I’m honored to be spending this 4th of July visiting our troops in Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/PVkWCoeZGt
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) July 4, 2017
Happy 4th of July to our American cousins.
We kind of expected you to be over the whole "Independence" thing by now…#IndependenceDay— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) July 4, 2017
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Apart from / in addition to fireworks, what’s on the agenda for the evening?
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Happy 4th of July! "Give me liberty or give me death!" #4thOfJuly2017 pic.twitter.com/ORpHVXUmPJ
— Adam D. Brown (@aduanebrown) July 4, 2017
Today marks 5 years since "Bootleg fireworks" happened.
Happy 4th of July everyone ?????? pic.twitter.com/jW7lnnbJzC— papa (@nappywulf) July 4, 2017
Mike J
Any cat that shares a house with Theresa May doesn’t get to talk shit to anybody.
raven
For some reason the city here had the official fireworks Friday while I was in LA and the lady and the dogs were in Asheville. Now we get to deal with the local morons who have been given carte blanche 365 days a year to shoot off fireworks whenever they want to. In addition, the campus carry law went into effective 1st so we can look forward to that. Whoo hoo.
trollhattan
That video is HILARIOUS. Also, too Lurve Liz Warren.
Happy, y’all. Got to get the puppeh through his first 4th unafraid of loud stuff, so that and smoking the tri-tip are today’s to-dos.
Almost forgot, took the kiddo to a nearby empty parking lot for her first driving experience (not related to XBox or WII). Now that’s independence day.
Catherine D.
@Mike J:
Yeah, but he lived with Posh Boy too. A cat of low standards.
JPL
@trollhattan: My previous dog was terrified by the noise, so I would give her benadryl. Finch has had problems with allergies, so he gets benadryl, but for a different reason. CVS has chewable, grape flavored for children. Yeah, never buy that crap for your child, but works great for the mutt.
Montanareddog
Elizabeth Warren (and Lindsey Graham and Sheldon Adelson) visit the troops in Afghanistan on the 4th of July, while “uber-patriot” President Donald J Trump plays golf.
Montanareddog
@Mike J: cats always have the right to throw shade, no matter who is allowed (temporarily) to share their territory
Another Scott
@Montanareddog: And Tweets about low gas prices, and wanting them to go lower. (Which, I’m sure, makes Tillerson happy.) . Donnie knows what’s important!!1
Cheers,
Scott.
trollhattan
@Montanareddog:
Sheldon Adelson in Afghanistan?!? Was he thanking our troops for keeping Israel safe? Has he consulted the atlas?
trollhattan
@JPL:
Will watch how he responds and keep that in mind; hoping we can make it seem like a “normal” evening; kinda depends on what the neighbors are up to. Our Dalmatians both HATED the 4th, New Years and thunderstorms. This will be our first without Gracie, whose journey we ended last weekend. Bittersweet.
Adam L Silverman
@Montanareddog: Do you mean Sheldon Whitehouse? Sheldon Adelson requires a specially outfitted hover round scooter to get around and he’s on a portable oxygen set up.
geg6
I despise all the fireworks my neighbors are setting off. This shit has been going on since Friday. My poor dogs are going to have a nervous breakdown.
geg6
@Adam L Silverman:
I’m willing to bet that Whitehouse is the correct person.
Another Scott
@geg6: You win. :-) (Scroll down)
Cheers,
Scott.
The Lodger
@Montanareddog: Are you sure you don’t mean Sheldon Cooper?
Fleeting Expletive
Just reading about a sad little incident where Brittney Spears cancelled events in Israel because the crush of her fans I guess freaked her out. It sounds like maybe cultural misunderstanding or whatever. My kind of random thought was that this is sad in that a very positive visit would have been a nice thing to have happened in the world.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@geg6: I dread the 4th due to all the fireworks and my poor Cocker Spaniel. Some asswipe was setting them off about a block over last night, they were pretty but damn they were loud. I was thinking about hiking to Burbank Peak to catch the fireworks, but I don’t want to leave Nikki alone with just her doggie sister.
