Cheapskates rejoice! It’s Read Free Sunday (RFS) at The Diary.
It’s Sparrow, an average man passing an average life…
Saturday, July 9
Busy tonite…All the arrivals were in but we had several walk-ins…Front Desk Manager Brandon was on duty when I arrived and there were still rooms to rent and Brandon said the “rock-bottom” rate was $222.
The Daily Dose/July 9, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
Leading Off remains MIA.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow is swamped at the veterans service office (VSO). Today’s Diary.
Recall what with the holiday and transporting veterans twice, we actually hadn’t been in the office since two Wednesdays ago and while there weren’t too many emails to deal with, there were no less – and no more – than nine phone messages to sort thru…
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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 1850 – Millard Fillmore becomes president of the United States following the death of President Zachary Taylor. Taylor had been elected in 1848 after leading the US to victory in the Mexican-American War and died due to a stomach ailment likely caused by overeating at a 4th of July celebration, though the ubiquitous conspiracy theories have attended his death. Fillmore served the remainder of Taylor’s term and was not nominated for reelection by the Whigs, and remains their last president.
In 1971 – The California Angels establish a major league record for most batters striking out in a game in a 1-0, 20-inning loss to the Oakland Athletics. Angel batters struck out 26 times, research into whose record the Angels broke was inconclusive, and the mark has been tied four times since. The teams combined for 43 strikeouts, then a major league record, a mark that is now 48, done twice. The game remains the longest shutout in American League history.
In 1955 – The Rock Era in American popular music begins when Bill Haley and His Comets are at #1 on Billboard’s Best Sellers in Stores chart – a predecessor to the Hot 100 – for the first of eight consecutive weeks with Rock Around the Clock. It was the third of 15 Top 40 hits for the group and remains their only #1 song. The song also peaked at #4 on Billboard’s soul chart and spent five weeks at #1 in Great Britain. The song returned to the Top 40 in 1974 and has charted in Britain on three occasions since. The song also went to #1 on Billboard’s Most Played Jockey and Most Played in Jukeboxes charts.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence, – that petty fears and petty pleasures are but the shadow of reality.
Henry David Thoreau
Walden
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The other members of the drafting committee for the Olive Branch Petition besides John Dickinson were Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Thomas Rutledge, and Thomas Jefferson,
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What is the nine-inning game record for most batters striking out in a game? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/July 7, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
Leading Off remains MIA.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow does very little on his day off. Today’s Diary.
My commitment to a Sparrow Day was so total that we couldn’t even be bothered to drive to the next county despite the fact we needed to both eat lunch and buy things at the retailer and we left the house only twice, once to go to the convenience store for a couple of breakfast sandwiches and later to go to the post office and to the town hall to pay the utility bill.
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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 1775 – The Second Continental Congress signs and sends to King George III of England a petition to resolve their differences and avoid further war. The petition was primarily written by John Dickinson of Philadelphia and called for, among other things, more equitable trade and tax regulations. The petition reached George in September, by which time he had already declared the colonies to be in rebellion, and he declined to read it. The petition is known to History as the Olive Branch Petition.
In 2007 – Roger Federer of Switzerland becomes the second man in the Open Era to win five consecutive Wimbledon titles, defeating Rafael Nadal of Spain 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2. Federer tied the record established by Bjorn Borg of Sweden from 1976-80 and it was his fifth of a men’s record eight Wimbledon singles titles. It was the second of three consecutive years Federer and Nadal would meet in the finals, with Nadal winning the following year. The record for most consecutive Wimbledon singles titles by a man is six, by William Renshaw of Great Britain, from 1881-86.
In 1978 – Gerry Rafferty is at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the only week with City to City. It was the first of three chart albums for Rafferty as a solo act – he had previously charted with Stealers Wheels – and remains his only appearance at #1 on a major Billboard chart. The album produced three chart singles, including Baker Street which peaked at #2 on the Hot 100, and the album also peaked at #6 in Great Britain. Rafferty died in 2011.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Our life is frittered away by detail.
Henry David Thoreau
Walden
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The first two songs to spend more than ten weeks at #1 on the Hot 100 were End of the Road by Boyz II Men (13 weeks), and I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston (14 weeks), both in 1992.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Besides John Dickinson, who were the members of the drafting committee of the Olive Branch Petition? – Answer next time!
It’s Sparrow, an average man passing an average life…
Thursday, July 8
Officially, whether or not to go to the gym this morning was going to be a game-time decision but, as noted yesterday, we strongly suspected we were not going to leave the house today, a suspicion that was confirmed immediately upon waking up this morning (see Sleep Log below)…As we like to say from time to time, we get one day off between 60-hour work weeks and we were in the mood to do nothing, so nothing was done; everything could wait…Fortunately, the lawn had been mowed and watered Monday, so we were completely guilt-free about taking a Sparrow Day today.
The Daily Dose/July 7, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
Leading Off remains MIA.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow gives another ride to a vet to the VA hospital.
…and his preferred method of communication appears to be smoker’s hack…Good gravy, I’ve heard some world-class smoker’s hacks over the years but Mickey takes the gold medal, hands down, not even close…It was so good I thought he was going to cough up a lung or maybe even a foot.
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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 1981 – President Ronald Reagan announces he will appoint Sandra Day O’Connor to the United States Supreme Court, the first woman to be so appointed. O’Connor was then serving on the Arizona Court of Appeals and had earlier been a Superior Court judge and a member of the Arizona legislature. O’Connor would be formally nominated in August and was unanimously confirmed by the US Senate in September, replacing Potter Stewart, who was retiring after 23 years of service. Now 92, O’Connor retired in 2006 and remains the last living justice to have served when Warren Burger was chief justice.
