4th of July
Celebrate the Fourth of July with Current’s Pod Bless America Countdown. Join us as we take a sea to shining sea look at how people across the U.S. live, work and have fun. We’ve even got fireworks!
Friday, July 4th 6pm to midnight ET
Saturday, July 5th 9am to 3pm ET
Sunday, July 6th 3pm to 9pm ET
+ DIRECTV 366
+ Comcast Nationwide 107
+ Dish Network 196
+ Time Warner Nationwide – check your local listings
+ AT&T Uverse 189
-
-
Happy Environmentally Safe/Clean 4th of July - David Spates
David Jenkins (David Spates) Asks that you have a environmentally safe and clean 4th of July. Check out some of his other videos like "The First Black Homosexual", "My Invisible Dog", "Game juice", and many others with more to come! Don't forget to add me as a friend and subscribe. :-)
Also if you have a Myspace, Facebook, or tagged account, please add me there too. Just search for my name. David Spates :-) David Jenkins (David Spates) Asks that you have a environmentally safe and clean 4th of July. Check out some of his other videos like ... more -
FAA Investigating Whether Model Rocket Passed Jet
HOUSTON -- The FBI and federal aviation officials are investigating whether a model rocket with a flaming tail shot past a cockpit window of a Continental jet that had just taken off from Houston's airport with 148 passengers on board.
"We know that there was a sighting of an object," FAA spokesman Roland Herwig said. "But we don't yet know if it was a model rocket."
The jet had just taken off on May 26 and was flying at 4,750 feet when the rocket was reported, records show. Flight 1544 continued to Cleveland after reporting the object to air traffic controllers. Officials have said passengers were not in danger and that the plane landed safely.
According to the FAA records, a dispatcher asked another pilot if he saw a "rocket launch" about "three to four miles out." At the speed the Continental plane was flying, the aircraft was only about a minute away from a collision if the plane and object were four miles apart.
Model rockets are equipped with parachutes and other devices to bring them safely to the ground for reuse. They can be made of anything from cardboard to aluminum.
An investigation begun by the FAA and FBI has been slowed because the radar at George Bush Intercontinental Airport was unable to detect the object. The FAA said it would usually not pick up a small object on radar designed to track large planes.
FBI spokeswoman Shauna Dunlap said the bureau cannot comment on an ongoing investigation.
Continental Airlines spokeswoman Kelly Cripe declined to comment Monday.
FAA officials have said model rockets have crossed paths with planes before but have never struck them. HOUSTON -- The FBI and federal aviation officials are investigating whether a model rocket with a flaming tail shot past a cockpit w... more -
Sergio's White Hot Top 5: Patriotic Songs
Sergio is proud to be an American and to prove it, he's compiled the most patriotic songs ever made.
-
The Week in Media
Massive Wipeouts, mini-sex tapes and a promise that we all hope Stephen Baldwin keeps.
-
infoMania 07.03.08
Chewing up the week's media so we can regurgitate it, half-digested, into your mouth.
-
Arrest leads to Rainbow riot
WYOMING - U.S. Forest Service officers pointed weapons at children and fired rubber bullets and pepper spray balls at Rainbow Family members while making arrests Thursday evening, according to witnesses.
According to the NYT, the American Civil Liberties Union said on Saturday that it would investigate the actions of federal officers who had arrested five members of the Rainbow Family in western Wyoming during the group’s annual gathering.
The federal Forest Service said a mob of about 400 members of the Rainbow Family, a group of hippie types and eccentrics who hold a weeklong national gathering on public land each year, threw rocks and sticks at Forest Service officers who tried to arrest a member of the group. The agency would not give a reason for the original arrest.
About 60 federal and local officers responded, Forest Service officials said, and fired pepper balls — pellets that disperse a pepper solution — at the crowd.
As many as 7,000 members of the Rainbow Family camped out this year on Forest Service land.
