4thHappy 4th of July.  Is everyone ready for   the long weekend which starts tomorrow?

Who has special plans for the 4th?

I love fireworks but I hate crowds.  I have traveled across the country just to see good ones in a non-crowded environment.

The bet I have seen have been in Long Beach, Washington, right on the Pacific ocean from my hotel room.   I wish I were there this weekend.  Such is not to be, however.  I could probably never get that room again.  I am sure it books up years in advance.  Where have you seen the best fireworks?

118 Thoughts to “Open Thread…………………………………………………..Thursday, July 2”

  1. Lyssa

    Best fireworks – 1981 return of Iran Hostages. It was January, clear and cold. No haze. Fantastic display and I was thrilled to be there at that moment.

    1. Wher was that held, Lyssa?

  2. Lyssa

    On the mall.

  3. Emma

    I remember that! Lying on our backs watching the the most amazing fireworks! Those were still the Beach Boys years on the National Mall. Oh, to be that young and skinny again.

    1. I loved those Beach Boy concerts on the Mall. I don’t think I have ever been skinny. Young, yes

      We saw the Beicentennial Firewords from the lot right outside the Lee Mansion in Arlington.

    2. Ah, te smell of good weed wafting through the crowd. What a strange thing to remember.

  4. We go with my daughter up to her inlaws behind Fairfax High School for a cook out and fireworks. Great view from the yard. No crowds at all. Its the best seat in the house.

  5. Starryflights

    I never liked those Beach Boys concerts. Too much pot and hooliganism. I was glad when Reagan kicked them off and replaced them with Wayne Newton.

    1. I liked when Reagan’s Secretary of the Interior asked who the Beach Boys were.

  6. punchak

    @Moon-howler
    James Watt was “something else”. About a coal leasing panel and afirmative action he said:
    “I have a black, a woman, two jews, and a cripple”.

    Anyway, I like this year’s entertainment (while seated in my sofa).
    You couldn’t get me down to the Mall on the 4th for a million bucks.

    1. James Watt, what a class act. NOT!!!!I wouldn’t go on the Mall now either. Geez.

      I usually stayed home. I hate crowds, until I started going to he MIL’s house. Best seat in town. She is about 4 blocks from the action.

  7. Starry flights

    For some workers at Trump’s D.C. hotel, route to U.S. wasn’t always legal

    For weeks, dozens of construction workers from Latin America have streamed onto the site of the Old Post Office Pavilion in downtown Washington and taken pride in their work building one of the city’s newest luxury hotels.

    But that job site is now laden with tension after the man behind the project — billionaire developer Donald Trump — put himself at the center of the nation’s debate over illegal immigration.

    [As Donald Trump surges in polls, Democrats cheer]

    Trump garnered headlines — and prompted several business associates to sever relations with him — when he launched his bid for the Republican presidential nomination last month with a controversial description of drug dealers and “rapists” crossing the border each day into the United States from Mexico.

    But a Trump company may be relying on some undocumented workers to finish the $200 million hotel, which will sit five blocks from the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue, according to several who work there. A Trump spokeswoman said the company and its contractors follow all applicable laws. But in light of Trump’s comments, some of the workers at the site said they are now worried about their jobs — while others simply expressed disgust over the opinions of the man ultimately responsible for the creation of those jobs.

    Real estate mogul Donald Trump said during his presidential announcement that many Mexicans crossing into the United States are drug traffickers and rapists, though he said he assumes some are “good people.” (AP)

    All of them said they have been talking about Trump ever since his inflammatory remarks dominated coverage of his presidential announcement on June 16.

    “It’s something ironic,” said Ivan Arellano, 29, who is from Mexico and obtained legal status through marriage. He now works as a mason laying the stonework for the lobby floor and walls of what will become the Trump International Hotel.

    “The majority of us are Hispanics, many who came illegally,” Arellano said in Spanish. “And we’re all here working very hard to build a better life for our families.”

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/they-say-they-arrived-in-the-us-illegally-now-theyre-working-on-trumps-dc-hotel/2015/07/06/9a785116-20ec-11e5-84d5-eb37ee8eaa61_story.html?tid=pm_local_pop_b

    Just anothe republican hypocrite. Trump rails about illegals but hires them to build his properties. You right wing conservatives are being played for fools. And you deserve to be played because you are fools.

  8. Emma

    @Starryflights That was never my experience. Good, clean fun with friends and, years later, family.

    How odd–I wouldn’t have imagined you would have even been old enough to take part in all that “hooliganism” that ended in 1983 or so.

  9. Pat.Herve

    hooliganism – oh, a blast from my past. Love that word – my Dad would use it often.

