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 Life comes at you fast. Most of it is just smoke and mirrors. We're here to clear the air. Whether

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 it's the can't make this up moments or the hard truths hitting our streets in our state,

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 we're finding the signal in all that noise. No spin, no nonsense, just the facts, the fallout,

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 and the truth, and a little bit of humor and a little bit of humor.

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 Grab your coffee. It's time for The Morning Drip on WRTO.fm, Radio Free Georgia.

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 Hey, good morning, everybody. Welcome to another edition of The Morning Drip.

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 It is Thursday, July 2nd, 2026. It's me, Grady D. We're going to take a different

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 approach today. We're going to try to stay away from so much freaking politics because we are coming

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 up on the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. And of course,

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 it's hot. It is very, very, very hot. We are up under, from what I understand, we had two heat

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 domes that decided to converge and bend us all over without any lube. Today, we're actually getting

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 a little bit of a reprieve. I mean, the heat indexes have been around 104, 105, and 106. Sounds like,

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 you know, radio stations, right? But today, we're looking at highs of 94 with real feel of 97.

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 Tomorrow being the third, looking at a real feel of 99. Saturday, a real feel of 101. But then Sunday

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 says, hold my beer, we're bringing in rain, but it's still going to be a real feel of 103. So, a lot of folks

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 are going to be out celebrating the 4th of July. A lot of folks are going to be traveling, and it's

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 just going to be freaking hot. And before we really get into our show today, I want to talk about the

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 fact that we're looking at, I mean, this is a tremendous travel season. I think maybe, maybe the

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 only time we see more travel is during the holiday season, like Thanksgiving or Christmas. But more than

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 4 million passengers are expected to travel through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

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 That's the one in, you know, Atlanta. It's, I think it's the biggest international airport in the

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 United States, if not the world. Could be wrong about that. If I am, sue me. But between now and

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 July 7th, as the Independence Day travel rush reaches one of its busiest periods of the year,

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 you've got airport officials that expect tomorrow, Friday, the 3rd, to be the busiest travel day,

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 looking at more than 370,000 passengers moving through the terminals. And security lines were

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 relatively short. You know, earlier this week, officials say wait times are going to increase

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 during peak travel hours. I speak pretty today. Travel hours. Travelers are encouraged, of course. I mean,

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 you're always, especially since the TSA was formed, get to the airport two to three hours early. That's

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 the common thing. But, you know, two hours before domestic flights, three hours before international

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 departures. Of course, this year, we've got the added influx visitors traveling for FIFA World Cup

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 events, which yours truly couldn't give two shits about soccer. Okay. It's just me. I'm not a sports guy.

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 Anybody that knows me knows I'm not a sports guy. Side note, my wife and my daughter

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 actually had a discussion earlier this week as to what constitutes a sport. Is billiards a sport?

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 Is bowling a sport? I don't know. Some would probably argue it is. Some probably would argue

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 that they're not. I don't know. Anyway, officials are also recommending checking your flight status

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 before leaving home. You must also allow extra time to get parked, your baggage checks, security

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 screening. And this holiday travel surge is expected to continue through next

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 week. Sunday and Monday will be the busiest return travel days. And of course, we're getting

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 a small little break on the travel costs because right here in Georgia, the average gas price

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 is currently about $3.61 per gallon, which is slightly lower than it was a week ago and definitely

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 lower than it's been over the last several months. Of course, we had the benefit of the governor

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 of the state of Georgia suspended the gas tax for a couple of months, I think. So we didn't get hit as

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 hard as some other states. I saw reports that California's gas was like five, six, seven dollars a

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 gallon. When I saw that, I'm like, am I looking at England prices? Because their petrol is always

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 higher. But anyway, if you're traveling, I just simply want to say, be safe. Just be safe. And be safe

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 during any of your 4th of July celebrations, especially when it comes to fireworks.

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 I'm a little concerned about, and this neighborhood goes nuts, it seems where I live.

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 But I am concerned that we did have some rain. We are pretty much sort of out of the drought now,

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 but fireworks can cause fires. So be careful and be smart. All right. So let's get on to the rest of

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 the show. We're going to start off the first segment of our show talking about some stories

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 that you might find interesting.

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 And this one's got an interesting headline, Founding Fathers of Content Creators.

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 Something I did not know.

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 Now, as everybody is getting their grills ready, you're buying fireworks, you're thinking about,

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 of course, we all, we're just thinking about the Founding Fathers as these

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 majestic, polite guys in powdered wigs who just stood around and politely signed papers, right?

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 I mean, we look at, we look at our politics today and we're like, man,

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 it is never, ever, ever been this toxic, right?

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 Right?

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 You're 100% wrong.

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 The election of 1800 between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson makes modern political attack

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 ads look like a playground dispute.

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 These two literally helped build the country back in 1776.

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 They did it together.

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 And 24 years after that, they were running the dirtiest smear campaign in American history.

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 So get a load of what they actually said about each other.

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 Now, keep in mind, they didn't have Twitter.

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 They didn't have a television.

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 None of that was even in the remotest regions of anybody's

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 brain of thinking that these things could ever, could ever be invented.

