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

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

Leading Off will return. Promise.

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has a busy day off. Today’s Diary. 

In fact, it was a day off only in the sense we didn’t clock in anywhere….We were busy the whole way and weren’t able to call it a day until – horror of horrors – mid-afternoon…

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It’s easy reading on any device. 

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

Editor’s Note: due to time constraints, today’s items are from last year. 

In 1781 – The Articles of Confederation – the first governing document of the US since declaring independence from Great Britain in 1989 – takes effect. The Second Continental Congress had sent the Articles to the states in 1777, with unanimous approval being required for ratification. The Articles had been drawn up by a committee of 13, one representative from each state, and the Constitution would replace the Articles in 1989. 

In 1919 – Newsy Lalonde of the Montreal Canadiens establishes a new NHL playoff record for most goals scored in a game in a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators in Game 3 of the NHL Finals. Lalonde broke the record of three that had been done five times previously and the mark has been tied four times since. The Canadiens would defeat the Senators in five games and faced the PCHA champion Seattle Metropolitans for the Stanley Cup, a series that was canceled after five games due to the Spanish flu epidemic. 

In 1969 – Sly & the Family Stone is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the third of four consecutive weeks with Everyday People. The song also peaked at #36 in Great Britain, was in its second and final week at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart, and was Billboard’s 5th-biggest song of the year. It was the second of ten Top 40 hits for the group, their second of five Top 10 songs, and their first of three pop and soul #1s. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Is it so difficult to look existence in the eye, to see its true face?
Ernst Weiss
Georg Letham Physician and Murderer

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The first song to move into the #1 spot on a Billboard pop chart on Feb 29, was To Be With You by Mr. Big, which went to #1 on the Hot 100 on Saturday, February 29, 1992. 

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

How many Pacific Coast Hockey Association teams won the Stanley Cup? – Answer next time!

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

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

30 DAYS HATH SEPTEMBER…: It’s Leap Day today, the every fourth year appearance (generally) of February 29. 

Dry, Technical Matter: Leap years are necessary because the 365 days mandated by civil calendars do not accurately reflect the exact time it takes the earth to revolve around the sun. Our calendars have 365 days. However, it actually takes Earth 365 days, 6 hours, and 9 minutes to orbit the Earth. This has been evident to smarty-pants who probably didn’t get a lot of dates since time immemorial, and the first Leap Day was instituted by Julius Caesar in 46 BC/BCE. 

Really Dry, Technical Matter: Leap years are observed in every year evenly divisible by four. Unless the year is evenly divisible by 100. Then it isn’t a leap year. Unless the year is evenly divisible by 400, then it is a leap year. For example, 1900 was not a leap year, but 2000 was.  

Oh, Jesus H: Actually, before Leap Days, there were Leap Months. Ancient Roman calendars had years of 355 days and an extra month was occasionally inserted to get the calendar back in synch with lunar and solar cycles. 

This Whole Column Is Dry, Technical Matter, Isn’t It?: Without leap years, the calendar would eventually get so out of whack that summer would begin in December. In fact, this was a major reason for the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. The Julian calendar was slightly off in its reckoning of the length of a year, and the March equinox was occurring earlier and earlier. 

The Bottom Line: Usually, this segment is used to take a side on whatever issue we happen to have been talking about…However, Leap Year isn’t really a classic pro/con issue, its existence generally approved by even the most stalwart of pagans. If it’s your birthday, enjoy being able to celebrate it on the actual date you were born. If you’re a salaried employee, enjoy working for free today. If you enjoy dry, technical, matter as much we do, revel in today because it will be four years before you can again. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow’s time as VSO is winding down. Today’s Diary. 

It wasn’t clear if he was actually diagnosed with anything or if it was merely a list of things to be on the lookout for, but the sheet will sort that all out, and we made an appointment – our last one of the VSO Era – for Friday morning…

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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 1712 – February 29 will be followed by February 30 in Sweden. It came about because Sweden had decided to ease into switching from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar over several years by omitting leap days between 1700 and 1740. War disrupted this, Sweden restored the Julian calendar in 1712, with an extra leap day added after February 29, and this remains the only time February 30 has been used in a calendar. Sweden adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1753. 

In 1948 – Lawson Little of the US wins the St Petersburg Open by three strokes over Bobby Locke of South Africa. It was the eighth and final PGA Tour victory for Little in a career that saw him win three majors: the 1940 US Open and the 1934 and 1935 British and US Amateur tournaments and Little remains the only player to win both titles in the same year more than once. This remains the last PGA Tour victory on February 29. 

In 2000 – Roddy Ricch is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the seventh of eleven consecutive weeks with The Box. It was the 18th of 44 chart singles for Ricch, his fourth of eight Top 40 hits, and remains his only #1 song. The song also went to #1 in seven other countries, including Latvia and Greece, peaked at #2 in Great Britain, and was in its eighth of twelve consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart. It remains the last song to be at #1 on Saturday, February 29, the day when Billboard begins its chart week. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

If you are acquainted with the principle, what do you care for a myriad of instances and applications?
Henry David Thoreau
Walden

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers hold the NHL record for most goals in a season with 446. They broke the record 424 they had established the season before. 

