Entering the 200s!!!!!

As you know, I’ve always been a fan of Israel. I’m not saying they are perfect over there… I’m just saying I like them. Really, what’s not to like about a country that is still, all these years later, hunting down Nazis? These are people who know how to fight terrorist! Also, it’s hard not to like a country that just a little bigger than New Jersey surrounded by countries who want to wipe it off the face of the earth. I know these countries want to wipe Israel off the face of the earth because they have been trying to do this since the modern country of Israel was established. A quick look at Wikipedia (my source for almost all quick-check facts used on this blog) shows that in 1947, Britain had a plan that would divide Palestine into two countries (one Arab and one Jewish). The Jewish community was ok with this plan but the Arabs weren’t. On May 14, 1948 the Jewish Agency proclaimed independence (and named the country Israel). The next day they were attacked by Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. We will call this the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. During this war, Jordan annexed the West Bank and East Jerusalem; Egypt took control of the Gaza Strip; and Israel (the winner of this war) gained a bunch of land. I’m not going to give you an extensive history here, because I don’t really have the time… So let’s skip ahead to today where there is talk that, gosh, wouldn’t it just be great if Israel would go back to its pre-1967 boarders. Well, let’s take a look at what went down in 1967. The Six-Day War started on June 5, 1967 when Israel launched a large-scale surprise attack. Some say this was an act of aggression… some say it was a defensive preemptive strike. I’m going with defensive preemptive strike, because it’s not like the Arab countries were all lovey-dovey before the attack. My rule of thumb is if you’re going to talk s**t about a country and about how they should not exist… then don’t cry like a little baby when they punch you in the face and take your candy. Let’s look at the players in this fight: On one side, Israel. On the other side, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and forces from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Kuwait, Tunisia, Sudan and the PLO. Israel won. In six days (thus, the name of the war). Six days! It was over so fast that most people thought Israel had attacked France! I can only assume that the Arab military leaders were trained at the finest French military academies. Anyway, during this war, Israel captured the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. Since then, Israel has already given back some of the land (and the various Arab nations have tried to take the rest of it… and more… but have failed). I say they should keep the land. And if the other nations want to try and take it from them… give it your best shot. My money says that Israel would just end up taking even more land. After a while, I think you have to look at what Israel has been up against and look at what has happened and you have to start to think, hmmm… maybe God really is on their side. And the side God is on is the side I think America should be on. Of course, my first hope is that everyone would just leave each other alone over there… but something tells me that won’t happen.

We enter into the 200s today on the list. We might get through this whole thing in one month... who knew?!

Don’t forget, Darius Rucker will honor Pattison's Academy should he win CMT Performance of the year! This is a FAN supported contest. Click here to vote for Darius and you'll be voting for Pattison's!!

We will now continue our countdown of the I’m just sayin… Top 1,081 Songs of All Time

311 - “When My Little Girl is Smiling” by The Drifters

My song to my girls.

310 - “Uneasy Rider” by The Charlie Daniels Band

309 - “Wild Thing” by The Troggs

308 - “Nights I Can't Remember, Friends I'll Never Forget” by Toby Keith

307 - “Southern Voice” by Tim McGraw

306 - “Can't Stop Lovin' You” by Van Halen

305 - “Outlaws Like Us” by Travis Tritt with Hank Williams, Jr. and Waylon Jennings

“And I wear this country banner/ And I'm proud to wave the flag/ And you can talk all day 'bout the next Billy Ray/ But I'll cast my vote for Hag/ And when all those screamin' metal bands/ Have corroded into rust/ There'll still be a show on Music Row/ For old outlaws like us”

I can’t think of many Country songs that have a singer dissing another country singer… but back when this song came out Travis Tritt had a nice little feud going with Billy Ray Cyrus (yep, that same one). I sided with Travis Tritt… Sonny went with Billy Ray. Looks like I won.

304 - “I Play The Road” by Zac Brown Band

303 - “One Moment In Time” by Whitney Houston

302 - “Honky Tonk Heroes” by Waylon Jennings

301 - “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen

300 - “Raise Your Hands” by Bon Jovi

299 - “American Saturday Night” by Brad Paisley

298 - “Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody” by David Lee Roth

This song describes my early college years… Before I met The Wife, of course. ;)

297 - “The Heart of the Matter” by Don Henley

296 - “Always on My Mind” by Elvis Presley

295 - “Show Me the Way To Go Home” by Emerson, Lake and Palmer

It was a great song in Jaws… it was a great song in college… and it’s a great song when I sing it at the end of the work day.

294 - “Sinners Like Me” by Eric Church

293 - “Luck Be a Lady” by Frank Sinatra

Here we have the song that would run through my head as I stood in the on-deck circle during my high school baseball games.

292 - “When We Was Fab” by George Harrison

A good song by a former Beatle about being a Beatle.

291 - “If The South Would Have Won” by Hank Williams, Jr.

“If the South would’ve won we'd a had it made,/ I'd prob’ly run for President of the Southern State./ The day Elvis passed away would be our national holiday,/ If the South would a won we'd had a it made./ I'd make my Supreme Court down in Texas,/ And we wouldn't have no killers gettin’ off free./ If they were proven guilty, then they would swing quickly,/ Instead of writin’ books and smilin’ on T.V.”

Amen!

290 - “Material Girl” by Madonna

289 - “Saturday Night Special” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

288 - “Ramble On” by Led Zeppelin

287 - “Small Town” by John Mellencamp

Another song written about me.

286 - “Johnny Cash” by Jason Aldean

“(whoa)/ Throw your suitcase in the back,/ (whoa)/ Done gassed up the pontiac,/ (whoa)/ Blastin' out to Johnny Cash, headin' for the highway,/ Baby we ain't ever comin' back.”

285 - “Time” by Hootie and the Blowfish

284 - “Easy Come, Easy Go” by George Strait

283 - “Sweet Child O' Mine” by Guns N' Roses

282 - “My Hero” by Foo Fighters

281 - “Wanna Go Back” by Eddie Money

280 - “Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)” by Cinderella

279 - “All-American Girl” by Carrie Underwood

278 - “Oh Boy! ” by Buddy Holly and The Crickets

277 - “Hillbilly Deluxe” by Brooks and Dunn


Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Captain Christopher C. Bruton (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on March 2, 1865 at Waynesboro, Virginia. His citation reads:

Capture of Gen. Early's headquarters flag. Confederate national standard.

Landsman Henry Brutsche (US Navy) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on October 31, 1864 on board the USS Tacony. His citation reads:

Served on board the U.S.S. Tacony during the taking of Plymouth, N.C., 31 October 1864. Carrying out his duties faithfully during the capture of Plymouth, Brutsche distinguished himself by a display of coolness when he participated in landing and spiking a 9-inch gun while under a devastating fire from enemy musketry.

Hospital Steward William C. Bryan (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on March 17, 1876 at Powder River, Wyoming. His citation reads:

Accompanied a detachment of cavalry in a charge on a village of hostile Indians and fought through the engagements, having his horse killed under him. He continued to fight on foot, and under severe fire and without assistance conveyed 2 wounded comrades to places of safety, saving them from capture.