It’s Read Free Sunday. Enjoy today’s chapter with our compliments.
Backstage
The Colosseum at Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
The reaction to Larry’s having been freed was immediate. The world, held hostage just as one of its most beloved entertainers was held captive, collectively breathed again and the Earth resumed rotating on its axis.
The Daily Dose/December 26, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Leading Off is enjoying its annual, reader-depleting holiday break. It will return after the first of the year.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow is pleased with his Christmas dinner. Today’s Diary.
Like yesterday tho, I ate well as that holiday turkey pie I bought turned out to be really good…Recall it looks like a regular dessert pie – and I suppose it is of you like poultry for dessert – but it has turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and some gravy inside and this was a dynamite combination…The best part was the crust was first-rate, the best part of the meal, actually, and I only ate a quarter of it, so there are three servings of this and three beef Wellingtons leftover, too, so it will be good eating for awhile at The Shire.
The Regular Guys/Chapter 23 – Part VI – Larry is rescued after having been kidnapped for a week.
“You weren’t mistreated?” Sam asked.
“I was forced to listen to talk radio all day.”
“Oh my God!” Special Agent Sam Rider said as if he were hearing the horrors of Auschwitz told for the first time.
“Jesus Christ,” Champ said in the same tone. He started to get out of his seat. “I’ll kill him.”
Larry laughed, his first in a while.
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———
On This Date
The long march to today.
In 1776 – The Continental Army, led by Gen George Washington, attacks and defeats German mercenaries fighting for the British in the Battle of Trenton in the American Revolution. The previous night, Washington had led his troops in a crossing of the Delaware River, an evolution that hadn’t been completed until earlier in the morning. The Americans had landed a few miles north of Trenton and on arrival had found German troops unprepared for battle and while a relatively small battle, the victory proved good for sagging American morale.
In 1976 – Larry Kenon of the San Antonio Spurs establishes a new NBA record for most steals in a game in a 110-105 win over the Kansas City Kings. Kenon had eleven steals to break the record that had been done three other times, the record still stands and was tied by Kendall Gill of the New Jersey Nets in April 1999. Kenon also had 29 points, 15 rebounds and four assists in the game.
In 1981 – Alabama is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the first of two consecutive weeks with Love in the First Degree. It was the fifth of 33 #1 country songs for the group and their fifth of 50 Top 10 country hits. The song also peaked at #15 on the Hot 100, was Billboard’s 55th biggest song of 1982 and remains the group’s biggest pop hit. The B-side of the single, Ride the Train, is listed with Love in the First Degree as well, however, it does not have its own specific chart position on the country chart.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
…very often it is not possible to see what is right in front of you because you happen to be looking in the wrong direction.
Gore Vidal
Creation
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
Christmas was declared a United States federal holiday in 1870.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What act has the most Top 10 hits on Billboard’s country chart? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/December 25, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Leading Off is enjoying its annual holiday break and will return after the first of the year. Still though, the warmest greetings of the season are issued.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – After a spurt of activity, Sparrow settles down for a leisurely day off, even by his standards.
After that, yours truly was too lazy to even retire to the chair for some reading, going directly to the couch to listen to some things and I actually ended up nodding off a bit and the cat even came by and rested on my chest for a while.
The Regular Guys/Chapter 23 – Part V – Larry’s kidnapping, Day 4: the police find out where Larry is being held.
“If this were a TV movie Larry could tell us the situation in some sort of code we would’ve already worked out,” Lenny said, his first attempt at humor since Larry had been taken.
Sam Rider laughed.
“That’s movie stuff, Lenny. In real life, he’d simply utilize the Ring of Power in his Regular Guy utility belt and break free.”
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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 336 BC – Christmas is celebrated on December 25 for the first time in recorded history, in Rome under Constantine, its first Christian emperor. It’s a date that corresponds to the winter solstice on the Roman calendar and is also nine months after the Annunciation, the date celebrated when the angel Gabriel told Mary she would father God’s son. For centuries Christmas was a minor celebration on the church calendar behind Epiphany and the Annunciation, though it gained prominence when emperors and kings were later anointed or crowned on the date.
