The Daily Dose/October 10, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

Leading Off continues to enjoy some PTO. It will return.  

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow has the latest MPG figure for the new ride.  

All right, it’s moving back up a bit after last week’s anemic 37-something and while you do get spoiled after a couple of 40-something MPG figures, 38 MPG is fine gas mileage and there is no use whining about it…There’s been a lot of stop-and-go traffic the past couple of weeks due to repaving and restriping the highway heading back into town, so maybe that’s had something to do with the lower figures the past couple of weeks. 

Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: The employee dining room has the first prime rib for the first time in a while.

The big news is I had prime rib on my final 10-10, my first prime rib in a while. I waltzed into the EDR and out of habit noticed a large hunk on Daryl’s cutting board. He cut me a really nice piece and since it had been sitting for a while he put it on the grill and he even fried up two sunny side up as well. 

It wasn’t the best I’d had in the EDR. If a waiter had presented a bill for $30 for this one you would’ve protested. But if he gave you a bill for, say, a $7.99 breakfast special you would have thrown up your hands and yelped “Vegas, bay-bee! That’s what I’m talking about!” and thrown your arms up triumphantly. 

Free Stuff
The same trick the drug dealers use.

Backstairs at the Monte Carlo
Clock in with the graveyard crew of the Monte Carlo Security Department on the glamorous Las Vegas Strip.

Click here for the first two months of the funniest Vegas memoir ever. 

Criminals, Courtesans and Constables
Gaylon’s latest novel takes place everywhere from throne rooms to death row. 

Click here to read the first four chapters with our compliments.

Click on the button to get started to read The Diary of a Nobody, Backstairs at the Monte Carlo and Criminals, Courtesans and Constables for only $4.99, a steal. 

On This Date
The long march to today.

In 1845 – What would become the United States Naval Academy, then known as the Naval School, holds its first classes on what used to be Fort Severn in Annapolis, Maryland. The school was founded by Navy Secretary George Bancroft and opened with 50 midshipmen and seen professors. Originally, graduates were considered passed midshipmen, eligible for a naval officer’s commission when there was a vacancy. Graduates were first sworn in as officers in 1912. 

In 1982 – The Milwaukee Brewers become the first team to win a league championship series after losing the first two games, defeating the California Angels 4-3 in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. The feat would be repeated by the San Diego Padres in the 1984 National League Championship Series and the LCS’ went to a best-of-seven format in 1985. 

In 1987 – Whitesnake is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the only week with Here I Go Again. It was the first of four Top 40 hits for the group and remains their only #1 song. The song also went to #1 in Canada and peaked at #9 in Great Britain and was Billboard’s seventh biggest song of the year. The song, in a slightly different version, had originally charted in 1982 in Great Britain, Australia and West Germany and also charted in Norway in 2007. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

Lost in the cacophony of Oprah and O.J. are those classical values that once made a Saturday afternoon track meet so appealing. Of running for the love of competition, of throwing a javelin for applause and an olive wreath. Of sweating for hours on a lonesome track at dusk for the chance of maybe one day hearing the anthem. Of honor and glory and the spirit of victory, not the spoils.
Mark Zeigler
The San Diego Union-Tribune
June 20, 1995

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know. 

Besides Christy Mathewson of the New York Giants in 1905, four other pitchers have thrown multiple shutouts in the same World Series: Bill Dineen (Boston Americans, 1903), Lew Burdette (Milwaukee Braves, 1957), Whitey Ford (New York Yankees, 1960) and Sandy Koufax (Los Angeles Dodgers, 1965). All four had two shutouts. 

Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar. 

How many years was the course of instruction at the Naval School its first few years? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/October 9, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

Leading Off continues to enjoy some PTO. It will return.  

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow calls to whine about his trash not having been picked up on Tuesday.  

Recall it was put out after they had driven by the first time, but later in the day, they drove past it twice, once each way on Maple Street…The chick at the town hall said wow, that wasn’t right and said she’d email the company it’s farmed out to…Perhaps it could be picked up this week…As it is, the trash can is still out there, standing solitary, on-the-street protest because I’ll be damned if I can going to forget to put it out on Monday afternoon.

Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: Radtke gets more dating advice from Gaylon. 

Radtke also reported that Emily in the cage wants to set him up with his sister. I told him never turn down a blind date because any spoke might lead to the hub, but he was skeptical. 

“What if she’s a cow?” he asked, not unreasonably. 

“So what?” I said. “You’re signing up for a date, not marriage. Besides, Emily’s pretty foxy, so her sister probably is, too. Unless one of them is adopted, of course.”

Free Stuff
The same trick the drug dealers use.

Backstairs at the Monte Carlo
Clock in with the graveyard crew of the Monte Carlo Security Department on the glamorous Las Vegas Strip.

Click here for the first two months of the funniest Vegas memoir ever. 

Criminals, Courtesans and Constables
Gaylon’s latest novel takes place everywhere from throne rooms to death row. 

Click here to read the first four chapters with our compliments.

