The Daily Dose/January 6, 2017
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Notes from around the Human Experience…
HERE WE GO AGAIN: From time to time here we’ve discussed the future of the GOP. At first, before the 2016 election, we thought that Donald Trump losing might well have spelled the end of the Republican Party. At the time it appeared likely Trump would lose the election and it was not completely preposterous to think the GOP – having nominated one of the most divisive, contentious and unqualified candidates ever – would implode.
Then Candidate Trump became President Trump. It didn’t matter that he never had a long-term vision for our country or that he has little regard or respect for women or that his only real talent is drawing attention to himself. We elected him anyway and it is not the Upset of the Year to note he is as embarrassing a president as he was a candidate. Over the first year of his Administration the GOP has shown itself utterly incapable of governing.
Fly In The Ointment: It’s relevant to question the GOP’s future again after Attorney General Jeff Sessions decided to rescind an Obama-era directive that discouraged federal authorities from enforcing pot laws in states that have legalized the substance. Not for the first time the GOP is showing themselves utterly out of step with what Americans want and need from their government. The party in control of both the White House and Congress has spent its time looking backwards, trying to undo what’s already been done, instead of grabbing the bull by the horns and doing some long-term good for our country.
Dude…Some Dry, Technical Matter: State laws legalizing marijuana are at odds with federal law, which says weed is illegal for any purpose. This despite the fact that seven states have legalized recreational use of pot and three-quarters of Americans have access to medical marijuana.
Gaylon For Congress…Vote Early, Vote Often: Why we allow the government to dictate what we can and cannot use in the privacy of our own home is (still) beyond us. It’s not their lookout, it’s our lookout.
On the campaign trail for both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, we’ve always favored the legalization of drugs. And we are not fans of government regulation, either. We are taxed and regulated enough. Besides potheads and stoners have long had their own supply, delivery, payment and quality systems in place. All the government needs to do is remove the penalties for their manufacture, sale and usage.
Mine’s Bigger!: Really, the GOP is giving the impression its only goal is to put older, white males in a position to show everyone how big their schlongs are. Instead of making a genuine, long-term difference for our country, they are doing a splendid job of making themselves irrelevant to everyone except older white, males.
The Bottom Line: Why we haven’t seen a mass exodus from the GOP is interesting; they are not doing anybody any good. If they are still around after the 2018 election cycle we have only ourselves to blame for keeping them around.
I DO PRONOUNCE THEE MAN AND WIFE…FOR NOW: Anne of Cleves marries England’s King Henry VIII on this date in 1540. Henry was reportedly not pleased with Anne’s plain appearance but married her anyway. The marriage was never consummated and would be annulled in July.
While Anne didn’t last all that long as Wife, did receive a generous settlement from Henry VIII that included letting her keep her head, so compared to others, she got off easy. She died in 1557, outliving Henry by ten years.
“A Further Object Of My Invention…”: Thomas Edison, useful to the last, signs his last patent application on this date in 1931, for “Holder for article to be electroplated”. We don’t understand any more about this than you probably do, and we actually read the patent.
Edison would die the following October after 84 useful years.
This Is Definitely A Violation Of Federal Law: National Airlines Flight 2511, service from New York City to Miami, explodes around 2:45am over North Carolina on this date in 1960. A Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) investigation concluded the plane was brought down by a dynamite explosion, but assigned no blame and the investigation, now ignored by the FBI, remains open today. All 29 passengers and five crew members were killed.
FunFact: National Airlines was acquired by Pan-Am in 1980.
Dry, Technical Matter: The CAB was dissolved in 1985. Most of its duties had already been absorbed by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board and what remained was issued to the Department of Transportation and, of all things the post office. We were intrigued as to exactly what functions the CAB could turn over to the post office and some research shows it merely concerned compensation for mail carriage.
Quotebook: If we did what we were capable of, we would astound ourselves – Thomas Edison
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: Charlie Brown, Shermy and Patty were the three characters that appeared in the first Peanuts comic strip on October 2, 1950.
Today’s Stumper: How many patents, both total and in the US, was Thomas Edison granted? – Answer next time!
