The Daily Dose/Thursday, February 24, 2022
The Daily Dose/February 24, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Leading Off continues to run intermittently while we work on a couple of projects. Thank you for understanding.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow strongly suspects a guest is both homeless and demented. Today’s Diary.
Both turned out to be true, tho not immediately…At distance, his hair and beard appeared scraggly, plus he had that general, ineffable air and posture that attends the homeless…However, as he came to the front desk it was plain his hair had been recently barbered and his beard, while long, showed signs of recent attention, too…He did save some face, tho, upholding the Homeless Bylaws by having BO, despite the presence of a shower in his room…
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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 1582 – Pope Gregory XIII issues a papal bull announcing changes to the Julian calendar, changes that would eventually bear his name. The bull was designed to correct flaws in the Julian calendar that were making it tougher to reckon the date of Easter, a movable feast on the Christian calendar. Among the changes were limiting leap years to years evenly divisible by four, except for century years which must be evenly divisible by 400. The Gregorian Calendar came into use in what would become the United States in 1752.
In 1989 – Roberto Duran of Panama wins the WBC middleweight title defeating Iran Barkley in a split decision in Atlantic City. It was the first title defense for Barkley, who would later win super middleweight and light heavyweight titles. Previously, Duran had won the world lightweight, welterweight, and light middleweight titles and he last fought in 2001, finishing with a professional record of 103-16 with 70 knockouts.
In 1990 – Paula Abdul is at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the fifth of ten non-consecutive weeks with Forever Your Girl. The album produced four #1 singles, tying the record for most #1 songs from an album – a record now held by Michael Jackson and Katy Perry (5) – established a new mark for most #1s from a debut album, and its 64 weeks to reach #1 established a record that still stands. It was the first chart album for Abdul and her first of two #1s (Spellbound, two weeks, 1991)
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
It is not possible to run a course aright when the goal itself has not been rightly placed.
Francis Bacon
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The British prime minister at the time of the Cato Street Conspiracy in 1820 was Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Pope Gregory XIII is the last pope known to have had children. How many did he have? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Wednesday, February 23, 2022
The Daily Dose/February 23, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Leading Off continues to run intermittently while we work on a couple of projects. Thank you for understanding.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow assures a guest his rented skis will be OK. Today’s Diary.
Specifically, he wondered about his rented skis and his luggage, and yours truly advised we’d be happy to store everything – even his in-laws – in the storage room and the rental company will pick up his gear, don’t give it another thought…
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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 1820 – A plot to murder all British cabinet ministers is exposed, with conspirators arrested in London. The plot was brought about by a slow economy following the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, with many veterans unable to find work. Using information provided by an informant and following a scuffle that killed a comrade, constables made arrests that later resulted in five hangings and five transports to Australia. History refers to the incident at the Cato Street Conspiracy.
In 2014 – Canada completes a gold medal sweep in ice hockey at the Sochi Winter Olympics, defeating Sweden 3-0 in the gold medal game. It was the ninth and most recent Olympic title for Canada – the most of any nation – and they were the first team to defend their Olympic title since the Soviet Union in 1988. Earlier in the Games, the Canadian women won the gold medal by defeating the US 3-2 in overtime.
In 1959 – Lloyd Price is at #1 for the third of four consecutive weeks on both the Billboard Hot 100 and its Hot R&B Sides chart with Stagger Lee. The song was written in the late 19th century and is loosely based on the 1895 murder in St Louis of one Billy Lyons by Lee Shelton. The song was the first of three Top 10 hits on the Hot 100 for Price, remains his only #1 pop hit, and was his second of four soul #1s. In 1970 a version by Tommy Roe peaked at #25 on the Hot 100 and in 1950 a version titled Stak-A’-Lee by Archibald & His Orchestra peaked at #10 on the soul chart.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Goodness is the only investment that never fails.
Henry David Thoreau
Walden
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Karl Malone holds the NBA record for most career free throw attempts with 13,188.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Who was the British prime minister at the time of the Cato Street Conspiracy? – Answer next time!
