The Daily Dose/July 3, 2026
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
USA 249+364: Yesterday was the 250th anniversary of the day the United Colonies became the United States. Tomorrow is our national holiday, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s adoption. Today, we are going to take a look at what our Founding Fathers might think of their country today.
We The People: They would understand the partisan and bickering fiasco our country is. Still is, actually, because America has been a two-party, bickering wonderland since before the Revolution. From Federalists and Anti-Federalists to Republicans and Democrats, from town criers to newspapers, radio, television, and the internet, America has always consisted of two-party blather.
A Good…A Positive Good: They would, we think, scratch their heads at the ignorance we are currently tolerating, and the extent to which feelings and opinions have replaced knowledge, but these are hardly uncharted waters for our country. Opinions have been spewing off the top of our collective heads for centuries.
Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death: The Founding Fathers would understand war. America was born in their war, and they would see that later their country came of age in the Civil War and took its place on the world stage in two world wars. They may well think we will collapse in war, too, and they are probably right.
Congress Shall Have The Power To…: They would applaud the Constitutional provision giving Congress the power to declare war, and they would abhor the fact that it is ignored now as a matter of course. They would be relieved the slavery they had been unable and unwilling to get rid of is gone.
One Small Step: They would lament the fact their country hasn’t really done anything great since leaving the Moon in 1973. They would be surprised to note America now prefers appeasement to accomplishment and is more of a nuisance to the world than an inspiration.
The Bottom Line: Overall, though, the delegates who were in Philadelphia for the 2nd Continental Congress 250 years ago would approve of their country where, despite everything, its citizens still wake every morning with 24 hours – the only commodity all of us are issued in equal measure – to make something good happen for themselves. That has been America’s basic proposition – initially only for white males, but now for everyone – since declaring independence 250 years ago.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody will return.
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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
Due to time constraints, these entries have run previously.
In 1884 – The Dow Jones Company publishes its first stock index in its Customer Afternoon Newsletter, a forerunner of the Wall Street Journal. The index consisted of nine railroads, a shipping company, and Western Union and its closing that first day was 69.93. Today it is known as the Dow Jones Transportation Average and closed Friday at 15,529.77. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was first published in 1896.
In 1974 – Mike Marshall of the Los Angeles Dodgers establishes the modern major league record for most consecutive games by a pitcher in a 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. It was the 13th consecutive game for Marshall, who pitched two-thirds of an inning and earned his 11th save of the year. Research into whose record Marshall broke was inconclusive and the mark was tied in 1986 by Dale Mahorcic of the Texas Rangers and still stands. Marshall would go 1-0 with two saves during the streak and he would appear in 106 games that season, still the major league record.
In 1961 – Gary US Bonds is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the second and final consecutive week Quarter to Three. It was the second of nine Top 40 hits for Bonds, his second of five Top 10s and remains his only #1 song. The song also peaked at #3 on Billboard’s soul chart and went to #7 in Great Britain. Stories that producer Frank Guida picked Bonds off the street and that no one knew the tape recorder was running appear to be legends.
Some Philosophy Crap
The Wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people.
John Adams
Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.
After the 1899 season, the National League eliminated the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators, Louisville Colonels, and the Cleveland Spiders.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Who holds the major league record for most games pitched in a career? – Answer next time!
