101 Great Reasons To LOVE America!

Happy Birthday, America!

In no particular order, this is our own rather subjective list of 101 reasons to love America.

You can feel free to add or subtract from this list or create your own list. America gives you the freedom to do that -- and a lot more:

1) Our constitution. The thread that holds us together and the bulwark of democracy.

2) Our federal system of 50 states, each distinctive, each free and independent but united as well.

3) The Liberty Bell. Forever flawed though nonetheless inspiring and eternal.

4) The Founding Fathers and what they wrought. They risked their lives, property, fortunes and sacred honor.

5) American summers, for summer is surely America's season.

6) Old glory, our flag -- proud, bright, brash and always flying high.

7) In God We Trust. Our ensuing faith in Him and His destiny for us.

8) Baseball. While football may be America's sport, baseball remains its pastime. There is a difference.

9) The 4th of July. Our birthday and our touchstone.

10) Free elections. The right to choose the leaders that we want.

11) Jazz. America's unique musical art form.

12) Those who served. Our veterans, protectors of our freedom.

13) The American Red Cross. There when we need them.

14) Our free enterprise system. A model for the entire world.

15) Country music. The hip-slapping spirit of America.

16) Hollywood. Tinseltown and its gift to the world -- movies.

17) The Statue of Liberty. May her torch always be held high.

18) Walt Disney. The gift of imagination and wholesome entertainment from an American genius.

19) Our military --every branch and everyone who serves.

20) The Grand Canyon. In a word, breathtaking.

21) The great American novel. From the great white whale to The Great Gatsby, keep spinnin those tales!

22) Freedom to worship, Our many houses of faith all across the land.

23) The Interstate Highway System. Thank you, President Eisenhower.

24) Our first responders, brave and steadfast.

25) Small towns. Where America's heart beats true.

26) Television. For better or worse, it reflects us and epitomizes the popular culture.

27) Our farmers. Keeping the agrarian spirit alive and the horn of plenty full.

28) Broadway. The Great White Way, and all that it represents and all the hustle and bustle that surround it.

29) American cars (and our love affair with the car). Even after tough times US auto industry can never be counted out.

30) Coca-Cola. The drink that IS America.

31) Las Vegas. Vegas, baby, Vegas!

32) Thanksgiving. A uniquely American holiday and the kickoff of our buying season.

33) The Rocky Mountains. America's sturdy backbone.

34) Neighbors and neighborhoods. Our real time, real people link in a high-tech age.

35) Our national park system. Even with those pesky rangers, it's a joy.

36) Our two-party system. It’s seen better times but it still works.

37) Apple pie. Yummy, yummy!

38) Gospel music. Expressing faith, love, joy and anguish.

39) The Gateway Arch. A soaring, inspiring welcome to America's frontier.

40) Cowboys. The soul of our wanderlust.

41) Elvis Presley. The King is on the premises.

42) McDonald's -- every one of them and every diner and roadside eatery in between.

43) Flowering gardens. Roses and marigolds and azaleas and magnolias and all those other beautiful flowers and all the people who help make them bloom.

44) Our volunteer spirit -- from Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys right up to the present day.

45) Those who gave their all. All those who died protecting our freedoms, many buried on foreign soil. And all POWs and MIAs. We shall never forget.

46) A free press. We love them. We hate them. We curse them. We praise them. But where would we be without them?

47) The blues. Sad, sultry, soulful.

48) Andy Warhol. He made the ordinary extraordinary.

49) Starbucks. Keeping us alert and ready.

50) Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey. Still the greatest show on earth! But we do miss the elephants.

51) Big Sur and the entire California coast, from top to bottom.

52) Free public libraries. Learn, baby, learn!

53) Our system of higher education -- especially our great public universities.

54) The legacy of Norman Rockwell. The man who showed us the best in ourselves.

55) Texas. Big. Bold. Proud. American.

56) Ferris wheels. From the 1893 Chicago World's Fair till now, still enchanting.

57) The Kentucky Derby. The legendary run for the roses.

58) Mount Rushmore. Our history wrought mammoth.

59) The Smithsonian. Endlessly fascinating and free.

60) NASA. To the moon and beyond.

61) The Super Bowl. A bowl full of partying in an otherwise dull month.

