Steve H @DazedO

Tonight's Aurora turned out spectacular!!! I was able to catch one of the substorms with some fireworks mixed in! Lynden, WA, near the British Columbia border. #auroraborealis #aurora #wawx #whatcomcounty #pnw @Vincent_Ledvina @TamithaSkov @Aurora_Alerts

I hadn’t read the Declaration of Independence since high school history class. Ah, yes, history class! In fact we had American history throughout the tenth grade, then world history during our junior year. When I listen to the TikTok crowd spew the nonsense they champion today, I think how easily their knuckle-headed thinking could have been cured with a few good history classes. Alas, I don’t see much hope for the future, as long as the teachers in our urban areas are in the clutches of politicians and unions with a far different agenda from real education. Now rereading the document for the first time in decades (shame on me for taking so long), I had forgotten that the bulk of the text is a list of grievances suffered by the American colonists at the hands of the king and various elements under his tyrannical regime. What has truly stunned me these 250 years later, however, is how familiar these grievances feel in our contemporary situation. Let’s take a peek at the exact text, and see if anything feels uncomfortably close to home (the “He” refers to King George, of course, and I will use the original spelling and punctuation): “He has refused to Assent to Laws” Hmm, every “sanctuary state” governor today for starters… “He has made Judges dependent of his Will alone” Hmm, activist judges anybody? “He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people” Hmm, 87,000 new armed IRS agents. Ring a bell? “For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent” Hmm, ever looked at your tax bill? “…transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny…” Hmm, thirty million military-age males pouring across our open borders from 2020 to 2024… “He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us” Hmm, BLM and Antifa riots… SHORT VERSION: LEAVE US ALONE! The very essence of the Declaration of Independence is a concerted celebration of God’s gift of our “unalienable” right to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” It was argued, researched, debated yet again, drafted by Jefferson, then edited by Adams, Franklin, and others. Together the bravest men stood together against the storm of tyranny and gambled it all. As I reread it today, I literally shed tears at those miraculous words: “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 Fortune and our sacred Honor.” And then, of course, there were those who shed more than tears. They shed their blood, watched their homes burn, and too many gave the ultimate sacrifice. Whether they formed local militias or joined the Continental Army, colonists now dedicated to the cause, gambled their very lives. One of those Americans was my ninth generation ancestor. He fought in one of the most consequential battles of the American Revolution, the Battle of Cowpens. I am forever honored that his blood runs in my veins. I know that this will be a joyful and glorious weekend for all of you, God willing. It should also be, if I may presume to say, a solemn one as well. The sacrifices made by simple men and women those many years ago have made these precious rights and this glorious day possible. Take a moment and honor them in your heart. I know I will.

Remembering the great Jimmy Stewart this evening, who died 29 years ago today. 🇺🇸

Ray Charles - America the Beautiful youtu.be/s58laNo3w_E?is… via @YouTube

Yankee Doodle - Field Music of the US Army/Marching tune youtu.be/MakSCBoQbVY?is… via @YouTube

The Pied Pipers "The Freedom Train / God Bless America" 78RPM Capitol 15... youtu.be/xDbsuYWOBxs?is… via @YouTube

The House I Live In youtu.be/D-IpLSWFies?is… via @YouTube

Beach Boys - Girls on the Beach (Stereo) youtu.be/bZAdVImVbE0?is… via @YouTube

Celebrate America’s 250th birthday at the box office!!! There’s a lot of great choices this weekend. But considering it’s July 4 weekend I humbly suggest “Young, Washington.” I was actually blown away. The movie is incredible. Like Braveheart for Americans. Jon Erwin crushed it. William Franklin Miller did a great job as young Washington. Remember the name! A star is born! The movie is awesome! Way to go!!

I just saw Young Washington, and it was outstanding! It tells the story of George Washington's early years with a message that is both inspiring and timeless. By the end of the film, the audience applauded not once, but twice. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation, I encourage every American to see this remarkable film. It's a powerful reminder of the courage and leadership that helped shape America. Well done, @AngelStudiosInc . Thank you for bringing this important story to the screen. x.com/WallStreetMav/…

"This is a [side of] George that I think people really don't know about.” -William Franklyn-Miller Young Washington rides into theaters Independence Day Weekend, July 3rd. Get your tickets today!

@ChrisKeysmusic Good work!

@AFpost Tokyo is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of our nation, but cities like Buffalo, New York can’t be bothered.

@CityCastles @BreitbartNews Disturbing. Being from California (or Colorado), in some ways it's painful to hear those commenters saying that they "don't care because you voted for this." The problem with saying this is that there are those who did not vote for this.

Katie playing 'Dolina MacKay' with John Joe Kelly youtu.be/Z_K-0e2GTUU?si… via @YouTube

bbc.com/news/articles/… I'm praying for Katie, the "Wheeled Piper." She plays bagpipes, and I supported her campaign to raise money to record an album. I'm hoping she'll overcome this setback be allowed to do it.

So glad they didn’t say “well, we don’t have 60 votes, so let’s recess and then move on to something else.” Who’s with me?

I think Sierra was about 16 when she recorded this song on her first album SECRETS. She was joined on the track by some other #Bluegrass greats including Ron Block, Dennis Crouch, Stuart Duncan, and Jerry Douglas. Sierra Hull - "The Hard Way" youtu.be/J8YvzZsXghQ?si… via @YouTube

Synne Vo (covering Marit Larsen) "Under The Surface" youtu.be/_Rp-dkmj6yU?si… via @YouTube

This is a cool idea for a show. Each of a group of musicians the show cover songs of the others, with one artist being the musical honoree on one night. Marit Larsen (covering Synne Vo) - Never have I ever (Hver gang vi møtes 2026) youtu.be/rLx9xLfCHxQ?si… via @YouTube