If possible shoot on Independence Day itself. I did this uninterruptedly from 1977 to 2011. And ever year 2013 to presumably this year.

Listen to "4th of July" by the L A punk band X.

"on the stairs I smoke a cigarette alone
Mexican kids are shootin' fireworks below"

Song with a great feel for time and place.

Watch "Sergeant York" in b&w.

Your traditions?

usually it was John's fault.

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Ele era velho.
Ele era corajoso.
Ele era feio.

With the gracious assistance of Miles, a grass fire starter, who is, as the Army now says "of excellence".

AK can attest we also set a neighbor's yard alight one New Year's eve.

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Esse sine metu in facie inimici tui. Sit fortis et rectus quod Deus ut amo te. Veritatem dico semper etiam si eam ducit ad mortem tuam. Tuendam inops et facere no mali.

that song on the "toob" only to discover I know it.

Med.Cruise-87 on a tin can in uncle ronnie's yacht club. Egregiously seasick. R. Division was shorthanded so d.c.central & sounding watches were 6hrs. on 6 off. After 1800hrs. only in d.c. central and the mess decks was the smoking lamp lit so there I was stuck in a 160 sq. ft. space that was always blue with smoke. It was stiffling/nauseating.

The nominal quasi-punkers from the bedroom communities surrounding "the city" and some actually from the boroughs played r.e.m. and the smithereens and X and elvis costello over and over and over and were angry at all mentioned for "going commercial".

A few years ago I heard the smithereens ode to the cigarette on a ride on a bumpy winding road and had flashbacks to the stormy north atlantic and thought I was going to hurl.

This kid does a dinizzio medley better than the 'reens ever did.....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OwJPesIkcj4&pp=ygUgVGhlIGNsYXNzaWMgcm9jayBraWQgc21pdG...

Oh, b.t.w.,I hope to use the background booms of the fourth as cover to empty all of the percussion revolvers that I have unwisely loaded over the last year.

That is the truth.

We also lit off 5 rds .30-06 blanks through a sewer pipe bore US M1917. Stroke o' midnight. As I recall, the cops were around about 2 minutes after we got back indoors.

Pat DiNizio passed. I think 5-6 years ago. I remember being sad when I heard.

Also found out he'd run for Governor of New Jersey. Well, I sure respected him more than a lot of successful nominees for the job. Like, say, Woodrow Wilson. Or Jim McGreevey.

I still get in the mood to hear "Blood and Roses" fairly often.

I have a 10/22 that now has a red/white/blue laminate stock that I like to shoot on Independence Day. I’ll probably also shoot my 1911.

Every 4th at the Museum of Appalachia

when marshall crenshaw is otherwise busy. Babjak's fingers still work though he is retired from the biz. and is a bank loan officer.....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X_wEzEOiSMA&pp=ygUWc21pdGhlcmVlbnMgZnJvbnQgeWFyZA%3D%3D

.

--
Ele era velho.
Ele era corajoso.
Ele era feio.

No real traditions; we’re usually down at the river with friends and family. Staying home this weekend and will be headed down Wednesday after work.

I will be smoking some pork and some stuffed jalapeños this Independence Day. May sneak
Away to the close range and do some shooting with the boys.

Funny, I s only ever heard that song from Robert Earl Keen and assumed it was his!

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https://facebook.com/M2bKydex/