  10. Starry flights

    Was a kid then but didn’t like it

  11. Starry flights

    Donald Trump’s false comments connecting Mexican immigrants and crime

    Trump’s comments about immigrants and crime underscore a common public perception that crime is correlated with immigration, especially illegal immigration. But that is a misperception; no solid data support it, and the data that do exist negate it. Trump can defend himself all he wants, but the facts just are not there.

    Four Pinocchios

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2015/07/08/donald-trumps-false-comments-connecting-mexican-immigrants-and-crime/?tid=sm_fb

  12. punchak

    Last night I watched Trump one-on-one with Anderson Cooper.
    That man, Trump, was unbelievable (as always). He was foaming at the mouth
    at times. Hope you can catch the interview.

  13. Pat.Herve

    Trump’s building site in DC (old Post Office) is rampant with undocumented workers. He is OK to hire them to save himself some money, but wants to criticize that they are here. Typical hypocrite. He is OK paying the lower rates.

  14. Starry flights

    I don’t have a problem with Trump hiring undocumented immigrants. I think it’s wonderful. It’s his hypocrisy that stinks.

  15. Lyssa

    Dylan Roof should not have been permitted to buy a gun. There was a failure on the part of law enforcement reporting and the law says if the check takes longer than three days the gun can be sold without the check.

    How about both of those failures be addressed.

    1. That loophole needs to be plugged up immediately. The default should not be gun sales.

  16. Emma

    @Starry flights You’re absolutely right! Our economy is booming, and there are more than enough jobs to go around for all Americans. What would sweeten the pot even more would be to make sure many of them get paid under the table, and then ensure that as much of that money as possible gets sent back home to their families. And if we really want our economy to thrive, we can also make sure that every single one of them qualifies for a subprime mortgage. It’s a win-win.

  17. Lyssa

    Starry’s point about hypocrisy is straight on. For or against is one issue with two sides. There should only be one side when it comes to hypocrisy. And before the childish fingerprinting starts, it’s regardless of party affiliation.

  18. Wolve, did you get email from me?

  19. Wolve

    Moon-howler :
    Wolve, did you get email from me?

    Yes, and I answered immediately after seeing it.

    1. I see it. I don’t check that email like I should. I left you my real one and a contact number.

      Glad you are ok.

  20. Cargosquid

    Lyssa :
    Dylan Roof should not have been permitted to buy a gun. There was a failure on the part of law enforcement reporting and the law says if the check takes longer than three days the gun can be sold without the check.
    How about both of those failures be addressed.

    Now its coming out that his arrest was not a felony arrest but a misdemeanor. No conviction.

    The problem is NOT that he had a gun. The problem is that he was willing to commit murder.

    1. No answer should not default to yes, regardless.

  21. Cargosquid

    Well….. Britain had Chamberlain and Munich.

    We have Obama and Vienna.

    He signed the nuke deal and gave the terrorists $100 billion dollars and everything they want.

    1. Since the details are barely out, it seems a bit premature to make such a declaration.

      Obama bad. Everyone else good. UGH.

  22. Cargosquid

    @Moon-howler

    The details that HAVE come out are that they get the nukes in 10 years following the letter of the law. They get $100 billion dollars. They get to keep the three Americans that they are holding prisoner, even though Obama said that would be a TOP priority to get them out. Even Carter had more intestinal fortitude in facing the Soviets on those matters.

    They get to keep everything. They don’t renounce terrorism and will keep funding Hezbollah and others. Sanctions are coming off people responsible for 1100 dead Americans. The Iranians can delay or halt inspections for weeks. Right out of the Saddam playbook.

    From the WSJ:

    “Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said his country has achieved all its four goals in the agreement that his foreign minister Zarif signed with the six world powers in Vienna on Tuesday.
    President Rouhani said his nation started talks with the world powers in a bid to remove all sanctions while maintaining its nuclear program and nuclear progress as two main goals.”

    Obama caved. Well, not really…..earlier reports showed that he had his team work TOWARDS this agreement, knowing it would be signed by Tehran…..that way he gets to say he is the one that got this deal.

    “In our time, the risk is that nuclear weapons will spread to more and more countries, particularly in the Middle East, the most volatile region in the world,” Obama said. “… We have stopped the spread of nuclear weapons in this region.”

    In other news…. http://www.wsj.com/articles/saudi-arabia-considers-nuclear-weapons-to-offset-iran-1430999409

    Peace in our time.

    But Obama said,

    1. And if there is no agreement, I guess we will be safer?

      What would YOU do?

  23. Scout

    Is it not a significant improvement on the status quo, Wolve, where there is no restriction on their development of nuclear weapons?

