Bruce Willis, where are you? There is an asteroid approaching Earth and there is a 1 in 500 chance that it will hit us. That is not so great. If I wanted to play Major League Baseball and I got one hit in 500 at bats I would quickly find myself out of a job.
If it does, it might be the size of the asteroid that caused the Arizona crater, but it won't have the force to create a crater that large. Don't worry, it won't be a danger until 2030. Wait! I'll be 78 years old then. Let it land on my head.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Celebrating the 4th of July
How did you celebrate the 4th of July? Like many of you, I went to friend's house and swam in her pool, drank beer and wine, grilled porkchops, burgers, and dogs, and spent a pleasant day in good company.
We also had blank maps of the United States that we had each person fill in to see who could locate all 50 states. The results were, sadly, not encouraging.
I also watched the President's address to the West Virginia National guard. His lack of eloquence in this speech, like most of his other speeches, made me think of John Adams in Philadelphia. Most of the ideas expressed in our Declaration of Independence came from Adams, a most intelligent man, yet one who was not eloquent in speech nor writing. He recognized Jefferson's gifts in these two areas and cultivated his friendship and worked diligently with him to articulate these ideas.
The Continental Congress adopted the document by vote on July 2, 1776 and that evening, Adams penned a letter to his wife saying that the day would be celebrated by future generations. He further stated, "It ought to be celebrated as the day of delverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty ... and solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sport, guns, bells, bonfires , and illuminations from one end of the continent to the other ..." Adams Letter
We tried to evoke his idea by reading the Declaration of Independence and sharing parts of Adams letter. (Last year, we read parts of Abigail Adams' letter to her husband after hearing the Declaration read in Boston some days later.)
I am most touched by the last lines of the Declaration which state, "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." Declaration of Independence
These men recognized that what they were doing was irrevocable. They were rebelling fomenting rebellion, the penalty which could only be success or death for each of them. I once gave my high school students the task of finding out what happened to each of the members of the Continental Congress. Some did literally give up their lives and fortunes, yet they retained their sacred honor.
Adams, you would have loved the fireworks we saw on television from the Washington, D. C. and the many fireworks we saw.
John Adams, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, and the rest, I salute you and thank you for your courage and daring.
We also had blank maps of the United States that we had each person fill in to see who could locate all 50 states. The results were, sadly, not encouraging.
I also watched the President's address to the West Virginia National guard. His lack of eloquence in this speech, like most of his other speeches, made me think of John Adams in Philadelphia. Most of the ideas expressed in our Declaration of Independence came from Adams, a most intelligent man, yet one who was not eloquent in speech nor writing. He recognized Jefferson's gifts in these two areas and cultivated his friendship and worked diligently with him to articulate these ideas.
The Continental Congress adopted the document by vote on July 2, 1776 and that evening, Adams penned a letter to his wife saying that the day would be celebrated by future generations. He further stated, "It ought to be celebrated as the day of delverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty ... and solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sport, guns, bells, bonfires , and illuminations from one end of the continent to the other ..." Adams Letter
We tried to evoke his idea by reading the Declaration of Independence and sharing parts of Adams letter. (Last year, we read parts of Abigail Adams' letter to her husband after hearing the Declaration read in Boston some days later.)
I am most touched by the last lines of the Declaration which state, "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." Declaration of Independence
These men recognized that what they were doing was irrevocable. They were rebelling fomenting rebellion, the penalty which could only be success or death for each of them. I once gave my high school students the task of finding out what happened to each of the members of the Continental Congress. Some did literally give up their lives and fortunes, yet they retained their sacred honor.
Adams, you would have loved the fireworks we saw on television from the Washington, D. C. and the many fireworks we saw.
John Adams, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, and the rest, I salute you and thank you for your courage and daring.
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