I grew up in the rural South. In a land covered with tobacco plants, farmhouses, and American flags.

In a park across the road from where we lived, businesses and community organizations would provide a firework display on the 4th of July. It was a big show, with massive fireworks that kissed the sky then opened up like colorful umbrellas before falling down like rain.

—–

The display was timed with music that played on an AM or FM channel (I can’t remember which). Whatever the channel, it was made known to everyone in the town beforehand so that car stereos and portable radios could be tuned in.

On the evening of the 4th, the family would all gather. My mom and dad, my brother and sister, my aunts, uncles, and cousins, all in my front yard, watching the fireworks explode and anticipating the finale, which was always Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” (more…)

[ed - Rush transcript! Leaked NEA conference call from my mom, proving the Bush Administration did it too]

TRANSCRIPT OF
CONFERENCE CALL OF THE
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
21-Jan-2007

MR. SMIRNOV:  Hello everybodies! Who we gots on the phones here?

MR. KIETH:  Toby Keith. Built Ford Tough.

MR. SMIRNOV:  Hokay, buddy!

MRS. BURGE:  Beverly Burge, Ocelot, Iowa. I do scrapbooking.

OAK RIDGE BOYS:  Howdy! We’re the Oak Ridge Boys!

MR. SMIRNOV:  Alrights, Branson in da house!

MR. HANEY:  Lester Haney, Sepulpa, Oklahoma.

MR. SMIRNOV:  Hey everybodies, I don’ts know if you see Lester Haney’s work, but he does some of the most beautiful chainsaw stump sculptures Yakov ever sees. (more…)

Our political leaders need a quick block of instruction in the concept of the chain of command. It goes like this, in descending order of rank:

#1: Us Citizens.

#2: You elected officials.

I really prefer writing long pieces on why Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin and Johnny Rotten rule. It’s more fun to talk about how everything in popular culture that everyone else likes actually sucks, and I’m even going to provide some inspirational music selections below. But duty calls. Right now, a bunch of people whose salaries you and I pay and who work for us are telling us to shut up and do as we’re told.

That’s just not gonna happen. (more…)

The Ride 2 Recovery kicked-off today with a ride from the National Memorial Parade to Manassas. The 50 mile journey, with about 2,000′ of climbing, would take the riders down the beautiful George Washington Parkway, past Mount Vernon and the west to the town of Manassas.

250,000 people lined the route

The Parade features many Military groups and R2R was honored to be a part of such a great event.

The riders left the Parade area and headed down the GW parkway under the usually great escort of the American Legion Riders. (more…)