The Daily Dose/July 4, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

WHEN IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN EVENTS…: Today is Independence Day here in America, the national holiday commemorating the Second Continental Congress approving the Declaration of Independence.

FunFact: Almost interesting is the fact we came pretty close to having July 3 as our national holiday because the Continental Congress spent no small amount of time that day considering it, though they ended up tabling the matter until the 4th.   

Fly In The Ointment: There are a couple of misconceptions associated with the Declaration: 1) it does not commemorate the US declaring independence from Great Britain. That had happened two days earlier. 2) It did not start the American Revolution, which had started the year before with the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

Dry, Technical Matter: History credits Thomas Jefferson with writing it. He was a member of a 5-person committee the Congress had formed to write a declaration of why the Colonies wanted to separate from Great Britain. The committee wisely assigned him the task of writing the first draft, after which John Adams and Benjamin Franklin got their mitts on it before it went before the entire Congress. It is estimated they deleted a quarter of it and rewrote other parts while Jefferson silently fumed in the back of what is now Independence Hall.

Quote That Sucker: The Declaration includes one of the most famous sentences ever written:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. 

LOL: Jefferson was just kidding, of course. He was a slave owner who used slavery to live the comfortable life he preferred and he disciplined his slaves as needed. Heck, Jefferson was even a slavery innovator, the first to use slaves as collateral, for a 1796 loan from a Dutch banking house.  

It Is Written: Jefferson knew what he was doing, however. He had a strong sense of history – as the Lewis & Clark Expedition confirmed – and no doubt realized he was not only living history but was writing for it as much as he was writing for his fellow wealthy, white landowners.   

Please Pass The Dry, Technical Matter: Almost interesting is the fact the Declaration – as Jefferson himself was fond of admitting – contained no original concepts. This is not an indictment because every word a writer puts to paper is a combination of both influences that have wormed their way into his mind and what pours out from his heart.

Good Gravy, No Wonder You Don’t Get Any Dates: The Declaration had a variety of influences, including John Locke, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, Jefferson’s own preamble to Virginia’s constitution, and the Virginia Declaration of Rights by George Mason.

The Bottom Line: Despite its utter unoriginality and its being written by a slave owner, the Declaration of Independence, as it should, remains a landmark in human letters. If you have some time today, go and read it. Every American should be familiar with it. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has yet more news on the cat. Today’s Diary.

The big news – and it is HUGE – is the cat seems to be taking to her hot, new low-rise litter boxes…

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It’s easy reading on any device. 

———

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

In 1845 – Henry David Thoreau moves into a small cabin he built near Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau would spend the next 27 months living in the cabin, an experience that formed the basis for his book Walden, Or Life in the Woods. The cabin was built on land owned by Ralph Waldo Emerson. It was torn down later in the century and a replica, as well as a statue of Thoreau, now stands on the site. 

In 1982 – Jimmy Connors wins the Wimbledon championship, defeating defending champion John McEnroe 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4. It was the second and final Wimbledon title for Connors and his sixth of eight major titles, and was the second and final runner-up finish for McEnroe. The day before, McEnroe lost the doubles final with Peter Fleming to Peter McNamara and Paul McNamee. It was the first match in Wimbledon’s 105-year history to be scheduled for a  Sunday. 

In 2009 – The Black Eyed Peas are at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the twelfth and final consecutive with Boom Boom Pow. It was the first of three #1s for the group,and the song went to #1 in six other countries including Israel, Portugal, and Great Britain. It peaked at #51 on Billboard’s R&B chart, was their #1 song of the year, and was their 7th-biggest song of the decade. The following week, their song I Gotta Feeling began a 14-week stay at #1, with the 26 consecutive weeks establishing a record for most consecutive weeks at #1 that still stands. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.
Henry David Thoreau
Walden

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Tiger Woods has won the most British Opens in the 21st century, three (2000, 2005, 2006). 

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

Who were the other two members of the committee formed to write what became the Declaration of Independence? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/July 3, 2024
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 has the latest on the cat. Today’s Diary. 

The three low-rise litter boxes that arrived yesterday were deployed this morning and brother, we are going to need to refinance The Shire to pay for litter now…

———

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 1775 – General George Washington takes command of the Continental Army in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Revolution had begun in April with the Battles of Lexington and Concord and before Washington’s appointment, the war had been directed by the Continental Congress through assorted ad hoc committees. Washington had been appointed by Congress on June 15 and served until the war’s conclusion in 1783. 

In 1959 – Gary Player of South Africa wins the British Open, shooting a final round 68 to beat Fred Bullock of England and Flory Van Donck of Belgium by two strokes at the Muirfield Golf Links near Edinburgh, Scotland. It was the first of three British Open titles and nine majors for Player and he earned £1,000 for the win, about $36,000 in today’s money. It was the ninth of 16 British Opens at Muirfield, its first coming in 1892. 

