Strange weather around here. It was supposed to be a very nice day. We will have sunshine, but the temperatures are not going to be in that above normal range we had hoped for. In fact, it’s going to be a little chilly along the coast. The weather didn’t stop me this morning, though. I went through all my routines at senior fitness and am even a little bit sore, the good kind that says, “You did it, boy!” And that’s good.
A fair warning: This is another of those days when nothing has come to mind that I would find interesting to write about. I spent quite a little time yesterday and more time last night thinking about it. “It” turned out to be nothing. I was impressed with a couple of the news articles I read yesterday from various news sites on line.
For example, three brave Navy Seals completed what really was a daring rescue at sea. As everyone knows, the captain of an American merchant ship was captured by Somali pirates. The news articles indicated he actually gave himself to the pirates to save the lives of his crew. That in itself is heroic.
The news reports were a little hazy about how the rescue happened. The earlier report I read said the Seals, along with their raft, parachuted into the water near the pirates and when the opportunity arose, from their bobbing raft shot three of the pirates and took the fourth into custody.
Later reports indicated that the Seals were actually on the back of a cutter towing the pirate’s gasless craft to better water. One of the pirates had given himself up to get medical attention. When the Seals got a clear shot at the three remaining captors, they fired. The captain was rescued.
Later yesterday, Defense Secretary Gates said that the three dead Somalis were untrained teenagers. My gut reaction to that is they were trained well enough to capture a merchant ship. I guess they weren’t trained well enough to keep it as the crew took it back.
One reason this story fascinated me is that my super neighbor’s son is a Navy Seal. He wasn’t involved in this venture, however.
There was another story of heroism in yesterday’s news. There was a dramatic rescue of a family in a twin-engine aircraft flying a family home to Florida where the family had just attended, ironically, the funeral of the father’s brother. The brother had died of a heart attack. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot’s head dropped down and he died…of a heart attack.
Fate was in charge here as the father in the family had flown single engine planes and took over the unfamiliar controls of the twin engine plane. He radioed for help and got all he needed. He landed the plane in Florida and save the lives of all his family.
The full story was in yesterday’s USA Today.
Finally, since we’re going nowhere this morning, a piece of less than good observation. The Red Sox didn’t spend a lot of money over the winter months to get any help in their quest for division title and possibly a trip to the World Series. Maybe they should have. It’s really too early to start disbelieving in them for this year, but I’m not sure their start is drawing out much hope.
On the other hand, the Yankees did spend a lot and they’re only a game better with three wins so far. Hmmm. Look at who’s ahead of them who didn’t spend much at all.
As a Sox fan would already know, they lost again last night, this time to lowly Oakland. “Lowly?” They have a better record than Boston. After eight games, Boston has posted only two wins. Only Cleveland in the American League has a worse record with one win. Over in the National League Washington remains the only winless team in the Majors.
I guess there’s one good thing. We have something to look forward to: A Comeback! Go Sox.
About all I can really way about today is that I at least surpassed my normal goal of at least 500 words a day.
GiM
No comments:
Post a Comment