O Great Everything,
Please grant us here in the United States of America independence from the diseases of bigotry, sexism, racism, oppression, entitlement, jingoism, greed, violence, ignorance, carelessness, stupidity, vanity, war and all the other unecessary carp that we suffer from, if at all possible. Good luck with that.
Feel our heartfelt gratitude for the beautiful forests, mountains, plains, deserts, rivers, beaches, plants, rocks, animals, people, earth and sky around us. May we have the good sense to focus on preserving these wonderful gifts of reality rather than chasing after flighty stuff that doesn't really matter. That, of course, is up to us.
...and whatever else you do, don't let the British back.
Happy hols, ex-colonials. :)
I always confuse Indpendence Day with Groundhog Day ;D
Groundhog's=cold
Independence=hot
Groundhog--may see stinky burrowing animals.
Independence--may see politicians.
Rather see stinky burrowing animals.
politicians are mostly stinky burrowing animals
Well said Opsanus! Well said.
(beagle you can come and visit if you want to do so--- bring candy ;) )
Beagle you are a traitor sir. A blaggard and a lickspittle of the frenchies and the damned colonials. General Howe will have you shot man!
lets show these blasted traitors that his imperial majesty will not tolerate revolt....
FORM RANKS!
EIGHT ROUNDS RAPID!
...
FIRE!
(http://www.saintjohn.nbcc.nb.ca/host/loyalisthouse/Images/FlagFirstBritishm.gif)
Think carefully Goat. Do you really want custody of a load of bolshie Puritans who won't pay their taxes?
And what the hell have you done to that Union Flag? I'll send Rose Tyler round to sort you out. That should cheer you up.
Quote from: beagle on July 04, 2008, 08:30:36 PM
And what the hell have you done to that Union Flag?
Looks like Goat caught his tie in the photocopier to me.
Could have been worse.
Quote from: goat starer on July 04, 2008, 07:29:28 PM
Beagle you are a traitor sir. A blaggard and a lickspittle of the frenchies and the damned colonials. General Howe will have you shot man!
lets show these blasted traitors that his imperial majesty will not tolerate revolt....
FORM RANKS!
EIGHT ROUNDS RAPID!
...
FIRE!
(http://www.saintjohn.nbcc.nb.ca/host/loyalisthouse/Images/FlagFirstBritishm.gif)
:bwa: :P :P
Quote from: beagle on July 04, 2008, 08:30:36 PM
Think carefully Goat. Do you really want custody of a load of bolshie Puritans who won't pay their taxes?
:Tcup: Bring Tea with you-- for some reason I'm all out.
Yes, erm... sorry about the Boston Tea Party. We meant to throw your blood pudding intot the harbor, but got the crates mixed up! :-[
I vote we banish all Republicans and Democrats and declare it Independents' Day.
:fireworks_spread:
finding a union flag without those damnable red stripes is hard enough on this infernal yankee invention without trying to find one which is not horribly chequered.
They would pay their taxes if it were not for those damn frenchies.
damn their eyes!
they are still coming chaps.....
FIX BAYONETS!
It's the evening of July fifth, and the morons are still firing the damn things.
Quote from: Alpaca on July 06, 2008, 04:12:59 AM
It's the evening of July fifth, and the morons are still firing the damn things.
I know it is about now that I begin to believe that them blowing off their hands would be actually funny---- ok not really but give it up already--- they don't get it at all. Do they also do them during New Years where you are? Nothing like a string of Black Cats going off at midnight.
My least favorite firework is the stupid bottle rocket-- those damn red sticks everywhere!
Aha, technically July 6th, and I can still hear them! Fortunately, they're too drunk (or out of fireworks) to be causing any noise apart from their incessant yammering.
QuoteDo they also do them during New Years where you are?