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 They, television, Twitter, internet, of course not, not even radio.

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 So they hired local journalists to write anonymous hit pieces in local newspapers.

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 From Jefferson's camp on Adams, they published articles warning the public that President

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 John Adams was a, quote, hideous, hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness

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 of a man nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.

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 They literally called the sitting president a hermaphrodite in the local paper.

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 Now, if you don't know what that is, look it up, but make sure you do it on a safe search,

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 please, because you might get a face full of some stuff that you don't, you're not expecting,

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 right?

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 So they also called him a repulsive pendant and a gross hypocrite who secretly wanted to

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 start a war with France just to play dress up in a military uniform.

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 So Adams' camp, they strike back.

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 Adams' team did not take this lying down.

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 They hit the panic button.

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 They told voters that if Thomas Jefferson became president, quote, murder, robbery, rape,

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 adultery, and incest will be openly taught and practiced.

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 Wow, that sounds, that sounds familiar, doesn't it?

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 Well, they also called Jefferson a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a half-breed Indian

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 squall sired by a Virginia mulatto father, pure, unfiltered, 1800s basement-tier trash talk,

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 man.

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 That's wild.

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 Now, Jefferson goes on to win this election.

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 And how does Adams handle it?

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 Well, in the ultimate act of being a petty, sore loser, he sneaks out of the White House

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 at 4.30 a.m. on Inauguration Day.

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 He catches the early morning public stagecoach out of town just so he doesn't have to watch

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 Jefferson take the oath.

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 And then here's the crazy part.

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 They didn't speak for years, but in their 70s and 80s, they started writing letters again.

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 They forgave each other and they realized they were the last two guys left who remembered

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 1776.

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 They ended up dying on the exact same day, July 4th, 1826, exactly 50 years to the day after

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 the declaration.

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 And Adams' last words were literally, quote, Thomas Jefferson survives.

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 The irony there, Jefferson had already died five hours earlier.

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 They went from best friends to bitter rivals who threw the dirtiest shade in history and then

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 back to being friends.

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 Now, when the news hit the public days later, people absolutely lost their freaking minds.

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 And as we already said, there was no Internet or TV.

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 But the coincidence was so staggering, the newspapers called it a visible finger of God

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 sealing the nation's destiny.

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 And then to make it even weirder, five years later, to the exact day, July 4th, 1831, James Monroe,

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 the fifth president, also died.

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 Look, if the guys who build America can throw that kind of petty shit and still end up best

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 friends at the end of their lives.

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 I mean, I don't know, maybe there's hope for us.

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 And it got me to thinking about the absolute petty links that people go to when they're mad

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 at someone.

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 Now, I want to open up the phone lines.

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 The number is 229-520-5957.

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 Or you can text the same number, 229-520-5957.

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 What is the most hilarious, petty thing you have ever done to get back at a friend or an ex or a co-worker?

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 I mean, did you sneak out of the room at 430 in the morning like John Adams?

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 And did you sign them up for a million spam emails?

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 Give us a call.

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 Let me know.

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 I'm curious to hear from you.

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 Keep it anonymous if you have to.

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 But let's talk petty behavior right here on The Morning Drip.

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 After we take a short break.

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 We'll be back.

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 Your coffee is weak.

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 Your commute is long.

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 Your boss is, well, you know.

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 It's time to wake up.

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 Join the revolution of the caffeine addicted.

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 The Morning Drip.

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 Every morning on WRTO.FL.

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 It's not just a show.

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 It's your daily jolt of reality.

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 Warning.

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 Make all sudden outbursts of free thought.

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 Hey, everybody.

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 Welcome back to The Morning Drip.

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 It is Thursday, the 2nd of July, 2026.

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 We're heading into a phenomenal 4th of July weekend.

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 I would love to hear from you about what plans do you have?

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 You stay at home.

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 You're going to go out and see fireworks.

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 What are you going to do?

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 2-2-9-5-2-0-5-9-5-7.

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 The phone lines are open.

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 But don't you fret.

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 24-7, you can send a text to that same number.

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 Or you can email us.

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 Morningdrip at WRTO.FM.

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 All right.

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 Let's keep on with our cool little stories about what happens around the 4th of July and some weird things.

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 I have a question for you.

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 Are you as stubborn as a founding father?

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 John Adams literally boycotted his own country's birthday party because they got the date wrong.

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 So, as we've already talked about, you know, most people know that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were bitter rivals who famously died on the same day.

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 The exact same day.

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 July 4th, 1826.

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 Exactly.

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 50 years after the declaration was adopted.

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 But the real gold in this story is the stubbornness of John Adams.

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 You see, Adams was convinced that July 2nd, the day Congress actually voted for independence, should be the holiday.

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 He was so irritated that everyone picked July 4th, the day the document was formally printed slash adopted, that for the rest of his life, he would routinely turn down invitations to July 4th parties and celebrations out of pure, unadulterated principle.

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 Talk about being freaking stubborn.

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 Man, that's awesome.

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 That is awesome.

