The Daily Dose/Monday, July 24, 2023
The Daily Dose/July 24, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Leading Off is off for the time being.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow deals with fussy old men. Today’s Diary.
There were a couple of cheapskates later in the morning…
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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 2019 – Boris Johnson becomes British Prime minister, defeating Jeremy Hunt in a vote for leadership of the Conservative Party. Johnson succeeded Theresa May, who had resigned following repeated rejection of her Brexit proposals by Parliament. In Britain, there is no interregnum between election and taking office and Johnson moved into 10 Downing Street that day. Johnson served until September 2022.
In 1908 – Johnny Hayes of the US establishes a new Olympic record in the marathon, winning in 2 hours, 55 minutes, 18.4 seconds. Dorando Pietri of Italy had crossed the finish line first, however, he was dehydrated and needed ten minutes – and the help of officials – to finish the race and was disqualified. This was the first time the Olympic marathon was run at the now-standard distance of 26 miles, 385 yards when the entrance to the stadium was changed. The distance would become standard at the 1924 Paris Summer Olympics.
In 1993 – UB40 is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of seven consecutive weeks with Can’t Help Falling in Love. The song went to #1 in eleven other countries, including Finland, Iceland, and Great Britain, was Billboard’s 3rd-biggest song of the year, and their 22nd-biggest of the decade. It was the fifth and final Top 40 hit for the group, their fourth and final Top 10, and their second of two #1s (Red, Red Wine, one week, 1988). In 1962 a version by Elvis Presley peaked at #2 on the Hot 100.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
…the category of what might have been is already too crowded.
Gore Vidal
Creation
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Tiger Woods’ 82 PGA wins ties him with Sam Snead for the most ever.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Who holds the current men’s Olympic marathon record? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Sunday, July 23, 2022
The Daily Dose/July 23, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
The Sunday Bottom 5
A ranking of some things.
1. Hollywood Actor and Writer Strikes – Labor and management issuing usual blather, but current times hardly usual, with streaming much like another generation when VCRs changed things…Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters remain “pretty sure” ground-breaking times will call for a ground-breaking contract, but nobody appears to be seeing that right now.
2. Apollo 11 – Man’s greatest adventure heading home from first moon landing 54 years ago today, with Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters continuing to “strongly suspect” it remains our finest hour…America could have had humans on Mars in the 1980s had she wanted to, but she didn’t and we remain the worse for it.
3. Mass Shootings – The 3-hole staple…Rather slow week in Shooting Gallery USA, with only 16 mass shootings – defined as four or more killed/injured – with only eleven (11) deaths, though gun nuts still able to hold heads high, as there were 45 injuries…100 years from now all new people will marvel not only at our firepower, but how we stood by and did nothing.
4. The Bottom Ten – The American classic returns in exactly – well, more or less – one month with The Preseason Q&A moving on Tuesday, July 22…Sunday B-10 pollsters “pretty sure” chase for ESPN Cup and Dan Henning Memorial Trophy – symbolic of collegiate and professional Bottom Ten excellence – will once again captivate country.
5. Fake News – Click here for a list of falsehoods some wizards amongst us were both reporting and believing last week…Provided by the AP.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
Si, senor, it’s Read-o Gratis Sunday (RGS) at El Diario.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow makes a shocking admission. Today’s Diary.
While setting up morning coffee service (MCS), we admitted farting to a guest…
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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, these items have run in the past.
In 1829 – A patent for a typographer, a precursor to the typewriter, is issued to American William Burt. Burt came up with the idea to help ease the burden of office workers, but the typographer was a bit before its time and a functional typewriter wasn’t produced until 1874, some time after Burt’s death in 1858. Burt also invented a solar compass and an equatorial sextant and was an accomplished surveyor. Largely self-educated, Burt only had six weeks of formal classroom instruction and his original typographer was destroyed in an 1836 fire at the US Patent Office.
In 2000 – Tiger Woods becomes the youngest golfer to win all four major golf titles, winning the British Open at the Old Course in St Andrews, Scotland. Woods led from the second round on and defeated Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) and Ernie Els (South Africa) by eight strokes. Woods, 24, bested Jack Nicklaus’ mark for winning the career Grand Slam by two years and since then has won two more British Opens (2005, 2006) and a total of 15 career major tournaments.
In 1977 – Barry Manilow is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the only week with Looks Like We Made It. It was the third and final #1 song for Manilow. his sixth of eleven Top 10 hits and his eighth of 18 consecutive Top 40 hits. The song also peaked at #8 in Canada, did not chart in Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 37th biggest song of the year. The song had a relatively quick chart run, spending 15 weeks in the Top 40 and five weeks in the Top 10.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
But above all to be taken into account were some years of schooling, where I studied with diligence Neptune’s laws, and these laws I have tried to obey when I sailed overseas; it was worth the while.
Joshua Slocum
Sailing Alone Around the World
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Taylor Swift’s biggest hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 was Anti-Hero, which spent eight non-consecutive weeks at #1 late last year and early this year.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Tiger Woods is tied for the PGA record with 82 wins. Who is he tied with? – Answer next time!
The Diary of a Nobody/July 22
Yes, it is Read Free Sunday (RFS) at The Diary.
It’s Sparrow, an average man passing an average life…
Saturday, July 22
The hotel was so busy tonite that Assistant Front Desk Manager Q was there with Gina when we reported for duty…My employment history is, and we’re being charitable here, “varied”, so, of course, we thought we were fired, tho our second thought was Q really wouldn’t be the one to do it, it would be AGM Brandon or maybe even Chris…Another thought was there really wasn’t a reason to fire me, but we’ve learned that sometimes that doesn’t matter.