New Year's is worse. They start days beforehand and fire off more and more until the big show. On the actual day of, though, Independence day is worse for me. I'm always up until some ungodly hour on New Year's anyway, so it doesn't bother me as much. I guess I'm not patriotic enough, though, since on Independence day I prefer to go to sleep at a reasonable time - made difficult by the explosions.
Fun fact: Due to drought, fireworks are technically banned here as they could start a fire. Guess some people didn't get the memo.
Bans on fireworks usually have the opposite effect. people try to manufacture themselves with often horrible results. People misunderestimate the power of black powder and their own stupidity. Some also try alternatives like karbide or worse.
I also have the suspicion that the Poles are trying to wipe out parts of Germany by selling us their Polenböller. Some of those contain 40 g of industrial or military grade high explosives (for comparision: the strongest firecracker currently allowed here has 4 g of black powder).
Quote from: Alpaca on July 06, 2008, 05:57:36 AM
Fun fact: Due to drought, fireworks are technically banned here as they could start a fire. Guess some people didn't get the memo.
We went to Marco island to watch the fireworks there and despite several signs stating that is was illegal to send fireworks on the beach itself there was a number of people doing it. I guess it was a suggestion because I never saw the police fining anyone.
Last (post :mrgreen: ) night when we arrived the next city was shooting their stock apparently because there was a heavy rainstorm on the 4th.
It poured here on the fourth, but last night we had some people over for BBQ and we lit some lovely fountains and danced around with glo-bracelets like lunatics into the night. Had a good time!
Quote from: Alpaca on July 06, 2008, 04:12:59 AM
It's the evening of July fifth, and the morons are still firing the damn things.
thats not fireworks... thats a goat with a 6lb cannon trying to recover the colonies.
(http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/g/gb-1606.gif)
6 pounder? 6 pounder???
Yer'gonna hav't be doin' bettern' that, me laddie.
We laugh at you puny 6 pounders, and return fire with our 14 pounders in a barrage.
Several of the neighbors got together with their extended families, and all brought rather nice (and, as mom kept saying *EXPENSIVE* ) collections, which they lit off down the center of our street starting at dusk. One of the municipal expos was about a quarter mile away; most of it was visible above the trees. But I think the collection the neighbors shot off rivalled it -- and it certainly lasted longer.
I don't mind if they shoot them off until the curfew, as long as there is responsible supervision, and no aiming at people, houses and cars!
Dom the Danger Cat is pretty cool about fireworks, as long as he is inside and I am close by. So I pulled his perch up to the screendoor window and sat outside sociably, and he watched from the security of the house.
:fireworks_fire: :fireworks_toss: :fireworks_spread:
:catroll:
Spencer HATES fireworks.
The only ones in this area (drought is pretty bad, even the morons didn't try much) were the "city" ones at the park, which is fairly close. (Everything here is fairly close.)
BUT Mommy sat with Dogboy in lap and sang along to a movie musical on DVD. Spencer likes the music of 1776, and I proved one more time that I suck as a soprano, but am one hell of a tenor...
Quote from: Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith on July 07, 2008, 01:27:06 AM
6 pounder? 6 pounder???
Yer'gonna hav't be doin' bettern' that, me laddie.
We laugh at you puny 6 pounders, and return fire with our 14 pounders in a barrage.
Most Americans these days have more experience with quarter-pounders and would have a heavier impact, if fired from cannons themselves.
:ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL:
I love you Swato!!!!!! consider yourself enlisted.
I hope you two wrote your wills before launching this campaign...
I, Goat, being of fairly sound mind, so hereby leave any burgers remaining in my freezer after my death to the Americans.
Beagle may have any cigarettes.
Quote from: beagle on July 07, 2008, 01:51:57 PM
I hope you two wrote your wills before launching this campaign...
Do we launch a ship or a missile?
Good use for the champagen anyway, since I find the stuff highly overrated.
I have mainly books and DVDs to bequeath but will destroy the prawn in time, so nobody gets embarassed.
Ai say, is there to be fisticuffs?