In 2019 – The United States wins the women’s World Cup, defeating the Netherlands 2-0 in the championship game at Parc Olympique in Lyon. It was the second consecutive and fourth overall World Cup title for the US and remains the only championship game appearance for the Netherlands. The tournament featured 24 teams, and Sweden defeated England 2-1 in the third-place game. The next women’s World Cup is scheduled for Australia and New Zealand next year and will be a 32-team tournament.
In 1994 – All-4-One is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the eighth of eleven consecutive weeks with I Swear, the third song of the Rock Era to spend more than ten weeks at #1. It was the second of five chart singles for the group, their second of three Top 10 hits, and remains their only #1 song. The song went to #1 in eleven other countries, peaked at #2 in Great Britain, at #13 on Billboard’s soul chart, was Billboard’s #2 song of the year, and its 9th-biggest of the decade. Earlier in the year, a version by John Michael Montgomery spent four weeks at #1 on Billboard’s country chart and peaked at #42 on the Hot 100.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Lincoln appealed to reason, historical fact, and the sense of justice that he believed a constituent of human nature. The power of persuasive language, he hoped, could motivate America to become the agent of its own liberation.
Fred Kaplan
Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Todd Woodbridge of Australia has won nine Wimbledon doubles titles, the most of any man. Six were with Mark Woodforde and three were with Jonas Bjorkman.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What were the first two songs to spend more than ten weeks at #1 in the Rock Era? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/July 6, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
Leading Off remains MIA.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow enjoys another marathon session in the sack. Today’s Diary.
We did wake up about 1600 or so to use the can and were moderately worried about getting back to sleep, but it was needless worry, as a patented Sparrow Roll Over (SRO) did its work well and got us back to sleep in short order.
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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 1535 – Sir Thomas More, formerly Lord High Chancellor of England, is executed after being convicted of treason against King Henry VIII. More had been arrested following difficulties that arose after he did not accept Henry as head of the new Church of England. In a show of mercy, Henry changed the method of execution from hanging, drawing, and quartering to decapitation. More was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1935 and invented the word ‘utopia’, which is the title of a book he wrote in 1515 about an imaginary, perfect society.
In 1934 – Elizabeth Ryan of the US wins her twelfth and final Wimbledon doubles title, a Wimbledon record for doubles titles that still stands. Ryan also won seven mixed doubles titles and her 19 Wimbledon titles were a record until broken by Billie Jean King in 1979. Ryan also won French Open doubles titles in 1930 and 1932-34 and won the US Open doubles title in 1926 and her best Grand Slam singles finishes were two finals appearances at Wimbledon and one at the US Open. Ryan, never pleased her mark was being approached, died at Wimbledon the day before King broke her record.
In 1963 – The Essex is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first of two consecutive weeks with Easier Said Than Done. The song also went to #1 in New Zealand, peaked at #41 in Great Britain, and at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart. All four members of the group were in the Marine Corps and they remain the only active-duty troops to hit #1 on the Hot 100. It was the first chart single for the group, their first of two Top 40 hits and remains their only #1 song.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Fighting against destiny seemed impossible for the moment.
Jules Verne
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The US Secret Service’s largest seizure of counterfeit US currency was for $30 million in Lima, Peru, in 2016.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Who holds the men’s record for most Wimbledon doubles titles? – Answer next time!
It’s Sparrow, an average man passing an average life…
Tuesday, July 5
There’s been a $1 bill with the letters (initials?) “BD” written in black Sharpie in the left cash drawer all week long…Initially, it was loose but a couple of nites ago we put it on top of the bottom of three stacks of 25 ones and it was still there today and it will be interesting to see how long it lasts…Or it may not be…I’m committed to finding out either way.
The Daily Dose/July 5, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
Leading Off remains MIA.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has news from around The Shire. Today’s Diary.
Speaking of the weed store, it was closed today and why a weed store is closed on a holiday when stoners are probably even more interested in getting high was not immediately clear and while we were out farting around in the yard we saw three or four people walk up to the locked door and turn away.
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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 1865 – The United States Secret Service is formed. Though initially formed to fight the counterfeiting of US currency, the Secret Service later assisted US Marshalls in investigating, among other things, murder, bank robbery, and illegal gambling. The first director was William Patrick Wood and the Secret Service would assume presidential protection duties following the assassination of William McKinley in 1901.
In 1914 – The Boston Braves, idle today, remain 26-40 and in last place in the National League, 15 games behind the New York Giants. The Braves would establish themselves as one of the great comeback teams in baseball history by going 68-19 the rest of the way to win the pennant by 10.5 games over the Giants. The Braves defeated the Philadelphia Athletics four games to none in the World Series.
In 1975 – The Captain and Tennille are at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the third of four consecutive weeks with Love Will Keep Us Together. The song also went to #1 in Canada and Australia, peaked at #32 in Great Britain, was Billboard’s #1 song of the year, and won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year. It was the first chart single for the duo, their first of seven Top 10 hits, and their first of two #1 songs. The couple divorced in 2014 after 39 years of marriage.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Go for the top. If you aim for second you will end up there.
John F Kennedy
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The first Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was won by MC Hammer for U Can’t Touch This in 1991. The award was discontinued in 2011, merged with other rap performance awards, and is now the Best Rap Performance award.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What was the US Secret Service’s largest counterfeit seizure? – Answer next time!
