The Daily Dose/February 19, 2026
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

Leading Off will return. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow indulges in his weekly binge drinking. Today’s Diary. 

We take our whiskey over a small amount of ice, too, because it “opens it up”…We guess…We don’t really know…We only have the word of a bartender at a fancy-pants Sin City bar, who was in the mood to give me a scotch tutorial years ago…

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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 1847 – The first rescuers reach the Donner Party at Fremont Pass (now Donner Pass) in the Sierra Nevada Mountains northwest of Lake Tahoe. The party had left Missouri the previous March and in the fall, had found themselves trapped by an early snowfall. Though legend has it the group held lotteries to see who died to feed the others, evidence suggests cannibalism didn’t start until people died naturally. Of the 90 people who started out, 48 survived.  

In 1984 – The Soviet Union wins the Olympic ice hockey gold medal, defeating Czechoslovakia 2-0 in the final game of the final round in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. The Soviets went 8-0 in the tournament for their sixth of seven gold medals and this was the fourth and final silver medal for Czechoslovakia. Sweden took the bronze medal, and the US defeated Poland 7-4 in the 7th-place game. 

In 1983 – Patti Austin and James Ingram are at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first of two consecutive weeks with Baby Come To Me. The song was first released in 1982, peaking at #73, but was re-released after being featured on the US soap opera General Hospital. It remains the only Top 40 hit for Austin and was the first of two #1 songs for Ingram. The song also peaked at #11 in Great Britain, at #9 on Billboard’s soul chart, and was their 9th-biggest song of the year. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

If you do not sacrifice for what you want, then what you want will be the sacrifice.
Fr. Mark Beard

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

The NHL record for most points in a game by a player is ten, by Darryl Sittler of Toronto, who had six goals and four assists on February 7, 1976.

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

What was James Ingram’s other #1 song on Billboard’s Hot 100? – Answer next time! 

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The Daily Dose/February 18, 2026
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

WELCOME BACK: One of the things about writing – as with any other art, or even life itself – is that it is best done from the heart. It’s where every word you read from us comes from, and we’ve been compelled to write most every day for the past 35 years or so. 

Dry, Technical Matter: But The Dairy of a Nobody took the past week off, while The Daily Dose has been on hiatus seemingly since Reconstruction, our attention diverted by working to figure out how best to utilize AI for generating publicity for some of our projects. As with other times we’ve tried something new, early on, all was confusion, but muddy waters clear if allowed to stand undisturbed, and eventually things more or less sorted themselves out. 

More Dry, Technical Matter: Suspending The Diary was not easily done, though longtime readers know this isn’t the first time it’s taken some time off. We’re pretty good about forgetting about it on vacations, and there was the time in 2019 when our marriage was ending and the days were almost beyond tolerance, and we weren’t in any particular mood to either relive or share them. Other than that, tho, ol’ Sparrow has been a trusty companion for a long time. 

The Bottom Line: We’re still not Mr AI, but we have a handle on what will serve us well, and we can’t not write forever, so we’re back, and happy to be here. Just like our instincts told us it was time to focus on something else, they’re telling us it’s time to get back to The Diary and The Daily Dose. We apologize for the disruption, but one thing we’ve learned over the years is you do not ignore your instincts; we all deserve better than forced words. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow gets a new uniform vest at the hotel. Today’s Diary. 

…we’ve worn a lot of uniforms over the years, rather enjoy it, and can spot quality gear at a hundred yards in the fog, and this vest, dark gray in color, is quality gear.

———

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 2001 –  FBI agent Robert Hanssen is arrested for spying for the Soviet Union as he was taping classified information for them under a bridge at a county park in Virginia. Hanssen was discovered after the FBI paid $7 million to the KGB for the file on an anonymous spy, later identified as Hanssen. Hanssen pled guilty the following year and died at the supermax prison in Colorado in 2023, aged 79, during the first of 15 consecutive life sentences.

In 1936 – The New York Americans and the Montreal Maroons establish a new NHL record for most points in a game in an 8-8 tie at Madison Square Garden. The teams combined for 53 points, research into whose record they broke was inconclusive – though the mark was less than 40 – and the record is now 62 points, by the Chicago Blackhawks and the Edmonton Oilers in December 1985. The game was tied 7-7 at the end of regulation, as overtimes back then were not sudden-death.

In 1978 – The Bee Gees are at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the third of four consecutive weeks with Stayin’ Alive. The song also went to #1 in seven other countries, including South Africa, Italy, and Mexico, peaked at #4 on Billboard’s soul chart, and was their 4th-biggest song of the year and their 9th-biggest of the decade. It was the fifth of nine #1 songs for the group, and the album it was from – the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack – was in its fifth of 24 consecutive weeks at #1.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Buy the ticket, take the ride.
Hunter S Thompson

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

The Akron Pros (8-0) won the first NFL title, awarded in April 1921 for the 1920 season. The first NFL playoff occurred in 1932.  

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

What player holds the NHL record for most points in a game? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

Valued Reader(s),

The Diary of a Nobody is taking a break. The time spent producing it is needed for other projects. Sparrow should not be gone for more than a week.

Thank you for understanding,

Share Gaylon! Go!

Treasured Reader(s),

The Daily Dose will return.

Click here to read today’s entry in The Diary of a Nobody.

Share Gaylon! Go!

Friends,

Click here to read The Diary of a Nobody.

Cheers,

Share Gaylon! Go!