Happy Birthday, ALG!

Hope you are celebrating in high style your birthday and the birth of our nation!

Forget flag pins -- we need a WE THE PEOPLE pin

I also think we should stop using the pledge of allegiance (a fairly recent phenomenon compared to the age of our country) and have kids memorize/recite this, the Preamble to the Constitution -- and discuss it so they understand that things we take for granted were unheard of, 200+ years ago, and are still rare in a governing body. I was surprised that I remembered almost all of it, and I learned it in Seventh Grade.

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,[1] 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.

Know your preamble!

When I think of all the things we have faced and overcome, in the 232 years we have existed, I refuse to believe that we can't handle our current troubles.

(1) British spelling in the hand-written copy in the National Archives because after all, they were mostly of British descent and fleeing the British Empire.

Happy belated birthday, Kristine!

In honor of your birthday, the house has given back to me my CONTACT IMMINENT, missing for months, for e-reading so I can finally read the last Jani book and remember where I was!

If you didn't get enough fireworks

When the fireworks are over, and you still lust after them, get a natural firework fix:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_Vx9nWB-ig

Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcartiersr/sets/72157594420812359/?page=5

Haven't yet found a good picture of the Southern Lights!