Meet Sparrow, an average man passing an average life…
Saturday, February 6
Sold out at the hotel, and appropriately busy, too, the first real ski season night we’ve had since last ski season before lockdown…It was so busy, Front Desk Manager Brandon was there when I reported for duty even tho he was supposed to leave at 2000 and Assistant Front Desk Manager Q was pouty, as he usually gets when he’d overworked.
The Daily Dose/February 6, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Friends, The Daily Dose will return.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow encounters another yapper in the hot springs. Today’s Diary.
He was talking movies with this hapless dude when I got there and it turned out he grew up with some guy named Trey who appeared in some movies years ago so that rolled right into his brief acting career in a school play where he could remember neither cues nor lines and then he wanted to be on the ski team but his folks were broke so he had to get a job as a preschool janitor and his skiing career was neither long nor successful because he kept banging his head against things and there were probably other things I missed because I kept ducking my head underwater as often as possible.
Meet Sparrow, an average man passing an average life…
Friday, February 5
Like yesterday, I had a plan for today…Unlike yesterday, which went off without a hitch, this one worked out not at all…At first, it did…It was later that didn’t work out.
The Daily Dose/February 5, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
THIS WHOLE COLUMN IS GOING TO BE DRY, TECHNICAL MATTER, ISN’T IT?: Regular, even casual, readers of this crap know our fondness for, and even maniacal devotion to, Billboard chart history. We’ve been doing this long enough so that few, thankfully, have the sheer volume of useless facts we do.
Dry, Technical Matter: This includes one-hit-wonders, acts whose only chart single goes to #1. Recently, we presented some research we did into the matter and we came up with 14 one-hit-wonders.
Dry, Technical Matter: The list only includes acts who’ve appeared on the Hot 100, which debuted in August 1958. Before that, Billboard issued multiple pop charts and for many years these had fewer than 100 positions and a one-hit-wonder on those charts doesn’t really have the statistical significance as being a Hot 100 one-hit-wonder does.
Dry, Technical Matter: Now, we don’t keep every-hour-on-the-hour tabs on the matter, but every now and then we’ll check-in and it turns out there’s been an addition to the one-hit-wonder list: Iann Dior.
Dry Technical Matter: Dior’s first chart single, Mood, with 24kGoldin, has spent eight non-consecutive weeks at #1 and this week is hanging tough at #2 behind Drivers License by Oliva Rodrigo, who herself was on the list until her follow-up single debuted in the Hot 100 a couple of weeks ago.
The Bottom Line: This list, of course, is fluid, as Ms Rodrigo showed, and while it is unlikely the Singing Nun will hit the charts again – she’d long dead, after all – some of the more recent ones may fall off and there will be new entrants, too. You can bet Leading Off will be there to chronicle every one of them for you. You’re welcome.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow enjoys a Snow Day. Today’s Diary.
Around 1530 or so, perhaps groggy from the big dinner, yours truly decided that sitting in the chair reading was entirely too much work and retired, for the first time in ages, to the couch…I am not making that up: the Snow Day had been so successful ol’ Sparrow was now too lazy to even read…The couch, strategically, does not have a reading lamp, so all I could do was lay there and listen to some stuff.
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On This Date
The long march to today.
Editor’s Note: due to a technical issue, the first and third items are from previous years.
In 1971 – Apollo 14 lands on the moon, the sixth manned lunar mission and the third to land. Commander Alan Shepard and astronaut Edgar Mitchell spent a total of 9 hours and 22 minutes walking on the moon, then a record. Their launch had been delayed four months after modifications to their spacecraft were made following the in-flight explosion on Apollo 13. The mission would return to Earth on Feb 9 and is widely remembered for Shephard hitting two golf balls with a makeshift club he brought with him.
In 2006 – The Pittsburgh Steelers win their fifth Super Bowl, defeating the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL at Ford Field in Detroit. The Steelers became the third team to win five Super Bowls and in 2009 would become the first team to win six. Hines Ward of Pittsburgh was named the MVP, the national anthem was sung by Aretha Franklin, Aaron Neville and Dr John and the Rolling Stones performed at halftime.
In 1977 – Mary MacGregor is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of two consecutive weeks with Torn Between Two Lovers. It was MacGregor’s first chart single and only a #39 hit in 1979 kept her from being a one-hit-wonder: an act whose only chart single goes to #1. The song also went to #1 in Canada, peaked at #3 on Billboard’s country chart and was Billboard’s 10th biggest song of 1977.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Michelangelo insisted the purpose of art, at least when practiced at the highest levels, was to channel the most profound aspirations of the human spirit.
