The Daily Dose/May 29, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

GET OUT YOUR RECORD BOOKS: On Tuesday, records from the Negro Leagues became part of the official major league record book.

Dry, Technical Matter: As any idiot knows, they join records from the current National and American leagues, the 20th-century Federal League, and the 19th-century American Association, Players League, and Union Association.

Broad, Historical Context: For the first 71 years of the major leagues, Blacks and whites were not allowed to play against each other, depriving both of the chance to compete against the sport’s very best. An argument could be made that Blacks never really made up a large percentage of the American population, and so their talent pool wasn’t that big, but we don’t buy that. Blacks were competing against who they were allowed to compete against. Their accomplishments should have been added to the big league record book years ago. 

As Long As Your Record Books Are Out: This means Josh Gibson is the new all-time leader in, among other things, hits and batting average, replacing Ty Cobb. He also displaced Babe Ruth as the all-time leader in slugging percentage, as well. 

Quote That Sucker: Up to the challenge as ever, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said something infantile:  

Their accomplishments on the field will be a gateway to broader learning about this triumph in American history…

Oh, Jesus H: Triumph in American history? Good gravy, this is ignorant. The Negro Leagues were not a triumph, they were a case of Black America making due with what racist white America chose to give them. Barred from the white major leagues, they formed their own league. They did what they could with what they were allowed to have. Now, this in and of itself is triumphant, but to imply it is a triumph in a historical, big-picture context is insulting. 

The Bottom Line: It is not possible to hold the major league record book as sacrosanct as we do here. It could be said that the Negro Leagues did not have the best players, but you could say that about the white major leagues, too, since both excluded the other. Once you accept this, it becomes easy to welcome Josh Gibson and others to the record book. Welcome aboard. It was a long time coming. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has the latest morning coffee service news. Today’s Diary. 

…we are desperately short of creamer.

———

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———

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

In 1328 – Philip VI is crowned King of France at the Reims Cathedral in northern France. Philip, 35, had ascended the throne after the death of Charles IV in February, even though Edward III of England was Charles’ closest male relative, however French nobility preferred Philip, who was a cousin of Charles. Philip at first only held the regency because Charles’ widow was pregnant, and he was crowned only after she delivered a girl. Edward would later press his claim to the throne, which in 1337 resulted in the start of the Hundred Years War. 

In 1965 – Ralph Boston of the US establishes a new world record in the long jump at the Modesto Relays in California. Boston jumped 27 feet, 4.5 inches to break the record of 27 feet, 4.25 inches he had established the year before and the record was tied in 1967 by Igor Ter-Ovanesyan of the Soviet Union. The record was broken in 1968 by Bob Beamon (29 feet, 2.25 inches) and is now held by Mike Powell, who jumped 29 feet, 4.25 inches in 1991. 

In 1982 – The Dazz Band is at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart – then known as the Hot Black Singles chart –  for the third of five non-consecutive weeks with Let It Whip. It was the fourth of 20 soul chart singles for the group, their first of four Top 10 soul songs and remains their only #1. The song also peaked at #5 on the Hot 100 and the group won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

The essence of his code was self-control: he would subordinate passion to reason.
Will Durant
The Story of Civilization, VVol. III: Caesar to Christ

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The Milwaukee Bucks (2023) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (2016) hold the NBA playoff record for most 3-pointers in a game with 25. 

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

How many times did Ralph Boston break the long jump world record? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/May 28, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

OH HELL, HERE WE GO: On Saturday, the final tidbit in On This Date was dated Today. This is rare, because most history happens in the past, but from time to time, we know that something historic is happening on a specific day. Like other times, this item concerned action on the Billboard Hot 100 record chart. (New Billboard charts are dated every Saturday.)

Dry, Technical Matter:  It concerned Post Malone who last Saturday found himself at #1, with Morgan Wallen, on both Billboard’s Hot 100 and country charts. Previously he had had four #1s on Billboard’s soul chart – now known as the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart – and this made him the fifth act to have #1s on all three major Billboard singles charts in the Hot 100 era. 

Eureka: We came across this exciting tidbit completely by accident. When doing this feature, the first thing we do is check On This Date for the past couple of years so we don’t duplicate anything. This yielded the tidbit that the 1970s would be a good decade for that day, but everything seemed tired when we checked our source. So we went to this century and, for reasons that may never be clear, we said let’s check and see what song is at #1 today. It should be noted, too, that this item was written without this information. Only later did it occur to us that Malone, a rapper, might have had soul chart #1s. 

Get Out Your Record Books: BOOM, he did. Four of them, in fact. Longtime readers of this crap know we live for nonsense like this in general and that this specific piece of trivia has been mentioned periodically in the past. 

