The Daily Dose/August 18, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
OLD TIMES THERE ARE NOT FORGOTTEN: Today marks the 57th anniversary of James Meredith becoming the first black man to graduate from the University of Mississippi. He graduated with a degree in political science and a year earlier he had become the first black to attend Ole Miss. He had previously attended Jackson State University and, now 87, still lives in Jackson.
Quote That Sucker: In an interview years later, Meredith talked about civil rights:
Nothing could be more insulting to me than the concept of civil rights. It means perpetual second-class citizenship for me and my kind.
Why this hasn’t become a fundamental part of the equality struggle in this country is beyond us. It’s not going to anytime soon, either. Short of slavery being restored, it’s hard to imagine the races getting along worse than they do now because America is as much a partisan, fractured and bickering a mess as its ever been. Today how one identifies themselves is as important as ever.
USA! USA!: Meredith is right, of course: the concept of civil rights does guarantee second-class citizenship for those obliged to seek them. It also guarantees second-class citizenship to those whose self-importance is such they think they’re in a position to bestow them. A nation conceived in liberty cannot pick and choose who gets which liberty or civil right. Either all of us have them or none of us do. Either all of us are free or none of us are free. We cannot grant all liberties and rights to some citizens while only granting some liberties and rights to others. A country with second-class citizens is a second-rate nation.
The Bottom Line: Making anyone who isn’t a straight, white, male fight for rights straight, white, males take for granted demeans everyone. Mr Meredith is right.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow has the latest MPG figures for the new ride. Today’s Diary.
I knew we were close, too…The odometer was at 450 miles since the last fill-up, a bit more than the usual 435-439 figure, and when the tank only took 11.1 gallons instead of the usual 11.5 or so, I knew…In fact, I thought 40.425 was a bit low, but there’s no need to quibble: we are over the magic 40 MPG mark for the second time.
Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: Both Ted and Rich have funny lines.
Later I was working a camera and came across a couple going at it in Houdini’s Lounge. After watching them for a while I sent the new ‘girl’ Teri, whom we’ve nicknamed Spike, after her the way she keeps her hair, to tell them to go get a room. I mean, we have over 3000 rooms here at Monte Carlo and all of them are designed to handle two people who want to get busy; you don’t need to do it in the bar.
Ted, who was Mary 1, had a really funny line. After I had sent Spike over Ted gets on channel 2, which is always monitored in dispatch.
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On This Date
History’s long march to today.
In 1590 – John White, a member of the Roanoke Colony, returns to Roanoke, only to find the entire colony gone. The expedition had landed in July 1587 and White had returned to England shortly thereafter for supplies and a 1588 attempt to return to Roanoke was abandoned after pirate attacks. After his return, White spent some time looking for the lost colonists but would return to England in October. White’s granddaughter, Virginia Dare, was the first English child born in the colonies.
In 1982 – Pete Rose of the Philadelphia Phillies establishes a new major league record for most career plate appearances in a 5-3 win over the Houston Astros. Rose’s 13,942nd plate appearance broke the record established by Henry Aaron. Rose went 0-for-6 and would retire in 1986 with 15,890 plate appearances, a record that still stands. Rose’s first plate appearance came on April 8, 1963, a walk issued by Earl Francis of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In 1973 – Diana Ross is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the only week with Touch Me in the Morning. It was the seventh Top 40 hit as a solo act for Ross, her second of six #1 songs and her 14th appearance at #1, counting her twelve #1 songs as a member of the Supremes. The song also peaked at #9 in Great Britain and at #5 on Billboard’s soul chart.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Real work began with me only in my seventieth year. Now at seventy-five the real appreciation of nature awakens within me. – Hokusai, Japanese painter
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know.
The Louisville Colonels were in the National League from 1892-99 and before that were in the American Association from 1882-91. The Louisville Grays had been charter members of the National League, from 1876-77.
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
Who holds the American League record for most career plate appearances? – Answer next time!
