The Daily Dose/May 10, 2025
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
CAPSULE BOOK REVIEW: The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli: One of the more interesting aspects of a reading life is buying a book and not getting around to reading it until years later. So it is with The Prince, a course on how to acquire and maintain thrones in the 16th-century and not to get your shorts in a knot if this involves cunning, deception, and scheming.
Dry, Technical Matter: Machiavelli (1469-1527) was an Italian diplomat, historian, and philosopher, who had a ringside seat to the rulers of the era and saw firsthand how kingdoms should and should not be ruled. And don’t think they should be run with best interest of the citizenry in mind. Don’t be silly. Princes rule to keep their thrones.
More Dry, Technical Matter: Though written around 1513 – when he was being tortured for conspiracy – the book wasn’t published until a few years after his death. It would later be banned by the Catholic Church, though it was admired by US Founding Father John Adams.
Boy, There Sure Is A Lot Of Dry, Technical Matter Today: The book offers very practical instruction, both for the prince who has the goodwill of the people and the prince who does not; for the prince who has his own army and the prince who must rely on mercenaries and auxiliaries; for the prince who is smart and the prince who is not.
Fly In The Ointment: The book, of course, is a product of its time and is not completely in tune with modern democratic principles. For example, it is not practical for the incoming president to murder his predecessor.
Get Your Official Daily Dose Rating Scale Right Here: 1 – The very best; 2 – Very good; 3 – Good; 4 – OK; 5 – A steaming pile.
Final Rating: 2: Despite the fact that gaining thrones is not as prevalent as it used to be, The Prince is still relevant and a good history lesson besides. Anyone interested in leading people will find it interesting. Machiavelli draws from history extensively, and there are lessons for us today.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow is a mess. Today’s Diary.
Christ, everything is f*cking hurting now…My shoulders are still sore – tho not as much as before – now my right leg is whining, and even getting out of bed is a 12-step process now…
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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 1775 – The Second Continental Congress of the American colonies convenes for the first time in what is now Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Business was light that day, their journal recording only a presentation of credentials and the election of a president and secretary, and the selection of a reverend to lead prayers the following day. It followed the First Continental Congress, which had met in September and October, 1774. The Congress followed the start of the American Revolution in April and they would declare independence from Great Britain in July 1776.
In 1941 – Whirlaway, ridden by Eddie Arcaro, wins the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Whirlaway got off very slowly and was in last place by a large margin until making his move in the far turn, taking the lead at the head of the stretch, and winning going away. Previously, Whirlaway had won the Kentucky Derby and became the fifth Triple Crown winner in the Belmont Stakes. It was the first of two Triple Crown wins for Arcaro, still the only rider to accomplish the feat.
In 2014 – Luke Bryan is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then and now known as the Hot Country Songs chart – for the third of nine non-consecutive weeks with Play It Again. The song also went #1 country in Canada, peaked at #14 on Billboard’s Hot 100, was Billboard’s 5th-biggest country song of the year and their 33rd-biggest of the decade. It was the seventh of 13 #1 country songs for Bryan, and his third and final #1 song of 2014.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Men almost always prefer to walk in paths marked out by others and pattern their actions through imitation…a prudent man should always follow the footsteps of the great and imitate those who have been supreme.
Niccolo Machiavelli
The Prince
Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.
The first major league pitcher to lose a perfect game in extra innings was Harvey Haddix of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 195. The feat was repeated by Pedro Martinez of the Montreal Expos in 1995.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What was Independence Hall known as at the time of the Second Continental Congress? – Answer next time!
