Getting close to that big anniversary: What and whom do you appreciate?

A lot of people don't know much about William Lee, whom George Washington really trusted.

A lot of people who should know about Thomas Sowell don't know much about Thomas Sowell.

We Asked AI To Simulate What Would Happen If AOC Was Forced To Learn Economics

Made with @grok. pic.twitter.com/DD6Ssbosh4

— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) June 10, 2026

Some of us have come a long way. Others may not have come a long way.
What makes the difference?

Reading for the Big Anniversary

Planning on reading any books in preparation for the Big Day?

How about essays? Looking at the sidebar here at AoSHQ?

250 inspired essays on what we love about America, from The Wizard of Oz to Zippo lighters, from The 1st Amendment to Vicks VapoRub, Waffle House, and...

Get it and you'll find out.

A copy for every bathroom! https://t.co/RqYsz5BKuJ

— Walter Kirn (@walterkirn) June 4, 2026

Here's a sample:

One of our 250 Great American Things. https://t.co/9e8AnROLhn

— County Highway (@countyhwy) June 8, 2026

More history:

America’s founders were obsessed with Jews.

This July 4th, America turns 250.

But there’s a Jewish side to that story that most have never heard.

James Madison studied Hebrew at Princeton.

Alexander Hamilton went to Hebrew school.

And Benjamin Franklin wanted Moses splitting… pic.twitter.com/zqeiJem3wN

— Jaimee Michell (@JaimeeUSA) June 6, 2026

Preparing for weather?

More from Yesterday’s Lightning in Cleveland, Ohio pic.twitter.com/0ogqKeMWuj

— Gabe Wasylko (@GabeWasylko) June 11, 2026

WEEKEND

The Week In Pictures: California Nightmare Edition

It was another busy week in the news, highlighted by the election for Mayor of Los Angeles, in which Democrats snatched victory from the ballot box of defeat with the now-familiar flood of post-election votes. As in the past, many were suspicious.

Graham Platner was in the news again. In any past era, his escapades would have led to a hasty substitution of a more plausible candidate. But the Democrats, as we have observed over the years, don’t embarrass easy.

An attempted decapitation in Ireland and a successful stabbing murder in Texas riled the public but elicited perverse reactions from the Left.

War hero Scott Pelley made a graceful, low-key exit from CBS, bringing his ignominious career to an end. And, speaking of the press, President Trump had a close encounter with NBC’s Kristen Welker, which meme-makers enjoyed. There was much more besides. . .

Music

To a Wild Rose

Score at the link. Maybe you can play it yourself. Edward MacDowell was a late romantic American composer who was disabled by mental issues in his later years.

Do you have a favorite American composer or musical genre?

Hope you have something nice planned for this weekend.

This is the Thread before the Gardening Thread.

Last week's thread, Discussing American Things as we approach the 250th anniversary of the country

Comments are closed so you won't ban yourself by trying to comment on a week-old thread. But don't try it anyway.

Air Conditioning got a lot of comments as an American invention last week:

197 Air conditioning is the single reason I would never want to live in any other time period. Its my consistent answer when somebody says "yeah it would be cool to live in the roman days" Uh..no. "wow ancient egypt would be cool" Uh...no. Viking times would be killer, long houses and mead and.." Uh..no, I can buy mead and sit in my long house with the AC.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at June 06, 2026 01:11 PM

posted by K.T. at 11:09 AM

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