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The Daily Dose/April 29, 2011
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
Notes from around the Human Experience...
THROWING THE RASCALS IN: We're as surprised as you, no doubt, were that Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval didn't appoint Gaylon to the US Senate seat John Ensign is resigning next month. Instead one Dean Heller, currently representing parts of Nevada in the House of Representatives, was appointed to fill Ensign's seat, which is up for election in 2012.
All In Favor, Say 'Aye': Both the Nevada State Assembly and Senate actually butted into the process this week something they had some zero right to do, passing a resolution calling for "an open, fair and public process".
Pick Me! Pick Me! This is funny. Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval was under no obligation to do anything except to appoint whomever we damn well pleases to the position, which he did. He could have made the process as open, fair and public - or as closed, private and full of cronyism - as he saw fit.
WHILE WE WERE OUT: The Taliban orchestrated a highly successful prison escape in Kandahar, Afghanistan late Sunday night/early Monday morning, as almost 500 prisoners escaped via a tunnel dug from a nearby house into the prison.
Well, This Certainly Helped: Escapees knowledgeable about the plan had secured keys to cell doors so copies could be made.
The Taliban, which is well-organized enough to actually issue statements on prison escapes said the tunnel took five months to complete and it took about four-and-a-half hours to get everyone out.
Collateral Damage: Two escapees were shot to death, and another two dozen or so were recaptured. The rest got away.
This Is Definitely A Violation Of Regulations: Waheed Omar, a government spokesman, sounds like he took his training in being a Spokesman at the NASA Academy for Stating the Obvious:
"This is a blow. A prison break of this magnitude of course points to a vulnerability."
Get Your Official Writer's Shack Policy Right Here: Like you, we condemn the escape of evil doers from their captors. Still though, any prison where this can happen deserves what it gets. Good gravy, didn't tons of dirt being removed from a nearby house cause anybody to wonder what's up? A lot of time and effort could have been saved simply by letting them out the front door.
WELL, NOT THEE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS, BUT A BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS: New Orleans falls to Union forces in the American Civil War on this date in 1862.
Take Me Out To The Ballgame: On this date in 1876, Louisville Grays first baseman John Carbine establishes what is now the oldest record in the major league record book, committing five errors in a 6-2 loss to the St. Louis Brown Stockings.
Going Back, Away Back: April 29, 1876 is the eighth day of the National League and, depending on which game started when, was either ninth, tenth or eleventh game in league history.
On The Scoreboard: Also on April 29, 1876, a Saturday back then, the Hartford Dark Blues defeated the Boston Red Caps 3-2 and the Chicago White Stockings defeated the Cincinnati Red Stockings 11-5.
Classic No Field, No Hit Player: Carbine couldn't hit either, batting .160 in seven games with the Grays before his big league career ended in June.
Can't Anybody Here Play This Game? Evidently nobody could catch the ball in 1876, because this record would be equaled in June and again in October. The modern major league record for errors in a game by a first baseman is 4, done several times.
Dry, Technical Matter: The Grays themselves weren't that great either, and were out of the National League after two seasons.
Honey, Why Don't We Honeymoon In The Armory? Adolph Hitler marries longtime squeeze Eva Braun on this date in 1945. Their marriage would last one day, ending with their suicides the following day. There were no children.
Gee, Thanks Adolph: Hitler also appointed Admiral Karl Donitz as his successor. Donitz would later serve ten years in prison after being convicted of assorted submarine warfare offenses by the International Military Tribunal.
Great Moments In Concentration Camp Liberation: The Dachau concentration camp in Germany is liberated on this date in 1945. American troops find 32,000 prisoners crammed into barracks designed to hold 5,000. Some GI's are so appalled at what the found they executed several dozen German guards.
Great Deals On TVs Right Here! The 1992 Los Angeles riots begin on this date, following the acquittal of four police officers in the beating of Rodney King. Over the next six days 53 people died, 2,300 are injured and there are over 7,000 fires and over one billion dollars in damages.
Red Carpet Treatment: Earlier this year King was pulled over by LAPD officers for driving erratically. Recognizing who they had pulled over, the officers took him to the nearest Winchell's for donuts and a hot cup of coffee, and paid his rent for the month.
Such Kidders: Actually, King was cited for driving with an expired license.
Making The World Safe For Nuclear War: A treaty outlawing the production and stockpiling of chemical weapons goes into effect on this date in 1997.
Keeping Their Options Open: Be careful about going to war with Angola, Burma, Egypt, Israel, North Korea, Somalia and Syria because they are not on board with this treaty.
Thought For The Day: There was great difference in persons, and discretion did not always accompany years, nor was youth always without it. - Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: The USS Triton was the first submarine outside of the Soviet navy to have two (2) nuclear reactors, a practice common in the Soviet navy.
Today's Stumper: On the night Rodney King was beaten by the LAPD, what law enforcement agency first made contact with King? - Answer next time!
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