Veterans Day, originally Armistice Day, celebrated the end of the first world war. The fields in Europe where the war was fought were full of wild red poppies and for many years, red poppies were the symbol of World War… Read More ›
War and battles
SAYING NO TO BULLETS: THE FIRST TIME – BY ELLIN CURLEY
This is one of the funnier old family stories. My family believes that it documents the first time being a conscientious objector was used as a rationale to get out of military service. The concept didn’t exist in World War… Read More ›
WHY AMERICA’S REAL WARRIORS ARE TURNING ON TRUMP – THE SHINBONE STAR REDUX
GENERAL CONSENSUS: WHY AMERICA’S REAL WARRIORS ARE TURNING ON TRUMP Who would have thought George Floyd, a black man murdered by police in Minneapolis, would spark a revolt against Donald Trump by three generations of retired American generals who have honorably… Read More ›
BRUTALLY HONEST – Marilyn Armstrong
Medical terminology is designed to take the sting — and sometimes the responsibility — out of troubling problems. PTSD – Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is the latest entry in trying to find a way around admitting war is bad for soldiers… Read More ›
IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS BY ERIC LARSON – Marilyn Armstrong
IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Eric Larson It’s not a new book, but it is nonetheless a relevant book. I have rarely been more conflicted about a book than I… Read More ›
OUR BAD TIMES DIDN’T START IN 2016 – Marilyn Armstrong
We are having a national moment. We have our worst-ever president and his spineless, corrupt congress. We have an Attorney General who should be up on charges. We’re in the middle of an oncoming election and the Democrats seem more… Read More ›
WHY WE’RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A TRUMP “COUP” – Marilyn Armstrong
What with this mess we’re watching in D.C., we wandered into a discussion. “What if Trump decides to take over the country? Like, you know, hold a military coup?” There was a time when this kind of speculation would have… Read More ›
THE REAL BEGINNING – GARRY ARMSTRONG
As much as I hate telephones, I loathed pagers. I was, admittedly, spoiled by years of minimal interference in the field. We did the usual schtick on the 2-way. Hand over mouth responding, “We can’t hear you. You’re breaking up…. Read More ›
PROVOCATIVE? LIKE BOMBING IRAN? – Marilyn Armstrong
Fandango’s Provocative Question #55 It’s the question of the year and this is only January. Do you feel that Donald Trump was justified in ordering a drone strike that resulted in the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s elite… Read More ›
THE WORLD WAR ONE CHRISTMAS TRUCE – 1914 – Marilyn Armstrong
The Christmas truce (German: Waffenstillstand; French: Trêve de Noël) was a series of widespread but unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front during the Christmas season of 1914. During the days leading to Christmas day, German and British soldiers left their… Read More ›
TODAY IS ARMISTICE DAY–THE 11TH HOUR OF THE 11TH DAY OF THE 11TH MONTH – Marilyn Armstrong
Veterans Day, originally Armistice Day, initially celebrated the end of the first world war. The fields in Europe where the war was fought were full of wild red poppies and for many years, red poppies were the symbol of World War I…. Read More ›
WHAT’S THAT WORD? – Marilyn Armstrong
Words That Sound Right Although this is subjective, some words sound like the thing they describe. Personal favorites are: Puffin, Bulbous, Fidget, Prickly, Twitch, Bubbly. Words Which DON’T Sound Like Their Meaning Medical terminology is designed to take the sting… Read More ›
