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neurosses · 3 months

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Excerpt from Chapter 15 (unpublished) of Concorde!

After school, and then his four-hour shift at Boyd's, Adam drives Ronan’s fixed BMW to Monmouth. He parks in the parking lot, opens the car door so he can look out at the many windows, and presses the BMW’s horn in a long and sustained motion with his elbow. Predictably, Ronan cocks his head out of his bedroom window with a middle finger and flying curse prepared, only for his jaw to drop. His quickly brightening eyes take in the whole of the vision: the completely refurbished shark-nosed car with not so much as a scratch left on the charcoal grey paint, Adam in his mechanic coveralls, the headlights as bright as they’ve ever been, and Adam’s smug smile and slouch on the car door. “Fuck,” Ronan calls down, elbows slanting on the windowpane, “yes, Parrish.” He’s in a tank top, his pale and ropey shoulders exposed and ablaze in the setting sun. He’s lean but defined. Adam wants to run his hands over those shoulders, go from arm to neck in a single gliding motion. Ronan's grin is savagely pleased, and Adam wants to touch that too. “Get your fucking car before I drive off with it,” Adam says, tossing the keys and catching them in his hand again. Ronan looks at the windowpane underneath his arms and then the asphalt backyard, clearly deciding the risk profile of trying to get down Monmouth from the outside rather than the inside. Adam gives him a glare that says your rib is already cracked, idiot, and Ronan laughs harshly, practically glowing with glee. “Stay right there,” he orders, like Adam would rather be anywhere else. Adam waits impatiently and wonders if he should’ve changed out of his work uniform before coming here. There was a way Ronan had looked at him a month ago at Boyd’s, gaze settled on the knot of the coverall’s arms around his waist, that made Adam suspect. Now, he churns with uncertainty. He’s tired and sweaty; there’s grit on the knees of his coveralls. Maybe this is stupid. Ronan pushes open the doors on the first story and grins at him, sweeping close all at once. One hand cradles Chainsaw, and the other is dangerously free. He reaches for the keys, and Adam holds them back. The motion is sudden and instinctual, the keys a glittering sun-kissed thing Adam is bidding Ronan to chase. Ronan huffs a laugh, the sound striking Adam right between his ribs, and grabs Adam’s arm, hissing a little when Adam tries to yank it away. Ronan rolls his eyes when Adam freezes. Chainsaw squawks and flaps her wings for attention. “I’m not fucking infirm,” he says. With a sudden twitch of his other arm, he grabs the keys and pulls them out of Adam’s hands. “You’re getting soft, Parrish.” “Maybe I let you take them,” Adam says. “Maybe I felt sorry for you.” “You?” Ronan scoffs. “Fat chance. Get in the fucking car.” Adam is grinning as Ronan drives too fast, his head out with his hand gripping the glass pane, wind whipping at his face. He wonders what ten-year-old Adam would think of this: sitting passenger in a raven boy’s car, in Ronan Lynch’s car. He’s pretty sure ten-year-old Adam had never felt such perfect, pristine happiness before, so firm he could taste it on his tongue like grains of sugar. He fumbles through CDs and finds some Queen. Then he raises the radio until it’s deafening; Chainsaw, sitting in a nest of clothes in the backseat, screams louder than the music. They pass the downtown core, and the dappled creek, and the bridge, and curve down the ramp onto the highway. It doesn’t matter where they’re going. It’s a three-day weekend, Ronan destroyed the BMW but not so terribly that Adam couldn’t fix it, and they’re alive. That means something. That means everything.

#literally im being so nice with these excerpts hdxhfcvhg GIVING YALL THE GOOD GOOD.#see the puzzles are worth it!!! <- evil laughter #concorde

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tvchi · 11 months

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I grew up with you

We became intertwined, inseparable

You were a place that I could fly, sore

Everyone knew that we would always be

I woke up today and so much time has passed

Lines etched in my skin have grown deeper

Almost as if to mark the times you’ve hurt me

The times I vowed to return the feeling

My eyes have sunken a bit, commemorating the times I’ve discovered that you lied to me or the times I’ve believed what others said about you

Ripping through the sinews and brawn trying to find meaning, we’ve made monsters of ourselves

Constantly cutting chords and chordae to find crumbs of calm—— concord

I quickly came to the realization that life was leaving me

I had to muster the vigor to seek freedom

But what screams louder than my own pain is

“How do I tell everyone else?”

#poemsdaily #poems on tumblr #short poems #original poem #tvchipoems #Spotify

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mariacallous · 2 years

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Ten writers appearing at the Lviv BookForum, run this year in partnership with the Hay festival, discuss why we need books more than ever

Tetyana Ogarkova: ‘We write and read to understand reality’

Ukrainian literary scholar and journalist

War takes away the ability to speak from many. Many writers say that they cannot write. A number of readers claim that they cannot read. The reality of war is something that can deprive you of the most important things – your life, your time and your capacity to think. It is difficult to write, to think and to dream when a missile hits the very heart of your reality.

But literature is still important. We write and read to understand reality. We write and read to invent a reality. When there is a war, you desperately need both.

When there is a war and you lose something valuable, if not everything valuable, you might think that everything is meaningless. In a way, war and violence are the pure absence of meaning.

That’s why there is no excuse for someone who starts an aggressive war. But those who defend themselves have to search for the meaning of their resistance every single day.

They say that wars are won by those who stand on the battlefield under heavy artillery fire and do not retreat. But no one can bear this if he does not understand the meaning of his resistance. Before being invincible on the battlefield, you have to find the words to justify your future victory.

Literature, among other things, provides us with an opportunity to find these words.

Yuval Noah Harari: ‘Peace begins in the mind of a poet’

Israeli professor of history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the author of books including the global bestseller Sapiens

Wars are usually fought over stories. People think that like wolves and chimpanzees, we fight over territory. But that is rarely true. Wolf packs and chimpanzee bands fight over hunting grounds and fruit trees, without which they would starve to death. Humans fight over the fantasies that they attach to certain places. Israelis and Palestinians don’t really need Jerusalem in order to eat. Hitler didn’t invade Poland because Germans ran out of space to build houses. If people really fought over territory, then Russia – the largest country in the world – should also have been the most peaceful. What do Russians need more territory for?

Most wars originate in the mind of some poet. The generals come much later, and while they think they obey the laws of realpolitik, they actually follow the dreams of a mythmaker. What drove Putin to invade Ukraine are fairytales about imaginary threats, and fantasies about power and glory. The war can ultimately be traced to the stories Putin loved as a child in the 1950s, and to the stories Russian children still learn at school today.

