The Daily Dose/Tuesday, May 12, 2020
The Daily Dose/May 12, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
Leading Off will return.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: Two old Lutherans talk shop. Today’s Diary.
Paul and I noted the #1 rule of being Lutheran is not drawing attention to yourself and I strongly suspect Deb’s life would be complete if she never again set foot in a Lutheran church.
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On This Date
History’s long march to today
In 1932 – The body of Charles Lindbergh, Jr, the 20-month old son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, is found by the side of the road a few miles from the family home in Hopewell, New Jersey. The boy had been kidnapped on March 1 and it’s believed he died of a head injury shortly after being taken. A German immigrant named Richard Hauptmann was arrested in September 1934, found guilty in 1935 and executed in 1936. Hauptmann maintained his innocence to the end, despite the fact some of the ransom money was found in his garage.
In 1974 – The Boston Celtics win their 12th NBA title, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 102-87 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. It was the Celtics’ first NBA title since 1969 and the Bucks first Finals appearance since winning the championship in 1971. Previously, the Celtics had defeated the Buffalo Braves and the New York Knicks in the playoffs and the Bucks had defeated the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls.
In 1979 – Peaches and Herb are at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the second of four consecutive weeks with Reunited. The song was also in its third of four consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart. The song also went to #1 in Canada, peaked at #4 in Great Britain and was Billboard’s fifth-biggest song of the year. It was the seventh Top 40 hit for the duo – which had a variety of Peaches over the years – their third top 10 hit and remains their only #1 song. The song was written by Dino Fekaris and Freddie Perren who had teamed up for – among other songs – I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
If you honestly want what is good, the people will want the same. – Gore Vidal, Creation, attributed to Confucius
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know.
The NBA record for fewest points by both teams in a playoff game is 130 when Detroit defeated Boston 66-64 on May 10, 2002
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
Who was the head coach of the Boston Celtics for the 1973-74 season? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Monday, May 11, 2020
The Daily Dose/May 11, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
Leading Off will return.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: The latest from the hotel. Today’s Diary.
Deb was hanging out both when I arrived and when I left…She had the dog, Zeus, with her this morning and it was about 0430 or so, so she hadn’t had much sleep, and Luke the Maintenance Guy’s there and he starts blabbing about a bear he saw in the parking lot…Well, this put no small amount of fear into Deb even tho bears generally flee when they hear us humans and it’s even rarer when they attack hotel guests…As it was, she only took Zeus out to crap and then immediately retired to the safety of their room, tho she did come back out to mess around on her tablet.
Click here get in on the laffs: Sparrow, The Bottom Ten, the funniest books you’ve ever read. We offer 4Ever and Ever access, or cheapskates can purchase books and columns individually.
On This Date
History’s long march to today
In 868 – A copy of the book Diamond Sutra is printed in China, the oldest printed book in existence whose date can be accurately determined. The book was printed using woodblock printing, a technique discovered in China before 220 AD and a method still widely used in Asia today. The book was found in 1900 in a collection known to History as the Dunhuang Manuscripts and the book now resides in the British Library. The dates of the original manuscript date are unknown and estimates range from the 2nd to the 5th centuries AD. The book is a collection of Buddhist aphorisms.
In 1992 – The Portland Trailblazers and the Phoenix Suns establish a new NBA playoff record for most points in a game with 304 in a 153-151 Portland double-overtime victory in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal series. The teams broke the professional basketball record of 285 points in a playoff game, done three times, once in the NBA and twice in the ABA. The game was tied 127-127 at the end of regulation and this was the last NBA game played at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Portland won the series in five games.
In 1985 – Madonna is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the only week with Crazy For You. The song also went to #1 in Canada and Australia, peaked at #2 in Great Britain, at #80 on Billboard’s soul chart and was Billboard’s ninth biggest song of the year. It was the second of twelve #1 songs for Madonna, her fifth of 38 Top 10 hits, her sixth of 57 chart singles. The song was from the movie Vision Quest and as sometimes happens with #1 songs, the record company, Warner Brothers, initially fought its release as a single.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
For still there are so many things/that I have never seen/in every wood in every spring/there is a different green – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know.
Eight songs spent more than one week at #1 on Billboard’s country chart in 1975, none longer than two weeks. This total is about average for the era in country music.
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
What teams hold the NBA playoff record for fewest points in a game? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Sunday, May 10, 2020
The Daily Dose/May 10, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
1. USA! USA! – America’s tardy, insufficient, incompetent COVID-19 response continues…Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters not doctors – nor have they ever played them on TV – but remain “pretty sure” World War II-esque effort required to produce the one billion+ tests required get every American tested regularly until we are able to isolate those who have it.
2. Brother, Can You Spare A Stimulus Check – Sunday Bottom 5 Pollsters generally not biggest fans of government handouts, but remain “pretty sure” Uncle Sam’s bungled handling of coronavirus got us here, so they can help get us out…With stimulus aid totaling 14% of GDP, US only 46% behind Germany in helping its citizens.
