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…

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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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We are taking the day off. Everything will return. -gk

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

 Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

TWO OLD MEN: THE REMATCH: Our favorite question coming out of last night’s bickering session between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is this: 

Has America ever had two worse choices for president? 

That Would Be A No: We don’t think so. In one corner, it’s President Joe Biden, stammering and ineffectual. In the other, it’s former President Donald Trump peddling his usual idiocy and lies. 

Dry, Technical Matter: Thursday night President Biden came off as old, too old to do anything but sit on the porch. Donald Trump remains a lying sexual predator who is stupid enough to believe – among other things – that the moon is part of Mars, Colorado borders Mexico, and that trials and elections are rigged against him. 

USA! USA!: We deserve better than this. We deserve vital, relatively young candidates with long-term plans for our country. Lord knows we deserve some intelligence and civility. 

Fly In The Ointment: America, however, cannot be bothered to demand better right now. Seven decades into television being the focal point of American life, we are too well-entertained and too well-fed to put substantive work into who is governing us. You and me – we the people – are tolerating it. We are so accepting of things now there wasn’t even a primary election season in America this year. In fact, neither Biden nor Trump has been officially nominated by their party.  

The Bottom Line: It would be best if both parties came to their senses and decided to nominate someone else. But coming to our senses is not something America does a lot of right now. We are content to circle the wagons and accept what we want to hear from whoever dispenses it to us.  

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow works the land. Today’s Diary. 

The big news is we got the lawn cleaned up, removing the branches and twigs that assembled after the recent wind storm…

———

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 1914 – Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie are assassinated in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb. Princip was arrested at the scene and would die in prison in 1918. The Archduke was the heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and their deaths are often credited with starting World War I, which began a month later when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. 

In 2023 – Domingo German of the New York Yankees pitches a perfect game in an 11-0 win over the Oakland Athletics. It was the 24th major league perfect game and the first since 2012, when there were three. In August, German was removed from the Yankees roster, was waived in the offseason, and is currently the Pittsburgh organization, where he started the year in Triple-A and is now in Single-A. 

In 1980 – The Oak Ridge Boys are at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the only week with Trying To Love Two Women. It was the ninth of 33 Top 10 country hits for the group and their third of 17 #1s in a country singles career spanning from 1976 through 1999. The song also went #1 country in Canada and was Billboard’s 11th-biggest country song of the year. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

The priest did not create religion, he merely used it, as a statesman uses the impulses and customs of mankind; religion arises not out of sacerdotal invention or chicanery, but out of the persistent wonder, fear, insecurity, hopefulness and loneliness of men.
Will Durant
The Story of Civilization, Vol I: Our Oriental Heritage

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Bob Newhart, Marilyn Manson, Vampire Weekend, and Slipknot are the acts who have had multiple #1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart who have never hit the Hot 100. Slipknot and Vampire Weekend have each had three #1 albums. 

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

Which other New York Yankees have pitched perfect games? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/June 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 ups weight in the gym. Barely. Today’s Diary. 

…the only possible way to add less weight would be to add a couple of helium molecules to each side, but remember we’re dealing with a relatively new exeercise for a small body part.

———

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 1950 – The US decides to enter the Korean War, two days after North Korea invaded South Korea. US Army General Douglas McArthur was appointed supreme commander of UN forces and US troops first saw combat in the Battle of Osan on July 5 with the final battle in July 1953. Over 1.7 million Americans served in Korea, with 36,574 of them dying. Though an armistice was signed, the two sides technically remain at war. 

In 2003 – The Boston Red Sox establish a new major league for most runs at the start of a game with nobody out in a 25-8 victory over the Florida Marlins. The Red Sox scored ten runs before Nomar Garciaparra popped out to the catcher and socred a total of 14 runs in the inning. The Red Sox broke the record of nine established by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1948 and the record still stands. 

In 2015 – Muse is at #1 on the Billboard 100 album chart for the only week with Drones. It was the eighth of ten chart albums for the group and remains their only #1. The album went to #1 in 13 other countries including Mexico, Norway and Great Britain, and also went to #1 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart. It remains one of the few albums to hit #1 that did not produce a song that hit the Hot 100. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

We cherish the illusion that vice commands a cunning which virtue cannot rival.
Robert Lacey
Meyer Lansky: The Thinking Man’s Gangster

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Billboard’s first unified soul chart – the Hot R&B Sides chart – debuted on October 28, 1958. Bobby Day had the first #1 song with Rockin’ Robin. 

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

Who are the acts that have had multiple #1 albums and have never had a hit on the Hot 100? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!