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The Daily Dose/June 14, 2011
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
Notes from around The Human Experience...
GREAT MOMENTS IN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: You know, we expect waste from our government. It's the way the world is built, part of the always so. So it was hardly the upset of the year when we read this weekend the government cannot account for a portion of the $12 billion or so in cash it has flown to Irag over the years. In fact, a bigger story would've been how every dollar of it had been accounted for.
Oh, Jesus H: But the announcement this past weekend that up to $6.6 billion of the $12 billion or so flown to Iraq has come up missing and might well have been stolen surprised even us.
We're not entirely sure why we raised an eyebrow at this news. I mean, it's our government. Consider this: you truck $12 billion to an air force base. You load it on a plane. You fly that plane to Iraq and, with few controls in place, stash it until it is time to distribute it and we are surprised when half of it comes up missing?
Trust Us, We Work For The Government: After years of insisting they could get to the bottom of it, the Pentagon finally threw up their collective hands and announced they have some zero clue what the deal is and have given up any hope of finding the money.
LOL: What's funny is its Iraq's money! We are not making that up! The funds came from oil sales and other monies amassed when sanctions were in place during the Saddam Hussein era. Iraq is none to happy at having six billion of their dollars missing, and in the finest American tradition is threatening to sue us, presumably in our own courts.
LOOKING AHEAD: We don't usually get too worked up about the passage time here at the Writer's Shack, but even we found ourselves scratching our head at the fact that the 2011 Rugby World Cup is starting to show up in the crosshairs.
Time Keeps Flowing Like A Goddamned River: Has it really been four madcap years since we fell in love with our All Blacks, the national rugby team of New Zealand, and an Official Writer's Shack Fave?
Indeed it has. The 2011 Rugby World Cup begins September 9, hosted by New Zealand.
For The Record: We still haven't gotten over the fact the stupid French defeated our All Blacks in the quarterfinals of the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Cheaters.
For The Record II: Despite losing to the goddamned French, the All Blacks, of course, retain their Writer's Shack Fave status, While we are perpetual bandwagoners here at the Writer's Shack, official Fave status is, for some reason, almost impossible to lose, just ask Mount Union's football team.
For The Record III: Our All Blacks are in Pool A and open the 2011 Rugby World Cup on September 9, in tough against dreaded Tonga, at Eden Park in Auckland.
Oh Yeah: Also in Pool A are Canada France and Japan.
USA! USA! Since nothing anymore - even stuff we suck at - is complete without US intervention, the Americans are in it, too, in Pool C, with Australia, Ireland, Italy and those zany Russians. They open against the Irish on September 11. The might beat Russia, but that's about it. We aren't very good in international rugby, which is why the All Blacks are Official Writer's Shack Faves and not the Americans, who are known as the Eagles.
By The By: The Russians are making their first appearance in the Rugby World Cup.
TEN-HUT: The Continental Army is authorized by the Continental Congress on this date in 1775. Though the Continental Army was disbanded after the Revolutionary War, mainly because Americans still distrusted standing armies, the United States Army celebrates its birthday on June 14.
More Hot Continental Congress Action: The Second Continental Congress adopts the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States on this date in 1777. Actually, the resolution was passed by the Marine Committee of the Second Continental Congress along with some other marine-type resolutions and it may well have been a resolution to adopt naval colors, but our national flag evolved from this resolution anyway.
Though June 14 was a Saturday in 1777, the Second Continental Congress was hard at work, putting in a full day. The actual resolution in the official record of that day states:
Resolved, That the flag of the // thirteen // United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white: that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.
Really Dry, Technical Matter: The adoption of a national flag came right after the Congress decided that:
…the Marine Committee be empowered to give such directions respecting the continental ships of war in the river Delaware, as they think proper, in case the enemy succeed in their attempts on the said river.
This was followed by the suspension of one Captain John Roach, who was suspended from his command of the warship Ranger, with command then given to John Paul Jones. The record states the Congress had received a letter from leaders in Massachusetts saying Capt. Roach as a person of 'doubtful character'.
So Moved: After a full day of congressing, the Second Continental Congress adjourned until 10am the following Monday.
Ah, What The Hell: The Catholic Church decides its adherents can read whatever they want by abolishing their list of banned books on this date in 1966. The list had been instituted by Pope Paul IV in 1559 and over the centuries included some 6,000 works by 4,000 or so writers, including some of the most significant thinkers in human history.
Thought For The Day: Marriage, the last refuge of men unable to fend for themselves. - Garrison Keilor, Leaving Home.
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: In addition to John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston and Benjamin Franklin were the other three members of the Committee of Five.
Today's Stumper: What nations have won multiple Rugby World Cup titles? - Answer next time!
Comments? Recipes? Complaints? Email the Writer's Shack here!
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