The Daily Dose/August 8, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy

The Sunday Bottom 5
A ranking of some things.

1. COVID Vaccine – Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters remain unsure why everyone isn’t getting vaccinated…They revere personal choice as much as you do, but to think the COVID vaccine is anything other than an attempt to prevent you from getting sick is ignorant and to remain unvaccinated is as stubborn as it is stupid.

2. Eddie Alvarez – American baseball player/speed skater becomes only the sixth athlete ever to earn medals in both Summer and Winter Olympics…Not only did he earn a silver medal this year, in 2014 he earned a silver medal in another traditional Latin sport, short track speed skating.

3. Lauren Daigle – Single ‘You Say’ remains in standard 3-hole spot, now in 132nd non-consecutive week at #1 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart, a Billboard all-chart record…Still-envious Morman Tabernacle Choir continues seeking similar success, now pinning hopes on hot Christian version of  ‘Stairway to Heaven’ featuring heralding trumpets and 18-minute chimes solo. 

4. Donald Trump Supporters – Still reduced to 4-hole with Ms Daigle back in 3 spot, former president remains a lying sexual predator who believes the moon is part of Mars…And that the Revolution was won by the securing of British airports…Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters remain “pretty sure” asking Trump supporters which of these elements continues to solidify their support still reasonable question. 

5. Poppies Restaurant  – Denver, Colorado restaurant serves a schnitzel so good Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters “pretty sure” they’ll be able to get paperwork waiver required for immediate induction into Sunday Bottom 5 Hall of Fame…Also carries Anchor Steam beer in exciting new gold and blue label.  

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

Indeed, it’s Read Free Sunday (RFS) at The Diary.

The Diary of a Nobody -Sparrow gets over twelve hours of sleep. Today’s Diary. 

This one hell of a rest…I woke up about 1530 to use the can feeling pretty good and started making mental preparations for a walk later if further sleep wasn’t forthcoming but eff that noise, I laid back down and, just for funsies, executed a patented Sparrow Roll Over (SRO) and BOOM, the next thing anyone knows it’s 2130, with yours truly up a few minutes before the alarm. 

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On This Date
The long march to today. 

In 1929 – The German airship Graf Zeppelin begins the first circumnavigation of the planet by airship, taking off from Lakehurst, New Jersey. It headed east, crossing Europe and the Soviet Union before stopping for five days in Japan. The airship entered North America at San Francisco before heading south to Los Angeles before returning to Lakehurst on August 29. The Graf Zeppelin had a crew of 36 and carried 24 passengers. It was removed from service following the 1937 Hindenburg disaster. 

In 1920 – The New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers establish a new American League record for the fastest game in a 1-0 Detroit win at Navin Field, later Tiger Stadium. The game took 1 hour and 13 minutes, 24 minutes shorter than the all-time major league record of 51 minutes done the year before by the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Giants. The Yankees went down in order five times, including the final three and there were only two innings – the bottom of the second and eighth innings – where there were multiple runners left on base. 

In 1981 – Frankie Smith is at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart – then known as the Hot Soul Singles chart – for the fourth and final consecutive week with Double Dutch Bus. The song spent 39 weeks on the soul chart including eleven in the Top 10 and was Billboard’s eighth biggest soul song of the year. The song also peaked at #30 on the Hot 100 and remains Smith’s only chart single. The song is one of the few in chart history to receive two separate gold record designations: one for the 12-inch single and one for the 7-inch single.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

Nothing is more powerful than an individual acting out of his conscience, thus helping to bring the collective conscience to life.
John F. Kennedy

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The shortest #1 song in the history of the Hot 100 is Stay by Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs (one week, 1960), which was 1 minute and 36 seconds long. 

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

How many people died during the Hindenburg disaster? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/August 7, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

Leading Off will be running intermittently for the rest of the summer. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow reflects on the bear spray assault he witnessed in the big city. Today’s Diary. 