The Bottom Line: Now you know. To have nailed the fifth act to hit #1 on all three of Billboard’s major singles charts on the day it happened is, frankly, supremely satisfying. To bore you with nonsense like this is why we do this every day. Most entries are routine but when you show up every day, every now and then the Fates come through.  

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has the latest on the cat. Today’s Diary. 

Yay for no more puking and fewer times going to the litter box…Boo, however, for her still having the trots…

———

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 1754 – The French and Indian War between Great Britain and France begins with the Battle of Jumonville Glen. Lt Colonel George Washington, then 22, commanded the Virginia Regiment to victory over French and Indian forces in southwestern Pennsylvania. Various Indian tribes fought on the each side and the war ended in 1763 with a British victory, Washington later resigned his commission, rather than accept a demotion after the division of the Virginia Regiment. 

In 2016 – Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors establishes a new NBA playoff record for most 3-point field goals made in a game in a 108-101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. Thompson had 11 3-pointers to break the record of nine by Jason Terry of Dallas in 2011 and the record is now twelve by Damon Lillard of Portland in 2021. Thompson also holds the regular season record with 14. 

In 1966 – Percy Sledge is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the second and final consecutive week with When a Man Loves a Woman. It was the first of five Top 40 hits for Sledge and remains his only Top 10 song. The song also went to #1 in Canada, peaked at #4 in Great Britain, and the song was also in its fourth and final week at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart. In 1991 a version by Michael Bolton also went to #1, the seventh of nine songs to go to #1 by different artists. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

I heard the bullets whistle, and believe me, there is something charming in the sound.
George Washington

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Madonna’s first #1 album in the US was Like a Virgin, which spent three weeks at #1 in 1985. 

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

What team holds the NBA record for most 3-pointers in a playoff game? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/May 27, 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 meets a loser. Today’s Diary. 

Honestly, we wouldn’t have taken the reservation…This was our last vacancy and W had a waiting list for it, people who actually had IDs nd credit cards, and we would’ve told the guy to get lost…

———

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 1153 – Malcolm IV, 12, becomes King of Scotland following the death of his grandfather David I. Malcolm had become heir apparent the previous year when his dad Henry had died, and History generally gives him indifferent marks…While the heir apparent, Malcolm had contenders for the throne and he was crowned before his brother was buried. Malcolm, always sickly, would only reign until 1165, dying of apparently natural causes when he was 24. He was succeeded by his brother William I. 

In 1975 – The Philadelphia Flyers win the Stanley Cup, defeating the Buffalo Sabres 2-0 in Game 6 in Buffalo. It was the second consecutive and final Stanley Cup for the Flyers and was the second of three losses in the Finals for the Sabres. It was the first Stanley Cup Finals to have two expansion teams playing and the Flyers remain the last Stanley Cup champion with an all-Canadian roster. 

In 1989 – Madonna is at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the sixth and final consecutive week with Like a Prayer. The album went to #1 in 19 other countries including Argentina, Norway, and Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 12th-biggest album of 1989 and its 94th-biggest of 1990. It was the third of nine #1 albums for Madonna and produced five chart singles, including the #1 title track. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.
Albert Einstein

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The third member of Apollo 10 – along with Thomas Stafford and Gene Cernan – was John Young. 

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

What was Madonna’s first #1 album in the US? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/May 26, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

The Sunday Bottom 5
A ranking of some things.

1. War – Man’s calling card since time immemorial has another stellar week, with Israel’s genocide in Gaza continuing while the plucky Ukranians continue to hold out against evil Russians…US heroically doing its part, too, currently directly involved in wars in Yemen, the Red Sea, Syria, and Somalia, despite Congress not having declared any of these wars. 

2. Post Malone – American singer currently atop Billboard pop and country charts (with Morgan Wallen) and with four prior soul chart #1s is now fifth act to have #1s on Billboard’s Hot 100, soul, and country charts…Elvis, the Everly Brothers, Ray Charles, and Billy Ray Cyrus are the others. 

3. Mass Shootings – The 3-hole staple…13 mass shootings – defined as incidents with four (4) or  more casualties – for the week, including 16 deaths – including one (1) perp – and an impressive 53 wounded…2.14/per day an excellent average for the week, though 2024s weekly average of 1.19 well below 2023 average of 1.8 mass shootings a day.  

4. Voyager 1 – Mankind’s most distant ambassador (15 billion miles) is back earning its keep after parts of it went tits up (an old, appropriate Navy phrase) for a while…More useful at 46 years old than most of us, two (2) instruments are back up and running and sending useful data back to Earth, though two (2) more remain on the Out Of Order list. 

5. NCAA – Even the last, tenuous shreds of amatuerism gone now, as conferences and schools OK lawsuit settlement that is estimated to funnel $20 million a year per major division school to athletes…Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters “pretty sure” NCAA will screw this up, too, just like they screw everything else up – except the postseason tournaments they do really well. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

Yay for Read Free Sunday (RFS) at The Diary. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has the latest on the cat. Today’s Diary. 

