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Happy US Independence Day!

ChastMastrChastMastr Shipmate
in All Saints
For all who celebrate (and I know this year is tougher than usual, but please let’s keep this light—I’ve posted prayer request in that thread), happy US Independence Day!

What are people doing? During the day I plan on grading papers and such, but I in the evening I’m thinking of watching “A Capitol Fourth,” which was recorded tonight on July 3, a non-politically-partisan traditional celebration that airs on PBS and can be seen for the next 2 weeks on YouTube. Possibly also YouTube recordings of Epcot’s American Adventure presentation (which is celebratory but does not ignore the struggles) and Walt Disney World’s fireworks with the July 4 ending. I’ve got hot dogs and (frozen) hamburgers with appropriate fixings. I don’t plan on going out amid huge crowds in the heat (or rain, though God knows we need it here in Florida right now).

Maybe some music while grading of some appropriate type. Charles Ives was a US composer, or Aaron Copland, who might be apropos. (Though honestly I’m still listening to gay anthems for Pride…)

What are other people doing, if you celebrate?

Comments

  • sionisaissionisais Shipmate
    Happy birthday to the USA. For once you can celebrate what is good about your country. Tomorrow is another day.
  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    edited July 4
    Happy Birthday tooooo yooouuuu!

    🎈🎂🎁 🥳
  • Wesley JWesley J Circus Host
    All the best, and many blessings, oh US of A! :smile:

  • MrsBeakyMrsBeaky Shipmate
    Hope you all have the best time celebrating all the good things.
    My childhood visits to my family in Maryland tended to be at Easter, apart from the summer of 1964 and I have fond memories of celebrations that year.
  • Stercus TauriStercus Tauri Shipmate
    edited July 4
    My wife - she is American - has pinned the Declaration of Independence to the front door, as she has done every year since we were married.
  • SarasaSarasa All Saints Host
    Hope you are all having a fabulous Independence Day.
  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    Happy 250th !
  • Graven ImageGraven Image Shipmate
    We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
    Something to celebrate. Happy 4th.
  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    Thank you. Am hoping the private fireworks celebrations around here will be light. Not many people in town it seems. Will be going to friends for dinner tonight and watch city fireworks from there. Projected to get warm but not as hot as out East.
  • MarsupialMarsupial Shipmate
    Doublethink wrote: »
    Happy 250th !

    That’s a lot of candles. Happy Birthday neighbours!

  • Antisocial AltoAntisocial Alto Shipmate
    Listening to Aaron Copland is perhaps not incompatible with listening to gay anthems. There may have been a reason he wrote so much music about cowboys, IJS 😁
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Wishing you all an excellent day!

    I've only been in the US once, and our trip happened to include Independence Day. The New York fireworks were spectacular, but were outdone by the thunder and lightning on the way back to the hotel!

    Macy's: Look at our fireworks!
    God: Hold my beer ...     :mrgreen:
  • HarryCHHarryCH Shipmate
    My project is to reread the Constitution.
  • ChastMastrChastMastr Shipmate
    Graven Image wrote: »
    We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
    Something to celebrate. Happy 4th.

    And now the song from Schoolhouse Rock is in my head, lol. Maybe some of the better ones (“Fireworks,” “Great American Melting Pot,” etc.) might be good to watch as well. I know the preamble because one of the episodes set it to music… (for those who don’t know, in the 1970s, schoolhouse rock was a series of musical cartoons about history, multiplication, grammar, science, etc. in the United States on ABC TV that were little short three or four minute songs that would air in between Saturday morning cartoons, and a lot of them (most!) really hold up very well and I really wish my students had watched them because I have to explain basic grammar concepts to some of them, even though they’re in college…)
  • ChastMastrChastMastr Shipmate
    Graven Image wrote: »
    We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
    Something to celebrate. Happy 4th.

    Here it is, in fact:

    https://youtu.be/8_NzZvdsbWI?is=kRPXg6IVqCIrGEQI
  • TwangistTwangist Shipmate
    Antisocial Alto wrote: »
    Listening to Aaron Copland is perhaps not incompatible with listening to gay anthems. There may have been a reason he wrote so much music about cowboys, IJS 😁

    I was going say that!!
    Bernstein too potentially
  • Antisocial AltoAntisocial Alto Shipmate
    Certainly Bernstein!

