The first actual Independence Day took place on July 8th so we celebrate on the fourth. Go figure.

Congress declared July 4th a national holiday 175 years later in 1941. Guess one of the politicians had a flag business and wanted to increase sales. Now we import over $3.6 million flags...most of them from China.

Traditionally the 4th of July has been a barbeque weekend. We eat over 150 million hot dogs, buy around 700 million pounds of chicken and spend about $111 million on popsicles and charcoal. No word on whether some of us are putting the popsicles on the charcoal...

I'm going to fire up my smoker this weekend. What do you think I should cook? Ribs? Brisket?

Let me know because the butcher shop closes at 6 today.