TRIVIA:
QUOTES:
CHUCKLES/BELLY
LAUGHS & GROANERS
TRIVIA:
July
4th Fun Facts!
4th of July by the Numbers
On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence
was approved by the Continental Congress, starting the 13 colonies on the
road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this most American of
holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across
the country.
Patriotic Places
Number of places nationwide with "liberty"
in their name. The most populous one is Liberty, Missouri (26,232). Iowa
has more of these places than any other state: four (Libertyville, New
Liberty, North Liberty and West Liberty).
* Eleven places have "independence"
in their name. The most populous of these is Independence, Missouri, with
113,288 residents.
* Five places adopted the
name "freedom." Freedom, California, with 6,000 residents, has the largest
population among these.
* There is one place named
"patriot" — Patriot, Indiana, with a population of 202.
* And what could be more
fitting than spending the day in a place called "America"? There are five
such places in the country, with the most populous being American Fork,
Utah, with 21,941 residents. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet
The Fourth of July Cookout
As with many holidays, the 4th of July celebration
includes food, drink and the realization of how fortunate we are as a nation.
More than 66 million
Number of Americans who said they have taken
part in a barbecue during the previous year. It's probably safe to assume
a large number of these events took place on the Fourth.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-32.html
Although we do not have a fixed menu for the
celebration of the Fourth, you can almost count on traditional favorites
such as hamburgers and hot dogs, chicken, ribs, garden salads, potato salad,
chips and watermelon. Following is a summary of where these foods come
from:
* There's a 1-in-6 chance
the beef on your backyard grill came from Texas. The Lone Star State was
the leader in the production of cattle and calves, accounting for 7.2 billion
pounds of the nation's total production of 42.2 billion pounds last year.
* There's a 1-in-4 chance
your hot dogs and ribs originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State had a total
inventory of 14.9 million hogs and pigs as of March 1, 2003 — about one-fourth
of the nation's total.
* The chicken on your barbecue
grill probably came from one of the top broiler-producing states: Georgia,
Arkansas, Alabama, North Carolina and Mississippi. The value of production
in each of these states exceeded $1 billion in 2002. These states combined
for well over half of the nation's broiler production.
* The lettuce in your salad
or on your hamburger probably was grown in California, which accounted
for nearly three-quarters of lettuce production in 2002.
* The fresh tomatoes in
your salad most likely came from Florida or California, which, combined,
produced more than two-thirds of U.S. tomatoes in 2002. The ketchup on
your hamburger or hot dog probably came from California, which accounted
for 95 percent of processed tomato production last year.
* There's a 1-in-3 chance
the beans in your side dish of baked beans or pork and beans came from
North Dakota, which produced more than one-third of the dry, edible beans
in 2002.
* As to potato salad or
potato chips or fries, Idaho and Washington produced about one-half of
the nation's spuds in 2002.
* For dessert, six states
— California, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Arizona and Indiana — combined to
produce about 80 percent of watermelons last year. http://www.usda.gov/nass/
Fireworks & Fourth of July
Events
The value of fireworks imported from China,
representing the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imports ($135.6 million) in
2002. U.S. exports of fireworks, by comparison, amounted to $13.5 million,
with Germany purchasing more than any other single country ($5.0 million).
Imports of U.S. Flags
The dollar value of U.S. imports of American
flags in 2002; more than half of this amount ($5.2 million) was for U.S.
flags made in China. This was down from the 2001 dollar value of U.S. flag
imports ($51.7 million), but still considerably higher than the total for
2000 ($747,800). That was the last full year prior to Sept. 11.
Dollar value of exports of U.S. flags in 2002.
Japan was the leading customer, purchasing $86,189 worth.
Number of U.S. flags flown over the U.S. Capitol
during 2004 year at the request of House and Senate members. On July 4
alone, 1,200 were flown at our nation's capitol. (From the U.S. Capitol
Flag Room.)
Annual dollar value of shipments of fabricated
flags, banners and similar emblems by the nation's manufacturers, according
to the latest economic census (1997) for which there is published data.
http://www.census.gov/prod/ec97/97m3149e.pdf
Coming to America
32.5 million
The number of foreign-born residents in the
United States in 2002; they accounted for 11.5 percent of the nation's
total population. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-42.html
* More than 1-in-3 foreign-born
residents were naturalized U.S. citizens.
* Six states had estimated
foreign-born populations of 1 million or more: California (8.8 million),
New York (3.6 million), Florida (2.8 million), Texas (2.4 million), New
Jersey (1.2 million) and Illinois (1.2 million).
* Among the foreign-born
population, 52 percent were born in Latin America, 26 percent in Asia,
14 percent in Europe and the remaining 8 percent in other regions of the
world, such as Africa and Oceania.
QUOTES:
"To be prepared for war is one of the most
effectual means of preserving the peace."
--George Washington
"The brave man inattentive to his duty, is
worth little more to his country, than the coward who deserts her in the
hour of danger."
--Andrew Jackson
"Gentlemen may cry, peace, peace-but there
is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from
the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren
are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen
wish? What would they have? Is life
so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased
at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not
what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me
death!"
--Patrick Henry
"No government ought to be without censors;
and where the press is free no one ever will."
--Thomas Jefferson
"The people's government, made for the people,
made by the people, and answerable to the people."
--Daniel Webster
"God grants liberty only to those who love
it, and are always ready to guard it and defend it."
--Daniel Webster
"The boisterous sea of liberty is never without
a wave."
--Thomas Jefferson
"One man with courage makes a majority."
--Andrew Jackson
"We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable;
that all men are created equal and independent, that from that equal creation
they derive rights inherent and inalienable, among which are the preservation
of life, and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
--Thomas Jefferson
There are no necessary evils in government.
Its evils exist only in its abuses.If it would confine itself to equal
protection, and, as Heaven does its rains, shower its favors alike on the
high and the low, the rich and the poor, it would be an unqualified blessing."
--Andrew Jackson
"When angry, count ten, before you speak; if
very angry, an hundred."
--Thomas Jefferson
"Few men have virtue to withstand the highest
bidder."
--George Washington
