Independence Day in the U.S., is an annual holiday commemorating the formal adoption by the Continental Congress of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia. Although the signing of the Declaration was not completed until August, the Fourth of July holiday has been accepted as the official anniversary of U.S. independence and is celebrated in all states and territories of the U.S.

The holiday was first observed in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776, at which time the Declaration of Independence was read aloud, city bells rang, and bands played. It was not declared a legal holiday, however, until 1941. The Fourth is traditionally celebrated publicly with parades and pageants, patriotic speeches, and organized firing of guns and cannons and displays of fireworks; early in the 20th century public concern for a "safe and sane" holiday resulted in restrictions on general use of fireworks. Family picnics and outings are a feature of private Fourth of July celebrations.

The Declaration of Independence
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, having its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient suffrance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their acts of pretended legislation.

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offenses:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighboring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally, the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with Power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever:

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Capitive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people

Nor have We been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connection and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right out to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Stampede Presentation Products
Is OPEN Today July 3rd 9 am - 3 pm!

To help celebrate we are offering Free Ground UPS Freight on any order placed today!

Stampede will be open today to better serve you. Both our Office and Warehouse are open  from 9 am till 3 pm EST. UPS shipment cut off time today will be 2pm EST. There will be NO Truck shipments available TODAY.

Call Us Today 800.398.5652!
*Free UPS Offer Only available for orders placed on July 3rd. Does not apply to truck orders.

Happy 4th of July from
Stampede Presentation Products!

Innovation meets flexibility with the Christie DHD700 and Christie DS+750
Product Features for the Christie DHD700 and Christie DS+750:

• DLP® technology with BrilliantColor(tm)
• Up to 7500:1 contrast ratio with DynamicBlack(tm)
• Innovative user-changeable color wheels  -  switch between high brightness CW or rich-color reproduction CW
• Dual 330 W VIDI(tm) lamp technology to significantly boost color performance
• Built-in color matching and edge-blending functions
• Suite of 6 motorized high performance lenses
• 10-bit image processing with DNX(tm) Pixel Works(tm) video processing
• Picture-by-Picture (PbyP) and Picture-in-Picture modes (PnP)

Learn more about these bold, new 1-chip DLP® projectors:
Christie DHD700 & Christie DS+750

IN THE RAIN!

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE — Panasonic used a Holidays in June product showcase here Tuesday to reveal plans for a series of price cuts on select 46-inch and 42-inch plasma TV models, effective June 28.

Three 46-inch models will have their suggested retails reduced by $200 each, including the TCP46S1, formerly $1,499, reduced to $1,299; the TCP46G10, formerly $1,699, reduced to $1,499; and the TCP46G15, formerly $1,799, reduced to $1,599.

At the same time, the company is also reducing the suggested retail on its 42-inch entry 720p plasma model, the TCP42X1, by $100, to $799 from $899.

The reduced prices will be the new regular prices of the products going forward, and are not part of the instant-rebate programs that were recently offered on some models, according to a Panasonic spokesperson.

Explaining why the price adjustment was made, the Panasonic spokesperson said: “We were just looking at that price delta between the 42-, 46-, 50-inch-class products and wanted to make sure we had correctly set the sweet spot” for the prevailing market conditions.

Meanwhile, starting in July, Panasonic will also be offering special bundle price promotions when consumers purchase select Panasonic 1080p TVs with related Panasonic products, such as Blu-ray Disc players, or full Panasonic A/V systems. In certain cases the bundle savings, typically ranging between $200 and $300, may also be applied toward installation costs, the spokesperson said.

The models that will apply for the savings “will be pretty much open,” to the Blu-ray Disc players and A/V products that will match-up with targeted 1080p TV sets, according to the spokesperson.

The program will be open to all authorized Panasonic dealers.

Meanwhile, the company said it is now shipping the TCP54Z1 ultra-thin 1080p plasma set at a $6,000 suggested retail.

The high-end, 1-inch-thick plasma display will have an outboard box containing tuners, inputs and a wireless HD transmission system to link to the display screen from more than 32 feet away without the need of connecting cables.

The set also includes Panasonic’s 600Hz Sub-Field Drive technology for greater clarity of moving subjects and a newly developed slim speaker system to complement the thin design of the screen.

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Source: PRO AV News Service - Samsung Electronics this week introduced its new line of outdoor LCD displays, the DR Series, designed to withstand bright outdoor conditions. The series includes the 460DR, 460DRn, and 460DRn-A, and are currently available for estimated street prices of $3,800, $4,200, and $19,999 respectively.

The DR series was designed for indoor and outdoor installations affected by high ambient light, offering a brightness level of 1,500 nits and a static contrast ratio of 3,500:1. The displays feature Samsung's SPVA LCD panel technology, with 1366x768 resolution and 178/178 degree viewing angles.

