The Daily Dose/September 20, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy

Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience. 

Leading Off remains in time out while we work on a project. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow meets a creepy guy who requests trash bags. Today’s Diary. 

Rather than fuss over whether or not he was a guest, I went and got a couple for him…When I hand them over he notes he and his buddies had just shot a bear and they wanted “to keep the blood contained”…Yours truly almost sighed audibly, relieved to note it wasn’t his blood that would need to be contained. 

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Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device. 

Columns, books, shopping lists, click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.

———

On This Date
The long march to today. 

On This Date will return.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

But people think I’m an alarmist to be alarmed by what is so plain to see.
Gore Vidal
The Golden Age

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The first officially recognized pole vault world record was 13 feet, 2 ¼ inches set by Marc Wright of the United States on June 8, 1912, at the US Olympic Trials at Harvard University. Wright would later earn the silver medal at the Stockholm Summer Games.  

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

Today’s Stumper will return. – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/September 19, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy

The Sunday Bottom 5
A ranking of some things.

1. USA! USA! – Oopsies, our bad!!!…We could’ve sworn terrorists and not children were going to be the victims of that drone strike in Afghanistan…And if we’ve withdrawn from Afghanistan, why are we still committing acts of war against them???…When will America give other nations the benefit of conducting their affairs without US interference??? 

2. President Joe Biden Tax Increases – Good gravy, coming soon to a once-proud country: cradle-to-grave coverage, exactly what a nation conceived in liberty doesn’t need…Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters “strongly suspect” taxes on businesses are merely a tax on us because it’s a cost they pass on to us and Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters “pretty sure” we’re already taxed enough. 

3. Donald Trump Supporters – New 3-hole staple, former president remains a lying sexual predator who believes the moon is part of Mars…And that the Revolution was won by the securing of British airports…Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters “strongly suspect” asking Trump supporters which of these elements continues to solidify their support still reasonable question. 

4. The Wright Brothers by David McCullough – One of our preeminent historians, McCullough’s usual brilliance shows why Orville and Wilbur succeeded: they had a plan, they executed that plan, they came back strongly from setbacks and they expected to succeed all along…Sunday Botton 5 pollsters tough graders, but still give it B+.     

5. President Joe Biden Fact Check – Nobody can lie like Donald Trump of course, but President Biden does get his facts mixed up from time to time…Click here for the latest, from the AP. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

Today is Read Free Sunday (RFS) at The Diary.

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow issues some funnies at the Legion district meeting. Today’s Diary. 

– Is there any other business to come before this meeting???
The classic Sparrow pause (CSP).
– The desired answer is no.

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Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device. 

Columns, books, shopping lists, click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.

———

On This Date
The long march to today. 

In 1881 – Vice President Chester A Arthur of New York becomes president of the United States, following the death of President James Garfield, who died primarily from infections after being shot on July 2. Arthur was not in the best of health and retired at the end of his term, replaced by Grover Cleveland. Garfield’s term of 199 days is the second-shortest in American history, trailing only William Henry Harrison, who served 31 days in 1841. 

In 1992 – Sergei Bubka of Ukraine establishes a new world record in the pole vault at a meet in Tokyo. Bubka vaulted 20 feet, 1 and ¼ inches to break the record of 20 feet, ¾ of an inch he had established on August 30. It was the 13th of 14 consecutive world records established by Bubka, who had first set the mark in May, 1984 and the record is now held by Sweden’s Armand Duplantis who vaulted 20 feet, 3-¼ inches last year. Despite the length of his dominance and six world championships, Bubka’s only Olympic medal was gold at the 1988 Seoul Games. 

In `1970 – Diana Ross is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of three consecutive weeks with Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. It was the first of six #1 solo hits for Ross following twelve #1 songs with the Supremes and the song also peaked at #6 in Great Britain and in October spent a week at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart. It was written by the popular recording duo of Ashford and Simpson and in 1967 had been a Top 40 pop and soul hit for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

Now, I’ve been laughed at for my notions, sir…but I’ve stuck to ‘em…and they have paid their passage.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Peter Frampton’s biggest hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 was I’m In You, which peaked at #2 in 1977.  

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

Who held the first world record in the pole vault? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/September 18, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy

Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience. 

Leading Off will return. We are working on a project. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow is a slave to fashion. Today’s Diary. 

That new quarter-zip pullover – from the Sparrow Fall Collection – made its debut today at the VSO and I gotta tell you, it was perfect for a cool but not cold morning…The XL fits great, altho proof that ol’ Sparrow will whine about anything can be found in the fact he is whining about it being a tad longer than the Sparrow ideal (SI) but, on the other hand, why argue with the retailer’s fashion designers???…Maybe a tad longer length is a thing now…It was a bit warm, tho, on the walk to get the watch battery replaced, but it was in the mid-70s by then and you can’t whine about that, even tho I would like to…The brick color goes really good with my khaki work pants, too. 

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Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device. 

Columns, books, shopping lists, click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.

———

On This Date
The long march to today. 

In 1851 – The first edition of The New York Times – then the New-York Daily Times – is published. The first edition cost one cent and featured local news, news from Europe, shipping news and a hard-hitting item about the appearance of bloomers around town. Today the New York Times has won a record 132 Pulitzer Prizes and has the third-largest circulation in the country behind USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. 

