It is Independence Day!  The 4th of July!  To some of you out there, the day means nothing.  To others it is an important day in your life.  To some (hopefully not on our site) it is a sad day and you are bemoaning its celebration.  This, I can’t imagine, but I am assured that there are some Americans (or perhaps I should say some americans) who feel this way.  I can’t imagine why.

Even those of who are dissatisfied with the state of our country right now, should not hate the holiday that created our country.  I heard a statistic on the radio today that I believe RFK stated 8 years ago 85% of the people polled said they were proud to be Americans and today, less than 15% agreed with that sentiment.  That means that over the last 8 years we’ve lost that.

Now I know he was saying it to prove that he was a better choice for president than Trump or Biden since it was the two of them in office over the last 8 years.  I would have liked to have seen when the change occured, but the fact of the matter is that the change did occur!

Why?

I can point to a couple of things that have happened that make me ashamed of our country.  The childish debate the other night is right near the top of the list.  Arguing about who has the better golf game?  For crying out loud!  

How about the debacle of Afghanistan?

How about the destruction of our military? (You’ve heard me say before that there is a REASON you have to be this tall to ride this ride!)

How about the weaponization of our justice system?

The throwing open of our borders and welcoming of the terrorists, criminals, drugs, cartels, and all the other garbage?

The complete and total mishandling and disregard for the handling of secret documents, emails … it’s called OPSEC and COMSEC! and everyone of you signed agreements just like I did!!!

And I could go on and on…

But…

BUT!!!

What about all the stuff that makes this country great?

What is that you ask?  It’s people.  

The less than 1% of Americans that volunteer to actively protect the rest of us by laying their lives on the line, to stand between us and the evilness in the world.

Or how about the less than 8% of us who have ever done that in their lifetime, even for just a couple of years.

How about those of us who would rather work taking care of other people, serve other people, teach our children, protect them, heal them, drive toward the fire and danger then care about how much money they are making because I guarantee you that every one of those jobs that I am describing and thinking of will never make you rich.  Which jobs?

The military, police, firemen, EMTs, teachers, pastors, did I mention the military?  Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coasties, Active Duty and Reserves, National Guard.

Pretend you are standing on a cloud beside God and He gathers up 200 random people.  200 of them! Of that 200 only 1 of them will be, on average, an active duty military member.  Only 14 of them will have EVER been in the military…not retired, not in combat, not anything special, EVER been in the military.

I wish I had the time to look up the statistics on police and fire and pastors and EMTs and teachers and the other service, not get rich but help  people jobs that I’m just not thinking of right now, but I do need to get on with the main part of this episode.  I’ve ranted enough and I think I’ve made my point.  

As you are celebrating your Independence Day today, find reasons to celebrate your neighbors and fellow Americans and take a minute to say thanks to the people who are there to serve…in all the different capacities there are to serve.

Now…

Okay, definitely worth watching.  Click HERE

Stephen B.’s latest wood carving in his words: Meet Uncle Ham, the Patriotic Pig…..

Famous Quotes

Last week, I stated this woman was the ugliest woman I had ever seen.
I have since been visited by her sister, and now wish to withdraw that statement.

– Mark Twain

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Santa Claus has the right idea. 
Visit people only once a year.

– Victor Borge

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Be careful about reading health books.
You may die of a misprint.

– Mark Twain

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By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.

– Socrates

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I was married by a judge. 
I should have asked for a jury.

– Groucho Marx

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My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. 
Every now and then she stops to breathe.

– Jimmy Durante

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I have never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.

– Zsa Zsa Gabor

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Only Irish coffee provides, in a single glass, all four essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.

– Alex Levine

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My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.

– Rodney Dangerfield

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Money can’t buy you happiness …. 
But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.

– Spike Milligan

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Until I was thirteen, I thought my name was SHUT UP .

– Joe Namath

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I don’t feel old. I don’t feel anything until noon. 
Then it’s time for my nap.

– Bob Hope

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I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it.

– W. C. Fields

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We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress.

– Will Rogers

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Don’t worry about avoiding temptation. 
As you grow older, it will avoid you.

– Winston Churchill

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Maybe it’s true that life begins at fifty, but everything else starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out.

– Phyllis Diller

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By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he’s too old to go anywhere.

– Billy Crystal

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And the cardiologist’s diet: if it tastes good spit it out.

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May your troubles be less, may your blessings be more,
and may nothing but happiness come through your door.

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Sometimes, when I look at my children, I say to myself, “Lillian, you should have remained a virgin.”

~ Lillian Carter (mother of Jimmy Carter)

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I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: 
“No good in a bed, but fine against a wall.”

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

If you love someone, set them free. 

If they come back, it means nobody else liked them. 

Set them free again.

Because when you do a search for “Patriotic Mythical Fantasy” and this pops up and you laugh as hard as I did, you just have to post it.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐇𝐨𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐗 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐀𝐬𝐤…

1. The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.

2. The trees are whistling for the dogs.

3. The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.

4. Hot water now comes out of both taps.

5. You can make sun tea instantly.

6. You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.

7. The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly.

8. In June-July-August it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.

9. You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.

10. You actually burn your hand opening the car door.

11. You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.

12. The Good news is it dries INSTANTLY!

13. Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, “What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?”

14. You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

15. The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.

16. Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.

17. The cows are giving evaporated milk.

An Australian tourist and his wife were driving for hours through Canada, not even sure where they were. 

The husband eventually says, “I’ve got to stop for petrol.” 

