4th of July - tell us more!

News from the US msolga: In the annual hot dog eating contest held in NYC, a Japanese man won for his fifth straight time, downing 43 hot dogs in 12 minutes. A lady from Virginia was second. Is this a great holiday or what.

Realjohnboy, that was the best Fourth of July story I've ever read.


Joe(ain't no words like the ones from thems that's been there.)Nation

That Foreign hot dog champ had taken away the Nathans trophy from "The Hog" who is a large framed boy who eats his dogs the way God intended, dry.
The Japanese guy dips his entire dog and bun into water (prolly steroids in there too). then he just deep throats it. THIS IS GODDAM AMERICA !! unless we think of it , it aint fair dippin yer dog into steroid laden soup .


Well, In July 1777, Gen Howe loaded 18000 of his boys into a task force, headed out of New York HArbor, and , in an attempt to confuse Washington headed out to see. Everybody was thinking Philly or Charleston SC. But nooo, ol Gen has it all figgered out to rendesvous with Cornwallis in Southern PA.
Today , at about 2 hours before sunset, we walked the park route along Turkey Point to te Turkey point lighthouse. The area, known as Head of Elk, is where Howe landed and marched his troops to meet Washington in Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford and Jeffords Ford. The walk, along treacherous cliffs of hard Cretaceous clay (sorry) was a delightful walk unecumbered by heavy packs and the lovely red serge uniforms of the Redcoats. (It had been one of the hottest summers on record in 1777).
Our walk, from south of the town of Northeast, to Turkey point was a lovely walk overlooking the shallows and the "flats" (too shallow except for Deadrise log canoes and Cigarrette boats which , alas werent available to Gen Howe). Howe wanted to surprise Washington. He had no idea that , once he entered the Chesapeake, his fleet was spotted and the element of surprise was lost.
Washington, and some of his hands like MAd Tony WAyne, and Johny "boots"Armstrong worried the British nicely but managed to lose the battle of Brandywine mostly because the troops didnt know how to flank.Fortunately for the US, the British were similarly incomptetent because they couldnt finish the Americans and Washington escaped pretty much with his Army intact. (a few battles and butcheries later and Washington was in Valley Forge for the winter)
When we looked over the land that the British sailed their equipment to Head of Elk in shallops and marched after landing at Turkey point, it looks pretty much today, as it did then, there are , with the exception of one small community, all wooded bluffs overlooking the bay and leading to Elkton, Oxford, Kennet Square etc. The trails are still maintained by the State of Md and there are even points marking a few skirmishes that the Delaware Indians made on the British. while they marched the bluffs

I suppose those two will never forget yesterday (and besides, it's really a great photo [from today's Washington Post]):

43 in 12 minutes! Come on, RJB, you made that up. Admit it!

Yes. I liked it very much, too, RJB.

So.
Is that it? All over till next year?
I guess, right now everyone's fast asleep, recovering.
Horrible thought, but back to work again now?

A day late and a dollar short, I nevertheless saw this piece on another thread, and wanted to show it here:

To Kill an American

You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.

So an Australian dentist wrote the following to let everyone know what an American is... so they would know when they found one. (Good on ya, mate!!!!)

An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek.

An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or Afghan.

An American may also be a Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim.

In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world.

The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need.

When the Soviet army overran Afghanistan 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!

As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.

Americans welcome the best, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best athletes. But they also welcome the least.

The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty, welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America.

Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families. I've been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 other countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

So you can try to kill an American if you must.

Hitler did.

So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and every bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world.

But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

Author unknown

Great article!

Now begins the great American tradition of calling in to get one more day:

1) Hello, Sorry, our flight got cancelled. We are stuck here.
(They are not stuck, they are home. They just want to sleep in.)

2) Oh, man. I've come down with some kind of flu.
(That's called a hangover extremo)

3) I'm calling from the ER. A friend of mine has gotten food poisoning. I'll be in as soon as I can get him/her released. Uh, discharged.
(As soon as you can get somebody to come down and bail you out of jail.)

4)This is Joe's wife. May I speak to him? ...(unbelievably surprised) He's not there????!!?? Oh my god, I've got to call the police!!! (hangs up)
Calls back three hours later to say that everything is alright, a friend of Joe's had a) food poisoning, b) was in a car accident, c) was almost drownded, d) got burned by a flaming marshmallow, e) all of the above ... (you pick) and Joe had to spend the WHOLE night at the ER with him/her/it and he will be in as soon as....

5) This never happens:

(ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring)
"That's funny, honey, no one's answering at work."
"Maybe they are ALL calling in sick like you."
(ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring)
"Guess so."

6) My personal favorite: (I've used it twice.)
"Hi, this is Joe. Hey, guess what? We won an extra day here in _________ at the Enormously Posh Bed And Breakfast, but we have to use it now. ... I don't think I have anything like an emergency on my calendar. If something comes up, just call me on my cellphone. See you tomorrow." (Shuts off cellphone.)

Joe(I'm writing this on the porch of the Posh B&B)Nation

^^ All excuses and calls are real ones I've used or had used on me over the years.

And why not? Especially if you have no choice but to make up a good excuse!

question: Do you need a doctor's certificate to stay away?

Not if it's your friend who was sick. :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:

But does your friend need a certificate, Joe?
Just curious. You would here, after a holiday. Docked pay otherwise.

I got a tummy ache, oh me, oh my. But, I have to keep on trucking.

I think you all should've taken "before & after" photographs! :wink: