The Daily Dose/January 2, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
CAPSULE BOOK REVIEW; Plan of Attack by Bob Woodward: Plan of Attack – a pick-up in a thrift store – chronicles the planning of the George W Bush Administration of what turned out to be the 2003 Iraq War. With typical thoroughness, Woodward chronicles the Bush Administration’s quest to topple Saddam and the war itself is, if not an afterthought, is left for the Epilogue and is not discussed at any particular length.
Fly In The Ointment: One thing notably absent in this otherwise good book is any mention of the fact that it is Congress’ job to declare war and not the president’s.
Dry, Technical Matter: Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution is very clear on the matter stating, in part that:
Congress shall have the power to…declare War…
Bush, of course, ignored this, acting as if the Constitution stated the president can do whatever the hell he wants and Woodward does not mention this either in the narrative or in his two interviews with Bush for the book.
More Dry, Technical Matter: Bush, of course, did do whatever he wanted. He incorrectly determined that Saddam Hussein possessed WMDs and that Saddam had to go so Bush – cheered on every step of the way by Vice President Dick Cheney – directed the military to plan and then execute Saddam’s removal. Congress was never consulted, only told when to get on board.
Oh Yeah: Woodward did note some hapless senator mentioning to Bush some blather about how it would have been nice if Congress had been consulted more which, of course, Bush could not have cared less about.
Broad, Historical Context: Congress, of course, has only itself to blame for this. It last declared war in World War II and since then has – shamefully, if you ask us – abrogated this responsibility to everyone from presidents to the UN. As a result, America has been at war almost constantly since Pearl Harbor, which is our loss because the only dividend we’ve reaped from this is more war.
Editor’s Note: Here is the official Daily Dose rankings: A – The very best; B – Very good; C- Good; D- Average; F – A steaming pile.
Final Ranking: C: Woodward, of course, is on any shortlist of preeminent American reporters, but the fire that helped bring down President Nixon is gone. No one interviewed is asked about the constitutionality of Bush’s actions probably because Woodward himself chose to ignore it. While the chronicle of the war’s planning is done with typical Woodward thoroughness, brilliance, his omission of this detracts from the overall relevance of the book
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow reminisces about when kites cost a dime, though he could never get his to fly very high.
My buddy Jeff Crook had no such problems and his kites always flew so high it was surprising they didn’t come down with weather readings.
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On This Date
The long march to today.
Today – Earth is at its annual closest point of approach (CPA) to the sun, at 91.399 million miles away. This is known to people smarter than us as perihelion a time that, due to eccentricity in Earth’s orbit, changes. As recently as 1246 the date of perihelion and the winter solstice was the same, but these times continue to drift apart and by 6430 perihelion will occur on the spring equinox. Aphelion, the date the Earth is farthest from the sun, will occur on July 5 this year, at a distance of 94.5 million miles.
In 1985 – The UNLV Rebels and the Utah State Aggies establish a new NCAA record for most points in a game in a 142-140 triple-overtime UNLV win. Utah State had UNLV scrambling, as the Rebels needed a 3-point shot to tie it at the end of regulation and needed an 8-0 run at the end to win it. Research into whose record the teams broke was inconclusive, and the mark is now held by Loyola Marymount (CA) and Alliant International University, – then known as the United States International University – who combined for 331 points on Jan 31, 1989, a 181-150 Loyola win.
In 1961 – Jerry Butler is at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart – then known as the Hot R&B Sides chart – for the sixth of seven non-consecutive weeks with He Will Break Your Heart. The song also peaked at #7 on the Hot 100 and in 1975 a version by Tony Orlando and Dawn titled He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You) went to #1 on the Hot 100. It was the first of three soul chart #1s for Butler and his first of three Top 10 pop hits. Butler wrote the song with Curtis Mayfield and Calvin Carter.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
…the burned hand teaches best. After that advice about fire goes to the heart.
J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
The NHL record for most assists in a game by a goalie is three, by Jeff Reese of the Calgary Flames on Feb 10, 1993. The Flames defeated the San Jose Sharks 13-1. This is also the record for most points in an NHL game by a goalie.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Today is the closest Earth will be to the sun this century. When was/will be the date Earth was/is farthest from the sun this century? – Answer next time!
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