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I know it's not the 4th in the U.S. yet, but it is the 4th here, so thought I'd jump in and wish you guys over there a great day.

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To celebrate our country's Independence Day, here are a few words from one of the greatest Americans and one of my heroes, Jack LaLanne.





Happy 4th of July!

Post: #4

What English People Do on the Fourth of July

Quote:

This post was written by an English person.

1. All British expats bring a jug of water from Boston Harbor on the flight home

Although it means an extra layover in Boston, this traditional practice has helped the British tea industry recover gradually since the disastrous Tea Party incident, in 1773. The water is filtered for the remains of the destroyed tea cargo and served at Buckingham Palace on the Fourth.

2. Cricket matches in the park

While many Americans gather with their families, perhaps enjoying a friendly game of “toss the pigskin” or a round of wiffle ball, British people meet with strangers in a large park and hit a hard ball at each other. This symbolizes a rejection of the family cheer that is practiced across America on the Fourth of July. The red ball, white uniform, and blue bruises serve as a mixed visual code of patriotism (red, white, and blue in the Union Jack) as well as an acknowledgement of failure (red, white, and blue in the American flag).

3. Reverse fireworks

Crowds of people dress in red coats and gather under large scaffolds, which are extensively rigged with explosive fireworks. At an agreed-upon time across the country, the fuses are lit and the fireworks shoot downward, into the throng that has gathered underneath. This serves to remind the British people of the pain and suffering that came from the defeat endured by the King’s Army, and to prepare younger generations of English men for the eventuality of a second battle in which the Crown retakes what is rightfully British land.

4. Dental-hygiene-product bonfire

After the reverse fireworks, those who are not substantially injured build an enormous bonfire of toothbrushes, mouth wash, and dental floss, and children wear large fake teeth made of plastic. This tradition serves to embrace the American stereotype that British people have bad teeth, and to ridicule the ideal of complete, blanched uniformity in the American mouth.

5. B.B.B.Q. (British BBQ)

After the communal portion of the celebration is finished, British people return to their homes to eat. A charcoal grill, much like the one used in the American B.B.Q., is set up, and various English dishes, like bangers and mash, fish and chips, bubble and squeak, and spotted dick, are set on the grate. No British dish that has the word “and” in its name or that sounds like an egregious disease is left off the grill. Eventually, all the food drips into the charcoal bed, and it is then scooped onto serving platters and eaten. After this, there is a sustained period in which people regret having participated in the dental-hygiene-product bonfire.

Post: #5

I'm thinking a lot about Jack LaLanne right now because he was a man of genius that is -- in the best way -- unimaginable as anything but an American.

He is the epitome of the greatest can-do culture that has yet existed; the natural complement and extension of that other genius of plain horse-sense, Ben Franklin.

Bonus video from Jack:

Post: #6

Happy 4th of July! Even tho I'm not super fond of the politics, everyone is getting fat, an the women can be awful entitled cunts... I'm still glad to be born and raised in the USA

Post: #7

I can't believe no one posted this yet:

Post: #8

happy 4th of July my fellow Americans!

Meanwhile, the East Coast is getting ravaged by Hurricane Arthur so it's not going to be such a good day from NC to Boston from what I'm seeing.

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Happy 4th

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Happy 238th to my American friends.

EDIT: I must say, the Statute of Liberty holding a lightsaber is a pretty awesome idea.

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One of the best. be proud:

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I joined the US Navy as a socially maladjusted Indian guy on July 3. When I woke up the next day, life would never be the same.

Reason: I wanted to prove myself to be more than who I was and America gave me an opportunity to do that.

In a way, in my current state, I was "Born on the 4th of July."

Happy 4th to the veterans and the rest of you scrubs too

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Post: #17

A bit late to the party.