The Daily Dose/November 15, 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 is at the veterans service office. Today’s Diary. 

…[he] is demonstrably longwinded and we were only scheduled for a half-day today, so we called him back right off, rather than listen to his messages because weren’t in the mood to have a stroke.

The Bottom Ten/NCAA Week 12 – It’s Akron, Northwestern, and UMess on the Bottom Ten medal stand this week, as the catfight known as the race for the ESPNCup rolls on. 

UMess, as usual, clutch at the end, as only missed two (2)-point conversion, blown onsides kick, prevented overtime, or worse, a win…

Combined three (3) wins all came in losable games, as remaining college football fan(s) in [Colorado] left to wonder what might have been.

Coaching staff, knowing how crucial a complete lack of offense will be in B-10 stretch run, takes offense out behind pineapple grove for beatings after putting up highest point total of 2022…

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

In 1988 – The Soviet Union space program makes its only space shuttle flight when the Buran makes an unmanned flight. The spacecraft flew for 3 hours and 25 minutes and made two orbits before landing at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in what is now southern Kazakhstan. The Buran made its first sub-orbital flight in 1985, ten other missions ended up being canceled, and the program was scrapped shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union.  

In 1973 – Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins establishes a new NHL record for most points in a game by a defenseman in a 10-2 win over the New York Rangers. Orr had seven points on three goals and four assists to break the record of six that had been done several times previously, including twice by Orr. The record is now eight, done twice, by Tom Bladon of the Philadelphia Flyers in December 1977 and by Paul Coffey of the Edmonton Oilers in March 1986. 

In 1975 – Elton John is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the third and final consecutive week with Island Girl. It was the fifth of nine #1 songs for John, his eighth consecutive Top 10 hit, and 13th of 28 overall. The song also peaked at #14 in Great Britain and due to charting in both the 1975 and 1976 survey periods, was Billboard’s 64th-biggest hit of 1976. The song is about a Jamaican prostitute in New York City and John hasn’t performed the song live in many years. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Morals, which had been loosened by riches and luxury, had not been improved by destitution and chaos, for few conditions are more demoralizing than poverty that comes after wealth.
Will Durant
The Story of Civilization, Vol. III: Caesar to Christ

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The NFL head coach in the Top 10 in career wins who has the most losses is Dan Reeves, who went 190-165-2 in his career. 

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

How many #1 songs has Elton John had in Great Britain? – Answer next time! 

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The Daily Dose/November 14, 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 does a welfare check. Today’s Diary. 

We ring the room but there’s no answer, so Mr F and I head up to 227 and on the off chance Billy S is armed and looking to kill, ol’ Sparrow bravely stands off to the side while knocking and opening the door, letting Mr F enter to see what the deal was…

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

In 1952 – The first regular record chart in Great Britain is published by New Musical Express magazine with Here In My Heart by Al Martino the first #1 song. Over the years, Elvis has the most #1 songs in Great Britain with 21, while Paul McCartney has the most appearances at #1, 25, counting his time with the Beatles, Wings, and as a solo act. The biggest song in British chart history is I Believe by Frankie Laine, which spent 18 weeks at #1 in 1953. The official British chart is now published by the Official Charts Company. 

In 1993 – Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins establishes a new NFL record for most regular-season and playoff wins in a 19-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. It was Shula’s 325 career win, eclipsing the record established by George Halas of the Decatur Staleys/Chicago Staleys/Chicago Bears in four separate stints from 1920-67. Shula retired after the 1995 season with 347 career wins, a record that still stands. Shula also holds the record for most regular-season wins with 328. 

In 2020 – Lauren Daigle is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Singles chart for the 110th of 132 non-consecutive weeks You Say, tying the record for most weeks at #1 on any Billboard chart. Daigle tied the record set by Wendy Carlos – then known as Walter Carlos – who spent 110 non-consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Classical Album chart from 1969-72 with Switched-On Bach. You Say first hit #1 on the Christian chart in July 2018 and in March 2019 peaked at #30 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

These were, he now assured himself…adventures on the journey of the Fool, guided by intuition and governed by a morality that was not to everybody’s taste.
Robertson Davies
The Lyre of Orpheus 

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The NHL record for most minutes in a career by a goaltender is 74,438 – the equivlelent of about 51 days – by Martin Brodeur, from 1991-2015. 