The Diary of a Nobody/February 22, 2022
The Daily Dose/Tuesday, February 22, 2022
The Daily Dose/February 22, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Leading Off continues to run intermittently while we work on a couple of projects. Thank you for understanding.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow notes senility is starting to set in. Today’s Diary.
Hilarity ensued at the left drawer, where ol’ Sparrow not only miscounted but entered incorrect figures on the CDSS…
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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 1994 – CIA agent Aldridge Ames and his wife are arrested on suspicion of espionage at their home in Arlington, Virginia. Ames would plead guilty in April and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole, a sentence being served at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. His wife, as part of the plea deal, received a 5-year sentence for tax evasion and conspiracy. Ames had begun spying in 1985 and had come under suspicion when FBI investigators had discovered his family and in-laws were leading beyond their known means.
In 1962 – Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors establishes a new NBA record for most free throw attempts in a game in a 139-122 win over the St Louis Hawks. Chamberlain shot 34 free throws – making 19 – to break the record of 31 he had established in December. The record was broken by Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic on January 12, 2012, with 39, a mark Howard, then with the Los Angeles Lakers, would tie in March 2013 and which still stands.
In 1986 – Whitney Houston is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the second and final consecutive week with How Will I Know. It was the second of eleven #1 singles for Houston and her second of seven consecutive #1s, a Hot 100 record that still stands. The song also went to #1 in Iceland and Canada, peaked at #5 in Great Britain and at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart, and was Billboard’s fourth-biggest song of the year. The song was originally offered to Janet Jackson, who declined it.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
No man ever followed his genius till it misled him.
Henry David Thoreau
Walden
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The US has not won any biathlon medals at the Winter Olympics.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Who holds the record for most free throws attempted in an NBA career? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Monday, February 21, 2022
The Daily Dose/February 21, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Leading Off continues to run intermittently while we work on a couple of projects. Thank you for understanding.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – At the hotel, there’s a report on reloading a Colt .45 in the back office. Today’s Diary.
Amy came back and I showed her the top sheet…She had some zero clue why there was apparently a report on reloading a Colt .45 on the back copier…Ol’ Sparrow asked if this was a new brand standard and she laffed and said she wasn’t sure, tho there hadn’t been any training on Firearm Reloading today…Yours truly noted, tho – what with my assault still fresh in everybody’s mind – that maybe it was forthcoming and we’d all soon be required to pack heat at the front desk.
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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 1613 – Mikhail I is elected Russian tsar by a national assembly, the first tsar of the House of Romanov. Mikhail succeeded Dmitry Troubetskoy, who had ruled for a few months at the end of a period History refers to as the Time of Troubles, which had begun in 1598. During his reign Mikhail, among other things, extended Russia eastward from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean and reigned until shortly before his death in July 1645. The Romanovs would rule Russia until the 1917 revolution.
In 1960 – Biathlon makes its Olympic debut at the 1960 Squaw Valley, California Winter Games. The sport is a combination of cross-country skiing and shooting and is scored by combining the ski race time with misses in the shooting, with misses costing competitors two minutes per miss. Klas Lestander of Sweden won the gold medal, 36 seconds ahead of Antii Tyrvainen of Finland. Prior to 1960, a similar event, military patrol, had been contested at some Winter Games, mostly as a demonstration sport and women’s biathlon debuted at the 1992 Albertville Winter Games.
In 1976 – Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson are at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the first of three consecutive weeks with Good Hearted Woman. The song also peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Billboard’s second-biggest country song of the year. and 1971 Jennings, on his own, had taken the song to #3 on the country chart. Jennings and Nelson wrote the song over a poker game after Jennings had found some inspiration while reading an advertisement promoting Tina Turner.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
I have always thought that one man of tolerable abilities may work great changes, if he first forms a good plan, and makes the execution of that same plan his sole study and business.
