The Daily Dose/October 19, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience. 

Leading Off remains in time out while we work on a project. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow (again) laments the situation at the sundry stand. Today’s Diary. 

Of course it was Sunday, so no deliveries were made, meaning we still need coffee and every frozen sundry stand item…The freezer is not completely bare, but it plainly needs to be stocked and again I made a covert run to the restaurant to steal more of their coffee. 

The Bottom Ten/NCAA Week 8 – It ain’t over yet, but veteran Bottom Ten fan(s) know teams that can run the table – Arizona and UNLV – when they see them, as the race for the ESPNCup rolls on.

Hoping to avoid future near-misses, Rebels cut rebellious running back who had nerve to score three (3) touchdowns, with boosters agreeing to pick up tab for him to attend crap dealers school.

Game bores even staid New Englanders with 21 punts, 16 penalties.

Jayhawks looking to pad B-10 Team of Quarter Century Award resume, as losing out would produce another Tostitos Plaque – issued to team with longest losing streak in season that actually includes a win.

Midshipmen hampered by pregame Navy Secretary ruling – to better prepare for manning battle stations at sea – to go without sleep the night before game, with pregame meal consisting only of Nairobi trail markers, bug juice…

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On This Date
The long march to today. 

In 1812 – The French invasion of Russia fails as Napoleon begins his retreat from Moscow. Napoleon had invaded in June and had occupied an abandoned Moscow in September, where he stayed expecting a peace overture from Russia. Russian Emperor Alexander I, however, elected to wait for winter to set in, which forced Napoleon to retreat due to cold, a lack of food for men and horses and guerilla warfare staged by Russian peasants and Cossacks. By the end, Napoleon had lost over 80 percent of his army due to death, desertion or capture. 

In 1961 – Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors begins an NBA-record streak of 126 consecutive games with at least 20 points in a 118-113 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the season opener for both teams. Chamberlain had 48 points and the streak would not end until a six-point game on January 20, 1963. The streak includes an NBA record of seven consecutive games with 50 or more points in December. Chamberlain had scored 17 points in the final game of the 1960-61 season. 

In 1963 – Buck Owens is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the first of 16 consecutive weeks with Love’s Gonna Live Here. It was the second of 21 #1 country hits for Owens and his 20th of 90 country chart singles in a career that ran from 1959-75 and Owens’ 82 combined weeks at #1 is still good for third on the Billboard country chart. It was the last song to spend 16 weeks at #1 on the country chart until 2012-13 when Florida Georgia Line spent 24 weeks at #1 with Cruise. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

The case against Clevenger was open and shut. The only thing missing was something to charge him with.
Joseph Heller
Catch-22

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

There has not been an NCAA Division I quadruple-double recorded against NCAA men’s competition. On November 13, 2007, Lester Martin of Tennessee-Martin had 25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals against Central Baptist, an NAIA school in Conway, Arkansas. The feat has been accomplished several times at all levels of NCAA women’s competition. 

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

Where were the two places Napoleon was exiled to during his life? – Answer next time!  

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The Daily Dose/October 18, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience. 

Leading Off remains in time out while we work on a project. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow determines that just about anything will contribute to hair growth. Today’s Diary. 

And just to be a pest yours truly googled “lima beans” and “hair growth” and there was a site for this, too!!!…I am not making that up…Maybe – as suggested yesterday – a “yak piss” and “hair growth” search would actually turn up results. 

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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
The long march to today. 

In 1922 – A consortium of six companies establishes the BBC – then the British Broadcasting Company – in London, under a license from the British General Post Office. The BBC would issue its first licenses on Nov 1 and the first broadcasts began a couple of weeks later and its assets would be transferred to a crown-chartered BBC in 1927. Broadcasting had started in England in 1920, though the station had been shut down because of British fretting over licensing procedures.  

