Today I am in Washington DC for the celebration tonight at the US Capitol televised on PBS and tomorrow on CBS for America 250. I have the privilege of narrating content for both events.
At the moment, I am sitting in my hotel room looking out the window watching our amazing fighter pilots rehearsing their flyover for tomorrow’s 4th of July celebration. I have been on military bases all over the world and seen these jets many times before but experiencing them practicing in the skies over our nation's capital in preparation for our 250th birthday is something quite unique, and special.
We live in a great country. It’s been wonderful to see how folks from around the world who have traveled here for the World Cup are enjoying so many of the things that we are so used to here. We have so much to be thankful for, not the least of which are the men and women who defend our country and protect our cities. Those whose service and sacrifice must not be taken for granted. Where would we all be if no one wanted to serve?
Over the course of our 250-year history, many sacrifices have been made. Thousands and thousands of our fellow Americans are buried in 26 military cemeteries in foreign lands with many more here at home. Each day at the Gary Sinise Foundation we work diligently to serve and honor these sacrifices by supporting those on active duty, those who have served, and the families that serve with them and have sacrificed alongside them.
I have met many over the years and they inspire me each day with their triumphant spirits. America is an evolving idea created by those who chose to fight for independence and freedom against a tyranny. We have inherited that idea, and while there certainly have been many extremely challenging moments in our history, there have been many triumphant ones to celebrate.
In this new video of a song called Triumphant, written by my son Mac Sinise and his pal Oliver Schnee, we include a few triumphant shining moments in celebration of America’s 250th Birthday.
Please enjoy: https://t.co/8p24ILOaSu
Mississippi officially wins best pavilion at the Great American State Fair. Y'all just can't compete with homemade buttermilk biscuits! @tatereeves@AndyGipsonforMS@MSDeptofAg
😡 My heart is breaking watching this...
Justice Clarence Thomas just dropped the TRUTH that every American needs to hear. Progressivism isn’t just some harmless idea — it’s a direct assault on the very soul of this country. It wants to replace God-given rights with government-granted privileges. It demands we become weak, subservient, and dependent.
This is an OUTRAGE. I sure do hope that Congress will finally step up and FIX THIS before it’s too late. Justice Clarence Thomas is a TRUE PATRIOT — a man of courage, conviction, and unwavering love for the Constitution and the America our Founders envisioned.
In a time when so many are afraid to speak truth, he stands tall. I am sure that you are just as OUTRAGED over this as I am. If this video moves you like it moved me, share it. Loudly. Our rights don’t come from Washington. They come from God. And no government will ever take that away from us.
Bob Geldof did not want them on the bill.
He had agreed to include Queen in the Live Aid lineup only reluctantly, pushed by promoter Harvey Goldsmith. By the summer of 1985, Geldof was not alone in thinking their moment had passed. Their biggest hits were nearly a decade old. Critics had started writing them off. Privately, the band itself was wondering if it was finished.
Then came July 13, 1985.
What nobody watching that day knew was what had happened the week before. Queen had booked the 400-seat Shaw Theatre near King's Cross in London and rehearsed their 21-minute set down to the exact second. Not the general shape of it. The exact second. Six songs, every beat drilled until nothing could go wrong.
And then, reportedly, their roadies disabled the sound limiters on the PA before the set. Every other band on that stage was capped. Queen was not.
At 6:41 PM, Freddie Mercury walked out. White jeans. White tank top. Studded armband. Seventy-two thousand people erupted.
He sat at the piano and played the opening of Bohemian Rhapsody, not the whole song, just enough to set the crowd on fire. Then he stood. Strode to the microphone.
Radio Ga Ga filled the stadium. Seventy-two thousand people raised their hands in perfect unison, one of the most iconic images of the entire decade.
Then Freddie stopped the band. He turned to the crowd. He opened his mouth and sang a single sustained note.
""Aaaaaaay-o.""
And waited.
Seventy-two thousand people sang it back. He went higher. They followed. Higher still. They stayed with him. Back and forth, the note climbing, the crowd holding on, the moment stretching into something that felt almost sacred.
It would later be called The Note Heard Round the World.
They tore through Hammer to Fall, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, a shortened We Will Rock You, and finally We Are the Champions. The stadium shook.
Twenty-one minutes after they walked on, Queen walked off.
Bob Geldof, the man who had not wanted them there, said afterward: ""Queen were absolutely the best band of the day. They played the best, had the best sound, used their time to the full. It was the perfect stage for Freddie: the whole world.""
An estimated 1.9 billion people across 150 nations had been watching. In 2005, music industry insiders voted it the single greatest rock performance in history. Not one of the greatest. The greatest.
Authors and musicians who were there have said those 21 minutes may have saved the band itself, that Queen was on the verge of a permanent split, and that afternoon reminded all four of them what they were still capable of together.
Freddie Mercury died on November 24, 1991. He was 45 years old.
But on July 13, 1985, for 21 minutes, standing before 72,000 people under a London summer sky, he was the most alive person on earth.
We are officially signing off from America! 🫡
Thanks once again to our hosts in Boston, Providence and the New England area and in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Florida!
You are all welcome to Scotland anytime to keep the party going and make yourselves at home!
Tartan Army travel adventures resume in September and October when we travel to Slovenia and North Macedonia and also face Switzerland and Slovenia at Hampden in our UEFA Nations League campaign.
Our SPFL coverage has already got underway ahead of the new domestic season so please stick with us as there's always a story in Scottish Football and if you are a new fan or supporter then we hope to greater your interest even further!
For all you @Patriots fans, if we hear any news or developments about the potential NFL game in Scotland from our side of the Atlantic then we'll keep you up to date!
Once again thanks and come and visit us soon! 💙
Saw this on FB: 🔥 🔥
On day 1 of my high school history class, our teacher got up and said:
“You are 15 or 16 years old. 200 years ago, people your age were married, planted crops, had children and built a cabin before winter.
You can do your homework. The bar is set embarrassingly low. You are not dealing with regional famine or plague. You do not have to save your family from marauders or go into battle to destroy your enemies.
You just have to sit down and learn from someone who cares about you in a safe air-conditioned room.
You have no excuses.”
This is the kind of teachers we need.
This footage was recorded at 11:22 PM last Tuesday at Harborlight Animal Rescue in Savannah, Georgia. The dog is a two-year-old cream pit bull mix named Pip. Pip arrived at Harborlight four days ago. She was found alone in an abandoned property. She had no microchip, no collar, and no information about her past. The staff noticed that Pip wouldn't eat if anyone looked at her. She stayed in the far corner and trembled constantly. Every sudden movement made her retreat in fear. The staff tried everything they could to help her…
Then we recorded this...
🚨 I STAND WITH CAITLIN CLARK 🚨
The WNBA’s poor judgment, biased officiating, and targeted physical play against the player who saved this league have gone too far.
Caitlin Clark deserves the same protection and fairness every star gets.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
IT’S TIME FOR JUSTICE.
WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW: 👉 Share this post immediately
👉 Tag @WNBA@CaitlinClark22@IndianaFever
👉 Demand Commissioner Cathy Engelbert launch an independent review of officiating and player safety
👉 Comment #JusticeForCaitlinClark
👉 Watch & support the Fever — show them real fan power matters
The league only changes when the noise is too loud to ignore.
Let’s make it deafening.
#StandWithCaitlin #JusticeForCaitlinClark @jasonwhitlock #WNBAReform #ProtectOurStars
@BuzzPatterson If this doesn’t bring the world together, I don’t know what will. People are enjoying each others company, culture and joy for sports. I hope this blows the lid off the evil people’s agenda. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