The Daily Dose/May 7, 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 doesn’t ask two women out. Today’s Diary. 

It’s a good thing she wasn’t there, though, because had we asked her out and had she said yes, we would be staring at the prospect of an actual date, the last thing we need because, officially, we still do not desire the commotion of a relationship…

———

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 1992 – The 27th Amendment to the Constitution takes effect when it is ratified by the Michigan legislature. The amendment concerns raises for the members of Congress and was first sent to the several states in 1789, along with eleven other amendments, ten of which eventually became the Bill of Rights. Seven states had ratified the amendment within three years, though nine were initially required for ratification and the 202-year ratification period remains a record. 

In 1969 – The Oakland Oaks win the ABA title, defeating the Indiana Pacers 135-131 in overtime to win the series four games to one. It was the first and only ABA title for the Oaks, and the first of two ABA runner-up finishes for the Pacers to go with three titles. The Oaks moved to Washington, D.C. the following season, later became the Virginia Squires, and disbanded shortly before the ABA-NBA merger. 

In 1977 – The Eagles are at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the sixth of eight non-consecutive weeks with Hotel California. The album went to #1 in six other countries, including Canada and Norway, peaked at #2 in Great Britain, was Billboard’s 4th-biggest album of the year, and produced three chart singles, including the #1s New Kid in Town and the title track. The album returned to the chart in 2021 (#153) and has also made six appearances on Billboard’s country album chart. It was the third of eight #1 albums for the group.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

There is not one of them who, if he chanced to discover the difference between falsehood and truth, would not prefer his own lie to the truth which another had discovered.
Will Durant
The Story of Civilization, Vol. X: Rousseau and Revolution

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The last American to hold the world record for the mile was Mary Decker Slaney, who held it from 1958-89. Jim Ryun was the last American man to hold the record, from 1966-67.

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

Of the twelve Constitutional amendments Congress sent to the several states in 1789, which is only one still not ratified? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/May 6, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

Editor’s Note: Gaylon is the Libertarian Party’s nominee for the US House from Colorado’s 2nd District. 

GAYLON FOR CONGRESS – VOTE EARLY, VOTE OFTEN: A recent video we posted to the Gaylon For Congress website had a couple of lines we’d like to share with you. 

Leading Off: The first concerns the gridlock and dysfunction in our country, both in our government and amongst us citizens: 

America is hamstrung and dysfunctional right now, a partisan, fractured, and bickering mess unable to respond to any great change and unable to commit to any great project. We were unable to produce a competent response to COVID, and we we haven’t done anything great since Apollo.

Dry, Technical Matter: Boy, or boy, no one looking at America objectively right now can dispute this. We believe a competent COVID response would have prevented 90% of the 1.2 million US deaths, meaning roughly a million Americans died needlessly.

One Small Step/Don’t Get Us Started: Longtime readers know our feelings: Apollo was mankind’s finest hour, and we could’ve had humans on Mars in the 1980s had we wanted to. We didn’t, though, and America has been paying the price in an utter lack of national will ever since.

And In This Corner: The other line is one we’ve used from time to time on the campaign trail:

America is now halfway between the prominence we once had and the oblivion that awaits us.

Gee, Aren’t We Little Mary Sunshine Today?: This is true, too. The American Century is over. Nobody looks to America for leadership anymore, merely to see how we will interfere and muck things up. No nation has survived perpetual war, and America will not be the exception.

The Bottom Line: History’s scrap heap is littered with countries that once held great sway on our planet – the Roman Empire and the Soviet Union among others – and the US is in a strong position to join them, perhaps before this half-century is out. The biggest obstacle between us and the America we want looks us in the mirror every morning. We must overcome ourselves and it starts with you and me on November 5. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow discusses the vital matter of paperclip placement on a stack of currency. Today’s Diary. 

Here is a Sparrow ProTip from me to you: you want the paperclip to be a fifth of the way up from the bottom – not a tenth of the way and certainly not a third of the way – to make the bills easier to count, should that become necessary…

———

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 2013 – Three women kidnapped by Ariel Castro beginning in 2002 are released in Cleveland. Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus had been kidnapped in consecutive years and held in the top floor of Castro’s home where they were tortured, raped, and beaten. Their release came after Castro left the house and left a door open, enabling Knight to communicate with neighbors. Castro pled guilty to over 900 charges, was sentenced to life plus 1,000 years, and killed himself in jail in September. 

