104 years ago today two American brothers finally achieved flight. Something that humans had dreamt of for thousands of years finally happened that day and it has forever changed the face of this planet. It is something that humans should take pride in, but Americans in particular should remember. Americans were once known for their "can do" spirit, their innovation and their ingenuity. Are we still known for that today?

I often wonder this as I look back in the past and view all the things that people have accomplished in this country. Are the Americans of today still given that chance? It seems like the majority of innovators of today are solely focused in the consumer arena. Just how many "Salad Shooter" knockoffs can people come up with? Where is the world changing innovation? It seems to be severely lacking and one wonders if it is gone for good as the ladders in this country are removed. From entry level jobs, to manufacturing positions that taught people mechanics on the job. And before you write that off as a bogus assertion, just remember that these brothers fixed bicycles. All of this is being shipped out of the country to other countries under the guise that Americans will just be able to sit back and enjoy the good life as everyone else toils away around them.

It's all BS of course. Our country would slide into debauchery and a sense that we are better than others as we are slowly removed from significance like the patricians of the Roman Empire. Oh wait, you mean that's already occurring? Well then I take that back. Everything will be fine, just close your eyes.

Thanks to men like Wilbur and Orville Wright. They refused to stop dreaming and working even though they were plotted against and made fun of. For they are the true Americans who we should all strive to emulate, not some singer on American Idol or some rap star who likes to promote beating women or some politician who tries to make you think that you can just lay back and let the government handle everything while you relax on a beach.

Cheers to Orville and Wilbur! True American innovators!

You can see more pictures of my trip to Kitty Hawk at my website on our cross country trip from a few years ago called Our Family Adventure.

St Louis Post-Dispatch

... there is something about the image of Orville and Wilbur Wright on the windswept sands of Kitty Hawk, coaxing an awkward mechanical bird off the sand — and, with the shortest of flights, allowing humans the hope that they would not be forever confined to the ground.

It was 104 years ago today that the Wright Brothers achieved the world's first powered flight of a heavier-than-air craft, and the anniversary will not be ignored.

Today, officials with the Wright Brothers National Memorial expect 500 to 1,000 people to gather to remember an achievement that was at once humble and world-changing. They will listen to patriotic music and speeches.

At 10:35 a.m., the exact moment that the Wright Brothers' glider lifted from the ground, a dozen military aircraft will soar overhead.

They hold a similar celebration each year to commemorate the first flight.

Debbie Schlussel also covers this event.