The Daily Dose/May 9, 2025
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

GO IN PEACE, SERVE THE LORD: An American was elected pope Thursday, the first time this has happened in the church’s 2,000 year history, though it should be noted America has been around for roughly a quarter of that time. Your feelings on the pope, of course, depend on whether or not you’re an adherent. 

Bless You, My Son: On the one hand, a papal election is one of humanity’s most enduring institutions carrying on a 2,000 year tradition in selecting God’s representative here on Earth. 

Or Not: If you are not an adherent, and you’re pretty feisty about the matter, it’s a bunch of men who don’t get laid who believe there is an invisible man in the sky keeping tabs on us deciding who gets to live down the ages while the rest of them return to sorting communion wafers and hearing confessions.

Broad, Historical Context: Either way, you have a cardinal who began the day as another working stiff reporting for duty going from obscurity to eminence in fairly short order

Dry, Technical Matter: Leo XIV is originally from Chicago and also holds Peruvian citizenship from his time working there. He is the first pope born after World War II and the first Pope Leo since the turn of the 20th century. Robert Prevost until yesterday, he is an exciting mix of Italian, French, Dominican, Creole, and Spanish blood. 

The Bottom Line: Even though only about 12% of humanity is Catholic, this week’s conclave took center stage worldwide. Since time immemorial, we humans have required spiritual aid and comfort, and that will never change, and the Catholic Church has done a masterful job of dispensing this over the centuries. It has conquered, among other things, Charles Darwin and its own sex abuse scandal to maintain its preeminence over the centuries. Maintaining this is what a pope is hired to do.  

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow does not have time for a proper walk. Today’s Diary. 

…we did not have time for 4.2 miles (two laps in each lane) but we did have time for one lap in each lane and that’s good for a 4.6 mile walk, a fine walk in anyone’s book.

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———

On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it. 

In 1941 – The German submarine U-110 is captured by the Royal Navy southeast of Greenland. After attacking elements of a North Atlantic convoy, U-110 was found via sonar by the Royal Navy, which used depth charges to force her to surface. Among the items found were code books and an Enigma coding machine that, after some effort, allied the Allies to decode German radio traffic. 

In 1901 – Earl Moore of the Cleveland Blues – now the Guardians – becomes the first major league pitcher to pitch nine no-hit innings and give up a hit in extra innings in a 4-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox. The game was tied 2-2 after nine innings and the feat has been duplicated many times since. The Blues made two errors and Moore only gave up one earned run. The announced attendance was 400 on an overcast, wet day. 

In 1970 – Dave Dudley is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the only week with The Pool Shark. It was the ninth of eleven Top 10 country songs for Dudley and remains his only #1 hit. Tom T Hall wrote the song and it also went #4 country in Canada. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Men are much more attracted by immediate than by remote events; when they find things going well in the here and now, they are pleased, and think of nothing else.
Niccolo Machiavelli
The Prince

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

The world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat is the US Navy’s USS Constitution, commissioned in 1797. It is homeported near Boston. 

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

Who was the first major league pitcher to lose a perfect game in extra innings? – Answer next time! 

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Your Daily Dose will return.

Click here to read today’s entry in The Diary of a Nobody.

Thank you for reading,

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The Daily Dose/May 7, 2025
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 fields an odd request at the hotel. Today’s Diary. 

He says he needs two coffee pods for his in-room machine and he also needs a pen, adding there was a high level of probability he would not be returning the pen which, while hardly a Line of the Year candidate, did garner a chuckle…

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Would you like 4Ever & Ever access to Gaylon’s crap?
Of course you would.
Click here. It’s only $24.99.

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

———

On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it. 

In  1765 – The world’s oldest remaining commissioned warship – the HMS Victory – is launched in Kent, England. Due to a severe weakening of the French Navy, Victory was not placed in commissioned service until 1778 and first saw action in the American Revolution. Victory’s construction felled 6,000 trees, most of them oak, and serves as the flagship of the Royal Navy’s First Sea Lord. It has been in dry dock since the 1920s. 

In 1972 – Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins establishes a new NHL record for most points in a playoff year by a defenseman in a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Orr had three points – two goals and an assist – giving him 22 points for the playoffs, breaking the record of 20 he had set in 1970. The record was broken by Ray Bourque of the Bruins in 1983 (23) and is now held by Miro Heiskanen of Dallas with 26 in 2020. The Bruins would win the series in six games. 

In 1966 – The Mamas & the Papas are at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first of three consecutive weeks with Monday, Monday. It was the second of ten Top 40 hits for the group, their second of six Top 10s, and remains their only #1.  The song also went to #1 in Canada and South Africa, peaked at #3 in Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 7th-biggest song of the year. The song was written in 20 minutes by group member John Phillips and won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Group Performance. 

 Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

…a prince will be fortunate who adjusts his behavior to the temper of the times and on the other hand will not be fortunate when his behavior is not well attuned with the times.
Niccolo Machiavelli
The Prince

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

Besides Bobo Holloman, Ted Breitenstein (1891), Bumpus Jones (1892), and Tyler Gilbert (2021) pitched no-hitters in their first major league start. For Jones, it was his first major league game. 

