The Daily Dose/Sunday, March 7, 2021
The Daily Dose/March 7, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
The Sunday Bottom 5
A ranking of some things.
1. NBA – Hey guys, when 4-on-2 breaks see teams pulling up to shoot a (probably missed) 3-pointer instead of taking the lay-up, your game blows…I’m sorry…Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters “pretty sure” when you get a turnover with numbers you’ve got to take the easy bucket.
2. President Joe Biden – Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters remain “pretty sure” it’s “like, still really great and stuff” to have someone who is not a lying sexual predator who believes the moon is part of Mars in the White House, even if he the usual Democrat who wants to take care of everybody.
3. Lauren Daigle – Might as well just call it the Lauren Daigle #1 position now, as You Say still at top of Hot Christian Singles chart, now for the 119th non-consecutive week, a Billboard all-chart record…Envious Morman Tabernacle Choir, still looking to hit charts, reportedly putting finishing touches on rockabilly version of O! Holy Night to ready by holidays.
4. COVID-19 – Could be on the way out, but it’s pretty resilient, so let’s not let our guard down just yet…While masks not required to read this column, Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters still wearing theirs just for funsies.
5. Former President Trump Fact Check – He’s baaaaack!!!..Click here for all the lies from his first speech since fleeing office…From the AP.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
Of course it’s Read Free Sunday at The Diary. Enjoy.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow’s obliged to square away the sundry stand. Today’s Diary.
The sundry stand was a complete fiasco…There’s a hockey team in-house so, of course, the sodas and ice cream was ransacked and while that’s fairly routine, the storage freezer in the back office was a complete mess…Recall Wednesday we provided a morning meal for our guests because the restaurant was closed and Brandon had gone and dropped over $600 on food.
A lot of it is still left…There are three one-gallon jugs of milk, all unopened, in the back office refrigerator plus enuff yogurt to feed a weekend yoga retreat and there are boxes of juice and milk in the back office coffee room (BOCR).
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Columns, books, shopping lists, click here to get in on the laughs.
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On This Date
The long march to today.
In 1914 – Albanian Prince William assumes the throne of the Principality of Albania, which was formed the previous year at the conclusion of the First Balkan War. William’s reign was marked by turbulence and revolt and even a coup attempt plot. William would flee the country in September and would serve in the German army in World War I and while he had hopes of regaining his throne, Williams’s reign ended when Albania was declared a republic in 1925.
In 1954 – The Minneapolis Lakers defeat the Milwaukee Hawks 65-63 in the only NBA game ever played with baskets not 10-feet from the ground. Baskets for the game were 12-feet off the ground, an experiment amid complaints that big men had too easy a time scoring. Some sources cite this game as an exhibition, however the result counted in the standings. The Milwaukee Hawks later moved to St Louis and are now the Atlanta Hawks.
In 1981 – REO Speedwagon is at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the first of 15 non-consecutive weeks with Hi Infidelity. The album produced four Top 40 hits, including the Top 10 hits Take It on the Run (#5, two weeks) and Keep On Loving You (#1, one week). The album also went to #1 in Canada, peaked at #6 in Great Britain, was Billboard’s #1 album of 1981 and it’s 39th-biggest of 1982.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
The secret of happiness is action, the exercise of energy in a way suited to a man’s nature and circumstances.
Will Durant
The Story of Civilization, Vol. II: The Story of Greece
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Glenallen Hill of the San Francisco Giants was the first National League player to appear as a designated hitter in a regular-season game, on June 12, 1997 against the Texas Rangers.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What was Billboard’s #1 album of 1982? – Answer next time!
Go Gaylon! Visit Gaylon on Facebook here.
The Diary of a Nobody/March 7
It’s Sparrow, an average man passing an average life…
Saturday, March 6
Assistant Front Desk Manage Q said Front Desk Manager Brandon would be in this afternoon and that Brandon was none too pleased with it…It seems Brandon was squabbling with the airline whose pilots and flight attendants stay with us in ski season about how many late checkouts they are entitled to…The airline says three and Brandon was trying to say no because we’re sold out Saturday night and housekeeping isn’t here that late, usually gone by 1300 or so.