After the assault yours truly witnessed at the big city hotel Thursday evening that I couldn’t be bothered to stick around to give a statement on, you might be wondering exactly how bad a crime has to be before ol’ Sparrow will favor the authorities with his presence because plainly watching someone get sprayed with bear repellant isn’t sufficient. 

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Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device. 

Columns, books, shopping lists, click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.

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On This Date
The long march to today. 

In 1789 – The United States Department of War is organized by the First United States Congress, the third federal agency formed under the new Constitution after the State and Treasury departments. The War Department would oversee both the Army and Navy until the Navy Department was formed in 1798 and it was disbanded in 1947 when the military establishment was reorganized. Retired General Henry Knox served as the first secretary of war. 

In 1903 – Tommy Corcoran of the Cincinnati Reds breaks the major league record for most assists by a shortstop in a 9-inning game in a 4-2 win over the St Louis Cardinals. Corcoran had 14 assists, tying the all-time mark established by Herman Long of the Boston Beaneaters in a 14-inning 1892 game and research into whose 9-inning record he broke was inconclusive. The record still stands and the extra-inning record is now 15 putouts. 

In 1965 – Herman’s Hermits is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the only week with I’m Henry the Eighth, I Am. The song also hit the Top 10 in Sweden, Canada and New Zealand and was not released in Great Britain. It was the sixth of 18 Top 40 hits for the group, their fifth of eleven Top 10 hits and their second and final #1 song. At 1 minute and 50 seconds long, it remains one of the shortest #1 songs in Hot 100 history. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

Nothing is more powerful than an individual acting out of his conscience, thus helping to bring the collective conscience to life.
John F. Kennedy

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The last Beatles album to hit #1 on the Billboard 200 was 1 – a collection of their #1 singles – which spent eight non-consecutive weeks at #1 in 2000-01 and was Billboard’s biggest album of 2001. The album is at 102 on the most recent Billboard 200, its 483rd week on the chart. Their Abbey Road album is on the chart, too, at #105. 

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

What’s the shortest #1 song in Hot 100 history? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/August 6, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

CAPSULE RESTAURANT REVIEW: Poppies Restaurant and Lounge, Denver, Colorado: One of the earliest lessons we can remember learning is that we all have our talents, that everyone can do something well. One of the things we can do fairly well is pick a restaurant and we came across this gem a couple of years ago when we were in town and driving around looking for a place for lunch. As soon as we passed it, we knew it would be a first-class experience

Dry, Technical Matter: Poppies is a throwback to a bygone era: a wood-paneled room with leather booths and a rather expansive menu. It’s one of those places where older gentlemen still wear blazers with their ladies in one of their best dresses. 

Brass Tacks: We had the schnitzel and whoa Nelly, this was as good as we’ve had…It was pan fried and came with a sherry/mushroom/cream sauce that stole the show…We’re hard to truly impress, but this immediately took its place amongst our all-time favorite dishes. 

In-Review Capsule Beer Review: Anchor Steam Beer: You don’t see Anchor Steam too often outside its native California – and we’re hardly beer snobs – but this is our personal favorite, as surprising to see as it was pleasing. 

Oh, Jesus H/Dry, Technical Matter: Anchor Steam has a new label, too. Gone is the old yellow label with the name in a red ribbon and while the new label is still yellow, the new logo is navy blue and while it’s human nature to whine in situations like this, we prefer the new label to the old.

Official Daily Dose Rating Scale: A – The Very Best; B – Superior; C – Good; D – Average; F – Without Merit

Final Ranking: A/B: We don’t usually equivocate and give out two rankings, but everything is relative. For what they do, Poppies does it supremely well and deserves the highest mark. Compared to 5-star restaurants, though, they are a notch below the Penrose Rooms and the Le Cirques of the world and deserve a B. 

The Bottom Line: But we quibble. Everyone reading this should go there tonight and try the schnitzel. We will be surprised if it doesn’t claim a spot on your favorite dish list. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow watches a hotel employee attack a guest with bear spray. Today’s Diary. 