In 1974 – Nate Thurmond of the Chicago Bulls becomes the first NBA player to record a quadruple-double in a 120-115 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks. Thurmond had 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocked shots and the feat has been accomplished four times since, by Alvin Robertson, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. Of the four, Robertson is the only one to get double figures in steals instead of blocks. A seven-time all-star, Thurmond was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985. 

In 1975 – Neil Sedaka is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the second of three consecutive weeks with Bad Blood. It was the third and final #1 song for Sedaka and his eighth and final Top 10 hit in a chart career that spanned from 1958-80. The song also went to #1 in Canada and includes uncredited background vocals from Elton John. Sedaka has also recorded hits in Italian, Spanish, Japanese, German, Hebrew and Canadian French. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

He (Willian of Ockham) admitted in philosophy no authority but experience and reason.
Will Durant
The Story of Civilization, Vol. VI: The Reformation

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

France was the first country to confer diplomatic recognition on the US, doing so in 1778. The most recent was South Sudan, in 2011. 

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

How many NCAA Division I quadruple doubles have been recorded in men’s basketball? – Answer next time!  

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/October 17, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy™

The Sunday Bottom 5
A ranking of some things from the week that was.

1. USA! USA! – Get vaccinated people…Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters still “pretty sure” America’s contrarian streak – which dates back to Revolution – has now been replaced by ignorance and now “strongly suspect” a once-proud country is now closer to the oblivion than the stature it once had. 

2. Baseball Playoffs– Eleven (11) days between end of regular season and final division series game is too long…Play both wild card games on Monday and only make teams travel once for a 5-game series…Or if they must travel twice, make division series’ best-of-seven…Or, better yet, expand to 32 teams and have eight (8) division champions open with best-of-seven series. 

3. Donald Trump – The 3-hole staple…He remains a lying sexual predator who believes 1) the moon is part of Mars and 2) that the Revolution was won by the securing of British airports…Plus his only talent, interest, is in drawing attention to himself…A question for his supporters: which one of these elements continues to earn your support???

4. John Gruden – With Gruden’s resignation as Raiders head coach showing lookback window for stupid emails now ten (10)-years, Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters wondering if use of “fucking cocksucker” some years back will come back to haunt them.  

5. Fake News – Click here for a look at what some of the wizards amongst us were believing this past week…Courtesy of the AP. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

Read Free Sunday (RFS) at The Diary is just waiting for you. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow consults the internet. Today’s Diary. 

I googled “fo ti” and “hair growth” just for funsies and got some hits, but it’s the internet, of course, and you could probably search for “yak piss” and “hair growth” and still get a few results…

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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
The long march to today. 

In 1777 – British General John Burgoyne surrenders his troops to General Horatio Gates of the Continental Army in Saratoga, New York. Burgoyne had moved south from Quebec in June and lost two battles at Saratoga, the last one on Oct 7. The surrender marked a turning point in the Revolution as the win earned America the foreign support required to ultimately defeat the British. The Revolution would end with an American victory in 1783. 

In 1964 – Betty Cuthbert of Australia becomes the first Olympian to win 100-, 200- and 400-meter races, winning the 400-meter gold medal at the Tokyo Summer Games. Cuthbert’s time of 52.0 seconds established a new Olympic record and came four years after she had won the 100- and 200-meter races at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and an injury prevented her from placing at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Cuthbert remains the only Olympian to win all three sprint races. 

In 1970 – The Jackson 5 is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of five consecutive weeks with I’ll Be There. The song also peaked at #4 in Great Britain, was in its second of six consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart, was Billboard’s seventh-biggest song of the year and its biggest soul song of the year. It was the fourth chart single for the group and their fourth and final #1 song. In 1992 a version of the song by Mariah Carey went to #1 on the Hot 100 and to #11 on Billboard’s soul chart. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

Talent is nothing but long patience.
Gustave Flaubert

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Besides the US, five other nations have had athletes win the Olympic gold medal in the 200 meters: Jamaica (4), Canada (3), Italy (2), Greece (1) and the Soviet Union (1). The US has won 17. 

