The Daily Dose/Friday, March 25, 2022
The Daily Dose/March 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 heads home a little earlier than planned. Today’s Diary.
And not only was yours truly alert the whole way, but there also weren’t even any yawns; it was as if we’d headed out after a full nite’s rest…It was so easy, in fact, that after the second cup of coffee, further caffeination was waved off.
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———
On This Date
History’s long march.
In 421 – The city of Venice in what is now northeast Italy s founded by refugees from neighboring war-torn cities. For centuries Venice was a major financial and maritime power and from 697-1797 was the capital of the Republic of Venice. Today the city sits on 118 islands connected by over 400 bridges and has a population of about 258,000. The name comes from the Venit people, who had occupied the region since the 10th century BC.
In 1934 – Horton Smith of the US wins the first Masters golf tournament, shooting a final round 72 to finish 4-under, defeating Craig Wood of the US by one stroke. It was the first of two Masters titles for Horton (1936) and remain his only two major tournament victories. The tournament was then known as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament and became the Masters in 1936. The green jacket has been awarded to the winner since 1949.
In 1989 – Mike + the Mechanics is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the only week with The Living Years. It was the fourth Top 40 hit for the group, their third Top 10 hit, and remains their only #1 song. The song went to #1 in four other countries including Canada and Japan and peaked at #2 in Great Britain. The song was written by Mike Rutherford and B.A. Robertson.
Following are entries from yesterday, March 24:
In 1944 – Seventy-six allied prisoners of war attempt to escape from a Nazi POW camp in what is now western Poland. Planning had begun the previous March and due to assorted problems, only three managed to escape while 50 of those caught were executed. Two of the escapees made it to Sweden while the third eventually made it to Spain. The event was later dramatized in the 1963 US movie The Great Escape.
In 1975 – Muhammed Ali defends his WBC and WBA heavyweight boxing titles, defeating Chuck Wepner in a 15-round knockout in Cleveland. Ali had won the title the previous October with a victory over George Foreman and he would defend nine more times until losing to Leon Spinks in 1978. An enduring story of the fight is that Wepner declined Ali’s offer to call him a racial slur during an appearance on The Mike Douglas Show in order to sell more tickets for the fight. It was Wepner’s only title shot.
In 1990 – Alannah Myles is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of two consecutive weeks with Black Velvet. It was the first of two Top 40 hits for Myles and remains her only #1 song. The song also went to #1 in Sweden, Switzerland, and Norway, peaked at #2 in Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 18th-biggest song of the year. Later in the year, a version by Robin Lee peaked at #12 on Billboard’s country chart.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
History was flinging the dice.
Gore Vidal
The Golden Age
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
One US Navy ship has been named after Patrick Henry. The USS Patrick Henry was a nuclear submarine, SSBN/SSN 599.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What was Billboard’s biggest song of 1989? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Thursday, March 24, 2022
The Daily Dose/March 24, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
The Daily Dose is taking a day off.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – A guest calls Sparrow to come pick him up. Today’s Diary.
…to his credit, he offered a variety of options for me: I could call a friend to give him a ride or I could leave the front desk and go get him his tone indicating – and this was not completely unfunny – that either option would work for him…Finally, I had to say no means no…
The Daily Dose/Wednesday, March 23, 2022
The Daily Dose/March 23, 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 shows some uncharacteristic discipline. Today’s Diary.
But when you come across a pizza that plainly is only a couple or a few hours old and there are only a couple of slices missing, your attitude does a 180…Especially when it’s pepperoni and sausage, your favorite…But – showing a resolve that was as sturdy as it was surprising – yours truly merely took it to the nearest trash can…
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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
History’s long march.
In 1775 – Patrick Henry utters his famous “give me liberty or give death” line in a speech given at the Second Virginia Convention at St John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia. Henry’s speech is credited with influencing the convention to approve sending Virginian troops for service in the Revolutionary War and Henry would later serve as the first and sixth governor of Virginia. He would later turn down an offer from President John Adams to be ambassador to France and died in 1799.
In 1979 – Harvey Catchings and Ralph Sampson of the New Jersey Nets and Eric Money and Al Skinner of the Philadelphia 76ers establish NBA and American major professional sports records for most teams played with in one game in a 123-117 76ers victory. All four players played for both teams in the game that had first been played on November 8, a Philadelphia win, but was protested by the Nets due to the issuance of three technical fouls each to Nets coach Kevin Laughery and a Nets’ player, a violation of NBA rules, which state that only a maximum of two technical fouls may be issued. The final 17 minutes and 50 seconds of the game were replayed.
