A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....05-23-03....Sweet Home Alabama

Billie and Mama_Bear

[Mama_Bear]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, daisyscarlett, dansangel, dutchess, Mama_Bear

After discussing with Billie what I could post as a semi-monthly feature, we came up with the idea of doing a short 'vignette' piece on each state, starting with Alabama and working our way through Wyoming.

I am hoping to capture each state's unique atmosphere and flavor, without boring everyone with too many facts. This may (or may not) be a twice monthly feature - you never know what Da'Bear will post next ;-), but every so often I will be taking a lighthearted look at a new state and, together with you, we'll salute the Fine Americans who live there and proudly call themselves 'FReepers'.

In the spotlight today.....

According to the
Alabama State Page

160 Fine Alabamians
(blam, Alas Babylon!, FreepLady, Bizzy Bugz,
Paul Atreides, ToKillaMockingbird, and many more)

hail from the

(Crank up the volume!)

Alabama - Tidbits and Trivia

Alabama was admitted into the union on December 14, 1819.

The name "Alabama" means "tribal town" in the language of the local Creek Indians.

The State Nickname - Heart of Dixie, "Yellowhammer State"

Alabama State Motto - "Audemus jura nostra defendere" - We Dare Defend Our Rights

The Alabama State Song - "Alabama" (well, who would have guessed? LOL!)

The state nut of Alabama is the Pecan. (Pecan recipes, anyone?)

The star blue quartz is the state's official gemstone.

The state game bird of Alabama is the wild turkey. (Wild Turkey recipes?) ;-)

---

Of course, no post about Alabama would be complete without a mention of the University of Alabama's......

and
Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant

***A bit of football trivia***

Does anyone know who caught Joe Namath's first touchdown pass at Alabama?

How about this one? Who scored the only touchdown in Alabama's 7-3 victory over Auburn in 1967?

If you think you can't live another moment without the answers, click on the graphic below where you will find even more UA Football trivia.

"YEA ALABAMA" FIGHT SONG

Let the Swanee Tiger scratch,
Let the Yellow Jacket sting,
Let the Georgia Bulldog bite,
Alabama still is right!
And whether win or lose we smile,
For that's Bama's fighting style:
You're Dixie's football pride,
Crimson Tide!
A-L-A-B-A-M-A

---

Last but not least,
some famous Alabamians...

Boxer Joe Louis was born in Lexington in 1914. He died in 1981.

Baseball player Henry Louis (Hank) Aaron was born in Mobile 1934.

Helen Adams Keller was born on 27 June 1880 in Tuscumbia, in Northwest Alabama.

Lookout Mountain, Alabama produced the most popular band in country music history.....

...and, from Birmingham, Alabama's newest celebrity,
***The Velvet Teddy Bear***
American Idol winner, Ruben Studdard!

It's Friday so let's have some fun with this. Please join in with your favorite regional recipes, Alabama travel memories, state facts or trivia, or your favorite Alabama song.

I'll start....

A Finest Salute to our
FRiends from the
great state of Alabama!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 05-19-03 Military Monday 05-20-03 RabidRalph 05-21-03 Freeper Pets 05-22-03 This Space for Rent

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[Pippin]

YEAH!

RELAX! :O)

[LadyX]

Lori, I found those bears typing in 'Mama Bear'...
Google to us Finest Wimmin is like makeup to a model..:))
Can't function without it...

[Pippin]

I dunno!

Mebbe for somtin different?

[sweetliberty]

Maybe today would be a good day to make a FReeper of him. Hehehe...

[Mama_Bear]

I love a lot of their songs, but I think my favorites are "If It Ain't Dixie" and "Pony Express".

I couldn't find a wav of those two songs - but I bet our resident music lady could. She knows where ALL the music is. ;-)

I did find this one though.....The Maker Said Take Her. :-)

[sweetliberty]

I had to steal that angel devil smiley.

[Pippin]

Steve Irwin!

My kinda guy!

I need to borrow one of his crocs, though.

