"Would you bet your paycheck on a weather forecast for tomorrow? If not, then why should this country bet billions on global warming predictions that have even less foundation?" Thomas Sowell

*****We all are thankful for the outcome at this point of the situation in Boston. We do know there is much to be yet investigated but it does seem that the immediate threat has subsided. We also continue to pray for all those impacted by the deadly explosion in West, Texas. May God comfort all hurting hearts is my prayer. Amen.*****

Forecast from: April 19, 201368^°F 39°F (Saturday Morning)

Welcome back from your Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday. It is a brand new work week here on this Monday, April 22, 2013. Given the weather since last Thursday, well, I've been humming, "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas." Maybe not, but the windchill in the high thirties this late in the year has been both wonderful as well as surprising. I don't know the precise details of the science behind the global warming scenarios, but, I did see this headline last week, "Scientists at a loss over warming slowdown." That wasn't on my mind last Saturday but to tell you the truth, my jacket felt pretty good in that brisk breeze. We have already had some very clear evidence as to the oppressively hot and humid days that will shortly be our day in and day out reality, however, these little respites are nothing short of Rocky Mountain get aways and I am so thankful for them. Now I will tell you that when the front came through last Thursday, being out in the elements where it was pouring rain with a drop of the temperatures from nearly 80 into the 50's, well, I have been more comfortable before, but even at that, there was something so refreshing about the change. Pardon me while I grab another sip of Community as I savor it and these energizing recollections.

I realize that during times of fluidity in major in-progress events covered by news media, there will be some hiccups. However, the faulty reporting coming out of the Boston attack was not only incredible, but in my opinion, very insulting. These false reports supposedly from high up confirmed sources misled people and caused a tremendous amount of confusion. News quit being objective a long time ago and now the competition for airtime, viewers, and sponsors drive people to grab hold of information and go with it before it is properly vetted and confirmed. Sadly, there were actual individuals who were identified by name that were found to have had no involvement. That can ruin a person's life, period. During this coverage, I saw one ex FBI high muckety-muck embarrassingly denigrating the memory of Richard Jewell who was wrongly implicated in the Atlanta Olympic bombing. He seemed very cheeky about the fact that this man had filed lawsuits based on the personal harm inflicted upon him. Folks, that man's life was for all intents and purposes totally obliterated by this false report. Interestingly enough, many of the news reporters mentioned his name when explaining why they need to be so careful even as they were sharing unsubstantiated leaks. What's the response to this shoddy example of journalism on the part of those who perpetrated it? One media expert used just one word to describe how they were dealing with it: Shrug. You know, "Oh well." Sad. That's all I can say. Very sad indeed.

I listened to our President when he spoke at the memorial service last Thursday. It was a tremendous speech and I think he performed admirably his role as Consoler in Chief. I know he has excellent speech writers but anytime our country hears the President using Scriptures from the Holy Bible to bring comfort to a grief stricken people, that's a positive thing and I commend his people for putting numerous quotations into his remarks. The people in and around Boston are for the most part, reserved and sophisticated, however, while many of them talk very differently from other folks, and while their politics might be different than mine, over the past week I observed multiple outbreaks of what can only be described as good old fashioned patriotism and it made me thankful to be an American and proud to be their fellow citizen. This doesn't do away with the pain and suffering endured by so many but it does send a message to the world. America. A nation of freedom loving people who will not be stymied by those whose ideology is rooted in hate. May God bless them all is my prayer. Amen.        ....More later.