In 1996 – Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox ties the major league record for most strikeouts in a 9-inning game in a 4-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Clemens struck out 20 batters to tie the mark he had established in 1986 and the mark still stands and has been equaled three times. The extra-inning record is 21 by Tom Cheney in a 16-inning game in 1962. 

In 1976 – Peter Frampton is at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the seventh of ten non-consecutive weeks with Frampton Comes Alive. It was Frampton’s fifth of 14 chart albums and remains his only #1. The album yielded three Top 40 singles, went to #1 in Canada, Australia and Portugal, peaked at #6 in Great Britain and was Billboard’s biggest album of the year and its 14th biggest of 1977. The album was recorded over several concerts in the summer and fall of 1975.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

Most men, even in this comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the factious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life that its finer fruit cannot be plucked by them.
Henry David Thoreau
Walden

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The Polo Grounds hosted NFL championship games in 1934, 1936, 1938, 1944 and 1946. 

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

What was Peter Frampton’s biggest hit on the Hot 100? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/September 17, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy

Leading Off
Notes from around out human experience. 

Leading Off will return. We are working on a project. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow spends some at Doc’s ranch. Today’s Diary. 

(Doc took some pics of yours truly at work here, however, because I spent most of the photoshoot giving Doc the finger – and the fact yours truly is the most unphotogenic person on the planet – Doc ended up deleting all of them rather than find out if yours truly would make good on his threats to stuff his goddamned head in the grate.)

———

Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device. 

Columns, books, shopping lists, click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.

———

On This Date
The long march to today. 

In 1859 – San Francisco eccentric Joshua Norton declares himself Emperor of the United States in a letter delivered to the San Francisco Daily Evening Bulletin. His acts during his 31-year reign included abolishing Congress and a rather forward-looking demand to form a league of nations. His proclamations were routinely ignored, however, his government was recognized by Hawaiian King Kamehameha V though Queen Victoria of Britain ignored his proposals of marriage. Norton died, almost penniless, in 1880. 

Editor’s Note: the below item actually happened on Sept 18.
In 1963 – The Polo Grounds in New York City hosts its final major league baseball game when the Philadelphia Phillies defeat the New York Mets 5-1. The stadium opened in 1911 hosting both the New York Giants and New York Yankees and hosted 4,490 regular-season major league games. The New York Jets would play their final game there in December and the stadium also hosted nine Army/Navy football games. The site is now a public housing project and both the Mets and Jets moved into Shea Stadium the following year.

In 1966 – Wilson Pickett is at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart – then known as the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart – for the only week with Land of 1000 Dances. It was the eighth of 49 soul hits for Pickett and his third of five #1 songs on the soul chart. The song also peaked at #22 in Great Britain and at #6 on the Hot 100, Pickett’s biggest pop hit. In 1981, a version by Ted Nugent peaked at #47 on Billboard’s Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

…for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.
Martin Luther
Imperial Diet, Worms, Germany
4/18/1521

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Bing Crosby’s last appearance on a Billboard chart was last year when seven songs appeared on the Holiday 100 chart. The biggest was White Christmas, which peaked at #13. 

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

How many NFL championship games did the Polo Grounds host? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/September 16, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy

Leading Off
Notes from around out human experience. 

Leading Off will return. We are working on one of our infernal projects. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – At the veterans service office (VSO), Sparrow cleans his desk. Today’s Diary. 

The big news is my VSO desk is about as clean as it’s been since about 20 minutes after starting this job a couple of years ago…I am not making that up…Usually, paperwork that’s been sent in was put in a pile off to my left and the pile was getting high enuff so that it was having trouble staying strait, a sign even ol’ Sparrow recognizes as something demanding attention. 

———

Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device. 

Columns, books, shopping lists, click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.

———

On This Date
The long march to today. 

In 1920 – A bomb in a horse wagon explodes in New York City’s Financial District. The bomb exploded right after 12 noon outside the J.P. Morgan Building at 23 Wall Street and killed 30 people immediately, while ten others died later from sustained injuries. Unlike today when organizations claim responsibility for their bombings, the culprits were never found. The bomb contained 500 lbs of dynamite and cast iron weights and History refers to the attack as the Wall Street Bombing. 

In 1975 – Rennie Stennett of the Pittsburgh Pirates ties the major league record for most hits in a 9-inning game in a 22-0 win over the Chicago Cubs. Stennett had seven hits, including two doubles and a triple and scored five runs to tie the record established by Wilbert Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles (National League) in 1892. The record still stands and the extra-inning record is 9, by Johnny Burnett of the Cleveland Indians in an 18-inning game in 1932. 

In 1944 – Swinging on a Star by Bing Crosby is at #1 on Billboard’s National Best Selling Retail Records chart – a predecessor to the Hot 100 – for the seventh of nine consecutive weeks. It was the twelfth of 19 #1 hits on both a Billboard pop chart and the Your Hit Parade survey of the 1930s for Crosby and the song also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for its appearance in the film Going My Way. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
John Wooden

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The first save in major league history was recorded on April 7, 1969, by Bill Singer of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who pitched the last three innings of a 3-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. It was Singer’s only relief appearance of the year. 

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

When was Bing Crosby’s last appearance on a Billboard chart? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!