Open Thread for July 4, 2016, Happy Independence Day (U.S.A.)

July 4 is the 185th day of the year. There are 180 days left.

4 is the second squared number 4 is the smallest squared prime 4 is the only even squared prime 4 is both 2 doubled and 2 squared. It is the only number that is both 2x & x squared. A number is divisible by 4 if its last two digits are divisible by 4. For example 1632 is divisible by 4 because 32 is divisible by 4 (4 x 8 = 32) A Tetrahedron has 4 sides and 4 vertices. It is the simplest Platonic solid. 4 is the first positive non-Fibonacci number 4 pops up quite frequently in religions, magik, divination & superstitions, 'nuff 'bout that. 4 is beryllium The four states of matter are: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. There are four fundamental forces (electromagnetism, gravitation, the weak nuclear force, and the strong nuclear force). There are 4 forms in the logical "square of Opposition": A ("All S is R"), I ("Some S is R"), E ("No S is R"), and O ("Some S is not R") It takes 4 Supreme Court Justices to grant a writ of cert. There were 4 classical Greek elements (earth, water, air & fire) There are 4 seasons There are 4 suits in a standard deck of playing cards There are 4 horsemen of the Apocalypes, plus Basement Cat.

A "Four in hand" is a knot used in tying men's neckties

Title 4 of the US Code is FLAG AND SEAL, SEAT OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE STATES

4 BCE Was the Year of the Consulship of Sabinus and Rufus Herod the Great died Publius Quintilius Varus, then Governor of Syria (YES, that damn Varus again), took three of his four legions from Antioch to Jerusalem to restore order and crucified 2,000 Jewish rebels. Seneca the Younger, a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist was born

4 CE Was the Year of the Consulship of Catus and Saturninus Augustus adopted Tiberius to be his heir.

On this day in: 362 BCE -- The Thebans, under Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans at the Battle of Mantinea. Combined with Epaminondas' victory over Sparta at the earlier battle of Leuctra, this destroyed Sparta as a signigicant militay force. The death of Epaminondas and his hand chosen successors as a result of this battle, however, also put Thebes out of commission, leaving Greece ripe for conquest by Phillip II of Macedon, who would do so & bequeath it to his kid Alex and there ya are. (Epaminondas was a brilliant homosexual who invented a new tactic called the oblique order which he used to crush the hitherto dominant Spartan forces at Leuctra and Mantinea. As used, it relied heavily on the Theban Sacred Band, an elite force composed of 150 pairs of homosexual lovers.)

1054 -- Supernova SN 1054 was seen by Chinese, Arab and possibly Native American observers. It was visible in daytime for months and its remains are the Crab Nebula.

1776 -- The U.S. Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress.

1802 -- The US Military Academy opened at West Point. They seemingly never studied Epaminondas, long having had a bug up their ass about homosexuals in the military for no discernable reason at all.

1803 -- The Louisiana Purchase was announced to the American people. 1817 -- Construction of the Erie Canal began 1827 -- New York State abolished slavery. 1855 -- Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass" was first published. 1862 -- Charles Lutwidge Dodgson told Alice Liddell a story. 1881 -- The Tuskegee Institute opened. 1886 -- The people of France offered the Statue of Liberty to the people of the United States. 1892 -- Western Samoa changed the International Date Line causing July 4 to happen twice. 1894 -- Sanford B. Dole proclaimed the Republic of Hawaii 1903 -- The Philippine--American War was officially ended. 1910 -- Jack Johnson knocked out Jim Jeffries; rioting followed. 1934 -- Leo Szilard patented the chain-reaction design for the A-bomb. 1946 -- The Philippines attained full independence from the US. 1947 -- The "Indian Independence Bill" was presented to the British House of Commons 1951 -- William Shockley announced the his invention of the junction transistor. 1966 -- LBJ signed the Freedom of Information Act 2012 -- CERN announced the discovery of particles consistent with the Higgs boson.

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Born this day in: 1804 -- Nathaniel Hawthorne, author and diplomat 1807 -- Giuseppe Garibaldi, general and politician 1816 -- Hiram Walker, can you say Canadian Club? 1826 -- Stephen Foster, songwriter and composer 1872 -- Calvin Coolidge, lawyer and politician 1882 -- Louis B. Mayer, film producer 1883 -- Rube Goldberg, sculptor, cartoonist, and engineer 1895 -- Irving Caesar, songwriter and composer tea for 2 1902 -- Meyer Lansky, businessman and politician gangster 1911 -- Mitch Miller, singer and producer 1914 -- Nuccio Bertone, practitioner of automobile design as fine art. 1918 -- Pauline Phillips, journalist and radio host, aka Dear Abby 1927 -- Gina Lollobrigida, actress, singer, and photographer 1927 -- Neil Simon, playwright and screenwriter 1938 -- Bill Withers, singer, songwriter and producer 1940 -- Dave Rowberry, English pianist and songwriter (The Animals) 1942 -- Peter Rowan, singer, songwriter and guitarist (Earth Opera and Old and in the Way) 1943 -- Alan Wilson, singer, songwriter and guitarist (Canned Heat) 1946 -- Michael Milken, businessman crook 1948 -- Jeremy Spencer, singer, songwriter and guitarist (Fleetwood Mac) 1971 -- Koko, gorilla, never signed USA! USA! USA! 1972 -- William Goldsmith, drummer (Sunny Day Real Estate, Foo Fighters, and The Fire Theft)

Died this day in: 1826 -- John Adams, lawyer and politician, 2nd President of the US 1826 -- Thomas Jefferson, architect, lawyer, and politician, 3rd President of the US 1831 -- James Monroe, soldier, lawyer, and politician, 5th President of the US 1910 -- Giovanni Schiaparelli, astronomer and historian, saw "canali" on mars. 1934 -- Marie Curie, physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate 1963 -- Clyde Kennard, civil rights activist and martyr 1971 -- August Derleth, anthologist and author 1997 -- Charles Kuralt, journalist 2003 -- Barry White, singer, songwriter, pianist, and producer 2007 -- Bill Pinkney, American singer (The Drifters)

Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days and such: Independence Day (U.S.A.)

Independence Day!!!

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So, for music we gots -- Stephen Foster Mitch Miller Gina Lollobrigida Bill Withers Dave Rowberry Peter Rowan Alan Wilson Jeremy Spencer William Goldsmith Barry White Bill Pinkney

Stephen Foster

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Mitch Miller

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Gina Lollobrigida

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Bill Withers

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Dave Rowberry

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Peter Rowan

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