McGOVERN GOOD, NIXON BAD, AND R.I.P. LAIKA
Vol. 1, No. 14
In this issue of the Reader, your erudite correspondent writes about the world’s last totally honest politician, Canada’s assignment from the King, and the sad tale of the first dog in orbit.
This week: a 5-minute read, plus a 30-second video
AN HONEST POLITICIAN
There is a presidential election in the U.S. in two days, though it could be days, weeks, or even months before we know who won. Because of the ongoing cable news coverage and the endless campaign commercials, or maybe even in spite of them, I’ve been made mindful of an earlier campaign, one that with the help of Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine, I can pinpoint was in 1972.
In that campaign, President Nixon was running for re-election against challenger George McGovern. Poor old George didn’t stand a chance. Yet there he was on TV one night, patiently explaining to viewers what he knew about something called Watergate, and how the Nixon White House was involved and trying to hide that fact.
This is outrageous, I remember thinking, and though I was a poor college student in Hamilton, Ontario, watching all this unfold on a 12-inch black-and-white TV, I vowed to do my part and send McGovern some money. Ten bucks. It was all I could afford.
A few weeks later, the McGovern campaign wrote back. My cheque was enclosed. Thanks, said the letter, but no thanks. We cannot accept your money because foreign contributions to U.S. election campaigns are forbidden.
My, how times have changed. Nowadays, if you read what’s in the Washington Post, former President Trump is being investigated for allegedly accepting $10 million in cash from the Egyptian government to help pay for his 2016 campaign. Now math is not my strongest suit but even I can tell $10 million is a lot more than my lousy 10 bucks. And there’s more. Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, even the UK have been accused of lining Trump’s pockets.
The cynics among us will say almost all politicians are on the take. Well I can say, unreservedly, George McGovern sure wasn’t — and he lost to the biggest crook the White House had ever seen.
OUR LATEST ASSIGNMENT
By the way, word has come down that His Majesty the King is considering revoking American independence and assigning the U.S. to Canada with instructions to whip it back into shape. Mind you, we may be the wrong ones to ask.
FROM THE MAILBAG
Re ‘A Timely Decision, Thanks to Sears,’ Oct. 27. Hi, Terry. I just finished looking at your Sunday Reader and I thought I’d let you know how much I’m enjoying it. That was an amazing story, your memories of Sears and your daughter’s birth. I really enjoyed it. Will Gibson, Edmonton, Alberta
I have a birthing story too, Terry. When my son was ready to pop out, there were three of us in the hospital room: me, the nurse and of course my wife. No doctor. With my wife otherwise occupied, the nurse and I were preparing to handle the birthing ourselves. I know nuttin’ ‘bout birthin’ babies, so the nurse took the lead. As I was putting on the gloves, the doctor strolled in and I respectfully stepped aside. Richie came out all purple, cord around his neck twice and two knots in the cord. That was the “oh shit” moment for us, but once the doctor got everything untangled, Richie changed colour and all was good. He is now working as a paramedic in Nova Scotia. I’m proud of him. Dick Wood, LaSalle, Ontario
Hey, Terry. You should have asked the doctor to wait that extra 15 minutes to deliver your baby. I had no qualms asking my doctor to wait an extra day to deliver my second baby by caesarean. Our first was born on June 13. My dad was born on July 13. When our second baby was scheduled for Aug. 12, I said, “Please Doctor, can we wait just one more day and deliver on the 13th?” He was a bit reluctant but agreed. So to this day, 13 is our lucky number. And Terry, I am looking forward to reading Cabbage Brain on our holiday next month when we visit our oldest daughter in Maui. Diane Prodenchuk, Chatham, Ontario
Dad, I’ve always remembered the time of night I was born because of that story. Shannon Maxwell, Breslau, Ontario
Re ‘Keeping the Magic Alive,’ Oct. 27. Oh Terry, these are such wonderful stories. I had to go back and read them again and again and still laughed each time. Thanks for making that little girl’s day so special. Adèle Fontaine, Edmonton, Alberta
If you want to drop me a note (and risk me publishing it here), just reply to this email or, if you prefer send it to mysundayreader@gmail.com
WHY THE SOVIETS WERE EVIL
Today is the day we move the clocks back an hour for standard time. That’s depressing enough for those of us who live in the northland, where you drive to work in the dark, then drive home again eight hours later also in the dark. I mean, it’s even dark when you send the kids to school.
If that isn’t depressing enough, remember this is also the 67th anniversary of the day the first dog was sent into space by the Soviet Union. Her name was Laika, and her trip to the stars was intended to prove passengers could survive being thrust into orbit and endure weightlessness.
But here’s the thing: when Laika was put aboard that Sputnik II spacecraft, there were no plans to bring her back. Indeed, the technology to bring her back didn’t even exist in 1957.
For the next 45 years, the Russians insisted Laika died a peaceful death about a week into orbit. Not true. The spacecraft was circling the Earth every hour and 42 minutes, travelling at 18,000 mph, and after five or so hours, all signs of life from the spacecraft had stopped. Laika died from panic and overheating within hours of liftoff.
More than five months later, Sputnik II—including Laika’s remains—disintegrated during re-entry. Hey, they didn’t call the Soviet Union the evil empire for nothing.
THIS WEEK’S SHAMELESS PLUG
It’s Remembrance Day in another week, and we put together this video to tell folks on Facebook about our book Lethbridge: A Tale of Love in a Time of War.
You can get your copy of Lethbridge at special sale prices till Nov. 11: $12.95 for the paperback, $8.75 for the audiobook, $3.99 for the ebook. Also, we now take PayPal.
See ya next Sunday. / T.
© Terry McConnell, 2024
You'll find more Lethbridge videos on YouTube. And, you can follow the Lethbridge page on Facebook.
Please note: Artificial intelligence was not used in the preparation or writing of any part of this newsletter.