Miles Unger
Michelangelo: A Life in Six Masterpieces
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Loretta Lynn’s biggest hit on the Hot 100 was After the Fire is Gone, a duet with Conway Twitty, which peaked at #56 in 1971.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Who was the command module pilot for Apollo 14? – Answer next time!
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The Daily Dose/February 4, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
HUT, HUT HIKE: Outside of what is required to know to produce The Bottom Ten, we generally don’t follow the NFL too much, but for the first time we find ourselves with a genuine rooting interest in the Super Bowl.
Oh, Jesus H: Years ago we were in the Navy and served on an old diesel submarine and had a shipmate who probably would not want to be named here so we’ll just refer to him as Carl Hovey and he has a kid playing in the game, Ali Marpet, who has been a guard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2015.
Dry, Technical Matter: Marpet played college ball at Division III Hobart College, located in Geneva, New York and he’s the only D-III player in the game and one of only seven who didn’t play major college football.
Back On Message: We would probably be rooting for Tampa Bay, anyway, because we’ve always enjoyed watching Tom Brady, who for a while now has been on our shortlist of the greatest team sports players in history. Sunday will be his tenth Super Bowl, of course, and he’s won six of them, though with some luck either way he could be 9-0 or 0-9.
The Bottom Line: Go Buccaneers. We’re not big bandwagoners here at The Daily Dose, but we’re onboard the A train to Tampa Bay this week. Between having a shipmate’s kid playing and generally appreciating Tom Brady’s sustained excellence, we’re in, though we tend to keep odd hours and generally are sleeping Sundays when the game will be on. Days like this don’t come around every day, though, and we will probably be up for it.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow is asked to describe his feelings in pictures. Today’s Diary.
It started with several pictures on the screen with a corresponding number, and we were asked to use the chat feature to add the number that best described how we were feeling today…#1 was a peaceful waterfall scene and the scenes worked their way down to #7, which had a photo of a revolver…
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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 1789 – The 69 members of the Electoral College elect George Washington president of the United States in New York City. Each elector had two votes, with Washington receiving 69, John Adams 34, with the rest divided between ten others. Congress would not muster the required quorum to certify the election until April 6, with Washington then being notified at his Mount Vernon home and taking office on April 30.
In 1987 – The Sacramento Kings tie the NBA record for the fewest points in a quarter and establish a new NBA mark for the fewest points in the first quarter in a 128-92 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Kings trailed 40-4 after the first quarter, to tie the any-quarter record established by the Buffalo Braves in 1972 and break the first-quarter record of five, done twice. Both records have since been eclipsed: the any-quarter mark three times and the first-quarter mark by the Denver Nuggets, who had three points in a November 2002 game.
In 1978 – Loretta Lynn is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the second and final consecutive week with Out of My Head and Back in My Bed. It was the 44th of 77 country hits for Lynn and her 16th and final #1 country hit, both totals that include her duets with Conway Twitty. The song also went #1 on Canada’s country chart.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Finally, were we truly men of dedication–with an honor mortgaged to no single individual or group, and compromised by no private obligation or aim, but devoted solely to serving the public good and the national interest?
John F Kennedy
Speech to the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
1/9/61
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Canada was the only nation to win a single medal at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Tokyo, Karen Magnussen’s silver medal in women’s singles figure skating.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What was Loretta Lynn’s biggest hit on Billboard’s Hot 100? – Answer next time!
Go Gaylon! Visit Gaylon on Facebook here.
The Daily Dose/February 3, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Editor’s Note: today’s Leading Off originally ran on this date last year. It is still relevant.
Leading Off: A post-America America
Today we were chatting with a friend who made some crack about us living in a post-racial America, which was funny and insightful because, of course, we are not living in a post-racial America. We don’t make blacks stand on blocks so they can be sold anymore, but otherwise, America is as racist as its ever been.
We then noted that we are living in a post-America America. Sure, this is the type of funny line that ensures we don’t get invited to any parties, but the more we thought about it the more we thought it was true:
America is a shell of its former self. Forget making America great again, we’d settle for making America average again.
The American Century is long past and if we don’t do something soon 100 years from now the world may well be looking back on an America that is long past, too, because we cannot sustain perpetual war, fiscal insanity and deep social divisions forever. Eventually, they will consume and overcome our country and America will be tossed aside the scrap heap of History, probably before this half-century is out.
