Blue Star Chronicles

Our Independence Day history is quite simply a Fourth of July celebration of the day that our founding fathers committed treason against the British Empire. They put their very lives on the line to declare the United States independent of foreign overseers. And so began our War for Independence and the birth of this great nation, based on radical beliefs that free men could better govern themselves than an oppressive centralized government. Read more below and see a video.

Fourth of July Celebration

On July 4, 1776 the members of the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. In so doing, they committed treason against Great Britain, a crime punishable by death.

‘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 fortunes and our sacred honor.’ ~ The Declaration of Independence

The first celebration of the anniversary of the colonies’ Declaration of Independence was celebrated with gun fire, fireworks, lighting candles and ringing bells. That declaration was only the beginning of gaining independence. The British weren’t taken with the idea of losing their American colonies, so the war and bloodshed raged on until 1783. In the end, the rag-tag American farmers defeated the most powerful Armies of the time and earned their independence. This is the heritage and the gift they passed on the every generation of Americans since.

Read the rest of this entry and see a moving video reading of our Declaration of Independence

Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin has announced that she will resign her position as of July 26, 2009. She announced that she will not seek a second term and will not serve a lame duck session at the expense of Alaskans. Read about it below. Also below are photos, the video and full text of her resignation speech.

Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin made an announcement today that she will not serve a second term as Alaska’s Governor. In addition, she related that she would not serve a lame duck session. In effect, she will be resigning her position as Governor at the end of July. She is passing the ball to Lt. Governor Sean Parnell, who will take the Oath of Office at the Governor’s picnic on July 25, 2009.

Read the rest of this entry, see the text of her speech and videos.

The Star Spangled Banner is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics were written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 and set to the 1780 music of John Stafford Smith. The song was formally adopted as our country’s national anthem in 1931. The lyrics are below. See historical documents and listen to a video of how the national anthem should be sung!

The Star Spangled Banner, our National Anthem

The story of how our national anthem was written is one every child in America learns in school. It was on the rainy night of September 3, 1814, when 35 year old aspiring poet Francis Scott Key, being held prisoner aboard a British ship, witnessed the bombardment by British gunboats of Fort McHenry in the Chesapeake Bay. This action? A battle during the “War of 1812″.

He witnessed the smaller “storm flag” of the American fort continued to fly though it was suffering greatly under the brutal heavy shelling by the British. Once the shell and rocket barrage had stopped, he couldn’t tell looking out his small window into the dark of night just how the battle had turned out. But by the next morning, the storm flag from the American fort had been lowered, and the larger flag had been raised and was flying proudly signaling victory.

Francis Scott Key was utterly inspired by the American victory and the sight of the large American flag flying triumphantly above the fort. This flag, with fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, came to be known as the Star Spangled Banner Flag and is today on display in the National Museum of American History, a treasure of the Smithsonian Institution. It was restored in 1914 by Amelia Fowler, and again in 1998 as part of an ongoing conservation program. You can see an actual picture of the Star Spangled Banner Flag below the fold.

Don’t know the lyrics to our national anthem? Feel the Star Spangled Banner is just way too hard to sing? Some useful idiots would say that we need a new national anthem, but my feeling is that we have the most beautiful and inspiring one in the world. Just listen to Whitney Houston’s version below and you’ll agree.

Lyrics, Photos, Video

When you have a totalitarian regime like Iran, run by a bunch of thuggish Mullahs, I suppose public hangings of the recent protesters and dissidents does a lot for controlling the masses.

Is Iran Hanging Protesters?

According to reports, the harsh crackdown by the Mullahs on protesters from the recent demonstrations in Iran has begun. Public hangings in the streets of six Mousavi supporters occurred in the holy city of Mashhad for their roles in the protests.

Read the rest of this entry

Italian Olympic swimmer Flavia Zoccari was unable to compete in a championship race at the Mediterranean Games when her Jaked J01 swimsuit ripped right up her backside! Read more about it below, see the unfortunate photos and a video.

Flavia Zoccari’s Swimsuit Rips

Italian Flavia Zoccari is a top olympic swimmer who was competing in a championship race yesterday at the Mediterranean Games in Pescara, Italy. Sadly, she was forced to sit out the race when her swimsuit, the “Jaked J01″ ripped out in the back. Needless to say, she was embarrassed and very upset.

Read the rest of this entry

It is a well known fact that Governor Sarah Palin is an avid runner. In a recent interview and photo shoot with Runner’s World magazine, she confidently said she could beat Barack Obama in a foot race: “I betcha I’d have more endurance.” Read more below, see some great photos, and watch a fun video.

Sarah Palin, Runner’s World

There is no doubt that Sarah Palin is competitive - a fighter really. Anyone who paid attention during last fall’s presidential campaign could see that. Now, she is featured in the August issue of Runner’s World magazine.

Sarah Palin said one of the frustrations she faced on the campaign trail with John McCain was that his staff wouldn’t schedule time for her daily runs because the days were always so busy and packed with events.

“The days never went as well if I couldn’t get out there and sweat.”

However, she did manage to fit in a few jogs during the campaign. One such run took place on Senator McCain’s ranch just before her debate against Joe Biden. Sarah actually fell down a hill!