The Daily Dose/Saturday, July 22, 2023
The Daily Dose/July 22, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Leading Off refuses to cross the SAG/WGA picket lines.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow’s hearing is back to normal. Today’s Diary.
The wax in the right ear was a bugger to get out, tho, and everything had to be done twice…
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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 2011 – The Norway Attacks, two terrorist acts by Anders Behring Breivik, are carried out in Oslo and on a nearby island. The first attack was a car bomb outside of government buildings that killed eight, and two hours later Breivik shot and killed 68 people. Breivik was arrested at the island and pled guilty but denied criminal liability, saying the attacks were justified. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison – the maximum penalty in Norway – though the sentence could be continued if he is still deemed dangerous. The shooting remains the deadliest mass shooting by a lone gunman in history.
In 1912 – The Stockholm Summer Olympics come to a close, with Sweden winning the most medals, 64, and the US winning the most gold medals, with 26. Electric timing was introduced and women participated in diving and swimming for the first time. Japan made its debut, becoming the first Asian nation to participate, and this was the last Olympics to issue solid gold medals. Stockholm’s Olympic Stadium is still in use, mainly for soccer and concerts.
Today – Taylor Swift establishes a new Billboard 200 record for most #1 albums by a woman, with Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) at #1 for the first week. It’s the twelfth #1 album for Swift, breaking the record of eleven established by Barbra Streisand from 1964-2016. Her first #1 album, Fearless, went to #1 in 2008 and Swift is tied for third for most #1 albums in Billboard album chart history with Drake, trailing Jay-Z (14) and the Beatles (19).
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Even the worst sea is not so terrible in a well-appointed ship…and she accomplished all that she undertook to do.
Joshua Slocum
Sailing Alone Around the World
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The US supreme court originally had a chief justice and five associate justices.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What is Taylor Swift’s biggest hit on Billboard’s Hot 100? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Friday, July 21, 2023
The Daily Dose/July 21, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Leading Off is in time out.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has a rather trying morning. Today’s Diary.
By this time we’re past peeved and are ready to take hostages…
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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 1937 – The US Senate votes down President Franklin D Roosevelt’s plan to add up to six supreme court justices, voting 70-20 to send the bill back to committee. Roosevelt had come up with the bill following repeated defeats at the supreme court of assorted New Deal proposals. After more than twelve years in office, Roosevelt would end up appointing eight of the nine justices anyway. The court had been fixed at eight justices and a chief justice since 1869.
In 1956 – Jim Gilliam of the Brooklyn Dodgers ties the major league record for most assists in a game by a second baseman in a 13-6 loss to the St Louis Cardinals. Gilliam had 12 assists, tying the mark done twice previously, by Monte Ward (1892) and Frankie Frisch (1929), and the mark has been tied several times since and still stands. The extra-inning game record is 15, by Lave Cross in a 12-inning, 1897 game. Gilliam also had two putouts, went 2-for-4 at the plate, and scored a run.
In 1973 – Jim Croce is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first of two consecutive weeks with Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown. It was the fourth of eight Top 40 hits for Croce, his second of four Top 10 hits, and his first of two #1s (Time In A Bottle, two weeks, 1973-74). The song also went to #1 in Canada and was Billboard’s 2nd-biggest song of the year. The song was inspired by someone Croce knew in the army, and Croce would die in September in a plane crash in Louisiana.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
I had profited in so many ways by the voyage…at least ten years younger than the day I felled the first tree for the construction of the Spray.
Joshua Slocum
Sailing Alone Around the World
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The British Open has been played at 13 different courses over the years. The Old Course at St Andrews has hosted the most, 30, and Prince’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England is the only course to host one British Open, in 1932.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
How many justices did the original US supreme court have? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Thursday, July 20, 2023
The Daily Dose/July 20, 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’s in hell. Today’s Diary.
She could not get outside of this box…There was a government form to be filled out, after all…
———
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 1969 – Human beings land and walk on the moon for the first time when Apollo 11 lands on the Sea of Tranquility 2,739 days after President John F Kennedy had told Congress the US should commit to landing men on the moon before the decade was out. Neil Amstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin landed at 4:17 pm Eastern Daylight Time and Armstrong took the first steps on the moon six-and-a-half hours later. Apollo 11, with Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, returned to Earth four days later. The mission had first been offered to Frank Borman’s crew, which had flown Apollo 8, but Borman declined it.
In 2003 – Ben Curtis of the US wins the British Open, shooting a final round 69 to win by one stroke at Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England. It was the first major and PGA tour win for Curtis and remains his only major title and was his first of four tour wins. Curtis started the day tied for third place, two strokes back of Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, and earned 700,000 pounds for the win, about $1.8 million in today’s money. The winner of this weekend’s British Open will win earn $3 million.
In 1963 – Jan and Dean are at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first of two consecutive weeks with Surf City. It remains the only #1 song for the group, was their tenth of 26 chart singles, and their second of six Top 10 hits. The song also peaked at #26 in Great Britain and at #3 on Billboard’s soul chart and was written by Jan Torrence and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Good work in the building of my vessel stood me always in good stead.
Joshua Slocum
Sailing Alone Around the World
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Cyclists from France have won the most Tour de France races, with 21 riders winning 36 times. Belgium is second with 18 wins.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
How many courses have hosted the British Open? – Answer next time!