His wife says, “Find out where we are.” 

The husband gets gas, and goes into the service station, pays, and asks the attendant, “Can you tell me where we are now?” 

The attendant looks at him and says, “Saskatoon. Saskatchewan.” 

The husband gets back into the car and the wife asks, “Well, where are we?” 

The husband says, “He doesn’t speak English.”

“All the Dachaus must remain standing. The Dachaus, the Belsens, the Buchenwalds, the Auschwitzes -all of them. They must remain standing because they are a monument to a moment when some men decided to turn the earth into a graveyard; into it, they shoveled all of their reason, their logic, their knowledge, but worst of all, their conscience. And the moment we forget this, we cease to be haunted by its remembrance. Then we become the gravediggers.”

 

Rod Serling is the best American writer of The Twilight Zone  

Two old guys, one 80 and one 87, were sitting on a park bench one morning. The 87-year-old had just finished his morning jog and wasn’t even short of breath. The 80-year-old was amazed at the guy’s stamina and asked him what he did to have so much energy. The 87-year-old said, “Well, I eat rye bread every day. It keeps your energy level high and you’ll have great stamina with the ladies.”

So, on the way home the 80-year-old stopped at the bakery. As he was looking around, the saleslady asked if he needed any help. He said, “Do you have any rye bread?” She said, “Yes, there’s a whole shelf of it. Would you like some?” He said, “I want 5 loaves.” She said,

“My goodness, 5 loaves! By the time you get to the 3rd loaf, it’ll be hard.” He replied, “I can’t believe everybody knows about this but me.”

 I had a phone conversation today with a very nice young chap from Pakistan. This is how it went:

“Hello sir, how are you today?”

“I’m very well, thank you for asking. And how are you? And, more to the point, WHO are you?”

“Sir, my name is Sanjit, and I’m calling you from Microsoft”.

“Microsoft, eh? Is that a city in Pakistan? How’s the weather there today?”

” No, sir – MICROSOFT, the computer company. I’m calling to tell you that we have found a problem with your computer and -“

“REALLY?? Well, that’s quite concerning……”

“Yes sir, it can become very serious indeed, but thankfully I will be able to fix it for you. Now, if you -“

“No, I meant it’s very concerning because you see I don’t HAVE a computer”.

“You don’t?”

“I don’t”.

“Ahh, it must be a problem on your laptop sir -“

“Don’t have one”.

“iPad?”

“Nope”.

“Tablet?”

“Nope, I have none of those things. As a matter of fact, I don’t even have a telephone”.

After a few seconds of silence, he said “Ah, sir, you are lying to me now!”

I said “Well, you started it!!” and put the phone down.

Two married buddies are out drinking one night when one turns to the other and says, “You know, I don’t know what else to do. Whenever I go home after we’ve been out drinking, I turn the headlights off before I get to the driveway. I shut off the engine and coast into the garage, take my shoes off before I go into the house, I sneak up the Stairs, get undressed in the bathroom. I ease into bed and my wife STILL wakes up and yells at me for staying out so late!” 

His buddy looks at him and says, Well, you’re obviously taking the wrong approach. I screech into the driveway, slam the door, storm up the steps, throw my shoes in the closet, jump into bed, slap her on the ass and loudly say, “WHO’S HORNY”..?!!!” and she acts like she’s sound asleep

An older gentleman had an appointment to see a urologist who shared an office with several other doctors. 

The waiting room was filled with patients. As he approached the receptionist desk he noticed that the receptionist was a very large unfriendly woman who looked like a Sumo wrestler. He gave her his name.

In a very loud voice, the receptionist said, “YES, I HAVE YOUR NAME HERE; YOU WANT TO SEE THE DOCTOR ABOUT IMPOTENCE, RIGHT?” 

All the patients in the waiting room snapped their heads around to look at the very embarrassed man. 

He recovered quickly though, and in an equally loud voice replied,

“NO, I’VE COME TO INQUIRE ABOUT A SEX CHANGE OPERATION, BUT I DON’T WANT THE SAME QUACK WHO DID YOURS.” 

A Sunday school teacher asked, “Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark?” 

“No,” replied Johnny.  “How could he, with just two worms?”

The theory works.  I proved it.  I didn’t exactly shoot the first one, but flame works just as well!  All you have to do is burn and eat the first one and the word gets around.

Sadly, I know several people like this.

One of the world’s greatest scientists was also recognized as the original absent-minded professor.  One day, on board a train, he was unable to find his ticket.  The conductor said, “Take it easy.  You’ll find it.” 

When the conductor returned, the professor still couldn’t find the ticket. The conductor, recognizing the famous scientist, said, “I’m sure you bought a ticket.  Forget about it.” 

“You’re very kind,” the professor said, “but I must find it, otherwise I won’t know where to get off.” 

A travelling salesman was about to check in at a hotel when he noticed a very charming bit of femininity giving him the eye. 

In a causal manner he walked over and spoke to her as though he had known her all his life. 

Both walked back to the desk and registered as Mr. and Mrs. 

After a three-day stay he walked up to the desk and informed the clerk that he was checking out. 

The clerk presented him with his bill for £1,600. 

“There is a mistake here,” he protested. “I have been here only three days.” 

“Yes,” replied the clerk, “But your wife has been here a month.” 

That’s it my friends.  Please be safe, but have a wonderful holiday.  I will see you all again on Monday.

Until then, may our Father in Heaven Bless you with Love, Happiness, and Comfort and may you find joy in your families this weekend.