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

Which was the first country to confer diplomatic recognition on the United States? – Answer next time!  

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/October 16, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

HEY BATTER, BATTER…SWING…OR NOT: It was bound to happen sooner or later, a major league baseball playoff series ending on a controversial check-swing call by a base umpire. It happened Thursday in Game 5 of the Dodgers/Giants series: the last out was a check-swing ruled strike three by first base umpire Gabe Morales. It was the last out in a game won by the Dodgers and the win sent them to the National League Championship Series. 

The general consensus amongst those who did not have to make the right then was that Morales was wrong. 

Warm, Personal Remembrance: We’ve made this call a lot, both behind the plate at on the bases and swings are like pornography and other works of art: you know them when you see them. I tended to give the benefit of the doubt to the batter, but other umpires were different. Sue us. Or, better yet, go umpire yourself and see how much fun these calls can be. 

Dry, Technical Matter: For years this call was made by the plate umpire. Then TV announcers started yapping about things like wrists breaking and bat heads crossing the plate – elements not mentioned in the rule book – and baseball caved in and allowed appeals to the first or third base umpire. 

Fly In The Ointment: Almost interesting is the fact the rule book does not define a swing, the only real criteria is the unwritten one of whether or not you thought the batter attempted to hit the baseball. 

But We Digress: Morales has been making this call in professional baseball games for years and has long known what he thinks is and is not a swing. He had to make it right then and without the benefit of consulting Twitter on the matter and from over 100 feet away to boot.  

The Bottom Line: You oblige umpires to make calls from a hundred feet away and you’re going to get this from time to time. Could you imagine a basketball official making a call from the other end of the court or a back judge making a roughing the quarterback call? Of course you couldn’t. Baseball should never have buckled to the pressure that demanded an appeal for half-swings. We speak from experience: the plate umpire is in the best position to make this call. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow goes to the college dining hall for lunch. Today’s Diary. 

ALL YOU CAN EAT CORN DOGS!!!…SWEET MOTHER OF CHRIST!!!…I AM NOT MAKING THAT UP!!!

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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
The long march to today. 

In 1946 – Ten of the twelve Nazis convicted at the Nuremberg Trials and sentenced to death are executed in a gymnasium adjacent to the prison they were being held in. 24 Nazis had originally been indicted on four charges, though some ended up not being charged, or they were acquitted or convicted and issued lesser sentences. The two who were not executed were Martin Borman, who had been convicted in absentia and was who was actually already dead and Hermann Goring who, peeved he was going to be hanged and not shot, had killed himself earlier in the evening. 

In 1968 – Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise their fists while The Star-Spangled Banner is played during the medal ceremony for the 200-meters at the Mexico City Olympics, an event History now refers to as the Black Power Salute. Australian Peter Norman joins the protest, wearing an Olympic Project for Human Rights patch on his sweatsuit. For their efforts, Smith and Carlos are kicked out of the Games while Norman was not selected for the 1972 Olympics despite having a qualifying 200-meter time and when Norman died in 2006 Smith and Carlos were pallbearers at his funeral. The famous photograph of the protest was taken by John Dominis of Life magazine. 

In 1961 – Ray Charles is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the second and final consecutive week with Hit the Road Jack. The song also went to #1 in New Zealand, peaked at #6 in Great Britain and was also in its third of five consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart. It was second of three Hot 100 #1s for Charles and was his seventh of eleven #1 soul hits. The female lead was sung by Margie Hendrix, a member of the Raelettes, Charles’s backup singers. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

I spent the whole day without food, the whole night without sleep…My mind was a perfect blank…I understood nothing at all. That is why I think it is better to study real things in a real world.
Gore Vidal
Creation

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The two men born in what is now China to precede Lang Liwei into space were Americans Taylor Wang (Shanghai, space shuttle mission STS-51-B) and William Anders (Hong Kong, Apollo 8). 

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

How many other nations besides the US have won gold medals in the Olympic men’s 200 meters? – Answer next time!  

Share Gaylon! Go!