The Viewing Platform at Mush Corners

This was a scary moment -- the bright red ball of light in the sky that got brighter, and larger, and fell lower, with every passing second, but didn't burst or turn into a pinwheel but just sat there, above the houses, with foreboding stillness. Of COURSE, The Great Plotnik realized he was standing at Mushnik's huge picture window watching the entire city explode into reds, greens and blues across a 270 degree panorama directly in front of his nose, but STILL this one, immobile red light was freaky.

It's the times we live in, brothers and sisters. There don't seem to be any celebrations that can just be celebrations anymore, without at least a few disturbing thoughts sneaking around the corner.



Mush took a photo of Silent Bill with his Silent Bill face on, but the picture was rejected by committee, so Bill started laughing like a maniac hyuk hyuk hyuk take the PICTURE MARYANN hyuk hyuk which she did, and now you'd think Silent Bill was Laughing Sal.



There really is nowhere else in the world with a better view of fireworks, while remaining indoors and warm, than the Viewing Platform at Mush Corners. A bunch of neighbors below tried standing outside on their tiny deck, which worked until the sun went down, but they gave up early. While the Plots and Mushes were listening to Leontyne Price and oohing and aahing, the neighbors were inside drinking hot tea.



Let's face it. On July 4, this is what we want: our flag, flying in glory. It's that simple. Nobody wants to denigrate our troops, who are doing what they do so we don't have to. It's just that we want to back up not only what they're doing, but why. Without the 'why' it all becomes idiotic. Can anyone, in their wildest imagination, imagine a photo from Iraq, any photo, ever capturing the public imagination like Joe Rosenthal's, above, from Iwo Jima?

Sure, it was another age, when a red rocket on the Fourth of July was just a red rocket. Nobody worried about that light bursting into Allahu Akhbar or a Mercedes packing explosives and nails to try and kill teenagers coming out of a nightclub. Jeez, Louise.



Anyway, what a great night it was. Iceberg lettuce in a vinaigrette with blue cheese. Who knew?