Elevation

"Elevation," U2.

Hallelujah Chorus

Hark The Herald Angels Sing

Do You Hear What I Hear

"Do You Hear What I Hear?" Bing Crosby

O Holy Night

"O Holy Night," John Denver

Cowboy's Christmas Ball

"Cowboy's Christmas Ball," The Killers.

Christmas For Cowboys

"Christmas for Cowboys," John Denver

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," Barenaked Ladies & Sarah Mclachlan

Fairytale of New York

The Pogues, "Fairytale of New York."

A New York Christmas

Rob Thomas, "A New York Christmas."

If Men Were Angels

"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to control itself." 


James Madison, Federalist No. 51, 1788

Don't Shoot Me Santa

"Don't Shoot Me Santa," The Killers.

"AIR RAID ON PEARL HARBOR X THIS IS NO DRILL"

Another bright, beautiful Hawaiian morning; it was also Sunday, so everything was even more relaxed than usual. One could hardly be farther from the winter snows back home.


Granted, things were not as blissfully peaceful as they appeared; war was raging in Europe, and some felt the U.S. couldn't stay on the sidelines much longer. Britain was surviving, but the Soviets were reeling, the Nazi blitzkreig driving them ever back. And everything else in Europe, save neutral Switzerland and Sweden, lay under Axis hegemony.


The Pacific was deceptive in its quiesence as well; in China, Imperial Japanese troops continued their atrocity-laden campaign. The U.S. sanctions against them were appearing to sting, and American forces had fallen back from China to the Philippines in case Japanese words turned to actions, and in the fall American forces had increased their readiness... only to wane as the months dragged on. Now the brass worried more about sabotage and not provoking any trouble.


But as of the 6th, the diplomats were still talking, so nothing to worry about, right? As long as they're talking there won't be any fighting, regardless of what those paranoid ninnies in the signals intelligence section say.



Those would be just a few of the illusions shattered that Sunday morning, 70 years ago today.

The Cowboy Christmas Ball

"The Cowboy Christmas Ball," The Killers.