Mayor Menino Slices Cake, Patriotism Ensues

As the last couple days before the long weekend drag on, we’re getting ourselves psyched up to celebrate Independence Day. We’ve been practicing our “oohs” and “aahs” for watching fireworks displays (the ones created by professionals, not bored suburban teenagers). We’ve been scanning the liquor ads in the papers to find the best price on a case of Sam Adams. Tonight, we’ll stock up on earplugs to protect ourselves from the “music” of Rascal Flatts.

But perhaps nothing has filled our hearts with as much patriotism like the video clip that accompanies a Herald story about Mayor Tom Menino slicing a gigantic cake with a sword.

Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and remove your caps as you watch this clip. It will move you that much.

Hizzoner expresses his delight at Harborfest’s 27th year, then the video cuts to some jaunty fife music provided by a military band. An unidentified member of the Navy says he’s been getting 1,200 sailors “pretty doggone excited” to visit Beantown for the holiday weekend. (1,200 sailors? Maybe we should reconsider our trip to visit Mitt Romney in New Hampshire.)

Then, we get to the good stuff. Menino takes a sword from Old Ironsides, and slices into the cake, which the Herald tells us is “1,000 pounds of sweet patriotism.”

God Bless America, indeed.

Screen capture from BostonHerald.com