The Daily Dose/November 28, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

Leading Off will return.

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow’s leisurely vacation continues. Today’s Diary. 

While we don’t keep specific records regarding consecutive hours spent in our robe/pajamas – and we are probably not going to start now – ol’ Sparrow is going to go out on a limb and say the 40-hour period between 1700 Friday and 0900 today was the longest time he’s spent in his jammies and robe…

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

In 1990 – British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, the first woman to hold the post, resigns and is succeeded by John Major. Thatcher had succeeded James Callaghan in 1979 and was the longest-serving prime minister of the 20th century. Thatcher had first been elected to the House of Commons in 1959 and would remain until 1992. 

In 1969 – The New York Knicks establish a new NBA record for most consecutive wins in a single season, winning their 18th straight game, a 106-105 victory over the Cincinnati Royals. The Knicks broke the record of 17 that had been set by the Boston Celtics (1959-60) and the Washington Capitals (1946). The streak would be broken by the Milwaukee Bucks the following season and the record is now 33 consecutive wins, done by the Los Angeles Lakers in (1971-72). The Knicks would finish the season with a 60-22 record and beat the Lakers four games to three in the NBA Finals. 

1981 – Foreigner is at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of a record ten consecutive weeks with Waiting For a Girl Like You. The ten weeks at #2 without hitting #1 broke the Hot 100 record of six, done twice, by Louie, Louie by the Kingsmen (1963-64) and Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty (1978) and the mark was matched by Miss Elliot with Work It in 2002-03. Foreigner was kept out of the top spot by Olivia Newton-John’s Physical and I Can’t Go For That by Hall and Oates.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

There is always something else to be done. But if you want the world you must forget insignificant places…
Gore Vidal
Creation

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The last Americans to win an Olympic medal in the men’s discus were Mac Wilkins and John Powell, who won silver and bronze medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games. 

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

What song holds the record for most weeks in the Hot 100? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/November 27, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

The Sunday Bottom 5
A ranking of some things.

1. NCAA Division I Football Playoff – You know, folks, a 32-team NCAA Division I football playoff could’ve begun this weekend and have had the national championship game played on New Year’s Day, the last date anyone really cares about college football….In fact, you could’ve had the conference championship games this weekend – probably a better idea – begun the tournament next weekend and still had it done on New Year’s day. 

2. Tony Romo – He gets a million dollars a game for sounding like my plumber…He is so bad he is making the very good Jim Nance sound boring. 

3. USA! USA! – The 3-hole staple returns…Despite conducting proper mid-term elections, country still circling the drain, far closer to the oblivion that awaits it than the prosperity, and influence it once had as Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters “strongly suspect” no nation can sustain mass shootings, crippling debt, deep social divides, and perpetual war forever.

4. Bang! Bang! Bang! – Virginia twice and another mass killing in Colorado…Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters remain “pretty sure” Founding Fathers would be appalled at how we’ve allowed the 2nd Amendment to become license for Americans to possess every weapon we can produce. 

5. Fake News: Election Fraud Division – Two weeks in and GOP-backed voter-fraud units in Virginia, Florida, and Georgia have acted on some scattered complaints, but wide-spread, systemic fraud non-existent, just like it was in 2020. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

Read Free Sunday (RFS) will return. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow enjoys (another) leisurely day on vacation. Today’s Diary. 

After an hour we were beat again and starting to yawn and we were back up in our quarters at 0733, ostensibly to do some reading but we knew: it was time for a nap…This would be the only time we took the robe off all day. 

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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 1971 – Man reaches the surface of Mars for the first time when a lander launched by the Soviet Union designed to land on Mars malfunctions and crashes on the Martian surface. The descent module had been launched by the Mars 2 orbiter and crashed due to entering the Martian atmosphere at a steeper angle than planned. Mars 2 sent data back through the following March and remains in Martian orbit. Man would first land on Mars in 1976 with America’s Viking 1. 

In 1956 – Al Oerter of the US wins his first of four consecutive Olympic discus gold medals at the Melbourne Summer Games. Oerter’s first throw of the final round, 184 feet, 10.9 inches established a new Olympic record and defeated Fortune Gordien, also of the US, by five feet. At the 1960 Rome Summer Games, Oerter would become the second person to win the discus twice (Martin Sheridan, US, 1904, 1908) and he remains the only person to win it more than twice. 

