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The Daily Dose/June 25, 2008
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
 
 
More notes from around the Human Experience, campers, leading off with the Chinese establishing themselves as the favorites for the gold medal in air defense, plus the latest from the Torch Relay, which has seen a lot of the excitement leave it since it actually entered China. Plus some good On This Date action, including the Berlin Airlift and our rascal 1908 Cubs, plus Trivia and the inevitable Cheryl Ladd is the Column Four Foto!
READY, AIM, FIRE: Probably worried about Tibetan monks getting their hands on some airplanes, the Chinese have placed a battery of ground-to-air missiles next to the Olympic Sports Center Stadium (scheduled to host some soccer and modern pentathlon events) and within a half mile of Olympic Stadium (aka Bird's Nest Stadium) and the aquatic facility.
A Word Of Advice: What they should really do is aim the missiles at Birds Nest Stadium and destroy it, because it is the ugliest sports venue mankind has ever constructed, even uglier than the new Soldier Field in Chicago.
Isn't This A Change Of Policy? Yes. Soldier Field was at the top of the list for awhile, but Birds Nest is the new number one.
A Missed Opportunity: While the Writer's Shack official call to free Tibet now, dammit, basically fell on deaf ears, the prospects for a completely screwed up games that embarrass the Chinese are not totally grim.
One, the prospect of those missiles needing to be used cannot be entirely dismissed. There are nutcases all over the planet, all of whom would love the publicity attendant with screwing up the biggest sporting event in human history because on 21st century planet Earth substance doesn't matter and the only true humiliation is not being noticed.
Spanning The Globe, To Bring You The Constant Variety Of World Chaos: Plus, tee vee networks worldwide and Chinese organizers are squabbling about coverage away from Olympic venues. This matter has cleared up somewhat as networks successfully badgered the Chinese into letting them broadcast from Tiananmen Square, site of 1989's massacre of ordinary Chinese students who had the nerve to protest for more freedom. Still though, there is no guarantee the Chinese will follow through on that promise, nor are guarantees of access to other places, or even run of the mill Chinese, in place.
And All This Ahead Of The Beijing Games! China is also tightening visa restrictions, especially focusing on increased screening of evil students and frequent business visitors, though apparently the casual, first-time visitor in town for the Olympics are guaranteed to be terrorist free.
Final Analysis: While the staff of the Writer's Shack remains hopeful that some sort of protest or confrontation will mar these Games, we are not pinning our hopes on any Tibetan monks crashing the Opening Ceremonies, or even the team handball competition, and we certainly don't want terrorists mucking things up anymore than you do. We'd really just like some attention diverted to Tibet, a people who deserve better than History has seen fit to give them. The Olympics will probably go off without a hitch.
As Long As We're Here: Chinese officials announced Tuesday that Tibet, now safely smacked down and beaten, will be open to foreign tourists and media later this week. Everyone who wasn't in prison or tied down was kicked out in March, following Tibetan protests over China's occupation, now in its fiftieth year.
Gee, This Is A Surprise: The Olympic Torch Relay has been safely in China since early May. Chinese protests over the Relay are turning out to be fewer than they were in Paris, London and San Francisco.
Editor's Note: To best pay homage to the fact the Chicago Cubs have not won the World Series in 100 years, On This Date is pleased to chronicle the season of their last world's championship season, in 1908.
HOME SWEET HOME: After a 15-game road trip that saw them leave two games up in the National League and return one game up, the Cubs started off a six-game homestand with a 2-1 victory over St. Louis on June 24, and followed that up with a 7-0 smack down of the Reds on June 25 in the first game of a five-game set. Mordecai Brown - hilariously known as "Three Finger" because he only had four fingers on his throwing hand - threw a six-hitter and the Cubs got two runs each in the first, fourth and fifth and a single run in the second.
What's The Deal With A One Game Series?: These were not uncommon back in the old 8-team National and American leagues. The Cardinals had completed a series in Boston on June 22, and were on their way home to open a series against Pittsburgh on June 25. The Cubs themselves would play five such series in 1908, four of them home, mostly against teams either heading west after a home stand, or heading home after playing in St. Louis, though one time the schedule maker issued the broom handle to the Phillies, making them play at home, travel to Chicago for one game, then head back east for a series in Pittsburgh. They were given two full days for travel both ways, however.
The Post Game Show Is Brought To You By Old Style Beer: Elsewhere in the National League the Phillies defeated Brooklyn (then known as the Superbas) 6-0, Pittsburgh defeated St. Louis 4-3 and Boston and New York split a pair. Boston got a late touchdown to take the opener 14-10, and the Giants took game two 7-4. The Cubs end the day in first place, a game ahead of the Pirates and three-and-a-half games up on the Giants.
That Other League:In the American League the big news is the St. Louis Browns - in the middle of the only season between 1903 and 1919 when they will finish in the upper division - moved into sole possession of first place after a 4-1 victory at Detroit. The Browns have won seven straight of what would be an eight game winning streak. They would remain in first place until July 1.
Up, Up And Away In My Beautiful C-54: Thirteen days after the Soviets blocked rail and vehicular access to Berlin, the Berlin Airlift begins on this date in 1948. The first week American and British planes delivered and average of 90 tons of supplies the first week, 1000 tons the second week, and, by the end of July, were averaging 4,500 tons a day. The Soviets ended the blockade in May of 1949, though the airlift continued through September in order to build a surplus. All told, 278,228 American and British flights delivered 2.32 million tons of supplies. The Berlin Airlift cost about $2 billion in 2008 dollars.
Those Zany Orientals: On this date in 1950 the Korean War begins when North Korean invades South Korea. The US would get involved in early July and a cease-fire was implemented in July, 1953, though the war has yet to be officially ended.
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: There was not a trivia question last time, silly. I'm surprised you forgot.
Today's Stumper: Though closely associated with Chicago, the Cubs and Wrigley Field, Old Style beer was first brewed in what Wisconsin town? - Answer next time!
Threats? Recipes? Trivia question answers? Email The Writer's Shack Here!
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