The float’s all gassed up and ready to go, and we’ll be at the biggest Independence Day Parade west of the Mississippi tomorrow. (I have a key to the crappers, too).
See you there.
Stolen modified float pic came from here.
UPDATE:
That’s what the float looked like today with a Ding Dong in front of it:
The Tim Conway Jr. Show is worth listening to for the theme song alone. It can be heard online 7-10PM weekdays AM640 KFI.
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Continue reading “Independence Day”
I might have posted these before. They are envelopes decorated by my great-grandfather and mailed to his son (my grand-uncle) who was stationed in France in the U.S. Signal Corps in WWI. Walter received them on 10 August 1918, and replied with this letter:
“…I saw a peach of an air battle last night. Believe me that is exciting stuff to see them diving and darting around like a couple of birds. That’s about all I can tell you. I can’t tell you who licked. Some of the best fliers are located near us. I guess there are a few “aces” among the bunch.
…Pap says the war will be over in a year making it July 4th 1919. I don’t want to shatter his hopes but I think about the fall of 1920 myself. That is simply my estimate. Maybe last longer or maybe not as long.”
Late last year I asked Walter’s daughter if she’d allow me to post her father’s letters, in sequence beginning in February 1918, as if in real time. For personal reasons she declined, and I’ll respect her wishes.
Meanwhile, I hope all of you still have the same number of fingers and toes as you did yesterday at this time.
In Congress, July 4, 1776,
THE UNANIMOUS DECLARATION OF THE THIRTEEN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. Continue reading “Independence Day”
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
If you haven’t read THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE since high school, maybe now is a good time to reread it, given our current economic situation and recent insufferable actions by the current administration. The Heritage Foundation has an excellent introduction to The Declaration, one of the most influential documents in the history of western civilization.
Since this is our weekly Saturday Matinee, we took a walk through the Utoobage. The first video that showed up is a very nice professional rendition by a handful of left-wing has-been Hollywood stars and starlets, reciting an EDITED version of the original Declaration, with very convenient omissions… and we’ll NOT post it here.
The next video listed on the Utoobage was well produced also, but devolves within seconds to a criticism of Thomas Jefferson as a slave owner, and, besides ignoring the historical context, misses the point of The Declaration entirely, and confuses it with the Constitution of the United States. It is in fact the intro to the first video mentioned. We’ll not link to that piece of irrational and inaccurate garbage either.
But then we found this unstilted representation:
Those men, “The Founding Fathers,” had integrity, fortitude, morals, ethics and balls. They did what they did under threat of being tortured and hanged for treason by the British.
Where can we find such courageous leaders today? Certainly not in Washington D.C.
Maybe I’m easily amused, but this reeks of coolness. It’s a pan & zoom image of Yankee Stadium during the Yankees vs. Red Sox game of 4 July 2008. Boston won 6-4 on a freak triple.
[See below for the linkoids.]
Here’s the wide angle, and I decided to zoom in. The second thing I was looking for was a guy who probably drives a Babe Magnet: Where’s Waldork?
Game is underway, 1st Inning.
An obnoxious jerk can be found anywhere, and I guessed that the cheap seats would be a good bet.
This section looked promising. Completely arbitrary guess.
Getting closer! Stadium usher in the aisle is eyeballing someone…
Ooh! We have a candidate, and it’s not the waterbed in the back row or the wannabe in the front.
WOOP! DEY HE IS!
Rock out dude! Everyone should be playing air guitar at a Yankees game! Or are you yelling at the umpire already, as if he can hear you from a half-mile away. DUDE, it’s only the first inning. Chill.
Don’t double-dose your meds again, dood. Everyone’s ignoring you (except for the usher, the lady in the red tunic and the one in white southwest of you on the previous image). What Babe Magnet do you drive, bro?
[Link found at Grow-A-Brain. The Very Cool Hi-Def Zoom/Pan image of Yankee Stadium can be found here.]
[UPDATE: HERE’S A BONAFIDE COMPETITION. FIRST ONE OF Y’ALL TO EMAIL BUNK A SCREEN SHOT (.jpg file only) OF THE GUY IN THIS STADIUM CROWD WHO’S POINTING DIRECTLY AT THE CAMERA WINS A VERY COOL PRIZE IN 100% WORKING CONDITION, INCLUDING BATTERIES AND INSTRUCTIONS, IN ORIGINAL PACKAGING!]
[Update 26 August 2008: Contest is now closed. Winner to be announced.]
[UPDATE 28 AUGUST 2008: WE HAVE A WIENER!]
Folks, I’m glad to be back on this glorious day. Marshal Penguin has obviously done an excellent job while I was gone, and I thank him for his professional services while I was relieving the officers in charge of the eastern front. Gramma Strutts is in the early stages of alzheimer’s, and I had to view the frontlines. All in all, it was a successful mission. We have a plan, and it is being implemented.
While on my excursion, I read a book that my lovely wife, Mrs. Strutts, had given me for Fathers’ Day.
I finished reading it in two days… and then read it again.
“Lone Survivor” by Marcus Luttrell is a must read for everyone over the age of 16. Luttrell describes his training as a Navy SEAL in the first half of the book. That training regimen is amazing by itself. These guys are the best of the best.
The remaining portion describes the experiences that he and three other Special Ops warriors experienced fighting the Taliban in the brutal mountains of the Hindu Kush, four against 200 enemy fighters. The true story is a can’t-put-it-down white-knuckle read.
Forget the opinions of CNN, nightly news, BBC, Associated Press, Reuters, NY Times, etc. This is the real deal; an amazing glimpse into the mind of a true warrior, his training, and what he was capable of doing with that training. Honest. Get it and pass it on.
Your Pal Bunk
Tacky Raccoons 