The Daily Dose/January 10, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
TEN HUT!: You know, we expect our government to lie to us. It’s the way the world is built and has been as long as some have been ruling others. But Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s refusal to tell the White House he was going in for surgery and was hospitalized is enexcusable, even by current standards.
Dry, Technical Matter: It turns out Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December and had surgery for it on Dec 22. The White House is informed of none of this, though some power is transferred to subordinates. Daniels is soon discharged and works from home until New Year’s Day, when he is hospitalized with what turned out to be an infection stemming from the surgery. Senior Defense Department staff is notified, however, the White House is still left in the dark. The media is notified on Jan 4 and Congress on Jan 5. The White House says President Biden was informed on Jan 9.
Get Your Notebooks Out, Class Is In Session: This is another example of our government giving a clinic in screwing things up. Now, you can not notify a lot of people here, but to keep the president in the dark is wrong, almost beyond comprehension.
What should’ve happened is Daniel’s hospitalization should’ve been reported to the president. Heck, Daniel’s should’ve reported the first time he had so much as dandruff. Following reports should’ve been made regularly and had they been, we’d be writing about something else right now. And if Austin cited privacy reasons in not disclosing what he had, fair enough, that would’ve been his prerogative.
The Bottom Line: We get the government we deserve. While there was an initial outcry, America collectively does not have the attention span to get too worked up over this and nobody is making too big a fuss over this anymore. We should, thugh. Our government was derelict in its duties, and we are entitled to know what is being done to ensure this does not happen again.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow reports some progress in the gym. Today’s Diary.
The big news is both bench pressing and tricep cable pulldowns were done pain-free and without the sleeve…
The Bottom Ten/Preseason Q&A – It’s all over: it’s time to issue The Dan Henning Trophy – symbolic of NFL Bottom Ten heroics.
Lack of talent key, of course, but effects of meddling, know-it-all owner cannot be underestimated…
Vikings keep fan(s) on edge of seat with classic Jekyll & Hyde second half, as season-ending four (4)-game losing skid kept them in both B-10 medal stand hunt, NFL playoff contention until final week.
Jaguars ranked as humanitarian gesture, to prevent owner Genghis Khan from executing coaching staff for not winning another B-10 title…
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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 49 BC – Caesar’s Civil War begins when Julius Caesar, commanding the 13th Legion and fresh of several military victories, crosses the Rubicon River in northeastern Italy under arms, considered an act of war by Rome. History is unclear on whether Caesar said the famous line “the die is cast” and ‘crossing the Rubicon’ remains in our vernacular today, describing the crossing an element of demarcation from which there is no going back. Caesar’s Civil War would last four years, result in his victory, and eventually lead to the formation of the Roman Empire.
In 1982 – The Cincinnati Bengals win the AFC championship, defeating the San Diego Chargers 27-7 in the coldest game in NFL history in terms of wind chill factor. The emperature was -9°F with winds 27 mph making the temperature feel like -59°F. The week before the Chargers had played in 88°F temperatures in Miami, making the temperature difference between the two games 147°F. The Bengals lost Super Bowl XVI to San Francisco 26-21.
In 1953 – Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes is at #1 on two Billboard charts. A version by Perry Como is at #1 on the pop Best Seller in Stores chart for the first of five consecutive weeks and a version by Skeets McDonald is at #1 on the country Most Played in Juke Boxes chart for the third and final week. The song was written by Slim Willet, whose own version had topped Billboard’s country Most Played by Jockeys chart in December. This remains the only time in Billboard chart history when the same song by different artists simultaneously topped separate Billboard singles charts.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
I almost never think of my calendar years. I’m forever hiking across the same plateau with no end in sight.
Saul Bellow
Ravelstein
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The term “antarctica” was coined by Marinus of Tyre in the 2nd century AD, about 16 centuries before it was sighted.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What is the Cincinnati Bengals record in the AFC Championship Game? – Answer next time!
