246 years, a hostile takeover, and happy 4th of July...

If the United States of America was a person, it would be 246 years old (give or take), in the Guinness Book of Records, and very definitely the oldest living human being in the history of the world.?

It would be ancient, wrinkled, bald, bent over, and probably as blind as a bat.

But it’s not.?

It’s a bloody big country. One that, on July 1776, tore itself away from Britain, told King George III to bugger off, and began the process of kicking the indigenous tribes (who had been there rightfully since God knows when) off their own tribal land.?

Many punch-ups and wars ensued.

Rivers of claret were spilled.?

Whole tribes disappeared off the face of the earth.?

A more unkind person than I would call that kind of crime genocide.?

But a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then…and now we just mark the hostile takeover by calling it July 4th, or Independence Day.

And we sweep a lot of stuff under any convenient carpet.?

Of course, no sane person could deny that the phenomenal growth and social change and technological advances that have taken place since then changed the face of the country forever.?

Just like no sane person could deny that under the skin a lot of shit went on that gave honest, decent folk reason to be ashamed.?

But one way or another, those living in America seem to have dragged themselves kicking and screaming into a present that’s a damned sight better than the any past they left behind.??

Apart from a notable, few shameful exceptions, which I won’t dwell on here.?

Mainly because they were just doing the best that they could…and over here in Britain and Europe and the rest of the world, we’d done more than enough to be ashamed of.?

Both left out in the open for all to see…and hidden away in dark corners, conveniently forgotten about.?

Anyway…we’re now in the 21st century, and as a species we should at least be on the road to sticking out a hand of friendship to folk we might have taken pot-shots at in the not-so distant past.?

At least that should be the plan.?

So, in the hope that even the best-laid plans need a little help every now and then, I’d like to wish all my friends across the pond…and everywhere else across the planet…a very sincere happy and healthy 4th of July.?

Whether you like turkey, or not…?

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The above is an extract from my as yet unpublished (and mostly unwritten) book Ad Interruptus.

Like its sisters Ad Lib, and Ad Infinitum (NOW AVAILABLE), it's about creativity, advertising, life, and lots of stuff in between.

You'll find Ad Infinitum, Ad Lib, and Ad Hoc on Amazon, along with my other books, Love & Coffee and Heaven Help Us. In print and ebook. Waiting for you.

And the wonderful thing about all three Ad books is… it doesn’t matter where you finish any chapter or episode.

Because it will always be pretty damned close to where you started it…

Ad Infinitum:?https://amzn.to/3pof7Uq

Ad Lib: https://amzn.to/2kd4LKf.

Ad Hoc:?https://amzn.to/2Nx8GL8

Love & Coffee:?https://amzn.to/28IWaHq

Heaven Help Us:?https://amzn.to/2nkQ1Jk

Grab a coffee, grab a chair, and grab a sneaky peek.

Then grab a copy..