Fireworks Viewed Through the Eyes of a Drone

Pretty spectacular.
 

A Word from the Editor

Greenlee Gazette--you may have noticed--has been a little sparse of late. And that will continue for the next several days. Obligations, work, family and friends have conspired to monopolize my time, and leave very little for blogging. All should be back to normal by about July 8, but for now? There's not going to be much in the way of new stuff. I'm going to put up something new every chance I get, but it will be a trickle rather than a flood. So, if you don't find something new, please come back soon! Thanks.

UPDATE:   Here it is, the night before a trip home, and I should be in bed. Or blogging. But my brain is fried. Crammed too much into the early part of the week, and need to decompress. While I'm Back to Ohio, I will be blogging a little. When I have the chance, I'll sneak away, and see what's going on. In the mean time, Happy Independence Day, everybody!

Maya Rudolph Sings the National Anthem (SNL)

Happy 4th of July!

What is Patriotism?

This scene, from the pilot episode of The Newsroom, shows a fictional cable news anchor asked the "tough" question, "Why is America the greatest country in the world." His eventual answer when pressed is classic Aaron Sorkin, and wonderfully performed by Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy. The show itself has seen a barrage of criticism, but I have to say I'm liking it. It is heavy-handed at time, but as the dialog of the show points out, you have to speak truth to stupid sometimes.

And I for one do not find this speech in anyway un-patriotic. I think "American exceptionalism" is a perfectly laudable goal, but it is not a given. I think true patriots want to make America better, not proclaim it to be #1 in areas where it is empirically not. That doesn't mean that I don't have a swell of patriotism when July 4th rolls around, and it doesn't mean I don't love my country. It makes me a realist.

What Happens in Vegas: Deadly Fireworks Accident

Last night--as happens every 4th of July--there were tons of illegal fireworks being set off around the Las Vegas Valley.  One of them set the tree behind my house on fire, I kid you not.  Luckily, a fire truck must've been passing by, and the tree will likely survive its roasting, but the scattered burnt pine cones will never be the same.  A local man was not so lucky, however.  Sadly, this too happens every year.

[Excerpt]

Man killed, teen injured in fireworks accident

Read it at: Las Vegas Review Journal

Things That Make You Go "Boom": Palmyra, PA Fireworks Accident

Image from source, WHTM

I grew up in Whitehall, Ohio in the 70s and 80s, and our community's fireworks on the 4th of July were considered some of the best around. But there were several years where an event like this seemed likely, with fireworks going off very low to the ground, sometimes showering sparks into the crowd. Fortunately, nothing like this every happened.

[Excerpt]

11 Injured in Palmyra Fireworks Incident

Four children were among eleven people injured in an explosion during a fireworks display Sunday night in Palmyra, according to police.



Police said one of the fireworks charges misfired and caused the blast inside a discharge tube. The explosion then caused surrounding discharge tubes to fall and the fireworks inside to discharge toward a nearby crowd. . .



Read more at: WHTM

America the Stupid: 26% Don't Know We Won Independence from Britain

Woo-hoo, we're #1! USA! USA! Wait, what do those letters stand for? Uhhhmmmm. . .Shit. . .Armenia?  God, we're stupid. Sooooo stupid.

[Excerpt]

Celebrate, America! 74% of You Know What Country We Declared Our Independence From!



Marist University saw that the Fourth of July was coming up and decided to commission a poll to show how stupid we all are. The question: “From which country did the United States win its independence?” Marist was surely expecting only 2% of Americans to know the answer. CNN.com was also prepared for the results with a “more than 1 in TK Americans don’t know which country America declared its independence from, the dumb freaks” story. Yet America surprised them all! . . .

Read more at: Wonkette

Holiday Weekend Blogging, Barbecues and Tea Bagging

Image from source, East Valley Tribune

As is usual with most holiday weekends, the news sort of dries up. It's like the whole media takes a break, and why not? And what better time of year to do it? Here in Las Vegas, it's a little bit warmer than in most places, but it's been beautiful, and the weather last night was perfect for 4th of July.

I didn't do much for the holiday, just holed up and did the hermit thing. And again, what better time? There's nothing of note going on, I had no obligations, so total sloth was just the medicine I needed, I think. Today, I'm going to some good friends' house for a barbecue and beer and splashing around in the pool. It's sunny and gorgeous, and while I'll have to get out my SPF 5000 sunblock, it's going to be a hoot.

Of course there are other sorts of parties going on this weekend. Bizarre, disjointed, unfocused political gatherings known as tea parties. Now, these gatherings have an interesting genesis. They seem to have been dreamt up by Ron Paul supporters. These folks are Libertarians, independents and disenfranchised Republicans. But their movement got hijacked by the 25%-ers, those hard-core Republicans who adore Sarah Palin and think George W. Bush did a heck of a job. FOX "News" picked up their banner, promoting the events as though they were an official sponsor. Some of the more cartoonish Republican leaders trumpeted their support as well, turning what was being touted as a "grass roots" uprising into a "AstroTurf" movement. Fake, in other words.

