The Daily Dose/April 8, 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 – It’s been a slow week in the sack for Sparrow. Today’s Diary. 

…and 37.5 hours for the week, a lousy figure that is so low it will take a Herculean effort in the finale – the Saturday Sleep Session (SSS) to hit our preferred 50-hour mark. 

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

In 1913 – The 17th Amendment to the US Constitution takes effect, following ratification by Connecticut. The amendment provides for the election of US Senators by a state’s residents; previously, the Constitution had provided for senators to be elected by a state’s legislature. Congress had sent the amendment to the several states the previous May, Utah rejected it, and eight states took no action on the amendment. 

In 1995 – Oliver McCall retains his WBC heavyweight boxing title with a 12-round unanimous decision over former champion Larry Holmes. It was the first defense for McCall, who won the title from Lennox Lewis the year before and he would lose the title to Frank Bruno in September. Also on the card, Bruce Seldon defeated Tony Tucker for the WBA heavyweight title that had been stripped from George Foreman. 

Today – Jimin is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in his first week on the chart with Like Crazy. It’s the second Top 40 hit for Jimin, who is also a member of the South Korean group BTS, and his first #1. Jimin is the first South Korean solo act to hit #1 on the Hot 100 and the third Asian act to do so, after BTS (five, 2020-21) and Kyu Sakamoto (Sukiyaki, three weeks, 1963). Like Crazy is the 68th song to debut at #1 on the Hot 100, has also gone to #1 in Vietnam, and peaked at #8 in Great Britain. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

There is no duty so much we underrate as the duty of being happy.
Robert Louis Stevenson

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The major league record for most saves in a season is 62, by Francisco Rodriguez of the Los Angeles Angels in 2008. 

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

Who was the first senator elected under the provisions of the 17th Amendment? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/April 7, 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 goes shopping. Today’s Diary. 

I gotta be honest, I know prices go up over time, but spending almost a C note when you are eligible to go thru the speedy lane (20 items or less) is really bad for economic morale…

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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.  

Due to time constraints, today’s On This Date segment previously ran in 2019.

In 1989 – The Soviet submarine Komsomolets catches fire and sinks in the Barents Sea north of Norway. The ship was submerged when a short-circuit caused a fire in the engineering spaces and while the ship safely surfaced, the fire continued to burn and the ship sank several hours later and still rests on the bottom of the Barents Sea. 42 of the 69 crew members died.

In 1969 – Bill Singer of the Los Angeles Dodgers records the first official save in major league history, pitching the final three innings of the Dodgers’ 3-2 win in Cincinnati over the Reds. The save was Singer’s only relief appearance of the season and Ron Perranowski of the Minnesota Twins would lead the majors with 31 saves.

In 1983 – Kenny Loggins is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the second of three consecutive weeks with Footloose, from the soundtrack of the movie of the same name. The song also went to #1 in four other countries, including South Africa and New Zealand, peaked at #6 in Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 4th-biggest song of the year. Footloose was the third of five Top 10 hits for Loggins as a solo act and remains his only #1 song.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

When everybody owns everything nobody will take care of anything.
Aristotle

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

John Tyler did not have a vice president. The Constitution did not provide for filling a vice presidential vacancy until the ratification of the 25th Amendment in 1967. Had President Tyler died, the Speaker of the House would have assumed the presidency. 

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

Who holds the major league record for most saves in a season? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/April 6, 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 look at the new VSO. Today’s Diary. 

It’s bigger than the current one – not hard because the current VSO used to be a closet – and has a window…

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Click here to get in on the laughs.
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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 1841 – John Tyler is sworn in as president of the United States, two days after assuming the presidency following the death of William Henry Harrison. Though some questioned whether Tyler assumed the office itself or merely the powers and duties was subject to some debate, but not for Tyler, had had himself inaugurated to quell any doubts. Tyler did not run for reelection and later served in the Confederate House of Representatives. 

In 1896 – The first Olympic Games in 1,593 years open in Athens. 241 athletes, all male, from 14 countries participated in 43 events in nine sports through April 15. Gold, silver, and bronze medals were not awarded until the 1908 London Games and winners received silver medals while runners-up received copper medals. The US won the most gold medals (11) while the Greeks won the most total medals (47).  Athens also hosted the 1906 Intercalated Games and the 2004 Summer Games. 

In 1985 – John Schneider is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart for the only week with Country Girls. It was the third of ten Top 10 country hits for Schneider and his second of four country #1s. The song also went #1 country in Canada and was Billboard’s 27th biggest country song of the year. Schneider’s only Top 40 pop hit, It’s Now Or Never, peaked at #14 on the Hot 100 in 1981. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Ars longa, vita brevis- art is long and time is fleeting. This is the tragedy of every great soul.
Will Durant
The Story of Philosophy 

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The NBA record for most career points with one team is held by Karl Malone, who scored 36,374 points with the Utah Jazz between 1985-2003. 

