Happy 4th of July!

[Twiinkedd-moon-guard]

You walk dogs professionally?

[Bonecrow-the-underbog (Bonecrow)]

The one day of the year where all the pyromaniacs get to crawl out of their respective toolsheds and show us how fun it is to watch things burn.

Forsaken /cackle

[Thundertotem-blackwater-raiders (Thundertotem)]

[Gorecrush-doomhammer]

When I swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States, I had no idea what I was getting myself into and I didn’t really care. I just wanted some part of my life to mean something.

The entirety of my service was getting a SSBN through refit, taking her out for sea trials, and getting her and the crew the stamp of approval for being able to go back on patrol. Kind of feels strange summarizing five years of my life in one sentence, but so it goes.

My family is proud of what I did, and every person I mention my service to thanks me for it. But ya know what? I ain’t a hero, and I’ll never call myself one. The way I see it, all I did was uphold the nuclear stalemate among nations who probably don’t even want to use those weapons anyway.

Tonight I’ll be raising my glass to the true heroes, past, present, and future. To those who knew what they were getting in to, and to those who didn’t. To those who volunteered, and to those unfortunate souls who were voluntold by Congress. To the soldiers who suffered in Valley Forge and went on to defeat the most powerful empire in the world, to the sailors who refused to bend the knee to the pirate kings in an age where their favor was courted. I’ll drink to the more recent warriors who made it home in one piece, to those mostly intact, to those broken by the horrors of war, and to those whose home coming was in a body bag.

I’ll also drink to those idiots who claim that the USA is “literally the worst country in the world”, without realizing that in many other countries they would be cruelly executed for being suspected of thinking poorly of their government. After all, as long as this is still a free country they’re free to be as stupid as they wish. And while I may not agree with what someone else might say, I believe in their right to say it.

The Founding Fathers set out to create “a more perfect union”, and that is something we still strive for to this day. America will never be perfect, but as long as we continue to work toward perfection then we can proudly, and rightly, say that we live in the greatest nation in the world.

France is cool, too.

[Tug-uldaman (Tug)]

I like that it’s posted…it’s just…did you have to use a character called Lapdance? Kinda makes me think of something like John Adams as a guest on the Jerry Springer show.

Happy Independence Day Americans!

[Enkki-eonar (Enkki)]

MURIKA’S FREEDOM WAS FOUGHT FOR IN 1776.

Actually, when the Declaration of Independence was presented to, and adopted by, the Continental Congress on this day in 1776, we had already been fighting the British for 440 days. A lot of people believe this is the day it was signed; it isn’t. The last signature was on 2 August 1776.

Most know the preamble (When in the course of human events … ) and the first paragraph (We hold these truths to be self-evident … ). Very few know what comes after that, or know that there’s even more after those two paragraphs. For those who don’t know, it’s a list of the 27 grievances the colonials had against King George III, the reasons they were willing to fight and die to be free of British rule.

[Laeric-wyrmrest-accord]

History began on July 4th, 1776. Everything before that was a mistake.

(Personally I feel almost as though everything after it was ALSO a mistake)

[Enkki-eonar (Enkki)]

And tomorrow we celebrate the relatively unknown July 5th. When our founding fathers woke up with severe hangovers and said “I signed my name on WHAT?”

Have you listened to “Stan Freberg Presents The United States of America”? It’s on YouTube, and there’s a part of it dealing with the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

In the skit, Jefferson is trying to convince a skeptical Ben Franklin to sign, and they do a musical number wherein Jefferson asks, “You’re so skittish; who possibly could care if you do?” And Franklin replies, “The Un-British Activities Committee, that’s who!”

Ben eventually agrees to sign, whereupon Jefferson opines that he just needs a few more signatures. Franklin warns him to hurry up before everyone goes out of town for the big 4th of July holiday.

[Bricklethumb-anvilmar]

hehe this made me smile!!

[Galbados-twisting-nether]

Happy Independence Day fellow patriots!

[Cormith-wyrmrest-accord]

Actually, when the Declaration of Independence was presented to, and adopted by, the Continental Congress on this day in 1776, we had already been fighting the British for 440 days. A lot of people believe this is the day it was signed; it isn’t. The last signature was on 2 August 1776.

Most know the preamble (When in the course of human events … ) and the first paragraph (We hold these truths to be self-evident … ). Very few know what comes after that, or know that there’s even more after those two paragraphs. For those who don’t know, it’s a list of the 27 grievances the colonials had against King George III, the reasons they were willing to fight and die to be free of British rule.

And wasn’t really truly achieved until the Peace of Paris in 1783.

[Kamikahzi-wyrmrest-accord]

I’m going to live text my local fireworks display for you guys!

BOOM!

Sparkle sparkle!

Pop! Pop! Pop!

zzzzt zzzzt BOOM!

It’s ok, it’s ok. They got it.

BOOM! BOOM! Kablam! sparkle sparkle!
Uh oh, is crying, it’s too loud. Poor lil poppet

POP! Pop! pop pop pop!!

Grand finale!!
BOOM! Blam! KaBOOOOOM! boom! BLAM! Kerplunk! Sparkle! Sparkle! BOOOOOOOM!

[Enkki-eonar (Enkki)]

And wasn’t really truly achieved until the Peace of Paris in 1783.

Yep. While I honor and celebrate the national holiday of 4 July, I also privately celebrate 3 September, the date in 1783 that we officially became free of British rule. Must have really chapped ol’ King George III’s lips to have to accept that treaty, and the ones with France and Spain.

[Enkki-eonar (Enkki)]

History began on July 4th, 1776. Everything before that was a mistake.

(Personally I feel almost as though everything after it was ALSO a mistake)

Maybe not everything. But a lot of mistakes have been made since then. None that doomed the nation, though. As with any newborn, there are growing pains, missteps, and failures sprinkled among the successes. It’s what we do AFTER those mistakes that define us. In the global scheme of things, we’re still a fledgling nation, only 243 years old. (How long did the Roman Empire last? How long was Greek civilization dominant? How old is England, or France?) We’re still young, still finding our way.

And still the masters of our own destiny, instead of being dictated to by a foreign power far, far away. We decide our own fate. I just hope we can get a bit smarter in how we do that …