2010 – Like a G6 by Far East Movement featuring The Cataracs and Dev is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the third and final non-consecutive week. The song also went to #1 in New Zealand, peaked at #5 in Great Britain, at #83 on Billboard’s soul chart, and remains the only #1 song for all three acts. The song made Far East Movement the first Asian-American act to hit #1 on the Hot 100 and the first act of East Asian origin to hit #1 since Kyu Sakamoto with Sukiyaki in 1963. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

The mass never comes up to the standard of its best member, but on the contrary, degrades itself to a level with the lowest.
Henry David Thoreau

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Eddy Arnold’s biggest hit on the Hot 100 was Make the World Go Away, which peaked at #6 in 1965. The song later spent three weeks at #1 on the country chart. 

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

Who was the last American to win an Olympic discus medal? – Answer next time!  

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/November 26, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

Leading Off will return. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow’s vacation continues. Today’s Diary. 

A good day today…Like most good days, it started off with a home warranty purchase and featured a fried baloney sandwich. 

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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 1986 – John Demjanjuk, a retired auto worker from Cleveland, goes on trial in Jerusalem for war crimes committed at the Treblinka concentration camp. Demjanjuk, born in Soviet Ukraine, had been identified as the guard Ivan the Terrible and had been extradited to Israel. He would be convicted and sentenced to death, but Israeli courts overturned the conviction in 1993. He would later be convicted of war crimes in Germany, but died in 2012 before his appeals could be heard. 

In 1995 – Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins establishes a new NFL record for most career touchdown passes in a 36-28 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Marino threw his 343rd career touchdown pass to break the record of 342 established by Fran Tarkenton from 1961-78. Marino retired in 1999 with 420 touchdown passes and the record is held by Tom Brady, still active, who has 636. Marino’s mark is now good for seventh on the all-time list. 

In 1966 – Eddy Arnold is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the first of four consecutive weeks with Somebody Like Me. It was the 22nd of 25 #1 country hits for Arnold in a chart career that spanned from 1945-2008 and the song also peaked at #53 on the Hot 100, one of 22 pop hits for Arnold.  The song was written by Wayne Carson, who also wrote The Letter and Always On My Mind, and was produced by Chet Atkins. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

The wise man has no ambitions. Therefore, he has no failures. He who never fails always succeeds. And he who always succeeds is all-powerful.
Gore Vidal
Creation

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Of the four versions of MacArthur Park that hit the Hot 100, the one to win a Grammy Award was by Waylon Jennings and The Kimberlys, which won the 1970 Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. 

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

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

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/November 25, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

Leading Off will return. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow spends the holiday with family. Today’s Diary. 

I did scold Uncle Rudy – who’s retired LAPD – for talking to his granddaughters in plain English over the walkie-talkies and not using 10 codes, but he pointed out R and K are 11 and 7 respectively and that adherence to standard police/security radio protocols might be a bit much to ask. 

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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 1783 – The British Army evacuates Manhattan, three months after the signing of the Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolution. The British had occupied the area since 1776 after defeating the Americans at the Battle of Long Island. The British took with them over 3,000 former slaves who had entered British service and General George Washington’s entry into Manhattan was delayed somewhat due to difficulties in lowering the last British flag because the British had greased the flagpole. 

In 2018 – Philip Rivers of the Los Angeles Chargers establishes a new NFL record for most consecutive pass completions in a game in a 45-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Rivers completed 25 consecutive passes to break the record of 22 that had been done twice previously and the mark was tied later in the season by Nick Foles of the Philadelphia Eagles. Rivers also tied the mark for most consecutive passes completed overall which had been established by Ryan Tannehill of the Miami Dolphins over two games in 2015. 

In 1978 – Donna Summer is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the third and final consecutive week with MacArthur Park. The song also went to #1 in Canada, peaked at #5 in Great Britain, and also peaked at #8 on Billboard’s soul chart and at #1 on its disco chart. Versions of the song by Richard Harris (#2, 1968), the Four Tops (#38, 1971), and Waylon Jennings and the Kimberlys (#93, 1969) also hit the Hot 100 and it was the first of four #1 pop songs for Summer and her fourth of 14 Top 10 hits. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

…there are many who confine themselves to criticism of the way others do what they themselves dare not even attempt…these are marks, not…of superiority but of weakness. They mark the men…who seek…to hide from others and from themselves their own weakness. The role is easy…

Theodore Roosevelt
The Man in the Arena speech
4/23/1910

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Germany has won the most silver and bronze medals in the men’s 100 meter races at the Olympics without winning a gold medal with three, a silver and two bronze. 