Benjamin Franklin
Autobiography
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Janet Guthrie finished 29th in the 1977 Indianapolis 500, after blowing a timing gear on the 27th lap.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
How many Winter Olympic biathlon gold medals has the US won? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Sunday, February 20, 2022
The Daily Dose/February 20, 2022
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
The Sunday Bottom 5
A ranking of some things.
1. DH In National League – Finally…49 years after the American League stopped making pitchers bat and 48 years after they should’ve done it, the National League is getting the DH full time…SB5 pollsters remain “pretty sure” that stodgy oldtimers still achieving states of arousal over sacrifice bunts can still get strategy fix playing chess.
2. MLB Lockout – This presumes anybody’s playing baseball this year, as lockout has already delayed spring training…Guys, be careful, because with World Series TV ratings still going down harder than whore with the fleet in and the game tougher than ever to watch, fans may decide to lock you out if you guys don’t settle up fast.
3. Donald Trump – This ain’t going anywhere, folks until the Liar/Ignoramous-in-Chief leaves the public eye…The 3-hole staple, Trump remains the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential front-runner despite remaining a lying sexual predator who believes the Revolution was won by the Continental Army securing British airports…SB5 pollsters still curious as to which of these elements continues to earn him support.
4. College Football Playoff– False start on expansion talks means current 4-team Nick Saban Invitational playoff will be with us through the 2025 season…SB5 pollsters “strongly suspect” that if details of cash cow an expanded playoff would be cannot be worked out, you know there is some serious disagreement going on as, perhaps, some conferences actually standing up to SEC.
5. Prince Andrew – British Empire thrilled settlement in his US sex abuse civil case has been reached, so they can avoid pesky details such as how royals get their underaged girls procured and whether or not Prince was decent lay…British subjects though, rightly wondering if they’ll be footing any of the bill or if some crown jewels to be put on ebay.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
It’s Read Free Sunday (RFS).
The Diary of a Nobody – Finally, there are lids for morning coffee service. Today’s Diary.
Recall last week we ran out, with ol’ Sparrow being reduced to telling guests we were unable to provide lids today…They’re not the black ones we’re used to, – they’re white, almost clear – but they fit and will keep your morning joe from spilling all over you on your way to the job site.
———
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 1905 – The US Supreme Court, in a 7-2 vote, upholds a Massachusetts law requiring smallpox vaccinations for state residents. The suit had been brought by a Cambridge pastor who had declined to get a vaccine, citing a smallpox vaccine as a child in his native Sweden that had gone badly. The court ruled that individual liberty is not absolute and can “…be subjected to such restraint, to be enforced by reasonable regulations, as the safety of the general public may demand”.
In 1977 – Janet Guthrie becomes the first woman to drive in the Daytona 500, finishing 12th in a race won by Cale Yarborough. The previous year, Guthrie had become the first woman to drive in a NASCAR Cup Series race, starting and finishing five races. In May, Guthrie would become the first woman to drive in the Indianapolis 500 and she would race in both races a total of six times. Guthrie competed in a total of 33 NASCAR Winston Cup races and her best finish was sixth at the 1977 Volunteer 500 in Bristol, Tennessee.
In 1982 – Stevie Wonder is at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart – then known as the Hot Soul Singles chart – for the first of nine consecutive weeks with That Girl. It was Wonder’s 14th of a then-record 20 #1 soul hits, a mark long-shared with Aretha Franklin and now held by Drake (23). The song also peaked at #4 on the Hot 100, was Billboard’s biggest soul song of the year, and remains Wonder’s biggest hit on the soul chart.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
I made practice runs to skid row to get ready for my future.
Charles Bukowski
Ham On Rye
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The Sign by Ace of Base was Billboard’s #1 song of 1994. It spent six non-consecutive weeks at #1, seven more weeks at #2, and was in the Hot 100 for 41 weeks.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Where did Janet Guthrie finish in the 1977 Indianapolis 500? – Answer next time!