4th of July

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain (now officially known as the United Kingdom). 

Independence Day is commonly associated with:

• fireworks
• parades
• barbecues
• carnivals
• fairs
• picnics
• concerts
• baseball games
• family reunions
• political speeches and ceremonies
• in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. 

Independence Day is the National Day of the United States.

June 24, 2014 - Some thoughts

Well, I've checked the news, about the same, the world is in a sad state.

Villages are being abducted in Nigeria, our soldiers are getting killed, even by "friendly" fire, little towns are being equipped with heavily armored vehicles, that are no longer of any used to the troops, so now, Smallville has an Assault Vehicle with capabilities beyond their wildest dreams. How great with 4th of July parades coming up. Smallville now has one of the finest armored vehicles in the world. Both of their policemen are being trained in its use.

A college student gets trapped in a large sculpture of a vagina. When reporters confronted him after being extricated from the vagina, the embarrassed college student was overheard saying, "I'm glad it wasn't a rectum." The sculpture creator, Peruvian-born artist Fernando de la Jara, stated, "This giant vagina was never intended to be penetrated this way."

Some in Washington in the House are pondering whether to consider a lawsuit against the president for refusing to carry out the laws. One Senator was overheard saying, "Where to start?" Another chimed in, "How can we sue him if he is an illegal. he has to be a citizen, right?"

I, like many, am excited about the new TV shows that are being advertised for Fall viewing. So many new, unique and unheard of "concepts" and topics, staggers the mind. One TV executive admitted that they have a "think tank" group isolated in an abandoned mental institution in Maine, in an undisclosed location. We gave them "free reign." We lowered the bar, no idea was excluded, imaginations ran wild, so to speak. When queried about the makeup of the "group." the executive replied, "All ages, all levels, we left the door open for creative ideas, no holds barred, so to speak, we wanted creativity." He further went on to say, "If you think monkeys don't have good ideas you've got another thing coming."

Next week, the Fourth of July, we celebrate our country, our heritage. Let's hope that the terrorists lay down their bombs for the day. Let's take down the Muslim flags and fly "Old Glory," at least for the day. Let's dedicate the day to our Forefathers who founded this great nation. As a nation, let's all head to our cemeteries and perhaps turn the bodies back to their original position, as all of them have "turned over in their graves" in recent years.

Let's "beef up security" and celebrate the day. Enjoy the fireworks displays, our government spends millions of dollars on them, and, with any luck at all, some of those watching, their eyes will be lifted to the multi colors in the sky, and for a few fleeting minutes, the homeless and the hungry and the unemployed and the illegals, the single parent families, the unmarried couples, etc., etc., etc., will enjoy a moment of pride.

68 dogs gone

By COLLEEN LONG

NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Chestnut won his sixth straight Fourth of July hot dog-eating contest at Coney Island, downing 68 dogs and buns on Wednesday to tie his personal best in a sweaty, gag-inducing spectacle.

Last year, the 28-year-old San Jose, Calif., man nicknamed "Jaws" won with 62 hot dogs. He bested his main rival this year by 16 dogs, scarfing down all 68 in 10 minutes in the sweltering summer heat to take home $10,000 and the mustard yellow belt.

"I feel good, it was a great win," Chestnut said after the contest, adding he wished he could have eaten a record number of hot dogs for the audience. "I tried my best. I'm looking forward to next year already."

Second place went to Tim Janus of New York with 52 hot dogs, who received $5,000. Third place went to Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago with 51, who won $2,500.

Chestnut was neck-and-neck with competitors during the first half of the contest, but he pulled ahead in the remaining minutes, choking down dog after dog, while other competitors slowed as the clock wound down.

Independence Day

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. 

Independence Day is the national day of the United States

Are we an intelligent race of people here in the USA, or what. 

Fires in Colorado, heat wave over much of the country, dry, dry, dry ..... 

and what are they saying on the news ...............

 FIREWORKS ... FIREWORKS ..... FIREWORKS

A record number of fireworks displays this year

 ........... all over, everywhere, does that make sense to anyone?

I wonder how many fires the fireworks will start.

INDEPENDENCE DAY - 2010

Wouldn't it be nice, to hear some schoolchild say, "Oh, yes, on the 4th of July, we celebrate our nations independence." I haven't heard even one this year, being interviewed, that knew anything about why we celebrate this day. When they lose all their freeddoms, perhaps then, they will understand. You can't appreciate it, till you lose it.

One thought comes to mind, an old Nevada casino expression ..... "If you're gonna be a sucker, be a silent one."

WHAT, Me Worry ...... You betcha

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea launched seven ballistic missiles Saturday into waters off its east coast in a show of military firepower that defied U.N. resolutions and drew global expressions of condemnation and concern.

The salvo, confirmed by the South Korean government, also appeared to be a slap at the United States as Washington moves to enforce U.N. as well as its own sanctions against the isolated regime for its May 25 nuclear test.

The launches came on July 4, which is U.S. Independence Day. The display was similar to one that took place three years ago, also while Americans celebrated the Fourth of July during another period of tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.

The number of missiles was the same, though in 2006 North Korea also launched a long-range rocket that broke apart and fell into the ocean less than a minute after liftoff.

South Korea said Saturday's missiles likely flew more than 250 miles (400 kilometers), apparently landing in waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan.

South Korea and Japan both condemned the launches, with Tokyo calling them a "serious act of provocation." Britain and France issued similar statements.

Russia and China, both close to North Korea, expressed concern over an "escalation of tension in the region," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement after a meeting in Moscow.

In Washington, the White House had no immediate comment. But two senior officials in President Barack Obama's administration, speaking in advance of the launches, said any reaction was likely to be muted to avoid giving attention to Pyongyang or antagonize it. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Has this always been our policy?