by John Walters

Babe Ruth, Madonna, Sports Illustrated and this site all celebrate birthdays today.

Tweet du Jour

Can we please tackle about this tackle from Charleston Hughes?

Coolest looking tackle maybe ever? #CFL pic.twitter.com/xXJ7mQ2cyh

— Eric M. (@EricM_CFL) August 15, 2018

Starting Five

1. Full-Court Press*

*The judges will also accept “The Pen Is Mightier Than LaPen” 

Last week The Boston Globe enjoined newspapers from all across the land to take this day, August 16, to use part of their publications to write an editorial in support of a free press and, by extension, the First Amendment. Here is the lede from the Globe’s own editorial today, “Journalists Are Not The Enemy:”

Replacing a free media with a state-run media has always been a first order of business for any corrupt regime taking over a country. Today in the United States we have a president who has created a mantra that members of the media who do not blatantly support the policies of the current U.S. administration are the “enemy of the people.” This is one of the many lies that have been thrown out by this president much like an old-time charlatan threw out “magic” dust or water on a hopeful crowd.

Read The Globe‘s editorial in its entirety. Read The New York Times‘ take. 

If you visit The Boston Globe’s website, they’ve taken the time to round up editorials that appear in more than 350 papers nationwide today. Or you can buy one of those papers in your own community.

THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA IS THE OPPOSITION PARTY. It is very bad for our Great Country….BUT WE ARE WINNING!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2018

Of course, you knew that President ME would exert his own use of free speech to return fire.

2. Conway, Beltway, Your Way, My Way

Who knows what possessed Kellyanne Conway and her husband, George, to allow The Washington Post into their home to profile them (Don’t they read her boss’s tweets?). Anyway, they did, and it’s as illuminating about it being a House Divided over one major issue as you might suppose.

As author Ben Terris writes, “[Theirs] is the story of people who love Trump, and the people who are trying to love them.”

Amen to that, Ben.

3. The Pitfalls of Pit Falls

In impoverished parts of South Africa, too many elementary school students have no choice but to use pit toilets, which are exactly what you’d imagine them to be. Recently, two students have fallen in and drowned, which is something even worse than the producers of Trainspotting might have imagined.

More than 4,000 schools nationwide—the irony here being that although South Africa ranks third among sub-Saharan African nations in terms of quality of life, it is quite literally a shithole country—have only pit toilets. In 2014 student Michael Komape died after he fell in; last March another student, Lumka Mkhethwa, suffered the same grisly fate.

Here is an actual line from the story we read: “Komape’s mother fainted when she saw his hand sticking out from a mound of feces.” Can’t even imagine….actually, we can, which is what makes it so horrible.

4. Acuna Matata

What happens when you’re a 20 year-old rookie and you lead off three consecutive games against the same team, the Marlins, with a home run? In the fourth game of that series their pitcher will plunk you with a 97 m.p.h. fastball with his very first (and as it turned out, last) pitch of the game.

The Marlin hurler was Jose Urena, who actually led the Major Leagues in struck batters last season with 14. The good news for Acuna, who was struck in the elbow and left the game one inning later? Because he took at HBP, which is not an official at-bat, he can technically keep his streak alive if he homers to lead off the Braves’ next game.

Atlanta swept the four-game series.

5. Danes Greater Than Foxes

Fox News tried coming after Denmark’s social safety net. This Danish politician’s retort was legendary. pic.twitter.com/VLh1Gc4umg

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) August 15, 2018

Listen, I remember when Trish Regan worked at CNBC, was a brunette and didn’t look as if she’d just stepped from the beach at Amagansett. Like Maria Bartiromo, though, she’s taking the money and shoveling the propaganda your way. This Danish news man struck back.

Reserves 

Jim Jefferies on Gun Control

We agree with everything the Aussie comedian says here about Americans and guns. Everything. Our favorite shot: the only true argument for having guns is “F**k off, I like guns!” (p.s. Am I the only one who giggled when I heard Jefferies employing an American accent?). Classic line here: “You know what’s good about the musket? It gives you a lot of time to calm down.”

Enjoy.

Part I:

Part 2:

Note: Port Arthur is no longer the largest gun-related massacre. Congratulations, America!

Music 101

I Confess

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEGj4cfSgP8

Because of the era and perhaps their style and name, The English Beat was found in the record bins under “New Wave.” But they were really something closer to a ska band and you never even hear a keyboard or synth. Also, they were fun. This is from 1982. Worth noting: In their native England, they were simply known as The Beat.

Where In The World*

*Because television, in a nod to environmental activism, is recycling garbage most of this month. Also, because one of you asked for it.

 

Answer tomorrow.