Noncarborundum
@geg6: Sheldon Cooper.
ETA:darn.
Gin & Tonic
I was unaware that there is an American Museum of Tort Law. It was founded by St. Ralph.
Perhaps fortunately, it was closed when we passed through.
Frankensteinbeck
@Montanareddog:
LINDSEY GRAHAM is a better man than you, Trump. You cannot clear a bar that’s lying on the floor.
Gin & Tonic
Sheldon Whitehouse, one of my Senators, is in fact in Afghanistan now.
MomSense
Just came back from the beach and fried clams at a local shack. Just heard a random firework in the neighborhood which has the dog at attention.
donnah
I took my classic ’53 Pontiac Chieftain to a nice local car show today. I have never won anything in other shows, but today my car won a first place plaque trophy for her division, Production models from 1946-54. So, it was extra fun. You meet the nicest people at classic car shows. It’s a treat to go.
MomSense
@donnah:
Sounds like fun. Congrats on the win.
Another Scott
@donnah: Congratulations!! It’s good that Mustang Bobby isn’t hogging all the car awards!
:-)
Cheers,
Scott.
Chat Noir
@Gin & Tonic: In his new memoir, Al Franken says that Sheldon Whitehouse is one of the smartest people he’s ever met.
cain
Ever had that surreal moment where you find yourself playing guest to a very famous person? I’m hosting a dinner party at my house and one of the people coming is the guy who created Linux. I remember this guy from 20 years ago when he was just getting started and being mobbed (and still gets mobbed) by all these young men (face it, tech.. no women) because he was leading the fight against Microsoft (Linux vs Windows) and today he accepts a offhand dinner invitation.
Or word of my cooking has been going around in p-town. ;) Any case, feeling elated, and nervous as I have to pull together a great menu to impress. It’s stuff like this that tells me karma is still at work, givin that I’ve been unemployed for so long…
JPL
Remember this from that great Orator.
“Independence is not something that happens and then we just put away. It’s something that we have to fight for every single day.”
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/882364355270127616
Timurid
In other news… HOLY SHIT.
chris
@cain: Linus Torvald is coming to your house? Squeeeeeeee! That’s wonderful.
Fleeting Expletive
@cain: Years ago my ex and I were brought along by our host couple to an extraordinary dinner party of swells in Santa Fe. I was seated beside an ancient fellow whose last name was Marcus, as in Neiman-Marcus. There was an opera singer and a couple of other people that kind of left me slack jawed. But in the end the event went well and I enjoyed it.
Gin & Tonic
@Chat Noir: I first met Whitehouse in a very small-group setting, when he was first running. He was personally kind of awkward, and didn’t seem that well-informed on an issue I asked him about. I was, frankly, not all that impressed. Obviously I misjudged him, or else he has really gown into his position, because I now seldom fail to be impressed.
TriassicSands
@Timurid:
I guess the limo was kind of hard to see.
Frankensteinbeck
@Timurid:
Alzheimers would make sense given his progressing incoherence. He was always an asshole, but he used to be capable of stringing complete sentences together. And he had that EO signing ceremony where he gave a speech and left without doing the signing.
Cain
@Fleeting Expletive:
Thank you for sharing that :) it must have been an amazing evening
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Timurid: OMG.
Mnemosyne
@Catherine D.:
Apparently this is one of those times when I’m unclear on the concept. So the cat that lives at 10 Downing Street actually belongs to the house itself and not to a specific Prime Minister? I find that weird yet awesome.
Timurid
@TriassicSands: It was big and black, so of course he crossed the street to avoid it…
Another Scott
@Timurid: “He totally meant to do that!”
(groucho-roll-eyes.gif)
(As has been pointed out here, the 25th Amendment won’t save us.)
