The Daily Dose/April 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 gets a bit more sleep than he was planning on. Today’s Diary. 

Boo, because it’s a bit more than we usually get on Mondays and we are already fretting over how this will affect our treasured Tuesday Sleep Session (TSS) and we know you are, too…

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It’s easy reading on any device. 

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

In 1906 – An earthquake strikes northern California at 5:12 am. The quake measured an estimated 7.9, though the Richter scale had not been invented yet, and between the quake and the resulting fire, over 3,000 people died in San Francisco, with approximately 80% of the city destroyed. The epicenter is generally believed to have been offshore a bit northwest of the Golden Gate, and it remains the deadliest earthquake in US history. 

In 1960 – Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox becomes the first major league player to hit a home run in four different decades in a 10-1 loss to the Washington Senators. Williams’ home run came in the second inning off of Camilo Pascual and his first home run had come on April 23, 1939, off of Bud Thomas of the Philadelphia As. Williams would retire after the season with 521 career home runs, then good for third on the all-time list behind Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx

In 1981 – Smokey Robinson is at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart – then known as the Hot Soul singles chart – for the third of five consecutive weeks with Being With You. It was the tenth of 15 Top 10 soul hits for Robinson and was his second and final soul #1. The song also went #1 pop in Great Britain and peaked at #2 on the Hot 100. Robinson originally wrote the song for Kim Carnes, but his producer insisted that Smokey record it. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Nothing is more powerful than an individual acting out of his conscience, thus helping to bring the collective conscience to life.
John F Kennedy

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The NHL record for most shorthanded goals in a regular season game is four, by the Winnipeg Jets in April 1995. 

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

Who are the other three major league players to hit home runs in four decades? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/April 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 escorts paramedics to a guest’s room. 

…and there’s a really fat guy wearing only underwear, something nobody really needed to see, and he’s leaning over the bathroom sink and he’s having trouble breathing, probably having trouble with the altitude, tho this guy was so obese merely walking to the can may have done him in.

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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 1961 – The Bay of Pigs invasion on the southern coast of Cuba begins. Financed by the CIA, the invasion was conducted by about 1,400 Cuban exiles who, along with the CIA wanted to overthrow Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. After modest initial success, the invasion weakened and President Kennedy declined to order further air support and the invasion would end on April 20, a decisive victory for the Cubans and a complete disaster for the United States.

In 1983 – The Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders each tie the NHL playoff record for most shorthanded goals in a game, Edmonton in a 10-2 win over Calgary and the Islanders in a 7-6 loss to the New York Rangers. The feat had first been accomplished by the Boston Bruins in the 1981 playoffs and the record still stands. 

In 1965 – Freddie and the Dreamers is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the second and final consecutive week with I’m Telling You Now. It was the first of four Top 40 hits for the group and remains their only Top 10 and #1 hit. The song also went to #1 in Canada and in 1963 peaked at #2 in Great Britain. The group’s leader Freddie Garrity inspired a dance called The Freddie with his on-stage dancing – mainly throwing your hands up and kicking your legs out – and the dance inspired a song that peaked at #18 on the Hot 100. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

As physical exertion diminished and wealth expanded, the old simple diet gave way to long and heavy meals…
Will and Ariel Duran
The Story of Civilization, Vol. III: Caesar to Christ

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The most recent original American League team to change their nickname without changing their city were the Cleveland Guardians, who changed their name from the Indians in 2022. Before that, the New York Highlanders became the Yankees in 1913.  

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

Which team holds the NHL record for most shorthanded goals in a regular season game? – Answer next time!

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

The Sunday Bottom 5
A ranking of some things.

1. Juice Spacecraft – European space probe lifts off for eight(8)-year journey to Jupiter…Eight (8) years???…What the hell’s going on here???…Not only that, it took Artemis I three (3) weeks to reach the moon…Us humans are regressing…It took Voyager 1 18 (18)-months to reach Jupiter and Apollo three (3) days to get to the moon.

