The Daily Dose/January 20, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
USA! USA!: One of the tidbits we’ve been pointing out for years here is that America has been at war every day since our invasion of Panama in 1989. The consequences of over 30 years of continuous warfare have been enormous, with a violent US government producing both a violent world and violent US citizens.
You Can’t Tell The Combatants Without A Scorecard: It’s not stopping anytime soon, either, with President Joe Biden recently authorizing strikes in Yemen against an Iranian-backed militia. These strikes, of course, are acts of war.
Why Do We Even Bother: War, at least in the United States, must be declared by Congress. It’s right there in the Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 which states, in part:
The Congress shall have Power To…To declare War.
Dry, Technical Matter: This provision, of course, could not be more ignored if prizes were issued for non-compliance because Congress hasn’t declared war since World War II despite US military involvement the world over since then.
Ladies And Gentlemen Of The Jury: Would 9/11 would have happened had America been at peace every day since 1988? Of course not. Don’t kid yourself.
Welcome To Fantasy Island: Could you imagine the world and country we would have had America been at peace every day since 1989 instead of at war? Well, we can’t either, but we can try. First off, the Twin Towers would still be standing because 9/11 would not have happened if the US allowed other nations the dignity of letting other nations conduct their affairs without US interference. The world be a more peaceful place and so would America.
The Bottom Line: We really shouldn’t be surprised at this. War has been mankind’s calling card since time immemorial and has been America’s since before the Revolution. We were born in war, matured in war, took the world stage in war, and we will die in war. Anybody who tries to tell you anything different is either lying to themselves, lying to you or, as likely as not, both.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has shocking news from the gym. Today’s Diary.
The big news at the gym is there’s a new 20 lb medicine ball…
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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 1953 – Dwight D Eisenhower becomes the first US president to begin his presidency on Jan. 20. Presidents had been inaugurated on March 4 since George Washington’s second term began in 1793 and changed with the ratification of the 20th Amendment in 1933. The first president to have been inaugurated on January 20 was Franklin D Roosevelt who began his second term on January 20, 1937.
In 1910 – The Ottawa Senators retain the Stanley Cup, defeating the Edmonton Hockey Club 13-7 in the second game of a two-game challenge series in Ottawa. It was the seventh of twelve Stanley Cup wins for the Senators, and their second in three weeks, after defending the Cup from a challenge from the Galt Hockey Club. The Stanley Cup’s challenge era, which began in 1894, would last through 1914.
In 1946 – Bing Crosby and Carmen Cavalarro are at #1 on Billboard’s Best-Selling Retail Records chart – one of several predecessors to the Hot 100 – for the only week with I Can’t Begin to Tell You. It was the seventh of eleven #1s for Crosby and remains the only Billboard singles chart appearance for Cavalarro – a popular piano player of the era. The song was also in its fourth of six non-consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Most-Played in Juke Box charts.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Writers don’t make good husbands. They reserve their Eros for their art.
Saul Bellow
Ravelstein
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
There are two trivia questions to be answered:
At the 1908 London Summer Games, England (gold), Ireland (silver), and Wales and Scotland (both bronze) won field hockey medals. They are all now credited to Great Britain.
Besides Gene Cernan, John Young and Jim Lovell have also flown to the moon twice.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
When did George Washington begin his first term as president of the United States? – Answer next time!