But peace too begins in the mind of some poet, able to see a better world through the smoke of war. When the cannons roar, the muses must speak louder than ever, and be extra careful about what they say. In the midst of carnage, we are tempted to sow the seeds of future hatred. But it’s our responsibility to sow the seeds of future concord.

Alim Aliev: ‘The written word is an island of freedom in the storm of repression’

Ukrainian deputy director general of the Ukrainian Institute and co-founder of CrimeaSOS

Last week, the Russian occupation court of Crimea sentenced my friend Nariman Dzhelal to 17 years in prison. Dzhelal was falsely accused of blowing up the gas pipeline on the peninsula, but the real reason he was sentenced, I believe, is that he was the most powerful and courageous voice of Crimean Tatars – the indigenous people of Ukraine..

Dzhelal has been behind bars for a year, and during this time he has become an author of prose and poetry. There are more than 140 Crimean political prisoners like him, and some of them write texts in Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages, which my colleagues and I have published in the anthology Crimean Fig. The written word has become an island of freedom in the storm of repression.

Crimean Tatar literature has gone underground, with authors writing under pseudonyms and using Aesopian language to write about life under occupation, as well as historical topics. Some writers get together and hold meetings in private apartments where they read poetry and prose for a limited circle of “their people”. This helps preserve the Crimean Tatar language, which today is endangered, according to Unesco, and is a cornerstone of the identity that Russian colonial policy is trying to destroy.

Philippe Sands: ‘Literature allows us to imagine across time and place’

British and French lawyer and author of books including the recently released The Last Colony

A month after the war against Ukraine began, a friend wrote to say that the Russian language translator of my book East West Street, on the origins of genocide and crimes against humanity in Lviv, in Ukraine, had been arrested. A lifelong defender of human rights, she was detained on the edge of Moscow’s Pushkinskaya Square, heading for the spot associated with acts of solitary, peaceful protest. She wanted to read a poem, written out on a large piece of paper.

The police spotted the rolled-up paper poking from her backpack. They stopped her and asked to see the paper. They read lines drawn from a poem, Listening to the Horrors of War. They were written in 1855, by renowned poet Nikolay Nekrasov, owner and editor of Sovremennik, a literary magazine, who had been inspired by stories submitted to him by Leo Tolstoy, recently returned from the war in Crimea. Nekrasov published them as the Sevastopol Sketches.

The translator was duly arrested. She was charged with “discrediting the current special operation by reading the text that Nekrasov wrote at the tail-end of the Crimean war, having been influenced by Tolstoy’s Sevastopol Sketches.”

Literature allows us to think and imagine, across time and place. It helps us to understand, as Tolstoy hoped with his Sketches, that the horrors and futility of war allow only one hero: truth.

Rachel Clarke: ‘Bearing witness in a time of war is profoundly necessary’

British palliative care doctor and author of Dear Life

Even in a chaotic, overwhelmed NHS hospital, I am struck anew every day at work by the medicinal force of storytelling. There is morphine for pain, silk for lacerations, electricity to jolt broken hearts back to life – but so often a doctor’s most transformative act is the one in which they stop and listen to a patient’s story. In turn, a doctor’s words can encourage, console, instil hope, assuage fear. Titrated carefully, dosed just right, words can even take a dying patient from the depths of despair to a place of hope or serenity. I’m not sure any drug has more power.

War, in this respect, is surely like illness. Amid the fracturing of normal life, the losses and upheavals, the new uneasy state of uncertainty and fear, telling one’s own story has immense therapeutic potential. Bearing witness in a time of war may be perilous, courageous, reckless or defiant. It is also profoundly necessary.

Samar Yazbek: ‘Writing truth offers justice to the oppressed’

Syrian author of novels including The Crossing and Planet of Clay

When facing destruction, our weapons are our words and our freedom to use them. Literature exposes the ugliness of war and its impact on human destiny, always looking to the future. It will not stop the war, but it will confront its ugliness with its aesthetics and imaginative vision. Literature strips the face of war and delves into the horrors of its brutal machine and its impact on the tragic fate of man.

For me, when the popular uprising began in Syria and then the war followed, I did not hesitate for a moment in my full commitment to the act of writing – about war and against war – through my novels, my documentaries and my journalism, not only because writing against war and violence is part of inventing a better future, but because writing against war and about war is an attempt to make our words part of an act of justice and a movement for change. No matter how slight, writing truth offers justice to the oppressed. ***

Volodymyr Yermolenko: ‘Literature during the war is both a blasphemy and a duty’

Ukrainian philosopher, journalist, and presenter of the podcast Explaining Ukraine

Literature during the war is a blasphemy because the reality of the war cannot be expressed in words. The war makes you speechless, silent. You can never express the pain of loss of your beloved ones. Or the horror of the mass graves and burnt cars with people inside. Or the abyss of mothers who lost their children. Any attempt to break this silence of mourning seems to be blasphemous.

Yet literature during the war is also a duty. We have a duty to speak, to witness, to confess, to make testimonies. Evil which is buried in silence is an evil that will return. Ukrainians know this all too well. The attempt of genocide we are facing now from the Russian invaders is horrible not only because it is an embodiment of cruelty, but also because it is an embodiment of the repeated cruelty. Previous crimes in this region were kept in silence for too long, and people who attempted to tell its stories were sent to jails or killed en masse. Therefore, we should break this vicious circle of silence. This makes literature an act of revolt against evil.

Victoria Amelina: ‘There are wounds only stories can heal’

Ukrainian novelist, essayist and human rights activist

War erases stories: war criminals kill, then hide the evidence in hopes that the world will never learn even their victims’ names. After liberating each town, Ukrainians work hard to recover the names of the dead, bury them with dignity, and tell the world their stories. Often we succeed, but not always. As I write this, on my way to Izyum to document war crimes, the occupiers may well be destroying the evidence of genocide in Mariupol. Despite all our efforts, too many stories will never be known. As a human rights activist, I document war crimes and advocate for justice. Yet, as a writer, I know there are wounds only stories can heal.

Oleksandr Mykhed: ‘Without the ability to write, I wouldn’t be here’

Ukrainian literary scholar, curator of art projects, and author of I Will Mix Your Blood with Coal

With a full-scale invasion, it’s difficult for me to focus on reading and listen to the undertones of moralising in great literature. A full-scale war shows everything with crystal clarity and adds fragility to the usual way of life and the people themselves.

A library of several thousand books is a burden that you cannot take with you while being evacuated. Only the memories of the books read can fit into an emergency bag. And with frequent relocations of a displaced person, these memories get lost.

