"The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro"

Who am I to expound upon the words of Frederick Douglas? Go read them for yourself.

Crankiness

Perhaps it's the time of the year, beautiful summer days coupled with long work days, but I'm noticing the crankiness level of loved ones has increased. Dramatically.

I am not exempt from the crankiness.

Maybe I need lots of sleep and some really good ice cream. How can those two things be bad for me?

What? It's not really them!

I am not sure if I am more deeply disappointed or highly amused that the National Archives felt the need to include the following disclaimer regarding their 4th of July Celebrations:

"Dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence by special guests including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Ned Hector (portrayed by historical reenactors)"

This and this almost make up for the need for such a ridiculous clarifying statement.











Are we as Americans so ignorant and simple that someone needs to put in writing that Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, and Hector won't be there to read the Declaration of Independence? Have people forgotten the age of that document? How long ago it was signed? Or do they think we've cloned them? Or NARA is rolling out something from the Hall of Presidents?

BAH!

To paraphrase Hosea, My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.

odds and ends

I love making lists. In 2004 I created a 101 Things to Do in a 1001 Days list. The list was fun and challenging. I did not complete everything on the list, but I enjoyed the effort. Martha now has a handy dandy Life List Worksheet.

1. Print worksheet
2. Make list
3. Attempt to complete list
4. Grow, laugh, have fun.

What's up with Mythbusters? I like that show, but a new episode has not aired in weeks. I need to head over to their site and find out what's happening.


The weeding of my book collection is going well. There are now several empty bookshelves in my apartment. Annie has decided to use the empty shelf near the front door as a lounging spot. She has already startled me several times because I am not used to seeing her there. I think she enjoys the look of surprise on my face.


A few weeks ago MMTM said she was so angry she wanted to "jack slap" somebody. If I were a much better daughter, I would not have immediately burst into laughter. "Jack slap"? That's what people used to say before bitch slap and pimp slap, and it's what angry nice Black Southern Christian ladies say today.

There isn't enough chocolate in my home. I need to remedy that situation as soon as possible.

How many television channels do I really need? Particularly since I don't have a flat screen high definition television. I'm going to be moving soon and I'm trying to make a decision about cable. The less channels I have, the less tv I'll watch. That's definitely a good thing. There are a few channels that I really enjoy and I wish that I could only purchase the channels that I want to see.

Don Imus is in the news again. I was glad to see his comments mostly in context. And you know, I get what he was trying to say. Mr. Sharpton, please go work on helping ex-cons regain their right to vote. I think that would be really good use of your time.

I could go on and on and on with these odds and ends but I'll stop now.

About Yesterday's Post

Folks, it's only June. Things are going to get a lot worse. I also think people are going to see a side of America that they never knew existed. Never dreamed existed.

Yes, a black man is the presumptive nominee for a major political party, but that does not mean there aren't plenty of people to make and sell items like yesterday's post. There are also plenty of people to buy them.

Hold on America, it's going to be a bumpier ride.