Linda Burt, executive director of the A.C.L.U.’s Wyoming affiliate, said on Saturday that the organization planned to accept collect calls from Rainbow Family members for the next two weeks to hear their version of events. WYOMING - U.S. Forest Service officers pointed weapons at children and fired rubber bullets and pepper spray balls at Rainbow Family m... more -
Viral Video Film School: Fireworks
Brett's guided tour of the most ridiculous 4th of July videos on the web.
-
Bush celebrates fourth of July by addressing new citizens
President Bush will spend part of today, Independence Day, at Thomas Jefferson's home. An annual event, Bush will speak to 76 new citizens, representing 30 countries, at their naturalization ceremony. President Bush will spend part of today, Independence Day, at Thomas Jefferson's home. An annual event, Bush will speak to 76 new... more
-
37 injured in Iowa 4th of July fireworks misfire
A Fourth of July fireworks shell misfired in a northern Iowa town, sending a fireball skidding down a street into a crowd of spectators and injuring 37 people.
Most of the people treated after the Friday night accident in Charles City suffered minor injuries.
It appears there was a misfire involving 13 racks of firework tubes during the finale of the city-sponsored show, Assistant Fire Chief Dave Boehmer said Saturday.
The city of about 7,800 people is 125 miles northeast of Des Moines, near the Minnesota state line.
In other news, in Riverside, Ohio, a man lost part of his leg when fireworks went off inside his parked sport-utility vehicle, blowing the windows out. A Fourth of July fireworks shell misfired in a northern Iowa town, sending a fireball skidding down a street into a crowd of spectator... more -
Even folks in the Optimist Club are having a tough time toeing an upbeat line thes...
Even professional optimists are finding it hard to get in the mood to celebrate America's 232nd birthday....
-
A declaration of independence from the government of the United States of America
A government is empowered through the consent of the governed to serve a
sacred purpose, namely, to create a bright and sustainable future for its
people and a biodiverse garden of its region. This purpose is possible.
If a government no longer serves its intended purpose then it is proper that
each individual formally withdraw his or her consent to be ruled by that
government.
Through a consistent stream of actions the United States Government has
proved itself to be corrupt, having turned away from serving its original
purpose. The United States Government has therefore failed, and is de facto
illegitimate. Consequently, all of its authorities over me are hereby
removed and the United States Government is hereby disbanded in its
entirety. All branches, the legislative, executive and judicial branches,
including all offices and resources, political, military, informational and
financial, are hereby disenfranchised and replaced by local,
self-organizing, bioregional governments and currencies that promote
sustainable infrastructures and demonstrably serve the principles of
integrity, transparency, interdependence, consciousness and the sustainable
well being of their entire ecology.
Human beings carry an inalienable responsibility for choosing to whom or
what they pledge their allegiance. From this moment forward I no longer
pledge my allegiance to the organization that has called itself the
Government of the United States of America. We are dissociated. I disallow
that organization to legislate, adjudicate, use money, or make agreements in
my name, either nationally or internationally. I hereby withdraw my
franchise from the United States Government and I no longer submit myself to
its authority. I hereby abandon my United States Passport as worthless, null
and void because through its own actions the United States Government has
invalidated itself.
This document recognizes that the United States Government has irredeemably abolished itself by no longer fulfilling its true purpose. This document announces that I take my authority back from that failed organization. The United States Government no longer has authority to represent me, tax me, detain me, question me, or in any way rule over me. It
can no longer take any actions in my name. From this moment forward I take
back my autonomy. I hereby declare my independence from the organization
that has called itself the Government of the United States of America. A government is empowered through the consent of the governed to serve a ... more -
CHESTNUT WINS HOT DOG CONTEST
NEW YORK - Joey Chestnut reclaimed the top spot at the annual hot dog eating contest in Coney Island on Friday after first tying with archrival Takeru Kobayashi in a 10-minute chow-down and then beating him in a five-dog eat-off. NEW YORK - Joey Chestnut reclaimed the top spot at the annual hot dog eating contest in Coney Island on Friday after first tying with ... more
-
The Declaration of Independence
Happy 4th of July America. Considering today's holiday, I thought it would be fitting to post the Declaration of Independence with the hopes of generating some discussion around it's contents.
