Monday, December 7, 2015

"Words are like eggs dropped from great heights; you can no more call them back than ignore the mess they leave when they fall." ~ Jodi Picoult, Author

Ho. Ho. Ho. Sorry. Do something over and over and it becomes a habit. Not really. I actually don't say Ho Ho Ho that often. I know that may disappoint some folks but that's just the truth. I do it if the situation calls for it. It's just not a part of my standard motif as the jolly old elf. It's Monday, December 7, 2015 and I welcome you to our daily time of  seeing if I can come up with anything fit for publication. I also know most are aware there are folks that really do have too much time on their hands. I read this sentence, "Are you as bored as I am?" Now read the sentence backwards. "Am I as bored as you are?" Best I could find out this is called a commutative or semantically palindromic sentence. The words are not identical forwards and backwards but the sentence reflects the same sentiment read in either direction. You could have, "Listen, you!" ~ "Right are you." ~ "They are happy." Now we can all go to our own work area and see how many we can come up with. Or maybe not. I think I have a headache just thinking about it. I did see where some engineering types were attempting to use mathematics as a way of dealing with how these are constructed. I suppose I will have to be satisfied with the homespun syntax that bubbles up in my noggin as I do my best to not add to any of us more boring stuff than we already have on our plates. It's too late for that? Well okay then. Some days are like that. I should know.

Today is the day remembered as Pearl Harbor Day. As the WWII veterans fade from the scene so does the clarity of this cataclysmic event from 1941. In the early 1950's I remember hearing my mom and my grandparents talking about what happened on that fateful day in 1941. They spoke about it the way my generation talks about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. They would speak in hushed tones as they recounted exactly where they were when they first heard the news. To tell the truth, there have been so many of the once-in-a-lifetime tragedies that it is somewhat difficult to keep up with them. Yet, on Pearl Harbor Day we remember the families that were forever altered by the Japanese attack that killed over 2000 of our military and wounded over 700 more. This unprovoked sneak attack brought the United States to a formal declaration of war against Japan and we all know the impact Japan ultimately suffered as a result. I've seen the movie Tora Tora Tora many times and it is a reminder of not only what happened on that day but the consequences that come from war. Sobering. And sad. May God bless the memory of all of those who have a close and personal connection to this day which President Roosevelt said "would live in infamy."

Speaking about threats to our freedoms, last Friday I happened to be listening to the audio feed of one of the liberal news outlets when the breaking news came in that the female shooter from the San Bernardino shooting had pledged her allegiance to ISIS either just before or during the actual attacks. The liberal anchor was shocked. She wanted further proof. I could tell this interfered with the narrative she wanted to portray. It caused her consternation. The experts who had been drumming up support for a wait and see approach suddenly started saying this changed everything about what this event really was. It was an act of terror. The first officially accomplished on behalf of ISIS on US soil. Folks on the left squirm when the facts overwhelm their desired story. Americans have good reason to be concerned. We have an administration who has consistently downplayed this type of threat while pointing the finger more at American domestic threats. In this most recent case it is becoming clear these shooters were devoted to a radical ideology that seeks to destroy our way of life. Why, I ask, is that so hard for our President and his advisers to admit? I'll let us all think on that for a while and at the same time continue to pray for everyone who is involved in leading and protecting our nation. Amen. ....More later.

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