2. President Joe Biden – Latest president to preside over America’s decline, following up four years of Trump’s ignorance and blather by brilliantly supervising an America that remains a shooting gallery and continues to influence no other nation on the planet. 

3. #USA! #USA! – The 3-hole staple…Americans continuing to demand the very worst out of themselves and their county, still rubber-stamping current insanity, with an average of more than one shooting a day with at least four wounded or dead, including six (6) such shootings on Saturday…Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters continue to “strongly suspect” US has until this half-century is out to get their arse in gear before country implodes under weight of its ignorance and intolerance. 

4. New MLB Rules – Pitch clock and anti-shift rules appear to be doing their work, tho runner on second to start an extra-inning rule continues to give game beer league feel…Rules requiring new pitcher to face three (3) batters and limiting pickoffs to first base, though, restrict a team’s ability to do everything it can to win a game and should be rescinded.

 5. Fake News – Click here to enjoy assorted stories that some of the wizards amongst us were believing this week…Courtesy of the AP…That this even a thing should have Americans everywhere standing in the corner hanging their head in shame.  

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

Of course, it’s Read Free Sunday (RFS) at The Diary. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has the weekly sleep figure. Today’s Diary. 

49.0 hours for the week, a lower total than we were expecting, considering the strong start we got, but we re-ran the figures and they add up: not even a 50-hour week…

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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 1972 – Apollo 16 – commanded by John Young and manned by Thomas Mattingly and Charles Duke – lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the fifth of six manned lunar landings. Young and Duke spent three days on the lunar surface and spent over 20 hours exploring spread over three moonwalks and the crew returned safely to Earth on April 27. Both Young and Mattingly would later fly space shuttle missions, while Duke would retire from NASA later in the year. 

In 1895 – The Detroit Tigers, then in the Western League, get their name when a headline in the Detroit Free Press uses the name following a 13-1 win over a local amateur team. The team had been known as the Creams in their first Western League season the year before and, of course, retains the Tigers name today. Earlier, the name Tigers had been used by local military units that had fought in the Civil and Spanish-American wars. 

In 1977 – The Eagles are at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the fourth of eight non-consecutive weeks with Hotel California. It was the fifth of 14 chart albums for the group, their second of nine Top 10 albums and their second of six #1s The album produced three chart singles, including the #1s Hotel California and New Kid in Town and was the first Eagles album with guitarist Joe Walsh and the last featuring bassist Randy Meisner. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Examinations are formidable even to the best prepared, for the greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer.
Charles Caleb Colton 

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The NBA record for the highest career assists average is held by Magic Johnson, who averaged 11.2 per game from 1979-96. 

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

Of the eight original American League teams, which made the most recent change to its nickname while remaining in the same city? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/April 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 was wrong about the snow being gone. Today’s Diary. 

…when we looked out about 0630, before getting ready to head out to the veterans service office (VSO) BOOM there were six inches in the driveway and the new ride looked like it had spent the winter at Amundson-Scott Station.

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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 1755 – Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language is published in London. Johnson had been commissioned to write it by a group of London printers in 1746 and he completed the work largely on his own, with only some minor clerical assistance. The book contained 42,773 entries, measured 18×20 inches, and cost over $400 in today’s money.  The first English language dictionary had been published in 1604. 

In 1991 – Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers establish a new NBA record for most career assists in a 112-106 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Johnson had 19 assists and broke the record of 9,898 assists established by Oscar Robertson from 1960-1974. Johnson retired for good in 1996 with 10,141 assists, a mark now good for seventh on the all-time list. The record is now 15,806 assists by John Stockton from 1984-2003. 

In 1989 – The Fine Young Cannibals are at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the only week with She Drives Me Crazy. The song went to #1 in five other countries including Spain and Austria, peaked at #5 in Great Britain, at #54 on Billboard’s soul chart, and was Billboard’s 18th biggest song of the year. It was the first of six chart singles for the group, their first of three Top 40 hits, and their first of two #1s (Good Thing, one week, 1989).  

