The Daily Dose/May 18, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience. 

Leading Off will return.

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow attempts to use the internet to acquire information. Today’s Diary. 

…we weren’t able to decode [the site] any better than he could because the site could not be any more confusing had it been written in Sanskrit.

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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 1860- Abraham Lincoln earns the Republican Party’s presidential nomination on the third ballot at their national convention in Chicago. Frontrunner William Seward led after the first ballot, which saw twelve candidates receive votes. Lincoln closed the gap to three votes on the second ballot before winning on the following ballot. Lincoln would defeat John C. Breckenridge for the presidency in November and would be reelected in 1864. Hannibal Hamlin of Maine was the vice presidential nominee. 

In 2004 – Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws the 17th perfect game in major league history in a 2-0 win over the Atlanta Braves. Johnson was 40 years old, three years older than Cy Young when he threw his perfect game in 1903 and Johnson remains the oldest player to accomplish the feat. It was the first of seven perfect games in the 21st century and Johnson struck out 13 batters and threw 117 pitches. 

1974 – Cal Smith is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the only week with Country Bumpkin. The song spent 15 weeks on the country chart, including ten weeks in the Top 40 and five weeks in the Top 10. It was the second of three #1 country songs for Smith (The Lord Knows I’m Drinking, one week, 1973; It’s Time to Pay the Fiddler, one week, 1975) in a chart career that spanned from 1966-87. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

This is our diamond and must be treated like a diamond. Never settle. It’s never good enough until it is your best.
Michael Bennett
Creator, A Chorus Line

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Otis Redding had the first posthumous #1 song on the Hot 100 – (Sittin’ On) The Dock of a Bay, 1968 – and the most recent was by XXXTentacion (Sad!, 2018).

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

Who pitched the first perfect games in the 19th and 20th centuries? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/May 17, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience. 

Leading Off will return.

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow is a couple of days early for cleaning the house. Today’s Diary. 

When we got home, we completely lost our mind and gave the cabin a pretty good Level I cleaning…

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Click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.

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 1995 – Shawn Nelson, 35, steals a tank from a National Guard armory in northern San Diego and goes on a driving rampage for 25 minutes. Nelson, who had served in the Army from 1978-80, took out, among other things, fire hydrants, utility poles, and automobiles. Nelson had assorted discipline problems in the Army, though his discharge was honorable, and had long struggled with alcohol and drug use. There were no injuries, except for Nelson, who was shot and killed by police while still in the tank. 

In 1875 – Aristides, ridden by Oliver Lewis, wins the first Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Aristides took the lead after a quarter mile and ran the 1.5 miles in 2 minutes 37.75 seconds, then a world record, and won by two lengths and earned $2,850. A field of 15 horses raced and this remains Lewis’ only win in what would become a Triple Crown race. 

In 1997 – The Notorious B.I.G. is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the third and final consecutive week with Hypnotize. It was the second of four Top 10 hits for The Notorious B.I.G., his first of two #1s, and the song also went to #1 on Billboard’s soul and rap charts. The Notorious B.I.G. had been shot to death in March and the song with the fifth of nine posthumous #1s in Hot 100 history. He was born Christopher Wallace in Brooklyn in 1972.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Who can ask more of a man/Than giving all within his span/Giving all, it seems to me/Is not so far from victory.
George Moriarty
The Road Ahead of the Road Behind

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Ray Parker, Jr. has had one #1 song on Billboard’s Hot 100, Ghostbusters, which spent three weeks at the top in 1984. 

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

Which act had the first posthumous #1 on the Hot 100 and which act had the most recent one? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/May 16, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience. 

Leading Off will return.

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow notes the weather is starting to change. Today’s Diary. 

The big news is the first ice water of the season at the hotel is in the books…

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Click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.

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 1866 – The nickel is minted for the first time in Philadelphia. Like today, it was a copper-nickel alloy and had a shield on the obverse side and a 5 on the reverse side. The nickel joined the silver half-dime (through 1873) as five-cent pieces in circulation and today the nickel is 75% copper and 25% nickel. The Jefferson nickel was introduced in 1938 and costs about seven cents to produce. In 2020, over 827 million nickels were produced. 

In 1932 – The New York Yankees tie the American League record for most consecutive shutouts won in an 8-0 win over the Cleveland Indians. The Yankees tied the mark established by the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians and the record is now five, done twice, by the Baltimore Orioles in 1974 and 1995. The major league record is six, by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1903. 

In 1981 – Ray Parker, Jr. & Raydio is at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart – then known as the Hot Soul Singles chart – for the first of two consecutive weeks with A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do). It was the fifth of eight Top 40 soul hits for Parker, his second and final Top 10, and remains his only soul #1. The song was written and produced by Parker and also peaked at #4 on the Hot 100. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

The future, good or ill, was not forgotten, but ceased to have any power over the present…they were content with each good day as it came.
J. R. R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The Boston Red Caps won the first major league game at the Union Grounds in Brooklyn, defeating the New York Mutuals 6-5 in a National League game on April 25, 1876. 