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

Which NFL head coach who is in the Top 10 in career wins has the most career losses? – Answer next time! 

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The Daily Dose/November 13, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

The Sunday Bottom 5
A ranking of some things.

1. 2022 Midterms – Though not every race decided, Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters “pretty sure” the country will remain standing which was hardly guaranteed earlier in the week…Still, tho, America merely recycles the same people and parties, signaling to themselves and the world they still are not ready to make substantive changes to the way they are governed. 

2. Daylight savings time – Bill passed by US Senate would make DST the new standard time, eliminating changing clocks twice a year…(In the House, the bill has been referred to a subcommittee.)…It doesn’t really matter, as time is a human construct anyway…DST had its origins in Europe as an energy conservation measure during World War I. 

3. USA! USA! -The three (3)-hole staple…Don’t let the relatively calm midterms fool you: America is still circling the drain…With three-quarters of US kids too fat or dumb to join the Army, and with the country $31.2 trillion in debt, and with perpetual war still a thing, America remains closer to the oblivion awaiting her than the respect and prosperity she once had. 

4. Britney Griner – While Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters officially reissue their call to know and respect the laws of foreign countries, it’s difficult not to feel for anyone being sent to a Russian prison camp, and just in time for winter, to boot…Fortunately, as a tall, Black woman, Griner should not stand out and draw undue attention to herself.  

5. Jeff Saturday – New Indianapolis Colts head coach has first head coaching gig since running a high school team, but the Colts are done for 2022 anyway and, besides, you never know when genius will strike…However, Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters “pretty sure” the name of Colts’ owner “Irsay” has never been synonymous with “NFL genius” so, like you, SB5 pollsters are taking a wait-and-see attitude.

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

It’s Read Free Sunday (RFS) at The Diary. This means today’s entry is on the house.

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has a great week in the sack. Today’s Diary. 

8.0 hours for the day and 55.0 hours for the week, both marvelous totals, and regular readers of this crap know that 55.0 hours is only 3.0 hours off our PB for a week.

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Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device. 

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

In 1956 – The way is cleared for the Montgomery Bus Boycott to end when the United States Supreme Court rules that Alabama laws requiring segregated buses are unconstitutional. The boycott had started in December 1955 after Rosa Parks, a black woman, was arrested for not surrendering her seat on a Montgomery bus to a white. (In Montgomery, the first ten rows of seats were reserved for whites, the back ten for blacks, with the middle rows unreserved.) The boycott would officially end in December. 

In 1968 – Robbie Irons of the St Louis Blues makes his only NHL appearance and establishes the record for fewest career minutes by a goaltender in a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers. Irons entered the game early in the first period after Glenn Hall was ejected and, on orders from head coach Scotty Bowman, faked an injury to allow Jacques Plante – who had not dressed for the game – more time to prepare…Irons played 2 minutes and 59 seconds, a mark that was tied by Christian Soucy of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1993-94 season, and the record is now 7.6 seconds, by Jorge Alves, the equipment manager for the Carolina Hurricanes, in the 2016-17 season.

In 1961 – Jimmy Dean is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the second of five consecutive weeks with Big, Bad, John. The song also went to #1 in New Zealand, peaked at #2 in Great Britain, and at #1 on Billboard’s country chart. It was the first of seven Top 40 hits for Dean, his first of two Top 10 hits and remains his only #1 pop hit and was his first of two #1 country songs. The song also won the Grammy Award for Best Country and Western Recording. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

We should constantly be reminded of what we owe in return for what we have.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The NHL record for the longest undefeated streak is 35 by the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers. 