Where did Ai leave me Regiment? They were here twenty minutes ago. MAAJOR! MAAJOR! What is the point of raising a regiment if Ai can't send them off to war? Those uniforms were expensive, you know. If they have got them all nasty and messy there will toys out of the pram....
Quote from: Swatopluk
I have mainly books and DVDs to bequeath but will destroy the prawn in time, so nobody gets embarassed.
There might be an attack without warning. Perhaps I should pop round with a removal van to put it in safe storage for you, just in case. Having upset the Yanks AND the feminists* I wouldn't bother buy any more long operas if I were you.
(* Admittedly I'm making assumptions here. If it features farm animals you may be OK. Sort of...).
Ah, there you are, Major. Take a letter, would you?
To Major General Howe, Commander-in-Chief, British Army in America. Ai have at my disposal my Regiment, Colonel Pachyderm's Regiment of Heavy Cavalry (you should see the size of the horses...). Ai was at school with your brother, and can assure you while Ai have no particular claim to military greatness as yet, Ai am suited to command by my breeding and personal fortune. See you in the Hudson.
Your affectionate brother-in-arms,
Col. Pachyderm
Excellent. Dispatch it forthwith Major, then take the chaps to the ships.
Colonel Goat - on behalf of Major General Howe
Sir,
glad to have you aboard old chap. Elephants did it for Hannibal and I am sure they will flatten these dastardly traitors. Throw good tea in a harbour would they? I've never been so shocked in my life!
Long live the King!
No Representation for Fat Simpletons Regardless of a Taxation!
Pachyderms have a bit of a mixed track record don't they? Claudius scared the Brits successfully with them, but Hannibal couldn't work out what to do with his once they'd been ski-ing. You'd have thought that big "Circus Maximus" sign was a clue where to go next wouldn't you?
Hmmm, an invasion by livestock, instigated by a small dog.
This could all be sorted out by a competent veterinarian.
The German mercenary, however...shall be deprived of all electronica!!
Quote from: Sibling Chatty on July 07, 2008, 09:29:12 PM
Hmmm, an invasion by livestock, instigated by a small dog.
And you can never be quite sure where you are with a mythical creature. ;)
Mythicals we can deal with. Remember, our current feerless leedur* is a "Compassionate Conservative" and they don't come more mythical than that...
*AKA, Duh Preznit, The Decider, or That Untreated Addict With the Delusions of Adequacy...
Quote from: Sibling Chatty on July 07, 2008, 09:29:12 PM
Hmmm, an invasion by livestock, instigated by a small dog.
This could all be sorted out by a competent veterinarian.
You must mean Cesar (http://www.cesar.com/default.aspx)...
BEAGLE!! We need a picture and a video of you. Pieces and I want to enter you in a contest...
:mrgreen:
Quote from: Sibling Chatty
BEAGLE!! We need a picture and a video of you. Pieces and I want to enter you in a contest...
:mrgreen:
But is he *truly* a small, yappy-type dog?
:D
There's prize money. We'll get him to fake it... ;D
BEAGLES ARE NOT SMALL.
AND WE DON'T HAVE A COMPLEX ABOUT IT.
Now I have to invade somewhere again.
Be quick or the Chinese rowing boat armada will be there before you.
(In a discussion on the SCOTUS 2nd amendement decision I read a few days ago, there was actually the claim that the 2nd A. is the only thing that has postponed yet a Chinese invasion* of the US by rowing boats).
*estimated strength 200-300 million
how do you know there has not been one? the old lady up my road was convinced that the chinese were over here using their secret powers to 'divide' people. She said they had divided her and another one of her was in Glasgow. She was also convinced that they had divided her son and that one of him was being held against his will in the nursing home at the top of the road (pity the receptionist who recieved the daily visit demanding to see a non existent clone!).
Its just the type of thing those dastardly chinese would do.