Cheers,
Scott.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@TriassicSands: Sure, the big one, right in front of him; with the Presidential Seal on it. Anyone could have missed it.
ETA: I’m guessing that he’s not at the White House since they usually use Marine/Army One to go between Andrews and the Residence.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Another Scott: I agree, but Section 4 was written for this type of situation.
MomSense
@cain:
Wow! Try and have fun.
lamh36
Happy 4th!
I know it’s a holiday, but it’s also the last day of my 5 day work break…aww…
Back to work tomorrow for 9 straight days…
Spent most of the days doing nothing…barely got on the internet and just watched some occasional tv…
Funny enough, the only things I did watch were a couple of James Bond films
I don’t know if STARZ is gonna be showing the Roger Moore Bond films this month!! But t he other day I was watching A View To A Kill. Just now finished watching Octopussy.
On now though is Never Say Never Again…but right after that, another Roger Moore Bond film. what was the age difference between Connery and Basinger…ew
Has there actually been a Bond villain with realistic evil plans…I mean something that could actually cause “real” trouble
Cheryl Rofer
In case people are still counting,
Skerry
Another tweet from a public servant about the holiday:
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Cheryl Rofer: Heh, including Kansas.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Skerry: Where’s my ‘World’s Smallest Violin”?
Starfish
@cain: A lot of computer people don’t know what food is. Do what you do. Some encourage the cult of personality nonsense; but others find it really unsettling.
dm
@Cheryl Rofer: Kobach, in his role as Sec. State of Kansas, even refused.
lamh36
Happy 4th!
I know it’s a holiday, but it’s also the last day of my 5 day work break…aww…
Back to work tomorrow for 9 straight days…
Spent most of the days doing nothing…barely got on the internet and just watched some occasional tv…
Funny enough, the only things I did watch were a couple of James Bond films
I don’t know if STARZ is gonna be showing the Roger Moore Bond films this month!! But t he other day I was watching A View To A Kill. Just now finished watching Octop*&^y.
On now though is Never Say Never Again…but right after that, another Roger Moore Bond film. what was the age difference between Connery and Basinger…ew
Has there actually been a Bond villain with realistic evil plans…I mean something that could actually cause “real” trouble
lamh36
lol…comment got caught up thanks to Octo…
TriassicSands
@geg6:
Arrrgggh! I’ve grown very weary of the local amateur fireworks practitioners, who add nothing but unwanted and unappreciated noise to what should be relaxing time off for those who still work as well as for retirees.
I hate what unnecessary cacophony does to critters.
Where I live it’s not 365 days a year, but every Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day it’s the same thing. For days before and sometimes after the holiday, these people offer a barrage of pointless explosions that scare critters and annoy sane people. Personally, I no longer have any interest in fireworks displays, but I won’t object to professional displays that offer something exciting, if only for little kids. Those professional displays will generally be confined to about the same time (late evening) and usually on only one day (with possible exceptions). But the amateurs are public nuisances who are at work at all times day and night and throughout the long weekends and holidays. And I think they are mostly adults, not kids.
Mnemosyne
Interesting historical tidbit I just ran across — the preamble to our Constitution was probably written by a single guy, Gouvernor Morris, who was our wild and crazy Founding Father. Hamilton couldn’t hold a candle to Morris on the man-about-town front.
Skerry
@?BillinGlendaleCA: yeah. I’m sure the thousands of US troops on the Korean Peninsula are having an easy day off.
Another Scott
@cain: Have a great time!
Don’t ask him what he thinks about Nvidia. ;-)
Here’s hoping this is the start of much better days ahead for you.
Cheers,
Scott.
satby
@trollhattan: Condolences on Gracie’s passing.I’m sure she had a happy, well-loved life with you, and to a dog, that’s heaven.
TriassicSands
@Timurid:
Good point! I’m surprised he didn’t call on the Secret Service to arrest it.
