Independence Day 2013

Nonono, that's people who are in a trade union.

That, or people with a certain stance on the ideal condition of Ireland, come to think of it.

edited 4th Jul '13 5:12:22 PM by Catfish42

United Statesian is one of those things that doesn't really make much sense in English but does make more sense in other languages. But America, as a colloquialism and in common usage, ended up meaning what became the United States fairly early on in its existence as a colony. It's not a matter of being entirely correct, it's just what caught on in the common usage. Yes, the American continents are a thing, but there's a bunch of separate countries on them and they're all called by the name of the country in question.

So... basically things tend to get called what catches on.

And it's only eight o'clock, still an hour's worth of light out, and someone is lighting fireworks outside my house on the street. I live in an area where that's prohibited because it's a residential area.

... Fireworks are prohibited in built-up areas?

I THOUGHT AMERICA WAS ABOUT FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDOM.

You're allowed to light fireworks in built-up areas here! :o The city council lets us every Diwali, Eid, and Bonfire Night. And other "special events of importance".

Nope. Many urban areas aren't allowed fireworks. Though most cities will have their own fireworks show for people.

BUT FREEDOM

ANARCHY! THE PEOPLE DEMAND EXPLOSIONS AND THE GOVERNMENT MUST ANSWER THIS DEMANDS.

Also, it would be nice not to be spied upon but..

First they take the fireworks, and then they're coming for the guns, Rigo.

THEY MAY TAKE OUR FIREWORKS, THEY MAY TAKE OUR GUNS, BUT THEY WILL NEVER TAKE OUR FREEDOM! d

...

-checks gun safe-

Nope. They haven't taken those yet. They just won't let us have fireworks.

> Fireworks: ILLEGAL

> Heavy weaponry: TOTALLY LEGAL

THEY'RE COMING FOR YOUR GUNS, MURKSTAR.

You know, a while back I set myself to make my own fireworks. Then I asked my lawyer mother and apparently that is very illegal. As in Federal Crime illegal. As in, "Take to Jail for manufacturing weapons" illegal.

Hey, I never claimed the government was all that bright.

Yeah, funny thing. There isn't that big of a difference between fireworks and bombs.

edited 4th Jul '13 6:20:08 PM by MurkyMuse

Well, I live near a swanky area where they're allowed to set fireworks off at the golf course, but they probably have to have all sorts of permits. In the specific area where I live we have houses close together and a fair amount of trees. Now, I highly doubt anyone's going to call the police on the people lighting them, because it happens every year, but a cop car will probably swing by once. It's prohibited mostly because of the obvious risk of a fire.

Also, people are going to gather in the park because we can watch a couple different areas from where we are light off fireworks. Not exactly the best seats in the house, but it's free this way.

edited 4th Jul '13 6:20:50 PM by AceofSpades

Governments are incompetent, not evil. They just have very evil side-effects.

I don't know Hopey, getting leaked on top secret espionage on your own people sounds both incompetent and evil.

No, silly Rigo! Its to stop the terrorists! The more the people know about how Government works, the more the terrorists win!

The term "Union" was used several times to describe US, so I don't see why not.

The problem with United States of America is that it's not meant to be "a country founded upon this land", in the sense that it represents the government entity of that land, which is the case with other countries' names. It's really United States in America, in a sense. Thirteen states inside North America united together in a unique union.

edited 4th Jul '13 6:47:09 PM by Trivialis

THESE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A MORE PERFECT UNION

CONGREFS.

These are the key terms I remember from all of US Govt & Politics.

Y'all are getting pedantic about words.

Also, there's an ad of Lincoln holding rifles in the ad in the side bar as I post this. It's an ad for selling shirts, apparently.

In China, it is [insert a name of a piece of land here] plus people.

Is Bastille Day in July? I here it's kind of a big deal in France, what with the storming of a prison and an armory and all.

Just lit sparklers. This is weird for me because in Georgia fireworks are illegal, we have ads all the time for fireworks stores...just over the border in Alabama.

I have fireworks in my neighborhood all the time but I live Ohio so yeah.

A person dressed in jacket and boxer was attempting suicide using firecrackers.

Are the old "America" semantic thing. I can understand why one wouldn't like the fact that a country is called by the name of two continents. But at the same time, find it pretty silly and nitpicky. There was a time when I refused to call the USA simply "America" and US Americans simply "Americans". I was a staunch anti-Americanist back then. I'm not very keen on going back to that.