Backstairs at the Monte Carlo/October 19, 20, 21 & 22
The Daily Dose/Monday, June 29, 2020
Daily Dose/June 29, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
Still fairly boring in the world, so Leading Off remains in lockdown.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow’s new knife has a relatively quiet night at the hotel. Today’s Diary.
The knife wasn’t used all that much this morning, mainly because a new box of coffee had been opened on my days off…I noticed the old box was running low when I left Wednesday morning, but there was enuff coffee in there so that opening a new box would have been gratuitous…Too bad, because opening the big box of coffee packets is a Prime Knife Responsibility (PKR)…Of course, the box itself has to be opened, but you also need to cut off the top flaps and the knife is wonderful for that, of course, but if a fresh box is out, a fresh box is out and there isn’t much you can do about it…I couldn’t very well tape it back shut again merely so I could break out the knife and reopen it.
Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: Gaylon let’s three chick officers buff his bald head.
I also had women problems last night! As I approached the employee entrance to report for duty there were three female Monte Carlo security officers standing outside enjoying the camaraderie attendant with three women enjoying a smoke.
Susan and Jackie, both from swing shift, were there, as was Butch, who was limbering up for her shift. The problem is all three greatly enjoy buffing my bald dome and all three were under the impression they were in favor enough to be the first to enjoy this pleasure.
Friends, read The Diary of a Nobody and Backstairs at the Monte Carlo for only $2.99. This offer ends at the end of the month, when it will go back up to $5.99
On This Date
History’s long march to today.
In 2007 – The first iPhone is released to the general public. The iPhone had been announced in January, and followed two years of development and sold for either $499 or $599, depending on the model. Roughly 146,000 iPhones were activated the first weekend and one million iPhones were sold in 74 days. The iPhone would be released in Great Britain and other parts of Europe in November.
In 1975 – The Cincinnati Reds establish a new major league record for most consecutive errorless games in a 4-1 win over the San Diego Padres in the first game of a doubleheader. It was the 13th consecutive games for the Reds breaking the record established by the 1963 Detroit Tigers. The Reds would extend the record to 15 consecutive games and the record is now held by the New York Yankees, who played 18 consecutive errorless games in 2009.
In 1974 – Sundown by Gordon Lightfoot is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the only week. The song also went to #1 in South Africa and his native Canada, peaked at #33 in Great Britain and at #13 on Billboard’s country chart. It was Lightfoot’s second chart single, his second of four Top 10 hits and remains his only #1 song. Now 81, Lightfoot still tours regularly. A version by Deryl Dodd reached #59 on Billboard’s country chart in 1999.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
This was really crawling on one’s hands and knees. Franklin…was sufficiently self-confident and assured of his own merit not to be ashamed to bend himself in two if occasion demanded. David Schoenbrun, Triumph in Paris: The Exploits of Benjamin Franklin
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know.
Let’s Get Serious by Jermaine Jackson was Billboard’s biggest soul song for 1980. It spent six weeks at #1 on the soul chart and peaked at #9 on the Hot 100.
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
What is the longest major league game without an error by either team? – Answer next time!
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Backstairs at the Monte Carlo/October 18
The Daily Dose/Sunday, June 28, 2020
Daily Dose/June 28, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
The Sunday Bottom 5
The very best of the very worst of the week that was.
1. COVID-19 – 2020’s top story shows spirited early-summer comeback as Americans lose interest in being locked down, wearing masks…Worldwide death/infection rates of 0.00127%/0.0000642% pale in comparison to robust US rates of 0.00784%/0.000387% while worldwide death rate amongst closed cases at 8.6%, lowest since mid-March.
2. Kansas State Football –Football team threatening to boycott if right-wing nutcase who posted racist, thoughtless tweet isn’t expelled…Look, if every team in the US boycotted because of every instance of on-campus witless ignorance, nobody would be playing anything whatsoever…There comes a time when the ignorant must be left alone because this publicity is exactly what they are looking for.
3. American Sports – Speaking of nobody playing anything, with more and more players and team employees coming down with coronavirus, it might be best for college and pro sports to throw in the towel for the year because if you force this someone associated with sports is going to die.
4. Gaylon For US Senate – Primary for Libertarian US Senate nomination this Tuesday is for Colorado residents only, as Non-Resident Voter Program nixed by uptight secretary of state…Forget Russia, difficulty of getting ads on Facebook ensures US candidates won’t be able to influence US elections in 2020.
5. President Trump Fact Check – Click here for the latest lies, distortions and misinformation on a variety of topics from America’s Liar-in-Chief…Courtesy of the AP.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow has the weekly, monthly, quarterly and half-yearly sleep figures for you. Today’s Diary.
12.0 hours for the day and 47.0 hours for the week, down three from last week’s 50-hour triumph, but still a fine total…
Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: Gaylon has to step up his game in the hotel.
It was so slow last night I really had to slow up my rounds. I like to get three rounds on my floors over the course of a night, but it was so slow I was in danger of getting in way more than that.
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On This Date
History’s long march to today
In 1918 – The Treaty of Versailles is signed between representatives of Germany and the Allied Powers, the most significant treaty ending World War I. The treaty followed the armistice of November 1818, which had actually ended the fighting and came five years to the day after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie that led directly to the war. The treaty placed severe military restrictions on Germany, required them to pay significant reparations and cede land which some say led directly to the rise of the Nazis and World War II.