The guest came out from behind the door of his pick-up and started to confront the front desk manager when the front desk manager attacked him with the bear spray, a guest service technique not found in the Sparrow Customer Service Handbook. 

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Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device. 

Columns, books, shopping lists, click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.

———

On This Date
The long march to today. 

In 1538 – Bogota, Colombia is founded by Spanish explorer Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada, who claims the land – then part of the New Kingdom of Granada – on behalf of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. It would take a few months for the town to get up and running but today Bogota has a population of 7.4 million and is the third largest city in South America. Bogota has been the capital of Colombia since it’s formation in 1830.

In 1936 – Forrest Towns of the United States establishes a new world record in the 100-meter hurdles at the Berlin Olympics. Towns won his semifinal heat in 14.1 seconds, to break the record of 14.2 seconds that had been done twice previously. Later in the day, Towns would win the gold medal in 14.2 seconds, defeating Don Finlay (Great Britain) and Fritz Pollard, Jr. (US). The current record is 12.8 seconds, done by Aries Merritt of the US in 2012. 

In 1966 – The Beatles are at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the second of five consecutive weeks with Yesterday and Today. It was the eighth of 17 #1 albums for the group – a figure which includes compilation albums – and produced the #1 single Yesterday. The original album cover featured the group in white lab coats posing with decapitated baby dolls and raw meat, which some stores refused to sell and which was soon recalled by Capital Records.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

In the city, people paid to hear other people sing and watch other people feel. Passion has become a spectator sport supported by emotional cripples. Love and suffering were knacks possessed by the talented paid to display their gifts.
Lawrence Sanders
The Third Deadly Sin

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The first European settlement in North America was at what is now St Augustine, Florida by the Spaniards in 1565. It is the oldest continuously occupied city on the continent. 

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

What was the last Beatles’ album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200? – Answer next time!

Go Gaylon! Visit Gaylon on Facebook here.

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The Daily Dose/August 5, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

Leading Off is running intermittently for the rest of the summer. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow addresses a paperwork issue at the hotel. Today’s Diary. 

Which brings up a question: do you print – and sign and highlight – the CDSS showing the overage and then drop the overage, or do you drop the overage, adjust the CDSS as needed, and then print out a CDSS showing the standard $200???…

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Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device. 

Columns, books, shopping lists, click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.

———

On This Date
The long march to today. 

In 1583 – The first English colony in North America is established by Sir Humphrey Gilbert at what is now St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Gilbert was in possession of letters patent from King James VI authorizing this and he immediately levied taxes on those fishing in the area and died the following month on his return voyage to England. The first English colony in what would become America was established at Jamestown in 1607, after a failed attempt at Roanoke in 1585. 

In 1936 – Jesse Owens of the United States establishes an unofficial world record in the 200-meters in winning the gold medal at the Berlin Olympics. Owens time of 20.7 seconds was the fastest time ever on a curved track, a record not officially recognized until 1951. (The flat track record was 20.6 seconds, a category discarded in the 1970s.) Earlier in the Games, Owens had won 100-meter and long jump gold medals and Owens would ultimately win four gold medals in Berlin. The 200-meter world record is currently held by Usain Bolt of Jamaica, who ran it in 19.19 seconds, also in Berlin, in 2009. 

In 1972 – Gilbert O’Sullivan is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the second of six non-consecutive weeks with Alone Again (Naturally). It was the first chart single for O’Sullivan, his first of three Top 10 hits and remains his only #1 song. The song also went to #1 in Canada and France, peaked at #3 in Great Britain, was Billboard’s second biggest song of the year and its 24th biggest of the decade. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

Genius does what it must, talent does what it can.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

In addition to the United States, six other nations have had athletes win Olympic gold medals in the long jump: Sweden, Great Britain, East Germany, Cuba, Panama and Greece. Great Britain is the only nation to do it twice. 

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

What was the first European settlement in North America? – Answer next time!

Go Gaylon! Visit Gaylon on Facebook here. 

Share Gaylon! Go!