story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20141111/LOCAL07/141119919/1043/LOCAL07

Detective Barry Roos has been charged with felony theft against a local motorcycle club that he was a member of (Blue Knights Indiana II - comprised of active ad retired LEOs). Roos was relieved of duty, but is still on the payroll while the investigation is pending.
The Board of Public Safety could vote to suspend his paycheck this week.
He was booked and then released on his own recognizance.
*** Last back to the barn...yes, it is Veterans Day (no apostrophe).

And, it's a day to fly our flag, remember those who have and are still serving in our military, and to acknowledge the level of sacrifice they all have endured just so everyone else in this nation (as well as nations abroad) could breathe a little easier at night, because of something called freedom.
We've already lost the last of the WW1 vets a couple years back, and we're fast losing those who served in WW2 (around 500 A DAY are passing from the role call).
And there are SO many stories that still need to be told.
My Father didn't mind telling war stories...
I look at it as his way of dealing with what he went through over in India.
I have his scrapbook with loads of picture taken over there during WW2, and his graduation book from the USAAF radio school
Even have one of his dog-tags...few mementos from an era where patriotism, and honor, and duty were, without question... JOB-ONE.
And those stories he told still resonate in my mind, for he is no longer around to relate them to anyone else.
Much the same can be said of all the other veterans from WW2 through Korea, past 'Nam, and into the Middle East.
We remember the LIVING vets with various freebies at restaurants and discounts at stores. And that's wonderful to see that.
But, let me clue you in on something...such displays like these are NOTHING "new", so don't ever think it's something just dreamed up, or reinvented to honor our vets.

During WW2, when troops were travelling throughout the USA to attend schools before they were deployed overseas in either the European or Pacific theaters, they were always treated with the respect and honor they deserved for fighting for our country.
Even on the trains they took, they rarely had to pay for ANYTHING, and most all meals were "taken care of" by regular citizens.
It was as though the old tongue-in-cheek saying "Your money's no good here" was in play.
There was this sense of "reverence" attached to our troops...and deservedly so.

THEY were the ones giving their lives in countries we, in America used to only read about.
THEY were the ones freezing their asses off in Bastogne on Christmas Day in 1944.
THEY were the ones who survived being shot at and bombed, only to be taken down by malaria in countries in Asia.

So, it wasn't nearly as much a sacrifice to us, as it was to THEM.
Today, we remember that...and we remember them.

For, to do anything else, is not what it means to be...a real AMERICAN.
Those veterans who survived whatever onslaught was tossed at them, are the WORTHY ones in our midst.
They are here to relate to us WHY they fought, and why some of them would never return to their families.

War (like Robert E. Lee once said) is something we should not grow too fond of, but it is comforting to know that when duty DOES call (as it most assuredly will from time to time), that we shall always have those brave and courageous individuals who will step up to preserve that which too many often take for granted...we call them freedom and liberty.
May our God bless and protect them all on this day, and for every day to come.
'Nuff said there.

Be well, make a difference to someone (like a vet), and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.