Happy Independence Day!!!

Happy Birthday America. Once again, we gather to celebrate tossing out that preening, prancing Hanover prig George III.

With our electricity back, all is right again with the world and we are ready to do our annual fireworks display at the end of the block.

If the rain does not wash us out, we will be grilling up a story tonight and toasting to the demise of King Georgie.

I truly love this holiday. The fireworks, the patriotic themes, and the sense of unity that it brings.

Happy Fourth Everyone!

Jonathan Turley

55 thoughts on “Happy Independence Day!!!”

  1. Bonnie, bettykath — re your postings re Native Americans

    “Patriotism” is often defined as love or devotion of one’s country or national identity, usually demonstrated via military service. I call B.S.

    “Country” and “national identity” are political notions too aloof and abstract to warm one’s heart to sacrificial zeal; instead it is the heath and hearth of one’s land, the bond to one’s familial place of being, which forms the woof and warp of one’s homeland and brings forth that last measure of devotion in its defense.

    Given the prominent and integral place of the land in the religion and culture of Native Americans, who have been here millennia before the rest of us, the dominant society with its fixation on non-sustainable exploitation of nature occupies the role of bad boarders within their home. But it is still their home, and it is no surprise that Native Americans continue to sacrifice themselves in its defense.

    http://www.npr.org/2010/11/11/131243209/native-americans-have-long-history-of-military-service

    Until “we” appreciate what “they” know about this land and a people’s place in it, “we” will always be the self-deluded conqueror/settler nation and will never properly tend this land.

  2. Darren and others,

    Did you at any time think of drones? Or child goat herders? Or American Indians? Or…..?

    Did you think of napalm on your neighbors? Long list to remember.

    ……and fireworks display this evening. Then I’m gonna get “falling down” and then rape my wife for old times sake—-we used to do that in the villages. The youngest were best…..the smallest if you understand me. Heh-heh.

    And now Betty Kath has informed us that the largest building in SE Asia will be a Kabul Pentagon.
    And when we have 65 percent of the pop employed as civil or military or agents then, then we can say: “Mission half-accomplished. 10 more years of record profits. Right men?!”

  3. Just sitting here @ 23:45 listening to Jimi Hendrix’ Star Spangled Banner while loads of loud fireworks blast and reverberate through the neighborhood. A Jimi Hendrix Experience in of itself. He will never die in my book.

    Had a great time earlier with my employees and my wife on the banks of Puget Sound presenting 180 degrees of pyrotechnic pleasures.

    To watch as a rather, let’s just say “firework”, report with such an exuberant force, the pressure wave pushes you backward yet delights with the elegence and grace of a shockwave rippling a perfect circle outward into an otherwise serene sea–ah such sensation.

    Another joy happened when a motor tube malfunctioned and undershot the charge only 25 feet high. Then with a loud burst of light and fireballs, it showered all of us with sparks and small rockets that bounced off the ground and richocheted all over. It was lovely.

  4. The last show of Julian Assange, or so they say:
    Julian Assange speaks to the leader of the Malaysian opposition – Anwar Ibrahim. As a rising internal rival to the former Prime Minister Mahathir, Anwar was imprisoned for 5 years after being smeared with sex allegations. As a result of a popular campaign in 2004, his conviction was overturned and he was released from prison. In 2008, he was again targeted for sex crimes allegations, he won the case earlier this year. With Malaysian elections looming with Anwar tipped to win, he has now been charged with unauthorized assembly. If found convicted, he will be prevented from running. Assange talks to him about how he has survived and what he sees as the future of Asia and the West.

    If you’ve missed the previous episodes, you can always watch them online at http://assange.RT.com

  5. Anonymously Yours 1, July 4, 2012 at 8:58 pm

    Catullus,

    That’s definitely what it is…… I suppose not much has changed in our basic nature….. Still overthrowing one government at a time…..
    ===========================
    Gentlemen,

    I think the proper term is “throw down” …

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otd1Qqd5zrw&w=512&h=312]

  6. @Bette – Brisket came out as well as possible under the circumstances. Paprika was an excellent addition. Maybe could have gone about 20 minutes less, or let rest w/o foil cover. Met all the requirements of the Kansas City BBQ Society with exception of a nice smoke ring around each slice. Calling it the “no ticket brisket”.

    Regarding others’ philosophy regarding this day. I’m just happy to be here, happy to have survived 9 years 11 months and 15 days unscathed (or so I’d like to believe), but there are more appropriate days for those thoughts, such as 05/31 and 11/11.

    Today I celebrate a country that has given me more than I could ever ask for, more than I could ever hope for anywhere else. Jingoistic? Maybe, but to quote Popeye the Sailor Man, “I yam whats I yam.”

    Due to no fireworks, what I hear is silence, the sound of one hand clapping. That my friends, is the sound of freedom…

  7. Catullus,

    That’s definitely what it is…… I suppose not much has changed in our basic nature….. Still overthrowing one government at a time…..

  8. Mark,

    How are those ribs….. What did you season them with, and if you grill them or smoked them…..what kinda of wood did you use…. Btw, did you get the kitchen finished……

  9. Bonnie, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Native Americans have their own ideas about deportation of immigrants and their children born here.

  10. 707 Those in bars will be surprised by what happens then.
    ——————
    LOL My first picture was “behind” bars. Second picture was “in” bars.

  11. To echo what has already been said….. I am totally opposed to the war for profiteering……. A select few…… But our troops have been duped into believing that the axis of evil exists outside of the US and Israel MIC…… Still deserve our support and respect……

  12. Gene —

    Agreed. I went to the parade this morning and am going to the baseball game and fireworks display this evening.

  13. Just a point of history: July 4 does not represent independence to American Indians.

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