  24. Pat.Herve

    He signed the nuke deal and gave the terrorists $100 billion dollars and everything they want.

    Umm, lets wait to see if the Senate approves – then the deal will be signed.

  25. Pat.Herve

    Here is the issue with Iran – the current policy over the past 20 years have not derailed Iran from seeking the bomb in any way shape or form. Doing the same thing for the next 10 or 2o years will not derail them.

    The rest of the world is about to life the sanctions with or without the support of the US.

    So – do nothing and the sanctions will be lifted and Iran would continue to build their own bomb – WITH the nuclear bomb plans provided to them by the CIA. Or come to some agreement where they can be monitored and verified. I will take the monitoring and verification – but lets wait until we see the details before we throw the agreement out. The Senate is now on the clock for 30 days to sign off on it.

    Just like on so many other fronts (taxes, immigration, cuba, etc) doing nothing is no longer an option.

  26. punchak

    Cargosquid :

    Lyssa :
    Dylan Roof should not have been permitted to buy a gun. There was a failure on the part of law enforcement reporting and the law says if the check takes longer than three days the gun can be sold without the check.
    How about both of those failures be addressed.

    Now its coming out that his arrest was not a felony arrest but a misdemeanor. No conviction.
    The problem is NOT that he had a gun. The problem is that he was willing to commit murder.

    Well, I don’t know about that. He could have been as willing as all getout to murder, but
    he couldn’t have done that without a gun, could he? So I would draw the conclusion that
    his having a gun WAS the problem.

    1. I agree. I can’t understand why anyone would not see this idiot getting a gun as a problem, even in a world of denial.

  27. Wolve

    Scout :
    Is it not a significant improvement on the status quo, Wolve, where there is no restriction on their development of nuclear weapons?

    I don’t remember saying anything.

  28. Starryflights

    Obama will have a very successful legacy when he leaves office.

  29. Wolve

    Starryflights :Obama will have a very successful legacy when he leaves office.

    Bwa, ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha! Good joke. But don’t quit your day job.

  30. Wolve

    Is it true what I am hearing?! Planned Parenthood is SELLING fetus parts for revenue?

    1. I believe there is no money involved. I heard parts of the story today.

      I believe the person undergoing the procedure gives consent, like someone would donate their eyes to science or a donor.

  31. Scout

    @ Wolve #38: apologies, Wolve. I was reacting hastily and conflated you and Cargo. I trust that neither of you will be offended by being mistaken for one another.

  32. Wolve

    Moon-howler :
    I believe there is no money involved. I heard parts of the story today.
    I believe the person undergoing the procedure gives consent, like someone would donate their eyes to science or a donor.

    Not quite like giving consent for your own organs to be donated after death, n’est-ce pas?

    1. This ghouly conversation isn’t going far until I find out what really happened.

      It pretty much is like donating your own organs at that stage of the game.

  33. Wolve

    @Scout

    Just don’t make the mistake of conflating me with Starryflights or I’ll sue!!

  34. Wolve

    Now we can all start laying down bets on how long before the Saudis acquire a nuke weapons capability via their buddies the Paks.

    1. What has stopped them so far? Nada.

  35. Starry flights

    worried about has arrived

    President Obama said the nation can no longer “close their eyes” to racial inequality in the criminal justice system as he called for reform during a speech to the NAACP’s 106th National Convention on Tuesday. (WhiteHouse.gov)

    There’s this thing people sometimes say down South.

    So-and-so is “acting brand new.” Sometimes that’s a reference to someone behaving like they don’t know old friends and family — that they have evolved past their old crowd. Sometimes that’s Southern speak for the emboldened, someone behaving like they either don’t know the rules or have outright decided to disregard them.

    In the past four weeks, we’ve seen President Obama take up residence in a place that sits somewhere in-between.

    He’s spoken off the cuff about race relations on a widely circulated podcast (even using the n-word) and then eloquently followed that with what can only be described as a sermon on race relations in America before breaking into song. He’s challenged America to go deeper in its support of equality than retiring symbols of slavery (like the Confederate flag) and impolitic words (like the n-word).

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/obamas-iran-deal-is-a-reckless-bet/2015/07/14/41947940-2a32-11e5-a250-42bd812efc09_story.html

    About time too

    1. I have lived in the south all but 18 months of my life. I have never heard that one.

  36. Scout

    Got it, Wolve (@#45)- you’ve given me clear, fair notice.

  37. Pat.Herve

    Wolve :
    Is it true what I am hearing?! Planned Parenthood is SELLING fetus parts for revenue?

    No, it is not true. The comments were taken out of context and the video was selectively edited.

