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The Daily Dose/July 24, 2011
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
Notes from around the Human Experience...
FUNNY…VERY FUNNY: We were hoping that our government would have come up with a long-term solution to this nation's deficit and debt problems while we took a couple of days off, but, of course, they haven't. The clock isn't down to its final seconds yet and no real damage has been done, so, of course, there is still time for more of the infantile posturing and partisan bickering that is now attendant with most aspects of our government.
Now Hear This: Whatever detritus trickles out of the Washington sewer line at the last minute, presuming one does, will merely address the temporary problem of raising this nation's debt limit, that is our legal authority to borrow money, as well as raise some taxes and cut some spending, but it won't substantively change our spending habits, so while it might cut this nation's deficit by a little bit, it is not particularly reasonable to expect any agreement to make much of a long-term impact on our national debt.
Almanac: As we write this on Saturday night, July 24, the national debt of the United States is $14.528 trillion. For this fiscal year we have spent almost $1.4 trillion more than we have taken in.
Back On Message: Without further authority to borrow money, this nation stands a good chance of not paying its bills early next month.
Uh, Gee, Thanks Guys: We're not experts in the matter, but it seems to us that since Congress got us into this mess it would be a violation of the bylaws for them to force us to start defaulting on our obligations.
Decades of selfish, partisan bickering has put Congress in a box because the only real solution - as opposed to stop-gap measures that merely provide temporary relief - is to cut spending that will no doubt offend the special interests groups that finance your reelection campaigns. Not to mention the constituents who will be seeing the benefits that - for better or worse - they've become accustomed to cut.
Uh, Gee, Thanks, Guys II: And you know what else? Had we grabbed the bull by the horns and taken substantive, decisive action twenty years ago we wouldn't be in this mess. We'd have a manageable deficit and national debt. But we didn't have any leadership back then, either.
THE CARTER FACTOR: Rather than go through the trouble of arguing the individual merits of baseball's Hall of Fame inductees every year, we now simply apply the Gary Carter Factor to each inductee.
Dry, Technical Matter, Special Hall Of Fame Edition: Look, we like Carter. He was a nice guy and had a nice major league career, and if they want him in the Hall of Fame, it's their Hall of Fame. But let's be honest, Carter is more or less the Mendoza Line of Hall of Famers, so Carter is the official Writer's Shack Hall of Fame Line of Demarcation. If a player was as good or better than Gary Carter then A+, welcome aboard, well done. If you weren't as good as Carter, we'll meet you at the ticket booth because that is the only way either of us are getting in.
Well? Both of today's inductees pass the Carter Test. By fairly large margins, too, if you ask us. Roberto Alomar had a stellar career and had Bert Blyleven pitched for some better teams, he would've won 300 games and been enshrined years ago.
Speaking Of As Good Or Better Than Carter: Guys, if you let Carter in, you've got to let Steve Garvey in. Don't deny it. And maybe Tito Fuentes, too.
THOSE ZANY ROYALS: Mary Queen of Scots is forced to abdicate the Scottish throne on this date in 1567. She is replaced by her infant son James I. Left without people to rule, Mary would later muster a small army that failed to restore her to power, after which she fled to England where her cousin Queen Elizabeth I immediately imprisoned her and, eventually, executed her.
Great Moments In Reconstruction: Tennessee is the first state to be readmitted to the Union on this date in 1866, as it's elected senators and representatives are admitted to Congress.
Well, That Problem Is Finally Solved: The Kellogg-Briand Pact, a treaty that bound its signatories to renounce war, goes into effect on this date in 1928. It had been signed the previous August by dozens of nations, pretty much most of whom have been at war at some point since.
USA! USA!: Man's greatest adventure, Apollo 11, came to end on this date in 1969, splashing down a few hundred miles southwest of Hawaii. The crew, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were then transported to a recovery ship and eventually to Houston where - along with a doctor - they were placed in quarantine for 21 days. None of the astronauts was shown to be carrying anything damaging and after the next two Apollo missions showed the same thing, the practice that was abolished after Apollo 14.
Guys, Please Get Over It: This nation could've been on Mars in the 1980's if it really wanted to. Sigh.
More USA! USA! The US Supreme Court rules on this date in 1974 that President Richard Nixon could not withhold tapes subpoenaed by the special prosecutor. Nixon would turn the tapes over on July 30 and would resign August 8.
Thought For The Day: You must live your life for something more important than your life alone. One who has never lost himself in a cause bigger than himself has missed one of life's mountaintop experiences. - Richard Nixon
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: American humorist Will Rogers was the writer killed along with Wiley Post in 1935.
Today's Stumper: Who ranks immediately ahead and immediately behnd of Hall of Famer Gary Carter on major league baseball's all-time home run list? - Answer next time!
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