“I was so stinkin’ embarrassed that a golf cart full of secret service guys had to pull up beside me. My hands just got torn up, and I was dripping blood. In the debate, you could see a big ugly Band-Aid on my right hand.”

Sarah says running isn’t just “a body thing” but rather it helps keep her emotionally and mentally in shape. The Sarah Palin Runner’s World article discusses her love of running, which is perhaps why the 45 year old mother of five, who gave birth to her son Trig just last year, looks so great.

Photos and Video

Collin Raye recorded A Soldier’s Prayer in honor of our military men and women. The video and lyrics are below.

Lyrics

We watch Antiques Roadshow sometimes. Its that show that has people bring in odds and ins from their homes to see if they’ve got any hidden treasures among all their junk. My mother took in a lamp one time when they were in our town. It turned out to be worth about what she paid for it at a garage sale. I imagine about 90 percent of the people who take their possessions into the show get them appraised for about what they paid for them, or less.

Of course, the show features the people who find out that old painting their grandmother had in the attic was really a legitimate antique by a well known artist and is worth thousands. Dust that thing off and hang it on the wall!

Well, now they have reached a real milestone. They have had their first 1 million dollar Antiques Roadshow appraisal. Seriously! Actually, the treasure was appraised conservatively at $1.07 million. The big appraisal happened during the show’s event in Raleigh, North Carolina on June 27, 2009.

Read the rest of this entry »

June 30, 2009 is the deadline for American Soldiers to leave Baghdad and other Iraq cities and towns. The US Troops, Iraq withdrawal is being implemented with mixed emotions and fears of an escalation in violence that has already begun. Read about it below and see photos and a video.

American Soldiers

American Troops have already begun pulling back to bases outside of the cities and towns of Iraq. As per an agreement between the U.S. and Iraq governments, any remaining U.S. Troops will serve in a support role only to the Iraqi Army. American Soldiers will not even be able to question suspected terrorists without the permission of the Iraqi government. That is not a position I like to see our Soldiers in. I don’t like our Soldiers having to answer to another government.

The pullout has been taking place gradually over the past few months. Tomorrow, June 30, 2009, iis the deadline for that pullout to be completed. The Obama Administration has closed down over 150 American bases in Iraq. This has coincided with an escalation of violence and bloodshed, which has been under reported in American media just as it was over reported during the Bush administration. Bombings at mosques and markets have increased significantly in the wake of US troop withdrawals. Al-Qaeda is said to be using this as an opportunity to re-start sectarian violence and division so that they can gain a foothold of control in the very young democracy.

Read the rest of this entry and see photos and a video.

Farrah Fawcett memorial services have been planned for Tuesday, June 30, 2009. Read the details below and see photos and memorial videos.

Farrah Fawcett Memorial

Actress, model, all-American beauty, sex symbol and pin-up girl icon Farrah Fawcett died last week after a 2 and a half year long brave battle with anal cancer. She was 62-years-old.

Her family has announced that there will be a private funeral for family and friends of Fawcett at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30, 2009. There will also be memorial service for family and friends only at the oceanside Jonathan Club in Santa Monica on Tuesday.

There are online memorials for Farrah Fawcett fans. If you want, you can leave a message of condolence in memory of Fawcett by signing guest books online.

You can also watch the rebroadcasting of Fawcett’s documentary of her struggle with cancer. The two-hour documentary, ‘Farrah’s Story‘, will air tonight on NBC.

Below are a couple of memorial videos as well as photos of Farrah Fawcett memorials that have been left by fans.

Photos and Video

Barack Obama has sent a letter of condolence to Michael Jackson’s family. The Obama Michael Jackson letter is discussed in the video below.

Obama took 11 days to respond to the Iranian protests, bloodshed and cries of the people there for freedom. It took him five days to make a decision to allow our military to rescue a captive boat captain from Somalian pirates. He has sent letters of reprimand to the leader of North Korea for defying U.N. sanctions and threatening to nuke the United States. But he’s also reassured them that we won’t do anything about it if we find that they are carrying nukes around in their ships. However, it seems that when he received some criticism from Michael Jackson fans for not giving a formal acknowledgment of the singer’s death, he responded quickly with a letter to the Jackson family offering his condolences.

Its all about priorities, I suppose.

Read the rest of this entry and see the video below.

Maria Belen Chapur released a statement in regards to her being exposed as the ‘other woman’ in the sex scandal that is engulfing the South Carolina Governor. Mark Sanford’s lover is speaking out in her own defense regarding the entire sordid affair and publicity that has swirled around the very public dissolution of Sanford’s marriage and probably his political career. Read about it below and see a photo and video of Chapur.

Maria Belen Chapur

The whole mess surrounding South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and his Argentine mistress, Maria Belen Chapur, has focused primarily on Sanford and his embarrassing press conference upon his return from Argentina. There was a lot of speculation about who the mysterious ‘Maria’ was in his equally embarrassing love emails that were released to the press for voyeurism of the world. We all knew it was only a matter of time before enterprising journalist would find out who she is, get her picture out on the internet and dig up videos that feature her. Needless to say, it didn’t take much time.

As a result of the entire mess, Ms. Chapur, a 41-year-old television reporter, has issued a statement and says that will be that from her.

Maria Belen Chapur’s released statement was read on Sunday on Argentine television station CN5. Here is the text of the statement:

Read Chapur’s statement and see a video of her below.