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

Who holds the NHL record for most minutes played by a goaltender? – Answer next time!  

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The Daily Dose/November 12, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Friends, your Daily Dose is taking the day off.

Click here to read today’s Diary of a Nobody entry.

Thank you for reading,

Gaylon

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The Daily Dose/November 11, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

Editor’s Note: today’s Leading Off item originally ran – with a few minor changes – on Veterans Day 2017 and has run regularly since. 

TEN HUT!: You know, honestly, we cannot remember Veterans Day being the big deal it is today while growing up. And we come from a family of many veterans, being the son, brother, grandson, cousin, and nephew of vets.

9/11 changed that, of course, because since 9/11 – when first responders became heroes – the reverence for veterans has grown, too. We are routinely thanked for our service now, which never used to happen before 9/11, and on Veterans Day we could scam complimentary meals left and right if moved so to do.

FunFact: We generally don’t go out of our way to do that, though. On the other hand, we don’t throw a tantrum if we’re not presented with a check.

What A Surprise, Dry, Technical Matter. November 11 has been an American holiday since 1938, born out of the earlier celebrations of the armistice that ended the major fighting in World War I  at 11 am on November 11, 1918. Originally known as Armistice Day, it became Veterans Day in 1954.

War Is Hell: Fighting continued right up until the eleventh hour, too. Some units didn’t want to make themselves vulnerable by yielding an advantage while some didn’t want to have to haul their ammo away and others wanted the best possible position should fighting start again. In all, over 2,700 men died on November 11, including a Canadian two minutes before peace took effect and an American at 10:59.

USA! USA!: Life in the service was pretty routine for most of us. Personally, we served on an old diesel submarine, the USS Blueback, the last diesel combat submarine in the United States Navy. We’re still pretty young and if we get regular exercise and watch between-meal treats one day we might well be the last diesel boat veteran in this country.

Fly In The Ointment: Some, of course, did not serve routine tours. Some died in the service of their country and some contributed exploits we are still talking about today. Some are not entirely pleased with their service and too many are homeless and each day an average of 22 vets will kill themselves, choosing to continue their service on heaven’s parade ground.

The Bottom Line: Looking back at honorable service to your country is one of life’s great prizes and that in itself is thanks enough, though if you want to thank a vet today, feel free. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow ran into a lot of people in the gym. Today’s Diary. 

…and while the Smith machine was available we couldn’t find a goddamned bench that was free…I am not making that up…There are a dozen or so in the weight area and they were all being used and you don’t have to be Armold to know you can’t bench press without a bench so we did the cable chest press.

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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 1921 – The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is dedicated at Arlington National Cemetery by President Warren Harding. The remains of a World War I veteran were interred and since then unknowns from other wars have joined him. The tomb is always guarded by members of the US Army’s Old Guard who do not show their rank so as not to outrank the Unknowns. Unknowns are all awarded the Medal of Honor and the tomb does not have an official name. 

In 1944 – The New York Rangers end their NHL-record longest winless streak with a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. The Rangers had not won in 25 consecutive games (0-21-4) dating back to the previous season and their last win had come on January 22. The Rangers had broken the record of 19 consecutive winless games they had established in the 1943-44 season and their record was broken in the 1975-76 season by both the Washington Capitals (25) and the Kansas City Scouts (27) and his now held by the Winnipeg Jets, who went 30 consecutive games without a win in the 1980-81 season. 

In 1989 – Kathy Mattea is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the only week with Burnin’ Old Memories.  It was the tenth of eleven consecutive Top 10 country hits for Mattea and her fourth and final #1 song in a chart career that ran from 1983-2000. The song also went #4 country in Canada and was Billboard’s 33rd-biggest country song of the year. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day has been.
Sophocles

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Besides Ray Leonard, the other two fighters to defeat Marvin Hagler were Bobby Watts (majority decision) and Willie Monroe (unanimous decision), both in 1976.

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

Which team holds the NHL record for the longest undefeated streak? – Answer next time!  

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