Star-Spangled Banner, Think you know it?

Not exactly Jimi Hendrix.

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

Cheers

Not in the US, it is the refuge, period, and that's why the Defense budget is blown up outta sight, it's not a budget at all, it's a handout and a ripoff.

A budget implies they know where the money was spent. Maybe by 2017. I'm sure Hillary will love that bad news dumped in her lap.

get

Hundreds of current and former politicians stand to be caught up in scandal for forcing DoD to fund totally fraudulent operations that have deliberate ly sabotaged US military capability to justify expanding their organization s, claiming lack of personnel and resources.

udget

al for forcing DoD to fund totally fraudulent operations that have delibera tely sabotaged US military capability to justify expanding their organizati ons, claiming lack of personnel and resources.

Yes, the lobbying system is pernicious. How many lobbyists are there in DC? Probably about 150,000 - about 15,000 registered organizations, most with a staff. They vary - there is a lobby for uranium miners, whose interest is making m ore atomic bombs. One for OPEC oil interests, who don't want US to be energy independent. (naturally.) Oddly, they cite the 1st amendment of the US Constitution as their right to lobby, but it's doubtful the framers had that in mind.

Actually, today, anti-patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

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ndal for forcing DoD to fund totally fraudulent operations that have delibe rately sabotaged US military capability to justify expanding their organiza tions, claiming lack of personnel and resources.

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I'm not talking about them, I'm talking about the civil service, DoD employ s 800,000 of them. These are real bad actors.

heir 15-second attention span.

That is quote from Samuel Johnson and in modern times is taken out context. Johnson was directing the accusation at a specific individual, John Stuart , THE scoundrel. " This line was not, as widely believed, about patriotism in general, but t he false use of the term "patriotism" by John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute (the patriot-minister) and his supporters; Johnson opposed "self-professed patr iots" in general, but valued what he considered "true" self-professed patri otism."

Reference Biography by Bate: Title Samuel Johnson Hogarth Biography and Autobiography Author Walter Jackson Bate Edition reprint Publisher Hogarth, 1977 ISBN 0701205628, 9780701205621 Length 646 pages

Okay, let's put a handful of little girls on that...

(The Cactus Cuties. They'll knock your socks off.)

Cheers, James Arthur

Take a gander at this atrocity:

Ugh. Points for being heart-felt, but not my style.

Try Googling up Rosanne's screech-fest version if you don't have a chalk board and miss its traditional sounds.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Academy Choirs inspire:

Our sainted Ronnie noted--the U.S.' is the only anthem that ends in a question...

Cheers, James Arthur

Apparently the music originated with this:

You can hit the play button to the right.

How come at US sport events it's usually some popstar that sings the anthem?

So much better when the crowd does it, I know the soccer fans know the lyrics

-Lasse

Not usually. Only for high profile games, like the Superbowl or World Series.

The singer *leads* the crowd in singing the National Anthem (or something along those lines). The crowd is supposed to sing along.

Den fredag den 11. juli 2014 20.47.23 UTC+2 skrev snipped-for-privacy@attt.bizz:

same here, but I mean at those games you usually have some popstar singing

here it is usually just recorded music and they'll sometime turn it of once the crowd gets started

The few super bowls I've seen the crowd doesn't seem to be singing much

-Lasse

At lesser games they'll have someone of lesser stature singing. So?

Why bother?

They don't, much. It's not seen as "cool". Too many lefties.

Den fredag den 11. juli 2014 21.56.25 UTC+2 skrev snipped-for-privacy@attt.bizz:

I'm just wondering why the different traditions, single singer vs. the crowd that's all

it's part of being there

they don't sing much at Nascar events either, that doesn't seem like a very leftist crowd

-Lasse

The answer is "tradition", of course. No reason, it just is.

I meant, if all you're going to do is play a recording, why bother. Even the organist (or band) is live at games, here.

They know the lyrics. Well, the older ones do. They don't teach anything is schools beyond "Heather has two mommies", anymore.

The do, actually.