“That which distinguishes this day from all others is that then both orators and artillerymen shoot blank cartridges.” – John Burroughs
“That which distinguishes this day from all others is that then both orators and artillerymen shoot blank cartridges.” – John Burroughs
3 pounder/47mm?
That would be the 40mm Bofors saluting gun. We used them at the naval base I where was stationed.
including that quote.
don’t forget to sedate the puppies.
zero traffic @90mph to work.
and use punks to light those boomers.
Punks? Sheesh. Punks are for punks. Use a cigar, like a real man.
while i enjoy a nice short story, there is no comparison.
the sheer glee contained in a punks facial expression at the moment of ignition is uniquely satisfying.
perhaps only dancing on the roof of a car to strains of flipper’s “brainwash” brings more pleasure.
Do any of the ‘yoots’ of today even know what a ‘punk’ is in relation to fireworks?
No, I don’t.
very similar to nag champa, only derived from donkey dung rather than camel, and exuding a superior aroma.
Well, I finally look up what Punk is, I never knew what they were called before but I’ve used them.
“The more you know”
When you’re a kid with a stash of illicit exploding fireworks, lighting up the punk was a lot like the reaction junkies get when they are about to sink the needle.
Exhilarating anticipation of what you are about to experience… 🙂
“To treat your facts with imagination is one thing, to imagine your facts is another.”
John Burroughs
“Leap and the net will appear” –
John Burroughs
Yes Dan, because it is INDEPENDENCE DAY! Anybody else think just saying the 4th of July cheapens the idea of this day? Maybe I’m just a prude.
Anyway God bless the land that I love.
I’ve recently switched from “the 4th of July” to “Independence Day” just to see the brief befuddlement on the hearer’s face.
If you are a prude, then so am I. However, I was just recently educated to the fact that the holiday is Independence Day, that happens to fall on the fourth of July. So I too am now calling it independence day. So if you are a prude so am I. 🙂
P.S. I always knew it was independence day, but was lazy and called it 4th of July, and by doing so disrespected the holiday and those who died to provide it to us all. Just my 2 cents worth, I am not saying anything about anyone else, just me.
I know the feeling. Folks tend to forget the true meaning of certain holidays. I’ve always used Independence Day instead of Fourth of July.
America the beautiful.
No one in their right mind says we are perfect humans. But this is the best place on Earth.
Happy 4th of July to everyone.
What is important is not that we are imperfect, but that we can envision a better self to strive towards.
St Barbara approves of firing cannons on 4th of July. Happiness is having powder for the breech and making blast out of the muzzle!
The Lee Resolution passing 242 years ago was a momentous occasion where the people threw off the chains of oppressive government and SECEDED. Not 15 years later those states that unchained themselves once again chained themselves together by a small general government that has grown to a massive bureaucratic nightmare more oppressive than the chains that once bound us. Perhaps remembering that the reasons for celebrating this day will educate us that secession is not a bad word and that the weaker the government is, the stronger the citizenry can become.
I was taught that the Articles of Confederation were discarded not because they were oppressive, but rather that they resulted in a system that was basically ungovernable – no executive, no court system, etc. One of the major show-stoppers was apparently the financial / fiscal lack of coherence, as I recall. (Which has some rather troubling echoes in today’s European Union.)
Could you provide a reference? Thanks!
Europe’s problem is that they are trying to force very diverse cultures together.
That never works for very long.
The US’s major problems began with the advancement of the progressive ideal that wealth redistribution is the primary purpose of government. Entitlements consume most of our federal budget and the class/race divide gets worse every day.
And who here thinks the federal court system has helped foster liberty? And the monetary system has lost over 95% of its value over the last 100 years forcing people to gamble in the stock market or watch their savings stolen by the invisible tax of inflation.
And what reference do you need? Google the Lee Resolution and then reread the Declaration of Independence.
You wrote: “Not 15 years later those states that unchained themselves once again chained themselves together by a small general government that has grown to a massive bureaucratic nightmare more oppressive than the chains that once bound us.”
That is what I would like a reference to, if you have one. The only things I found were in accord with what I recall from grade school history, i.e. the Articles were discarded because they were unworkable in practice, not because they were tyrannical per se.
Have you read the Declaration of Independence lately? Read the list of grievances carefully. Compared to the non-voluntary government control of today, some seem almost trivial.
