StanleyWheeler

  It was Independence Day. The Fourth of July. The ogygia of summer. I name it the latter, not because we're trapped there and must choose between Calypso and escape, but because it is the center point about which summer revolves. In Byzantium this year, it brought dark clouds and rain. We usually get our own fireworks to celebrate our right to watch our money become transformed into disappointing fountains of sparks of various ilk, but this year we did something that I don't recall having done before. We watched A Capitol Fourth on PBS. There were non-obnoxious musical acts on or near the White House lawn. They sang patriotic songs, had military bands and anthems, and presented old and new talent. People who wanted to celebrate America attended, waived little flags, sang along, and enjoyed themselves. Even the hosts repeated, "God Bless America," without fear or concern of offense. The fireworks display afterward as the Beach Boys sang a medley of favorites, with oth...

      John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence  Below is my version of a portion of John Adam's speech in support of declaring independence -- from Truth in Flames , p. 292. “Let King George send his armies and navies against us. Let him turn to foul and hellish beasts who descend upon us with death and destruction. We will not be dismayed! We are consumed by the Spirit of Liberty, endowed by Providence with a Fire for Freedom. Though the Supreme Commander, unhallowed creatures, and calumnies by the crate combine against us, we shall prevail. No weapon raised against us shall prevail if we but have the courage to stand, to declare our independence, our purpose, and our power. You have heard me repeat the reasons for independence so often that you can recite them in perfect imitation. Let those arguments, those sound reasons, echo in your hearts and minds. Your souls themselves yearn for this declaration. We declare not only the independence of these colonies, we...

  Here's an essay or at least some ramble about the Declaration of Independence.

A Declaration in the Shadow of Defeat “The cause of America is in great measure the cause of all mankind,” wrote Thomas Paine. “The sun never shined on a cause of greater worth.” In the last days of 1775, the jubilation stirred by American heroics at Lexington and Concord, and Bunker Hill faded into harsh winter. The American invasion against the British in Canada met with failure beneath the walls of Quebec City when General Richard Montgomery, who had successfully taken Fort St. Johns and Montreal, was killed; Benedict Arnold wounded; and Daniel Morgan taken prisoner by the redcoats. British armies stood poised to invade New York through the Champlain valley, and from the sea. The president of the Continental Congress reported, “Our Affairs are hastening to a Crisis and the approaching campaign will in all probability determine forever the fate of America.” Such was the impending crisis which led to the Declaration of Independence. In the wake of the disaster at Quebec,...

Let me first note that in the Spirit of 1776, I've completed 76K words on Power to Hurt , and I'm offering FREE pdf copies of the first book in the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire Series  Threading the Rude Eye . Contact me through the comments and give me your email address to receive your free copy. This offer is good for a limited time. I hope to give away a hundred free copies before Power to Hurt is ready for purchase. Independence Day marched in again to the sound of trumpets, drums, fireworks, fanfare, and whining. It's the latter that I'll address somewhere below. As for me and my house, we attended the veteran's march in our community. The A-10s roared over at the conclusion (or about fifteen minutes after the conclusion) for the fleeting pleasure of the happy, patriotic throng. Following the Wart hog fly-by, I had to go home to attend to a problem of no small significant. Fortunately, much like the song says, I got by with a little help from my friends-...

There's something terribly satisfying about the way a sharp knife slices through a banana. Maybe all knives seem sharp when pitted against that firm yellow skin and soft white flesh. There's no doubt about who wins the clash of steel versus banana, but a nice clean cut evokes a sense of satisfaction not to be found in attacking the fruit with a less keen instrument such as a spoon or a shoe. So when I assisted some other gentlemen in preparing an Independence Day breakfast for the community, I did not mind putting several bunches of bananas, as well as a multitude of muffins to the knife. Later, we attended the Fourth of July parade; it's actually the Veteran's Parade. Weiser is a small town. The big parade happened a couple weeks ago during the annual Fiddle Festival. The parade for the Fourth of July would be laughable in comparison, if it were not so serious. The local veterans gather at one end of State Street near the train depot. The spectators line both sides o...