The Daily Dose/May 10, 2025
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

CAPSULE BOOK REVIEW: The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli: One of the more interesting aspects of a reading life is buying a book and not getting around to reading it until years later. So it is with The Prince, a course on how to acquire and maintain thrones in the 16th-century and not to get your shorts in a knot if this involves cunning, deception, and scheming. 

Dry, Technical Matter: Machiavelli (1469-1527) was an Italian diplomat, historian, and philosopher, who had a ringside seat to the rulers of the era and saw firsthand how kingdoms should and should not be ruled. And don’t think they should be run with best interest of the citizenry in mind. Don’t be silly. Princes rule to keep their thrones. 

More Dry, Technical Matter: Though written around 1513 – when he was being tortured for conspiracy – the book wasn’t published until a few years after his death. It would later be banned by the Catholic Church, though it was admired by US Founding Father John Adams. 

Boy, There Sure Is A Lot Of Dry, Technical Matter Today: The book offers very practical instruction, both for the prince who has the goodwill of the people and the prince who does not; for the prince who has his own army and the prince who must rely on mercenaries and auxiliaries; for the prince who is smart and the prince who is not. 

Fly In The Ointment: The book, of course, is a product of its time and is not completely in tune with modern democratic principles. For example, it is not practical for the incoming president to murder his predecessor. 

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

Final Rating: 2: Despite the fact that gaining thrones is not as prevalent as it used to be, The Prince is still relevant and a good history lesson besides. Anyone interested in leading people will find it interesting. Machiavelli draws from history extensively, and there are lessons for us today.  

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow is a mess. Today’s Diary. 

Christ, everything is f*cking hurting now…My shoulders are still sore – tho not as much as before – now my right leg is whining, and even getting out of bed is a 12-step process now…

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

In 1775 – The Second Continental Congress of the American colonies convenes for the first time in what is now Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Business was light that day, their journal recording only a presentation of credentials and the election of a president and secretary, and the selection of a reverend to lead prayers the following day. It followed the First Continental Congress, which had met in September and October, 1774. The Congress followed the start of the American Revolution in April and they would declare independence from Great Britain in July 1776. 

In 1941 – Whirlaway, ridden by Eddie Arcaro, wins the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Whirlaway got off very slowly and was in last place by a large margin until making his move in the far turn, taking the lead at the head of the stretch, and winning going away. Previously, Whirlaway had won the Kentucky Derby and became the fifth Triple Crown winner in the Belmont Stakes. It was the first of two Triple Crown wins for Arcaro, still the only rider to accomplish the feat. 

In 2014 – Luke Bryan is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then and now known as the Hot Country Songs chart – for the third of nine non-consecutive weeks with Play It Again. The song also went #1 country in Canada, peaked at #14 on Billboard’s Hot 100, was Billboard’s 5th-biggest country song of the year and their 33rd-biggest of the decade. It was the seventh of 13 #1 country songs for Bryan, and his third and final #1 song of 2014. 

 Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Men almost always prefer to walk in paths marked out by others and pattern their actions through imitation…a prudent man should always follow the footsteps of the great and imitate those who have been supreme.
Niccolo Machiavelli
The Prince

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

The first major league pitcher to lose a perfect game in extra innings was Harvey Haddix of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 195. The feat was repeated by Pedro Martinez of the Montreal Expos in 1995. 

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

What was Independence Hall known as at the time of the Second Continental Congress? – Answer next time! 

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The Daily Dose/May 9, 2025
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

GO IN PEACE, SERVE THE LORD: An American was elected pope Thursday, the first time this has happened in the church’s 2,000 year history, though it should be noted America has been around for roughly a quarter of that time. Your feelings on the pope, of course, depend on whether or not you’re an adherent. 

Bless You, My Son: On the one hand, a papal election is one of humanity’s most enduring institutions carrying on a 2,000 year tradition in selecting God’s representative here on Earth. 

Or Not: If you are not an adherent, and you’re pretty feisty about the matter, it’s a bunch of men who don’t get laid who believe there is an invisible man in the sky keeping tabs on us deciding who gets to live down the ages while the rest of them return to sorting communion wafers and hearing confessions.

Broad, Historical Context: Either way, you have a cardinal who began the day as another working stiff reporting for duty going from obscurity to eminence in fairly short order

Dry, Technical Matter: Leo XIV is originally from Chicago and also holds Peruvian citizenship from his time working there. He is the first pope born after World War II and the first Pope Leo since the turn of the 20th century. Robert Prevost until yesterday, he is an exciting mix of Italian, French, Dominican, Creole, and Spanish blood. 

The Bottom Line: Even though only about 12% of humanity is Catholic, this week’s conclave took center stage worldwide. Since time immemorial, we humans have required spiritual aid and comfort, and that will never change, and the Catholic Church has done a masterful job of dispensing this over the centuries. It has conquered, among other things, Charles Darwin and its own sex abuse scandal to maintain its preeminence over the centuries. Maintaining this is what a pope is hired to do.  

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow does not have time for a proper walk. Today’s Diary. 

