Is there really more violence in the world or do we just know about it sooner? In this age of tweets and snaps, we are far more connected around the world than an old guy like me ever would have imagined possible. I know that there has always been violence against our fellow humans and that, as our technology improved, so did our ability to carry that violence farther from home. Now we know about it almost as it happens! Too bad the good news never seems to travel with the same alacrity as the bad news. ~ Michael S. Pauley
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While we are no strangers to tornadoes in this area and were under watches and warnings for much of the last 24 hours, we did not have the devastation that some places had. Our sympathies are with those who suffered through this loss and destruction. I grew up in the mountains where a tornado was a rare occurrence. My Bride, on the other hand, was raised in South Carolina, where this was an annual event for them. Her family tells a funny on her of one such event. She was only six or seven, a tornado was in the area and her mother said they needed to crack the windows. The little darling ran off, only to return with a hammer! Fortunately her mother stopped her before she literally cracked the windows. Ah, Colloquialisms. Here's to better weather this week! ~ Michael S. Pauley
As communities around the world hold services in remembrance of Yom HaShoah, we can look at world events and see that we as humans have a long way to go to reach "Never Again". Genocide has always been with us and we see the stark images of that sort of hatred on the news every day. While the Shoah remembers the Holocaust of World War II, Israel still faces those who want to annihilate her. Christians face that same hate, and fate, in many areas . Just being American is no longer safe.
This distrust of each other is a topic I addressed in my books, how even in the midst of an alien invasion, we humans were turning on each other. It is a theme that continues into the third book. We will probably take this attitude and treatment of each other into space with us. Like I said, we have a long way to go. ~ Michael S. Pauley As we remember the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, our hearts go out to their families. Most of us cannot imagine what they went through and still face each day without their loved ones and as the victims try to live their lives with loss and injury. ~ Michael S. Pauley
I was so excited and looking forward to baseball season! Then there was this weekend. I am a Red Sox fan and really tried to watch the Friday night marathon, but the brain cannot absorb what the butt cannot endure. With my eyes rolling around in my head like googly eyes, I finally set it to record and went to bed. I did watch the rest Saturday morning. Then there was another game Saturday and Sunday, in addition to my bride's Giants games those three days. I have a lot of respect for those fans who went the distance Friday night. They sure got their money's worth! Like a double-header plus one for the price of a single game! I need to space out my baseball binging a little. ~ Michael S. Pauley
On this day in 1862, Union forces began firing on Fort Pulaski using the new rifled cannon. This was a major point in the Civil war, one that rendered forts like Pulaski obsolete.
The family and I discovered this jewel years ago when we took the kids on a history vacation. We visited Camden, SC, Patriot's Point near Charleston, SC, several other historic sites, finishing our trip in the Savannah/Tybee area. The kids were in elementary school at the time and thoroughly enjoyed crawling over all the ships, Revolutionary and Civil War sites, and climbing the lighthouse at Tybee. They each got certificates for that! This is when we all fell in love with the Savannah/Tybee area. There is so much history to explore and the area is just beautiful! Time to plan that summer vacation? Make it fun and educational! Visit the National Park Service for parks, sites, and ideas in your area. ~Michael S. Pauley http://www.nps.gov/fopu/learn/historyculture/tybee-island.htm There are some special birthdays in the next few days! The Special Forces will celebrate their founding April 9. They have already begun the festivities with a Special Forces Regimental Day ceremony April 5 on Fort Bragg, N.C. ( http://www.army.mil/article/77352/) Army Aviation will celebrate their birthday on April12. ~ Michael S. Pauley
For more on the history of Army Aviation, visit http://www.army.mil/aviation/ . After a wonderful weekend filled with friends and family, today is the official start of the official baseball season! I am officially excited and glad to see it! Pre-season games take some of the edge of my need and desire to watch baseball, but, like my bride said, it just ain't the same. Here's to the Boys of Summer! ~ Michael S. Pauley
Two major religious holidays are starting their celebrations today. It is Good Friday for our Christian friends and the beginning of Passover for our Jewish friends. As pointed out in an earlier blog post, both religions began in a part of the world that still suffers conflict. Let us hope the peace and prayers of the season extend into that region of the world. Happy Passover and Happy Easter to you! ~ Michael S. Pauley
Some special happy birthday/anniversary remembrances today - England's Royal Air Force was formed (1918), and the U.S. Air Force Academy was founded (1954). In unrelated news, the yo-yo was introduced to the United States in 1929. ~ Michael S. Pauley
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AuthorMichael S. Pauley is a Navy brat and an old soldier who served in all three components of the United States Army. Living in Lexington, South Carolina, Michael is now a practicing attorney and member of the United States Naval Institute and the American Legion, Post 154, Tybee Island, Georgia. Archives
June 2021
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