baseball, hot dogs and beer: Happy Fourth of July
[With apologies to my non-USA readers for the very America-centric posting today]
[Author of quote has been corrected. Thank you.]
Freedom. It's what's for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
[Please look for interesting links below and vistit all the links in the comments. Note to self-linkers: Links in comments should be working now]
Celebrate your freedoms today. Enjoy your daily newspaper, knowing that even if the editorials make you angry, at least you live in a country where people have complete freedom of the press.
Stop at your place of worship, if you have one. Celebrate the fact that you live in a country where are you are free to practice - or not practice - the religion of your choosing.
Write a letter to your local government complaining about something? Why? Because you have the freedom to do that without fear of being killed for doing so.
Wear your Speedo in public. Turn your radio up. Eat some red meat. Drive your SUV. Go to the shooting range. Smoke in your own backyard. Participate in some consensual, adult sodomy. Pursue life, liberty and happiness.
Celebrate the past. The Fourth of July - 20 years ago - when Dave Righetti pitched his brilliant no-hitter agains the Red Sox. The Fourth of July when the Mets and Braves played 19 innings and six hours. The Fourth of July when some idiot threw a bottle rocket into my car and nearly killed me.
Celebrate my grandfather's birthday, who would have been 90something today. Send George Steinbrenner a birthday email. Don't forget to ask him why he traded Jay Buhner.
Raise a tall, cold one to American Beer Month.
Watch 1776. Read the Declaration of Independence. Listen to the soundtrack of Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Bill Whittle. Need I say more?
Take pictures of fireworks.
Learn why America is not an empire.
Recite my Ode to a Hot Dog
Tell everyone what's to like about America, especially your home state.
Remember.
Take an American Revolution quiz.
Support the troops.
Most of all, practice fireworks safety.
Andy and Tom get drunk and make up a song called Patriot Act Woo
Liberty (sent by reader Debbie)
Download Dr. Frank's Democracy, Whiskey, Sexy.
Give some thought to your rights.
If you've written something about this holiday, drop a link in the comments.
Comments
Oh, you had to bring up the Righetti thing, didn't ya? ;p
Just for that, I'll tell everyone how un-nasty and mean you really are. Happy 4th, sweeeeeetie!
Posted by: Solonor | July 4, 2003 08:53 AM
I remember watching the Braves game until about 2 a.m. that night... it finally ended and the fireworks finally happened about 5:30.
Anyway, read about the first 7 presidents of the US before George Washington on Backcountry Conservative at jquinton.com
Posted by: Jeff Quinton | July 4, 2003 09:17 AM
Read the Declaration of Independence...
Declaration of Independence
Posted by: a different Bill | July 4, 2003 09:18 AM
Happy 4th of July to all our good friends south of the border!
Lady Liberty's a great-looking gal for 227 years!
- love, an anti-anti-American Canadian
Posted by: Ray | July 4, 2003 09:20 AM
Michele,
Great idea (ideas). I'm goin' try to do most of 'em (except the speedo; my wife won't let me).
Minor correct: Your banner quote was written by Thomas Paine (The guy who wrote "Common Sense") not TJ.
Posted by: JFH | July 4, 2003 09:34 AM
Oops, I meant "minor correctION" (Man, if you're going to nitpik the blogger, you're post should at least be correct) :(
Posted by: JFH | July 4, 2003 09:36 AM
For those that like the Declaration of Independence, and quotes, and history ... I tried (not sure I succeeded) in putting all three together ... it came out kinda long, but couldn't figure out how to make it shorter ... it's intended as a tribute to those who have dedicated their lives to freedom.
I posted it here. Apolgoies for the crappy layout ... I haven't finished house cleaning yet.
Posted by: dave | July 4, 2003 09:48 AM
I don't know about your town, but every 4th in Detroit they have mass American Citizenship swearing in ceremonies. More impressive than any fireworks show I've ever seen. While I was looking for the link to post, I found a story about a guy who got his citizenship back in April.
Posted by: Michael Wagner | July 4, 2003 09:50 AM
Bleh. Links not happening. Stories are linked at http://www.planetpuck.net/el_jefe
Posted by: Michael Wagner | July 4, 2003 09:52 AM
http://www.palaceofreason.com/CurrentEvents/retro.html
http://www.palaceofreason.com/Curmudgeon/walls.html
Posted by: Francis W. Porretto | July 4, 2003 10:10 AM
test.
http://asmallvictory.net
Posted by: Michele | July 4, 2003 10:15 AM
Thomas Paine "The American Crisis": http://libertyonline.hypermall.com/Paine/Crisis/Crisis-TOC.html
Posted by: Ron | July 4, 2003 10:17 AM
Let's see, at Random Nuclear Strikes the 3 Amigos (but with better ordnance) have personal thoughts of what the holiday means to us, stories of British arrogance during the Revolutionary War, links to where you can go to write a letter to our service men and women, an essay on the 'Character of George Washington', and (my favorite) Ronald Reagan's 1964 "The Speech".
Stop on by http://www.nukevet.com/ or just click on my name.
Have a great day everyone.
Posted by: analog kid | July 4, 2003 11:31 AM
It's not much, but it's mine.
Posted by: McGehee | July 4, 2003 12:01 PM
Take dog to town fair, practice walking on heel in dense crowds, noise, children, rides set up in the streets.
There are ordinary things; and many of them are strange too, but somebody's interest, the odd Lion's booth selling some ice flavor fruit drink you've never heard of in a large dollar cup. That's their dog. They do it every year.
You can't formalize it without turning it into a curse however; if you do, you get orations you have to sit through, if you're in the band anyway. Stick with the dog.
It gets taken over by official people who care what sort of person you think they are.
Posted by: Ron Hardin | July 4, 2003 12:23 PM
Thanks for your July 4th post, Michele (and for the "Dissenting Opinions" one, too); you are spot-on as usual. We must never forget that the meaning of today is exactly what our enemies hate most about us. Thanks to everyone for the links. Here's a cartoon we did for last year's 4th:
http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/000118.html
Posted by: Forkum | July 4, 2003 12:48 PM
Hmmm, mine works, but I put in the html code...it's supposed to open up to a new window though.
Posted by: a different Bill | July 4, 2003 01:49 PM
Happy 4th!!!!!
Today is my late grandfather's birthday as well (and my cousin).....
Enjoy the day that celebrats our freedom!
Posted by: Bryans | July 4, 2003 01:59 PM
Happy Birthday U.S.A.!
That Ragged Old Flag
Independence Day
Posted by: Adam | July 4, 2003 02:49 PM
My take on things. Happy Fourth!
Posted by: Dave | July 4, 2003 04:36 PM
I see no reason for your to apologize!
Posted by: suzi | July 4, 2003 04:39 PM
Others also strive for freedom .
They too know the cost, and the value, of freedom. As we celebrate our victory, let us hope for theirs.
Posted by: Kathy K | July 4, 2003 07:59 PM
I wasn't overly patriotic in my post (it was more "Sex and the City"), but I have a bunch of photos of the fireworks over the Washington Monument in D.C.
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Posted by: anchors | October 19, 2004 11:08 AM
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Joe
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