Because, you see, I am a huge nerd.

H/T Lance, who really needs to start the blog he keeps threatening to start.

I’m not sure where The Inconvenience snagged this, but:

I can’t stop watching it. It’s so good, it almost makes me like Alexander Hamilton.

(Props to The Sister for recognizing Lin-Manuel Miranda from the season opener of House.)

Happy 234th birthday to The Inconvenience, Brian, John, Lance, Jeff, Daren, Kyle, Eric, Stevenson, and the rest of Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children across the globe.

The Inconvenience and his (blood) brother, Brian – Fallujah, 2004

We’re huge history nerds, The Inconvenience and I. So, we often listen to The Thomas Jefferson Hour. Two thumbs way up.

They’re working on something called The 35 Words Project, which is:

The 35 Words Project

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

The Thomas Jefferson Hour is in the process of gathering as many versions of the “35 Words” in different languages as possible for a future program. Clay Jenkinson is asking for listeners who speak a foreign language and are willing participants in this project to make a recording and send it to us.

You can email it directly to us or ask any questions you may have by clicking here: The 35 Words

Thanks to all who have participated thus far. We currently have audio versions in Slovak, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Hebrew, Polish, Hindi, Thai, Yiddish and Klingon.

I figured I’d throw it out there for PGB readers, since I’m sure at least one of y’all speaks something not on the list.

Letter to President William McKinley from Annie Oakley, offering the government the services of a company of 50 “lady sharpshooters” who would provide their own arms and ammunition should war break out with Spain, April 5, 1898.

I love Annie Oakley. So much. She also once said,

“I would like to see every woman know how to handle [firearms] as naturally as they know how to handle babies.”

I hope I grow up to be that cool.

Happy Independence Day, everyone. Commander Zero kinda beat me to it, but your job today is to read the following:

The Declaration of Independence

and, if you have a little extra time:

The Constitution

And then do your best to make John Adams’ visions come true, though he didn’t realize we’d celebrate the day the Declaration was read, not the day it was signed:

The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.

Edited to add: Common Sense audiobook, if you’re interested. And text – it’s not a particularly quick read, but it’s worth reading/hearing all the same!

The Girl Child and I just walked over to The Sister’s house. On the way, I passed a car parked at an apartment complex sporting this bumper sticker:

It’s a Che Guevara quote: “The true revolutionary is guided by feelings of love.”

I didn’t have a piece of paper, and I didn’t want to paraphrase, so when I got to The Sister’s house I looked up a couple of quotes I’m familiar with and wrote them down. I’ll be leaving this note on the car when I pass back by:

“I carried out a very summary inquiry and then the peasant Aristidio was executed. …It is not possible to tolerate even the suspicion of treason.” – Che Guevara 1956

“Hatred [is] an element of the struggle. …A relentless hatred of the enemy, impelling us over and beyond the natural limitations that man is heir to and transforming him into an effective, violent, selective and cold kiling machine. Our soldiers must be thus; a people without hatred cannot vanquish a brutal enemy. We must carry the war into every corner the enemy happens to carry it: to his home, to his centres of entertainment; a total war.” – Che Guevara, “Message to the Tricontinental”

FEELING THE LOVE? STUDY HISTORY, not BUMPER STICKERS.
<3, A Revolutionary

This is better than the time I left a note because someone had a bumper sticker that said “It doesn’t take a war to power my bicycle.” The bumper sticker was on their truck.

LJ friend Amy just tipped me off to a deal on Amazon – the John Adams miniseries on DVD for $23.99. (Plus, if you buy some other eligible item worth at least $1.01, you get their free shipping.)

JA is totally worth owning and watching again and again and again. It gets the official PGB stamp of approval (which, yes, I just made up).

I’m not sure how long that sale is on for, so if you want a copy (or ten) – don’t wait!

Check out what my mom found out – my great, great, great, great, great, great grandpa was John Rainey, who served under General Greene in the Revolutionary War.

The connection is matrilineal all the way back to Rainey, who fathered my great, great, great, great, great grandma, Nancy Rainey.

Now, to dig up all the documentation for this, so I can join DAR. :)

A very happy 233rd birthday to the United States Marine Corps!

To my husband, brother-in-law, and many friends and family who are called Devil Dog – thank you for your service, and for upholding – with the highest honor – your oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic.

I am proud to know you all.