The Daily Dose/February 3, 2019
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off: A post-America America
Today we were chatting with a friend who made some crack about us living in a post-racial America, which was funny and insightful because, of course, we are not living in a post-racial America. We don’t make blacks stand on blocks so they can be sold anymore, but otherwise, America is as racist as its ever been.
We then noted that we are living in a post-America America. Sure, this is the type of funny line that ensures we don’t get invited to any parties, but the more we thought about it the more we thought it was true:
America is a shell of its former self. Forget making America great again, we’d settle for making America average again.
The American Century is long past and if we don’t do something soon 100 years from now the world may well be looking back on an America that is long past, too, because we cannot sustain perpetual war, fiscal insanity and deep social divisions forever. Eventually, they will consume and overcome our country and America will be tossed aside the scrap heap of History, probably before this half-century is out.
Collectively, America means nothing to Americans anymore. The America that forged independence, won World War II and put men on the moon has left the building. Perhaps not forever but, at least, for now. It won’t take all the king’s horses and all the king’s men to get it back again but it will take concerned and conscientious voters – you and me, we the people – ready to demand better on Election Day.
Today At The Site
The Diary of a Nobody: It’s a routine night at the hotel, the Sparrows start planning a vacation for next year and the sleep totals for the week are in. Today’s Diary.
Boy, I hadn’t even had coffee yet after getting up this afternoon before The Wife was making noises about taking a vacation next year…Even before any caffeination whatsoever I was obliged to pick a date in either 2020 or 2021…All right, I picked April 18, 2020…It turns out that’s a Saturday and The Wife had already decided we are going to Mount Rushmore, so mark that on your calendars.
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On This Date
In 1966 – Man lands a spacecraft on the moon for the first time, as the Soviet Union’s Luna 9 makes it safely after a flight of four days. Though the pictures it sent back are rather crude by 21st century standards, Luna 9 marked the first time the moon had been observed at surface level and established spacecraft could safely land on the moon, which had been suspected and even presumed, but not known for sure. Contact was lost with the spacecraft three days later.
In 2001 – The XFL, the brainchild of wrestling promoter Vince McMahon and NBC, debuts with the Las Vegas Outlaws defeating the New York/New Jersey Hitmen 19-0 and Orlando Rage defeating the Chicago Enforcers 33-29. Though early interest was fairly high, the XFL had problems getting taken seriously as legitimate sports league and 2001 would be its only season. The Los Angeles Xtreme defeated the San Francisco Demons 38-6 in the league’s only championship game.
In 1973 – Elton John is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of three weeks with Crocodile Rock. It was John’s first of six #1 songs of the 1970’s – the most of any solo act and trailing only the Bee Gees – and first of ten overall. The song also went to #1 in New Zealand, Canada, Italy and Switzerland, and peaked at #5 in John’s native Great Britain and was Billboard’s 7th biggest song of the year.
Quotebook
Everyman achieved his own greatness by reaching out beyond himself, and so it is with nations…Only when a nation means something to itself can it mean something to others.
Werner Von Braun (1912-77)
German and American rocket scientist
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
The first British act to have a #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 was Stranger on the Shore by Mr Acker Bilk. It reached #1 in 1962. In his native Britain, Bilk took the song to #2, though it spent 50 weeks on the chart and was the biggest-selling British single of the year.
Today’s Stumper
How many #1 songs has Elton John had on the British charts? –Answer next time!
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