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The Daily Dose/June 1, 2011
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
Notes From Around The Human Experience...
FINALLY: The US House of Representatives did something useful Tuesday, voting down a proposal that would increase this nation's debt ceiling.
A Wait And See Attitude: Maybe, just maybe, these are the first tentative salvos in the fight against this nation's national debt, which is $14.404 trillion as we write this.
Dry, Technical Matter: The plan would have increased the debt ceiling, currently about $14.3 trillion, by $2.4 trillion.
Fly In The Ointment: Astute readers will note that based on the above-cited figures, we've already exceeded the current ceiling. This is because we are still racking up debt. The debt ceiling doesn't stop our debt from piling up, it merely means the Treasury Department can no longer legally borrow money anymore. To earn extra cash the Treasury Department is cashing in some investments and not making investments in federal pension funds.
The Sky Is Falling: The House vote was accompanied by assorted predictions of doom for the United States if the debt ceiling isn't raised by early August. We're not entirely sure we're on board with that. Sure, there would probably be some consequences but
1) they would be a lot easier to take than the consequences of continued borrowing, and
2) this country takes in about $200 billion a month. A little belt tightening, or perhaps a lot of belt tightening, and we'll probably be all right.
Get Your Official Writer's Shack Policy Right Here: Our national debt will destroy this country, probably within a couple of generations, if it is not dealt with. We are going to have to take our medicine, and the sooner we start making the tough choices the easier this medicine will be to take.
DIE FREE OR LIVE: A California women who was selling kits designed to make it easy to kill yourself had her home raided recently.
Get Your Official s Policy Right Here II: We are generally on board with the theory that if someone wants to die, they should be allowed to do so. And if a state wants to pass an assisted suicide law or two, that's all right with us. As with other laws of this sort, our position is just because something is legal, doesn't mean it's mandatory. If you don't want to help dying, you would be under no obligation to avail yourself of the state-sanctioned assistance, just like if you don't want to smoke weed - and we don't - you'd be under no obligation to do so if smoking weed were legal.
But boy, oh boy, a private citizen selling do-it-yourself suicide kits raises a flag or two, even for the free-wheeling libertarian misfits here at the Writer's Shack.
Leading Off: First, the right to die with help should be reserved for adults. Unless you are hooking the customer up to the apparatus yourself, you really have no way of knowing who will end up using your product.
Point Two: No one likes government butting in, but if you are unwilling or unable to take your own life, your government should be compassionate enough to allow someone who knows what they are doing to lend you a hand. You should not have to rely on buying a kit through the mail from someone you don't know.
GOING BACK, AWAY BACK: The Mongols, led by Ghengis Khan, defeat the Chinese in the Battle of Beijing on this date in 1215. The loss forces the Chinese emperor to move his capital south, leaving northern China for the Mongols.
Hey Batter, Batter…Don't Swing: Miller Huggins of the St. Louis Cardinals becomes the first major leaguer in the 20th century to have six plate appearances without recording an official at-bat on this date in 1910. In a 10-5 victory over the Phillies in Philadelphia, Huggins walks four times and has two sacrifices.
Oh, Jesus H: The feat had been done three times in the 1800's, and Jimmie Foxx became the only American League player to do it, going 0-0 with six walks in a 1938 game.
FunFact: Foxx also became the first American League player to walk six times in a game, tying the major league record established by Walt Wilmont of Chicago in 1891. It was equaled by Andre Thornton of Cleveland in a 16-inning game in 1982.
Put Me In Coach: Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,130 consecutive games played begins on this date in 1925, when he pinch-hits for Pee Wee Wanninger. The following day Gehrig will start at first base for Wally Pipp and will play in every Yankee game through April 30, 1939.
What The Hell's Going On Here? Pipp would not start another game for the Yankees, who sell his contract to the Cincinnati Reds after the season.
Hey, What About Me? Wanninger's career wasn't exactly boosted by Gehrig, either. Pee Wee, a shortstop by trade, was sent back to the minors after the season. He would return to the big leagues for one final season in 1927 with the Red Sox, who shipped him to Cincinnati in May.
Thought For The Day: If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties. - Francis Bacon
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: The Trivia segment took last column off.
Today's Stumper: What future baseball Hall of Fame member made his debut with the 1925 New York Yankees? - Answer next time!
Comments? Recipes? Complaints? Email the Writer's Shack here!
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