Curtain Raiser

His blog should be named: Wake Up With Wes!

CollTales

The Cure for Medical Debt, Colltalers

It’s Memorial Day in the U.S., and Americans of all nationalities will likely hear about our troops’ vitality and our debt to them, along parades and somber recollections. Plus BBQs. One thing we’ll hardly talk about, though: bringing the troops home.
Another type of debt also elicits a similar quagmire: although more Americans now have healthcare coverage than a decade ago, since 2013, their mounting medical bills have become the main driver behind alarmingly high rates of individual bankruptcies.
We’re so used to the official narrative about the heroics of military service, often used to justify our state of permanent war, that we forget how narrow has become the slice of the U.S. population that actually sacrifices itself and wages war on our behalf.
You’ve read here about this disconnect a few times before, and it’s likely that you’ll be hearing about it again…

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Jumble Spoiler – 05/25/15

English: Picture of graves decorated with flags at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Visual Description:  The reason for the season:  Gratitude!

RIROG  =  RIGOR,  DAGLE  =  GLADE,  GARNDO  =  DRAGON,  SOCTLE  =  CLOSET   —   Giving us:  RIRGLEAGNLSET

Clue/Question:  The barbeque on the Army base was lead by the . . .

Flags that were placed on gravesites at Fort Logan National Cemetery during Memorial Day 2006 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Answer:  “GRILL“ SERGEANT

(A nice long, 13-letter answer for Memorial Day!  Lots of fun with a stinky pun!  These longer puzzles usually give me better letter groupings to deal with!  None of today’s clue words were new, but three of the jumbles were.  We’ve definitely only seen “garndo” before.  And, it figures, because that was the only word that I struggled any with.  The answer letter layout was a fantastic jumble in itself.  The cartoon was lots of fun.  Hey, Jeff!  Who won the Reuben Award?  Be well and do good, friends.  Remember why we celebrate this holiday.)   —   YUR

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Cryptoquote Spoiler – 05/25/15

English: Daguerreotype portrait of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. Image courtesy of the Harvard University Library. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“The character of every act depends upon the circumstances in which it is done.”   —   Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

(When something good is done as a photo op it’s usually a matter of selfishness.  And, when something “bad” is done, because we think no one is watching, it’s usually a sign of personal weakness.  Which is sometimes just a matter of being human.  Be well and do good, friends.  No matter who, or who isn’t, watching.)   —   YUR 

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