The Daily Dose/October 15, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

Leading Off is running intermittently while we work on a project. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has a tough time remembering when he bought the snow tires. Today’s Diary. 

These are, I think, the fourth season for these puppies…It could be the third, but I seem to recall thinking last year was the third and being surprised there was more than enuff tread for a fourth, but now that I think about it, snow tires for the new ride could not have been bought before the new ride itself was purchased and a check of the title shows it was purchased in November 2019, so this will be the third season for these particular snow tires.

———

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 2003 – China sends its first astronaut into space, as Yang Liwei is sent into orbit aboard Shenzou 5. Liwei would spend 21 hours in space and orbited the earth 14 times, making China the third country behind the Soviet Union/Russia and the US to send humans into space.  China has sent explorers into space six times since the most recent a 91-day mission this past summer. This would be Liwei’s only space voyage and he later retired as a major general in the Chinese army.  

In 1988 – The Oklahoma Sooners establish a new NCAA major division record for most rushing yards in a game in a 70-24 win over Kansas State. The Sooners rushed for 768 yards to break the record of 758 yards they had established in a 1980 win against Colorado. The record still stands and the all-division NCAA mark is 789 by Davidson of the FCS in 2018. 

In 1966 – The Four Tops are #1 in the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of two consecutive weeks with Reach Out I’ll Be There. It was the seventh of 24 top 40 hits for the group, their third of six top Ten 10 hits their second and final #1 song. The song also went to #1 in Great Britain and would later spend two weeks at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart and was Billboard’s 4th-biggest song of the year. Versions by Diana Ross and Gloria Gaynor would hit the charts in 1971 and 1975 respectively. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

We can only add our efforts…until we slowly move the mountain.
Deng Ming-Dao

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The Grammy Award in 1968 for Album of the Year went to Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles. 

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

Yang Liwei was the third person born in China to go into space. Who were the first two? – Answer next time!  

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/October 14, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

Leading Off is running intermittently while we work on a project. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Geography Master Sparrow establishes his street cred. Today’s Diary. 

Now, I am in the upper percentile in geography knowledge so I’d heard of Moldova, but for the life of me couldn’t remember if it was part of the old USSR or if it was part of the old Yugoslavia, evidently confusing it with Montenegro…I admitted this and further confused matters by throwing in some topographical features like “Ural Mountains” and “Black Sea” and she was actually fairly impressed with my knowledge of the area. 

———

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 1968 – Apollo 7 performs the first live TV broadcast from a US spacecraft, on its third of eleven days in space. During the seven-minute broadcast, the crew of Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele and R Walter Cunningham gave a tour of the spacecraft and recited old radio catchphrases and relations between the crew and mission control were so contentious it was the last space flight for all three. The mission, though, was a complete success, allowing Apollo 8 to fly to and orbit the moon in December. 

In 1964 – Billy Mills of the United States establishes a new Olympic record in the 10,000 meters at the Tokyo Summer Games. Mills, a graduate of Kansas and a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, used a strong finishing kick in the home stretch to finish in 28 minutes 24.4 seconds and he remains the only American to win an Olympic gold medal in this race. 10,000 meters is about 6.2 miles and this remains Mills’ only medal in a major international meet. 

In 1967 – Bobbie Gentry is at #1 on Billboard’s album chart – then known as the Top LPs chart – for the first of two consecutive weeks with Ode To Billy Joe. It was her first chart album and remains her only #1 and yielded one Top 40 hit, the title track which went to #1 on the Hot 100. The album also went to #1 on Billboard’s country album chart and peaked at #5 on its soul album chart. The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Album, and contributed to Gentry earring the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak; and that it is doing God’s service when it is violating all His laws.
John Adams
Letter to Thomas Jefferson

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

NFL kicker Nick Lowery was the first professional athlete to graduate from Dartmouth. 

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

Which album won the Grammy Award for Best Album in 1968? – Answer next time!  

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/October 12, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

Leading Off is running intermittently while we work on a project. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow makes an appointment to get the snow tires put on. Today’s Diary. 

…those of you keeping score at home wondering that this sure seems awfully and early and unusually farsighted are correct…Usually, we wait until November, but there’s no harm in getting it done early I suppose, especially because snow is forecasted for most of the rest of the week, tho it is still too early in the season for it to stick.

The Bottom Ten/NCAA Week 7 – The field for the 2021 ESPNCup is so deep the coveted Bottom Ten Conference of the Week Award was given the week off. 

Huskies avenge 2020 win over Minutemen, snapping UMess’ 16-game losing skid with their own eleventh straight loss to claim John Adams Spittoon – symbolic of Yankee football lousiness…

A Lutheran school, team issued rare pregame delay of game penalty after argument about whether or not to put peas in pregame tuna hot dish meal extended past start of game.

Should Tomcats up and actually win a game, another D-III Lutheran juggernaut, Finlandia College of Hancock, Michigan – losers of 26 straight – waiting in wings for shot at B-10 glory.

Historically strong finishers, Commodores looking to take advantage of patsy SEC schedule to reinforce B-10 medal street cred by losing out.

———

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 1933 – The US Justice Department acquires Alcatraz Island near San Francisco from the US Army. The island had been an Army prison for several years and after some renovations, a federal penitentiary opened the following August to 137 prisoners who were problems at other prisons. Of the 36 prisoners who tried to escape, 23 were caught, eight died trying and five were never found. The prison closed in 1963 and is now a tourist attraction and museum. 

In 1982 – Paul Molitor of the Milwaukee Brewers establishes a new World Series record for most hits in a game in a 10-0 win over the St Louis Cardinals in Game 1. Molitor had five hits to break the record of four done several times. Molitor also had two RBIs and scored a run and finished the series with eleven hits and a .355 average. The mark was matched by Albert Pujols of the Cardinals in 2011. 

In 1963 – Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs are at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of five consecutive weeks with Sugar Shack. It was the fourth of six Top 40 hits for the group, their first of two Top 10 songs and remains their only #1. The song also went to #1 in Canada and Australia and on Billboard’s soul chart and was Billboard’s #1 song of the year. Versions of the song by Bobby Rich and Carlette hit the country chart in 1970 and 1986 respectively. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

[Lincoln realized] that the function of a political leader in a democracy is not to impose his will, but to help the people decide wisely for themselves…
Benjamin Thomas
Abraham Lincoln

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The first #1 song on the British chart – issued on November 9, 1952 – was Here in My Heart by Al Martino. It would spend nine weeks at #1. 

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

How many players have had at least four hits in multiple games in the same World Series? – Answer next time!  

Share Gaylon! Go!