In 1954 – Roger Bannister of England becomes the first person to run the mile in less than four minutes, running it in 3:59.4 at a meet in Oxford, England. Bannister, who only decided to run right before the race after the wind died down, broke the world record by two seconds, and his world record lasted until June when Australia’s John Landy ran it at 3:58.0. The world record for the mile – now seldom run – is held by Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj who ran it in 3:43.13 in 1999. 

In 2006 – Daniel Powter is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the fifth and final consecutive week with Bad Day. The song went to #1 in four other countries, including the Czech Republic and Scotland, and was Billboard’s #1 song of the year. Though Powter later placed songs on other Billboard charts and has had hits in other countries, this remains his only Hot 100 appearance, making him one of 17 ultimate one-hot wonders: acts whose only chart single went to #1. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win.
Roger Bannister

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Secretariat was trained by Lucien Laurin.

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

Who was the last American to hold the world record in the mile run? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/May 5, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

The Sunday Bottom 5
A ranking of some things.

1. Marijuana – Noted mood management herb coming closer to being taken off of US government’s top-shelf Scheule I narcotics and put on a list on par with peanut butter…About time…Legislating morality has never worked because people will ignore inconvenient laws and go about their business anyway…

2. NCAA – Noted college athletics governing body reportedly discussing settlement of anti-trust lawsuit that should only cost them $3 billion (B) dollars or so, plus whatever they end up paying athletes…NCAA still seeking supporting federal legislation, but the government must butt out of this…The NCAA made this bed and they can lie in it.  

3. Mass Shootings – Thee (3)-hole staple secures precarious hold on coveted Sunday Bottom 5 spot with strong week: 13- mass shootings – incidents with four (4) or more casualties – twelve (12) deaths, including two (2) perps, and a man-sized 57 wounded…Nine (9) shootings occur in Deep South, which says something though Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters “pretty sure” they don’t know what it is. 

4. Los Angeles Lakers – As iconic a sports team as this nation has produced in full panic mode now, firing good coach who had temerity to lead team to two (2) playoff appearances, including conference finals, in two years…Team should consider moving on from passive-aggressive imbroglio authored by LeBron James and hire WNBA’s Becky Hammon as coach. 

5. Fake News – Click here for some of the news some wizards amongst us actually believed…Courtesy of the AP. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

It’s Read Free Sunday (RFS) at The Diary. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow mows the lawn for the first time this year and issues his usual line. Today’s Diary. 

The lawn remains an eclectic combination of weeds, whole grains, and grasses…

———

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: These items first ran in 2020. 

In 1961 – Astronaut Alan Shepard becomes the first American and the second human to reach space, flying a sub-orbital flight aboard Freedom 7. Shepard’s flight lasted 15 minutes, reaching an altitude of 101.2 nautical miles (about 116 statute miles) and in 1971 Shepard commanded Apollo 14 and became the fifth human to walk on the moon. Shepard had graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1944, served in the surface Navy before becoming a pilot in 1950, and retired as a rear admiral. In April, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly into space. 

In 1973 – Secretariat, ridden by Ron Turcotte, wins the 99th Kentucky Derby by two-and-a-half lengths over Sham. Secretariat won in a time of 1 minute, 52 and ⅖ seconds, breaking the record of 2 minutes established by Native Dancer in 1964 and the record still stands. Secretariat would later win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes to become the first Triple Crown winner since Citation in 1948. 

In 1973 – Dawn, Featuring Tony Orlando, is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the third of four consecutive weeks with Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree. It was the second of three #1s for the group (Knock Three Times, three weeks, 1971; He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You, three weeks, 1975) and their third of six Top 10 hits. The song went to #1 in eight other countries, including Norway and Great Britain, was Billboard’s #1 song of the year and placed 46th on their 60th Anniversary Hot 100 in 2018. A version that year by Johnny Carver titled Yellow Ribbon went to #5 on Billboard’s country chart. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

We do not at present educate people to think but, rather, to have opinions.
Louis L’Amour
Education of a Wandering Man

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Six Olympic Games have been held in France, three Summer Games in Paris (1900, 1924, 2024) and three Winter Olympics: Chamonix, 1924, Grenoble, 1968; and Albertville, 1992.

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

Who was Secretariat’s trainer? – Answer next time!

