fourth of july

Maybe you live someplace where fireworks are illegal. Maybe secretly every time you hear some go off you are momentarily terrified that somebody on a neighboring block has just been shot to death. Maybe both (Brooklyn, rep!).

Fireworks may have originally been a product of China, but there is nothing more American than setting these babies on fire for July 4th. Alcohol also happens to be a big part of our Independence Day traditions, and when booze is combined with firecrackers things can get pretty messy.

The sun is out, your friends are over and the kids are splashing around in the pool. Ah yes, it’s summertime, and you’re just dying to break out your grill or smoker and throw an amazing barbeque party in your backyard, at the beach, or wherever you happen to be.

American popular music has been around since before America even declared its independence. ‘Yankee Doodle,’ anyone? That classic was sung by Colonial American soldiers as early as The French and Indian War. Since then, our country has established one of the richest musical traditions in the world. Many songs even deal with America itself, from ‘God Bless America’ to ‘God Bless the USA.’ Here’s a