However, the fear of Russian invaders of our books and culture restores my faith in the power of literature. Every time, the first thing they do in the occupied territories is rename the settlements in the Russian manner, bring back Soviet symbols, and purge libraries. The occupiers seek out “harmful” books as if they were as dangerous as flesh-and-blood “subversives”.

Literature does not fight, but writers have gone to war and are defending the country. At the same time, defenders who have not tried their hand at writing previously are trying to articulate their experience through books.

I still find it difficult to read. But without the ability to write and record the horrors of a full-scale invasion, I wouldn’t be here.

Margaret Macmillan: ‘Books can help us understand war’

Canadian history lecturer at the University of Oxford and author of The War that Ended Peace

Do we need to ask? War makes us confront our own mortality as well as the best and the worst in human nature. Books can help us understand. In the first world war ordinary French soldiers ordered copies of Tolstoy’s War and Peace to try to make sense of their grinding war in the trenches. Or we can escape, at least in our imaginations, our own wars. In the second world war two of the most popular books in English were Richard Llewellyn’s How Green Was My Valley, about lives and sorrows in a declining Welsh mining town and Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, about that earlier great war. You may love or hate Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s fable The Little Prince, published in the dark days of 1943 and one of the world’s best-sellers of all time. While it ends in the death of the wandering prince it also promises that wisdom can be found and love may, in the end, triumph. Hope matters too.

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freddiemercurydaily · 2 years

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9 November 1974, Melody Maker Published an Interview With Freddie Mercury“A Seventies Bombshell” By Chris Welch “People think I’m an ogre at times. Some girls hissed at me in the street… ‘You devil’ They think we’re really nasty. But that’s only on stage. Off stage, well I’m certainly not an ogre.”Freddie Mercury is a star, nevertheless. The first real rock supremo since Robert Plant or Rod Stewart. Exuding elan, arrogance and stagecraft he has emerged at the head of Queen to claim his crown. And step aside all ye who scoff or mock, for Queen are trundling ahead with inexorable momentum.Freddie was shouting at me in the deserted bar of a Liverpool hotel at 11 am on Saturday. No – he wasn’t expressing anger at recent MM criticism of the band.

