ON THIS INDEPENDENCE DAY, REMEMBER THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EVENT. THE COURAGE AND FORESIGHT OF THESE MEN OPENED THE DOORS FOR POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACROSS THE WORLD. THE REVOLUTION THAT THEY BEGAN CONTINUES TO THIS DAY. DO NOT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED AND BE THANKFUL THAT YOU WERE BORN OR CAME TO A NATION THAT ALLOWS FOR ALL OF THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ARGUING THAT WE SOMETIMES LOATHE, BUT IRONICALLY, SHOULD CELEBRATE. WE ARE A MELTING POT THAT CONTINUES TO STIR, BUT IN THE END, WE ARE AMERICANS WITHOUT HYPHENATION. CELEBRATE YOUR AMERICAN HERITAGE.
Unknown Speaker?
233 years ago, a group of 56 men faced the gallows for what they contemplated doing. Someone may have been the catalyst to their moving forward and signing a document that would change world history. No one knows who that someone was but, he gave a speech that roused the emotions of the delegates in Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Here is the text of what has become known as The Speech of the Unknown.
The delegates really voted in favor of the declaration on July 2, 1776. (see Second of July?) John Adams wrote to his wife that “The Second Day of July 1776 will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance.” That letter wasn’t published until the 19th century and by that time the Fourth had become the traditional Independence Day. What happened on July 4 was an approval by the delegates of the final version of the document. The final version was not printed on parchment until July 19 and it wasn’t signed until August 2, 1776 by but 50 delegates. The other six got around to it later.
In 1817, John Trumbull painted the famous portrait of the signers of the Declaration. He hadn’t been there on July 4, 1776 but he did make sketches of many of the individuals and checked out the room so there is still some accuracy. One funny thing he did was to have John Adams stepping on Thomas Jefferson’s foot. Jefferson and Adams became fast friends but were political rivals. Both died on this date in 1826 exactly 50 years to the day of the official presentation of the Declaration 
of Independence. They were the only two signers of the declaration to become president. It is said that, on his deathbed, Adams said “Jefferson survives” or “Jefferson lives” not knowing that Tom had died a few hours earlier. I suppose it’s possible that Trumbull’s placement of Adams’ foot on the top of Jefferson’s was a statement of support for Adams who had been at odds over many issues with Jefferson. It just so happens that Trumbull had painted Adams’ portrait. However, I found one source that claims that the feet are merely close together and the claim of Adams stepping on his foot are unfounded. You decide for yourself on the photo on the left. Now, some sources say that Jefferson is standing on Adams’ foot. The Wall Street Journal published this article in which none other than historian David McCullough says that its Jefferson’s foot on Adams, but says its really an illusion. But the University of Maryland Baltmore has this on-line study regarding Adams on Jefferson’s foot. This source claims in engravings of the painting that followed, Adams’ foot was moved. So, the debate goes on. Above is a thumbnail of montage of all of the signers that you can click on. Trumbull for some reason left 14 of the signers out of the portrait but did manage to put 5 other men in the picture that were not signers. I have yet to find out why he did that…perhaps he was making another statement or he did not know what they looked like.
Clueless King was bored on July 4 1776
The writer of the declaration, Thomas Jefferson was a reluctant scribe. John Adams had to convince Jefferson that he was the most qualified to be the penman by giving him three reasons:
“You are a Virginian and a Virginian ought to appear at the head of business”
” I(Adams) am obnoxious, suspected and unpopular. You are very much otherwise.”
“You can write ten times better than I can.”
Jefferson responded, “if you are decided, then I will do as well as I can.”
And the rest they say, is history. King George though had no idea of what was happening. Back in England, he wrote in his diary on July 4, 1776 that not much happened. Oh…the folly of Kings.
Tornado probability
Weather Bottom Line:
Morning clouds and cool conditions make me think that the risk for thunderstorms and the severe weather potential will be curtailed. Nevertheless, the Storms Prediction Center has the slight risk of severe weather just to our west. However, both the GFS and NAM feature a short wave or short wave moving through this afternoon or evening. Like Forrest Gump, that’s all I’m gonna say about that. I’ve got a parade to go to but, if I see sunshine this afternoon in the wake of a shortwave that passed to our north this morning and brought the morning clouds, then I’ll be more on the lookout for t’storms this evening than I would otherwise.
DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0727 AM CDT SAT JUL 04 2009
VALID 041300Z – 051200Z
Severe Wind Probability
…THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS ACROSS THE LWR OH/MID MS VLY
WWD INTO THE SRN PLNS…
…THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS ACROSS THE CENTRAL/NRN HIGH
PLAINS…
…MO/AR OZARKS EWD INTO THE LWR OH VALLEY…
MDT WNWLY FLOW EXTENDS FROM UPPER RIDGE POSITION PAC NW TO ACROSS
THE ROCKIES AND CENTRAL PLAINS TO MID ATLANTIC STATES AS TROUGH OVER
NERN STATES MOVES OUT TO SEA.