In 1971 – Carole King is at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the third of 15 consecutive weeks with Tapestry. The album also went to #1 in Canada, Japan, and Spain, peaked at #4 in Great Britain, was Billboard’s 2nd-biggest album of 1971 and 1972, and their 22nd-biggest of 1973. All told, it spent 313 weeks on the chart, once second only to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon (990 weeks), though no longer a figure with any statistical significance. It was the first of three #1 albums for King and a double-sided single from the album, It’s Too Late/I Feel The Earth Move, was in its third of five consecutive weeks at #1 on the Hot 100. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

I felt that there could be no turning back and that I was engaging in an adventure the meaning of which I thoroughly understood.
Captain Joshua Slocum
Sailing Alone Around the World

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The Knox-Porter Resolution also ended hostilities with Austria-Hungary, which had dissolved in 1918.

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

What player has won the most British Opens this century? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/July 2, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

 Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

USA! USA!: We go through this every year on this date, either writing expansively on it here or noting it in On This Date. 

Today is Independence Day here in America. 

Word Out: Really. We are not kidding. And we still do so with a great deal of pleasure. 

“Sundry Letters Were Laid Before Congress, And Read…”: We don’t know where all this July 4 nonsense started because it’s right there in the July 2 entry in the Journal of the Continental Congress: Congress approved the Lee Resolution:  

Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and, of right, ought to be, Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connexion between them, and the state of Great Britain, is, and ought to be, totally dissolved

Dry, Technical, Independence Matter/Oh, Jesus H/FunFact: Virginia’s Richard Henry Lee had introduced the resolution on June 7. Lee also served a term as president of the Continental Congress and was later a US senator from Virginia. Mr Lee was not actually attending Congress that day, having previously returned to home. He would later sign the Declaration of Independence, though.

Speaking Of Which…:  July 4, our false national holiday, is merely the day when Congress got around to ratifying Mr Jefferson’s infernal Declaration. There were some in attendance at the Pennsylvania State House – now Independence Hall – like future president John Adams, who thought July 2 would be our national holiday.

The Bottom Line: Despite the passing of centuries, America’s basic proposition remains the same: what we get out of this life is mostly dependent on the work we put into it. Now, if we don’t start paying attention to our government, that will change in a generation or so, but we can worry about that on, say, the fourth. For today, July 2, let’s be content to celebrate the day America declared independence from Great Britain. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow misses seeing a gal he has the hots for. Today’s Diary. 

Tammy reported Ingrid gave no sign of despair when she noticed I wasn’t at the front desk, tho this probably only means beautiful Nicaraguan women are good at keeping the hurt inside…

———

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 1921 – US involvement in World War I officially ends when President Warren G Harding signs the Knox-Porter Resolution, ending the state of war with Germany.  An armistice had been signed in November 1918, but the resolution was necessary because the US had twice rejected the Treaty of Versailles. The resolution also ended the state of war with Austria-Hungary, though that nation dissolved in October 1918.

In 1941 – Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees establishes a new major league record for the longest hitting streak in an 8-4 win over the Boston Red Sox. DiMaggio had a 5th-inning home run for his 45th consecutive game with a hit, breaking the record of 44 established by Willie Keeler in 1894. DiMaggio would extend the record to 56 consecutive games, and the record still stands. The streak began on May 15 and would end on July 17, after which DiMaggio would hit in another 16 consecutive games. 

In 2011 – Blake Shelton is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then and now known as the Hot Country Songs chart – for the third of four consecutive weeks with Honey Bee. It was the twelfth of 33 Top 10 country hits for Shelton and his ninth of 13 #1s. The song also went #1 country in Canada, peaked at #13 on the Hot 100, and was Billboard’s 8th-biggest country song of the year and its 23rd-biggest of the decade. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Talent must not be wasted. Those who have it…must share it.
Frank Sinatra

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Country singer Jack Greene was nicknamed the Jolly Greene Giant due to his height and deep voice. 

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

The Knox-Porter Resolution also ended the state of war with what other country that had already dissolved? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/July 1, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

 Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

PLAY BALL: Recall last week we noted in an On This Date item that Wiley Piatt, in 1903, became the only 20th-century pitcher to pitch to lose two complete games in a doubleheader. 

Here We Go: Every item we read about this specified it was a record for the 20th century, and regular readers of this crap will not be surprised to find out we got curious about how many times it happened in the 19th century. So we looked into it and, in what must be considered a mild upset, we were unable to find out, and we noted in the item that research into this matter had been inconclusive.  

Dry, Technical Matter: We would’ve sworn one of our two major league record books would have listed this, but no. Both our Elias Book of Baseball Records and our Sporting News Complete Baseball Record Book had listings for pitchers who had two complete game victories in a doubleheader from 1876 – the National League’s first year – on, but neither had a listing for those who lost two complete games at any time, including Piatt’s accomplishment.

Onward!: This wasn’t the end of the road, though. We have access to a site that has 19th-century box scores; however, they do not have them going back to 1876. Some cursory searching was done (no examples were found) before we determined that searching an incomplete site for inconclusive results would not be productive. 