He was just trying to make himself heard above the noise of a woman sucking at a carpet full of cigarette ash, with her Holiday Inn vacuum cleaner.“Oh my dear, she’s coming this way.” Freddie sighed as the din grew louder. Fastidious, elegant, he maintained an even temper, despite the ravages of last night’s celebrations. Many bottles of champagne had been consumed in the aftermath of a riotous reception for the boys at Liverpool’s stately, if somewhat battered Empire. Inevitably, thoughts had turned to another group of long ago, who caused similar scenes as they trod those hallowed boards. Oddly enough, Brian May, Queen’s fleet-fingered guitarist, uses AC 30 watt amplifiers, just like the Beatles. But Queen’s music is from the seventies – not the sixties. Cleverly arranged, carefully timed, delivered with maximum effort to create the greatest impact, it works on a young and receptive audience like a bombshell. Forget eight-year-olds screaming at the Osmonds. Their big brothers and sisters are learning how to yell again.“Yes, I like an audience to respond like that,” Freddie was saying. “Maybe we’d like them to sit down and listen to some of the songs, but I get a lot more from them when they’re going wild, and it brings more out of me.”Queen are a strange, refreshing bunch. They are in that happy position in a band’s story, when the first wave of excitement and success is breaking over them. Events are moving rapidly. Singles and album hits in Britain. America is within their grasp and beckoning seductively. Yet their image may have served to confuse and sow seeds of suspicion. Like any band achieving success too quickly for the media’s liking, they are under fire, although they seem more disappointed with the critics than hostile. The whole situation is an exact replica of Led Zeppelin back in 1969, when they were first deluged with self-righteous cries of abuse. Perhaps Queen have gone about the business of forming a successful group with too much skill and intelligence. And yet they cannot be blamed for wanting to avoid the mistakes of their fore-bears. They have the example of the last ten years of triumph and failure in the world of rock music to study, and they have profited from the examination. Like many of Britain’s most significant rock talents, Queen are collegians who have abandoned their degree courses for the lure of showbiz. Freddie Mercury in fact has a degree in graphic art. Roger Meddows Taylor, their drummer, studied dentistry and has a degree in biology. Brian May, incredibly, is an infra-red astronomer, and could become doctor if he completed his studies. When Concorde raced the sun to study an eclipse, he was in line to join the team of scientists on board. John Deacon, their bass guitarist, has a degree in electronics. If ever the band’s stage equipment presents a problem, then the roadies are tempted to call on him for expert advice. Their amiable, efficient American manager, Jack Nelson is somewhat in awe of them. “Freddie designed the group’s logia y’know, and he never told me. If you look, you’ll see it encompasses the four astrological signs of the group. Freddie’s a Virgo.” Jack has managed the band since they first emerged from London’s Trident Studios. “They go to Japan after they’ve been to the States in April. It’s funny, they are the number one group in Japan, above Jethro Tull, Yes and ELP, and even Deep Purple, and they used to OWN Japan. But they’ve never seen Queen yet – it’s all through the ‘Queen 2’ album.” Meanwhile the vacuum cleaner roared in ever decreasing circles.“I’m feeling less than sparkling this morning,” said Freddie, who admitted that the concert had been exhausting, even before the champagne took its toll. ‘Sheer Heart Attack’, their third album, just released, had already received a dose of press abuse. How did Mercury react?“The album is very varied, we took it to extreme I suppose, but we are very interested in studio techniques and wanted to use what was available. We learnt a lot about technique while we were making the first two albums. Of course there has been some criticism, and the constructive criticism has been very good for us. But to be frank I’m not that keen on the British music press, and they’ve been pretty unfair to us. I feel that up and coming journalists, by the large, put themselves above the artists. They’ve certainly been under a misconception about us. We’ve been called a supermarket hype. But if you see us up on a stage, that’s what we’re all about. We are basically a rock band. All the lights and paraphernalia are only there to enhance what we do. I think we’re good writers – and we want to play good music, no matter how much of a slagging we get. The music is the most important factor. This is our first headline tour, and the buzz has got around, without any support from the media. I suppose they like to find their own bands, and we’ve been too quick for them. You see, when we started out, we wanted to try for the best. The best management, the best record deal, we didn’t want any compromise, and we didn’t want to get ripped-off. So far, it has paid off. In America, we’ve broken the ice already. As you know, we started a tour there last year, supporting Mott The Hoople, but Brian was taken ill and we had to come back. But we had a top thirty album hit there. We’ve undertaken a huge project, but it’s all good fun.”How long did Queen spend in planning their project of world domination?“You make it sound so preconceived!” Freddie protested. Mercifully the cleaning device wailed to a halt, and helped dampen a threatened Mercurial outburst.“Believe it or not – it was spontaneous! It grew and grew, and remember, we had all been in various bands before, so we had plenty of experience of what NOT to do, and not be flabbergasted by the first rosy offer. That’s how much planning went into it. This isn’t overnight success you know, we’ve been going for four years! We just got the right people to work for us, and the right company, and it’s taken a long time. And yet we’ve been accused of being a hype, compared to bands we’ve never even heard of, and then finally told that we didn’t even write our own songs. That hurt. Right from the start we have been writing our own songs, and that was the whole point – to come up with some ORIGINAL songs. In this country, to gain respect in a short while seems very difficult, and the papers like to feel they have you in their grasp. Well – we slipped out of their grasp.”However, Freddie is the first to admit that there can be dissent within the group, as well as without.“We tend to work well under pressure. But do we row? Oh my dear, we’re the bitchiest band on earth. You’ll have to spend a couple of days with us. We’re at each other’s THROATS. But if we didn’t disagree, we’d just be yes-men, and we do get the cream in the end.”THE GIG: An atmosphere approaching bedlam is prevalent inside the Empire, long before Queen emit a hint of activity behind the sombre barrier of the safety curtain. Hustler have come and gone, and now the audience are hungry for action. Bad reviews? Supermarket rock? Thousands of Queen’s Liverpool supporters look suspiciously as if they couldn’t care neither jot nor little. They whistle and chant and clap with all the precision of the football terraces. The ancient cry of “Wally!” still heard in northern territories, echoes around the faded gilt decor. Jack Nelson is intrigued by the cry, wonders if Wally are a local group and wants to sign them, until informed Bob Harris already has a stake in the real thing. Mersey accents boom over the PA: “We do apologise for technical hitch, it’s to do with the PA system and we are assured the show will start in two, three or four minutes.” More whistles, as tough-looking lads in white trousers and combat jackets with ELP and Jethro Tull emblazoned on the back, pass beer bottles and conduct the audience with cheeky gestures. It’s all in fun and the only mild aggro comes when the Queen’s entourage from London try to claim their seats near the front. ” #### off!” directs one youth as PR Tony Brainsby pleads for his seat. “All these seats are taken, up to the gentleman there,” says Tony, pointing at me. Ribald laughter from the watching stalls, and repeated cries of “Ooh – Gentleman!”. Grousing, the seat pirates eventually relinquish their hold, with dark mutterings of: “Alright, but we’ll see you outside.” The battle was in vain, for as the party took their seats, the safety curtain went up, and the audience rushed forward. Instantly the house lights went up again and the curtain jerked uncertainly down. A nervous man with face ashen of hue appeared at the side of the stage clad in incongruous evening dress, as if he were the master of ceremonies and this was old time music-hall. “There is no way we are going to start…” he began. “All you have to do is enjoy the show…” But there was a way. Somebody turned a blinding spotlight on the managerial figure, and he retired defeated, as the curtain halted in mid descent and began a jerky upward movement. Within seconds most of the audience were standing up to gaze desperately at the darkened empty stage, and there they were – shadowy figures bounding towards the waiting instruments. The lights blazed, and there was evil Fred, clad all in white, the archetypal demon rock singer, pouting and snarling:“Queen is back. What do you think of that?”A tumultuous roar indicated that the mob were well disposed to the idea. It was difficult to assess the early part of the band’s performance because the fans with that wonderful selfishness of clamorous youth, decided to stand on their seats, their bodies screening both sight and sound. As a non-paying guest, I was not too worried on my account, but felt sorry for the kids at the back who had paid their cash. Retiring to the back of the theatre, and giving up the hard won seats, we watched the scenes of tumult, including a boy on crutches, perhaps unable to see, but desperately waving his steel supports in supplication. The band’s strategy and appeal began to take shape as they tore through such dramatic pieces as “Now I’m Here”, “Ogre Battle”, “Father To Son”, and “White Queen” from the second album. Roger’s drum are the band’s workhorse, punching home the arrangements, and mixing a sophisticated technique with violent attack. Roger says his favourite drummer is John Bonham. Brian is a fervent, emotional guitarist, who is like a Ronno-figure to Freddie, and is obviously a gifted musician. The onstage attention is judiciously divided between them, and when May takes a solo on his guitar, Mercury leaves the stage, only to return in a stunning new costume. Into a medley now, and apart from their slickness, and Freddie’s dynamic presence, the extra power of almost choral vocal harmonies is appreciated, something that few bands with a central lead singer can achieve. The camper aspects of Queen are displayed in “Leroy Brown”, a gay, dixie-land tune that Freddie insists is inspired by the Pointers Sisters. Then their first hit “Seven Seas Of Rhye” and a lunatic tempo on “Stone Cold Crazy”, “Liar”, and the finale from “Lap Of The Gods”. Dry ice began to envelope the stage, and as red light glowed through the fog, group and audience took on an eerie aspect, like a scene from some Wagnerian forste, as arms waved like young saplings in a night breeze. Then an explosion of white light, and two red flares burn over a deserted stage. Queen have gone, signalling a desperate roar of “MORE!” After some three minutes the band responded to the insistent demand: “We Want Queen”, Wally having been long forgotten. Into “Big Spender”, with its slow, measured pace and finally “Modern Times Rock ‘n’ Roll”, an apt anthem for a group of our times. The band are still developing, and their mixture of heavy rock and glamorous display might seem curious. But as Queen makes its royal tour of the land, the effect on their subjects is to inspire unmitigated loyalty. And amidst predictions of gloom for the British rock scene, it is a healthy and encouraging spectacleThe first beautiful photo of Queen is from the ‘Sheer Heart Attack' photoshoot and was taken by the brilliant Mick Rock The other two photos were taken during Queen’s concert at Empire Theatre in Liverpool 1 November 1974

#gallery #freddiemercury #magazine #fansite

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alex-bowman · 2 years

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WTGF (A.Bowman) Chapter 3

Jess’ POV

I looked up and saw Denny standing there looking pissed a fuck.

“What?” I asked.

“Don’t what me. You and Bowman.. Out of all fucking people you have to be intimate with that asshole?!” Denny yelled.

“He’s not an asshole. Just cause you don’t like him cause you think he’s a ‘hack’ and dirty driver. If you think he’s a dirty driver you should look at yourself. You’re one of the dirtiest drivers out there.” I replied, defending my man.

Denny rolled his eyes. “I told you no dating or getting involved with drivers! You may be an adult but you’re still my little sister.”