Yay for the fact she is no longer going to the litter box every five minutes…Boo for her still having the trots, but one step at a time…There are still several days left on her treatment program…

———

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 1969 – Apollo 10 returns to Earth, splashing down in the South Pacific Ocean between American Samoa and French Polynesia. The mission was a dress rehearsal for Apollo 11, doing everything but landing on the moon, with Thomas Stafford and Gene Cernan flying the lunar module to within 8.4 miles of the lunar surface. The mission set two records that still stand: the fastest humans have flown (24,791 mph) and the farthest humans have flown from Earth (220,820 miles).

In 1958 – Harvey Haddix of the Pittsburgh Pirates establishes a major league for the most consecutive batters retired in a game in a 1-0 loss to the Milwaukee Braves. Haddix retired the first 36 batters he faced – 12 perfect innings – breaking the record of 27 done in six previous perfect games and the record still stands. The Braves won the game in the 14th inning on an error, a sacrifice, an intentional walk, and a double. 

In 1962 – Mr Acker Bilk is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the only week with Stranger on the Shore. It was the first of four chart singles for Bilk and remains his only Top 40 hit. The song also went to #1 in Great Britain, and while the song only spent one week at the top in the US, it spent four weeks at #2 and eleven weeks in the Top 10 and was Billboard’s #1 song of the year. It was the first song by a British act to hit #1 on the Hot 100. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Order is the mother civilization and liberty; chaos the midwife of dictatorship.
Will Durant
The Story of Civilization, Vol VI: The Reformation

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The farthest back a winner of the Indianapolis 500 has started is 32nd, by Ray Harroun in 1911. 

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

Who was the third member of Apollo 10? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/May 25, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

QUOTE THAT SUCKER: The inspiration for this segment came from today’s Some Philosophy Crap quote. It’s from Randy Shilts’s book And The Band Played On, which chronicles the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. 

Insanity triumphed because sane people were silent.

Back To The Future: This is happening in America right now. We are in the ninth year of Donald Trump’s prominence, a man of no intellectual, political, or moral substance. He is about to be nominated for president for the third time because his followers prefer to lower themselves to his standard than demand better of their candidates and themselves. 

Fly In The Ointment: Sane people are taking this, too. Very few are willing to call Trump – who believes, among other things, that the moon is part of Mars and that Colorado borders Mexico – the idiot he is. His claims the 2020 election was stolen is given credence instead of being dismissed, as are his claims that his 91 criminal indictments are a government plot. 

FunFact: Trump, honestly, is so witless he shouldn’t even have made the primaries in 2016. A real media would’ve dismissed him out of hand, but Trump meant ratings and clicks, so they ushered him right into the primaries, the nomination, and the White House. A media paced by Walter Cronkite and Woodward and Bernstein – not to mention any one of a dozen or so journalists of the era – would’ve had Trump out of the race by the weekend. 

The Bottom Line: We are reaping what we have sowed. America is in her seventh decade of TV being the focal point of our American life and the prominence of a witless blatherskite like Trump is our reward. But we’re in a post-thought America now, preferring to be well-entertained and well-fed rather than give substantive thought to substantive issues. As a result, we were unable to produce a competent response to COVID and we haven’t done anything great since we left the moon in 1972. A hundred years from now all new people will look back at this time and wonder why sane people didn’t demand better. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

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

Our new pancake mix canister was clutch, too…We were able to stick the measuring cup directly into the canister and remove it without getting pancake mix all over the place…

———

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 1659 – Richard Cromwell resigns as Lord Protector of England, marking the beginning of the end of England’s most recent period of being governed as a republic. England had been a Commonwealth since the execution of King Charles I in 1649 when Richard’s father Oliver became Lord Protector and would become a monarchy again under Charles II the following year. 

In 1980 – Johnny Rutherford wins the Indianapolis 500, defeating Tom Sneva by 29.29 seconds. It was the third and final win the race for Rutherford and was the third 2nd-place finish in four years for Sneva, who would win his only Indianapolis 500 in 1983. Sneva had qualified 14th, but crashed that car in practice, started last with his backup car, and became the first driver starting last to both lead the race and finish second.  

Today – Post Malone and Morgan Wallen are at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs chart for the first week with I Had Some Help. It is the second time Wallen has simultaneously had the #1 pop and country song in the US (Last Night, multiple weeks, 2023) and Malone, who has had four #1s on Billboard’s soul chart, joins Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Ray Charles, and Billy Ray Cyrus as the only acts to have #1s on all three major Billboard singles charts. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Insanity triumphed because sane people were silent.
Randy Shilts

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The Cleveland Blues began play as the Columbus Buckeyes in the Western League in 1896. 

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

What is the farthest back in the starting grid an Indy 500 winner has started? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!