World at War, “Remember” WWII

Posted by Greybeard on Dec 14th, 2010 in Days of Old | Comments Off

It was way to cold for me to get outside today,  so I did today’s obligatory  workout on the excersize bike.   While peddling away I usually turn on the boob tube and often wind up on the Military Channel,  (since we not longer have the Outdoor Channel available).   Today I picked up a repeat of World at War “Remember WWII“.   It consistied of WWII veterans remembering that period of time,  interspersed with historical facts.   Here’s one of those facts that nearly caused me to loose my foot pedals on the bike.   During the WWII war time period,  the Imperial Japanese,  and Nazi Germans were fully responsible for the deaths of, not just 6 or 7 million Jews,  no, FIFTY FIVE MILLION PEOPLE.  Including 20 million Russians and  possibly even more Chinese. 

It also noted that less than half of the population of either country,  was alive at the time of WWII,  and that for the most part don’t remember,  or even want to remember,  how it was back then.

I know it’s not a big WWII anniversary today,   but this got me thinking,  and  I think we should all REMEMBER.

A cold turn of weather

Posted by Greybeard on Dec 10th, 2010 in Days of Old, Local, News and weather | Comments Off

With the weather turning colder,  a bit of snow finally on the ground,  and the river near thick enough to walk on,   I’m thinking it’s past due time for me to reacquaint myself with and old friend.  His mother was Belladonna Took,  one of the three remarkable daughters of “Old Took”.   His father,  Bungo Baggins.  His name,  Mr. Bilbo Baggins.

We first became acquainted many years ago when I first read “The Hobitt” by J.R.R Tolkien.  Of late much has been said and filmed about Mr. Tolkien’s Trilogy of Books,  ”The Lord of the Rings”.   Which I have read a couple of times over the years,  and of course seen the Trilogy of films many times over.  But,  it all began back in elementary school for me,  when on of my teachers introduced me to Bilbo and his friends.   It’s been many a year,  since I’ve sat down with the tales of Bilbo’s adventures,  and my copy of the book,  is a bit yellowed and dry,  but I believe,  intact enough to get me though to the final line:  “You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you;  but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all”.   “Thank goodness! said Bilbo laughing,  and handed him the tobacco jar”. 

“The Hobbit, There and Back Again”, J.R.R Tolkien ,  1st copyright 1937.   My copy by Ballantine/Fantasy,  a paperback, in 1973 sold for $1.98.  And it appears it will become a big budget  movie around 2012.  I hope it’s done as well as the Lord of the Rings Trilogy was.

Dec. 7th 1941

Posted by Greybeard on Dec 7th, 2010 in Days of Old, News and weather | Comments Off

And this from Jim Scoutten at Shooting USA:

The Date that Lives in Infamy:

 

JimScoutten@ShootingUSA.com

Dec 7th

Posted by Greybeard on Dec 7th, 2010 in Days of Old | Comments Off

Dad was born on December 9th, 1920 ,  on  small share-cropped  farm near Pocahontas, Arkansas.  By the time and he and  his brothers were wild 16, 18, and 20 year olds,  Grandpa owned his own,  considerably larger farm,  and the boys supplied a lot of the labor.   On Dec. 7th,  1941,  the boys  had started to get restless.  There was a big country to see,  and WOMEN.

A few days after Dec 7th,  1941,   all three boys had signed up for the Armed Services.   Dad was sent through basic, then into a secondary training/supply system,  to ready him for service on the German Front.  Shortly after he and his mates were fitted with cold weather gear,  they were put on a boat and shipped to the Eastern Front.  Hot, wet jungles,  with Jungle Rot, Malaria,  and Japanese soldiers to content with.  There were never re-issued jungle gear,  so a lot of wool cold weather gear got dumped in the jungle.

Dad partook of all the Eastern front had to offer.  The Jungle Rot,  Malaria,  Dingy Fever,  and lastly a  7mm bullet from a Japanese sniper. (but that’s another story).  

At least Dad got to come home and continue his life,  though those few years after 1941 would always affect his health,  and be a big part of what finally killed him  on November 29th, 2005.

Dad was one of hundreds of thousands of young American men who went to war in the 1940’s.  We need to thank them all,  and all of those still serving.   We need to remember what happened on Dec 7th,  and always stay armed, vigilant,  and prepared.  

Thanks Dad.     

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PJ TV article on “The Smallest Minority”

Posted by Greybeard on Jan 3rd, 2010 in Days of Old, Political | Comments Off

This video at the Smallest Minority caught my attention 

Couldn’t agree more,  and I’ve seen the same thing happenning to Flint, Michigan,  but one thing about it bothered me a little bit.  I tried to post a comment and it wouldn’t take,  so I’ve posted the comment below.

As a  GM skilltrades retiree,  (retired for the past 10 years),

I agree with 99% of the PJTV video,  with a few minor exceptions:

In 30 years at GM,   I went from $1.95 per hour as a janitor,  up to $23.15 an hour as a

Journeyman Machinist/Machine Repairman.  Over the years the UAW declined offered pay raises to increase our health benifits and vacation time.   The MOST paid yearly vacation time I ever received was 2 weeks.  Yes, in  the 30 years I worked there, I got approximately 220 vacation days.   Our health coverage got progressively worse over the last 10 years I worked,  and have gotten to be almost non existant now that I’ve retired.   A typical doctors office call costs me $160,  and the 4 prescriptons I currently take to stay alive,  cost me $250 every three months.  We do not have eye or dental care!  

An odd thing about not having eye and dental care is,  it cost me very little more out of pocket, now that I pay the “real” bill. (un-edited by the insurance companies)

I haven’t been a “Union man” for 25 years,  and agree with everything the article said about the unions.   

I’m not interested in arguing these facts, because I lived them.    I just hate to see shop workers,  (many who were forced into the UAW),  lumped in with the UAW crowd.  It’s hard to quietly accept the exagerations about shop workers.   Especially, since my second career was in the public school system.  I saw first hand how the school employees downrated shop workers for their supposedly extravagent pay and benefits,  even though most of the school employee’s,  (myself at that time,  included),  got better benefits, vacations,  and pay than the shop workers.

I’ve made this type of argument before,  and it brought some angry responses from some friends who didn’t live through those GM years with me.  With that in mind,  I will not likely be approving any comments on this post so don’t bother.  It’s history.  Just remember,  Propaganda is a powerful tool and is cruelly wielded!