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

Who was John Tyler’s vice president? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/April 5, 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 details the week’s soda order. Today’s Diary. 

3 Dasanis will give us six total, more than enuff, but we’re wondering if stock is rotated, with the three new cases placed on the bottom with the three current cases placed on top…

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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 1943 – Bombers from the US Army Air Force inadvertently bomb a residential neighborhood in Mortsel, Belgium, killing 900 civilians, including 206 children. The intended target had been a factory about six-tenths of a mile away that was repairing German airplanes. Mortsel is south of Antwerp in northern Belgium, which is between France and the Netherlands. 

In 1984 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers establishes a new NBA record for most points in a career in a 129-115 win over the Utah Jazz in Las Vegas. Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook from the baseline gave him 31,421 points, breaking the record of 31,419 established by Wilt Chamberlain from 1959-73. Abdul-Jabbar would retire in 1989 with 38,387 points, a record that stood until this year when it was broken by LeBron James. Utah was the home team for the game. 

In 1969 – Tommy Roe is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the fourth and final consecutive week with Dizzy. It was the eighth of eleven Top 40 hits for Roe, his fifth of six Top 10 hits, and was his second and final #1 (Sheila, two weeks, 1962). The song also went to #1 in Canada and Great Britain and was Billboard’s 6th-biggest song of the year. The song spent 15 weeks on the chart, including nine weeks in the Top 10. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

In order to succeed, you must be a person who is able to perform hard work repeatedly over a long period of time.
Lee Labrada

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Tommy John’s career batting average was .157, with 5 home runs and 54 RBIs. 

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

Who holds the NBA record for most career points with the same team? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/April 4, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience. 

#USA! #USA!: Last week in this space, after the Nashville shootings, we called for a renewal of the assault weapons ban that was in place from 1994-2004. The column only touched on the other cause of America’s mass shootings, our violent country. We are going to expound on that today.   

Dry, Technical Matter: We have violent citizens because we have a violent government. America has been at war every day for the past 35 years and most of the time since Pearl Harbor. We were born in war, came of age in war, and took the world stage in war so the fact America is as violent inside her borders as she is outside can hardly be considered a bulletin. Prisons are not populated by convicts who grew up in quiet, happy homes and America is not populated by quiet, happy people right now. 

Running The Numbers: America has had 135 mass shootings this year [source]. A mass shooting is defined here as one where at least four people are either wounded or shot. Of these 135 incidents, 15 of those involved four or more deaths. Since the Nashville shooting on March 27, there have been four more shootings resulting in four deaths and 18 injuries. 

The Bottom Line I: Friends, our country is dying from the inside out. A country that averages 1.4 mass shootings a day is far closer to the oblivion that awaits it than the respect and prosperity it once enjoyed. You can’t really argue with that. 

The Bottom Line II: This problem has a solution: we must start demanding a better country on Election Day. We must demand a country that prohibits weapons designed to slaughter large numbers of people and we must demand a government at peace with the rest of the world. If we don’t, there will come a time – probably before this half-century is out – when we will no longer be able to govern ourselves. When that happens, someone will come in and do it for us. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has the latest fashion news. Today’s Diary. 

The big news at the hotel was that ol’ Sparrow – for reasons which will probably always remain a certified Mystery of the Front Desk – rolled the cuffs up on his uniform shirt tonite…I am not making that up. 

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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 1949 – NATO is formed with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty by twelve nations in Washington, D.C. In addition to the US, the treaty was signed by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. The treaty took effect in August 1949 and today NATO has 30 members, the most recent is North Macedonia, which joined in 2020. 

In 1989 – Tommy John of the New York Yankees tied the major league for most seasons played in a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Twins. It was the 26th major league season for John tying the record established by Deacon McGuire from 1884-1912. John’s first game was on September 6, 1963, pitching an inning for the Cleveland Indians against the Washington Senators. The record was later broken by Nolan Ryan, who played in 27 seasons from 1966-1993. 

In 1987 – The Beastie Boys are at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the fifth of seven consecutive weeks with License to Ill. It was the first chart album for the group. their first of four #1s, and was the first rap album to hit #1 on the Billboard 200. The album also went to #7 in Great Britain and was Billboard’s 3rd-biggest album of the year. It produced four hits on Billboard’s soul chart and two on the Hot 100. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

So nigh is grandeur to our dust/So near is God to man/When duty whispers low, Thou must/The youth replies, I can
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Voluntaries

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The NCAA major division record for most consecutive baseball wins is 34, done twice, by Florida Atlantic in 1999 and Texas in 1977. 

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

What was Tommy John’s career batting average? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!