    1. I guess I am sitting here wondering where people thought they got fetal tissue for stem cell research from?
      Perhaps those who have diabetes, Parkinsons, Lou Gehrig’s syndrome, MS, Alzheimers, etc. might like to weigh in here over the benefits from stem cell research.

      I watched the video and was not particularly grossed out. Is it better for a patient to will her fetus to scientific research or to throw it in the garbage?

      Congress really has better things to do. Plus this is not real news. I have known about it for at least 2 decades.

  38. Pat.Herve

    The amount of knowledge that comes out of researching from human tissue is mazing – from cancer to fertility. Getting tissue donated has solved many diseases – and we all benefit from it, even when we can object to it. Tell me one person that would refuse a treatment from Stem Cell research if it will improve their lives – I have never heard of a person that would say – ‘I am not going to receive that life saving treatment because it used Stem Cell research’.

  39. Just in from Cory Stewart. These numbers are something to think about when reading the hate and malice blogs around the county.

    “There are only 45 out of 87,000 local governments in the entire United States that have a AAA credit rating from all three major ratings agencies.”

    Prince William County managed to sustain this bond rating for over a decade, including the one with the huge housing crash that was the worst in Virginia.

    Saving the county taxpayers over $30 million is nothing to sneeze at.

  40. Starryflights

    The president has been showing swagger lately!

  41. Wolve

    Pat.Herve :

    Wolve :
    Is it true what I am hearing?! Planned Parenthood is SELLING fetus parts for revenue?

    No, it is not true. The comments were taken out of context and the video was selectively edited.

    Oh, I see. Uh, huh.

  42. Wolve

    @Scout

    Um, Scout….Chattanooga….Like I said before…Nobody carrying until the cops got there, not even the US Marines……casualty total is 4 dead so far.

  43. Wolve

    Moon-howler :
    This ghouly conversation isn’t going far until I find out what really happened.
    It pretty much is like donating your own organs at that stage of the game.

    Yeah, sure it is, mate.

  44. Wolve

    Moon-howler :
    What has stopped them so far? Nada.

    The fact that Iran didn’t have them.

  45. Wolve

    Moon-howler :
    This ghouly conversation isn’t going far until I find out what really happened.
    It pretty much is like donating your own organs at that stage of the game.

    “Ghouly” You sure got the right word.

  46. Wolve

    Starryflights :
    The president has been showing swagger lately!
    </blockquote

    Yep, reminds me of many an African dictator I have seen.

  47. Rick

    I have to commend your cold logic. At least your comment is consistent with your total disregard for the personhood of these unfortunate little ones, or perhaps as you prefer, medical waste. I can’t help but believe you didn’t cringe just a bit as she described the efforts to prevent crushing their tiny organs…but perhaps not. Cold logic. After all, waste not want not. @Moon-howler

    [Ed. Note: This post is obviously not our deceased friend Rick Bentley. I ask that this person either use a first and last name or a moniker, out of respect for our friend. ]

  48. Steve Thomas

    Moon-howler :
    I agree. I can’t understand why anyone would not see this idiot getting a gun as a problem, even in a world of denial.

    When someone uses a gun, the left and/or intellectually lazy/dishonest says it’s a “gun problem”, and yet when someone else uses another instrument, say a club, knife, machete, automobile or pressure-cooker, they don’t ascribe the act to the instrument. There’s just too many knives/machetes/cars on the streets. I for one am sick of it. Look up the definitions of “people” “keep” “bear” “shall” “not” and “infringed”. Society needs to prosecute people for criminal actions, and quit blaming a particular amoral inanimate object, especially when the possession of which is constitutionally protected.

    1. I stand by my statement that Roof having a gun was a problem. Some people shouldn’t have guns. They do bad things with said guns.

      I believe that guns are one of those things that become an extension of someone’s being, if only in their own mind. Inanimate objects aren’t bad but when the wrong person gets his or her hands on them, it can be deadly. The “wrong person” can be a kid, a criminal, a psychotic mind, etc. We need to have better filtering systems to keep the wrong people from having guns (and other weapons that can be misused to inflict harm.)

  49. Interesting. It seems that Candland’s boys, the Sheriffs, have said that bond rating doesn’t matter. I guess that makes it true then.

    Absolutely lets have Corey go tell the rating companies that we don’t want or need their stinking rating. When we issue bonds, we will just take the highest interest rate around. Yea, that will show those idiots.

    Is that really what Candland plans to do? Is there nothing that Gainesville crew won’t teat down?

    It seems they lift their respective legs and try to piss on everything Prince William, even when Petey isn’t being challenged at the polls.

    Is it the Grey Eminence behind all this leg lifting?

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