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 Being so pissed off because, you know what, and it's sad, I can kind of relate.

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 I am someone, I am prone to holding grudges sometimes.

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 So, that, I get it.

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 I actually get it.

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 I mean, if you're so dead set, your conviction is, this is the day that we should be celebrating.

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 It's the day that we sign the damn thing.

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 Not the day that it was formally printed slash adopted.

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 Man, that's some stamina.

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 That is some stamina.

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 If you're answering emails from your couch today, you're just doing what Thomas Jefferson did when he wrote the Declaration of Independence.

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 Let me explain.

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 When Thomas Jefferson sat down to draft the Declaration of Independence, he didn't do it at a massive mahogany desk.

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 He wanted to be mobile.

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 So, he commissioned a local Philadelphia cabinetmaker by the name of Benjamin Randolph to build him a small wooden writing desk that rested entirely on his lap.

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 It had a locking drawer for paper and pens and an adjustable tilted writing surface.

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 Jefferson literally called it his necessaries or a traveling desk.

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 But structurally, it was America's first functional laptop.

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 We got another good story for you.

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 a great underdog story for this morning.

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 Next time your boss gives you a B- on a project, just mail it to the president.

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 In 1958, a 16-year-old kid from Ohio named Robert Heft was given a history class assignment to design a new national flag as Alaska and Hawaii were nearing statehood.

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 He took a standard 48-star flag, he stayed up all night, and he used $2.87 worth of blue cloth and iron-on material to stitch together a 50-star flag.

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 Now, I don't know what the $2.87 is worth today in today's money, but back then it was $2.87.

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 His teacher gave him a B-, telling him, he liked creativity.

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 So, he challenged the grade, and he said, quote,

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 If Congress accepts my flag, will you change it to an A?

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 The teacher agreed.

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 Of course, the teacher was thinking, well, this is impossible.

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 There's no way that this flag is going to be accepted by Congress.

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 So, Heft mailed the flag to his congressman.

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 Don't know who his congressman was at the time, but he mailed it to his congressman.

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 And the long story short, out of thousands and thousands of submissions,

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 President Dwight D. Eisenhower picked Heft's design.

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 It became the official U.S. flag in 1960.

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 And yes, before you ask, the teacher did change the grade to an A.

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 Can you imagine you put your heart and soul into something?

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 I don't know.

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 It's some kind of academic exercise or whatever.

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 And a lot of times we do this, even with our loved ones or what have you.

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 It's like, look, I did this thing for you.

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 And then it's like, yeah, okay.

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 But you do this.

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 And then probably someone you sort of look up to because, you know, a lot of students do look up to teachers, or at least they did.

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 And then that person that you look up to essentially shits all over your project and says, eh, it's not very creative.

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 It's kind of meh.

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 It's kind of mid, to use the kids' terms today.

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 Give you a B.

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 And then you send the damn thing to the federal government or your congressman.

221
00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:28,700
 And then the president of the United States, the most powerful man in the country, the most powerful man in the world, goes, I like that.

222
00:18:28,700 --> 00:18:33,220
 Talk about vindication and validation right there, my friends.

223
00:18:33,220 --> 00:18:34,980
 That would be just freaking awesome.

224
00:18:34,980 --> 00:18:36,600
 You know what else is awesome?

225
00:18:38,060 --> 00:18:47,160
 If you're firing up the grill or having a drink on the 4th of July, you're just following official orders issued by George Washington in 1778.

226
00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:48,260
 So here's the story.

227
00:18:48,260 --> 00:18:55,180
 Celebrating the 4th during the actual Revolutionary War was a massive morale booster.

228
00:18:55,180 --> 00:19:00,800
 So on July 4th, 1778, General George Washington was entrenched with his troops.

229
00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:06,680
 And so to mark the day and keep the men motivated while fighting the mightiest military on earth.

230
00:19:06,780 --> 00:19:20,080
 Remember, the Brits were, I would say they're brutal, but the literal fact of the way they marched and were easily picked off and we resorted to guerrilla tactics, guerrilla warfare at the time.

231
00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:24,880
 But OK, for all practical purposes, they were still considered the mightiest military on earth.

232
00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:36,080
 So Washington issued an official, this was an official military order, a double ration of rum for every single soldier along with a standard artillery salute.

233
00:19:36,780 --> 00:19:42,040
 So if you're out having a drink on the 4th, hopefully you're doing it responsibly.

234
00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:46,580
 I haven't had a drink of alcohol in over three years, so I will not be partaking of that.

235
00:19:46,580 --> 00:19:52,940
 We won't be grilling, but I think we will be having hamburgers and french fries.

236
00:19:52,940 --> 00:19:56,360
 You know, the traditional, might even have a hot dog or two.

237
00:19:56,360 --> 00:20:00,240
 Got some of those, got some of those, but I won't be partaking.

238
00:20:00,980 --> 00:20:02,440
 If my wife does, that's fine.

239
00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:04,480
 My daughter doesn't drink either.

240
00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:08,660
 And my boys are on the other coast, so I don't know what the hell they'll be doing.

241
00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:12,640
 Oh, goodness gracious.