The Daily Dose/Saturday, March 6, 2021
The Daily Dose/March 6, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
USA! USA!: This week Texas and Mississippi both announced they will be lifting their mandates requiring their residents to wear masks. The decisions are being met with the usual bickering we get about everything in America now.
Now Hear This: It’s important to note this is not an order not to wear a mask and go breathe on everyone, it is merely the removal of a government regulation to wear one, something a government doesn’t really have the right to do in the first place.
Dry, Technical Matter: The fact we’ve tolerated our government mandating things like mask wearing and business closures is an interesting insight into our country. The America that once shed the yoke of British oppression is long gone. We comply now.
And You Wonder Why You Don’t Get Invited To More Paries: But this is hardly a bulletin. Subjects have been yielding to their rulers since time immemorial. It’s the way the world is built.
Get Your Official Daily Dose Policy Right Here: Please, wear a mask because we ain’t out of the COVID woods yet. It’s still a reasonable precaution to take and we will wear ours as long as we damn well please.
The Bottom Line: Had America not been a partisan, fractured and bickering mess, we think it’s likely that a year ago America would have collectively decided that wearing masks was a reasonable precaution to take and while there is no way of knowing for sure, it’s possible the number of COVID deaths in America would be a tenth of what they are now. We all have blood on our hands.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow does not appear to be lusted after anymore. Today’s Diary.
The big news at the hot springs is that for the second consecutive Friday those two old(er) ladies who have the hots for me stayed away from the hot spring I was in…I have some zero clue why…Maybe they’ve lost their ardor or maybe their grandchildren counseled them or something…I don’t know…All I know is I’m not complaining.
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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 662 – The Islamic prophet Muhammed makes his final sermon, on Mount Arafat, a bit east of Mecca. A variety of accounts of the sermon exist, with Muhammed talking about, among other things, the importance of Muslims following the teachings he had set forth in his writings, not following certain pre-Islamic customs and the ending of some blood feuds. Muhammed, then in his early 60s, would die in June.
In 1973 – Lary Hisle of the Minnesota Twins becomes the first designated hitter in major league history, in a spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, going 2-for-5, with two home runs and seven RBIs. The American League had adopted the DH, following its use in some minor leagues, though to this day the National League has, except for 2020, declined to do so. Hisle would appear in no games as a designated hitter during the 1973 regular season.
In 1976 – The Miracles are at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the only week with Love Machine (Part 1). It was the 30th and final Top 40 hit for the group, their seventh and final Top 10 hit and their second and final #1 song (The Tears of a Clown, two weeks, 1970). The song also peaked at #3 in Great Britain and at #5 on Billboard’s soul chart. The distinctive growling at the start was sung by Miracle Bobby Rogers.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
‘Cause you ain’t done nothin’ new…Time you settled down and made de best of things de way de is…
Alex Haley
Roots: The Saga of an American Family
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Winston Churchill was British prime minister for eight-and-a-half years, from May 1940 until July 1945 and then from October 1951 until April 1955.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Who was the first National League player to appear as a designated hitter in a regular-season game? – Answer next time!
Go Gaylon! Visit Gaylon on Facebook here.
The Daily Dose/Friday, March 5, 2021
The Daily Dose/March 4, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
Leading Off called in sick. It will return.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow doesn’t give the cabin its usual Thursday cleaning. Today’s Diary.
The cabin didn’t even get even a Level I cleaning today, much less the Level II cleaning it needed last Thursday and desperately needs now…There were only a couple of dishes to wash and the catbox was cleaned but that was it…Too bad, too, because things starting to crunch when you walk in certain areas.
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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 1946 – British Prime Minister Winston Churchill uses the phrase “Iron Curtain” in a speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. Churchill was speaking about political affairs in Europe after World War II, specifically the separation between countries under Soviet influence and those not. Churchill is often credited with coining the term, however it had earlier been used by the Nazis in reference to the Soviet Union.
In 1969 – Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins establishes a new NHL record for most assists in a season in a 2-2 tie with the Detroit Red Wings. Esposito had two assists, giving him 63 on the season, breaking the record of 62 set by Stan Mikita of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1966-67. Esposito finished the season with 77 assists, a mark that has been topped many times and the single-season assist record is now 163, done by Wayne Gretzky in 1985-86.