There have been a number of occasions when Trump has shown this kind of cluelessness. Of course, add those to the bizarre tweets and his inability to discuss any policy issue in greater depth than uttering a few general, hyperbolic adjectives and the picture is troubling indeed.
Have we reached the point where the president and vice president should have annual physical and mental health examinations with the results made public if they could have an impact on the president’s performance.
In Trump’s case, I’m assuming the results would necessitate his removal from office.
Official Report on the Health Status of the President: After extensive testing and careful professional observations, the health team assigned to the POTUS has determined that he is a complete idiot and must be removed from office before he destroys the planet.
Official Report on the Health Status of the Vice President: Ditto.
John Revolta
I guess there’s no point arguing with a cat, but I always thought it was kinda silly how the Brits make a big honkin’ deal every Nov. 5th out of something that didn’t actually happen. Or almost happened.
Catherine D.
@Mnemosyne:
That’s my understanding – Larry is the rodenticide of No. 10.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
Warren visiting troops in combat zones. Bernie visiting his rubber ducky at his private beach (no riffraff proletariat allowed).
aimai
@cain: Good luck!
Gretchen
@Timurid: Wow – that’s really something. Trump can’t find the limo that’s parked right in front of him with people saluting him next to it. What?
Luthe
@Timurid: Tweet is now locked. What did it say?
cynthia ackerman
I’m on duty in a fire truck in dry, very windy place where the locals appear finally to have learned not to deploy illegal fireworks.
Visitors, on the other hand, typically cause at least one race against the clock — so far we have always stopped the fires when small.
I could do without this element of this holiday.
Plus cats.
Gretchen
I just listened to the latest Pod Save America. It included a really great interview with Cory Booker about the present moment what shaped him.
TriassicSands
@trollhattan:
My condolences about Gracie. It hurts.
Mnemosyne
@TriassicSands:
I’m pretty sure that’s something that already happens and is made public. I remember seeing Obama’s every year.
Though it didn’t seem to help much in detecting Reagan’s decline.
Another Scott
@Luthe: I still see it (and I’m not on Twitter):
Donnie walked down the steps from AF1, the Beast limo was at the foot of the stairs. He turned right at the foot of the stairs, walked about 20 feet for no obvious reason, then got an AhHa and turned around and got in the car.
HTH.
Cheers,
Scott.
efgoldman
@Montanareddog:
You mean Sheldon Whitehouse (one of my senators) right? I doubt that Adelson would risk his old, wrinkly ass.
Another Scott
@cynthia ackerman: Here’s hoping you have a peaceful evening!
Cheers,
Scott.
Another Scott
@trollhattan: I’m sorry. It’s hard. :-(
Cheers,
Scott.
Adam L Silverman
@Gin & Tonic: Quiet! You’ll break his cover.
OldDave
@donnah:
I’m not that up on 50s Pontiacs – straight six? straight eight? (yes, children, that’s a possibility) Congratulations!
OldDave
@Another Scott:
To be fair (which is killing me) – he might have been expecting Marine One for the trip to the White House.
Another Scott
@OldDave: Maybe, but if so that’s another indication that communication with him is broken. Everyone else on the tarmac knew what was going on except him…
Cheers,
Scott.
donnah
@OldDave:
Flathead, straight eight. :-)
She’s a real beauty. When I bought her, the guy who owned had her painted her in a beautiful color combination of periwinkle and white. He’s a professional car painter, so it was a fabulous job with some handpainted details. So she’s not in original paint, but her interior is all original, including the headliner. She was originally two toned blue-gray.
I had to go to a tractor supply store to get a battery for her, because she takes a six volt. The guy who owned her is my mechanic and he just replaced the water pump and fuel filter and fan belt, so she runs like a champ. But it’s a workout for me: no power brakes, no power steering. Still and all, I love driving such a unique and special car. There are no more Pontiacs in production, so she’s going to be even more special as time goes by.
And I hope to keep taking her out on the road!