Do you think the signers of the declaration would be celebrated if they were alive today, or would they be considered terrorists?
Should the people oust their government from time to time, when that government no longer represents the peoples' interest?
Does our country still represent the ideals present in this document?
Would the revolutionaries of 1776 be revolutionaries today, or would they be pleased with the outcome? Happy 4th of July America. Considering today's holiday, I thought it would be fitting to post the Declaration of Independence wi... more -
Performing with the Pops: Boston Fourth of July 2008
Reporter Ashley Porter and photographer Richard Feindel introduce you to Katie Mayhew, a small girl with a booming voice, who will perform in front of millions on the 4th of July. Reporter Ashley Porter and photographer Richard Feindel introduce you to Katie Mayhew, a small girl with a booming voice, who will per... more
-
Declaration of Interdependence
The Declaration of Independence of the United States says, “All men [and women] are created equal.” In Buddhism, the corollary teaching is that within each of us there is innate goodness and wholeness. Actualization of these ideals is only possible in a life-affirming society. Therefore, it is our responsibility to create the social conditions and political structures that enable people to live with dignity, honor, safety, and sufficient resources.
From a Buddhist perspective, the “three poisons” of greed, hatred, and delusion cloud our minds and skew our actions:
• Greed is the driving force in a consumer society that supports undemocratic corporations that sell us things we don't need. Greed is also at the root of a system in which people, including government officials, are corrupted by the seemingly insatiable appetite for money and power. Looking deeply, we see that nothing can be hoarded, accumulated, or held on to. We understand, too, that those things we take from others that are not freely given—resources, labor, wealth, votes, and more—are the birthright of all people. All people have the right to decide how these resources are used.
• Hatred gives birth to war, prejudice, and repression. Those forces tend to perpetuate themselves in a ceaseless cycle of violence and militarism. As Buddhism and other faith traditions affirm, “Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love.” Hatred is rooted in separateness; compassion is rooted in connection. Which way would we wish to turn?
• Delusion, or ignorance, stems from our tendency not to see reality just as it is. We are schooled in delusion by systems of indoctrination and mass media that condition us from early childhood to buy into the false promises of consumerism and American exceptionalism. Delusion is the driving force evident in our ever-more centralized media.
And finally, we do not have government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Rather, government has become a holding company for corporate control. When we fail to point out the unraveling of our democratic system, and—as the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina made clear—the way in which so many citizens lack even the necessities for a life of self-respect, we have fallen prey to the delusion of separateness, and we disempower ourselves and others.
The current political and economic system is tainted by these poisons, which necessarily reinforce each other. When we spend many billions of dollars on a foreign war premised on lies and distortions, we have no money to buy food, medicine, and first-class education for the poor at home…or for displaced peoples in need around the world. So a spiral of anger, resentment, need and confusion spins on and on.
And yet we are called to participate in this very system, even with all its injustices and inequalities. The task before us requires presence of mind, awareness, patience, and perseverance. We wish to be part of a polity that is genuinely representative and fully participatory.
All of us—whatever our faith, political affiliation, cultural background, or economic status—have the same wish for safety and well-being. We may agree or disagree with each other. We may approve or disapprove of a given candidate or representative’s positions. But in these decisive times, when so much is at stake, we must act with courage.