Why do we celebrate that resistance, yet allow so much greater tyranny to continue today?
Because we are but a frog in a pot, becoming accustomed to the almost boiling water.
True. Sad, but true.
What does ‘voluntary’ government (as opposed to involuntary) mean? Does every person need to consent to every decree? Does everyone need to agree on representatives? 51%?
Happy Independence Day! Sorry I’m not whining about my country today. I celebrated by buying 100boo-lits yesterday…I’m hoping I don’t need them to defend my freedom.
Thank you for not whining about this great country on her birthday.
For those that whine, instead of threatening to use force (AKA terrorism), save your comments for writing your elected Representatives and vote when there is a election or proposition. BTW, propositions make a bigger difference than people think because that is how Dems get the tax money.
Happy Birthday America!
Happy Independence Day!…from British tyranny. Long may it endure! Keep fighting the good fight wherever you are!
Happy Independence Day ??
FIght on, don’t let the D.C. Aholes do a 241 year reinstatement of oppression when you asked for repeal, and they sh_t themselves into ‘repeal and replace’. Kinda like the 2016 election, how before everyone denied even the existence of liberal globalism. Now we got POS (D) former presididn’t Barry Hussein Ohole whining in a foreign country that the world won’t make it without liberal globalism. http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/07/03/obama-pontificates-on-global-stage-i-believe-deeply-that-the-liberal-international-orderis-the-only-choice/
F him (protesting America in foreign soil is Treason) and All interested in that.
Again,
Happy Independence Day ??
GOD BLESS AMERICA
Excellent article for Independence Day:
“Never surrender. Never submit. Never be silenced.
Freedom and independence forever.”
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2017/07/independence-day-why-we-fight-2
God Bless America!
God bless America. This country may not be perfect, but we still are the freest country in the world.
“God bless America. This country may not be perfect”, but F U.
There, fixed it.
“may it be to the world what I believe it will be, (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all) the Signal of arousing men to burst the chains, under which Monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the blessings & security of self government. the form which we have substituted restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. “all eyes are opened, or opening to the rights of man. the general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth that the mass of mankind has not been born, with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately by the grace of god. these are grounds of hope for others. for ourselves let the annual return of this day, for ever refresh our recollections of these rights and an undiminished devotion to them.” – Thomas Jefferson 1826 50th 4th of July
While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free.
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer:
God bless America, land that I love,
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam,
God bless America,
My home sweet home.
Irving Berlin
Celebrate folks. Celebrate our freedoms.
Me, I’m gonna hit the range with a couple pieces, work some magic on the pellet grill.
Boneless chicken with skin on, drizzled with a concoction of butter, honey and garlic.
Pan seared asparagus wrapped with bacon in the same.
Corn on the cob…
Then I’m going to have a mug of tea. (Thinking Boston tea party)
Then head to the local fireworks display and film it in 4K from along side and above with my quad copter.
Post that video if you could, please?
I hope it will look something like this spectacular video, but in 4K:
I’ll try. That video. Wow. I’m thinking that drone may have returned with some burn marks!
I have the phantom 4. I’d hate to lose it from an impact.
When I first saw that, I imagined that must be a little of what was like to be a bomber crew over German in WW2, but with death instead of pretty colors…
“We have a Phantom 4 down! I say again, we have a Phantom 4 down!”
“Pan seared asparagus wrapped with bacon in the same.”
wash that down with a few wookie jacks and you have my favorite gout remedy.
Came home from work to find the wife in the pool with a beer for her lover…but I drank it.
What happened over the next 45 minutes is none of your business.
After that I asked her if she wanted to shoot Tannerite wearing a bikini. She said sure! No pics or video guys, her request.
I grabbed her Mossberg MVP Predator .223, some ear plugs, another beer, and we walked down to the range. I set the jar up at 50 yards and she took a standing position. First shot missed. Second shot, POW-BOOM!
She never shot Tannerite before. With a huge grin on her face she asked, “You bring any more down here?”
Some beer, some ‘boom-boom’ and then some ‘boom’, eh?
Sounds like a nice July 4 to me… 🙂
no video guys?
who are you going to high five at minute 46?
She high fived me.
Muslim extremist Obama celebrated something else in a Muslim country, after spending a week and a half protesting the U.S., capitalism and everything right and good, around the world.
F Ohole and ALL of the evil POS (D).