In 1894 – The University of Chicago becomes the first eastern college football team to play on the west coast, defeating Stanford 24-4 in a game played at the Haight Street Grounds in San Francisco. A newspaper account noted the average weight of Stanford’s players was 161 pounds, while the average weight of Chicago’s players was 172. Stanford won the rematch 12-0 on Dec 29 in Los Angeles and Chicago finished the season 14-7-1 while Stanford finished 6-3.
In 1976 – Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder is at #1 on Billboard’s album chart – then as now known as the Billboard 200 – for the eleventh of 14 non-consecutive weeks. The album produced four Hot 100 singles, including the #1 songs I Wish and Sir Duke, songs which also went to #1 on Billboard’s soul chart. The album also went to #1 in Canada, Holland and France and remains Wonder’s biggest selling album to date, selling over 5 million copies.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
If you were born in an orange box, would that make you an orange?
Len Deighton
Spy Hook
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
The Bee Gees last #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 was Love You Inside Out, which spent one week at #1 in 1979.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
When did Christmas become a federal holiday in the US? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/December 24, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Leading Off is enjoying its annual holiday break. It will return after the first of the year.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow avoids the post-Christmas rush and buys some underwear.
I pulled the trigger on an underwear purchase this morning…I’ve needed some for years because I’ve been rolling with only three pairs…Now, it’s quality stuff so it’s lasted, but I wash underwear an awful lot and I’ve been meaning to stock up for a while now.
So I’m farting around and I decided to look just for funsies tho the real plan is not to buy now but to wait for the after Christmas sales but I’m scoping out my fave undies and boy, they’re priced to move, already at after-Christmas pricing…I decided it ain’t going to be any lower in three days so BOOM I pull the trigger on four pairs and save a big $32 off their normal, exorbitant prices.
The Regular Guys/Chapter 23 – Part IV – Larry’s kidnapping, Day 4.
Tommy Montalvo surfaced a day later when he called Hannah Smith at home and the phone company had dutifully reported Mr. Montalvo’s mobile number to the authorities. While they were not able to triangulate his position on this call, which was as short as it had been unpleasant, they now had his number and would know instantly every time he used his mobile.
———
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 1943 – President of the United States Franklin Roosevelt names US Army General Dwight D Eisenhower supreme Allied commander for the expected invasion of Normandy, designed to drive the Germans out of France. Previously, Eisenhower had commanded the North African theater of operations and had commanded the invasion of Sicily. The invasion of Normandy was successful, though the Germans wouldn’t be defeated until the following spring.
In 1921 – Punch Broadbent of the Ottawa Senators scores a goal in the first of what would become an NHL-record 16 consecutive games in a 10-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Broadbent had 26 goals and 11 assists during the streak, during which Ottawa went 11-3-2 and the record still stands. The NHL, by the by, hasn’t played on Christmas Eve since 1972 and Christmas Day since 1971.
In 1977 – The Bee Gees are at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first of three consecutive weeks with How Deep is Your Love. It was the fourth of nine #1 songs for the group and the first of a then-record six consecutive #1 hits, a figure which tied them with the Beatles and was later broken by Whitney Houston (7). The song went to #1 in five other countries including Brazil and France and peaked at #3 in Great Britain. Because it overlapped two chart years, it was Billboard’s sixth-biggest song of 1978 and ranked 25th on Billboard’s 60th anniversary Hot 100 in 2018.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
The principle of democracy is freedom, the principle of war is discipline; each requires the absence of the other.
Will Durant
The Story of Civilization, Vol. III: Caesar to Christ
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
Ten countries provided the eleven judges for the Tokyo War Crimes Trial, including two from the US. The judges were appointed by US Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What was the Bee Gees’ last #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100? – Answer next time!
