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The Human Zoo/October 16, 2011
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
Notes from around The Human Experience...
WELL, ALL RIGHT: We're not doing flip-flops over Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan for getting the economy going. But kind of like the Occupy Wall Streeters, who we don't particularly agree with either but we're glad they care enough to get out and protest, we applaud Mr. Cain for actually having the guts to run a real, live plan up the flagpole, instead of throwing out the usual banal, vacuous campaign rhetoric.
Dry, Technical Matter: The plan would cut personal income taxes and corporate taxes to a flat nine percent, plus enact a nine percent national sales tax. It would also eliminate certain other taxes, like the capital gains tax and the estate tax, both of which we favor.
We favor lowering taxes here at the Writer's Shack We are particularly in favor of a flat tax for both citizens and businesses.
Fly In The Ointment: But a nine percent national sales tax? No, that is not in anybody's best interest. One, it will probably negate the income tax cut for most citizens. Also, while mindful of the extra money folks will have thanks to the tax cut, it is not unreasonable to think that adding nine percent to the cost of all new goods and services would stifle the purchase of new goods and services. At both ends of the spectrum. Everyday citizens would think twice before buying big ticket items, and the wealthy just might balk at having an extra nine percent added to their luxury purchases.
Get Your Official Writer's Shack Policy Right Here: We support a flat tax of 17 percent for individuals and businesses here at the Writer's Shack. We don't think 17 percent is too exacting a price for the services we've come to expect our government to provide, and as us citizens are gradually weaned off the government bottle, that rate can come down even more.
THIS TIME IT'S PERSONAL: Sure, our official Writer's Shack faves the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team, demolished the goddamned French in pool play at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, vengeance for France's thieving, cheating win the quarterfinals of the 2007 World Cup.
This time though, it's for all the marbles, as both the All Blacks and the goddamned, thieving, effing French won their semifinal matches this weekend. France barely got by Wales 9-8, while the All Blacks advanced following a systematic 20-6 destruction of Australia.
All The Marbles: This sets up the match we've all been waiting four long years for where, following the obligatory All Black victory, of course, our All Blacks hoist the Webb Ellis Trophy after winning the 2011 World Cup.
GREAT MOMENTS IN GEORGE WASHINGTON: American General George Washington captures Yorktown, Virginia on this date in 1781, following a siege of three weeks. The British surrender would be finalized in October 19. It was the last major land battle of the Revolution, though the Treaty of Paris, which formally ended the war, wouldn't be signed until 1783.
This Won't Hurt A Bit: Ether anesthesia is demonstrated publicly for the first time on this date in 1846, by Boston dentist William T.G. Morton. Ether was first used as an anesthetic by Georgia doctor Crawford Long in 1842.
Hey, We Thought All Men We're Created Equal? John Brown, an abolitionist, begins a slave revolt in Harpers Ferry, Virginia on this date in 1859. It would last for four days, before being ended by US Marines commanded by Brevet Colonel and noted slavery fan Robert E. Lee. Brown was among those captured and later executed.
Oh, The Irony: The first casualty of the revolt was actually a freed slave who was working as a baggage handler who had the misfortune to get in their way.
There's One, Or Two, Born Every Minute: One of the great hoaxes in American history, the Cardiff Giant, is exhumed in Cardiff, New York on this date in 1869.
The giant, billed as a ten-foot petrified man that been accidentally discovered while digging a well, was actually a doctored up granite statue that had been commissioned for this very purpose by one George Hull. Hull charged admission to see his statue for a while and even sold his interest for $23,000, a bit less than $400,000 in 2011 dollars.
Good Riddance: Ten Nazis, condemned by the International Military Tribunal, are executed in Nuremberg Germany on this date in 1846.
You Have To Be Different, Don't You? Hermann Goring, still peeved he was going to be hung like a common criminal instead of shot like an honorable soldier, killed himself with a smuggled cyanide capsule a few hours before the proceedings began.
Hey, We Thought All Men We're Created Equal II: Tommie Smith and John Carlos stick gloved hands up in a human rights salute on the Olympic medal stand at the Mexico City Olympics on this date in 1968.
The gloves weren't their only salute. Both wore socks but no shoes to symbolize poverty. Smith wore a black scarf around his neck to honor black pride while Carlos scandalously unzipped his warm-up jacket to show solidarity with blue collar workers.
Honkie Power: The only white guy on the medal stand, silver medalist Peter Norman of Australia, did his part, too, wearing the same Olympic Project for Human Rights patch that Smith and Carlos wore. Norman would be thanked by being ostracized in his homeland, and being left off the 1972 Australian Olympic team despite having come in third in the Olympic trials.
Oh Yeah: Smith had won the gold medal in the 200 meters in a world record 19.83 seconds. Norman had finished second in 20.06 seconds and Carlos came in third with a time of 20.10 seconds.
Thought For The Day: I had to get myself in the world's eye to make my statement…I will never have any regrets. - Tommie Smith
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: Ozzie and Dan Silna, who owned the Spirits of St. Louis team in the American Basketball Association, receive one-seventh of the national television revenue of the four ABA teams that joined the National Basketball Association - the Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers and New Jersey Nets - as terms of the ABA/NBA merger. Since then, the Silna's have received over $200 million in NBA television revenue. The owner of the remaining ABA team, John Y. Brown, of the Kentucky Colonels, accepted a $3 million buyout. Brown would later purchase the NBA's Buffalo Braves.
Today's Stumper: Who broke Tommie Smith's 200 meter world record? - Answer next time.
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