Happy Independence Day !

Celebrating Independence Day (the Fourth of July) is possible because of the wise founding fathers of the United States of America and the men and women of all the armed forces, both past and present, who serve and protect this nation. As you enjoy this holiday weekend, please take the time to remember all of our soldiers and leaders who have served or are now serving America.

While our diverse cultures and beliefs allow us to celebrate our countries of origin, our gods and our ethnicity's, make no mistake that America, its people, its flag and its national symbols come before any other country, flag, or ethnicity.

To deny this is to deny the reason why America exists today and why we are able to express our thoughts and views, without persecution. If this view sounds unreasonable, then perhaps you're living in the wrong country!

Most people, especially the youth of today, are unaware of many of the stories behind our National Day of celebration. For those of you who study in school or enjoy history, the following may be just a stroll down memory lane.

For those of you that are unaware or have forgotten why we are a free nation today, the following is something you should not only be aware of, but should pass on to your children, as well.

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States of America 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 various public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the National Day of the United States.

During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring the United States independent from Great Britain.

After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4th.

Historians have long disputed whether Congress actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, even though Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all later wrote that they had signed it on that day. Most historians have concluded that the Declaration was signed nearly a month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776, and not on July 4 as is commonly believed.

In a remarkable coincidence, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.

Although not a signer of the Declaration of Independence, another Founding Father who became a President, James Monroe, died on July 4, 1831, thus becoming the third President in a row who died on this memorable day.

Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President, was born on July 4, 1872, and, so far, is the only President to have been born on Independence Day.

 

The News As I See It: Seven Stones is a traditional game played in the Middle East where teams compete to build and destroy a pile of rocks. It is currently being televised on Iranian television and is very popular. "Seven Stones" is followed by "How I Met Your Mullah."

Fidel Castro made a rare appearance on Cuban television. It’s a new show called "Cuba’s Got Talent, but America’s Got Food, Water, Shelter, and Medicine."

What to make for the Fourth of July weekend? Hamburgers and hot dogs get a lot of attention, but the Fourth is really the blueberry's day to shine. When you need a blue food to round out your red, white, and blue items, there's nowhere else to turn but the blueberry. Every year, the blueberry has it right where it wants us. I say good for the blueberry. It deserves it.

This Date In History: 1776; The U.S. declared independence from Great Britain. 1826; Former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died. 1831; Former president James Monroe died. 1845; Henry David Thoreau moved into his shack on Walden Pond.

1862; Lewis Carroll first told the story of Alice's Adventures Underground to the Liddell sisters. 1884; The Statue of Liberty was presented to the United States in Paris. 1895; Katharine Lee Bates published America the Beautiful.

1939; Lou Gehrig, stricken with ALS, made his farewell at Yankee Stadium. 1976; The United States celebrated its bicentennial. 1997; The U.S. Pathfinder probe landed on Mars.

2012; The European Organization for Nuclear Research, also known as CERN, announced the discovery of a new particle with properties consistent with the Higgs boson.

Picture Of The Day: This picture says it all !

Printable Things I Never Told You: 1) I can’t think of anything worse after a night of drinking than waking up next to a woman and not being able to remember her name, how I met her, or why she's handcuffed to me. 2) When I first met my future ex-mother-in-law, I could already visualize the duct tape over her mouth. 3) A bank just opened near me and has a sign that says "24 Hour Banking" but I don't have that much time. 4) I spoke to a doctor yesterday and he suggested that a combination of wine, women and song often shortens a man's life. If that's true, I may start singing karaoke less often. 5) The reason that men chase women they have no intention of marrying is the same urge that makes dogs chase cars they have no intention of driving.....and that's five !

Today's Horoscope: Cancer - July 4th: This weekend will be great for you and yours. Don't let minor skirmishes frustrate you. The greatest things in life are free so stop and smell the proverbial roses. Remember, whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot about puppies and kittens

Birthdays: Nathaniel Hawthorne, author 1804, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italian patriot 1807, Stephen Foster, composer 1826, Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States (1923–1929) 1872, Rube Goldberg, cartoonist and sculptor 1883, Louis B. Mayer, movie executive 1885, Meyer Lansky, mobster 1902, Ann Landers, advice columnist 1918, Abigail Van Buren, advice columnist 1918, Eva Marie Saint, actress 1924, Neil Simon, playwright, producer 1927, Gina Lollobrigida, model, actress 1927, George Steinbrenner, owner of NY Yankees 1930.

The AREA 51 Retirement Home Bar And Grill: Ethel and Mabel, two elderly widows, were watching the folks go by from their park bench. Ethel said, "You know, Mabel, I've been reading this 'Sex and Marriage' book and all they talk about is 'mutual orgasms'."

Ethel continued, "You know,  mutual orgasms here and mutual orgasms there. That's all they talk about. Tell me, Mabel, when your husband was alive, did you two ever have mutual orgasms?"

Mabel thought for a long while. Finally, she shook her head and said, "No, I think we had State Farm."

 A Jewish man is walking on Miami Beach when he discovers a bottle containing genie. He rubs it and a genie comes out, promises to grant him one wish. He says, "Peace in the Middle east, that’s my wish."

The genie looks concerned, then says, "No, I’m sorry, that’s just not possible. Some things just can’t be changed. Do you have another wish?"

The guy says, "Well, my whole life I’ve never received oral sex from my wife. That would be my wish." The genie pauses for another moment and then says, "How would you define peace?"
 

The Hits Just Keep On Coming: A guy is sitting at home when he hears a knock at the door. He opens the door and sees a snail on the porch. He picks up the snail and throws it as far as he can.

Three years later, there’s a knock on the door. He opens it and sees the same snail. The snail says, "What the hell was that all about?"

During a commercial airline flight an Air Force Pilot was seated next to a young mother with a babe in arms. When the baby began crying during the descent for landing, the mother began nursing the infant as discreetly as possible.

The pilot pretended not to notice and, upon disembarking, he gallantly offered his assistance to help with the various baby-related paraphernalia. When the young mother expressed her gratitude, the pilot responded, "Gosh, that's a good looking baby...and he sure was hungry!"

Somewhat embarrassed, the mother explained that her pediatrician said nursing would help alleviate the pressure in the baby's ears. The Air Force Pilot said, "Hmmm.....and all these years, I've been chewing gum."

That's it for today, my little sparklers. Remember, a clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory. I have no idea who wrote that. AREA 51 is "iffy" tonight because there is a big Nascar race from Daytona tonight.

Have a great Fourth of July weekend and more on Monday.

Stay Tuned !