ENTERTAINMENT - Happy 4th Of July to my fellow Anericans!

CULTURE/SOCIETY: Apple pie, diplomatically interpreted

As predicted, not too many of 15 global takes on all-American apple pies at the State Department’s Fourth of July celebration on Wednesday evening actually looked like pies. Once the trio of judges’ marks for appearance, taste and creativity had been tallied, Belgium’s fruity eagle on a patriotic background landed in the No. 1 spot.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/all-we-can-eat/post/apple-pie-diplomatically-interpreted/2012/07/05/gJQAY9iLQW_blog.html

MY LIFE: Father and daughter music taste differences

Daughter: "I'm fine if you take it upstairs and I don't have to hear your military band music!"

Me: "I'm not listening to military bands! The Fourth of July is over. I'm listening to 8035 music!" 80/35 is the local alternative/indie/jam music festival.

Daughter: "Oh, that's so much better!"

ENTERTAINMENT: Happy 4th of July comic book style!

CULTURE/SOCIETY: Your dad originally celebrated the hip 4th of July?

Your dad celebrated the 4th of July before you did and he’s still got the banana hammock to prove it.

http://dadsaretheoriginalhipster.tumblr.com/post/26492611885/your-dad-celebrated-the-4th-of-july-before-you-did

CULTURE/SOCIETY: Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day!

Well, apparently Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day. It's just the day one part of Mexico kicked butt on France. It somehow it grew into a big celebration mostly in the U.S.!

But, hey, a chance for Latino pride and a chance to party, so who cares? Cinco de Mayo isn't just for Mexicans any more!

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_Mayo#_

ENTERTAINMENT: Some Independence Day Music

My brother, Harmonica23, put these up on his Facebook page.


To quote my brother - "What better way to celebrate this all American holiday than with an American band singing about American music."

American Music -Violent Femmes
by radarhead

ENTERTAINMENT: Happy 4th Of July

CULTURE/SOCIETY: My "Tweets" From Twitter

daughter and i woke up late on the 4th-decided to skip the parade. guess we're both getting older. :( 04:07 AM July 05, 2008 from web
going to the parade is not as fun with a gal who goes just for tradition. i miss the little girl excited about thrown candy and firetrucks! 04:07 AM July 05, 2008 from web
sat up close to the fireworks. we both still had to see those. they were great! 04:06 AM July 05, 2008 from web
found my mp3 player! can't do my job checking other's data entry without my music! especially when the school stations are dead in summer. 09:40 PM July 03, 2008 from web
had a fun day yesterday-wanted to say, "thank you mistress god, may i have another?" but god would probably put on leather and gave me more! 09:38 PM July 03, 2008 from web joshuabelanger - @OlderMusicGeek 100% agree! 02:11 AM July 01, 2008 from Twinkle in reply to OlderMusicGeek
@shannonhilson and @tweelings_en - i cant get enough flogging molly - especially the cd, "swagger" - they come here next month - wooooo! 01:43 AM July 01, 2008 from web in reply to shannonhilson
@joshuabelanger - i found most good artists of any type tend to be dicks - look at hemingway, john "johnny rotten" lydon, andy kaufman. 01:35 AM July 01, 2008 from web in reply to joshuabelanger
there are a few nice ones - but they're the exceptions unfortunately. seems you have to think highly of yourself to make it far. 01:35 AM July 01, 2008 from web joshuabelanger - Watched a doc on Dali today. I was unaware of how much of a pretentious dick he was. And the dada movement wasnt as fun as it looked. 02:14 AM July 01, 2008 from Twinkle
a last bit from the arts festival. i was embarassing my daughter when we were there. i felt people should get excited about art like sports. 01:10 AM July 01, 2008 from web
was shouting things like "whoo arts festival!", "yes, black and white photography!", "all right, wired sculpture", "whoo hoo, mixed media!" 01:09 AM July 01, 2008 from web
i even suggested we paint the letters a-r-t on our chest and do the wave. "yeah, art, all ri-i-i-ight!!!!!!!!! 01:09 AM July 01, 2008 from web
@sushiday - god, you're torturing me with that banana bread description! 12:56 AM July 01, 2008 from web in reply to sushiday
@sushiday - if you get more eyeaches that turn to headaches, you might want to see a doctor. it's probably nothing, but then again... 12:46 AM July 01, 2008 from web in reply to sushiday
@sushiday - (in homer voice with drool running out of my mouth) hmmm, banana bread with chocolate chips! want to send some my way? 12:42 AM July 01, 2008 from web in reply to sushiday sushiday - @OlderMusicGeek Oh yes, it's wonderful. An ooey gooey mess of chocolatey banana deliciousness! Mmmmmm... banana bread... 10:51 PM June 30, 2008 from twhirl in reply to OlderMusicGeek shannonhilson - Flogging Molly, where have you been all my life? Nothing beats discovering a new band to love. 10:17 PM June 30, 2008 from web sushiday - Making banana bread with chocolate chips... mmm it smells good! 05:04 PM June 30, 2008 from twhirl
@killregrets - that movie night idea still sounds like a blast! 05:16 AM June 30, 2008 from web in reply to killregrets
@juice_brianne -didnt eat at the arts festival! we just went to quik trip. got sandwich, chips, drinks for 3 for price of 1or 2 items there. 01:59 PM June 29, 2008 from web in reply to juice_brianne
the arts festival was fun and interesting-saw an all white band play west african drums and a cajun band from st louis! 04:08 AM June 29, 2008 from web
and i finally saw a local bluegrass band, mr baber's neighbors, that i have been wanting to see. and they are good! 04:08 AM June 29, 2008 from web
oh, yeah, i also quite a few purty pictures! 04:07 AM June 29, 2008 from web
2 hours into the arts festival - my tween daughter's friend says, "it's only art here!" 04:14 PM June 28, 2008 from web

@jmcoon - you used wal-mart as a reason to get out of your house?! 04:13 PM June 28, 2008 from web in reply to jmcoon
@juice_brianne - you're at the arts festival too! are you hiding from me and my daughter?! :) 04:12 PM June 28, 2008 from web in reply to juice_brianne
taking my tween daughter and a friend of hers to the arts festival in town. i hope i get to see what i want to see! 07:38 AM June 28, 2008 from web

CULTURE/SOCIETY and POLITICS: Dang, I Failed The New Citizenship Test

For Independence Day, msnbc put up the new citizenship test.

