The Daily Dose/March 3, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
This is Part I of a two-part series on the minimum wage.
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
THE HONEYMOON IS OVER: We’ll admit it is with some trepidation we dive into criticizing a proposed policy of President Joe Biden because we are still reveling in our glee over not having the lying sexual predator who believed the moon is part of Mars in the White House.
But today’s item is going to discuss the minimum wage.
Dry, Technical Matter: The Biden Administration tried to get a raise in the minimum wage to $15 an hour included in their COVID relief bill. The Senate parliamentarian said no, it violated Senate rules, rules that are, thankfully, too dry even for examination here.
Dry, Technical Matter II: Some research shows you can find compelling economic arguments on both sides of the issue, too, so we’ll skip those and take a practical look at the minimum wage:
A wage, salary or any other condition of employment is a contract between an employee and an employer. The government must butt out.
Oh, Jesus H: Now, we’re sympathetic with those who aren’t making what they think they should be making. We’ve spent a lot of our working life punching clocks and, in fact, we still are. Two of them, in fact. But we can’t expect the government to do things that we should be doing ourselves.
USA! USA! Look, any American is free to do the following things:
1) decide how much they want/need to make;
2) Identify the jobs that will pay this;
3) put the work in that is required to get this job.
It’s the American way, maximizing your time and talents to build the life you want for yourself. To expect the government to take charge of getting you a raise is not reasonable. That is the lookout of every American worker.
The Bottom Line: Let’s be honest, wages aren’t going to go up in this country until Walmart is unionized. Don’t bet on that happening, though. We’ve punched a clock for Mr Sam – as he’s affectionately known in the company – and the number of people we heard talking about unionizing was zero and for whatever reason the unions aren’t forcing the matter, either. So be it. It’s not the government’s job to give workers a raise, it’s a worker’s responsibility to put the time and effort into getting the job that pays what they want to make.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow deals with an alarm going off at the hotel. Today’s Diary.
I walked into the room and the fire alarm is going off: a loud beeping and flashing white light, tho you don’t have to be the fire marshall to note that nothing appears to be burning…A quick feel of the alarm shows no way to shut it off so, after staring at the alarm in typical Sparrow fashion – crossly, with my hands on my hips – I go to the front desk…
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On This Date
The long march to today.
In 1859 – The largest slave auction in US history concludes at a race track near Savannah, Georgia. Roughly 436 men, women, children and infants were sold to satisfy debts incurred by their owner Pierce Butler. The slaves had been brought to the race track four days before the sale, housed in the stables, to allow whites to inspect them. After freedom, some returned to the area had hired workers.
In 1981 – Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders extends his NHL record with his ninth and final hat trick of the season. Bossy had four goals and an assist in an 8-8 tie with the Edmonton Oilers.. Earlier, Bossy had broken the record of seven hat tricks in a season that had been done on four other occasions. Wayne Gretzky would break the record with ten hat tricks the following season, a mark he would tie in 1983-84.
In 1973 – Cal Smith is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the only week with The Lord Knows I’m Drinking. It was Smith’s 13th country chart single, his second Top 10 hit and his first of three country #1s. The song also went to #1 on Canada’s country chart and peaked at #64 on the Hot 100, Smith’s only pop hit.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
I learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live that life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours…If you have built your castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.
Henry David Thoreau
Walden
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Five NBA players besides Wilt Chamberlain have scored at least 70 points in a game: Kobe Bryant (81, January 2006), David Thompson, (73, April 1978), Elgin Baylor (71, November 1960), David Robinson (71, April 1994) and Devin Booker (70, March 2017).
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What song spent the most weeks at #1 on Billboard’s country chart in 1973? – Answer next time!
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