3. NFL – New NFL schedule breakdown segments on best Sunday early games featuring teams that took linebackers in fourth round, backup QB rankings, 2027 mock drafts all highlight expanded NFL coverage…Thanks COVID-19!!!…With overtime procedure unchanged, still possible for NFL games to finish without a winner.
4. Brett Favre – Hey, Brett, why does someone of your stature charge for PSA and charity appearances in the first place???…Also, on the off chance your $1.1 million was legitimately earned from the poor of Mississippi, why are you repaying it???…Sunday Bottom 5 Pollsters hardly experts in the matter but remain “pretty sure” something stinks here.
4. President Trump Fact Check –The 5-hole staple, click here for the latest from the Liar-in-Chief, a man utterly incapable of telling the truth.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow’s haircut fiasco. Today’s Diary.
After ten minutes of blather, he finally got around to asking me what kind of haircut I wanted and I said short, get rid of the curls, but leave enough to comb back…He nods and says “how about a scissors cut?” and I say “perfect” and I settle in in good spirits because a scissors cut is what the chicks at the franchise place in town give me…So he’s scissoring away and chatting amiably for a few minutes when BOOM I hear the clippers going and before I could say anything he’s flinging away back there like he’s trimming a hedge in his yard.
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On This Date
History’s long march to today
In 1775 – The Second Continental Congress of the 13 original colonies begins in Philadelphia. The opening followed the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, which had opened the American Revolution, and the Congress would declare independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776 and adopt the Declaration of Independence two days later. The Second Continental Congress met until March, 1, 1781, it’s last act presiding over the signing of the Articles of Confederation. The First Continental Congress had adjourned the previous October.
In 1970 – Hoyt Wilhelm of the Atlanta Braves becomes the first major league pitcher to appear in 1,000 games in a 6-5 loss to the St Louis Cardinals. Wilhelm pitched the 9th inning, gave up a hit and did not have a decision. Wilhelm had broken Lindy McDaniel’s record of 987 games the year before and retired following the 1972 season with 1,070 games pitched. The record is now held by Jesse Orosco at 1,252 and Wilhelm’s mark is now good for 6th on the all-time list.
In 1975 – Gary Stewart is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the only week with She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Doubles). The song spent 13 weeks on the country chart, including five weeks in the Top 10 and was the third consecutive Top 10 hit for Stewart, his fourth of 29 country chart hits and remains his only #1 song. Stewart took his own life in 2003, some weeks after the death of his wife.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
…by taking so much for the state, you reduce everyone’s ability to create more wealth. Even the bandit in the forest never takes more than two-thirds of the merchant’s caravan…so that there will always be something for him to steal. – Gore Vidal, Creation
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know.
President Richard Nixon submitted his resignation letter to Secretary of State Henry Kissenger.
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
How many songs spent more than one week at #1 on Billboard’s country chart in 1975? – Answer next time!
The Diary of a Nobody/May 9, 2020
Meet Sparrow, an average man passing an average life…
Saturday, May 9
The new, red-with-brass-borders dinnerware is slowly getting broken in…First off was a coffee mug, giving my old Navy mug some time off, then I used a bowl for cereal and a dinner plate for lunch…It was a good purchase and if I can avoid breaking them they should last a long time…I didn’t even think twice about throwing out the glass plates and bowls, which I never liked, tho I will keep the old white plates because those go back to old bachelor days and they’re still going strong…But they won’t get used much unless I have to serve dinner to more than four people, which will never happen because ol’ Sparrow doesn’t have that many places to sit.
The Daily Dose/Saturday, May 9, 2020
The Daily Dose/May 9, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
WE’LL BE BACK AFTER THIS: 59 years ago today, Newton Minow, the new chairman of the FCC, gave a speech to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), a speech History refers to as the Vast Wasteland Speech, because that’s the term he used to refer to the state of TV then.
Yeah, This Is Interesting: Curious, we went and read it and it was a hell of a speech, cogent and prescient and, except for some historical context changes, it could well have been delivered yesterday.
Leading Off : After greeting everybody and saying the things speakers say in these situations, Minow got down to business.
Your industry possesses the most powerful voice in America. It has an inescapable duty to make that voice ring with intelligence and with leadership.
Broad, Historical Context: Boy, this mandate could not have been more ignored had prizes been issued for non-compliance. By any measure, the TV pulpit has been wasted. An opportunity to influence and pace America for the better was, and continues to be, squandered. And this was back when there were only three networks and a few local channels.
A Practical Exercise: Minow later invited NAB members to watch a TV station from sign-on to sign-off, this being the quaint days when stations weren’t on all the time:
Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland.
Fly In The Ointment: Minow then completely overestimated the viewing public:
I believe in the people’s good sense and good taste, and I am not convinced that the people’s taste is as low as some of you assume.
Boy, was he wrong. Actually, there is some truth to this: our tastes have gone as low as TV has chosen to take us.
Dry, Technical Matter: Then Minow talked about TV joining family, school and church as the prime influencers of kids.
Today, there is a fourth great influence, and you ladies and gentlemen in this room control it…If parents, teachers, and ministers conducted their responsibilities by following the ratings, children would have a steady diet of ice cream, school holidays, and no Sunday school. What about your responsibilities?