“Okay I’m an adult tho. I’m 21, you're 41. Even though I’m 20 years younger than you. I need to be an adult with freedom. I’m old enough to do anything. Now leave me alone. It’s a long ass drive.” I replied. I stuck my headphones over my ears and texted Alex.

Jessica: I miss you 😢

Alex: I miss you too baby

Jessica: Denny’s being an ass. I wanna be with you, not go back to NC with him.

Alex: I live in Concord, NC.

Jessica: I’m in Lake Norman, I’ll drive to you

Alex: Okay, I’ll be waiting for you, and I’ll send you my address.

We got home and I went to my room, and packed a duffel right away. Then I headed out to the main living area.

“Where are you going?” Denny asked.

I looked at him, “I’m going to be with Alex.” I admitted.

“No you’re not.” He replied..

“Daddy, let auntie be happy.” Taylor, Denny’s oldest daughter said.

“Princess, stay out of this.” Denny replied to her.

Taylor looked down and walked away.

“You’re such an ass. Goodbye.” I said, walking outside.

I got in my car and made the 54 minute drive to Concord.

After pulling up to Alex’s house. I got out of my car and grabbed my purse and duffel bag. I walked up the driveway.

“Hey gorgeous.” Alex pulled me into a hug. I felt a relaxation sensation when Alex hugged me.

After getting settled, we had a few drinks and got in the hot tub.

“So what did Denny say when you told him you were coming to be with me?” Alex asked.

I chuckled a little, “He said that i wasn’t going, and my niece, his oldest daughter, Taylor, said to let me go, Denny told her to stay out of it, she walked away and I told Denny bye and left.”

“Hahahaha that’s awesome, also I’m sorry but your brother’s a dick.” Alex replied.

I nodded, “You don’t gotta apologize,” I laughed.

Alex pulled me closer to him and kissed me. I kissed him back. He got out of the hot tub, and lifted me up, continuing to kiss me while carrying me to his bedroom. Once we got upstairs, he threw me on his bed, smirking at me.

I looked up at him and he kissed my neck. “Mm fuck.” I moaned.

Alex undid my bikini top, and kissed down to my boobs, sucking on my nipples, causing me to moan louder. “You like that, baby?” He asked.

“Mm, mhm.” I replied.

He didnt say anything after that, just took my bikini bottoms off, and he started licking my pussy. “Oh god!” I moaned out in pleasure. I felt him start to suck me, “O-oh fuck daddy, yes!”

He continued to suck my pussy and tease some more. “Fuck babe stop teasing.” I said.

Alex smirked, pulling his swim shorts off, and spreading my legs apart, he slammed into me with no warning. Every thrust harder and faster.

****

I laid in Alex’s arms, feeling myself slowly start to fall asleep.

In the morning I woke up, sore as hell. But Alex is so good in bed I couldn’t be mad.

I smelt bacon and coffee, I got up and walked downstairs, seeing Alex butt-naked cooking breakfast.

I seriously could get used to this.

#alex bowman #hendrick motorsports #nascar #fanfiction #nascar fanfiction

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the-firebird69 · 14 days

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Battle of Lexington & Concord | 2023 Reenactment

youtube

This is one of the most impressive reenactments in history you're allowed to be right on the sidelines you are feed from these soldiers who are screaming and you don't know the real soldiers unless you've been around and they are screaming the orders just like the guards in Britain and it's very loud most of the time you don't know what they're saying because it's military lingo and I send you a bunch of it but he had a hard time half of it he said I couldn't be following at all and the screaming just to March faster and things like that but boy it's chaos and very very loud the guns are very loud the horses are making noises and breathing heavy and yelling and it's chaos and you smell a ton of gunpowder and it burns the eyes a little and you can't breathe right our sun was okay but a lot of people suffer from it and you are hearing these pistols and cannons and rifles and the pistols are very loud if you're close it's horrifying and the rifles are louder they're like small cannons and it's an uncontrolled explosion he said but it's through a long pipe so the whole thing ignites and explodes sometimes twice it makes a horrific noise it'll come out and throw the ball out and then it explodes again at the mouth and it makes a large boom because of it and a lot of rifles get damaged because of how they pack it and it is frightening as hell our son was right there on the edge and he looked at his mom and dad only twice but he said it's just normal and they said yeah this is it and he was proud because he knows his son was impressed and he was in that battle he didn't fire the shot but people wonder who and a lot of people think it's Paul Revere it goes around the whole thing and our son and daughter think that it's Washington and we do too and that's why we're posting this and it started recently April 19th 2024 and it was there but you have to understand that someone keeps imitating him and he hates him and he's not here and he knows that he was the one and he saw him do it and he knows if he was shot by him so he's grilling our son and it's wrong and the guy involved our team because he can't keep it straight this is what we're building up to tell this person who was fatally assaulted but by Dave and actually our son figured out who it was and he doesn't care he's not thankful or anything and things all sorts of stuff and he says oh yeah and the captured him but that was before they did not capture him in the UK and he's in the ground and he's trying to get him out and we have said he has not been touched and people are watching that area and they say he hasn't but his Shadow of doubt our son because he wants to make sure but this is about JC and Mary versus Joel Watson Sarah and it's the empire cuz they didn't care if they were firing on the pseudo empire and they also are down below and what's down below the max actually announced that it is the Giants and they are the David's son version and people are going there they're huge and it is because when they got buried sometimes they would sink and they got revived recently and they're moving out right now and the status and caches will be gone and more and he's going to post the last of the series of six of six this is five of six

Thor Freya

Olympus

He certainly get your number again we see it and we're in horror this is going to be a nightmare and we see the sequence of events and you put pieced it together because it wouldn't shut up sometimes we do that

Trump

It's very expensive and you dragged me in just like ghwb wanted and people are horrified in Texas is now swamped

Mac daddy

We know about that part of it and we encouraged George but we didn't know this guy was a maniac and he is I mean he's very aggressive more so than the Olympus and they're extremely aggressive

Macs

They've been doing this for a long time and nothing's happened is what we hear

Joel

That's absolutely true but you see that he might have some stuff coming and it's bigger than we thought tougher and very hard to get near

Macs

#Youtube

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animaladdict1 · 8 months

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Did you know that The loudest animal in the world is a mere 2cm long, prawn. The Pistol Shrimp is capable of snapping its claw shut so rapidly, that it creates a bubble which collapses to produce a sonic blast, louder than a Concorde’s sonic boom.

The shock wave can reach 230 decibels, also louder than the sound of a gunshot. The imploding bubble for split seconds also generates temperates of 4,400C, nearly as hot as the sun, killing its prey.