Oh, sure, some of the people attending these events are genuine in their outrage. It's just a rather vague anger. The issue of taxation seems to be an excuse to a) attack President Obama, b) make it look as though conservatism is still relevant and c) look and act like total boobs, while pointing at the rest of us. But the target of all their ire is much more diffused than that. Basically, they hate everything about government as it currently exists, apparently. I actually don't think that Janeane Garofalo was very far off when she said these events are disguised racism, straight up.

The funniest part about the whole thing (aside from their blindness to the fact that to most of us, they look ridiculous) is of course the colloquial name for these people, tea baggers. They'd like for us to think that eeeevil libruls invented that term as a way to denigrate them. Not so! "Tea bag Obama" was one of many "humorous" slogans that came from their camp as a way to protest and simultaneously insult the President. Well, heh, heh, the joke was on them.

Instead of being insulted, the left deftly (for once) turned the double-entendre back onto the tea baggers, and made it one of the biggest "point and laugh" moments of recent politics. Even national news figures got in on the tea bagging humor train. I still find it funny. I mean, if they were protesting other things with slogans that sound like sexual innuendo, that would be funny too. I'm hoping they go for "rusty trombone," "reach around", "happy ending" or "Cleveland steamer."

Anyway, here's a link to a recent news story on these silly folks, just so I can get away with using the funny picture above. I hope you all have either had a party to go to, or still have one in what's left of the holiday weekend. And I hope you have fun rather than just an axe to grind. Or a tea bag to dip.

TEA Party planned for July 4

Independence Day Weekend: Feeling Old!

Images of Freedom Train and Bicentennial logo from Wikipedia

One of the news stations announced that it was the 233rd birthday of the United States yesterday, and a quick check of the math confirms this to be true. And for people in my age bracket (a few years north of 40), this quickly leads to the realization that it has been thirty-three years since the Bicentennial. Yikes.

In 1976, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson were still alive and relevant. The sexual revolution was in full swing (as related in last summer's documentary drama series, Swingtown). And the Bicentennial was huge. There were more flags, bunting and patriotic themed merchandise in evidence than would exist until immediately after 9/11. They even redesigned the quarter, half-dollar and silver dollar to commemorate the event. Everything was America this, and Spirit of '76 that.

One of the biggest events (at least to my then 10-year-old self) was the Freedom Train, an actual train that went from town to town as a travelling museum. It was something of a mini-Smithsonian, or educational Disney exhibit, taking you through the history (mostly high points) of the United States. It's too bad there wasn't a 2-1/3 century blowout this year. I doubt the country has ever been as united in their patriotism without a cataclysmic event to jolt us into it.

But still. . .thirty-three years ago? Yikes.

Young Turks: Conservatives Hate Wall-E

Yeah, I know, another Young Turks video. But hey, I really like them, and we're coming off of a holiday weekend, where interesting blog stories are few and far between. And why am I apologizing?

Anyway, here The Young Turks discuss the crazy conservative outcry over the liberal, fascist movie. . .Wall-E. Seriously. I haven't seen Wall-E yet, but I might now!

Should America Rejoin the British Empire?

Photo from source, Asylum

This article tickled my fancy. Now, don't get me wrong, I love America--despite being a liberal! I even wore a star-spangled shirt yesterday for the Independence Day celebration. But I think it is fair to say that America has seen better days. And while I hold out hope for a change in direction, if John McCain were to somehow win in November, the points laid out in this article would be a lot more persuasive.

[Excerpt]

Arguments for Re-incorporating America into the British Empire

Dear Americans,On this day, 232 years ago, the Declaration of Independence was signed and sealed, forming the United States as its own nation and ending your colonial union with Britain and her empires. I think we can all agree, that idea has run its course. . .

Read more at: Asylum

Jonah Goldberg, Patriotism and Nationalism

I've written in the past about author (and frequent FOX "News" guest) Jonah Goldberg, and his strained notions of patriotism. And during this Presidential campaign, the topic has arisen many, many times. But with Goldberg, FOX "News," and often times among the general public, patriotism is being confused with nationalism.

When Sean Hannity blathers on (for the umpteenth time) about Michelle Obama calling America "a mean country," or not being proud of her country, he's implying that saying such things is not patriotic. As though America is never mean. As though one must be constantly proud of America to love it.

Hannity is not the only one of course, but he is a consistant espouser of nationalism dressed up as patriotism. And it's time people recognized the difference. This article does a good job of explaining it, if you are unsure yourself.

[Excerpt]

The Far-Right's Patriotism Problem

. . .For a people to be controlled, they must first be robbed of honest discourse and open debate. Distorting language and stripping it of real and honest meaning is the first tool and the best mechanism for transforming a democracy into an authoritarian state. An informed populace is a dangerous populace. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post