Only by working together can we renew our world. Only by working together can we insure that the U.S. will fulfill its promise of liberty and justice for all. In our hearts we long to see this vision born anew. The Declaration of Independence of the United States says, “All men [and women] are created equal.” In Buddhism, the corollary teachin... more -
Time For A Revolution? Ask The Founding Fathers
From the fantastic HBO series, 'John Adams.' Inspiring yet sad to see this spirit is now lost in our Congress. It will be up to us to bring it back. We cannot fail these men and women who gave all they had to birth this country. From the fantastic HBO series, 'John Adams.' Inspiring yet sad to see this spirit is now lost in our Congress. It will be up... more
-
Division into political parties and George Washington's farewell address
The framers considered political parties to be self-serving factions that cultivated dissent and were ultimately detrimental to good government. Though the framers had not written provisions into the Constitution dealing with political parties, by the end of George Washington's second term, the issues of national government had divided the nation into two distinct and hostile factions: the Federalists and the Republicans.
The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, advocated strong central government. Concentrated in the northeast, they preferred a system under which the population would choose their government officials based on merit and reputation rather than politics, and in which elected officials would rule without the direct influence of the people. Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and others who found Federalist thought offensive, developed a markedly different view of good government under the Washington administration. With their stronghold in the South, Republicans claimed that liberty could only be protected if political power were rested firmly in the hands of the people and those government officials closest and most responsive to the people
snip
In the midst of building hostilities, Washington decided to resign from office after his second term. On September 19, 1796, the American Daily Advertiser published Washington's Farewell Address to the nation. The basic premise of the address was a condemnation of political parties. Washington warned that the development of parties would destroy the government, and worried that special interest groups and foreign nations would easily dominate the factions. On this note, he implored future generations to avoid embroilment in the affairs of other nations, and concentrate on the development of "efficient government" at home, free from foreign influence. Washington left office in March 1797, leaving the nation still very much divided.
Commentary
As of the early 1790s, most Americans remained convinced that political parties were a detriment to good government. The framers had neither desired nor planned for the rise of political divisions. In fact, in Federalist No. 10 of the Federalist Papers, James Madison, one of the leaders of the Republican party, had argued that one of the strong points of the Constitution was that it would prevent the formation of political factions. It was commonly assumed that should factions rise to a position of political power, they would act to achieve selfish goals at the expense of the public good. However, this concept of political parties began to crumble as opposition arose to Hamilton's initiatives as Secretary of Treasury. Many political leaders began to view an opposition party as necessary to check the power of the ideological majority in the national government, and as a means to provide a more fully encompassing examination of the issues presented to the national government. Thus, gradually, political parties took their place as an integral part of American government.
snip
Washington's Farewell Address was a direct response to the fractioning of the American people. From a clearly Federalist point of view he extolled the virtues of neutrality. He pleaded for American political neutrality, that citizens not be forced to choose between political alternatives, but rather choose their leaders on the basis of merit and reputation. He further pleaded for international neutrality, exhorting Americans to avoid "political connection" with Europe, hoping such avoidance would remove the divisiveness of foreign policy from the American political dialogue and allow US leaders to concentrate on domestic goals. While he could not stop the rise of political parties, which had already become a fact of American political life, his plea for neutrality and vision of an isolated America would inform American foreign relations into the twentieth century. The framers considered political parties to be self-serving factions that cultivated dissent and were ultimately detrimental to good g... more -
Thomas Jefferson's Anarchist Sentiment
From the HBO Miniseries, John Adams. John Adams (Paul Giamatti,) Ben Franklin (Tom Wilkinson,) and Thomas Jefferson (Steven Dillane,) discuss the Constitution. Jefferson's sentiments are truly those of a freethinker. Which is why I have always loved his writings and agree wholeheartedly with his sentiments. Which is more than likely why the Constitution is open ended in that it gives the American people the opportunity to change their form of government if it should not suit the needs of the people or turn towards tyranny... that is, if they are not too distracted or fearful to notice. From the HBO Miniseries, John Adams. John Adams (Paul Giamatti,) Ben Franklin (Tom Wilkinson,) and Thomas Jefferson (Steven Dillane,) ... more
-
Al Gore's The Assault On Reason A Transference Of Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson and Al Gore. Both spokesmen for truth, both statesmen of exemplary principle. But are we truly heeding their words?