#shrimp #animal #wow #underwater #sea life #loud #animals #animal addict

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mverickz · 10 months

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blood - lixue&jieli

actions speak louder than words ♡ aceitando !

cw: sangue, luta e assassinato.

apesar de ser a filha do imperador, lixue estava longe de querer viver uma vida tranquila e confortável, isso não era mais uma surpresa para ninguém. entretanto, muitas pessoas ainda a subestimavam e não aceitavam que a chinesa se apresentasse como guerreira ou estrategista de guerra. mesmo que muitos tivessem medo de discutir com alguém como ela, uns e outros não pareciam ter esse receio.

"você é fraca demais" foi o que escutou enquanto se mantinha sentada em uma das pontas da mesa, o conselheiro um pouco mais ao seu lado mais uma vez buscava a convencer de desistir de se meter com a política "e para piorar, trouxe aquela mulher para dentro do castelo e ainda a fez sua esposa. o imperador apenas concordou com isso porque ele não sabe dizer não para a filha." a menção sobre jieli a fez erguer seu olhar, não estava dando muita atenção a nada do que ele dizia até agora. "pelo menos ela logo vai deixar de ser um empecilho". se levantou de forma súbita, colocando uma de suas mãos sobre a mesa — o que você quer dizer com isso? — questionou, fechando um pouco do seu punho ali. não era como se carregasse sentimentos por jieli, não poderia, certo? só que agora ela era sua esposa e não deixaria que outras pessoas dissessem seu nome em vão. menos ainda a ameaçassem. lixue era a única que podia tocar na mulher e queria deixar isso claro.

não precisou ouvir muito mais para que entendesse exatamente qual era o plano. muitos não concordavam com ter a outra ali dentro e a feng até poderia entender os motivos, só que não ligava. fazia parte do seu plano fazer tudo desse jeito e não deixaria que contrariassem suas vontades. queriam envenenar a mulher e fazer parecer que ela apenas adoeceu, algo sobre isso fez seu estômago se revirar e a princesa mal se percebeu quando já estava pulando sobre o homem em sua frente. ele ainda estava sentado e não seria muito difícil o imobilizar, mesmo com o tamanho alheio o treinamento da mulher e suas posições a deixavam na vantagem. a adaga que carregava consigo já em suas mãos, lixue nunca começaria uma briga que não pretendesse terminar.

a luta por poder a fez se machucar só que ela conseguiu o golpe final, cortando o pescoço do maior enquanto se colocava sobre ele, gastando a sua raiva um pouco mais com ataques que já não eram necessários. seus braços e algumas partes de seu rosto estavam machucadas, só que nada muito grave. entretanto seu corpo e suas vestes sujas com as manchas vermelhas. — e a minha esposa não cairia em um plano tão estúpido. — lixue se ergueu, um shizong estava morto e aquilo lhe daria problemas com seu pai, mas ela não pensava sobre isso no momento.

só tinha uma coisa em sua mente.

se apressou até os aposentos de jieli, sabia que ela estava bem, era impossível que algo tivesse acontecido, porém algo dentro de si queria ter certeza. só queria a ver por um momento. não bateu na porta enquanto a abria com pressa. — jieli?! — a chamou um pouco ofegante, olhando ao redor. conforme entrava no local, um discreto sorriso surgiu nos cantos de seus lábios ao ver que a outra continuava do mesmo jeito que ela imaginava. era óbvio que algumas perguntas sobre o que era todo aquele sangue surgiram e lixue balançou sua mão. — eu estou bem. apenas surgiu um problema com o qual eu tive que lidar. a maior parte disso... não é meu. — comentou, mas foi obrigada a se sentar. seu olhar seguia os movimentos da outra e por algum motivo a chinesa agora se sentia tranquila. as mãos alheias começaram a tocar seu rosto, o qual a maior limpava e a ajudava a tirar toda aquela sujeira de si. a mulher falava algo consigo, só que por um momento a princesa se perdeu; sua visão fitava o rosto alheio tão próximo a si, aproveitando do toque suave que ela tinha misturado ao seu perfume no qual ela aos poucos se sentia viciada por e, ao perceber que encarava demais, desviou o seu olhar. realmente tinha algo na outra. era claro, afinal ela acabou de matar um homem por ela. por que havia o feito? ela era tão importante assim? talvez mais do que lixue pudesse imaginar. — nos próximos dias eu quero que você faça todas as suas refeições comigo. — pediu, sorrindo de canto para a outra. não ia explicar o motivo e no momento só queria que ela a obedecesse, com o acontecido achava improvável alguém realmente agir, entretanto queria pelo menos por um tempo se certificar que não perderia a mulher.

@jffstr

#ask ♡ respondidas #dynamic ♡ jieli & lixue #partner ♡ rainy #é isso que os jovens chamam de bonding???#perdão se escrevi uma novela quis dar o contexto #tive essa ideia e quis botar pra jogo #mas peço perdão se eu tiver VIAJADO #lixue: “eu totalmente n tenho sentimentos!”

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lilyflxwers · 1 year

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I am a walking encyclopaedia. Funky animal facts for Hope:

Dolphins can recognise music and even have their favourite songs;

Starfish don't have a brain!;

Every dog has a unique nose print with no two alike;

A newborn kangaroo is the size of a lima bean;

The loudest animal in the world is a mere 2cm long, prawn. The Pistol Shrimp is capable of snapping its claw shut so rapidly, that it creates a bubble which collapses to produce a sonic blast, louder than a Concorde’s sonic boom;

Otters “hold hands” while sleeping, so they don’t float away from each other

B R I T T OMG I LOVE U AND I LOVE THESE FACTS SO MUCH. doesn’t surprise me that a prawn is the loudest animal bc it gives me those vibes yk

and I would love to be an otter look how sweet they are! (though I’m more like a starfish rn)

#britt tag <3 #my cute little moots

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blogdebrinquedo · 1 year

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Elton John "Louder Than Concorde Tour" 1976 – Action Figure Neca Clothed

Elton John “Louder Than Concorde Tour” 1976 – Action Figure Neca Clothed

A Neca colocou em pré-venda sua segunda figura Clothed Action Figures celebrando o fantástico pianista, cantor e compositor Sir Elton John. O Elton John “Live in ’76” Clothed Action Figure captura o lendário músico britânico com as roupas usadas na histórica tournê Louder Than Concorde (But Not Quite As Pretty) Tour com 62 shows ao longo de 1976 e que consolidou o status de Elton como um fenômeno…

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elton-john-live-concerts · 2 years

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Elton John Live in Rich Stadium Buffalo, NY, USA August 7th, 1976

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actionfigureinsider · 1 year

