In the midst of all the war stuff going on outside, I decided to have a look back at 2013 and see what positive things happened.
I was happy to find a very positive, and human led, mash-up of various online videos.
I'm happy to see that people and animals (and maybe a bike or surfboard or two) still win hands down when it comes to making us smile and say 'How did they do that?'.
So whats it all about? Where are we going adn what are we leaving our children and our children's children?
According to Tom Brokaw we are seeing the end of the 'Greatest Generation'. Surviving fighters of the Second World War, as well as Holocaust Survivors are dying off and we are left, at best, with video interviews and autobiographies. So where are we, the children of the children?
I hadn't given it much thought until I saw this video, and I suggest that you too watch it to the end:
We had the first heavy rains of the winter on Friday so I was going to rant about how cars aren't made of paper and at over a tonne a piece, can quite happily go through a puddle or two - thinking that goes against what most of my fellow countrymen believe.
Our Friday night guests canceled on us because of the weather so now Mrs J (aka 'Her Indoors) now have 2 chickens, a half kilo of rice and a whole chocolate mousse to get through. And I was going to rant about that too but going through a chocolate mousse really isn't a bad thing!?!
And then I started going through the blogs I follow on Google Reader and came across a few things you might find interesting, just not finger licking good!
I'm a huge fan of Micheal Yon and his reporting from today's war zones. He recently wrote an excellent article on armed medics. I wasn't sure whether or not to share it as its all a bit serious and has guns in it and I'm sure some people won't like that.
On the other hand, if I were in a war zone and had the need for a helicopter rescue squad I would really appreciate it if they were armed to the teeth.
So whats the big deal? A pilot was arrested over the murder of 1,000 more people in the Dirty War. Fine. Just desserts.
But the Dirty War was not in some Third World dust bowl and the pilot wasn't some Russian mercenary who had a drinks problem and a spare plane like in the movies.
The Dirty War was alluded to in many of the Falklands War books I have read. It is given as one of the reason for the creation of the war back in April 1982 - not that long ago by many people's standards.
In his second book 'Spearhead Assault' John Geddes specifically mentions not only battalion 601, the now notorious army unit who created the concept of The Disappeared, but also The Naval Mechanics School which the Times article in the headline mentions.
The young man is dropped out of the back of the plane whilst it flies over the River Plate. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the pilot knew when taking off that he was going to be coming back with at least one less passenger.
I apologise. I was a bit naughty. I cropped some words from the headline to this blog from the original article in The Times. It originally read;
A short stop pilot flying between Italy and Holland was arrested yesterday for assisting in the murder of over 1,000 people.
We have moved away from that war-torn Third World country in central Africa that the original headline alluded to, and are now discussing Argentina in the 1970s through to the 1990s killing people for their political beliefs. The victims who became known as 'The
Image via Wikipedia The Disappeared
Disappeared'
I don't know much about this period in time in South America but I do intend to find out more about how so many people could go 'missing' without there being more of an outcry throughout the world.
Argentina is after all the country who not only hid high ranking Nazis after the Second World War, but the only democratic nation I can think of, that could not decide which side to be on during the war. (France {probably} doesn't count).
I guess we should all be happy that we weren't on the flight that was delayed because of the arrest of the Captain due to Mass Murder. I just hope that some families in Argentina, and those who escaped to restart their lives scattered around the world, sleep better tonight knowing that one more killer is getting brought to justice.
Yesterday I wanted to blog about the 70th Anniversary of the invasion of Poland by Germany which was the wake-up call that started World War 2. I was worried that it might be a bit too serious, even morose, so deferred it for a day whilst I thought about it.
The Times newspaper of London gave me the push I needed to start the blog when I saw today that they were offering free ring tones of Winston Churchill's famous speech 'We shall fight them on the beaches'.
Bad taste? Modernity gone mad? I think its a sign of the times (no pun intended) when no news source that I read (Fox, Sky, Times, Telegraph, YNet, CNN*) even mention the anniversary of the beginning of World War 2.
German forces have invaded Poland and its planes have bombed Polish cities, including the capital, Warsaw.
The attack comes without any warning or declaration of war.
Britain and France have mobilised their forces and are preparing to wage war on Germany for the second time this century. 2. Dame Vera Lynn - an icon of the struggle and fortitude of the British public through the blitz, rationing, the blackout and the sending off of the menfolk.
So go forth and read about the beginning of the war and spare a thought for the fact that the War changed the world in so many ways, for good and for bad.
kthanxbai!
* EDIT: some news agencies mention the marking of the anniversary but do not contain articles about the start of the war itself
