This is our nation's 247th birthday.   Time  magazine this morning had two articles providing a slightly different view of what really happened in 1776: July 1776 Was a Shotgun Wedding .  In effect, the Continental Congress saved Democracy from almost certain civil war by finding a way to cooperate. America's "Real" Independence Day is not July 4 .   That day should have been 2 July 1776.  Why?  Read the article. The  New York Times  this morning said: Drones and lasers are becoming   more popular as an alternative to fireworks , minimizing wildfire risks.  Also pet friendly and will not cause any air pollution. Coco Gauff lost in the first round of Wimbledon. Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo are favored to win today's Nathan's hot dog eating contest. There was a two-hour delay because of weather, but Chestnut ( only ate 62, not the record 76 ) and Sudo ( 39.5, before the delay ) did win their Mustard Belts.  I find this competition too nauseating.  But if you want

  I annually watch the hour and a half  Capital Fourth program  from the Mall, and will again this year.  All for patriotism, freedom, some entertainment  and the fireworks over the district.  Except for a couple of stars, the cast is unknown to me this year.   However, this year CNN does this again, and theirs is an extravaganza of 5 hours beginning at 7PM EDT. Featured will be: AJR, Ava Max, Alessia Cara, Avril Lavigne, the B-52’s,  Def Leppard, the Doobie Brothers, Gloria Estefan, Jason Derulo, Jimmie Allen, Journey, The Lumineers, Machine Gun Kelly, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Pitbull, Santana, Third Eye Blind, T-Pain, Willie Nelson   and more.   Plus fireworks  from:   Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Jacksonville, Nashville, New York City, Pasadena, Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Diego, San Francisco   and   Washington DC. Of course this is an important Federal holiday, being our 246th birthday, so banks, the stock market and schools will all be closed.  T