The Atlantic has compiled its list of the 100 most influential figures in American history. Note these two presidents, ranked closely together:

17 Ronald Reagan
The amiable architect of both the conservative realignment and the Cold War’s end.

21 Harry Truman
An accidental president, this machine politician ushered in the Atomic Age and then the Cold War.

Read the whole list.

Jeff Jarvis - following Roger Simon a few weeks back - celebrates McDonald's 50th anniversary today and reflects on his favourite deal at the Golden Arches:

At my worst, I used to have two quarter cheese, a large fries, and a milk shake. It's a wonder I'm still alive.

But I still like McDonald's. It represents speed, consistency, cleanliness, quality, value, and good, greasy, salty food. McDonald's is America.

Yes. Walking into the one McDonald's that Rotterdam had in the early 1980s to me was like walking into America, or so I told myself. But then I would usually have two Big Macs, extra large fries and a large strawberry shake. And some twenty-five years later I still do it - occasionally - and it feels and tastes great, no matter what they say or write. As with everything, moderation is the key.

NOTE: I never really got Burger king, but In-N-Out is a pretty solid address.

The eruption of Mount St. Helens is minor it seems, Glenn links to Forester whose liveblogging the event. Three years ago the Dorsman family visited the site and it remains one of our most spectacular trips ever. And our meal at the Toutle Diner on the road leading up the mountain remains a topic of discussion to this date, the massive Ash Burger was one of the best burgers I had in my entire life. If you’re in the area, check it out. Highly recommended.

One more thought on the Sinatra song. You need to hear the music otherwise the magic will not come across, at least that’s what I think. Again, enjoy your weekend , the better part of the blogosphere is relaxing it seems.

I would like to wish all Americans a happy 4th of July weekend. And what better way of doing that then referring to my favourite America song, the one that has most impressed me and the one describing what America is all about. In fact I think it is one of the best songs ever about America because of the words, the music and the spirit and atmosphere it evokes. And of course because it is a Frank Sinatra masterpiece. Sorry, no link, just go and buy it if you do not already have it. It comes from a short 1945 movie aimed at improving racial and religious tolerance and is called, The House I Live In.

What is America to me? A name, a map, or a flag I see
A certain word, democracy, what is America to me?

That's America to me

The CBC is not noted for its pro-American attitudes but for some reason they do some unique reporting on America. This morning they ran a fairly long piece on Texas in order to see what shaped President Bush by talking to a variety of people in Texas and visiting the Alamo. The message that came through loud and clear was that Texas is driven by a combination of unique optimism and a spirit of independence.

That spirit comes hand in hand with the strong commitment to free markets and pushing business opportunities as far as possible. While Enron was an example of the latter, one of the interviewed Texans pointed out that the Enron debacle and other tragedies (like the recent Columbia disaster) were also events that caused spirits to soar because even in the event of tragedy there was a sense of purpose, a sense of quest. Texans picked up the pieces and moved on with optimism. This radio documentary was a great start of my day as it provided me with a real dose of optimism. I may be stating a few obvious facts but these days we can use all the optimism there is and the Texan brand is probably a pretty good one. Maybe Texas should start to export some of their positive thinking as a product to the rest of the world, I think they will have a huge market here in Canada.