In 1966 – Barry Sadler, a staff sergeant in the United States Army, is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first of five consecutive weeks with Ballad of the Green Berets. It was the first chart single for Sadler and only a #28 hit later in the year prevented him from being an ultimate one-hit wonder, an act whose only chart single went to #1. The song also went to #1 in South Africa, peaked at #24 in Great Britain, at #2 on Billboard’s country chart and was Billboard’s #1 song of the year.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Fortune had betrayed him for the moment, and the world had turned against him. Victory was slipping from his grasp even as he stretched out his hand to seize it. But his arm was long.
J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Wayne Gretzky had 137 points in his first NHL season in 1979-80. However, he had spent the previous season in the World Hockey Association and was not considered a rookie.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
For how many years did Winston Churchill serve as British prime minister? – Answer next time!
Go Gaylon! Visit Gaylon on Facebook here.
The Daily Dose/Thursday, March 4, 2021
The Daily Dose/March 4, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
This is part two of a two-part series on the minimum wage.
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
INCOMING!: Yesterday in this space we took a practical look at the minimum wage. Today we are going to take a philosophical look at it by asking a couple of questions. They are aimed at all of us, but particularly at those in the Fight for $15 movement, which wants a government-mandated $15/hour minimum wage.
This Should Be Exciting: The first question is:
Why are we limiting ourselves to $15/hour?
Good gravy, we’ve made $15/hour, or its historical equivalent, many times in the past. Heck, we’ve known what it’s like to want to make $15/hour, too. Our first job out of the Navy in 1988 – small-town radio announcer – paid $5.50/hour, about $12.50 in today’s dollars. That’s not much and $15/hour isn’t much, either.
Ladies And Gentlemen Of The Jury: Secondly:
Why are we limiting ourselves to what our government chooses to do for us?
Some Philosophy Crap: All of us have 24-hours every day to make something good happen for ourselves. What more do we want in this life? Do we want our government to provide cradle-to-grave coverage for us?
More Philosophy Crap: Getting on in this life isn’t easy, of course, and all of us have assorted circumstances to battle but by and large over the years we’ve found the biggest obstacle to what we want in this life looks us in the mirror every morning.
The Bottom Line: Every morning we have a choice: we can shrug and take what life doles out or we can make a plan for our life and execute that plan. We can maximize our talents or we can squander our talents. And friends, if we are choosing to accept what our government chooses to do for us, we are squandering our talents.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow whines about the mats for standing on being placed under the doggie beds at the hotel.
Now, look…No one takes a back seat to spoiling their pet like I do – cat licks are almost an FDA-approved ingredient now – but this is ridiculous, tho now that I think about it could merely be a convenient place to store them because not everyone uses the mats, something I don’t understand at all…I mean I spend – maybe, on a busy nite – an hour at the most standing at the front desk and wouldn’t be caught dead without one.
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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 1970 – The French diesel submarine Eurydice (S644) explodes and sinks off the coast of southern France, killing all 57 crew members. The ship was diving when it explodes, with shock waves being picked up by a French geophysical laboratory and the following month wreckage would be found in the area. Eurydice had been commissioned in 1964 and the cause of the explosion was never determined.
In 1976 – Bryan Trottier of the New York Islanders establishes a new NHL record for most points in a season by a rookie in a 3-3 tie with the Vancouver Canucks. Trottier had two assists, giving him 79 points for the year, eclipsing the mark of 77 established by Marcel Dionne of the Detroit Red Wings in 1971-72. Trottier finished the season with 95 points, a mark broken in 1980-81 by Peter Stastny (109) and now held by Teemu Selanne, who had 132 points with the Winnipeg Jets in 1992-93.
In 1989 – Debbie Gibson is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of three consecutive weeks with Lost In Your Eyes. It was Gibson’s eighth Top 40 hit, her fifth Top 10 song and her second and final #1 (Foolish Beat, one week, 1988). The song also went to #1 in Canada, peaked at #34 in Great Britain and was Billboard’s 13th-biggest song of the year. Gibson, now 50, last appeared on a Billboard chart came in 2006 when Say Goodbye peaked at #24 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
…if his mind was preoccupied with emotions he couldn’t use it effectively.