Click on the button to get started to read The Diary of a Nobody, Backstairs at the Monte Carlo and Criminals, Courtesans and Constables for only $4.99, a steal. 

On This Date
The long march to today.

In 1410 – The Prague astronomical clock is referenced for the first time. The clock was built by a local watchmaker and mathematician and shows not only the time, but assorted astrological and zodiac information, and includes a procession of the twelve apostles on the hour between 9am and 11pm. The clock was rebuilt in 2018 and remains the oldest functioning astronomical clock in the world. Now the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague was then the capital of Bohemia, the seat of the Holy Roman Emperor. 

In 1905 – Christy Mathewson of the New York Giants defeats the Philadelphia Athletics 3-0 in Game 1 of the World Series in Philadelphia, series won by the Giants in five games. Mathewson also shutout the A’s in Game 3 and Game 5, establishing a record for most World Series shutouts that still stands. The three runs and 30 total bases produced by the A’s remain the fewest produced by a team in a five-game series. The two teams also established still-standing marks for fewest runs (18), hits (57) and total bases (30) in a five-game series

In 1965 – The Beatles are at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of four consecutive weeks with Yesterday. It was the tenth of a Hot 100 record 20 #1 songs for the group, a record that still stands. The song also went to #1 in four other countries, including Belgium and Norway though owing to how different it was previous Beatles’ singles, the song was not released as a single in Great Britain until 1976 when it peaked at #8. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

The country was in peril; he was jeopardizing his traditional rights of freedom and independence by daring to exercise them.
Joseph Heller
Catch-22

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know. 

Boyz II Men has had five #1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar. 

How many other pitchers have thrown multiple shutouts in a single World Series? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/October 8, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

Leading Off continues to enjoy some PTO. It will return.  

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow, with only the slightest regret, bids adieu to setting up the hotel’s complimentary breakfast. 

I will miss the opportunities to use the new knife, of course, but otherwise good riddance to setting up breakfast…Long time readers of this crap know I’ve set up a lot of complimentary hotel breakfast over the years and I’ve despised every single one – I’m a night auditor, not a breakfast attendant – to the point where I will no longer eat a complimentary hotel breakfast…Blow me. 

Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: Radtke gets some dating advice from Gaylon. 

Radtke thinks his time with her has passed. He can’t get past the hello and awkward staring stage. I acknowledged there certainly were windows of opportunity in these matters but refused to acknowledge this one was closing. I told him to go grab the bull by the horns and drum up some lame conversation and ask her out so he, too, could be turned down and suffer bitter humiliation like the rest of us. 

Free Stuff
The same trick the drug dealers use.

Backstairs at the Monte Carlo
Clock in with the graveyard crew of the Monte Carlo Security Department on the glamorous Las Vegas Strip.

Click here for the first two months of the funniest Vegas memoir ever. 

Criminals, Courtesans and Constables
Gaylon’s latest novel takes place everywhere from throne rooms to death row.

Click here to read the first four chapters with our compliments.

Click on the button to get started to read The Diary of a Nobody, Backstairs at the Monte Carlo and Criminals, Courtesans and Constables for only $4.99, a steal. 

On This Date
The long march to today.

In 1944 – US Army Captain Bobbie Brown earns the Medal of Honor for actions in the Battle of Crucifix Hill, near Aschen, Germany. Brown was commanding Company C and while his men were pinned down with enemy fire, single-handedly attacked enemy bunkers and conducted reconnaissance. Brown had joined the army in 1916 at the age of 15, lying about his age to enlist and had received a battlefield commission at the Battle of Normandy. He received his Medal of Honor from President Truman the following year, retired from army service in 1952, found civilian life difficult and killed himself in 1971. 

In 1975 – Doug Jarvis of the Montreal Canadiens begins what would become the longest consecutive games played streak in NHL history in a 9-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings. It was the first of 964 consecutive games played for Jarvis, who did not miss a game in his career and he would ultimately break the record of 914 consecutive games that was still being established by Garry Unger, then of the St Louis Blues. Jarvis’ record still stands. 

In 1994 – I’ll Make Love to You by Boyz II Men is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the seventh of a record-tying 14 consecutive weeks. The 14 consecutive weeks tied Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You for most weeks at #1 on the Hot 100, a mark the group would break the following year with Mariah Carey (One Sweet Day, 15 weeks) and which is now held by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus (Old Town Road, 19 weeks, 2019). The song was also in its eighth of nine consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart. Due to when it charted, it was Billboard’s third-biggest hit of 1994 and its 50th biggest of 1995, it’s third-biggest of the decade and placed 22nd on Billboard’s 60th Anniversary Hot 100 in 2018. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever. 

Science is composed of errors, but errors it is right to make, for they lead step by step to the truth. . – Jules Verne, Journey to the Center of the Earth

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know. 

Jackie Wilson’s biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100 was Night, which spent two weeks at #4 in 1960. 

Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar. 

How many #1 hits have Boyz II Men had on the Billboard Hot 100? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!