When you got her in a room wth the sciitzophrenic old lady round the corner you would get a conversation about Hindus and the Chinese that would have made Oswald Mosely feel they were perhaps a little extreme.
and her cream cakes were always off
and she force fed me stewed celery as a child which i spooned into her crysanthamums when she was not looking... they died.
Have you considered writing memoirs, goat?
And who should play you in the inevitable Hollywoodized movie?
Quote from: goat starer on July 08, 2008, 12:11:02 PM
When you got her in a room wth the sciitzophrenic old lady round the corner you would get a conversation about Hindus and the Chinese that would have made Oswald Mosely feel they were perhaps a little extreme.
But not perhaps his
son (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7495604.stm). ;)
According to Jon Stewart of the Daily Show, the Chinese can control the weather.
No really!
They are firing cannon into the air around Bejing to try to make it rain, to clear out some of the fog for the Olympics....
As Stewart put it, you know when a Country has achieved Super Power status when it has actual Super Powers....like weather control.
:mrgreen:
the russians do this all the time... sometimes with devastating consequences
QuoteIN RUSSIA, SOMETIMES IT RAINS SACKS OF CEMENT
MOSCOW - Russian air force planes dropped a 25-kg sack of cement on a suburban Moscow home last week while seeding clouds to prevent rain from spoiling a holiday, Russian media said on Tuesday.
"A pack of cement used in creating ... good weather in the capital region ... failed to pulverize completely at high altitude and fell on the roof of a house, making a hole about 80-100 cm," police in Naro-Fominsk told agency RIA-Novosti.
Ahead of major public holidays the Russian Air Force often dispatches up to 12 cargo planes carrying loads of silver iodide, liquid nitrogen and cement powder to seed clouds above Moscow and empty the skies of moisture.
A spokesman for the Russian Air Force refused to comment.
June 12 was Russia Day, a patriotic holiday celebrating the country's independence after the break-up of the Soviet Union.
Weather specialists said the cement's failure to turn to powder was the first hiccup in 20 years.
The homeowner was not injured, but refused an offer of $2,100 from the air force, saying she would sue for damages and compensation for moral suffering, Interfax said.
http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=ea42fad7-2009-4079-ab31-241c7a439858
my memoirs would be of little interest to most people being mostly long lists of things i have eaten, butted, slept with and a rambling comentary on kids today. Such is the life of a goat.
Hmm... cement powder to seed clouds? That'd be some mighty thick rain...
A hard rain's gonna fall... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReIEDHMu0Zw)
She should have taken the money they offered...she'll end up in a Gulag for sure now!
....or a concrete bunker....
Quote from: goat starer on July 09, 2008, 09:35:25 AM
my memoirs would be of little interest to most people being mostly long lists of things i have eaten, butted, slept with and a rambling comentary on kids today. Such is the life of a goat.
Boring the U.S. into submission?
Quote from: Agujjim on July 09, 2008, 02:37:12 PM
Hmm... cement powder to seed clouds? That'd be some mighty thick rain...
Cement powder is a very, very fine particulate.
Just the thing for water droplets to cling to, and begin forming a raindrop.
And, it's cheap and readily available...
....where's the 'facetious' emo-con? ::) ;)
I AM seriously curious about how they were bursting the bags.
Quote from: Agujjim on July 10, 2008, 03:46:03 AM
....where's the 'facetious' emo-con? ::) ;)
I AM seriously curious about how they were bursting the bags.
I can guess-- since they are Russians, and automation is almost never done if a human can do it "good enough", I imagine they were scoring the bags with a knife or similar, then manually tossing them out the back of the airplane (think of one with a rear-facing cargo door-- the Russians have those).
If they got in a serious hurry, I can see how they might have missed one...
Sounds about right - and it's plausible enough to miss one.
Still, I'm surprised they were using sacks rather than bulk*, but may relate back to your point on lack of automation.
*would probably require dumping bags into a hopper anyways.