62) The South. Lush land of tall tales, spirited music, colorful characters and firey history.

63) Hot dogs. Plump, juicy and smothered with your choice of dressings, garnishes, condiments, whatever . .

64) Home sweet home. The house you live it; your land, your property, your domicile.

65) The Great Lakes. Can you name all five of them?

66) Grandma Moses. The modern-day mother of primitive American art.

67) Marilyn Monroe. Defying convention, she made America sexy once and for all.

68) The Mississippi. Mighty from top to bottom and everywhere in between.

69) The Indy 500. Vrrroooomm, vrrrrroooomm!

70) The great wits. From Mark Twain to Will Rogers to Dorothy Parker to Art Buchwald to Erma Bombeck to P. J. O'Rourke.

71) The heartland. From Ohio to Iowa, where ordinary, everyday America thrives.

72) Blue jeans. On the farm, in the city and everywhere else.

73) "God Bless America." The people's anthem that Irving Berlin wrote just for us.

74) Independence Hall. Where it all began.

75) The Lincoln Memorial and the man it celebrates. The ultimate monument to the single most compelling figure in American history.

76) Rock 'n roll (aka rock). Rhythm 'n blues, jazz, honkey talk, soul, gospel -- all rolled into one.

77) The West. Where our restless spirit was born.

78) Sneakers. From PF Flyers, Keds and Chuck Taylor Converse to a $13 billion a year industry, we love 'em.

79) The Drudge Report. Because we need to know.

80) Barbecue. Beef or pork, wet or dry, hot or sweet, it's America.

81) The Washington Monument. The highest point in the capital and a fitting tribute to the father of our country.

82) Alaska and Hawaii. Our exotic and adventurous extremes.

83) Uncle Sam. When he calls, be sure to answer.

84) The Stars and Stripes Forever, and all of those great Sousa marches and their Sousa bands.

85) Native Americans. This land is their land.

86) Chicago architecture. Art that we live in, work in, play in; a living lesson in soaring beauty; a skyline to emulate.

87) Walt Whitman. "I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear . . . "

89) Motown. The irrepressible sound of a lively, searching soul.

90) New Orleans. A sassy, saucy, scintillating survivor.

91) Rugged individualists, gadflies, iconoclasts, muckrakers and all those who afflict the powerful. Charge onward!

92) Harly Davidson. Still the king of the road.

93) Geeks. Zuckerberg, Jobs, Wozniak, Gates and the whole damned Silicon Valley.

94) Comics and comic books. From zany dimwits and lovable losers to iconic super heroes.

95) Truckers and truck stops. Keep on Rollin!

96) New England. Lobster, chowder, rugged seacoasts and cherished traditions.

97) Scientific pioneers. The searchers, the discoverers, the trailblazers and all those who make the breakthroughs that enrich and lengthen our lives.

98) American fashion. From Ralph and Tommy and Donna and Vera. From Seventh Avenue to the world.

99) New Jersey. The distinctive state that gave us Sinatra and The Boss and taught us all how to be wise guys.

100) Willie Nelson. Is there anyone he hasn't sung with or any genre of music he hasn't yet recorded?

101) The American Dream. A better life for our children and our children's children. Always, our best days lie ahead.

101 Reasons to Love America copyright 2012, 2016 by Dan Cirucci.

Our Fourth Of July Gift To You!

We took these photos at the start of the July 4th weekend as fireworks exploded over the Delaware River. It was a special treat for us to watch this spectacle from our hometown of Camden, NJ.

Enjoy! And, God Bless America!

Get Ready! The Critical Moment Is Upon Us!

Haven't We Heard This Somewhere Once Before?

No, No, No, No, NO! And Here Are 15 Reasons Why!

From our friends at Save Jersey:

By Jordan T. Chester

Save Jerseyans: there are a host of reasons why you and your legislators should oppose the gas tax “compromise” passed by the State Assembly and now stalled in the Senate.

This “compromise” would be harmful to our state’s economy, those who are living paycheck to paycheck, it would harm our tourism industry, and it would increase the cost of shipping goods and thus, consumer prices would increase. I could go on and on about how bad this deal really is…..

Instead, I have come up with a list of the top fifteen reasons this gas tax scheme is atrocious:

State Senator Jen Beck (R-Monmouth) rallies LD11 residents against the gas tax hike.