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

Of the four versions of MacArthur Park to hit the Hot 100, which one won a Grammy Award? – Answer next time!  

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/November 24, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

STOP US IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS BEFORE: Though we do not note it in today’s On This Date segment, today is the 62nd anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain establishing a new NBA record with 55 rebounds in a game. One of the great useless arguments we humans can have is that of unbreakable sports records, and while our list is shorter than most, this feat is on it because it means getting a rebound every minute, not to mention rustling up seven more along the way. 

Dry, Technical Matter: By chance, Chamberlain established the mark against the man whose record he broke, Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics, who mustered 51 rebounds – itself a phenomenal total – a few months earlier. 

Get Your Official Daily Dose Policy Right Here: Our own theory is that if something can be done once it can probably be done again, so our own list of unbreakable records is pretty short. In fact, it only has two other entries besides Chamberlain’s rebounding mark, one from tennis and one from baseball. 

God, You’re Dull: It should be noted the list does not include accomplishments – like 680 innings pitched in a season – from bygone eras, nor does it include college marks because of the varying levels of competition. 

Tennis, Anyone? At the top of the list is the 70-68 fifth set John Isner and Nicolas Mahut played at Wimbledon in 2010. Good gravy, this mark is so superhuman it’s something you wouldn’t even daydream about as a kid knocking a tennis ball around off a wall. 70-68 though, as incomprehensible as it sounds, actually happened. It’s too bad the rules have been changed and fifth-set tiebreakers now make the mark tougher and tougher to break because it would be fun to see it approached. 

Play Ball: Something else someone else will never do is throw consecutive no-hitters in major league baseball, like Johnny Vander Meer did in 1938. Like Isner/Mahut, it is difficult to believe it happened once. 

The Bottom Line: For our money, that’s it: Chamberlain, Isner/Mahut, and Johnny Vander Meer. Someone, someday, will score 101 points in an NBA game, especially the way they’re chucking threes nowadays, and we wouldn’t die of shock if someone hit in 57 consecutive games and if someone broke some of Tom Brady’s passing records. Us humans are always getting bigger, stronger, and faster and, as noted, if something’s been done once, it’s a strong candidate to be done even better later on. 

At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow flies in a plane. Today’s Diary. 

The guy we were obliged to sit next to was bigger than me!!!…I am not, unfortunately, making that up…This wasn’t as bad as it might sound, tho…

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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 1859 – The book On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin is published in Great Britain by the John Murray publishing house. The book gives evidence for evolution and proposed natural selection as the way it had taken place and while not every organized religion has come to terms with the theory, some do acknowledge the theory of evolution is compatible with specific religious beliefs. The book sold out on the first day, six versions were published during Darwin’s lifetime and the book has remained in print ever since. 

In 1956 – Bobby Morrow of the US wins the gold medal in the 100 meters at the Melbourne Summer Olympics. Morrow defeated Thane Baker, also of the US, and Hec Hogan of Australia, winning with a time of 10.62 seconds. It was the first of three gold medals at the 1956 Melbourne Games for Morrow, who would later win the 200 meters and – along with Baker – was a part of the winning 4×100 meter team. 

In 1958 – The Kingston Trio is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the only week with Tom Dooley. It was the first of 17 chart singles and two Top 10 hits for the group and remains their only #1 song. The song went to #1 in four other countries including Norway, peaked at #5 in Great Britain, and at #9 on Billboard’s soul chart. The song is a traditional North Carolina folk song based on an 1866 murder in Wilkes County and won the group the Grammy Award for Best Country and Western Performance despite not appearing on Billboard’s country chart.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

…a thousand taboos restrict his action, a thousand terrors limit his will.
Will Durant
The Story of Civilization, Vol I: Our Oriental Heritage

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Billy Swan had 16 hits on Billboard’s country chart, including eight that made the Top 40. 

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

What country has earned the most silver and bronze Olympic medals in the men’s 100-meters without winning a gold medal? – Answer next time! 

Share Gaylon! Go!