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Politics is the art of making civilization work. 
Louis L’Amour
Education of a Wandering Man

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The song by an Ultimate One-Hot Wonder that spent the most weeks at #1 on the Hot 100 was Mood by 24k Goldn & Iann Dior, which spent eight weeks at #1. It remains Dior’s only Hot 100 appearance. 

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

Who holds the NBA record for the highest per-game assists average in a career? – Answer next time!

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

Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience. 

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: While doing some research for the beloved On This Date segment yesterday we came across the tidbit that on April 13, 1985, USA for Africa hit #1 with We Are The World. The feat was noted in last year’s column, so there was no reason to include it this year. 

Already With The Dry, Technical Matter: The song was only in its fourth week on the Hot 100 and while it spent four weeks at the top, it fell off the chart fairly rapidly and some are surprised to find it was only Billboard’s 20th-biggest song of the year. 

Back On Message: The item also noted that a rather dull discussion could be had regarding whether or not USA for Africa was entitled to Ultimate One-Hit Wonder status, with Ultimate One-Hit Wonder being defined as an act whose only chart single goes to #1. 

Oh Jesus H: We are going to have that discussion now. 

Get Your Dry, Technical Matter Right Here: There have been 17 Ultimate One-Hit Wonders since the Hot 100 era (1958 to now) in 1958, a total that does not include new acts whose first hit went to #1 and can reasonably be expected to have further hits. 

This Whole Item Is Dry, Technical Matter, Isn’t It?: USA for Africa was a collection of superstars and proceeds from the song went to aid those in Africa who were hungry. The artists never recorded together again, so not only did they not have another hit, they didn’t produce a body of work to draw from, either.

The Bottom Line: For this reason, we do not include USA for Africa on our list of Ultimate One-Hit Wonders: they were not an act in the strictest sense, but a collection of artists collaborating on a one-time project. Now, you might have them on your personal list of Ultimate One-Hit Wonders – and who doesn’t have one, really? – but that’s your lookout, not ours. It’s our column, and they do not belong on the list. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Detective Sparrow tries to find out what the constables are up to out by the post office. Today’s Diary. 

Unfortunately, it’s still dark at zero-dark-thirty, so it was tuff to see what the deal was, despite lites that could be seen from the International Space Station…

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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 2014 – The Islamist militant organization Boko Haram conducts two bombings in central Nigeria and kidnaps 276 schoolgirls in eastern Nigeria. The bombing kills 88 people and injured over 200 more. The girls were taken from a government secondary school in Chibok, a village with a Christain majority. Several dozen girls escaped immediately and while others have also been found, it is believed that over 100 girls are still unaccounted for. 

In 1929 – The first Monaco Gran Prix is run, with Great Britain’s William Grover-Williams winning the 100-lap, 197-mile race in 3 hours, 56 minutes, 11 seconds, beating Georges Bouriano of Romania by 1 minute and 17 seconds. It was the second of seven Gran Prix wins for Grover-Williams – who also raced as W Williams – and was his only win in Monaco. The road course is still in use, with the only changes concurrent with changes in Monaco’s streets, though the start/finish line has been moved several times over the years. 

In 1962 – Shelley Fabares is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the second and final consecutive week with Johnny Angel. It was the first of four chart singles for Fabares, then 18, and remains her only Top 10 hit. The song also went to #1 in New Zealand and Canada, peaked at #41 in Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 6th-biggest song of the year. Fabares was appearing in The Donna Reed Show at the time and the song made its first appearance on the show.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning.
James Russell Lowell 

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Billboard’s #1 soul song of 1974 was Feel Like Makin’ Love by Roberta Flack, which spent five weeks at #1. 

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

What song by an Ultimate One-Hit Wonder spent the most weeks at #1? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!