The Daily Dose/January 14, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
STOP US IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS BEFORE: President Donald Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives Wednesday, joining Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump as the only presidents to be so charged.
Dry, Technical Matter: Trump was charged with one count of incitement of insurrection for his role in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. Despite the fact it is likely Trump will be out of office before the Senate conducts a(nother) trial, the House had to do something because History simply could not have recorded them sitting around doing nothing.
FunFact: Despite the fact Trump could not be removed from the presidency if found guilty after January 20, the Senate can vote to prohibit him from hold further office, so a trial would have some substance and not merely be symbolic.
Monday Morning Quarterback: For our money, the only thing that really saved the country from complete anarchy on January 6 was Trump himself: he is not evil. He is ignorant and incompetent and his only real talent is drawing attention to himself, but he is not a dictator at heart. Had he been he would have declared martial law and declared the results of the election null and void and we don’t think Americans would have meekly accepted this; the bloodshed would have been on.
The Bottom Line: Trump deserved this impeachment, too, but now what? Joe Biden will be president in less than a week and there will be things he wants to do and he doesn’t need the Senate occupied with a trial of a former president. So a trial will probably be quick and there is the point – well taken by those who don’t get invited to too many parties – that a short Senate trial does not give the process the attention or respect it deserves.
More Bottom Line: But Trump hasn’t given his country or his fellow citizens the attention or respect they deserve, either, so perhaps the Senate can convene, try and convict him on January 19. It would be a fitting end to the worst presidency this once-proud nation has seen.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
Of course it’s Read Free Fortnight.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow can’t be bothered to go out for dinner. Today’s Diary.
Hardly for the first time, yours truly flaked out on going out for Wednesday dinner…Recall plans were to go that nice American eatery in town and blow the remainder of the gift card on a fine steak and some duck liver, but I knocked off from the VSO a couple of hours early and ended up celebrating $1 Pizza Slice Wednesday at the small town convenience store, supplemented with a couple of their pretty good burgers.
The Bottom Ten/The Best of 2020 – Of course we can mine one last column for the season, so sit back and enjoy the funniest lines from the 2020 NCAA and NFL Bottom Tens.
The Bottom Ten Line of the Year
Vanderbilt – Commodores still reeling from turn-of-century merger of Athletic, Student Affairs departments, as girls enrolled in Rich Kids Having Rich Kids program take over training table as pregame breastfeedings result in players wanting in-game burps, naps.
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On This Date
The long march to today.
In 2011 – What History refers to as the Arab Spring begins when the president of Tunisia, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, flees to Saudi Arabia. (He would die there in 2019.) Protests throughout the region later resulted in the ouster of leaders in Egypt, Libya and Yemen and there were major protests in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman and Sudan as well as minor ones throughout northern Africa and the Arab world. The Arab Spring would later be credited with inspiring the Occupy movement throughout the world in October 2011.
In 1973 – The Miami Dolphins become the first NFL team to finish a season undefeated and untied in a 14-7 won over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII. The Dolphins had gone 14-0 in the regular season and defeated Cleveland and Pittsburgh in their first two playoff games and their feat remains unmatched. In the 1920s, before playoffs, four NFL teams had finished a regular season unbeaten, but with tie games, and in 2007 the New England Patriots had a perfect regular season before losing the Super Bowl.
In 1984 – Yes is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of two consecutive weeks with Owner of a Lonely Heart. It was the third of six Top 40 hits for the group and their first since Roundabout hit #13 in 1972 and remains their only #1 appearance on any Billboard chart. The song also peaked at #28 in Great Britain and at #69 on Billboard’s soul chart and was Billboard’s eighth biggest song of the year.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
The trouble with a situation like this was that a man had to keep going forward until there was no turning back.
Louis L’Amour
The Lonesome Gods
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Earth, Wind & Fire’s biggest hot on the Hot 100 was Shining Star, which spent one week at #1 in 1975.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Who was the Egyptian leader overthrown in the Arab Spring? – Answer next time!