"Sunlight always degrades picture quality," said J.H. Kim, president of the Information Technology Division at Samsung Electronics America, in a statement. "These displays now overcome display placement limitations. We have also worked to create different versions with the DR Series to fit the customers' needs."

The 460DR is a stand-alone panel that can be integrated into any cabinet or in-wall installation. The 460DRn is the next step up, providing an embedded PC and offering network connectivity through which the display can be managed, plus content delivery.

The company's all-in-one solution is the 460DRn-A, a floor-standing, weatherproof and dustproof cabinet designed for most outdoor installations. The durable cabinet features its own HVAC and filtration system, enabling it to withstand weather conditions from -22 degrees Fahrenheit to 109 degrees Fahrenheit, and up to 90 percent humidity. The cabinet also features shock-resistant glass and integrated anti-vandalism features including front-facing web camera, shock sensors, and auto-notify. The 460DRn-A also features an embedded PC, integrated touch, and a stereo sound system. The exterior can be customized to meet customer preferences and additional sizes, including a 70-inch will be available soon.

Also new from Samsung is a new line of full HD commercial displays. The FP-2 Series, which includes the 400FP-2, 400FPn-2, 460FP-2, and 460FPn-2 all offer 1920x1080 resolution, commercial connectivity, and commercial-grade panel rated at 16 hours, seven days a week. According to the company, the series measures right below its 24/7 DID panels displays, the DX Series. The FP Series is currently available with starting prices of $1,175 for the 400FP-2 and $1,646 for the 460FP-2.

"Our latest commercial offering… is designed to help customers who have not been able to utilize digital signage in the past because of the cost-of-entry," said Kim. "However, we recognized that a commercial installation deserves a commercial-grade display built to withstand environmental factors that consumer-grade TVs are not designed to handle."

Greetings Stampede Customers,   

Our Canada Office will be closed today so our employees are able to spend the holiday with there families. The office will re-open at 8:30 am on Thursday morning July 2nd. We wish everyone a Happy Canada Day!

Source: PRO AV News Service - Mitsubishi Digital Electronics is readying a series of portable projectors that weigh less than 8 pounds and emit more than 4,000 lumens. The XD600U, the first in the company's new family, makes its debut at InfoComm 09. The XGA-resolution projector displays 4,500 lumens of brightness and has a lamp estimated to last up to 5,000 hours under normal operating conditions in low mode, according to the company.

"Our XD600U projector ushers in a new line of projectors for us that round out our new portable high-brightness product line," said Wayne Kozuki, product manager of Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, in a statement.

The XD600U is the company's first projector designed with the latest DDP2230 and DLP Link chipset, making it 3D-ready. The projector supports 3D viewing when users input and display their 3D content and watch the display with optional DLP Link-compatible 3D glasses.

The new projector is intended for both education users and business professionals, according to the company. It has a built-in 10-watt loudspeaker and audio mix capability, closed captioning decoder, and a visual public addressing feature. It also includes an RJ-45 port for remote operation and management over a LAN, WAN, or the Internet.

Simultaneous real-time Message Display via the new Visual PA feature allows an administrator to remotely create and distribute messages to projectors connected to the LAN. The XD600U also offers dual 15-pin computer inputs, as well as S-video and RCA video inputs, and HDMI inputs for digital sources.

Designed with two separate 3.5 mm audio inputs and two RCA audio inputs, the projector also has a 3.5 mm variable audio output used to control volume levels. There is also a built-in audio mixer so the projector can project audio from two sources simultaneously, such as a DVD and a wireless microphone. When the loudspeaker isn't in use, the XD600U has a noise level of 29 dBA in low mode.

The XD600U is scheduled to be available in Q3 2009.

Slashed prices, the digital transition and a budget-prompted tendency to spend more time at home motivate consumers to upgrade their televisions.

By Andrea Chang, LA Times - On the shopping list for budget-minded consumers: groceries, gas -- and a new flat-panel TV?

Shelling out hundreds of dollars on a television is hardly wallet-friendly, but LCD and plasma sets have been flying off the shelves all year, with some retailers saying TV sales are better now than they were during the holiday season.

Retail experts say the boob-tube boomlet stems in part from dramatic price-slashing by retailers that are trying to undercut the competition and need to move merchandise to make room for newer, snazzier models. The recent transition by broadcast stations to digital signals also brought out droves of shoppers who used the deadline as motivation to replace their outdated analog TVs.

But there's also a recession twist: Some industry watchers say that people are upgrading their TVs because they're spending more time at home during the economic downturn.

"Consumers are increasingly using the home as a place to look for entertainment," said Riddhi Patel, an analyst at research firm ISuppli Corp. "And TV becomes the main medium. . . . People are saying instead of taking trips during the summer, they may as well stay at home and buy a TV."

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