The Daily Dose/June 1, 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 fusses over the cat. Today’s Diary. 

It was what she had eaten an hour earlier, and didn’t look a whole lot different regurgitated on the kitchen table than it did in her bowl…Still, tho, we resisted the urge to feed it to her again.

———

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

In 1495 – The production of Scotch whiskey is mentioned for the first time, in the exchequer (revenue) rolls of Scotland. The batch was produced by a friar named John Cor and it quickly became a favorite of King James IV. Little is otherwise known of Cor, who was probably a pharmacist by trade. Whiskey comes from a Gaelic word meaning ‘water of life’. 

In 2019 – Mexican-American Anthony Ruiz wins the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles, defeating Anthony Joshua of Great Britain with a 7th-round TKO at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Joshua would regain the titles in a rematch in December in Saudi Arabia with a unanimous decision. Ruiz has only fought twice since losing the title to Joshua, going 2-0, with a third fight scheduled for August, and Joshua lost the title to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in 2021. 

In 2013 – Florida Georgia Line is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for the twelfth of a then-record 24 non-consecutive weeks with Cruise, their first of six #1 country songs. The song also went #1 country in Canada, peaked at #4 on the Hot 100 and spent 66 weeks on the chart, including 28 weeks in the Top 10 and ten weeks at #2. The record for most weeks at #1 on Billboard’s country chart is now 50 weeks by Meant To Be, by Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line in 2017-18. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

If we would only give, just once, the same amount of reflection to what we want to get out of life that we give to the question of what to do with two weeks vacation, we would be startled at our false standards and the aimless procession of our busy days.
Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The winning pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1937 game that broke Carl Hubbel’s major league record 24-game winning streak was Fred Frankhouse. 

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

Whose record for most weeks at #1 on Billboard’s country chart did Florida Georgia Line break? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/May 31, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY: An interesting aspect of Donald Trump’s convictions is that they really don’t change anything. He is still an ignorant blatherskite and his base will still believe everything he chooses to spoonfeed them, including how this trial was rigged against him. He will still be the Republican nominee for president. 

Dry, Technical Matter: Look, if his base hasn’t deserted him yet, they’re not going to. They long ago decided ignorance, incompetence, impeachment, and insurrection aren’t barriers to their support, so why would a mere 34 criminal convictions change anything? 

USA! USA!: For a while now, we’ve been in a post-knowledge America, where all that matters is our preferred candidates telling us what we want to hear. Facts and truth – not to mention character – don’t matter anymore, so American life is paced by a liar, a sexual predator who admits to grabbing women by the pussy, and an idiot who believes the moon is part of Mars. We can do better than this but, collectively, we choose not to. 

Crystal Ball Me: A hundred years from now, people – perhaps some Americans, if any are still around – will look back at the Trump Era, scratch their heads, and wonder what we were thinking, allowing a man of zero moral, political, or intellectual substance to take center stage in American life. They will see an America that, collectively, is simply not as smart as it used to be. They will note an America that could’ve demanded better but chose to shrug and accept being led by an idiot. 

 The Bottom Line: Donald Trump should’ve been dismissed out of hand the day after he announced his candidacy for the 2016 GOP nomination. He should’ve been dismissed by the media and dismissed by the electorate. He wasn’t, though, and ignorance has been America’s calling card ever since. Combined with our perpetual wars and mindless spending, America remains far closer to the oblivion that awaits us than the influence and prestige we once had.  

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow does the lawn. Today’s Diary. 

Recall it rained yesterday, putting all lawncare plans in flux for today but – in the Upset of the Year – we really didn’t want to put it off until Friday…

———

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. 

Editor’s Note: Due to time constraints, these items have run before. 

In 1889 – The Johnstown Flood occurs, after the failure of the South Fork Dam in southeastern Pennsylvania. The failure occurred after several days of unprecedented rainfall, unleashing 3.8 billion gallons of water from Lake Conemaugh on the area. It took about an hour for the waters, 60 feet high and traveling at about 40 miles per hour,  to hit Johnstown, killing over 2,200 people, at the time the largest loss of civilian life in US history. Survivor’s inability to collect damages from the dam’s owners led to major changes in American liability law. 