You need 85% to pass, and I only got 80!

And I think these are the type of tests they should give new citizens! Yikes!

A link to the test on msnbc.com
A link to my questions and the answers I gave

CULTURE/SOCIETY: Employees Tell About First July 4 In U.S.

Hmmmm, I seem to have become something of a holiday blogger. Oh well, that's cool by me!

This is from my work newsletter. - OlderMusicGeek

Employees tell about first July 4 in U.S.

L (name deleted) was surprised by the differences between Fourth of July and Canada Day, which is July 1. “I thought the celebrations would be similar,” she says. “Not so much!”

L, finance/recoupment specialist in Recoupment and Medicare Secondary Payer at (town name deleted), grew up in Canada and experienced her first Fourth of July as a U.S. resident two years ago.

“We have the picnics, parades, you know, the whole deal,” she says. In Canada, however, only licensed professionals are allowed to set off fireworks for community shows. “Not in the U.S.,” she says. “Anyone can go to the local fireworks tent and stock up on various explosives.”

That’s just what Laurie and her husband did. “My husband took me to a local fireworks stand and told me to pick out whatever I wanted,” she says.

She and her husband also grilled hot dogs, tried to teach each other the words to their national anthem and attended a parade and fireworks show.

“The fireworks would have been romantic except my husband and hundreds of people around us were setting off their own fireworks,” she says. “So there I sat on our blanket alone, happily holding my sparkler!”


Fireworks of another kind

D (name deleted), process analyst in Preprocess at NAS, grew up in (town name deleted), Manitoba, which is 15 miles north of the International Peace Gardens located on the Canada-U.S. border.

The only time D paid attention to the American holiday was when she was planning a shopping trip to (town deleted), N.D., and wanted to make sure the stores would be open, she says.

In April 2004, D married a North Dakotan, and their wedding reception was held on the Fourth at her in-laws’ cabin on Lake Metigoshe near (town name deleted), N.D. D experienced another kind of fireworks when the grill was engulfed in flames.

“We were still able to eat the potatoes,” she says.

D says she sees more flags and festivities on the Fourth of July than she did on Canada Day. D has noticed “Americans are more patriotic.” To her, Canada Day meant a day off work. “The patriotism is nice to see,” she says. “I’m so happy to be here.”

CULTURE/SOCIETY, POLITICS and ENTERTAINMENT: Wasteland Of The Free

I guess some won't find this the most appropriate song to play on Independence Day, but what Iris said back in 1996 is still unfortunately very true 12 years later. And if we love our country, we ought to do something about making this song less true. - OlderMusicGeek



Living in the wasteland of the free...
We got preachers dealing in politics and diamond mines
and their speech is growing increasingly unkind
They say they are Christ's disciples
but they don't look like Jesus to me
and it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We got politicians running races on corporate cash
Now don't tell me they don't turn around and kiss them peoples' ass
You may call me old-fashioned
but that don't fit my picture of a true democracy
and it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We got CEO's making two hundred times the workers' pay
but they'll fight like hell against raising the minimum wage
and if you don't like it, mister, they'll ship your job
to some third-world country 'cross the sea
and it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
where the poor have now become the enemy
Let's blame our troubles on the weak ones
Sounds like some kind of Hitler remedy
Living in the wasteland of the free
We got little kids with guns fighting inner city wars
So what do we do, we put these little kids behind prison doors
and we call ourselves the advanced civilization
that sounds like crap to me
and it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We got high-school kids running 'round in Calvin Klein and Guess
who cannot pass a sixth-grade written test
but if you ask them, they can tell you
the name of every crotch on MTV
and it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We kill for oil, then we throw a party when we win
Some guy refuses to fight, and we call THAT the sin
but he's standing up for what he believes in
and that seems pretty damned American to me
and it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
where the poor have now become the enemy
Let's blame our troubles on the weak ones
Sounds like some kind of Hitler remedy
Living in the wasteland of the free
While we sit gloating in our greatness
justice is sinking to the bottom of the sea
Living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free



Here's a video that's been done recently to the song...



wastelandofthefree.com, a website inspired by the song
Iris Dement's home page

HUMOR and CULTURE/SOCIETY: Life in My Home State

More stuff from my cleaning out my emails. This is about my home state, but since I'm a paranoid when it comes to being on the computer, I'm not saying which state I'm from. If you're not an old friend or family member, then you'll just have to guess which state this is referring to - and no, I won't tell you if you're right or wrong!

If someone in a store offers you assistance, and they don't work there, you might live in my home state.
If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle of his forehead, you might live in my home state.
If you have worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you might live in my home state.
If you have had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you might live in my home state.
"Vacation" means going east or west on I-80 for the weekend.
You measure distance in hours.
You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.
You often switch from heat to A/C in the same day and back again.
You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching.
You see people wearing camouflage at social events (including weddings).
You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
You carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend knows how to use them.
You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.
You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction.
Your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to your blue spruce.
A brat is something you eat.
Your neighbor throws a party to celebrate his new pole shed.
You go out to a tailgate party every Friday.
Your 4th of July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.
You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.
You find 0 degrees "a little chilly".