…we did not have time for 4.2 miles (two laps in each lane) but we did have time for one lap in each lane and that’s good for a 4.6 mile walk, a fine walk in anyone’s book.

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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 1941 – The German submarine U-110 is captured by the Royal Navy southeast of Greenland. After attacking elements of a North Atlantic convoy, U-110 was found via sonar by the Royal Navy, which used depth charges to force her to surface. Among the items found were code books and an Enigma coding machine that, after some effort, allied the Allies to decode German radio traffic. 

In 1901 – Earl Moore of the Cleveland Blues – now the Guardians – becomes the first major league pitcher to pitch nine no-hit innings and give up a hit in extra innings in a 4-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox. The game was tied 2-2 after nine innings and the feat has been duplicated many times since. The Blues made two errors and Moore only gave up one earned run. The announced attendance was 400 on an overcast, wet day. 

In 1970 – Dave Dudley is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the only week with The Pool Shark. It was the ninth of eleven Top 10 country songs for Dudley and remains his only #1 hit. Tom T Hall wrote the song and it also went #4 country in Canada. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Men are much more attracted by immediate than by remote events; when they find things going well in the here and now, they are pleased, and think of nothing else.
Niccolo Machiavelli
The Prince

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

The world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat is the US Navy’s USS Constitution, commissioned in 1797. It is homeported near Boston. 

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

Who was the first major league pitcher to lose a perfect game in extra innings? – Answer next time! 

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Your Daily Dose will return.

Click here to read today’s entry in The Diary of a Nobody.

Thank you for reading,

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The Daily Dose/May 7, 2025
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 fields an odd request at the hotel. Today’s Diary. 

He says he needs two coffee pods for his in-room machine and he also needs a pen, adding there was a high level of probability he would not be returning the pen which, while hardly a Line of the Year candidate, did garner a chuckle…

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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  1765 – The world’s oldest remaining commissioned warship – the HMS Victory – is launched in Kent, England. Due to a severe weakening of the French Navy, Victory was not placed in commissioned service until 1778 and first saw action in the American Revolution. Victory’s construction felled 6,000 trees, most of them oak, and serves as the flagship of the Royal Navy’s First Sea Lord. It has been in dry dock since the 1920s. 

In 1972 – Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins establishes a new NHL record for most points in a playoff year by a defenseman in a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Orr had three points – two goals and an assist – giving him 22 points for the playoffs, breaking the record of 20 he had set in 1970. The record was broken by Ray Bourque of the Bruins in 1983 (23) and is now held by Miro Heiskanen of Dallas with 26 in 2020. The Bruins would win the series in six games. 

In 1966 – The Mamas & the Papas are at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first of three consecutive weeks with Monday, Monday. It was the second of ten Top 40 hits for the group, their second of six Top 10s, and remains their only #1.  The song also went to #1 in Canada and South Africa, peaked at #3 in Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 7th-biggest song of the year. The song was written in 20 minutes by group member John Phillips and won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Group Performance. 

 Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

…a prince will be fortunate who adjusts his behavior to the temper of the times and on the other hand will not be fortunate when his behavior is not well attuned with the times.
Niccolo Machiavelli
The Prince

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

Besides Bobo Holloman, Ted Breitenstein (1891), Bumpus Jones (1892), and Tyler Gilbert (2021) pitched no-hitters in their first major league start. For Jones, it was his first major league game. 

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

What is the world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/May 6, 2025
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 plays a practical joke. Today’s Diary. 

…we had some zero clue how long the AFDM would be away from the front desk, and operational security dictated we close out the mission and get back to our side of the front desk before being detected. 

———

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 German airship Hindenburg catches fire while landing in Lakehurst, New Jersey. The Hindenburg is destroyed within a minute, with 35 of the 97 people on board dying, and there was one death on the ground. The cause of the fire was never determined, with sabotage and static electricity each having gained supporters over the years. The final survivor, Werner Doehner, eight at the time, died in 2019. 

In 1953 – Bobo Holloman of the St Louis Browns throws a no-hitter in his first major league start, a 6-0 win over the Philadelphia Athletics. It was the first of three major league wins for Holloman, was his only complete game and he was sent to the minors in July with a 3-7 record and 5.23 ERA. He was the first pitcher in the modern era to throw a no-hitter in their first major league start and the third of four overall. 

In 1967 – Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra are at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the fourth and final consecutive week with Somethin’ Stupid. The song went to #1 in seven other countries, including Norway and Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 7th-biggest song of the year. It was the second and final #1 hit for Nancy on the Hot 100 and was the tenth and final #1 for Frank in a chart career that began with the first Billboard pop chart in 1940 and continues to this day with annual appearances on Billboard’s holiday songs chart. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Powell was possessed by ambition, but not the ambition that puts the reward and the success ahead of the achievement.
Robertson Davies
The Lyre of Orpheus

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

Phil Collins has had three #1 songs in Great Britain. 

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

Who were the other major league pitchers to throw no-hitters in their first start? – Answer next time! 

Share Gaylon! Go!