In 1985 – The Commodores are at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart – then known as the Hot Black Singles chart – for the second of four consecutive weeks with Nightshift. The song also went #1 pop in The Netherlands, peaked at #3 on both the Hot 100 and in Great Britain, and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group. It was the seventh soul #1 for the group and their ninth Top 10 hit on the Hot 100.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?
Patrick Henry
Seconds before uttering above-mentioned line.
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Freddie Fender’s real name was Baldemar Garza Huerta. He was born in San Benito, Texas.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
How many US Navy ships have been named after Patrick Henry? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Tuesday, March 22, 2022
The Daily Dose/March 22, 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 farts around with the creamer layout for Morning Coffee Service. Today’s Diary.
One of the advantages of growing older is you can’t remember squat anymore, and when MCS was being set up a few hours later, it occurred to ol’ Sparrow that, perhaps, he’d gotten the results backward and that French vanilla actually won the Creamer Challenge…It was tuff to remember and it’s hardly as if there’s a plaque on the wall commemorating the event…So yours truly reset it so there were four French vanilla rows and three half & half rows.
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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
History’s long march.
In 1978 – Karl Wallenda – patriarch of the Flying Wallendas high wire act – is killed when he falls attempting to walk between the two towers of a hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The fall came about halfway through the walk when high winds caused Wallenda to attempt to lower himself and hold on to the wire. Wallenda’s fall was broken somewhat by a taxi, but he was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital. Wallenda was 73.
In 1979 – The NHL announces it has agreed to accept four teams from the defunct World Hockey Association (WHA) into the league. The Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Hartford Whalers, and Quebec Nordiques begin play later in the year and the only Oilers remain in their original city. The final WHA game was played on May 20, when the Jets defeated the Oilers 7-3 to win the Avco Cup.
In 1975 – Freddie Fender is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the second and final consecutive week with Before the Next Teardrop Falls. The song also went #1 country in Canada, #1 pop in Australia, and in May the song would spend a week at #1 on the Hot 100. Earlier, versions by Linda Martell (#33, 1970) and Duane Lee (#44, 1968) had also hit Billboard’s country chart and it was the first of four #1 country songs for Fender and remains his only #1 pop hit.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Life is being on the wire. Everything else is just waiting.
Nik Wallenda
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Texas Western – now UTEP – in 1966 and North Carolina State in 1974 were the only teams besides UCLA to win NCAA basketball titles between 1964 and 1975.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What was Freddy Fender’s real name? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Monday, March 21, 2022
The Daily Dose/March 21, 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 deals with a caller trying to work him for a lower rate. Today’s Diary.
I apologize and advise that while I cannot offer that rate, I can offer $225 if he signs up for the rewards club at check-in and Miller could tell when the tablets were coming down from Mount Sinai because he offered no resistance to this rather gracious offer.
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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
History’s long march.
In 1871 – Welsh/American writer and explorer Henry Morton Stanley embarks on a journey to find Scottish explorer David Livingstone, who was on a mission in central Africa and had not been heard from in six years. Stanley would eventually find Livingstone near Lake Tanganyika in what is now Tanzania and the line “Dr. Livingstone, I presume” appears to be a later embellishment by Stanley, as neither man mentioned it in contemporary accounts.
In 1964 – The UCLA Bruins win the NCAA major division – then known as the University Division – basketball title with a 98-83 victory over the Duke Blue Devils in Kansas City. It was the first of eleven NCAA basketball titles for the Bruins, ten of them coached by John Wooden, who was then in his 16th season as head coach. The Bruins would win nine more national titles through 1975 and this was the first title game appearance for Duke, who would win the first of their five championships in 1991.
In 1987 – Club Nouveau is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of two consecutive weeks with Lean On Me. It was the first of two Top 40 hits for the group and remains their only #1 song. The song also went to #1 in Canada and New Zealand, peaked at #3 in Great Britain, at #2 on Billboard’s soul chart, and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B song. In 1972 a version by Bill Withers went to #1 on Billboard’s pop and soul charts, making Lean On Me one of nine songs to go to #1 on the Hot 100 by different artists.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
I balanced sometimes between principle and inclination…So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do.
Benjamin Franklin
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
John Stockton led the NBA in assists nine times, all with the Utah Jazz from 1984 and 2003, more than anybody else.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Between 1964 and 1975, who were the only two schools besides UCLA to win NCAA basketball titles? – Answer next time!