It’s the birthday of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, born on this date in Boston in 1706. He invented bifocal lenses, the Franklin stove, lightning rods, the urinary catheter, and swim fins. He was the first US Ambassador to France and was a prolific author, giving us dozens of common sayings, some of which you probably use all the time without knowing he said them first. And of course there’s a wonderful Ken Burns PBS documentary about him.
Posts tagged “America”
Never Forget
A terrible anniversary
I hope that every American, regardless of where he lives, will stop and examine his conscience about this and other related incidents. This nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.
John F. Kennedy, Civil Rights Announcement, June 11, 1963
#FridayFive: Patriotic Movies
View the Friday Five from July 4th, 2014
One of my favorite quotes was first published two hundred and thirty-seven years ago today:
These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.
Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, Number I — December 18, 1776
These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
Mall Parking Lots / on Holidays
Notes on a run
- The Banana Song will haunt your dreams.
- The photo of an iPhone 4 on the cover of the September 2010 issue of Macworld was taken with an iPhone 4.
“He needed to know how Big Bird could possibly have arisen from evolutionary history: What are its relatives? How did it achieve such a unique bone structure? What happened to the other members of his species?” … The Taxonomy of Big Bird, Grandicrocavis Viasesamensis
(This is the same guy who is running The Beibignorance Project, a scientific exercise to determine just how little one can possibly know about Justin Bieber.)- There’s more to the story of how America got her name than just ol’ Americus Vespucci.
And while we’re talking about maps… Check out this awesome map of New Jersey (larger) based on the music of Bruce Springsteen.- Serenity Now! could be the scariest movie of the summer. The Oregon Trail is going to be the big one at the box office, though.
- The Periodic Table of Swearing is now available in color.
- “Two Michigan coffee shops have said that since throwing their employees into bikinis to serve up cups of joe, they’ve experienced a sizable jump in sales.”
- I pity those who suffer from RAS syndrome.
- It’s nice to know that according to Laver’s Law, I have always been shameless.
- “There’s an age at which it is no longer cool to have your own name and number on the back of a jersey. That age is 10.” from Sports Rule #2
#FridayFive: Ways to Be Patriotic (According to Television)
View the Friday Five from July 2nd, 2010
Stars and Stripes Forever
Everything in this country would just be a whole lot better if everyone simply listened to a bit more John Philip Sousa. I mean, really. Why do we have to wait until July 4th? This stuff is just terrific. How can you hear these things and not want to go vote and settle the West