| | Home
The Human Zoo/October 2, 2011
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
Notes from around The Human Experience...
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: The United States gave another al-Qaeda leader the opportunity to spent eternal life with assorted vestal virgins, killing Anwar al-Awlaki, who was hiding out in Yemen.
Al-Awaki was born in New Mexico to Yemeni parents and held dual citizenship. And, frankly, if you're born to Yemeni parents, move to the Middle East and hook up with a terrorist organization, your American citizenship probably doesn't mean too much to you.
But does that mean you forfeit your rights as an American citizen?
Democracy Fever…Catch It: This nation long ago established we don't really care what our government does, as long as long as we can super-size our dinner and watch people dance on television.
We need to start paying attention, though, friends. We invaded a sovereign nation we were not at war with to kill Osama bin-Laden. All right. He deserved to go, and we're not spending too much time fretting about whether or not bin-Laden was or was not an enemy combatant.
Get Your Official Writer's Shack Policy Right Here: This is different, though. While mindful of the lifeAnwar al-Awlaki chose to lead, he was an American citizen. He was entitled not to have been assassinated by his government.
WELL, THAT'S DIFFERENT, THEN: Finding that executing Youcef Nadarkhani for refusing to be Muslim wasn't flying - not to mention facing official Writer's Shack condemnation - Iran ingeniously changed the crimes for which he was condemned. Instead of being executed for refusing to renounce his treasured Christianity for Islam, the religion of choice for his ancestors, Nadarkhani will die for rape and extortion, despite the fact he has been neither tried nor convicted of those charges.
The Pot Calling The Kettle Black: It will be fun to see the US condemn Iran for executing someone for a crime they did not commit because, of course, this is something we do from time to time here in the United States.
Go In Peace, Serve The Lord: We covered this the last time out: it's nice to have a religion. It's tough to get through life on your own and most people need something to show them there is more to life than daily selfishness. Form some, religion provides a nice path. And it would be nice if Nakarkhani lived in a country where he could lead a small congregation of fellow adherents without drawing the attention of the authorities.
But he doesn't, and since the charges have been switched to rape and extortion, he's going to hang regardless of whether he sings the Doxology or bows towards Mecca because it's unlikely the authorities are going to allow him to say "look, I'm not a rapist or an extortionist" and let him off.
BRACKETOWN: The quarterfinals at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand are starting to take shape. Official Writer's Shack fave the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team, are in, of course. Hell, they are so good they've already won Pool A despite the fact they have one match remaining, tomorrow vs. Canada.
The match is meaningless, as are most sporting events involving Team Canada that do not involve ice, because France has already secured the second spot out of Pool A despite losing to Tonga 19-14 on Friday, in what is being regarded as one of the biggest upsets in Rugby World Cup history.
Dry, Technical Matter: The score is significant. Tonga got four points for the win, giving them nine for pool play. Pool play also issues points for big scoring and close losses, though, and because France managed to cheat their way to a loss that was seven points or less, they were awarded a bonus point, giving them eleven points for pool play. Had Tonga been able to turn up the offense a bit and scored four tries (the rugby equivalent of a touchdown) they would have been awarded a bonus point and would have advanced to the quarterfinals.
Oh Jesus H: France's bonus point was also keeps those pesky Canadians out of the quarterfinals, too, because Canada has six points heading into Sunday's match against our All Blacks, and could've advanced with a win and a bonus point. Theoretically. Nobody is beating our All Blacks this World Cup, unless the All Blacks were interested in conspiring to keep the evil French out of the quarterfinals.
Whatever: All that matters is that our All Blacks will open bracket play on October 9 against either Argentina or Scotland. Argentina is in with a win or a loss that earns them a bonus point because they trail Scotland, whom they beat, by one point.
Oh Yeah: South Africa and Wales have also advanced.
ANY LAST WORDS? Major John Andre of the British army is hanged a spy during the American Revolution on this date in 1780. Andre had been arrested on September 21, while heading back to the British lines following a meeting with noted American traitor General Benedict Arnold.
Andre was dressed in civilian clothes and was traveling with a fake passport, both of which made him a spy. When he came across three Americans he thought they were allies because one of the Americans was wearing a Hessian coat and Andre properly identified himself as a British officer.
Psych! Hilariously the Americans then went tactical and said they were Americans so Andre, thinking four can play at this game, changed his mind, too, also identified himself as an American and showed his fake passport. This made even the Americans, two of whom were illiterate, suspicious, so Andre was taken into custody, where paper implicating Arnold were found inside a sock. Andre tried to bribe his way out of it, but the Americans were stalwart and couldn't be bought.
"Reflecting Great Credit On Himself And The Continental Army": This led to the first military decoration in US History. The three soldiers involved in Andre's capture were given the Fidelity medallion, the only time in history this award was issued.
GET OUT YOUR HISTORY BOOKS: Addie Joss, of the Cleveland Indians, then known as the Naps, pitches the fourth perfect game in major league history on this date in 1908, defeating the Chicago White Sox, then known as the White Sox, 1-0.
Joss picked an opportune time for what by any measure is one of the great clutch performances in baseball history. The win kept Cleveland a half-game behind Detroit in the final days of the American League pennant race. Both would finish the season 90 wins, however Detroit won the pennant by a half-game because, under the rules in place at the time, a rained out game from earlier in the season did not have to be made up.
Thought For The Day: To accept with tranquility whatever happens is to put oneself beyond sorrow or joy. -Chinese maxim.
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: The trivia question had the day off last time.
Today's Stumper: What fort were John Andre and Benedict Arnold plotting to turn over to the British? - Answer next time!
Comments? Recipes? Complaints? Email the Writer's Shack here!
Home |
| |