Collectively, America means nothing to Americans anymore. The America that forged independence, won World War II and put men on the moon has left the building. Perhaps not forever but, at least, for now. It won’t take all the king’s horses and all the king’s men to get it back again but it will take concerned and conscientious voters – you and me, we the people – ready to demand better on Election Day.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow starts using his new desk calendar. Today’s Diary.
The big news is the new 2021 desk calendar debuted today…It’s actually been in the trunk of the new ride for the past couple-three weeks because yours truly been on the lookout for just the right one…It wasn’t to be found, however, and yours truly had to settle.
I’ll miss the old one, frankly…It’s the same style I’ve been using for the past few years, a monthly deal that was the perfect size for the desk and that you would always be able to pick up at the Legion state convention because the incoming state commander always bought a bunch.
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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 1917 – The stage for United States involvement in World War I is set when the US ceases diplomatic relations with Germany after the Germans announce the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare. The Germans did this, in part, because they felt they would win the war by the time the US could mobilize, though the Germans would surrender to Allied forces on November 11, 1918.
In 1972 – The 1972 Winter Olympics open in Sapporo, Japan with 1,006 athletes from 35 nations taking part. The Soviet Union won the most gold medals, eight, with the US finishing fifth with three. Sapporo had originally been awarded the 1940 Winter Games but gave them back after their 1937 invasion of Japan, and these were the first Winter Games to take place outside of Europe or North America.
In 1990 – Michael Bolton is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the third and final consecutive week with How Am I Supposed To Live Without You. It was the seventh of 16 Top 40 hits for Bolton, his second of seven Top 10 sons and his first of two #1s (When a Man Loves a Woman, one week, 1991). The song also went to #1 in Belgium and Canada and peaked at #3 in Great Britain. In 1983 a version by Laura Brannigan had peaked at #12 on the Hot 100.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Third, were we truly men of integrity–men who never ran out on either the principles in which they believed or the people who believed in them–men who believed in us–men whom neither financial gain nor political ambition could ever divert from the fulfillment of our sacred trust?
John F Kennedy
Speech to the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
1/9/61
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The Seattle SuperSonics appeared in three NBA FInals: 1978, 1979 and 1996. They won in 1979 and are now the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Which was the only country to win only one medal at the 1972 Winter Olympics? – Answer next time!
Go Gaylon! Visit Gaylon on Facebook here.
The Daily Dose/February 2, 2021
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Leading Off is pulling a late shift at the plant and will return.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow gets a call about hotel hot tub availability. Today’s Diary.
It’s always guys calling about hot tubs, too, because they’re bringing a chick and they probably think a hot tub visible to anyone walking by it is conducive to getting some, tho my modest experience in this matter – both as a guest and employee – has long shown this isn’t the case.
———
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 1709 – Alexander Selkirk – a castaway whose story inspired the novel Robinson Crusoe – is rescued after over four years on Juan Fernandez Island, about 415 miles off the coast of central Chile. Selkirk had asked to be left on the island after deciding the ship he was on was unseaworthy and proved adaptable, moving inland when chased off the coast by mating sea lions and training feral cats to chase off rats so he could sleep. Selkirk immediately returned to the sea, not returning home until late 1711, after eight years away.
In 1996 – The Chicago Bulls establish a new NBA record for most wins in a season with only three losses in a 105-85 win over the Sacramento Kings. The win gave the Bulls a 40-3 record, breaking the mark of 39-3 established by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers and the record still stands. The Bulls finished the season 72-10 and defeated the Seattle Supersonics 4 games-to-2 in the NBA Finals.
In 1974 – Barbra Streisand is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of three consecutive weeks with The Way We Were. It was the second of 14 top 10 hits for Streisand and the first of five #1 songs. The song also went to #1 in Canada, peaked at #31 in Great Britain and was Billboard’s #1 song of the year. The following year a version by Gladys Knight and the Pips – a medley with Try To Remember – peaked at #11 on the Hot 100 and at #6 on Billboard’s soul chart.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Secondly, were we truly men of judgment–with perceptive judgment of the future as well as the past–of our own mistakes as well as the mistakes of others–with enough wisdom to know that we did not know, and enough candor to admit it?
John F Kennedy
Speech to the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
1/9/61
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The Beatles’ smallest hit on the Billboard Hot 100 was Sie Liebt Dich – a German version of She Loves You – which spent one week at #97 in June 1964.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
How many NBA Finals did the Seattle SuperSonics appeared in? – Answer next time!
Go Gaylon! Visit Gaylon on Facebook here.