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

What is the world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/May 6, 2025
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 plays a practical joke. Today’s Diary. 

…we had some zero clue how long the AFDM would be away from the front desk, and operational security dictated we close out the mission and get back to our side of the front desk before being detected. 

———

Would you like 4Ever & Ever access to Gaylon’s crap?
Of course you would.
Click here. It’s only $24.99.

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

———

On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it. 

In  1937 – The German airship Hindenburg catches fire while landing in Lakehurst, New Jersey. The Hindenburg is destroyed within a minute, with 35 of the 97 people on board dying, and there was one death on the ground. The cause of the fire was never determined, with sabotage and static electricity each having gained supporters over the years. The final survivor, Werner Doehner, eight at the time, died in 2019. 

In 1953 – Bobo Holloman of the St Louis Browns throws a no-hitter in his first major league start, a 6-0 win over the Philadelphia Athletics. It was the first of three major league wins for Holloman, was his only complete game and he was sent to the minors in July with a 3-7 record and 5.23 ERA. He was the first pitcher in the modern era to throw a no-hitter in their first major league start and the third of four overall. 

In 1967 – Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra are at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the fourth and final consecutive week with Somethin’ Stupid. The song went to #1 in seven other countries, including Norway and Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 7th-biggest song of the year. It was the second and final #1 hit for Nancy on the Hot 100 and was the tenth and final #1 for Frank in a chart career that began with the first Billboard pop chart in 1940 and continues to this day with annual appearances on Billboard’s holiday songs chart. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Powell was possessed by ambition, but not the ambition that puts the reward and the success ahead of the achievement.
Robertson Davies
The Lyre of Orpheus

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

Phil Collins has had three #1 songs in Great Britain. 

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

Who were the other major league pitchers to throw no-hitters in their first start? – Answer next time! 

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/May 5, 2025
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

DONALD TRUMP AND THE MANTLE OF IDIOCY: Last week was a strong one for the president who believes the moon is part of Mars, as he suggested changing the name of Veterans Day and had the gall to issue pics of him wearing papal vestments. 

Dry, Technical Matter: This actually would’ve been a riot of George Carlin or Sam Kinnison were president. Trump doing it, however, was merely stupid, a vain man trying to draw more attention to himself. 

As The World Turns: This week is off to a strong start, too, with Trump indicating 1) he’s not sure if he supports the due process clause in the 5th Amendment, and 2) saying he is going to have Alcatraz rebuilt, expanded, and reopened as a federal prison. 

Fly In The Ointment: The first is concerning because a president who is on record as not being sure if he supports an aspect of the Constitution is dangerous. He had better support every word of it because he took an oath to protect and defend it.

And In This Corner: The second is merely Trump being his usual blathering, attention-needing self. Alcatraz was closed 60 years ago because upkeep was too expensive and to think it is practical to reopen it now is folly. Besides, how are you going to expand it? It’s an island for Pete’s sake, though maybe Trump can have Hawaii dragged in and placed next to it. 

The Bottom Line: What were we expecting? Trump is selfish and ignorant and could not care less about our country or you and me or anything other than drawing as much attention to himself as possible. At least he is not evil; he’s too ignorant to be evil. If we were evil he never would’ve left the White House after his first term and American Civil War: The Sequel would probably be in its sixth year.  

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow is growing his hair out. Today’s Diary. 

We already resumed using that coloring shampoo, even tho the flowing locks probably aren’t long enuff for the coloring to stick…

———

Would you like 4Ever & Ever access to Gaylon’s crap?
Of course you would.
Click here. It’s only $24.99.

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

———

On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it. 

In  1865 – The government of the Confederate States of America ceases to exist when CSA president Jefferson Davis dissolves the government at the last meeting of his cabinet in Washington, Georgia. General Robert E Lee’s army had surrendered to US forces in Virginia in April, though the final Confederate surrender did not come until November, when the CSS Shenandoah surrendered to Royal Navy elements in England. 

In 1871 – The Atlanta Braves – then the Boston Red Stockings – play their first game, a 20-18 win over the Washington Olympics in a National Association game. The Red Stockings finished their first season with a 20-10-1 record and moved to the National League in 1876 and, with the Chicago Cubs, are the only two original teams left in the league. They became the Braves in 1912, moved to Milwaukee in 1953, and to Atlanta in 1966. Since 1871, they have an all-time record of 11,344-11,027-161, and have won four World Series. 

1984 – Phil Collins is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the third and final consecutive weeks with Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now). The song also went to #1 in Ireland, Norway, and Canada, peaked at #2 in Great Britain, and was Billboard’s fifth-biggest song of the year. It was his first of seven #1 songs as a solo act and his second of ten Top 10 hits. The song also won the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

He was not so unreasonable – usually – as to demand both freedom and the fruits of popular slavery.
Sinclair Lewis
Arrowsmith

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

The Indiana Pacers and the Kentucky Colonels were the only ABA teams to be in the same city with the same name for all nine of the league’s seasons. 

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

How many #1 songs has Phil Collins had in Great Britain? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!