John Creasy
A Sharp Rise In Crime
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Two songs spent three weeks at #1 on Billboard’s country chart in 1973, the most of any song: You’ve Never Been This Far Before by Conway Twitty and The Most Beautiful Girl by Charlie Rich.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
How many points did Wayne Gretzky have in his first NHL season? – Answer next time!
Go Gaylon! Visit Gaylon on Facebook here.
The Daily Dose/Wednesday, March 3, 2021
The Daily Dose/March 3, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
This is Part I of a two-part series on the minimum wage.
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
THE HONEYMOON IS OVER: We’ll admit it is with some trepidation we dive into criticizing a proposed policy of President Joe Biden because we are still reveling in our glee over not having the lying sexual predator who believed the moon is part of Mars in the White House.
But today’s item is going to discuss the minimum wage.
Dry, Technical Matter: The Biden Administration tried to get a raise in the minimum wage to $15 an hour included in their COVID relief bill. The Senate parliamentarian said no, it violated Senate rules, rules that are, thankfully, too dry even for examination here.
Dry, Technical Matter II: Some research shows you can find compelling economic arguments on both sides of the issue, too, so we’ll skip those and take a practical look at the minimum wage:
A wage, salary or any other condition of employment is a contract between an employee and an employer. The government must butt out.
Oh, Jesus H: Now, we’re sympathetic with those who aren’t making what they think they should be making. We’ve spent a lot of our working life punching clocks and, in fact, we still are. Two of them, in fact. But we can’t expect the government to do things that we should be doing ourselves.
USA! USA! Look, any American is free to do the following things:
1) decide how much they want/need to make;
2) Identify the jobs that will pay this;
3) put the work in that is required to get this job.
It’s the American way, maximizing your time and talents to build the life you want for yourself. To expect the government to take charge of getting you a raise is not reasonable. That is the lookout of every American worker.
The Bottom Line: Let’s be honest, wages aren’t going to go up in this country until Walmart is unionized. Don’t bet on that happening, though. We’ve punched a clock for Mr Sam – as he’s affectionately known in the company – and the number of people we heard talking about unionizing was zero and for whatever reason the unions aren’t forcing the matter, either. So be it. It’s not the government’s job to give workers a raise, it’s a worker’s responsibility to put the time and effort into getting the job that pays what they want to make.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow deals with an alarm going off at the hotel. Today’s Diary.
I walked into the room and the fire alarm is going off: a loud beeping and flashing white light, tho you don’t have to be the fire marshall to note that nothing appears to be burning…A quick feel of the alarm shows no way to shut it off so, after staring at the alarm in typical Sparrow fashion – crossly, with my hands on my hips – I go to the front desk…
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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 1859 – The largest slave auction in US history concludes at a race track near Savannah, Georgia. Roughly 436 men, women, children and infants were sold to satisfy debts incurred by their owner Pierce Butler. The slaves had been brought to the race track four days before the sale, housed in the stables, to allow whites to inspect them. After freedom, some returned to the area had hired workers.
In 1981 – Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders extends his NHL record with his ninth and final hat trick of the season. Bossy had four goals and an assist in an 8-8 tie with the Edmonton Oilers.. Earlier, Bossy had broken the record of seven hat tricks in a season that had been done on four other occasions. Wayne Gretzky would break the record with ten hat tricks the following season, a mark he would tie in 1983-84.
In 1973 – Cal Smith is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the only week with The Lord Knows I’m Drinking. It was Smith’s 13th country chart single, his second Top 10 hit and his first of three country #1s. The song also went to #1 on Canada’s country chart and peaked at #64 on the Hot 100, Smith’s only pop hit.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
I learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live that life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours…If you have built your castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.
Henry David Thoreau
Walden
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Five NBA players besides Wilt Chamberlain have scored at least 70 points in a game: Kobe Bryant (81, January 2006), David Thompson, (73, April 1978), Elgin Baylor (71, November 1960), David Robinson (71, April 1994) and Devin Booker (70, March 2017).
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What song spent the most weeks at #1 on Billboard’s country chart in 1973? – Answer next time!
Go Gaylon! Visit Gaylon on Facebook here.