Saturday 9: Lady Liberty

Saturday 9: Lady Liberty (2018)

... because it's 4th of July weekend.

On Saturdays I take a break from the heavy stuff and have some fun…

Hear Barbra Streisand sing it here.

1) This song is a Valentine to the Statue of Liberty. Have you ever visited Lady Liberty?

Yes, when I was knee high to a grasshopper

2) When you combine the lady herself and her pedestal, she stands 22 stories high. What's the tallest building you've ever been in?

I’ve been in a lot of buildings, the Washington Monument, is up near the top of the list. A few years ago I went to New York on a consultant trip and the offices were on the eleventh floor. The office had wall to wall windows and that was scary.

From the 11^th floor on 7^th Ave.

3) Her crown represents universal liberty with seven spikes for the seven seas. Without looking it up, can you name the seven seas?

Nope. I know a lot of them but not all. Of course the Atlantic and the Pacific, and the Indian Ocean but other than that I don’t remember.

4) The song was written by Desmond Child, a Cuban-American from Gainesville, home of the University of Florida. In 1965, a team of UF scientists invented Gatorade. Do you have any Gatorade in your home right now?

I can’t stand the taste and too much of the stuff is bad for you.

5) While best known for his work with KISS, Bon Jovi and Cher, Desmond Child was nominated for an Emmy for his work on the Muppets 2003 holiday special. This morning, as we enjoy summer, what's the first Christmas carol that pops into your head?

Dashing through the snow… in a one horse open sleigh…

6) Desmond wrote this song specifically for Barbra Streisand. Watching her record it was a dream come true and he found himself standing very close to her as she sang. When he asked if he was "hovering," she suggested it might be better if he gave her a little more space. Does it bother you when someone stands very close or reads over your shoulder?

Yes, it makes me nervous.

7) Fireworks were introduced to celebrate the 4th because they represent the "rockets red glare and bombs bursting in air." When did you most recently sing "The Star Spangled Banner?"

I wouldn’t call it recent… probably 60 years ago… 

8) John Adams predicted the 4th would be observed with "pomp and parades." Does your community have a parade in honor of the day?

Well on the Fourth I had to go grocery shopping and I went at 8 in the morning. Because yesterday I went but the store was mobbed! I mean the whole parking lot was full, so turned around and went back to the cottage. So at 8AM on the Fourth I went again. This time when I drove through town there was a lot of traffic in town… Hmmm…

Well it turned out that the town had a Fourth of July parade.

9) Celebrity chef Rachael Ray says she considers mini-hamburgers, or "sliders," the All-American food. What will/did you dine on this 4th of July?

That was what I went to the grocery store for… Chicken, stuffing, apples, and apple cider, slow cooked! (Here is the recipe (I substituted chicken for pork)