BREAKING NEWS!

As the various 2016 Presidential candidates vie for our attention, they do some interesting things to get noticed. From giving out the cell number of another candidate to using a chain saw to shred the US tax code, it’s all about seizing your attention.

What does it take to capture your attention? The news media tries to nab your attention with stunning statements like “Breaking News,” or “Just in.” During the dating years, men look for the best opening lines to attract a date. The worst line is, “Lucky you, I picked you to meet.” That does not work, trust me on this.

Much thought goes into the first few words of a novel, speech, or news report. Can you name the four TV shows that started with these arresting words?

• You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension

• There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture

• Space, the final frontier

• In the criminal justice system

Can you recognize the four books whose first captivating words are given below?

• It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man………

• It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

• It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen

• Call me Ishmael

Can you identify the four famous speeches that start with these riveting words?

• Four score and seven years ago our fathers

• Yesterday, December 7, 1942 – a date which will live in infamy

• Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand

• Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope

As captivating as human words are, nothing beats the first words of the Bible, “In the beginning, God!” No human speech came before Genesis 1:1. No human literature or TV show is better. These words are fighting words to many in the world today, but they bring peace and understanding to me. I receive them as literal truth and fact. Let’s quote it often and know that they will stir up the conversation.