Most of us learned that November 11th was originally Armistice Day–the designated end of the “war to end all wars”–declared on November 11, 1918 at 11:00 a.m. Of course after the Great War  came more wars, and the name of the holiday (and the wars) changed after World War 2 from Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor all veterans from all conflicts.

For those of a certain generation (and perhaps, beyond), today’s date is also a nod to the rocumentary classic “This Is Spinal Tap”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrVCjnRdB_k

I like the idea of turning it up to 11 today. Go one more than you usually do. Learn more (actual) history. Educate yourself and your children about mistakes and achievements.  Make an actual difference for veterans. It’s nice to acknowledge Veterans Day with photos and banners, but what about turning it up to 11? Contribute to a program that improves a veteran’s life. You can start with your local VA. I’m turning it up to 11. Are you? It’s really only a little bit more.