Meekie need learnin'! LOL

[ladtx]

I spent many years at Fort Rucker, Alabama, the home of Army Aviation. I went to flight school there and returned as a TAC Officer and flight instructor. Two of my sons were born there.

After living a short time on post we bought a house in Enterprise, the only town to erect an monument to an insect pest, the boll weevil. The weevil destroyed the cotton crop forcing the farmers to turn to peanuts where they made more money.

A picture of Lowe Army Heliport where I instructed in the UH-1 "Huey".

Hanchey Army Heliport where I instructed in the OH-58 Kiowa and the CH-47 Chinook.

I enjoyed my tours in Alabama, plenty of fishing and close to the Panama City beaches.

[Pippin]

Of course!

But now he's got allies!

nicmarlo and ST.LOUIE1

[Pippin]

Of course!

But now he's got allies!

nicmarlo and ST.LOUIE1

[Pippin]

OOPS!

A double post!

[jwfiv]

Good mornng, Mama_Bear, all our Hostesses and all the Finest.

I'm gonna stretch it a little today and stray from Alabama proper a few miles to a magical place that bears that fair name.

The eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Range is a great destination for landscape photographers. Lying at the base of Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48 states, is Lone Pine. Between the steep, eastern escarpment of the Sierra and the town of Lone Pine, are the Alabama Hills.

Golden-brown boulders of all sizes lie scattered across sage-covered hills creating a highly textured foreground for a dramatic view of sharply rising Sierra summits that line the western edge of the Owens Valley–warm colors contrasting with cool gray granite and a deep blue sky.

These hills were named in honor of the battleship "Alabama" by prospectors from the South who were sympathetic to the Confederate cause in the 1860s. The Bureau of Land Management now is the care taker of 30,000 acres west of Lone Pine, designated as the "Alabama Hills Recreation lands."

The South still lives in California.

A screen cap looking West from the Alabamas:

A picture I took a few years ago, looking East:

For dessert, a little pecan pie...all that hiking makes me hungry.

May all Freepers be having a very good Friday.

I'm given to understand that one of our Hostesses is about to take wing to the Land Down Under...I wish youa very safe and wonderful journey, dear Mrs. Bear...)))

[sweetliberty]

"Meekie need learnin'!"

That sounds serious. Surely our Meekie couldn't have been being THAT bad!

[MeekOneGOP]

Thank you ! That is GREAT ! I did a View/Partial Source on your gif there and manipulated the text to extract the Dallas area and . . .

VOILA !! Success !! I love it !! The Dallas one is on my FReeper Profile page now. Near the top, just above the 'regular' Dallas Time & Temp gif.

If anyone else wants one for your city, send me the City and State and I'll see if I can rig it up !!

[JustAmy]

Good Morning, Ladtx!!!
Great to see you today. I have never been to Alabama. My goal is to visit all 50 states ....... boy I had better get busy; I'm not getting younger only smarter. LOL

[JustAmy]

Hi again, Meek.
How about Fresno? (California not Ohio)!

[LadyX]

"I haven't had a chance to read yesterday's LONG thread, but I hear there was lots of fun and games."

WHAAAAT??
But Mama, I was there almost to the very end, and can say everyone participating was very, very...um...well...we kinda let 'er rip, but I tried to maintain order...:))

Imagine my dismay this morning when nicotina threatened me with tellin' Nan I was misbehavin' !!!
(Who duz she think taut me how to be bad?!! LOLOL)

[sweetliberty]

"But now he's got allies!

nicmarlo and ST.LOUIE1"

Well, I know nic is always stirring up trouble....but sweet lil' ol' Louie? Well, on second thought....

[JustAmy]

That Alabama coffee will get you every time.

[LadyX]

Ah, jw - nothng like a day at the Finest when you serve up those Feasts for The Eyes and Soul - - - they bring us back to center, reminding us of all the wonderful Creations God shaped right here in America.

Thank you for being our window and eyes and recording artist on and of the loveliest parts of the world.....