Happy 4th of July

America is the greatest country in the world that ever was or ever will be!

Faded but proud

New England Street

Faded but hanging in there

A vet's barn

After 9/11

1788 is not the address of the place, but the year the barn was built.

Speaks for itself

U.S. Code: Title 36; § 301. National anthem






(a) Designation.— The composition consisting of the words and music known as the Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem. (b) Conduct During Playing.— During a rendition of the national anthem— (1) when the flag is displayed—

(A) all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart;

UMaine/Farmington "Art" installation disgraceful

Flags strewn around the floor of an art gallery is art these days? Walking on them is somehow aesthetically pleasing? Not in my book. I know about free speech. But why would anyone want to tromp on the very flag that gave those rights? And in doing so, tromping on the memories and sacrifices of our veterans who fought for those rights now so casually strewn around on the floor. Walking on the American flag in the name of art is a disgrace. And apparently many others think so too, as the increasing negative reaction to this display at the University of Maine grows.



FARMINGTON: Art and beliefs clash at UMF

"FARMINGTON -- Susan Crane thought she was prepared to handle the reaction from students when she constructed five, large American flags on the student center hallway floor at the University of Maine at Farmington as an art class project. What she didn't expect was the level of emotion her experiment ignited."

Flag project hits nerve
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"My purpose was to figure out how people felt about the flag and gave them a choice to walk around it. And then what it really became is our First Amendment that everybody has a choice to say what they believe. I expected it to be controversial but not as controversial as it has become."

Never forget

Feeling melancholy for some reason. I miss my friend. I was thinking of the flag we bought together on September 11, 2001, right after the second tower was hit. I was Googling around and found out about the USS New York and then got this from Wikipedia:

Twenty-four tons of the steel used in the construction of USS New York came from the rubble of the World Trade Center, with seven tons melted down and cast to form the ship's "stem bar" — part of the ship's bow. The construction workers reportedly treated it with "reverence usually accorded to religious relics," touching it as they walked by.

USS New York (LPD-21), is a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock. The ship is designed to deliver a fully-equipped battalion of 699 Marines.

Shortly after 11 September 2001, Governor of New York George E. Pataki wrote a letter to Secretary of the Navy Gordon England requesting that the Navy bestow the name USS New York on a surface warship involved in the War on Terror in honor of September 11's victims. In his letter, the Governor said he understood state names are currently reserved for submarines, but asked for special consideration so the name could be given to a surface ship. The request was approved 28 August 2002.

The ship's motto: "Never forget"