Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for July 14, 2013

The French removed a corrupt gov’t and replaced it with…nothing

Today, there’s an enormous opera house at the Place de Bastille. Before that, for almost200years,it was empty. Beats me where Square Henri Galli comes in.

Square Henri Galli

Established in 1925, the square covers 2,000 m 2. Triangular in shape, it is bordered by the Boulevard Henri IV , the Quai Henri IV and Celestine dock . It borders the Seine , where he faces the Ile Saint-Louis .

Remains of one of the towers of the Bastille .In the corner formed by Henri-IV and the Quai Henri IV, are the remains of one of the eight rounds of the prison Bastille . This is actually the basis of the “Freedom Tower”, originally found in 1899 during the construction of Line 1 of the Paris Metro at the No. 1 of the rue Saint-Antoine , which was dismantled and reconstructed at this location .

Well, happy Bastille Day if you’re French; but remember Magna Carta of 1215 is part of your heritage as an American, as well as mine as a Brit.

Misplaced modifier. I didn’t know George Washington was made of cast iron and weighed one pound.

And yet, when it comes to Christian holidays (Christmas, Easter, etc.) there is usually no mention—except in a secular way.

Ooh, there’s no bread, let ‘em eat cakeThere’s no end to what they’ll takeFlaunt the fruits of noble birthWash the salt into the earth

But they’re marching to Bastille Day.La guillotine will claim her bloody prize.Free the dungeons of the innocentThe king will kneelAnd let his kingdom rise.Ooh, there’s stained velvet, dirty lace,Naked fear on every faceSee them bow their heads to dieAs we would bow as they rode byAnd we’re marching to Bastille DayLa guillotine will claim her bloody prizeSing, oh choirs of cacophonyThe king has kneeledTo let his kingdom rise.

Lessons taught but never learnedAll around us anger burnsGuide the future by the pastLong ago the mould was castFor they marched up to Bastille DayLa guillotine claimed her bloody prizeHear the echoes of the centuriesPower isn’t all that money buys.

I have an idea. Let’s not celebrate Bastile day, since Americans have no reason for doing so. And while we are at it, give Cinco de Mayo the axe, since that is a Mexican event. For that matter, let’s get rid of Columbus Day, since he was a dub navigator who did NOT discover America. He found an island in the West Indies and went back thinking he had found China, and never saw the mainland.

Manuel O’Kelly Davis approvesProf Paz nods

…and Janis; break out the French Maid outfit (remember…these two take turns “storming the Bastille”).

I was wondering the same thing, Janis.

I saw that key on Thursday. My wife and I took a vacation to the DC area, and Mt. Vernon was one our stops.

cabalonrye and NightGaunt are correct, but so is BillWa. They replaced it with … nothing that worked. Our founding fathers gave us something that has lasted over 200 years. Let’s not be the generation that ruined it.

I didn’t know George Washington was made of iron, although I’m not surprised that he weighed more than a pound.

I wondered where it was going too.

I wonder if “barbecue” is French for “hot dogs.”

And that’s why I’m grilling tonight. Okay, it’s not but why not grill?

“nothing of lasting value” is the comic strip equivalent of “nothing.” Not much room in those little bubbles, so Billwa paid homage to the artiste.

I wouldn’t call the Rights of Man nothing of lasting value. Nor a democracy. Nor, come to think of it, the first ever abolishment of slavery (Napoleon brought it back).

And even if we took our time going back to a Republic we’ve been holding steady now for the last century and a half.

1 – We have been to Mount Vernon many, many times. Husband has even been in the tomb with a wreath at one of the daily ceremonies. We have even been on the third floor of the mansion house on a tour. If one has not been there in awhile an extensive pair of museums has been added to the property and can take a half a day or more on their own. Mrs. Washington (by a living historian) is often in what used to be the museum to speak with the public. We know her and always visit when we are there. They have also restored his grist mill and distillery. Woodlawn Plantation located across US 1 was part of Mt. Vernon and given to GW’s nephew and MW’s granddaughter when they married.

2 – Let them eat cake is greatly misunderstood. Marie Antoinette did not mean cake as we do, which would mean that the people should eat something sweet and more costly than bread. Cake in this sense is what is stuck to the oven when the bread is baked and scraped out as waste. It is a period term.