More Than Knee High and Other Items for the Day After

1) Out cycling on Sunday I found the corn more than knee-high for the Fourth of July.

2) In the news, though, was an interesting item from The Week

Do Fourth of July parades turn kids into Republicans?
A recent Harvard study suggests that attending a July 4 parade during childhood increases the likelihood of becoming a card-carrying Republican later in life

Really? I don't think so. At least not in my case. I have always loved 4th of July parades (and parades in general.) I have loved to march and play in them. I have loved to watch them. I have enjoyed putting out the flag on the 4th more than any other holiday. But I am not now, nor never have been a Republican.

In reality all the study really seems to be saying is that the GOP has been more able to appropriate the "patriotic values" embodied in the 4th of July. That's a real shame. Patriotism is NOT party politics.

3) In the latest Darwin Award-type story:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A bare-headed motorcyclist riding in protest of New York state's helmet law crashed, struck his head on the roadway and died from his injuries, state police said on Sunday.

"The doctor felt that the death could have been prevented if he simply had been wearing a helmet," state Trooper Robert Jureller said.

The inalienable right to not take care of oneself.

3) From the appropriately titled Utah town:

SNOWBIRD, Utah (Reuters) - Bikini-clad skiers and snowboarders wearing shorts filled the slopes at one resort in Utah as a record-breaking snow season left plenty of white powder for Independence Day revelers to celebrate on Monday.

Which is why I for one stayed in tropical Minnesota this year for the holiday.

4) And finally, from across the pond, a story with no connection to anything related to the 4th other than it comes from England.

Harry Potter star says he no longer drinks
LONDON (AP) — Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe said he has given up drinking alcohol after realizing he was partying too hard.

The 21-year-old actor says he began to drink too much while filming "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," the sixth movie in the Harry Potter series, in 2009.

He said; "I became so reliant on (alcohol) to enjoy stuff."

No more magic potions for Harry.