242
00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:16,500
 One last thing before we cut out of here for another break.

243
00:20:16,500 --> 00:20:18,800
 Two little quick things.

244
00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:23,100
 There is no hidden treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence.

245
00:20:23,100 --> 00:20:30,240
 Apparently, this is a controversy or a conspiracy theory or something to that effect.

246
00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:34,100
 But there is no hidden treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence.

247
00:20:34,100 --> 00:20:37,960
 But there is text written upside down at the bottom.

248
00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:45,420
 It reads, quote, original Declaration of Independence dated 4th of July, 1776.

249
00:20:45,420 --> 00:20:53,520
 It was used as a file label because the parchment was rolled up tightly for transport during the war.

250
00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:55,700
 And a final little tidbit before we take our break.

251
00:20:55,700 --> 00:20:56,680
 The gluttony metric.

252
00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:58,240
 Americans will consume.

253
00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:00,660
 We already talked about hamburgers and hot dogs, right?

254
00:21:01,620 --> 00:21:06,520
 Americans will consume roughly 150 million hot dogs on the 4th.

255
00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:08,300
 Laid end to end.

256
00:21:08,300 --> 00:21:16,740
 That is enough hot dogs to stretch from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles and back twice.

257
00:21:16,740 --> 00:21:18,040
 Let me say that again.

258
00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:19,540
 Laid end to end.

259
00:21:19,540 --> 00:21:27,960
 That is enough hot dogs to stretch from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles and back twice.

260
00:21:29,300 --> 00:21:32,100
 That is a lot of hot dogs.

261
00:21:32,100 --> 00:21:32,560
 All right.

262
00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:33,640
 We're going to take another short break.

263
00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:35,600
 Again, phone lines are open.

264
00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,820
 229-520-5957 or text.

265
00:21:38,820 --> 00:21:42,160
 If you're shy, just send me a text.

266
00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:45,140
 That text line, you can text me 24-7.

267
00:21:45,140 --> 00:21:45,780
 Doesn't matter.

268
00:21:45,780 --> 00:21:47,880
 I won't get up at 4 in the morning and look at it.

269
00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:49,720
 But you can still text it.

270
00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:52,520
 229-520-5957 or shoot us an email.

271
00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:55,680
 MorningDrip at WRTO.FM.

272
00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:57,740
 Going to take another short break and we'll be back.

273
00:21:57,740 --> 00:22:07,500
 Broadcasting from the heart of South Georgia, WRTO.FM is your home for independent voices,

274
00:22:07,500 --> 00:22:14,480
 liberated perspectives, uncensored conversation, and great music streaming 24-7.

275
00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:17,600
 Hey, everybody.

276
00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:18,780
 Welcome back to the Morning Drip.

277
00:22:18,780 --> 00:22:22,480
 It is Thursday, July 2nd, 2026.

278
00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:29,660
 We're heading into the 250th anniversary, 4th of July, this Saturday, of the great country

279
00:22:29,660 --> 00:22:32,200
 that we know as the United States of America.

280
00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:41,660
 Calling lines are open 229-520-5957 or, as I've said, ad nauseum, you can text that number 24-7.

281
00:22:41,660 --> 00:22:42,760
 24-7.

282
00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:43,700
 Or drop us an email.

283
00:22:43,700 --> 00:22:45,380
 MorningDrip at WRTO.FM.

284
00:22:45,380 --> 00:22:51,680
 What if the Declaration of Independence was actually a massive gamble that almost ended in a bloody

285
00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:53,900
 civil war before the country even started?

286
00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:55,540
 So, here's the story.

287
00:22:55,540 --> 00:23:01,260
 In June of 1776, the Continental Congress was completely divided.

288
00:23:01,260 --> 00:23:02,920
 New York was abstaining.

289
00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:05,440
 Pennsylvania was split down the middle.

290
00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:07,680
 And South Carolina was a firm.

291
00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:08,240
 No.

292
00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:15,500
 John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, basically had to execute a high-stakes corporate takeover behind closed doors.

293
00:23:15,500 --> 00:23:22,900
 They spent weeks drinking in taverns and pressuring delegates and cutting backroom deals.

294
00:23:22,900 --> 00:23:25,880
 Man, that sounds like modern politics, doesn't it?

295
00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:28,660
 On July 1st, they held a trial vote.

296
00:23:28,660 --> 00:23:31,140
 And honestly, it looked like it was going to fail.

297
00:23:31,140 --> 00:23:36,300
 That night, a delegate from Delaware named Cesar Rodney.

298
00:23:36,300 --> 00:23:39,300
 See, Cesar Rodney was at home sick.

299
00:23:39,300 --> 00:23:40,660
 He had skin cancer.

300
00:23:40,660 --> 00:23:44,680
 Of course, I don't know if we knew what skin cancer was back then, but let's just go with it, okay?

301
00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:48,060
 And he got word that his state was deadlocked.

302
00:23:48,060 --> 00:23:55,560
 He rode 80 miles through a massive summer thunderstorm all night, arriving in Philadelphia,

303
00:23:55,560 --> 00:24:03,300
 mud-splattered, half-dead on July 2nd, just in time to cast the tie-breaking vote.