The Bottom Line: Look, we’re not any happier about this than you are. Now, if we had unlimited time, we could’ve cross-referenced scores with newspaper accounts, but we don’t have unlimited time. And this isn’t the first time a big league record book hasn’t had a record we were looking for…(Most runs, season, pinch-runner, comes to mind.)…But it’s not all glamor in the History racket; sometimes, you have to take the good with the bad. Know, though, that we gave finding out a good go for you. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow declines to argue about the thermostat. Today’s Diary. 

She put it back to 68°, and we chose not to fight it; we know when a broad’s mind is made up, and further resistance is futile…

———

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 1770 – Lexell’s Comet makes the closest approach to Earth by a comet in recorded history, coming within 1.4 million miles. The comet was discovered a couple of weeks earlier by French astronomer Charles Messier and was named after the man who first computed its orbit, Anders Lexell, a Finnish-Swedish astronomer. The comet would last be observed in October and has not been seen since, with scientists concluding a close encounter with Jupiter in 1779 knocked it off its orbit. 

In 1904 – The St Louis Summer Olympics open, with a gymnastics competition at the Olympic Stadium, now known as Francis Field on the campus of Washington University. The Games were part of an event celebrating the centennial of the Lewis & Clark Expedition and didn’t end until the final soccer competition on November 23. It was the first of nine Olympics either held in or scheduled for the US and the first one where gold, silver, and bronze medals were issued. 

In 1967 – Jack Greene is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the third of five consecutive weeks with All The Time. It was the second of nine Top 10 country hits for Greene and his second of five #1s. The song also peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under The Hot 100 chart and in 1959 a version by Kitty Wells went #18 country. Mel Tillis and Wayne P Walker wrote the song. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

That’s easy to say for people that are sitting on their sofas and riding in their carriages… – George
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Harriet Beacher Stowe 

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Forbes Field in Pittsburgh yielded an average of 1.13 triples per game, the major league record. The current stadium yielding the most is Coors Field in Denver, with .68 triples per game. So far in 2024, major league games are producing an average of .15 triples a game. 

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

What was Jack Greene’s nickname in country music? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/June 30, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

The Sunday Bottom 5
A ranking of some things.

1. President Joe Biden – Sir, with respect, you are simply too old to be president anymore…After decades of government service, it is time for people you trust to tell you this and for the Democratic Party to insist on this so you can retire. 

2. Donald Trump – Nothing has changed…Trump remains a blustering blatherskite, an incomparable idiot, the perfect candidate for a GOP that has completely lost its mind and a base – as ignorant as he is – that believes everything he says…Trump remains a lousy human being, hell-bent on bringing out the worst in himself, his supporters, and his country.  

3. USA! USA! – The 3-hole staple…America has never had two worse choices for president…Two old men, one knocking on enfeeblement’s door, the other a lying sexual predator who believes the moon is part of Mars…We deserve better than this but America cannot be bothered to demand better right now…Let’s hope we choose wisely.  

4. Israel/Hamas War – Screw a truce, let’s keep the genocide rolling…Long after securing the military and tactical advantage – the purpose of war – Israel continues its wholesale slaughter of otherwise innocent civilians…SB 5 pollsters reportedly in negotiations with both sides to have more or less regular entry take over coveted spot as 3-hole staple.  

5. Biden/Trump Fact Check – Click here for a summary of the exaggerations, inaccuracies, and lies from this week’s presidential debate…Courtesy of the New York Times

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

Read Free Sunday (RFS) will return.

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow deals with a guest without a credit card. Today’s Diary. 

He said that would be a problem and presented alternative scenarios regarding paying for the room, obliging us to shoot each one down…He snarled we were no help at all and hung up…

———

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 1937 – The world’s first emergency telephone number, 999, goes into operation in London. The number soon spread to use throughout Great Britain. The first emergency number in the US was 116 in Los Angeles in 1946, and the first 911 number was established in Haleyville, Alabama, in 1968. The European Union’s emergency number is 112, while Australia uses 000. 

In 1908 – Forbes Field in Pittsburgh opens, with the Chicago Cubs defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2. It was the first all-steel and concrete stadium built in the US, took only 122 days to build, and hosted 4,760 regular season Pirates games, with the Pirates holding a 2,599-2,126 record there. The Pirates played there until 1970, when Three Rivers Stadium opened, and have played at PNC Park since 2001. The Pittsburgh Steelers played there from 1933-63

In 1984 – Duran Duran is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the second and final consecutive week with The Reflex. The song went to #1 in four other countries, including Ireland and Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 16th-biggest song of the year. It was the fifth of 14 Top 40 hits for the group, their fifth of eleven Top 10s, and their first of two #1s. The band took their name from the character Dr. Durand Durand in the movie Barbarella. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

As I have always held it a crime to anticipate evils; I will believe it a good comfortable road until I am compelled to believe differently. 
Merriwether Lewis
 

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Don Larsen, David Cone, and David Wells are the other New York Yankee pitchers who have pitched perfect games. 

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

Forbes Field yielded more triples per game than any other major league stadium. How many triples per game were hit at Forbes Field? – Answer next time!

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