Well, you have to admit that the 'crude but effective' motto is very Russian. I was reading that in the late 70s early 80s they captured a Mig 25 and found that the electronics used vacuum tubes, which wasn't done so much for lack of availability of semi-conductors but because vacuum tubes are far more resistant to EMP and as a side effect, the radar was extremely powerful.
Quote from: Sibling Zono (anon1mat0) on July 10, 2008, 02:20:14 PM
Well, you have to admit that the 'crude but effective' motto is very Russian. I was reading that in the late 70s early 80s they captured a Mig 25 and found that the electronics used vacuum tubes, which wasn't done so much for lack of availability of semi-conductors but because vacuum tubes are far more resistant to EMP and as a side effect, the radar was extremely powerful.
Yup. I understand some of their 70's and 80's vintage spy satelites had vacuum tube powered final stage radars, too. These were the now infamous "nuclear" satelites-- a small chuck of radioactive material irradiating a solar cell or similar.
For extremely high power ratios, vacuum tubes are much, much easier to do than silicon chips. Even in the US, vacuum tubes were the final broadcast stage for many high-wattage radio stations...
OK chaps. lets move out. damn colonists dont like cold steel one bit!
(http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/09eXgFXgYw5OP/610x.jpg)
Oh what lovely do-dads you have on your horns there goat-- all nice and shiny silver. And the luverly green(is that a placemat?) just sets off your flowing white beard. What a pretty goat we are today.
(knows goats have a fondness for biscuits--- reaches into bag and removes secret biscuit stash--- goat knows real friends when he meets one--- decides to stay home today)
:mrgreen:
one does ones best to look the part when going off to keep the flag flying in the empire on which the sun never sets.
nice biscuit by the way!
Quote from: anthrobabe on July 14, 2008, 10:31:51 AM
And the luverly green(is that a placemat?) just sets off your flowing white beard.
Looks like a masonic apron to me ;)
Quote from: goat starer on July 14, 2008, 12:53:15 PM
one does ones best to look the part when going off to keep the flag flying in the empire on which the sun never sets.
nice biscuit by the way!
Glad you liked it--- I have more. Would you perhaps like some sunglasses as well to keep all of that sun out of your eyes?
Quote from: Griffin NoName on July 14, 2008, 08:23:35 PM
Quote from: anthrobabe on July 14, 2008, 10:31:51 AM
And the luverly green(is that a placemat?) just sets off your flowing white beard.
Looks like a masonic apron to me ;)
I wonder if it is dry-clean only?
a masonic apron? how very dare you!
that is my finest tablecloth.
Quote from: goat starer on July 15, 2008, 03:14:26 PM
a masonic apron? how very dare you!
that is my finest tablecloth.
:ROFL: Am I bovvered?
"Who, dear? Me, dear? Gay, dear? No, dear!"
"Take the shame mate".
"What on earth are you insinuating!?"
"Have a guess!"
"I find you impertinent!"
And you, Sir, are a "scab-faced old trout" !
Quote from: Griffin NoName on July 16, 2008, 01:17:00 AM
And you, Sir, are a "scab-faced old trout" !
Do you insinuate that there is something fishy about Comrade Goatavara?
Well, there is such a thing as a goatfish. In fact, there quite a lot of goatfishes.
If there's something fishy about wearing a masonic apron on one's back, perhaps there is something equally fishy about claiming one is wearing a tablecloth.
Well now I know that I am off to set up a monastery of my own...
...and we are ALL going to wear tablecloths!
anyone want to join the Goatfish Monastery? I'm going to invite PZ Meyers to be my honourary president. I know Beagle will come with me because he would MISS me.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Upeneichthys_lineatus_(Blue-lined_goatfish).jpg/800px-Upeneichthys_lineatus_(Blue-lined_goatfish).jpg)
That fish has no tablecloth !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ummmm... Tasty fish! Sushi! :taz:
Quote from: Griffin NoName on July 17, 2008, 05:12:11 PM
That fish has no tablecloth !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yes it is... a pink spotty tablecloth