1) This deal would increase a regressive tax while reducing a progressive tax. While a sales tax is usually regressive, that is not the case in New Jersey since we exempt food and clothing from taxation. Those of us who are in middle or lower income tax brackets are more likely to drive vehicles with poorer fuel economy. While I don’t support the idea of increasing taxes on the wealthy for some flawed notion of fairness, I also oppose the concept of giving a tax cut to the wealthy at the expense of everyone else.

2. People can buy fewer luxury items subject to the sales tax, but the gas tax is required for people to get to work. Taxing gasoline more cuts into take-home pay and discourages work, thus encouraging a culture of dependency on government.

3. A gasoline tax hike will increase the cost of trucking and therefore, the cost of consumer goods will increase.

4. If the next Governor decides he/she opposes the sales tax cut included in this deal, the sales tax cut may be reversed since it won’t go into full effect until 2018.

5. This tax plan is not revenue neutral – Trenton will lose revenue which would not be a bad thing if they cut spending, but history shows us they would either increase taxes or not meet obligations. This is an $850 million tax increase.

6. The gas tax is the one tax where we don’t tax as much as other states.

7. Trenton has dedicated revenue streams to programs over the years and somehow, we always seem to end up in a situation like the one we are in.

8. Our $40 billion per year tourism industry would be disrupted by this tax hike. Without our tourism industry, every household in New Jersey would pay over $1,400 in higher taxes.

9. There are over 6.1 million licensed drivers in New Jersey – this IS a broad-based tax increase.

10. There are other areas to cut – start with the $6 billion in corporate subsidies we’ve handed out this decade and continue with meaningful pension & benefit reform.

11. As a friend pointed out to me, businesses are going to have to change their pricing processes and software which will cost them money as the sales tax is gradually changed over the next two years.

12. The process by which we have this deal is unacceptable – the days of midnight deals should be over.

13. Jim McGrevey’s $8 billion in tax & fee increases caused $70 billion in wealth to leave our state in the years after he implemented those policies, we should not repeat the mistakes of the past.

14. According to Rutgers/Eagleton, 56% of New Jerseyans oppose increasing the gasoline tax.

15. We should audit the Department of Transportation and find out why we spend $2 million per mile on road repairs before we ask residents for higher taxes.

There are more reasons why this legislation is a raw deal, but here are fifteen you should relay to your elected representatives!

Will YOU Encounter THIS On Your Travels?

What We MUST Remember About July 4th!

..."Oh, there have been revolutions before and since ours. But those revolutions simply exchanged one set of rules for another. Ours was a revolution that changed the very concept of government.

Let the Fourth of July always be a reminder that here in this land, for the first time, it was decided that man is born with certain God-given rights; that government is only a convenience created and managed by the people, with no powers of its own except those voluntarily granted to it by the people.

We sometimes forget that great truth, and we never should.
Happy Fourth of July. "

~Written in his own hand by Ronald Reagan President of the United States 1981

BTW: Though the media consistently attempted to portray Ronald Reagan as an "amiable dunce," ordinary American citizens knew this was not the case. Reagan was an exceptionally well-read leader -- a man who knew his history. He was also a prolific writer. He wrote many of his own speeches, kept an exhaustive daily diary and wrote thousands of letters -- many in his own hand.
Those who worked for Reagan attested to the fact that he was an astute editor as well. He knew the power of words and was able to convey more with a few words than many of today's leaders can convey with thousands of words.
Obviously, no holiday brought Reagan more pleasure than the 4th of July. That's because he knew and understood the true meaning of the day.

She Says She Was THERE, Too . . . Who Knew?

Words To Remember As The 4th Approaches . . .

Remembering Wiesel: What Happens When We Die?

Nobel Prize winner and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel says the body may not be eternal, but the soul is. Watch as he shares what he believes happens when he dies. Plus, Elie reveals how he felt his father's presence as he fought for his life after emergency open heart surgery.

Wiesel has just passed on at the age of 87.

In 2006, Oprah and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel walked the grounds of Auschwitz together. Still, there's one thing Elie didn't share with Oprah—or anyone—until now. Watch as Elie opens up for the first time about the remembrance of his little sister he carries in his pocket.