In 1937 – Pitcher Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants has his major league record of 24 consecutive victories end, taking the decision in a 10-3 loss to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Hubbell gave up two runs in both the first and third innings and one more in the fourth before coming out of the game. Hubbel had broken the record 19 consecutive wins established by Tim Keefe (1888) and Rube Marquard (1912) both also with the New York Giants. The streak had started on July 17, 1936,  included five relief appearances and does include Hubbell’s loss in Game 4 of the 1936 World Series. 

In 1980 – Lipps, Inc. is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of four consecutive weeks with Funkytown. The song went to #1 in eleven other countries, including Norway and Israel, peaked at #2 in both in Great Britain and on Billboard’s soul chart, and was the magazine’s eighth biggest song of the year. The song returned to the Hot 100 in 1986 when a version by Pseudo Echo peaked at #6.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

History will hand out the medals. Our problem is to win the battle.
Jean-Francois Steiner
Treblinka

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Shawn Green of the Los Angeles Dodgers holds the major league record for most total bases in a game with 19 in 2002. 

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

Who was the winning pitcher in the 1937 game that broke Carl Hubbel’s record winning streak? – Answer next time!

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

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME…AGAIN: Yesterday we discussed the recent inclusion of statistics from the Negro Leagues into the major league (ML) record book. 

About Time: It is neither possible – nor, frankly, particularly desirable – to hold the ML record book with greater reverence than we do and our reaction when this news was positive. Like whites in the National and American leagues, Blacks were playing against the best competition allowed by social custom and having the Negro Leagues recognized as a major league was long overdue. 

The Morning After: There are a couple of quibbles, neither of which affect our support. One, the Negro Leagues seldom played more than 80 games in a season, while the major leagues have been playing at least 140 games since 1900. This affects rate statistics – those with a decimal point – because playing 80 games in a season is easier than playing the 162 games scheduled now and it is fair to wonder how 80-game per-game averages would hold up over a season that is twice as long. 

And In This Corner: Something else we are whining about is the Negro League numbers aren’t complete, with researchers estimating they’ve chronicled a bit less than three-quarters of Negro League games. 

Dry, Technical Matter: This is really a case of reverse whining though, because this does not affect the stats that were entered this week. They are not going to go down, only up, if and when the remaining games are chronicles. 

Fly In The Ointment: This somewhat violates the statistical principle that everything that happens in a major league game is chronicled, but that’s all right, though, because it means that stats for Negro League players will only compound. We can live with that. 

The Bottom Line: The above quibbles notwithstanding, we’re looking forward to getting our hands on the 2025 record books incorporating these changes. They should’ve been included ages ago, but we’re humans, not images on stained glass windows and sometimes things like this take time. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow may not be able to mow the lawn tomorrow. Today’s Diary. 

It didn’t rain for all that long, but it came down pretty good, so who knows if we’ll be able to…

———

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 1854 – The Kansas/Nebraska Act becomes law after being signed by President Franklin Pierce. The law established Kansas and Nebraska as territories of the US, with residents deciding the legality of slavery. The act had the practical effect of repealing the Missouri Compromise, which had prohibited slavery north of 36 degrees, 30 minutes north latitude, a line which both territories were north of. Kansas became a state in 1861, Nebraska in 1867, 

In 1894 – Bobby Lowe of the Boston Beaneaters establishes new major league records for most home runs and total bases in a game in a 20-11 win over the Cincinnati Reds in the second game of a doubleheader. Lowe hit four home runs, to break the record of three done five times previously and the mark has been tied 17 times since. Lowe also had a single, giving him 17 toral bases, breaking the record of 15 done by Guy Hecker in 1886. Lowe had gone 0-for-6 in the first game. 

In 1970 – Ray Stevens is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of two consecutive weeks with Everything is Beautiful. It was Stevens’s fifth of eight Top 40 hits and his first of two #1 songs. The song also went to #1 in Australia and Canada, peaked at #6 in Great Britain, at #22 on Billboard’s country chart, and was Billboard’s 12th-biggest song of the year. It earned Stevens the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, his first of two Grammy awards. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Mackenzie was a good guy, but he was a guy after all, not an image on a stained glass window.
William Irish
After-Dinner Story

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Ralph Boston of the US broke the world long jump record six times. He died last year at 83. 

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

Who currently holds the major league record for most total bases in a game? – Answer next time!

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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.

———

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 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!

Share Gaylon! Go!