Daily Dirt: Happy birthday, America! Let freedom ring loud and clear!

Daily Dirt for Monday, July 4, 2022

Yes, most certainly let freedom ring, folks. Let it ring loud and oh so clear today. Despite all of our faults, what other country would you rather be in today? … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 329 of The Daily Dirt.

1. I think the following three ideas may capture July 4 the best:

• Gold medal: “So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snow capped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
• Silver medal: “You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4th, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.” – columnist Erma Bombeck.
• Bronze medal: “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”  – Abraham Lincoln.

2. Surprisingly, relatively few MLB players have ever been born on July 4, And only one, pitcher Mickey Welch, is in the Hall of Fame. Mickey who, you say? It’s understandable if you are not familiar with this fellow, even though he won 307 games. Welch pitched from 1880-1892 and was elected to the hall in 1973 by the Veterans Committee. 

3. The most popular July 4 food items are the following, according to numerous media reports:

• 1. Grilled hot dogs: I thought hamburgers would be a stronger challenger.
• 2. Potato chips: A bit surprised chips are this high, but they are a must for any outdoor wingding.
• 3. Sweet corn: Wow. This is a huge surprise. This is like Missouri making the College Football Playoff.
• 4. Hamburgers (grilled, of course): No. 4 on the list, but No. 1 in the hearts of many.
• 5. Watermelon: Not a huge surprise, but I thought this choice would be more at home around No. 7 or No. 8. 
• 6. Bratwursts. The hot dog’s German cousin always is an elite item.
• 7. Baked beans: Nothing like a little holiday gas in a big crowd.
• 8. Potato salad: Should have been on the medal stand. No. 8? Come on!
• 9. Ice cream: Outdoor fests are no place for ice cream. It melts. Duh.
• 10. Macaroni salad: Highly underrated, but much appreciated by most palates.

Steve Thought O’ The Day
After that third item, I am officially hungry. Again.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. When it comes to Steve’s favorite food items for a July 4 picnic, the answer is “all of the above.”