Well, obviously TV has been utterly derelict in their responsibilities. The lowest common denominator, a phrase Minow used in the speech, still prevails.
FunFact: A kid who watches four hours of TV a day from birth throughout childhood will have spent three years – 16% of his life – watching TV.
What you gentlemen broadcast through the people’s air affects the people’s taste, their knowledge, their opinions, their understanding of themselves and of their world — and their future…You must help prepare a generation for great decisions. You must help a great nation fulfill its future.
Yeah, Right: And 60 years after this speech we are reaping the harvest of having TV as the focal point of American life. The American experience is a partisan, fractured and bickering mess, we’re a shooting gallery now and 42% of us are obese. We elected a president who’s a lying sexual predator who believes the moon is part of Mars. America is irrelevant now, the midpoint between influence and oblivion.
The Bottom Line: TV is a lot like government: we get what we choose to tolerate and we – well you, we don’t own a TV – will not get better TV until you start demanding it. The wasteland will continue to grow.
Editor’s Note: Click here to read the speech. It’s worth your time.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow has the latest gas mileage figures for the new ride. Today’s Diary.
…frankly, matters are to the point now where we are all wondering how high it will go…Initially, it was great when we were at 32 MPG consistently and then 35 became the standard and I don’t know about you, but I’m wondering if (when?) we are going to hit 40 MPG…
Click here get in on the laffs: Sparrow, The Bottom Ten, the funniest books you’ve ever read. We offer 4Ever and Ever access, or cheapskates can purchase books and columns individually.
On This Date
The long march to today
In 1974 – The House Judiciary Committee opens impeachment hearings against President Richard Nixon in connection with the Watergate scandal. In July the committee would approve three articles of impeachment against Nixon, one each of obstruction of justice, abuse of power and contempt of Congress. On August 5, the White House released what History refers to as the Smoking Gun Tape, which was recorded on June 23, 1972, and shows Nixon knew about the cover-up at its earliest stages. Nixon resigned as president on August 9.
In 1999 – Marshall McDougall of the Florida State Seminoles establishes new NCAA records for most home runs, RBIs and total bases in a game in a 26-2 win over the Maryland Terrapins. McDougall had six home runs, 16 RBIs and 25 total bases in the game, the six home runs consecutive, coming after McDougall singled in his first at-bat. The home run and RBI records still stand and remain NCAA all-division marks, and the total bases mark remains the Division I record. McDougall would later play 13 professional seasons, including 18 games with the Texas Rangers in 2005.
In 1987 – Cutting Crew is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the second and final week with (I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight. It was the first single from the first album for the British group and was their first of three Top 40 hits. The song spent six weeks in the Top 10 and 13 weeks in the Top 40 and remains their biggest American hit. The song also went to #1 in Norway, Finland and Canada and peaked at #4 in Great Britain.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
But Tim had done his best to dramatize an election in which neither candidate dared to say what he meant to an uneasy people who realized something was seriously wrong with their political system. – Gore Vidal, The Golden Age
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know.
The wire fox terrier breed has won 14 Best in Show awards at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the most of any breed.
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
Who did Richard Nixon submit his resignation letter to? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Friday, May 8, 2020
The Daily Dose/May 8, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
Leading Off will return.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow’s Thursday routine continues. Today’s Diary.
I made the usual Thursday trip to the next county and made four stops…
Click here get in on the laffs: Sparrow, The Bottom Ten, the funniest books you’ve ever read. We offer 4Ever and Ever access, or cheapskates can purchase books and columns individually.
On This Date
History’s long march to today.
In 1877 – The first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show takes place at Gilmore Gardens – later the first Madison Square Garden – in New York City. The even drew over 1,200 dogs, so many that the event took four days instead of the scheduled three. Though generally restricted to purebred dogs, mutts are allowed to compete in the agility competition, the Best in Show title was first awarded in 1907 and the event is still held in Madison Square Garden, held over two days in February.
In 1973 – The Chicago Blackhawks and the Montreal Canadiens establish a new NHL Stanley Cup Finals record for most goals in a game in an 8-7 Chicago win in Game 5. The 15 goals broke the Stanley Cup Finals record of 13 goals established by the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs in 1936 and the game featured two future Hall of Fame goalies, Ken Dryden for Montreal and Tony Esposito for Chicago. The Canadiens still led the series 3 games to 2 and would win the Stanley Cup in six games.
In 1961 – Mother-in-Law by Ernie K-Doe is at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart – then known as the Hot R&B Sides chart – for the third of five consecutive weeks. It was only the seventh week on the soul chart for the song, having gone from 29 to 4 to 3 before reaching the top. The song also peaked at #29 in Great Britain and later spent a week at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and remains K-Doe’s only #1 song on either chart. Born Ernest Kador, Jr in New Orleans, he remained active in the music business up until his death in 2001 at 68.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
In the zoo, study your beast. – Gore Vidal, The Golden Age
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know.
The Eagles have had six #1 albums on Billboard’s album chart.
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
What breed has won the Best in Show title the most times at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show? – Answer next time!