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The Diary of a Nobody/October 20
The Bottom Ten/NCAA Week 9

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The Daily Dose/October 18, 2025
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

GREAT MOMENTS IN LONG JUMPING: Today is the 57th anniversary of one of the great achievements in sports history: Bob Beamon setting the long jump record at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Beamon jumped 29 feet, 2.25 inches, breaking the old record by almost two feet. 

Already With The Dry, Technical Matter: It was Beamon’s first jump of the event, and he jumped so far the optical measuring device – hardly expecting the Beamonesque – couldn’t measure it, and a steep tape measure was brought in. When his distance was announced in feet and inches, Beamon was so overwhelmed he had an attack of cataplexy, that deal where an overwhelming circumstance caused you to lose muscular control. 

If Dry, Technical Matter Is Inevitable…: Beamon broke the record of 27 feet, 4.25 inches established by Igor Ter-Ovanesyan of the Soviet Union in 1967, and the record is now held by Mike Powell of the US, who jumped 29 feet, 4.25 inches in 1991. 

Oh Yeah: Beamon’s feat is still the Olympic record and remains the oldest Olympic track and field record. 

Please Pass The Dry, Technical Matter: Mexico City is at an altitude of 7,300 feet, and conditions were so ripe for record-setting jumps the triple jump record was set five times in two days by three different people. 

Some Philosophy Crap: One of the great lessons in this life is you never know what’s going to happen. Sure, the high altitude in Mexico City made for optimal conditions, but others were presented with the opportunity for greatness and no one else took advantage of it.

The Bottom Line: In a moment that demanded it, Beamon lived down the ages.  It’s appropriate the term “Beamonesque” made our national lexicon. Like Joe Friday references, though, you seldom here it anymore because 1) it was a long time ago, and, 2) we humans now prefer appeasement to accomplishment and seldom do anything Beamonesque anymore. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow hits the road. Today’s Diary. 

From the long walk to the elevators, to the decor that has all the charm of a gas chamber, to the small room, to the hardwood floors that leave your feet cold all the time, something is out of whack…

———

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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it. 

In 1648 – The first trade union in what would become the United States is formed when shoemakers in Boston receive a charter from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for the Company of Shoomakers. They formed the guild not because they were disappointed in their earnings, but because of the “occasion of bad ware” turned out by some area cobblers and the desire to enact certain standards of quality. Some sources list Boston coopers as receiving a charter on this date also, and in 1659 the first union to fight for better wages and working conditions was formed in Lynn. 

In 1950 – Connie Mack retires as the manager of Philadelphia Athletics after 50 years. Mack retired with a 3731-3948 record, records for wins, losses and games managed that still stand and his teams won five World Series titles, the last in 1930. Mack played in the major league from 1886-96, primarily as a catcher, and had a career batting average of .244. He bought a 25 percent stake in the new Athletics team in 1901 and died at age 93 in 1956. 

In 1980 – Don Williams is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the first of two consecutive weeks with I Believe In You. The song also went #1 country in Canada, peaked at #24 on Billboard’s Hot 100, and remains Williams’ only pop hit. It was the eleventh of 17 #1 country hits for Williams in a chart career that spanned from 1973-92.  

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Nothing is weaker than water, yet when united it can become a titanic force. It overcomes because it is relentless.
Deng Ming Dao
365 Tao 

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

The Second Scottish War of Independence lasted from 1332 to 1357 and ended with a Scottish victory.  

Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.

How many private sector American workers currently belong to a labor union? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/October 17, 2025
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

USA! USA!: Abraham Lincoln once said if America is going to be destroyed, it will happen from within and not from without. 

We The People: It’s happening now. Between federal troops in our cities and the destroying of foreign vessels in international waters, and, now, the Defense Department trying to restrict Pentagon access to reporters and require they only report on what has been approved, our country is under attack from within.

Well, Excuse Me: The government defends this by calling the press “very disruptive”. Well, yeah, sure. Of course. That’s what a free press is for, to disrupt and keep a government on its toes. To protest this, members of the Pentagon Press Association walked out. 

Extra, Extra, Read All About It: It’s not immediately clear what effect the media’s mass exodus from the Pentagon will have because it’s hardly as if the Pentagon had an open-door policy before this. 

Dry, Technical Matter: Besides, the media brought this on themselves. A real media – one paced by Woodward and Bernstein and, among others, Walter Cronkite – would never have let Donald Trump within a mile of the 2016 primaries. Five minutes after he announced, they would’ve exposed him as the witless blatherskite he is. But they didn’t. They escorted him directly into the primaries, the nomination, and the White House. 

Fly In The Ointment: Trump and his administration are merely reflections of the people they govern. For some time now, we Americans have preferred appeasement to accomplishment and feelings to thought. We are paying the price for it now. 

The Bottom Line: We are getting the government we deserve. We elected spite and ignorance, and that is what we were getting: blather about Canada being the 51st state; tariffs that are merely taxes on us; attacking vessels in international waters. Do not be surprised when our government attempts to cancel next year’s mid-term elections. We elected it, so we deserve it. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has the latest from the sack. Today’s Diary. 

Those are not bad totals, but we’re not sure why were not getting to sleep earlier any more than you are…

———

Would you like 4Ever & Ever access to Gaylon’s crap?
Of course you would.
Click here. It’s only $24.99.

Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device. 

———

On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it. 

In 1346 – King David II of Scotland is taken captive by the English army during the Battle of Neville’s Cross in the Second War of Scottish Independence. David would be held captive for eleven years in London and was released in 1357 after Scotland agreed to pay a ransom of 10,000 marks a year for ten years. History records Scotland as having some trouble paying the ransom at times, though David was never returned to captivity. He reigned until his death in 1371. 

In 1991 – Paul Coffey of the PIttsburgh Penguins establishes a new NHL record for most career points by a defenseman in an 8-5 win over the New York Islanders. Coffey had two assists, giving him 1,053 points for his career, breaking the record of 1,052 established by Denis Potvin from 1973-88. Coffey retired in 2001 with 1,531 points, and the record is now held by Ray Borque, with 1,579 from 1979-2001. 

In 1970 – Johnny Cash is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the second and final consecutive week with Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down.  It was the eleventh of 13 #1 country songs for Cash, and the song also went #1 country in Canada and peaked at #46 on the Hot 100. In 1969, a version by Ray Stevens went #55 country and #81 pop, and the song was written by Kris Kristofferson.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Here, if anywhere, the problem faces us: what is the role of genius in history, of man versus the mass and the state?
Will & Ariel Durant
The Story of Civilization, Vol X: Rousseau and Revolution

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

Billboard’s #1 song of 2014 was Happy by Pharrell Williams, which spent ten weeks at #1. 

Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.

How long did the Second War of Scottish Independence last? – Answer next time! 

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Here’s what we have for you today, campers:

The Diary of a Nobody/October 14
The Bottom Ten/NFL Week 8

Enjoy. Now.

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