Early on a beautiful Sunday morning 67 years ago, the world changed.

At 7:55 a.m. December 7, 1941 the attack begins.

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor to remove what it saw as a threat to the empire’s southern expansion. The Pearl Harbor attack hurt us badly, but it also hardened our resolve and brought us fully into WWII.

Snopes has some photos that were purported to be found in an old Brownie camera years after the attack. The story was untrue, but the photos are archival and genuine.

The U.S. Navy has a Pearl Harbor site with more photos.

Chris at A Large Regular has linked to this National Geographic Pearl Harbor site in the past. It has a multimedia timeline, survivor stories, kid’s section, and more.

We’ll probably pop in our DVD of the blockbuster movie Pearl Harbor
.

I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In

I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?
And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas Day in the morning?

The Virgin Mary and Christ were there,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
The Virgin Mary and Christ were there,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

Pray, wither sailed those ships all three,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
Pray, wither sailed those ships all three,
On Christmas Day in the morning?

O they sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
O they sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the Angels in Heaven shall sing,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
And all the Angels in Heaven shall sing,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the souls on earth shall sing,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
And all the souls on earth shall sing,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

Then let us all rejoice again,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
Then let us all rejoice again,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

Those were the first words out of Hubby’s mouth when the staffer in Melissa Bean’s Washington office answered the phone (she’s our representative… )

That was also the third call placed, the first two didn’t go through because of busy signals. The call was made immediately after the video embedded below ends.

From the Miami Herald:

The committee bill would create so-called “resolution authority,” allowing the federal government to dismantle such huge financial firms, which it was unable to do when Lehman Brothers collapsed in September 2008.

Bean voted for the bill, but was one of a few dems voting against an amendment by Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa.). The amendment passed however, and will be part of the bill brought to the floor next week.

Bean explains why she thinks that the federal government should be able to preemptively take more control over financial firms if they feel it’s necessary. Judge Andrew Napolitano had just been on with Neil explaining that the bill is unconstitutional in three areas, violates three sections of the constitution. Bean honestly thinks that the government needs to be ready to step in and take control so that the cost doesn’t devolve onto the taxpayers. It wouldn’t if the government would just keep its sticky fingers out of the business pie and let the markets take their courses. Let bankruptcy and other mechanisms currently in place do what they were meant to do. Let failure occur.

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring

Jesu, joy of man’s desiring
Holy wisdom, love most bright

Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring
Soar to uncreated light

Word of God, our flesh that fashioned
With the fire of life impassioned
Striving still to truth unknown
Soaring, dying round Thy throne

To the Press: SHAME ON YOU!

Badgering and badgering the poor man until he had to issue a statement on a purely private matter between his wife and him.

Without the press scrutiny they might have been able to resolve their issues and we would have been none the wiser (and still no need to be wiser).

I pray that Tiger and Elin can find the best solution for them and I think the Press should just leave them the hell alone.

Via Walter Olson at Overlawyered:

The Christmas Tree in Poole, Dorset, UK (Times)

The 33ft structure turned out to be their Christmas tree, designed according to the principles of health and safety, circa 2009.

Thus it has no trunk so it won’t blow over, no branches to break off and land on someone’s head, no pine needles to poke a passer-by in the eye, no decorations for drunken teenagers to steal and no angel, presumably because it would need a dangerously long ladder to place it at the top.

And at only 28 times the cost of a real Norwegian Spruce. Better yet, plant a Norwegian Spruce in the square and use it again and again and it will absorb carbon dioxide as well!

Via Instapundit Taxprof lets us know that the White House party crashers are having some tax troubles.

That makes them doubly-triply welcome in the White House doesn’t it?

Reposted from last year

Thanksgiving Hymn

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known;
the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing:
sing praise to his Name, he forgets not his own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
so from the beginning the fight we were winning:
thou, Lord, wast at our side: all glory be thine!

We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
and pray that thou still our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation:
thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

Words: Nederlandtsche Gedenckclanck, 1626;
trans. Theodore Baker, 1894.
Music: Kremser

Enjoy this day with your family and friends.

And absolutely wonderful. We went to the matinee yesterday at the Cadillac Palace theater downtown Chicago. Roger Bart was Fredrick Frankenstein (Fronkensteen). Ann Horak with legs that don’t quit was a wonderful Inga. Joanna Glushak (Frau Blucher), Cory English (Igor), Brad Oscar (Colonel Kemp and the Hermit), and Beth Curry (Elizabeth) were all also outstanding in their performances.

All the best lines from the movie were present in the play along with some great new songs, Roll in the Hay, He Vas my Boyfriend, and The Transylvania Mania along with Putting on the Ritz from the movie.

I’d recommend this play to anyone and I’m looking forward to Mel Brooks doing a movie of this musical like he did with The Producers (hint, hint).

I own DVD copies of both versions of The Producers and I saw the play on its third performance, first matinee at the same theater.

*** I received no compensation or consideration for this review. I paid for the tickets myself. ***

Yesterday it was The Little Guy’s 9th birthday – today it’s The Big Girl’s 19th birthday. Her Golden birthday (19 on the 19th).

Our Princess

My princess has special needs. She has epilepsy and a developmental delay and a moderate hearing impairment. A few years ago she was also diagnosed with lupus. She’s still in ‘high school’ learning life skills and having her daily routine of riding the bus and seeing and socializing with other people.

We are blessed that our girl’s epilepsy has been under control on medication for several years now and that her lupus has also been controlled. The poor thing used to seize all the time, just not really visibly.

The best analogy I’ve found is to think of listening to a radio that is just on the edge of the listening area. Every so often, static replaces the music. But you know the songs. Your mind can fill in the words and music while the static is there and when the music comes back, you’re right on the mark.

She was pretty much able to continue doing whatever it was she was doing before the seizure. We were blessed that she was not in danger while seizing. She’d pause while walking, just for a second, and then continue on. She never fell, never stabbed herself with a fork while eating.

She can write her name and recognize many written words, but she doesn’t read or write. She only uses a few words and a few signs to help her get her point across. She loves to watch movies and listen to her ‘radio’ – CD’s on the DVD player. A few years ago we bought a combo TV/DVD player and just recently the DVD player portion doesn’t work properly. The tray won’t eject using either the button on the TV or the button on the remote control. So we just bought her a new DVD player to hook up to it. Coincidentally, The Little Guy’s DVD player also would not open and it had to be replaced too.

For her birthday we got her UP, Tinkerbell, and Ice Age III – Dawn of the Dinosaurs. She just loves those Ice Age movies. Back when we got the first one, she called it ‘Elephant’ all the time. Then, when Ice Age – The Meltdown came out, that was ‘Elephant in Water’. We worked with her and got her to say Ice Age and Ice Age Two. Now she’s got her new movie ‘Three’. The Little Guy got GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra and she’ll love that one just as much. She loved it when we saw it at the theater for The Big Guy’s birthday back in August. She also adores the Transformers movies and Bumblebee is her favorite.

She’ll need to be on meds the rest of her life. She’ll need supervision and someone to help her with showering. She can feed herself, but can’t cook. She can dress herself, use the bathroom herself, but she’ll never be a ‘productive’ member of society.

She loves and is loved.

*** As an Amazon Associate, I could get a few pennies if you order one of these movies from Amazon – or if you order anything else while still in the session at Amazon that  came from any of these links. Also, I see that Amazon has a set of all three of the Ice Age movies on Blu-Ray as well. ***