The Daily Dose/April 13, 2019
By Gaylon Kent America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off Leading Off will return.
Today At The Site The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow brings his own coffee into work, plus he is all set for service officer training in the big city the next couple of weeks. Today’s Diary.
I even brought a thermos of coffee from home, my usual retailer donut shop knockoff…I did this for two reasons…One, the Building Department next door uses a leading national brand that is more suited to being an engine additive than a tasty morning beverage and, two, there was a lot left in the pot, and I’d’ve hated to waste it…So I poured some in the thermos and still had enough for the to-go cup to enjoy on the drive in.
Click on the button to read The Diary of a Nobody. $5.99 includes all entries, past, present, and future.
Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables: Friends, my latest novel is now available, for $3.99 until later this week when the price goes up a couple of bucks. Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables is about a nice guy who runs high-class call girls in and out of 5-star suites and throne rooms, collects ransoms and runs from the constables. Hilarity ensues.
On This Date In 1976 – The $2 bill is reintroduced, featuring President Thomas Jefferson on the obverse side, and a vignette of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on the reverse side. Never particularly popular, the $2 bill was first authorized in 1862 and discontinued in 1966 before its reintroduction.
In 2016 – The Golden State Warriors become the first NBA team to win 73 games in a season, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 125-104 in their final regular season game. The Warriors broke the record of 72 that had been established by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. The Warriors started the season 24-0 and did not lose consecutive regular season games, though they did lose two out of three once. The record still stands.
In 1985 – USA For Africa is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with We Are the World. The song spent four consecutive weeks at #1 and would later spend two weeks at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart and peaked at #76 on Billboard’s country chart, making it one of the few songs to be a hit on all three charts. It also went to #1 in 15 other countries, including Great Britain, Norway, and Italy
Quotebook Humility will give you the power to do the job honestly. Sonny Bono
December 5, 1997 Editor’s Note: Gaylon, a newspaper reporter at the time, was present when Bono said this. Bono died a month later.
Answer To The Last Trivia Question Adolph Eichmann was living in Argentina when he was arrested by the Israelis.
Today’s Stumper Who was the first person to have his portrait on the $2 bill? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/April 11, 2019
By Gaylon Kent America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off Leading Off will return.
Today At The Site The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow sets a PB at the hotel and pesters pretty much everyone in the state veteran’s office arranging for training for his new job. Today’s Diary.
One call I took was from JoAnne, who is the Western Area Director for the state, or something similar to that…She called to introduce herself and it was an OK conversation, but she did ask – and I am not making this up:
“Do you have Internet up there?”
Uh, yeah, I said. I wanted to add we had flushing toilets, too, but I didn’t.
Click on the button to read The Diary of a Nobody. $5.99 includes all entries, past, present, and future.
Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables: Friends, my latest novel is now available, for $3.99 until later this week when the price goes up a couple of bucks. Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables is about a nice guy who runs high-class call girls in and out of 5-star suites and throne rooms, collects ransoms and runs from the constables. Hilarity ensues.
On This Date In 1961 – Nazi war criminal Adolph Eichmann goes on trial in Israel for his role in the Holocaust. The trial lasted 56 days and resulted in Eichmann’s conviction on 15 counts of crimes against humanity, war crimes, crimes against the Jewish people, and membership in a criminal organization. Eichmann was sentenced to death and was executed the following June.
In 1966 – Emmett Ashford becomes the first black to umpire in the major leagues, working third base at D.C. Stadium in Washington as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Senators 5-2. Ashford began umpiring professionally in 1951 and had spent the previous twelve seasons in the Pacific Coast League. Ashford retired after the 1970 season, his final game was working first base in Game 5 of the 1970 World Series.
In 1981 – Daryl Hall and John Oates are at #1 in Billboard’s Hot 100 with Kiss On My List. It was the second of six #1s for the duo and their fourth of 16 Top 10 hits. The song would spend three consecutive weeks at #1 and was Billboard’s seventh biggest hit of the year. The song was originally written for the sister of Hall’s girlfriend to sing, but the duo ended up releasing it, with only some background vocals and instrumentation added to the original demo tape.
