Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts. Founded by Mark Kleiman (1951-2019)
Happy Independence Day
Depending on the mood, one of these should do the trick.
Have a very nice Independence Day, everyone. Egyptians’ complicated and painful struggle for freedom today should certainly make us grateful to enjoy ours.
Depending on your mood, one of these three videos should capture things.
(h/t Elahe Izadi)
(h/t Mike Tomasky and Kathy Geier)
Author: Harold Pollack
Harold Pollack is Helen Ross Professor of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. He has served on three expert committees of the National Academies of Science. His recent research appears in such journals as Addiction, Journal of the American Medical Association, and American Journal of Public Health. He writes regularly on HIV prevention, crime and drug policy, health reform, and disability policy for American Prospect, tnr.com, and other news outlets. His essay, "Lessons from an Emergency Room Nightmare" was selected for the collection The Best American Medical Writing, 2009. He recently participated, with zero critical acclaim, in the University of Chicago's annual Latke-Hamentaschen debate.
View all posts by Harold Pollack
That’s Baloon Juice. I shouldn’t proof read without my glasses.
Happy Fourth to you too!!! We are lucky, no question.
Is it too much to ask that, just once, just ONCE, they sing all three stanzas of the national anthem?
Yes. It is much too much to ask.
[Waving hand frantically in the air]
Call on me, Mr. Bellmore, call on me!
It is a trick question! There are FOUR stanzas in the national anthem!
Been so long I forgot.
Anyway, off to the patriotic music, curtsey of Greenville Philharmonic, followed by the 1812 with real cannons, and then fireworks. And only 15% chance of being rained out!
How in the heck did a piece about Napoleon’s invasion of Russia become associated with our Independence day? Don’t get me wrong, I love the piece, and if you’ve ever played it as an amateur (which I had the good fortune to do in high school orchestra) you get chills down your spine from the sound you realize your group just created, but still … I guess it’s because American martial music is all Sousa marches, nothing from a serious composer.
That is a really good question. As a piece of music, it’s dreck. In my opinion, it ranks lower in Tchaikovsky’s ouvre than Wellington’s Sieg ranks in Beethoven’s. We actually do have some good music that grew out of World War II from Aaron Copland (the Third Symphony, Fanfare for the Common Man), Samuel Barber (Commando March, Night Flight) and the like, but it doesn’t sync to fireworks very well (Barber) or is either too long or not long enough for a fireworks extravaganza.
How about Jimmy Hendrix at Woodstock:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2ALNd3kIH0
or the arrangement Bob Curnow did for Kenton?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHYTJ3jxTt0
@Dennis
Check out Bakoon Juice for the Hendrix clip.
HAPPY FOURTH
That’s Baloon Juice. I shouldn’t proof read without my glasses.
Happy Fourth to you too!!! We are lucky, no question.
Is it too much to ask that, just once, just ONCE, they sing all three stanzas of the national anthem?
Yes. It is much too much to ask.
[Waving hand frantically in the air]
Call on me, Mr. Bellmore, call on me!
It is a trick question! There are FOUR stanzas in the national anthem!
Been so long I forgot.
Anyway, off to the patriotic music, curtsey of Greenville Philharmonic, followed by the 1812 with real cannons, and then fireworks. And only 15% chance of being rained out!
How in the heck did a piece about Napoleon’s invasion of Russia become associated with our Independence day? Don’t get me wrong, I love the piece, and if you’ve ever played it as an amateur (which I had the good fortune to do in high school orchestra) you get chills down your spine from the sound you realize your group just created, but still … I guess it’s because American martial music is all Sousa marches, nothing from a serious composer.
That is a really good question. As a piece of music, it’s dreck. In my opinion, it ranks lower in Tchaikovsky’s ouvre than Wellington’s Sieg ranks in Beethoven’s. We actually do have some good music that grew out of World War II from Aaron Copland (the Third Symphony, Fanfare for the Common Man), Samuel Barber (Commando March, Night Flight) and the like, but it doesn’t sync to fireworks very well (Barber) or is either too long or not long enough for a fireworks extravaganza.