304
00:24:03,300 --> 00:24:06,620
 When they finally signed it, they were not celebrating.

305
00:24:06,620 --> 00:24:09,140
 They were actually terrified.

306
00:24:09,140 --> 00:24:12,700
 Benjamin Franklin famously quipped, quote,

307
00:24:13,860 --> 00:24:18,940
 We must all hang together, or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.

308
00:24:18,940 --> 00:24:24,380
 Because they signed their real names on the document.

309
00:24:24,380 --> 00:24:29,000
 They were legally committing treason against the crown.

310
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:36,420
 So if the war had gone badly, if this revolution had got nipped in the bud and they lost the war,

311
00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:41,780
 that singular document right there was literally a death warrant.

312
00:24:41,780 --> 00:24:46,240
 So we're talking about the ultimate no-turning-back moment here.

313
00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:52,120
 What's the biggest, most terrifying leap of faith that you've ever taken where failure wasn't an option?

314
00:24:52,120 --> 00:24:53,200
 Did you quit a job?

315
00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:55,300
 Did you propose on a whim?

316
00:24:55,300 --> 00:24:56,240
 Phone lines are open.

317
00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:58,280
 2-2-9-5-2-0-5-9-5-7.

318
00:24:58,280 --> 00:24:59,400
 I can tell you this.

319
00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:08,240
 I have to say that, for me, it was probably quitting a job without having another one lined up, ready to go.

320
00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,040
 And I don't know what I was thinking in the moment.

321
00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:11,620
 I'd been working for this company.

322
00:25:11,620 --> 00:25:13,020
 I'm not going to name the company.

323
00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,840
 But I'd been working for this company for roughly seven-ish years.

324
00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:21,560
 And I actually helped this company grow.

325
00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:23,440
 I mean, I learned a lot while I was there.

326
00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:24,680
 I learned a lot about business.

327
00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:27,040
 It was a small mom-and-pop shop.

328
00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:32,620
 But I brought in my technical curiosity, my skill set.

329
00:25:32,620 --> 00:25:33,860
 I was much younger then.

330
00:25:33,860 --> 00:25:39,720
 This was from like 1992-ish, 91, 92 to 97, somewhere in there.

331
00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:46,000
 And I'd actually been helping this company part-time, even before I started working with them full-time.

332
00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:54,880
 But we built that business, you know, telephone systems and computer networks and security systems and surveillance.

333
00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:57,840
 I mean, we really, really did grow that business.

334
00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:04,380
 And I always felt, I mean, as the old saying goes, it's a mighty poor frog that can't brag on his own croak.

335
00:26:04,860 --> 00:26:10,440
 And I actually got that from the guy I was working for, who became a really, really good friend of mine.

336
00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:12,940
 There was 20 years difference between the two of us.

337
00:26:12,940 --> 00:26:16,180
 But he was sort of this pseudo father figure slash best friend.

338
00:26:16,180 --> 00:26:18,100
 We got in some trouble together, for sure.

339
00:26:18,100 --> 00:26:20,120
 Drank too much, but it was a good time.

340
00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:26,840
 And I progressively saw this company get better and better every year.

341
00:26:27,060 --> 00:26:30,060
 And I like to say that I had a hand in that.

342
00:26:30,060 --> 00:26:33,460
 But our daughter had been born and I took a week off.

343
00:26:33,460 --> 00:26:36,320
 And when I came back, I don't know what had changed.

344
00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:39,700
 I don't know if maybe he decided that he could do without me.

345
00:26:39,700 --> 00:26:40,700
 He could save that money.

346
00:26:40,700 --> 00:26:41,900
 I'm not entirely sure.

347
00:26:41,900 --> 00:26:50,180
 He didn't fire me, but he basically told me that I no longer had the drive and the passion that I once had.

348
00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:54,080
 And I don't know, I guess maybe that just caught me wrong.

349
00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:55,340
 I wasn't angry.

350
00:26:55,340 --> 00:26:57,600
 I wasn't belligerent or anything like that.

351
00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:04,540
 But before I could even stop the words from coming out of my damn mouth, I said, well, maybe it's time for me to move on.

352
00:27:04,540 --> 00:27:08,200
 And the shocker for me was that I didn't get any pushback.

353
00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:09,720
 No, no pushback.

354
00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:13,180
 It was essentially, well, if you think that's best.

355
00:27:13,820 --> 00:27:20,400
 And I had just painted myself into a corner because I did not have a fallback position.

356
00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:29,440
 I was now a father of three kids with a new mobile home that I had just purchased like a year and a half to two years ago.

357
00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:31,060
 So I had that debt.

358
00:27:31,060 --> 00:27:34,360
 And here I am making a boneheaded statement.

359
00:27:34,360 --> 00:27:36,640
 Talk about your no turning back moment.

360
00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:47,860
 I mean, granted, I could have gone back to him with my tail between my legs and said, look, after some further thought and consideration, talking with a wife and all of that, maybe I was a little too hasty.

