The Daily Dose/August 9, 2018
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Let’s dive right in, shall we:
Leading Off
One of the aspects of President Trump’s unilateral imposition of tariffs on assorted foreign raw materials and finished products is the Constitution does not give the president authority to do this. Now, Congress began passing off this responsibility on the president through assorted legislation in 1917, but the Constitution is very clear on the matter, with Article I, Section 8 stating, in part that:
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises…
This is another example of Congress abrogating a Constitutional duty. Longtime readers know we harp on Congress’ yielding of its power to declare war to everyone from the president to the UN every hour on the hour. Our country is worse off for this. The Founding Fathers gave Congress certain powers and the president certain powers because they did not want one person consolidating power and Congress should not be giving away these powers.
Today At The Site
Sparrow’s plan to catch a nappie-poo at the hotel is foiled, he bickers with Mic about whether fifties or hundreds go on top in the cash drawer and he has his usual Wednesday night dinner at the local diner, all on today’s edition of The Diary of a Nobody.
British crime and science fiction writer John Creasey has The Thought for the Day, a quote from Day of Fear about putting your money down and seeing, and accepting, what happens.
On This Date
In 1173 – Construction on the Leaning Tower of Pisa – then known as the Cathedral of Pisa because it wasn’t leaning yet – begins in Pisa, Italy. It began leaning a few years later when the second story was built because the foundation was too soft on one side. The tower would take 200 years to complete and today leans about 13 feet off-center.
In 1988 – The first official night game at Wrigley Field is played, with the Chicago Cubs defeating the New York Mets 6-4. The previous night their game against the Philadelphia Phillies had been rained out in the fourth inning. The Cubs are limited to about three dozen night games a year, though they have asked the city for permission to play up to 54, about the major league average.
In 1952 – Vera Lynn, one of the most popular British singers of the era, is at #1 on Billboard’s Best Sellers in Stores chart for the fifth of nine weeks with Auf Wiedershe’n Sweetheart. Miles is the first foreign act to hit #1 on a Billboard chart and the nine weeks at #1 established a record for most weeks at the top by a foreign act, a record that was matched in 1969 by the Beatles with Hey Jude. Lynn is 101 now and our research into whether Lynn is the oldest living act to have hit #1 on a Billboard singles chart was inconclusive.
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
The countries that have defeated the United States in men’s Olympic basketball are the Soviet Union (1972 finals, 1988 semifinals), Puerto Rico (2004 group play), Lithuania (2004 group play) and Argentina (2004 semifinals).
Today’s Stumper
What song by a foreign act has spent the most weeks at #1? – Answer next time!
Shameless Plugs
Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: A Vegas Memoir!: Clock in with the graveyard crew at the Monte Carlo Security Department on the glamorous Las Vegas Strip. You’ll meet drunks, reprobates and scoundrels, and those are just the officers! The funniest Vegas memoir ever! Promise!
The Regular Guys: Meet Lenny and Larry, two comedians who team up more or less out of desperation and become the biggest in show business. As funny as you would expect from Gaylon, and poignant, too.
Click here to read previews of both!
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