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New announcement from @necaofficial - @eltonjohn In partnership with Elton John, NECA has produced a second deluxe tribute to the legend and his profound influence on both music and fashion. The Elton John Live in ‘76 action figure set stands 8 inches (20.3 cm) tall and features the legend in his patriotic best: a shimmering coat-tail tuxedo resplendent in red, white, and blue. The “Louder Than Concorde (But Not Quite As Pretty)” Tour cemented Elton’s status as a global phenomenon, and as appropriate we’ve included a massive 12-inch (30.5 cm) piano as it appeared during the tour! This deluxe set also includes a piano bench, microphone stand, interchangeable hands, and three interchangeable heads with different expressions. #neca #eltonjohn https://www.instagram.com/p/CmHD0mbOowG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#neca #eltonjohn

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sumaqosh · 1 year

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I posted 42 times in 2022

That's 42 more posts than 2021! I've only been on here for one month so consider this to be a month in review LOL

10 posts created (24%)

32 posts reblogged (76%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@ strymes49-blog

@ globcomics

@ doglover502

@ sumaqosh

@ bokureii

I tagged 12 of my posts in 2022

#sumartqosh - 5 posts

#birds - 3 posts

#dog - 2 posts

#avian - 2 posts

#space - 2 posts

#dalmatian - 2 posts

#windows me - 1 post

#volant - 1 post

#music - 1 post

#volantmusic - 1 post

Longest Tag: 20 characters

#101 dalmatian street

My Top Posts in 2022:

Amplified Concord

Here is my dalmatian character called 'Amplified Concord'.

The definition of the word 'Concord' is, "an agreement or harmony between people or groups". After seeing the worsening divides in society (which have been worsened by propaganda and polarising elections) I felt that these calls for 'Concord' must be louder for people to understand, or 'Amplified' (hence my dalmatian character's name).

I can understand arguing and debates (though I don't endorse any political party or label) but society has gotten to a point where division is so deep, which has even resulted in people's civil rights being sabotaged in the process. It shouldn't be like this. We deserve better than this.

We all need to put aside our differences so that we can understand each other and appreciate the diversity of humanity, which is something I long for and want to let people know about, which is why I created Amplified Concord when redesigning his looks (he used to be called Mordson).

💚

1 note - Posted November 10, 2022

Hi. I have finally entered Tumblr! I'm SumaQosh (some of you may know me as 'SumaYosh') and I make oekaki looking pixel arts of adorable characters. I also have a huge passion for underground electronic music!

https://www.instagram.com/sumaqosh/ || https://twitter.com/SumaQosh || SumaQosh#3876 (I also have a discord server so feel free to DM me for an invite!)

Displayed in this image are some of the main characters that I've made.

Left to Right:

Amplified Concord, Julian, Holton-on-Tiachung, Saw Wave and SumaYosh!

1 note - Posted November 8, 2022

Yo!

I hope you're all doing well!

2 notes - Posted December 4, 2022

One of my 'Electronic music recaps' inspired by the Monstercat weekly recaps that used to happen.

This showcases elements from the following songs:

Paper Skies - Star Seeker || Metaroom - Dinki The Starguide || nuphory & Stessie - Star Anthem (@nuphory btw, check her out!)

Star Seeker: The star, rectangles, hand, sphere

Dinki The Starguide: the character on the bottom left, shape of the star

Star Anthem: Stessie in the top right, purple objects behind the characters

To this day this is one of my favourite pieces of art I've ever made.

スター：ガイド | シーカー | アンセム should be able to translate to: STAR : GUIDE / SEEKER / ANTHEM (hopefully correct)

3 notes - Posted November 18, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Here are some of my main characters. Holton-on-Taichung (the tiger cub) and Amplified Concord (the dalmatian) relax in a field as weird lights illuminate the sunset.

3 notes - Posted November 18, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #false

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rabbitcruiser · 2 years

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Independence Day

Americans come together on July 4 to celebrate the nation’s birthday and Independence Day. On this day, most Americans enjoy grills in their backyards, at beaches, or in parks. Some partake in parades or marches and enjoy the fireworks that are often launched at dusk. We kick off the festivities with details, trivia, and anything else you need to know about Independence Day. Happy Fourth!

When is Independence Day 2022?

The American glory of Red, White, and Blue, is celebrated on Independence Day on July 4.

History of Independence Day

Although most of us already had this history lesson in school, we probably weren’t really paying attention as the clock ticked closer to recess or the end of the day. But we can’t fully appreciate our freedoms if we don’t know how we got them — and, more importantly, how close we came to losing them. The story of America’s independence is truly fascinating with more historical twists and turns than we can possibly get into here. But at least we can get you started with the basics.

In the 1700s, America wasn’t really a nation of ‘united states.’ Instead, there were 13 colonies with distinct personalities. From 1763 to 1773, Britain’s King George III increasingly placed pressure on the colonies as he and the British Parliament enacted a succession of draconian taxes and laws on them. Excessive taxes on British luxury goods like tea and sugar were designed to benefit the British crown without any regard for the hardships of the colonists. By 1764, the phrase “Taxation without representation is tyranny” spread throughout the colonies as the rallying cry of outrage.

The more the colonists rebelled, the more King George doubled down with force. Imagine if enemy soldiers not only had the right to enter your home but the soldiers could demand that you feed and house them. The Quartering Act of 1765 allowed British soldiers to do just that.

But the Stamp Act of 1765 became the straw that broke the colonists’ backs. Passed by Parliament in March, this act taxed any piece of printed paper, including newspapers, legal documents, ships’ papers — and even playing cards! As the colonial grumbling got louder and bolder, in the fall of 1768, British ships arrived in Boston Harbor as a show of force. Remember, the British Navy dominated the seas all over the world due to the far-reaching presence of the British Empire.

Tensions boiled over on March 5, 1770, in Boston Harbor during a street fight between a group of colonists and British soldiers. The soldiers fired shots that killed 47-year-old Crispus Attucks, the first American and Black man to die along with three other colonists in the Boston Massacre.

In 1773, the Boston Tea Party (from which today’s Tea Party Republicans get their name) erupted when colonists disguised as Mohican Indians raided a British ship, dumping all the tea overboard to avoid paying the taxes. Continued pressure led to resistance and the start of the Revolutionary War in the towns of Lexington and Concord when a militia of patriots battled British soldiers on April 19, 1775. Conditions were ripe for American independence.

When the first battles in the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, only a handful of colonists wished for total independence from Great Britain, and those who did were considered extremists.

However, halfway through the following year, many more colonists had come to lean more toward independence, as a result of growing hostility towards Britain and the spread of revolutionary views like those conveyed in the bestselling pamphlet published in early 1776 by Thomas Paine — “Common Sense.”