OldDave
@donnah: Sounds wonderful, in a 64 year old sort of way … for the record: OldDave is also 64 years old, but prefers to say he’s 40 (sotto voce ‘in hex’).
Citizen Scientist
@cain: Wow, that’s awesome! Find out if he has any pets, will you? :)
tybee
@donnah: we need pictures.
J R in WV
@donnah:
Congratulations!! The early 50s models were great. The first car I remember was my Dad’s early 50s Studebaker – it was the first car he bought that wasn’t a ragtop, because he had little kids, and this was before special seats for kids, they just sat in the back seat and waited for the crash!
Two tone pale green/grass green and lots of big chrome.
J R in WV
@tybee:
Pictures, yes, for the road show posting… time travel instead of space travel, with your award featured prominently !!! Yes!!! The colors sound great for that era, also, too.
SiubhanDuinne
@Timurid:
This is at least the third time he has wandered off, confused. There was that thing a couple of months ago when he was supposed to sign an executive order but after he made a few remarks he strolled out of the Oval Office, leaving Pence to go fetch the paperwork. Then there was his trip to Israel when he had the grip-‘n’-grin handshake with Netanyahu and then just stumbled away (and came back in the room to announce to the Israeli press that he absolutely didn’t blow their intelligence cover with the Russians). And now this, where he doesn’t even notice the limo directly in front of him.
Look, if he’s in some rapidly advancing stage of dementia — and it seems increasingly clear that he is — I feel desperately sorry for him as a person. It must be terrifying for him and people close to him, just on a personal compassionate level. I don’t wish that on anyone, even Trump.
But GODDAMN, don’t have him running the US Government, or negotiating anything with foreign leaders, or let him get anywhere within 100 miles of the nuclear football. For fuck’s sake. This has to stop now.
J R in WV
@Timurid:
The poor man is demented, perhaps he doesn’t know any better personally, and is taking advice from everyone else, which would be confusing, as they all have different motives and intentions.
ETA: HAS TO END SOONEST!!! Someone has to initiate his resignation.
donnah
@J R in WV:
I don’t know how to post pics here, but if there’s a travel post tomorrow maybe I can put them there. I have a Photobucket account but am not sure about linking here.
I’d love for you all to see my Pontiac. She’s one of a kind!
SiubhanDuinne
@J R in WV:
You know, if — and I know it’s a big IF — but if Ivanka were actually the devoted, loving daughter we’ve seen portrayed, she should be the first one to intervene, to initiate a peaceful and graceful resignation before her father does something major and irreversible. The fact that she continues to enable him tells me that she’s not really the loving, devoted daughter she’d have us believe.
Keestadoll
Happily not talking or posting ANYTHING political today. Couldn’t even if I wanted to: my small NoCA town does this thing called Fourth on the Third, so all our small town awesomeness (along with several 12-packs of local brewery beer) were consumed yesterday. Today is all about quiet (patriotic) introspection and laundry. Later: fireworks sold via street vendors out on our neighborhood driveways.
Jay Noble
@lamh36: After hearing a story about The US and the Gold Standard on NPR the other day, Goldfinger took on a whole new dimension. There was some really stranger than fiction stuff going on with our gold supply in the 50’s and 60’s
Another Scott
@donnah: We non-front-pagers can’t post pictures, we can only post links to pictures. Raven and BillInCaliforniaLand do so frequently. Just check your sharing and privacy settings on your photo site before doing so, and you should be good to go. Then just post the URL like any other.
HTH.
Cheers,
Scott.
cynthia ackerman
Fire number one put out.
No One You Know
@cain: Good luck! (Glances at clock.) Or Good memories.And good luck with the job search also.
Donalbain
@Montanareddog: And Nikki Hayley whines about having to be in meetings!
https://twitter.com/nikkihaley/status/882344158232539138
Steeplejack (phone)
@donnah:
E-mail your pictures to Alain for the “On the Road” post. There is a link for that purpose in the second or third paragraph of each one.