Author: grandmaintexas

Dear KAG: 20201120 Open Thread

Happy Hour begins now at the Wolf’s Head Pub. Friday’s featured drink is YOUR favorite ale on tap. Do tell. First round on the house.

A bit of history about pubs. Public houses, as they were first called, began in the latter part of the 17th century. They were also known as alehouses, taverns, and inns, and were called “public” in order to to differentiate them from private houses.

Many establishments were built in the American colonies. A few still survive. In upstate New York there’s one called the Benjamin Patterson Inn. Now a museum and learning center, it is the original building from 1796.

And then there’s City Tavern in Philly, which was built in 1772. While it was lost to fire it was eventually recreated as an accurate replica, and is still in business today.

City Tavern was frequented by such luminaries as George Washington, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and other founding fathers.

Music has always been a vital part of any pub. Let the High Kings entertain on this fine day.

And lest we forget the rules of our pub house.

Guidelines for posting and discussion are here.

Keep it civil and we won’t have to call the bouncer. If you want a bar fight, take it out to The U Tree.

For a visual lesson, watch this clip from The Quiet Man. Our hero, John Wayne, knows when to duke it out and when to keep his cool in a pub.

https://youtu.be/mFvbOdnzTKk

Let’s get on to the ale now. Didya know there’s a difference between ale and beer (aka as lager), though it has been blurred over the centuries. The difference is the way it’s brewed. Ale in its earliest form was thought to be a weak mead. As Europe became more populated and honey became less available, grains like oats and barley were added, along with hops.

Here’s a really good article, if you’re interested.

I love a good stout. If I’m going to drink beer I want it to taste like beer.

What a day yesterday! Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, along with Jenna Ellis were our champions. The fallout from their press conference caused a huge disruption in the diabolical fake news media.

I bet you didn’t know FOX News’ Tucker Carlson is the attached to the Swanson frozen food empire. 🤔 He also used to wear a bow tie. You know the saying…never trust a man who wears a bow tie. An interesting article on him here (https://www.cjr.org/the_profile/tucker-carlson.php) wherein we find he applied to the CIA but was rejected.

Here’s a great thread on Tucker’s kerfuffle with our heroine, Sidney.

If you want to know a bit more about the fabulous Sidney Powell, enjoy this article by writer John Zmirak:

https://stream.org/i-know-sidney-powell-she-is-telling-the-truth/

Let us hoist one in honor of our great patriots Sidney, Rudy, Jenna, Joe, and our awesome President Donald John Trump! What an honor it would be to sit and talk awhile with these best of Americans.

May God bless and keep them forevermore.

Let Freedom Ring!

 

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Find that quote here: Revolutionary War and Beyond, where you can read a nice article on the history of the Declaration of Independence. Click to read Jefferson’s personal account of the writing of the Declaration from the same site. And here is a transcription of the Declaration of Independence from our government archives.

And now to rev you up for declaring and celebrating our freedom from tyranny:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VPpAZ9_qAw&w=560&h=315]

 

Right away, Independence Day was celebrated joyously. From PBS’ A Capital Fourth:

On July 8, 1776, the first public readings of the Declaration were held in Philadelphia’s Independence Square to the ringing of bells and band music. One year later, on July 4, 1777, Philadelphia marked Independence Day by adjourning Congress and celebrating with bonfires, bells and fireworks.

The custom eventually spread to other towns, both large and small, where the day was marked with processions, oratory, picnics, contests, games, military displays and fireworks. Observations throughout the nation became even more common at the end of the War of 1812 with Great Britain.

Ringing Bells.

Bands.

Bonfires.

Fireworks.

Music.

Picnics.

Oratory.

Military Displays.

Games.

Contests.

I think we all know how to celebrate this Civic Holiday. We all have memories of picnics and fireworks and parades. The importance of Independence Day celebrations in 2020 cannot be overstated. We are in a fight for the life of our beloved Republic. In that same PBS article, is a quote from Jefferson (his last letter) in which he wrote about the Declaration of Independence:

“May it be to the world, what I believe it will be … the signal of arousing men to burst the chains … and to assume the blessings and security of self-government. That form, which we have substituted, restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. …For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.”

– Thomas Jefferson
June 24, 1826 Monticello

Back when my kids were small, we celebrated the Fourth of July with special outfits (my mom would sew matching patriotic outfits for my kids to wear) and we would pack a picnic and head off to watch fireworks. One year we were in Boston and headed out early to secure a place near the orchestra.

It was so exciting to be in Boston for an Independence Day celebration and listen to the Boston Pops on the Esplanade. The place was so crowded that our little blanket spot was trampled by fellow citizens trying to secure spots, or move from one spot to another!

People would actually step over our children on their way to some other place! I’ll never forget it. Human nature. 🙂 But once the music started and everyone settled down, it was wonderful. The fireworks were brilliant, even if the kids were sleepy and we were all exhausted.

What mattered is that thousands of Americans gathered together to celebrate our freedom. The energy and patriotism could be FELT. Celebrating our Civic Holidays is vital to maintaining a patriotic spirit.

Nowadays, our children take their kids to the fireworks displays in their locales. If they happen to be around, we head out to the back 40 and have a big bonfire and our own fireworks. The kids have sparklers and we share a summer picnic meal. We might even shoot off a few guns.

This year, I think I’m going to share a few good books with the grandkids and maybe watch some patriotic films. I want them to know that they have “certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”

If we don’t teach them, who will? Not the schools. Not even most churches. Certainly not a bloated bureaucratic state that seeks to tell us what meds we can and MUST take, and whether we have the right to leave our house without a face mask!

It’s time to declare our Independence Day! Just over four weeks away, the Fourth of July 2020 is on a Saturday. Let’s celebrate it like our freedom depends on it!

Resources

Wee Sing America (Toddlers to age 7, CD and book of patriotic songs)

The Fourth of July Story by Alice Dalgleish, (Ages 4-8, endearing story for young children)

The Story of the Statue of Liberty by Betsy Maestro (Ages 6-10)

A New Nation: The United States, by Betsy Maestro (Grades 3-5)

The Star-Spangled Banner by Peter Spier (Ages 3-7)

America the Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates (Ages 3-7)

Presenting the Declaration of Independence puzzle

We The People Board Game

You’re a Grand Old Flag, by George M. Cohan, illustrated by Norman Rockwell (All ages)

This Land is Your Land, by Woodie Guthrie, illustrated by Kathy Jakobsen (All ages)

Yankee Doodle, A Song From the American Revolution, by Todd Ouren, a history of the song, lyrics and activities for children

Here is an exhibition from the Library of Congress called Declaring Independence: Drafting the Documents. It ha s a wonderful online exhibition with a timeline.

James Cagney film Yankee Doodle Dandy

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StDpLge_ITM&w=560&h=315]

The Patriot with Mel Gibson

Red Dawn with Patrick Swayze

Hacksaw Ridge

Independence Day with Will Smith

Patton with George C. Scott

The Green Berets with John Wayne

Sergeant York with the great Gary Cooper

To Hell and Back with Audie Murphy playing…Audie Murphy

Captain America, the First Avenger

Men of Honor with Cuba Gooding, Jr.

I could go on and on. I hope you all will share your own great films, books, recipes, traditions and memories. Let us celebrate our great Republic, its founders, and the freedoms we need so desperately to retain and pass on.

Previous Posts

Make Civics Great Again

Take Back Our History

Needed: An Army of Mr. Smiths

Grandparents of the World, unite!