Happy Fourth, all. Having just read Stephanie Pearl McPhee’s resounding cheer for Candada, I’d love to offer you something similar. Don’t get me wrong: I’m decked out in a red, white, and blue dress, looking forward to a lunch of hot dogs off the grill with coleslaw and a nice iced tea. But that whole liberty and justice for all thing, while wonderful and stirring on paper, remains problematic in implementation.

This kind of mood is best summed up by the Decemberists, who write music about this confusing country we call home with equal parts affection and exasperation. While they’re spinning on the turntable, I’ll check in with Lincoln and see what he has to say.

Fellow Americans–how are you marking this day? Those of you outside of the U.S., enjoy an uncomplicated Saturday!