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

How many #1 songs has Ray Parker, Jr. had on the Hot 100? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/May 15, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience. 

Leading Off will return.

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow mows the lawn, despite his best efforts. Today’s Diary. 

To not do it would be lazy, and while we have some, perhaps significant, street cred here, we headed out…

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Click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.

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 1252 – Pope Innocent VI issues a papal bull authorizing the use of torture while interrogating heretics during a period History refers to as the Medieval Inquisition. Innocent set limits, among them being that coercion must not cause the loss of life or limb. Innocent reigned from 1243-54 and research into when this bull was suspended or revoked was inconclusive. 

In 1862 – The first enclosed baseball grounds opens in Brooklyn with a game between local amateur players. Called the Union Grounds, it had dimensions resembling the Polo Grounds, cost $60,000 (about $2.1 million in today’s money) to build, and sat about 1,500 people. The grounds were bordered by Harrison Avenue, Rutledge Street, Lynch Street, and Marcy Avenue and stood until 1883 when it was replaced by Washington Field. The Union Grounds hosted 62 National League games (1876-78) and 253 National Association games (1871-75)

In 1961 – Faron Young is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Sides chart – for the second of nine consecutive weeks with Hello Walls. It was the 16th of 36 Top 10 country hits for Young and his fourth of five #1s. The song also peaked at #12 on the Hot 100, Young’s fourth of six pop hits and his only Top 40 song, and also went to #13 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart. The song was written by Willie Nelson.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

The wisest sage would need the perspective of a hundred lives to answer adequately.
Will Durant
The Story of Civilization, Vol. VI: The Reformation

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Michael Jackson has had seven #1 songs in Great Britain. 

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

Who won the first major league game played at the Union Grounds? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/May 14, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

The Sunday Bottom 5
A ranking of some things.

1. NFL Schedule Reveal – Good job NFL of taking a routine administrative detail that should excite no more than the two dozen or so scheduling geeks still living in mom’s basement and turning it into a two-day extravaganza of zero substance…Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters, however, do send props to geekoid who discovered Rams, 49ers, only teams in 2023 with four games each against teams coming off bye week. 

2. College Baseball – Baseball! – Betting Scandals – Did we call it or what???…Betting scandals at Alabama, Iowa proved us right, that these were inevitable after college conferences, teams, decided to get in bed with legal sportsbooks…Anyone who thinks these are going to be the only ones are high, legally in more and more states.  

3. #USA! #USA! – The 3-hole staple…Americans continue to tolerate mass shootings that will not stop as long as violent US government continues to produce violent US citizens…Founding Fathers expected to continue rolling over in graves as we continue to allow 2nd Amendment – designed to allow citizens to carry weapons needed on regular basis – to become license to hold any weapon mankind can produce.

4. King Charles III – You know, Chuck, you’ve served the family business well and Lord knows you waited long enough but boy, any coronation, especially one of this magnitude, seems out of touch in the third decade of the 21st century…Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters are hardly oddsmakers, but “strongly suspect” it’s only 75/25 Prince William is crowned and less than 50/50 there’s a throne for Prince George to inherit. 

5. Disneyland Corn Dogs – Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters have “significant” street cred in this vital matter and are delighted to report red cart at end of Main Street, USA, remains 5-star dining…Just for funsies, you better get two as specific against lines being too long later in the day. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

Si, senor, es Read Free Sunday (RFS) este dia.

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow is adjusting to the nesting robins. Today’s Diary. 

With the robins in residence for reproduction duties on the meter next to the kitchen door we’re officially using the front door now all the time now…

———

Click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.

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 1796 – Humans are inoculated with a smallpox vaccine for the first time when English physician Edward Jenner inoculates his gardener’s 8-year-old son with pus from a cowpox blister. Jenner was inspired after noticing that milkmaids, who got cowpox blisters, were immune from smallpox. The last known case of smallpox was in 1977, it was declared eradicated in 1980, and remains the only disease us humans have so disposed of. 

In 1989 – Kirby Puckett of the Minnesota Twins ties the major league record for most doubles in consecutive games in a 13-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Puckett had two doubles, giving him six in two games, tying the mark that had been done eight times previously. Puckett remains the last player to accomplish the feat and the previous day Puckett had tied the single-game major league record with four doubles against the Blue Jays. 

In 1983 – Michael Jackson is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the third and final consecutive week with Beat It, the 5th of his 13 #1 songs. The song went to #1 in four other countries, including Belgium and Canada, peaked at #3 in Great Britain, at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart, and was Billboard’s 5th-biggest song of the year. The song was written by Jackson and features a guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen, who declined to charge for his talents. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

In any weather, at any hour of the day or night, I have been anxious to improve the nick of time…to stand on the meeting of two eternities, the past and the future, which is precisely the present moment. And to use the lessons of the past to profit the future.
Henry David Thoreau
Walden

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The major league record for most career home runs by a pitcher is 37, by Wes Ferrell, from 1927-41. 

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

How many #1 songs has Michael Jackson had as a solo act in Great Britain? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!