Great big July 4th Post

I'm back!*

We'll start with the most HUH moment of this movie. . .

Wang Chi: Here's to the Army and Navy and the battles they have won; here's to America's colors, the colors that never run.
Jack Burton: May the wings of liberty never lose a feather.

Happy Fourth to those who celebrate it! Make sure and have a fun 'n' safe holiday!

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It seems the hot dog eating championship title has been reclaimed by America, with Californian Joey Chestnut snatching the prize this year from the bazillion-time champ Kobayashi, who unfortunately has arthritis of the jaw.

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Stan Freberg's United States of America, a satire/comedy re-telling of America's history. Stan Freberg is best known for his parodies, and this comes out throughout the work, as does his advertising background. Volume 1 is couched in the atmosphere of the time in which it was made, with references to HUAC and censorship. Volume 1 is "often thought of as the 'Sgt. Peppers' of comedy albums" and features among other figures a hilariously vain but well-meaning Washington and con artist Ben Franklin. It starts with Columbus' discovery of America and ends with the American Revolution. Volume 2, which was produced over thirty years later, starts right where number 1 left off and shoots through wars, technological developments, and cultural landmarks, ending with the end of WWI. It's great fun, with a remarkably high re-listen value.

> > Stan Freberg's The United States of America, Vols 1 & 2 [megaupload, as it is quite big]
[buy]

One of America and the modern era's finest composers, Aaron Copland, with Copland Conducts Copland, which features Appalachian Spring, Old American Songs, and the always thrilling Rodeo. Enjoy!

> >Copland Conducts Copland

Sorry this is being posted so late in the day. Gosh darn files took forever to upload. I'm gonna go eat now. Have a great holiday and a happy hump day for the rest of the gang.
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* Got back yesterday after a fun-filled excursion that included awesome caves, incredibly scary & hellacious mountain roads, lotsa hiking up ridiculous grades, and no bears. If you are ever in Redding and want a real good biscuits & gravy breakfast, or just about any breakfast, do check out Maverick's, located on Shasta Road [???]. Friendly waitresses, good prices, and beaucoup de yummies. I love biscuits and gravy, which you never see on the menus in New York. Additionally, I highly recommend the Lava Beds National Monument and DO NOT recommend staying at a campsite on Whiskeytown Lake unless you want to spend all night listening to how that drunk guy over there GREW UP IN REDDING BUT MOVED TO EUREKA AND THERE WAS A WATERTOWER. I prefer quieter camp sites if I'm getting up in the morning for hiking & fun. The lake itself is a nice canoe site, especially with its sunken road, which totally sounds like a Hardy Boys book- The Mystery of the Sunken Road. Or sumthin.