Severe Hail Probability
COMPOSITE FRONTAL/CONVECTIVE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM OVERNIGHT
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS PUSHED EWD ACROSS MID MS VALLEY EXTENDING
WSWWD ACROSS SRN MO INTO NRN OK/NERN NM.
THE 40-50KT WSWLY LOW LEVEL JET SRN PLAINS TO LWR MO VALLEY HAS
MAINTAINED THE MOIST WARM ADVECTION FOR THE EXPANSIVE AREA OF
ELEVATED CONVECTION ONGOING ALONG AND N OF SURFACE BOUNDARY FROM SRN
KS/NRN OK EWD ACROSS THE MID MS RIVER VALLEY.
WHILE WEAKENING SOME THE LOW LEVEL JET SHIFTS EWD THIS AFTERNOON
ACROSS LOWER MO INTO LOWER OH/WRN TN VALLEYS WHICH COUPLED WITH THE
50KT MID LEVEL FLOW PROVIDES ENVIRONMENT FOR A RENEWED THREAT OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. ONCE STRONG HEATING OF WARM SECTOR CAN WEAKEN
CINH AND PROVIDE MLCAPES AOA 2000 J/KG OR GREATER STORMS SHOULD
QUICKLY DEVELOP VICINITY OF SURFACE BOUNDARIES
THE PRIMARY STORM MODE ONCE INITIATION OF SURFACE CONVECTION OCCURS
WILL TRANSITION QUICKLY INTO LINEAR GIVEN THE DOMINANT WESTERLY
COMPONENT AT ALL LEVELS. WITH INITIAL DEVELOPMENT OF SURFACE BASED
STORMS…SUPERCELLS ARE POSSIBLE GIVEN THE SHEAR AND AMOUNT OF
INSTABILITY THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE. THUS EARLY IN THE SEVERE THREAT
THERE WILL BE A POTENTIAL OF ISOLATED TORNADOS WITH ANY SUPERCELL.
HOWEVER EXPECT STORMS TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING UPSCALE WITH GENERATION
OF COLD POOLS LEADING TO AN INCREASING THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS
ACROSS MID MS VALLEY BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THE WIND PROBABILITIES
WERE ACCORDINGLY RAISED THIS AREA FOR THIS POTENTIAL.
…SRN PLAINS…
STRONG HEATING IS EXPECTED ALONG/S OF ADVANCING CDFNT AND OUTFLOW
BOUNDARIES TODAY. SFC DEW POINTS UPR 60S/LWR 70S COMBINED
WITH VERY HOT TEMPERATURES WILL PRODUCE MLCAPES 2000 J/KG FROM THE
TX S PLNS EWD INTO OK. SUSTAINED LOW LVL CONVERGENCE INVOF THE
BOUNDARIES WILL YIELD WDLY SCT ROBUST TSTM DEVELOPMENT…INITIALLY
ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES IN CNTRL/ERN OK…THEN ALONG THE CDFNT FROM
WRN OK/TX S PLNS LATER. THOUGH DEEP LAYER SHEAR WILL BE
COMPARATIVELY LESS ACROSS THE REGION THAN AT POINTS FARTHER
E…INVERTED-V SUB-CLOUD THERMODYNAMIC PROFILES AND MID-LVL DRY AIR
WILL AUGMENT DOWNDRAFTS RESULTING IN DMGG WIND GUSTS. THE STRONGEST
OF STORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL…THOUGH TROPOSPHERIC
TEMPERATURES WILL BE RATHER WARM. SVR THREATS WILL CONTINUE SWD
INVOF BOUNDARIES DURING THE EVENING.
…UPSLOPE AREAS OF CENTRAL AND NRN ROCKIES…
WEAK BOUNDARY LAYER EASTERLYS/UPSLOPE WILL PREVAIL TO LEE OF ROCKIES
AS SURFACE RIDGE SHIFTS EWD ACROSS THE PLAINS. THIS MAINTAINS LOW
LEVEL MOISTURE IN PLACE AND FAVORABLE DEEP LAYER SHEAR FOR REPEAT OF
DIURNAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON. VEERING LOW LEVEL
WIND PROFILES RESULT IN SFC-6KM SHEAR OF 30-40KT ERN WY/ERN
CO…MORE THAN SUFFICIENT FOR A FEW ROTATING STORMS. PRIMARY THREAT
WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND LOCAL WET MICROBURSTS WITH GREATEST POTENTIAL
ASSOCIATED WITH ANY SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT.
STORMS WILL MOVE ONLY SLOWLY EWD AWAY FROM HIGHER TERRAIN AS AIR
MASS EWD ACROSS HIGH PLAINS WILL CONTAIN SOMEWHAT LESS INSTABILITY
AND LESS FAVORABLE LOW LEVEL SHEAR.
..HALES/GARNER.. 07/04/2009
