Happy 4th July to anyone celebrating!!

Guy No. 2 · Post by **Guy No. 2** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 2:38 pm

To Kahn: I know right? Our history teacher knows less than us you see though. Im not trying to be funny, its a fact. She never actaully went to college to become a teacher. She did some thing which allowed her a backdoor into teaching. But our history book is also stupid because they might have made a refernce to it but it could have been a one-line explaination in the book. For example they had one tiny parargraph made up of about 5lines in or around the same length of the lines here, for Jesus Christ! I mean I am no religous fanatic by any means but come on!

EDIT:in fact just about the same size as this post.

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 2:59 pm

Hmmmmm...

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/jingoism

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/top ... cyclopedia

...God Save the Queen.

Kahn · Post by **Kahn** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 3:33 pm

Thats bad Guy,it reminds me of my friend in secondary who got 7 free classes in one day!7! Thats 315 minutes of school time doing nothing

The Tourist · Post by **The Tourist** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 3:53 pm

Jeff; what's a faintly abstract, out-of-context dictionary reference got to do with anything?

Weka; I wasn't referring to any old celebrations, I was referring specifically to days set aside concerning 'national identity'. In the uber-citites of this (slightly) green and pleasant land, of course there are sections who celebrate. But most of those people won't be English. Or even British. My point was; what I already said..

It's just not the done thing. If the English have any sense of superiority, we're so damned great we don't even need to set a day aside for nonsensical flagwaving.

Most people I've ever known simply have no idea when St George's day is (I know it's the 23rd of one of the months that's already passed.. and as, I think, Billy Bob Shakespeare was born on that day, I'd rather sit down with a copy of Hamlet than think about how great it is to 'be English'). It's not a national holiday, and no one does anything about it. As I said, the Overlords - Mr 'Brown' and his cronies - keep trying to reinforce some semblence of 'national identity'. The problem is, there really isn't one anymore (that's a good thing, btw). I mean come on, I'm sure you've seen that Citizenship test/paper; it's an absolute joke if that's what they think equates to a national identity.

weka · Post by **weka** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 4:04 pm

Tourist, at times like this, I just entirely despair of you.

Dark Lord Cam · Post by **Dark Lord Cam** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 5:18 pm

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

if only I could get music on here i'll just settle for the lyrics i guess.

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 5:19 pm

Nothing abstract or out of content about the definition of a word, and how that word came to be.

- - - - -

I appologize Weka, that some people have to turn the simple wishing of a Happy Holiday into a polititial issue. It is quite sad really.

- - - - -

Anyhoo... I'm off to get ready to sit in the hot Texas Sun, and watch people burn some animal flesh. With the added benifit of watching things go boom later on.

Have a fun and safe day.

r · Post by r » Fri Jul 04, 2008 5:34 pm

Tourist is right in a way, spending a day celebrating the fact that a country exists is a little... odd in ways. Although I entirely accept that it's a thinly-veiled excuse to get hammered and set off a load of fireworks, which is always a fun thing to do. I mean, St. Patrick's day is celebrated in England more than St. George's day, although I think I speak for most Limeys when I say that I'd rather spend a day getting drunk, trying to speak in an Irish accent and wearing a giant leprechaun hat than sitting on a rainy Birmingham street watching a marching band. The British have had a history of disappointment and rain, but we also had the greatest empire the world has ever seen. We don't need a day to celebrate that.

You could all do with getting off Tourist's back. I forgot that opinions are heavily frowned upon at this forum.

The Tourist · Post by **The Tourist** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:01 pm

Jeff; citing word definitions through basic etymology isn't exactly relevent to my observations on the (fairly stark) differences between American and English notions of self-identity.

[ Generally, I try to moderate/limit my expression of opinion, as it's really not de rigueur around these here parts. But someone - nay, two people - expressed curiosity as to a British/English take on things. Hence: opinion. I've said my piece (celebrating wherever you were randomly born on planet earth = a slightly bizarre, quaint thing to be doing), and unless anyone else wants to continue it - which I don't expect - I'll pull on the kid-gloves again, and assume the Automated Conversation position. ]

Deandra · Post by **Deandra** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:14 pm

This thread isn't here to debate the merits of celebrating a country's independence, it's to wish Americans a happy day of blowing their fingers off while under the influence.

If some of you feel oppressed by this forum's rule against political debate, please send your thoughts in a PM to Daveh. I'm sure he'd love to hear them. But until he decides to change the rules, you'll follow them.

Dark Lord Cam · Post by **Dark Lord Cam** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:20 pm

God Bless the USA
By:
Lee Greenwood

If tomorrow all the things were gone
I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
with just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars
to be living here today,
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom
and they can't take that away.

I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota
to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas
from sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston
and New York to L.A.,
There's pride in every American heart
and it's time we stand and say:

I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.

I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.

this is one of my favorites
come on people deandra is right we are here to wish our fingers goodbye! stop arguing and start being nice it's a holiday for cryin out loud! go do somthing fun

r · Post by r » Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:33 pm

Deandra wrote: it's to wish Americans a happy day of blowing their fingers off while under the influence.

Now that did make me laugh.

ironmaiden83 · Post by **ironmaiden83** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:58 pm

Star Spangled Banner/Declaration Day - Iced Earth

I have to work tonight, so will someone please get drunk and blow a finger off for me? Thanks!

leroybrown · Post by **leroybrown** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:14 pm

Deandra wrote:This thread isn't here to debate the merits of celebrating a country's independence, it's to wish Americans a happy day of blowing their fingers off while under the influence.

If some of you feel oppressed by this forum's rule against political debate, please send your thoughts in a PM to Daveh. I'm sure he'd love to hear them. But until he decides to change the rules, you'll follow them.

You know whats funny about that. Last year i had a roman candle war and came out unscathed. Then for some dumb reason i went to grab an already lit sparkler and badly burned my hand and fingers. You know the sparklers that like 2yr olds play with. Yep, leroy at his finest.

America F yeah! (that movie sucked but that songs hilarious)

Caz · Post by **Caz** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:25 pm

hey i got to see fireworks today aswell! the kilian festival here opened tonight... the germans are celebrating the irish who came and tried to make them catholic

The Dog Whisperer · Post by **The Dog Whisperer** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:33 pm

Hmm strange I've never heard that before

Last time I seen fireworks was new year... I think.

r · Post by r » Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:41 pm

Be safe with fireworks, kids...

Blackhawk Vegal · Post by **Blackhawk Vegal** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 8:14 am

well i had a good time, drinking, friends, drinking, bbq, drinking, watching the fireworks and more drinks, then heading to the bar, more drinks, oh yeah, dont forget the shots, drinks, more shots, then some more drinks and finally another shot, then off for some breakfast.

what i night, i love days like this, wait a minute,
thats not right,
most of my nights are like this

had a blast, really i did