361
00:27:47,860 --> 00:27:50,880
 Maybe I didn't feel like I was being appreciated or whatever.

362
00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:52,100
 But there's no guarantee.

363
00:27:52,620 --> 00:28:03,800
 Even the relationship that he and I had developed over those years, that friendship, that kindred spirit type thing, there's no guarantee that he would have accepted that.

364
00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:08,300
 So, yeah, that was my, that's the first one that comes to mind for me.

365
00:28:08,300 --> 00:28:15,060
 The no turning back moment is I basically quit my job and didn't have another one lined up.

366
00:28:15,060 --> 00:28:20,280
 Fortunately for me, I was talking to another friend one day and I said, yeah, I'm leaving.

367
00:28:20,700 --> 00:28:21,760
 And he's like, oh, really?

368
00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:23,380
 I said, yeah.

369
00:28:23,380 --> 00:28:26,640
 And about, you know, by that point, it was probably a week and a half.

370
00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:28,740
 And he was like, well, I need you to come talk to us then.

371
00:28:28,740 --> 00:28:33,820
 And so I was lucky that I wound up having another job that just cropped up.

372
00:28:33,820 --> 00:28:39,440
 But that was, that was my no turning back moment.

373
00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:42,740
 I'd love to hear what yours might have been.

374
00:28:42,740 --> 00:28:44,940
 2-2-9-5-2-0-5-9-5-7.

375
00:28:44,940 --> 00:28:46,260
 That's our call in number.

376
00:28:46,260 --> 00:28:49,360
 Phone lines are open for the remainder of the show.

377
00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:59,440
 As I've said before, once the, once the broadcast is over, the phone lines go dark, but the text line stays open 24-7-2-2-9-5-2-0-5-9-5-7.

378
00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:03,280
 Or you can email us morningdrip at wrto.fm.

379
00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:13,820
 And then we're going to take one more break and then we'll get into our final segment where we've got a couple of weird fourth of what I call strange fourth of July stories.

380
00:29:13,980 --> 00:29:16,720
 I think you'll find, I think you'll find interesting.

381
00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:17,940
 So hang with us.

382
00:29:17,940 --> 00:29:19,120
 We'll be back.

383
00:29:27,740 --> 00:29:29,040
 Your coffee is weak.

384
00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:30,360
 Your commute is long.

385
00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:33,020
 Your boss is, well, you know.

386
00:29:33,020 --> 00:29:34,720
 It's time to wake up.

387
00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:36,780
 Join the revolution of the caffeine addicted.

388
00:29:36,780 --> 00:29:38,080
 The Morning Drip.

389
00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:40,660
 Every morning on wrto.fl.

390
00:29:40,660 --> 00:29:42,100
 It's not just a show.

391
00:29:42,100 --> 00:29:44,080
 It's your daily jolt of reality.

392
00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:45,140
 Warning.

393
00:29:45,140 --> 00:29:47,720
 Make all sudden outbursts of free thought.

394
00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:54,160
 Hey everybody, welcome back to The Morning Drip.

395
00:29:54,160 --> 00:30:01,120
 This is your special 4th of July edition right here on July 2nd, 2026.

396
00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:01,920
 It's a Thursday.

397
00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:03,200
 I want to thank you for joining me.

398
00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:04,080
 It's me, Grady D.

399
00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:06,540
 We're getting into our final segment.

400
00:30:06,540 --> 00:30:18,980
 These are some strange 4th of July stories that I honestly had never heard of, but I thought you might find them interesting as we try to get you on your way.

401
00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:26,920
 Maybe you're not working this week, or maybe today's going to be a short day for you and you get to take tomorrow off.

402
00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:28,200
 I don't know.

403
00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:32,380
 Just have a good time and celebrate with friends and family and be safe.

404
00:30:32,380 --> 00:30:34,120
 That's all I can say.

405
00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:37,340
 229-520-5957 is the call-in number.

406
00:30:37,340 --> 00:30:39,920
 You can also text that number 24-7.

407
00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:43,240
 Email address is morningdrip at wrto.fm.

408
00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:43,720
 All right.

409
00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:51,220
 So we've heard of Nathan's famous hot dog eating contest, and apparently it happens every July 4th.

410
00:30:51,220 --> 00:31:00,060
 But the actual mechanics and behind-the-scenes drama of competitive eating are somewhat bizarre.

411
00:31:00,060 --> 00:31:04,600
 Bizarre enough that I thought that I would bring it to your attention and we could talk about it.

412
00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:05,080
 Okay.

413
00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:06,820
 Number one, I'm going to get this out of the way.

414
00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:11,860
 I think that competitive eating contests are stupid.

415
00:31:11,860 --> 00:31:16,240
 I honestly think it's a waste of food.

416
00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:29,920
 I mean, think about all of the people in the United States that are starving, and here we are turning a game, a competition, to see how much an individual can stuff in their mouth when it comes to hot dogs.

417
00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:32,540
 Okay, now I'll get off my high horse.

418
00:31:32,540 --> 00:31:43,000
 So some things that we want to talk about in this story is the origin story of this competition is fake.