On June 7, 1776, the Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania State House (later Independence Hall) in Philadelphia and Richard Henry Lee, the Virginia delegate, introduced a motion calling for the independence of the colonies. Amid heated debate, Congress rescheduled the vote on Lee’s resolution but appointed a five-man committee — including Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, and Robert R. Livingston of New York — to draft a formal statement justifying the defect from Great Britain.

On July 2, 1776, in a virtually unanimous vote, the Continental Congress voted in favor of Lee’s resolution for independence, and on July 4th, it formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, which had been written largely by Jefferson. Ultimately, the drafting of the Declaration of Independence was a contentious process. After much debate over what to include and what to leave out, Thomas Jefferson, tasked with pulling the document together, envisioned a nation where “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness” crystallized the very meaning of being an American. The document proclaimed the 13 American colonies’ liberation from Britain and reaffirmed their rights as free men — declaring that they were no longer subject (and subordinate) to the monarch of Britain, King George III, and were now united, free, and independent states.

John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail that July 2 “will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival” and that the celebration should include “Pomp and Parade…Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.”

By an extraordinary coincidence, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, the only two signatories of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as presidents of the United States, both died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. Although not a signatory of the Declaration of Independence, James Monroe, another Founding Father who was elected as president, also died on July 4, 1831, making him the third President who died on the anniversary of independence. The only U.S. president to have been born on Independence Day was Calvin Coolidge, who was born on July 4, 1872.

Independence Day timeline

1763–177 3A Taxing Time

Britain’s King George III subjects colonial America to harsh taxes and laws, which benefits the Crown, not the colonists.

1765 Stamp Act

British Parliament's so-called Stamp Act taxes the colonists on any piece of printed paper including newspapers, legal documents, ships’ papers, and even playing cards.

1770 Shots Heard

British soldiers fire shots that kill 47-year-old Crispus Attucks, the first American and black man to die along with three other colonists in the Boston Massacre.

1773 Boston Tea Party

Disguised colonists take over a British ship and dump all the British tea overboard to avoid paying the taxes for it.

July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence

After spending two days on revisions, the Continental Congress approves the historical document's final wording.

1941 Declaration of a Holiday

Independence Day becomes a federal holiday.

1950 Establishing Independence Day Traditions

Barbecues, parades, flag-raising ceremonies, and fireworks become the norm on Independence Day.

1976 Bicentennial

Americans celebrate the country's 200th birthday — the U.S. Mint issues a special Bicentennial quarter — with new designs featuring all 50 states.

INDEPENDENCE DAY TRADITIONS

American Independence Day parades go way back. By the summer of 1776, Americans celebrated the ‘death’ of British rule with mock funerals, revelry, and feasting. Americans still love to celebrate — and if you’re seeking a truly authentic experience, travel to Bristol, Rhode Island, home of America’s oldest Independence Day parade since 1785. Watch fife and drum corps marching bands, cartoon characters, and celebrities in vintage cars.

On Independence Day, we haul out family recipes for chili, barbecue ribs, chicken, and even tofu. We savor Louisiana gumbo and Maine lobster boils. There are zesty potato salads and delicious sweet corn roasted on the cob. Pies and cakes are laid out. Independence Day lets you get your patriotic grub on.

They chirp, whiz, and bang. Fireworks originated with the ancient Chinese, spread to Europe, and later added colorful displays to early American Independence Day events. Both Boston and Philadelphia launched fireworks on July 4, 1777. John Adams told his wife, Abigail, that Independence Day “ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, bonfires and illumination.” This year, enjoy your Independence Day finale with a phantasmagorical fireworks display!

INDEPENDENCE DAY BY THE NUMBERS

2.5 million – the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation in 1776.

327 million – the estimated population of the country in 2018.

56 – the number of signers of the Declaration of Independence.

1st – signer was John Hancock.

70 – the age of the oldest of the signers, Benjamin Franklin.

$4.0 million – the dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags in 2013.

$781,222 – the dollar value of U.S. flags exported in 2013.

$302.7 million – the annual dollar value of shipments of fabricated flags, banners, and similar emblems by the country’s manufacturers.

1 in 4 – the number of people who will set off their own fireworks.

150 million – the number of wieners consumed on the holiday nationwide.

Independence Day FAQs

What does the 4th of July mean?

The 4th of July is America’s Independence Day, and the annual celebration of the nation.

How old is America today?

As of 2021, the United States of America is 245 years old.

What is the most famous text in the Declaration of Independence?

The best-known part of the Declaration of Independence is “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness … “

Independence Day Activities

Read the Declaration of Independence

Watch fireworks

Visit a national landmark or historical site

Most Americans have never actually read the Declaration of Independence. But if it weren't for this short but historically significant document, they may not have been able to spend the day grilling or lighting fireworks, and definitely wouldn't have had the day off.

It's a blast — in more ways than one. Gazing at fireworks on the Fourth is a tradition that goes back centuries. In fact, John Adams alluded to this type of celebration in a letter he wrote to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776.

America is full of fascinating historical landmarks and sites. No matter where in the country you live, there is almost certainly a site of historical importance nearby. Some ideas could include a Native American reservation, a Civil War battleground, a government building, or a war memorial.

5 Fascinating Facts About The Declaration Of Independence

John Adams refused July 4

Technically…

Edits and revisions

Independence wasn’t the only reason

It’s not a map, but…

Because the actual vote for independence took place on July 2, 1776, John Adams refused to recognize celebrations for July 4.

The Declaration of Independence was finalized on July 4, but most of the signers actually signed the document on August 2, 1776.

There were a total of 86 edits made to the original draft written by Thomas Jefferson.

The Declaration of Independence was penned down formally so that colonies seeking foreign allies could legally declare themselves free from the British.

There isn’t a treasure map as shown in the movie “National Treasure,” but there is actually something written on the back of the Declaration of Independence — “Original Declaration of Independence dates 4th July 1776.”

Why We Love Independence Day

It's the most delicious day of the summer

We're all in this together

You can wear whatever you want — as long as it's red, white, and blue

There are few days of the year that offer as much food variety as the Fourth of July. Steak? Check. Chicken wings? Yep. Fresh strawberry pie? Absolutely. Macaroni and cheese? You got it. No matter what you're craving, it's sure to be available on Independence Day.

Admit it, the Fourth of July makes you feel giddy. Maybe it's the parades, the BBQs, or, most likely, the fireworks. This is the one night of the year you can watch the sky light up, while surrounded by children laughing, dogs barking, and patriotic music playing.

That bandana you never get to wear? That decades-old T-shirt with an American flag on it? Those are all fair game on Independence Day — as long as they're red, white, and blue.

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