The Daily Dose/August 22, 2026
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes From Around Our Human Experience
USA! USA!: America’s national debt hit the $40 trillion mark this week, a figure that is almost beyond comprehension. It has doubled since 2017 and is easily the highest on Earth, with China second at $21.4 trillion.
Running The Numbers: Here are some figures associated with our national debt:
- To date this fiscal year, the US has taken in about $5.5 trillion and spent about $7.2 trillion.
- The US will spend about $1.1 trillion this year on interest on our debt.
- With a population of 343 million, an individual share of the dent is about $116,494.
- America hasn’t been debt-free since 1835-36.
- The last time we had a budget surplus was from 1998-2001. This was the height of the dot-com boom, when individual and corporate tax revenues were very high.
- Individual income taxes make up roughly half of federal revenues, compared with only 9 percent from corporate income taxes.
- About $30 trillion of our debt is owed to domestic creditors, including private investors, government agencies, and the Federal Reserve; the rest is owed by foreign investors.
- The national debt was $20 trillion in January 2017.
- If the debt had increased at the same rate as in the few years before the last surpluses, it would be about $12 trillion right now.
- In the few seconds it took you to read this sentence, the national debt increased about a quarter of a million dollars.
The Bottom Line: The numbers are so overwhelming and flummoxing, we couldn’t provide our usual context and witless commentary, and you don’t have to be Alexander Hamilton to know debt at this rate isn’t sustainable. Eventually, that and our perpetual wars will destroy our once-great and once-proud country.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow strikes his usual troubleshooting pose. Today’s Diary.
It certainly wasn’t any place logical, like with other nearby lobby/hallway light switches, and yours truly ended up standing in the middle of the lobby, staring at everything crossly with his hands on his hips…
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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 1642 – The First English Civil War begins, when King Charles I raises his royal standard on a hill near Nottingham Castle. Royalists and Parliamentarians had been bickering for years over the church, taxes, and control of the army, and the war ended with a Parliamentarian victory in 1646. Charles I was later arrested for treason and was executed in 1649.
In 1885 – Richard Sears wins the US National Tennis Championship – now the US Open – defeating Godfrey Brinley 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 in Newport, Rhode Island. It was the fifth of seven national championships for Sears – all consecutive – and remains the only Grand Slam singles final for Brinley. Sears is one of three men to win seven titles, and the only one to do it in consecutive years. The tournament was played in Newport through 1914, when it moved to New York City.
In 1970 – Bread is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the only week with Make It With You. The song also peaked at #2 in Canada, at #5 in Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 13th-biggest song of the year. It was the first of twelve Top 40 hits for the group, their first of five Top 10 songs, and remains their only #1. The song was written, produced, and sung by Bread front man David Gates.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
All other major disputes on important issues ended in compromise thanks to the fact that the men of power were afraid of the masses and the people held some respect for the senate.
Plutarch
Roman Lives
Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.
The only Olympics where the US women’s soccer team failed to win a medal was at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, where they lost to Sweden in the quarterfinals.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
When was the first US women’s tennis national championship? – Answer next time!