419
00:31:43,140 --> 00:31:53,940
 Because for decades, the media reported that the contest started in 1916 when four immigrants held a competition to prove who was the most patriotic.

420
00:31:53,940 --> 00:31:55,420
 It was completely made up.

421
00:31:55,420 --> 00:32:07,560
 In 2010, a promoter admitted that he fabricated the entire 1916 backstory as a pure publicity stunt.

422
00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:10,980
 All right, eaters, here's the science behind it.

423
00:32:10,980 --> 00:32:13,880
 Eaters don't just chew fast.

424
00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:19,100
 They use a technique invented by former champ, Takaru Kobayashi.

425
00:32:19,100 --> 00:32:20,000
 Kobayashi.

426
00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:24,140
 I probably just bastardized that name.

427
00:32:24,140 --> 00:32:26,540
 Anyway, he called it the Solomon Method.

428
00:32:26,540 --> 00:32:30,300
 So what you do is they snap the dog in half.

429
00:32:30,300 --> 00:32:32,500
 They shove both halves down.

430
00:32:32,500 --> 00:32:39,900
 Then they dunk the bun into warm water, squeezing it into a ball so that it, quote, slides down.

431
00:32:39,900 --> 00:32:43,680
 They're basically drinking soggy bread Play-Doh.

432
00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:46,920
 Reminds me of too much raw oysters.

433
00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:50,420
 And when it comes to the rules, there are actual referees.

434
00:32:50,420 --> 00:32:55,740
 Eaters can get a yellow card for messy eating if they drop too much food.

435
00:32:55,740 --> 00:33:02,080
 And a red card means immediate disqualification for a, and I thought this was so funny, quote,

436
00:33:02,500 --> 00:33:04,460
 reversal of fortune.

437
00:33:04,460 --> 00:33:06,620
 It is exactly what you think it is.

438
00:33:06,620 --> 00:33:11,560
 It's the polite official term Major League Eating uses for throwing up on live television.

439
00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:15,820
 So we watch these guys eat 70 hot dogs.

440
00:33:15,820 --> 00:33:18,780
 But what about real life food limits?

441
00:33:18,780 --> 00:33:22,500
 What is the most amount of a single food that you've ever eaten in one sitting?

442
00:33:22,500 --> 00:33:24,300
 Was it a buffet challenge?

443
00:33:24,300 --> 00:33:25,280
 Was it a bet?

444
00:33:25,740 --> 00:33:28,820
 Was it just a bad late night decision?

445
00:33:28,820 --> 00:33:29,940
 Let me know.

446
00:33:29,940 --> 00:33:31,980
 229-520-5957.

447
00:33:31,980 --> 00:33:34,260
 Or email morningdrip at wrto.fm.

448
00:33:34,260 --> 00:33:36,560
 Our second interesting story.

449
00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:38,800
 Independence Day versus Hollywood.

450
00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:48,640
 In the late 1990s, Hollywood studios realized that the 4th of July weekend was the most lucrative

451
00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:50,360
 movie-going weekend of the year.

452
00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:55,480
 And there was one man completely owning it.

453
00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:56,420
 One man.

454
00:33:56,420 --> 00:33:57,780
 And I should have known this.

455
00:33:57,780 --> 00:33:59,680
 I should have known this.

456
00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:02,260
 I've seen every, I've seen all three of these movies.

457
00:34:02,260 --> 00:34:04,260
 But I should have known it.

458
00:34:04,260 --> 00:34:10,860
 In 1996, Independence Day was released over the holiday weekend and shattered records.

459
00:34:10,860 --> 00:34:19,260
 In 1997, Men in Black came out to the exact same weekend and did it again.

460
00:34:19,260 --> 00:34:23,780
 And in 1999, Wild Wild West took that same slot.

461
00:34:23,780 --> 00:34:27,080
 Now, granted, it did not do as well as the first two.

462
00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:32,400
 So there was a five-year stretch where other Hollywood studios would literally move their

463
00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:40,980
 massive, $100 million movies entirely out of July because they were too terrified to compete

464
00:34:40,980 --> 00:34:42,960
 with Will Smith.

465
00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:56,160
 He single-handedly defined the July 4th blockbuster genre.

466
00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:58,840
 Now, fast forward to 2026.

467
00:34:59,240 --> 00:35:04,060
 This weekend, you've got movies like Minions and Monsters and Toy Story 5, which Toy Story

468
00:35:04,060 --> 00:35:06,880
 5 has already come out and it's been owning the competition.

469
00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:10,160
 They're going to rule the holiday box office.

470
00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:15,420
 The 4th of July movie crowd shifted entirely from action movie teenagers to desperate parents

471
00:35:15,420 --> 00:35:19,840
 looking for air conditioning to escape the heat of July.

472
00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:26,560
 Now, I can tell you the last time I actually was in a physical theater was sometime in the

473
00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:27,380
 early aughts.

474
00:35:27,580 --> 00:35:33,060
 A friend of mine ditched out of work early one Friday and went to the theater here in

475
00:35:33,060 --> 00:35:33,700
 Tifton, Georgia.