"My hope that we have not labored in vain, and that our experiment will still prove that men can be governed by reason." --Thomas Jefferson to George Mason, 1791. ME 8:124
"I have so much confidence in the good sense of man, and his qualifications for self-government, that I am never afraid of the issue where reason is left free to exert her force." --Thomas Jefferson to Comte Diodati, 1789. Papers 15:326"
Let common sense and common honesty have fair play, and they will soon set things to rights." --Thomas Jefferson to Ezra Stiles, 1786. ME 6:25
"A government of reason is better than one of force." --Thomas Jefferson to Richard Rush, 1820. ME 15:284
"This blessed country of free inquiry and belief has surrendered its creed and conscience to neither kings nor priests." --Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Waterhouse, 1822. ME 15:385
"It is surely time for men to think for themselves, and to throw off the authority of names so artificially magnified." --Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 1820. ME 15:258
snip
And that is why I have to type this as well as a supporter of Al Gore who is now on my third time reading The Assault On Reason which to me is the Jeffersonian doctrine of our time: Al Gore stated right from the beginning that this book is not a 'candidate' book, and that is correct. It is a serious look in the mirror not only for those in our government who have abandoned reason in exchange for the politics of fear, propaganda, and expediency of men over the rule of law, but more so for the complicit corporate media that is their accomplice, and even more so for the citizens of this country used by that fear, propaganda, and expediency who on the whole constantly complain about the state of affairs but who never seem to want to get their hands dirty when it comes to truly standing up for it. This book is a primer for them in doing that, and yet I don't get the feeling that is how many see it and that is disappointing to me.
I have stated many times how I would feel regarding Mr. Gore leading us in a system envisioned by Jefferson, and I am absolutely heartbroken at the turn of events these past eight years after fighting for him for so many years before that. He will always be my president, and has been since December 13, 2000. However, as he has stated as well, this is not about him but about all of us, and he has done more for this world as a statesman than any of the cretins that stole this Democracy from us and for that he will have my undying respect because he has done it and continues to do it against all odds with a conscience and moral awareness I frankly do not believe politicians possess or are allowed to possess.
He is the premiere American statesman of our time which has come with many years of service through wisdom and pain, and the words I read and am again reading in his book were not read with the eyes of someone just looking to use quotes in them to prop him up as a 'candidate' in a toxic system that wronged him and us for political expediency. I see clearly what he is talking about in this book. And what he is talking about is exactly what Thomas Jefferson spoke of in his time when he was one of the premiere American statesmen: and that is that a Democracy is only as 'Democratic' as the people make it. It cannot be done from the cheap seats. It must be hands on or it is lost. And that does not always mean from a political place, for surely as we have seen those who work outside to bring change inside have been more successful in bringing that change.
more at the link. Thomas Jefferson and Al Gore. Both spokesmen for truth, both statesmen of exemplary principle. But are we truly heeding their words? ... more -
Peaceful solution: a Willie Nelson song you can sing, record, video free
No licensing restrictions, no entry fee and no deadline applies. Just possess the willingness to record your version and send an mp3 file to us. The Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute will write an article and post your version.
Or make a video, upload it to any video hosting site and send in the link. The Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute will write an article and embed the video in it.
Include an artist’s statement if you wish. Let other people know what peace means to you. Encourage more people to participate.
Willie Nelson has been through it all. Lost everything to the IRS, been on the road doing music most of his life and countless other events that have changed his life, but not deterred what he is on this earth for. Willie Nelson has always been a peace loving man and this contribution to society, culture and the world is this gift to spread and foster peace in the world.
Here is the main site:
http://willienelsonpri.com/a-peaceful-solution-story
http://willienelsonpri.com/ No licensing restrictions, no entry fee and no deadline applies. Just possess the willingness to record your version and send an mp3 f... more
-
related topics
4th of July
Contributors (212)
4th of July