    The Episcopalian composer Ned Rorem claimed to have *ahem* played counterpoint with both of them in the same weekend as a young man, but I don't know whether Copland and/or Bernstein ever confirmed that. Rorem was a bit of a scandal artist, he may have been exaggerating a bit.
  • mousethiefmousethief Shipmate
    What's happy about it?
  • Graven ImageGraven Image Shipmate
    @ChastMastr Loved the song. I memorized it long ago in high school. It would have been easier to remember it with a tune.
  • NicoleMRNicoleMR Shipmate
    I started the day with an Al-anon meeting, and lunch out with some of the members, then came over to my friend's apartment to hang out with her and another friend who's visiting. We'll probably watch the Macy's fireworks on TV tonight.

    Happy Independence Day, fellow Americans.
  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
    Happy Independence Day, to my fellow Americans!

    We had planned to go to the cookout at our community center...but the AC died. On a Saturday. On July 4.
    So, we ordered pizza while waiting for the repair man (a miracle to have someone working today!) and had a swim party here!

    We just came in from watching the neighbors lighting off their fireworks. CJ is old enough to understand that it's a very special day, and she's also old enough to stay up to see the neighborhood fireworks! She's a fan!

    Thanks to all of you who have wished us a happy Fourth!
  • TwangistTwangist Shipmate
    Antisocial Alto wrote: »
    Certainly Bernstein!

    The Episcopalian composer Ned Rorem claimed to have *ahem* played counterpoint with both of them in the same weekend as a young man, but I don't know whether Copland and/or Bernstein ever confirmed that. Rorem was a bit of a scandal artist, he may have been exaggerating a bit.

    New euphemism duly added to the vocabulary
  • Graven ImageGraven Image Shipmate
    edited July 5
    I see that some of Canada, France, and Japan celebrated for us, I am touched to hear that. Canada played our National Anthem, The other countries had light displays of red white and blue.
  • Nick TamenNick Tamen Shipmate
    Graven Image wrote: »
    I see that some of Canada, France, and Japan celebrated for us, I am touched to hear that. Canada played our National Anthem, The other countries had light displays of red white and blue.
    Here is what the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin looked like.


  • deletoiledeletoile Shipmate Posts: 24
    I most heartily recommend America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together 🇺🇸 | PBS
    Speech by the CEO of the Williamsburg Foundation was amazing.

    Available on Youtube. Moving and brilliant, much more so then DC the night before with its very lacklustre fireworks. (Tho' I was proud of our Canadian astronaut!)
  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    Graven Image wrote: »
    I see that some of Canada, France, and Japan celebrated for us, I am touched to hear that. Canada played our National Anthem, The other countries had light displays of red white and blue.

    It's very kind of them!
  • RuthRuth Shipmate
    mousethief wrote: »
    What's happy about it?

    We care enough to be upset.
  • Gamma GamalielGamma Gamaliel Shipmate
    'This land is your land ...'
  • Sober Preacher's KidSober Preacher's Kid Shipmate
    "For you it was the most important day of your life. But for me, it was Thursday."

    UK riffing on Streetfighter.
  • RuthRuth Shipmate
    Sober Preacher's Kid wrote: »
    "For you it was the most important day of your life. But for me, it was Thursday."

    UK riffing on Streetfighter.

    The UK fought two wars over it.
  • DafydDafyd Hell Host
    Two? I assume one is the actual revolution?
  • Sober Preacher's KidSober Preacher's Kid Shipmate
    The other is the War of 1812 and we can leave that to one side as it was a three-sided affair and each side disagrees with the others on the war aims and outcome.
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    The War of 1812 lead to the writing of the Star Spangled Banner.
  • HarryCHHarryCH Shipmate
    I suppose Mr. Key can be forgiven for that.
  • Sober Preacher's KidSober Preacher's Kid Shipmate
    At risk of getting Purgatorial, the Battle of Baltimore and the related Burning of Washington were both raids, British forces always intended to withdraw and did not have the force necessary for a long-term occupation. The stated British goal was to force negotiations.

    The rest is poetry.
    .
  • RuthRuth Shipmate
    What are you trying to accomplish here, @Sober Preacher's Kid? I mean, other than successful trolling.
  • Sober Preacher's KidSober Preacher's Kid Shipmate
    HarryCH was more eloquent than me.
  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    This is an All Saints thread, not an opportunity for performance art - cut it out.

    Doublethink, Admin
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    My apologies for mentioning the origin of the song.
  • The_RivThe_Riv Shipmate
    F.S.Key only wrote the poem, which is much better as a poem, actually. All we usually have sung is the first stanza which ends with a question that goes unanswered. Dumb.
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