In 1997 – Evander Holyfield retains his WBA heavyweight title over Mike Tyson after Tyson was disqualified after the third round after biting Holyfield once in each ear. Tyson had bitten Holyfield in the right ear first, which resulted in a delay and then again in the left ear after the fight was allowed to continue with referee Mills Lane disqualifying Tyson after the round ended. Tyson later had his boxing license revoked after the fight and was fined $3 million, though his license was eventually restored.
In 1980 – The SOS Band is at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart – then known as the Hot Soul Singles chart – for the first of five consecutive weeks with Take Your Time (Do It Right). It was the first chart single for the group and their first of six Top 10 soul hits. The song also peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and at #52 in Great Britain and remains their only American Top 40 pop hit.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
For the first time, Seward understood the nature of Lincoln’s political genius. He had been able to make himself absolute dictator without ever letting anyone suspect that he was anything more than a timid, joking backwoods lawyer. – Gore Vidal, Lincoln
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know.
The major league team record for most times caught stealing in a game is eight by the Baltimore Orioles vs the Washington Senators in a National League game on May 5, 1897. The modern major league record is six, done three times.
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
What was Billboard’s biggest soul song in 1980? – Answer next time!
Would you like 4Ever & Ever access to everything at the site – columns, books, the whole nine (9) yards? Of course, you would. Click on the button to get all books and columns for only $29.99. Includes all future books, too.
The Diary of a Nobody/June 27
Meet Sparrow, an average man passing an average life…
Saturday, June 27
Boy, today’s workout was lousy…At its best it was indifferent…At its worst it was barely useful.
Blame for this is placed squarely on Friday’s county office party, where I decided that what with the horrors of five nights a week at the hotel resuming again next week I would take advantage of my last Saturday off by doing as little as possible and that meant not working out…Well, this morning I talked myself, not with a whole hell of a lot of enthusiasm, into going to the gym…I don’t know why this happened…Regular readers of this crap know that I am generally good for sticking with something once a decision’s been made, especially when that decision is to do squat.
Backstairs at the Monte Carlo/October 14
October 14
Here was your Henry lineup for last night:
Henry 1 – moi
Henry 2 – White Sox Metzger
Henry 3 – X-Ray
I am not entirely sure why Lee wasn’t up there tonight, and I know you’re puzzled by it, too. Metzger usually only works the hotel on Sundays, a night I have off, but my job is only to salute and say ‘Yes, sir’.
The Daily Dose/Saturday, June 27, 2020
Daily Dose/June 27, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
Leading Off remains in time-out.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow gets the news he goes back to five nights a week at the hotel. Today’s Diary.
Yours truly got off easy…Some I know had significant, perhaps even severe, financial problems and other disruptions but ol’ Sparrow merely lost his Friday shift at the hotel and ended up with what he passed off as a three-day-weekend, despite putting in eight hours at the Veterans Service Office on Fridays.
I’m going to keep my beard too…Recall I started it in late March, the day the original lockdown started up here and it’s turned into a trusted friend and there is no reason to shave it off.
Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: A guest brings a hooker back to his room. His wife is not amused.
A man brought a hooker back to his room. This isn’t all that noteworthy, of course, however it is rare when the wife is in the room at the time.
I was manning Eddie – 2 when this went down. For some reason, the wife and hooker started fighting with the hooker winning in a TKO and the wife, disgraced by her loss, decided to press charges so the hooker was hooked up.
For his part, the husband, who was stoned, claimed the hooker followed him to his room.
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On This Date
History’s long march to today
In 1976 – Air France Flight 139, service from Tel Aviv to Paris via Athens, is hijacked by two Palestinians and two Germans and re-routed to Entebbe, Uganda. Their goal was to have assorted Palestinian prisoners in Israel and elsewhere released in exchange for their hostages. 148 non-Israeli hostages were released and the remaining hostages, including the airplane’s crew, were freed on July 4 in an operation carried out by Israeli commandos. Four hostages, one Israeli commando, all four hijackers and 45 Ugandan soldiers were killed.
In 1986 – Robby Thompson of the San Francisco Giants establishes a new major league record for most times caught stealing in a game in a 7-6, 12-inning win over the Cincinnati Reds. Thompson was caught stealing four times, three times by Reds catcher Bo Diaz (4th, 6th and 9th innings) and once in the 11th inning, a put out at second on a play started by pitcher Julio Franco. The nine-inning record is three, done several times in both leagues.
In 1960 – Connie Francis is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first two consecutive weeks with Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool. It was the first of three #1 songs for Francis (My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own, two weeks, 1960; Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You, one week, 1962) and her 14th of 35 Top 40 hits. The song also went to #1 in Norway, Canada and New Zealand, peaked at #5 in Great Britain and was Billboard’s eleventh biggest song of the year. Francis also recorded a German version of the song that spent two weeks at #1 in West Germany.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
People are more disposed to suffer than right themselves by resistance. – John Locke
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know.
Jerry Reed’s biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100 was Amos Moses, which peaked at #8 in 1971.
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
What team holds the major league record for most times caught stealing in a game? – Answer next time!