476
00:35:33,700 --> 00:35:39,640
 We no longer have a theater and we watched the last Star Wars prequel movie, which literally

477
00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:43,160
 broke in the middle of us watching it.

478
00:35:43,160 --> 00:35:47,660
 So we had to sit there for about 10 or 15 minutes while they tried to splice the damn thing together.

479
00:35:47,660 --> 00:35:51,040
 So, yeah, the 4th of July movie, it's completely changed.

480
00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:53,560
 It used to be about aliens blowing up the White House.

481
00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:57,760
 Now it's about Minions and talking toys because parents just want two hours of AC.

482
00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:01,300
 What is your all time favorite July 4th blockbuster movie?

483
00:36:01,300 --> 00:36:04,900
 And does anything beat the original Independence Day?

484
00:36:04,900 --> 00:36:08,500
 I can tell you what doesn't beat the original Independence Day.

485
00:36:08,500 --> 00:36:10,160
 The sequel that they put out.

486
00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:11,900
 It is complete shit.

487
00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:13,840
 All right.

488
00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:22,620
 This one actually is closer to home because it it deals with Georgia, which is where yours truly hails from.

489
00:36:22,720 --> 00:36:29,100
 So right here in Georgia, state law has a massive list of where you cannot shoot fireworks.

490
00:36:29,100 --> 00:36:33,240
 The usual spots near a gas station kind of makes sense.

491
00:36:33,240 --> 00:36:34,000
 Prisons.

492
00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:34,700
 OK.

493
00:36:34,700 --> 00:36:36,140
 And hospitals.

494
00:36:36,140 --> 00:36:37,080
 Yeah, I get it.

495
00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:41,040
 But there is a very specific lesser known property line rule.

496
00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:48,880
 You cannot ignite fireworks within 200 yards of any property that houses horses.

497
00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:59,680
 If you spook the neighbor's mayor, you are technically breaking state code, which I find interesting because here in my neighborhood, across the way, one of my neighbors has horses.

498
00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:00,780
 One or two.

499
00:37:00,780 --> 00:37:01,780
 I don't know how many.

500
00:37:01,780 --> 00:37:09,160
 Yet during the 4th of July and even New Year's, they are popping off fireworks throughout this neighborhood.

501
00:37:09,160 --> 00:37:11,840
 I guess they don't realize they're breaking law.

502
00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:21,200
 In major cities across the state, like Atlanta, people think they're safe on public property, but city ordinances explicitly ban lighting fireworks on public sidewalks or streets without a permit.

503
00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:25,560
 So if you're on the concrete curb, you're open to a citation.

504
00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:29,900
 And the last one, the firework DUI.

505
00:37:29,900 --> 00:37:36,520
 Most people, as we've already talked about, enjoy a cold beer while grilling or maybe a shot, maybe a mixed drink.

506
00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:40,540
 I'm not judging, but Georgia code treats explosives like vehicles.

507
00:37:40,540 --> 00:37:52,420
 Lighting consumer fireworks while legally under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a criminal offense in the state of Georgia.

508
00:37:52,420 --> 00:37:57,220
 It's literally DUI for explosives.

509
00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:02,880
 DUI for explosives.

510
00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:06,800
 We've all got that one neighbor who turns the neighborhood into a war zone on the 4th.

511
00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:10,740
 I've already said, I think we have more than one neighbor out here that does it.

512
00:38:10,740 --> 00:38:14,380
 But if you look at these laws, half of us are just doing it wrong.

513
00:38:14,380 --> 00:38:18,660
 What is the craziest or most annoying thing your neighbors do with fireworks every single year?

514
00:38:18,660 --> 00:38:24,220
 Since we're ending the show, let's vent on the text line 229-520-5957.

515
00:38:24,220 --> 00:38:29,520
 Or you can shoot me an email, morningdrip at wrto.fm.

516
00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:30,520
 All right, everybody.

517
00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:34,800
 That's it for this broadcast for Thursday, July 2nd, 2026.

518
00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:42,960
 Going into the holiday weekend, 4th of July, 250th anniversary of the great nation of the United States of America.

519
00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:44,980
 I want you all to be safe.

520
00:38:44,980 --> 00:38:47,000
 I want you to enjoy yourselves.

521
00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:48,640
 Try to stay cool.

522
00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:51,080
 Try not to start any fires with fireworks.

523
00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:58,780
 And keep in mind, where you cannot legally in the state of Georgia, shoot off fireworks.

524
00:38:58,780 --> 00:39:00,960
 No drinking with fireworks.

525
00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:03,200
 Don't be on public property.

526
00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:07,280
 And don't be within 200 yards of Mr. Ed.

527
00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:09,720
 All right, everybody.

528
00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:11,680
 Hug your loved ones.

529
00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:15,480
 Hope you get to take off work early today.

530
00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:17,500
 Have a great time this weekend.

531
00:39:17,500 --> 00:39:22,700
 And we'll be back next Tuesday morning for another broadcast of The Morning Drip.

532
00:39:22,700 --> 00:39:24,020
 Good morning, everybody.