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

What was the first song to ascend to the #1 spot on a Billboard pop chart on February 29? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/February 28, 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 gets props for his usage of the phonetic alphabet. Today’s Diary. 

– Oooh, that’s good…We’re you in the Army???
I chuckled…Some inter-service humor would probably go over well here.
– Of course not…I was in the Navy…
A modest line – far from a Line of the Year candidate – but a solid subtle jab (SSJ).
– Well, you managed to learn well, anyway…

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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 202 BC/BCE – The Han Dynasty in China begins with the enthronement of Liu Bang as emperor. The dynasty ruled – except for a period at the beginning of the Common Era – until 220 AD/CE and ushered in significant economic gains, including coinage that remained the standard in China until (618-907 BC/CE) and scientific and social advances including the invention of paper in 105 AD/CE. It was replaced by what History refers to as the Three Kingdoms period. 

In 1929 – The Chicago Black Hawks extend their NHL-record streak for being shut out in a 0-0 tie with the New York Rangers. It was the eighth consecutive shutout for the Black Hawks, extending the record they had set with their fifth consecutive shutout on Feb 21, and the record still stands. The Black Hawks went 0-6-2 during the streak and the streak ended with a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Maroons on Mar 2. Their total of 33 goals for the season remains an NHL record. 

In 1970 – Simon and Garfunkel are at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of six consecutive weeks with Bridge Over Troubled Water. The song went to #1 in five other countries, including Indonesia and Great Britain, was Billboard’s #1 song of the year, and won five Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Contemporary Song, and Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals. It was the third and final #1 song for the duo. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

But Tim had done his best to dramatize an election in which neither candidate dared to say what he meant to an uneasy people who realized something was seriously wrong with their political system.
Gore Vidal
The Golden Age

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The record for the most consecutive #1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart is 13, by Taylor Swift. 

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

Which team holds the NHL record for most goals in a season? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/February 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 tells a boring story to a photographer. Today’s Diary. 

So we told him about the time we plied the newspaper reporter trade and we were given a camera and told to go cover the British Royal Air Force parachute team that was doing their winter training outside of town…

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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 1964 – The Italian government announces it is open to suggestions on stabilizing the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The tower was closed to tourists in 1990, and restorative efforts began in 1993, when 870 tons of lead counterweights were added, which helped slightly. Eventually, soil was removed from beneath the raised end, which reduced the tower’s tilt by 17.5 inches. The tower reopened to the public in 2001 when it was announced the tower would be stable for another 300 years. Construction had begun in 1173 and took 199 years. 

In 1960 – The US hockey team clinches the gold medal at the 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Olympics, defeating the Soviet Union 3-2 in the medal round. The win gave the US a two-point lead over silver medalist Canada, whom they had beaten earlier, heading into the final games of the tournament. It was the first of two Olympic gold medals for the US (1980, Lake Placid) and was their second and most recent world championship (1933). The Soviet Union won the bronze medal. 

In 1966 – Buck Owens is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the second of seven consecutive weeks with Waitin’ In Your Welfare Line. It was the tenth of 20 #1 country hits for Owens and his ninth of 14 consecutive #1 songs, a record for a Billboard major singles chart that is now held by Sonny James with 16. The song also peaked at #57 on the Hot 100. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

More and more this mysterious life comes together/It may take years to reveal the whole/That’s all right/I’m prepared to go the distance.
Deng Ming-Dao
365 Tao

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Napoleon Bonaparte was 51 when he died in 1821.

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

Who holds the record for most consecutive #1 albums on the Billboard 200 album chart? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/February 26, 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 another lousy rest. Today’s Diary. 

6.0 hours for the day, a start to the sleep week that is probably being surpassed in gulags…God bless all of you…

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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 1815 – Napoleon Bonaparte, former emperor of France, escapes from the island of Elba where he had been exiled to the previous May. Napoleon escaped on a French ship and landed on the southern coast of France two days later. He met French troops, who supported him, which caused Louis XVIII to flee to Belgium. Napoleon would reign again as emperor from March 20 until his abdication on June 22. He ended up in British custody and was exiled to Saint Helena Island in the South Atlantic, where he died in 1821. 

In 1995 – Dana Barros of the Philadelphia 76ers establishes a new NBA record for most consecutive games making a 3-point basket in an 84-75 loss to the Indian Pacers. It was Barros’ 44th consecutive game with a 3-pointer, breaking the record of 43 established by Micahel Adams. Barros would extend the streak to 89 games the following season and the mark is now held by Stephen Curry, with 268. 

In 2000 – Savage Garden is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the fourth and final non-consecutive week with I Knew I Loved You. It was the fifth of six Top 40 hits for the group, their third and final Top 10 and #1 song. The song also went to #1 in Romania and Canada, peaked at #10 in Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 7th-biggest song of the year. The song also spent 17 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart and was that chart’s #1 song of the decade. 

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

Van Halen has had five #1s on the Billboard 200 album chart.

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

How old was Napoleon when he died? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!