Monday Mourning

Miss These guys!

Yesterday had the most appropriate weather imaginable. Not for the time of year because it was certainly too cold and rainy to be properly assigned to June but this is New England. It was appropriate because, well, Monday, say no more; but of course I will. It was also fitting to mark the end of a very fun weekend, liberally laced with the company of the First Blog Reader, my daughter, and Wingman. Our closest and most steadfast ally, Great Britain, also suffered another senseless terror attack.

The worthless cretins behind the latest attack were not hiding. The ringleader had recently appeared on British television espousing his radical views and planting an ISIS flag in a British park. While everyone is expressing condolences and prayers, rightfully, for the people of London there has to be an acknowledgement that radical Islam and modern Western Society cannot co-exist. The liberal elements of Western Society want to be accepting and welcoming to all but at some point there has to be an understanding if you let a rabid dog into your house, someone is going to get bit. These people cannot be reasoned with, to accept the tenets of their primitive version of Islam, requires a suspension of reasonability. They have to be excised from society and therein lies the rub. The vast majority of Muslims want what any sane individual wants – a peaceful, safe place to exist and thrive.

Radical forms of any religion cannot operate in an open society because they refuse to consider any other point of view which is required in any modern society. Europe is a battlefield of ideas right now as the surge of Islamic immigration is threatening to do what the Ottoman Sultans and earlier the Umayyad Caliphs failed to do – conquer Europe. If my granddaughter lived in Europe right now I’d be worried about her future. While ISIS is being squeezed out of existence in Syria the sun source of Wahhabi radicalism, Saudi Arabia, still exports hate through their madrassas throughout the Islamic world. It’s interesting to see the recent fallout between Qatar and other Arab states that accuse each other of supporting radical Islam. Finally I just love the British, always have. They were the best military I ever worked with, toughest as well. There are going to be some very dead ISIS dudes over the next few weeks if the SAS has anything to say about it. The guy running from the attack holding his beer was so telling. That Brit wasn’t going to let a mere terrorist attack ruin his enjoyment of a good beer.

I have to stop talking about it because the rage it foments is exactly what the cretins want. I would like to throw the uniform on again for as long as it takes to help root these bastards out of existence but I think my Favorite Panamanian would object and I’d admit to losing a few MPH off my fastball. On a much “sunnier” subject I did get to dance the Hokie Pokie via FaceTime with my granddaughter last night and it’s hard to stay angry when confronted with that. 

Omaha Beach

Pont du Hoc

Today marks the anniversary of D-Day which in Western Society began the last phase of it's most important battle against tyranny. I ran across these photos which show photos from that day in 1944 superimposed on pictures of the same place nowadays. As this seminal event fades further into the past and collective memories it's incumbent on everyone not to forget the lesson that the freedom we enjoy was earned by a generation that pressed the buttons of their uniforms into that bloody sand and a thousand other less well known battlefields around the world. 

Grampa Stop with the politics!

Pushing Me Off the Couch During a recent Visit

Getting gardening Tips from Abuela

Help from her Godmother

Fashion Statement

Field Expedient

Best Buds