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

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

CAPSULE BOOK REVIEW: The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House, by Kate Anderson Brower: Of course, there is no shortage of books on presidents and the presidency. But there aren’t many books on the inner workings of the White House, and even fewer are told by those who work there. 

Higher, Faster, Stronger: But Brower was motivated. A longtime Washington reporter, she was interested in the inner workings of the White House, and she did what might well have seemed improbable, considering how few White House employees feel like talking about the building and the families they serve. But Brower talked to a variety of former workers, including ushers, electricians, maids, butlers, chefs, and florists, to produce a book that is as entertaining as it is an important piece of history. 

From Dallas, Texas…The Flash, Apparently Official…: Especially poignant are the glimpses we get into Jackie Kennedy in the aftermath of her husband’s assassinations and what went on at the White House during 9/11. 

Dry, Technical Matter: A couple of things were interesting to note: how virtually everyone hired at the White House knew someone working there – and how some jobs run in families – and how despite working at the world’s most prestigious addresses, White House workers had families, too, and often found themselves working multiple jobs to make a go of it. 

Get Your Official Daily Dose Rating Scale Right Here: 1 – The very best; 2 – Very good; 3 – Good; 4 – Average; 5 – A steaming pile.

Final Ranking: 3: This is a good book. If the presidency or the White House itself doesn’t interest you – or if hearing from the hired help offends your sense of propriety – don’t read this book. But if the presidency or the White House itself does interest you, then you will enjoy it.  

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow still hasn’t mowed the lawn. Today’s Diary. 

”Wet grounds” continues to be the preferred excuse and compounding matters was it never got above 40° and it was windy besides.

———

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 1959 – The first Grammy Awards were held in simultaneous ceremonies in Beverly Hills and New York City. Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Domenico Modugno, Ross Bagadsarian, and Hendy Mancini each won two awards, and Mort Sahl hosted the ceremony. The 66th Grammy Awards were held this past February and to date Beyonce (32) and Georg Solti (31) are the only artists to win more than 30 Grammys. 

In 1924 – The Paris Summer Olympics begin, with France defeating Romania 59-3 in a rugby game at Olympic Stadium. The Games would officially open on July 5 and run through July 27, with the US winning the most gold (45) and overall (99) medals. It was the second time Paris had hosted the Summer Games (1900), and this summer they will host them for the third time. 

In 1959 – George Jones is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart  – then known as the Hot C&W Sides chart – for the fourth of five consecutive weeks with White Lightning. It was the first of 13 #1 country songs for Jones, who recalled being drunk for the recording session, which took approximately 80 takes, though producers ultimately went with the first one. The song also peaked at #73 on the Hot 100 and was written by The Big Bopper, who had died a couple of months earlier. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Others might be content with what was; he could think only in terms of what should be.
Harvey Wiencek
Master of the Mountain

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., is the only major league stadium to have hosted batters who got six RBIs in an inning three times. 

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

How many Olympic Games have been held in France? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/May 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 trouble turning to. Today’s Diary. 

Boy, we did not want to get out of bed this morning…This is hardly the Upset of the Year, of course – we’re never completely thrilled with getting out of bed – but today, boy, it was difficult…

———

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 1978, – The first spam email was sent from the Digital Equipment Corporation to 393 ARPANET email addresses on the West Coast. Like today, it was met with scorn, though it garnered a few sales. The term spam was inspired by a Monty Python skit and worked its way into various uses in various online forums. The first unsolicited advertising material dates from 1864, when a British dentist sent out unsolicited Western Union telegrams to British politicians. 

In 1951 – Gil McDougald of the New York Yankees ties the major league record for most RBIs in an inning in a 17-3 win over the St Louis Browns. McDougald had six RBIs on a triple and a grand slam home run in the ninth inning to tie the record that had been done four times previously and tied several times since. The record is now eight RBIs by Fernando Tatis, who had two grand slam home runs in the third inning of a 1999 game. 

In 1975 – Chicago is at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the first of two consecutive weeks with Chicago VIII. It was the eighth of 32 chart albums for the group and their fourth of five #1s, all consecutive. The album produced three chart singles, including the Top 10 song Old Days, and Chicago’s last album, Chicago XXXVIII, was released in 2022.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

It doesn’t matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
Confucious 

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

In 1884, there were three major leagues: the National League, the Union Association, and the American Association. This was the UA’s only season, while the AA was a major league from 1882-91. 

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

Which is the only major league stadium to have a batter get six RBIs in an inning three times? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!