Quotebook To be reckless is not to be brave, it is only to be a fool. Louis L’Amour The Walking Drum
Answer To The Last Trivia Question The USS Scorpion was the other US Navy nuclear submarine that was lost at sea, sinking in 9,800 feet of water in the North Atlantic Ocean on May 22, 1968. The exact cause is unknown, attributed to an unexplained catastrophic event.
Today’s Stumper What country was Adolph Eichmann living in when he was arrested? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/April 10, 2019
By Gaylon Kent America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off The National Registry of Exonerations has released its annual report and it makes for some interesting reading. In 2018 151 American citizens, who lost a combined 1,639 years, were released from prison after it was established they had not committed the crimes they were convicted of. 107 – including 31 from Chicago’s Sergeant Watts scandal – were convicted as the result of official misconduct. 66 had been convicted of murder and 19 exonerations were the result of false confessions. Illinois led the way with 49 exonerations and Texas and New York were tied for second with 16.
The average exoneree spent 10.9 years in prison for something they didn’t do and if you believe America’s prisons have been emptied of innocent people, you are deluding yourself. Our own somewhat informed guess is that ten percent of those currently incarcerated are innocent.
It’s too bad America even needs a National Registry of Exonerations, but we do and collectively we are not getting our shorts in a knot over it. On the campaign trail the past few years for the United States Senate and House we’ve found about as much interest in this issue as in a reciprocal postal agreement with the Lesser Antilles. We dismiss it with a wave of the hand easily enough, telling ourselves well, it’s not really likely to happen to us or that sometimes people will fall through the cracks, especially in a country as hell-bent on convicting people as America is.
But these aren’t really appropriate responses for American citizens. A nation conceived in liberty has no business convicting the innocent, and the fact that we do is something that should concern all of us.
Editor’s Note: the entire report referenced above can be read here.
Today At The Site The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow actually has to field a phone call at work, and the Help Wanted sign is out, too. Today’s Diary.
I did get a phone call, about 0430, from a guy who wanted to talk about his reservation, because what else are you going to do at 0430???…I’ve long felt people call at this time in the hopes of pulling a fast one on some hapless graveyard idiot but good luck with that with ol’ Sparrow on the job.
He annoyed me from the start, too…I asked him for his arrival date and he proceeded to read me his confirmation number…People like this are stealing my air…I didn’t ask for his confirmation number, I asked for his arrival date.
Click on the button to read The Diary of a Nobody. $5.99 includes all entries, past, present, and future.
Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables: Friends, my latest novel is now available, for $3.99 until later this week when the price goes up a couple of bucks. Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables is about a nice guy who runs high-class call girls in and out of 5-star suites and throne rooms, collects ransoms and runs from the constables. Hilarity ensues.
On This Date In 1963 – The nuclear submarine USS Thresher sinks about 220 miles east of Boston. Thresher was doing deep diving test following an overhaul and an inquiry concluded Thresher sunk when a joint in a salt water piping system failed, though has not received universal acceptance and some maintain that an electrical fire was the cause. Thresher sunk in 8,400 feet of water and in keeping with US Navy tradition, Thresher remains in commissioned service, officially lost at sea. Annual tests by the Navy shows Thresher’s nuclear fuel remains intact and there is no significant environmental damage at the site.
In 1977 – The Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox combine for a major league record 19 runs in the 8th inning of Cleveland’s 19-9 victory. Tied 3-3 after seven innings, the Indians got 13 runs in the top of the 8th and the Red Sox scored six in the bottom of the inning. The record still stands.
In 1965 – King of the Road by Roger Miller is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the third of the five consecutive weeks. The song was an international pop hit as well, reaching #1 in Great Britain and Norway and peaking at #4 on Billboard’s Hot 100. It was the second and final #1 song for Miller on the country chart and remains his biggest US pop hit. Miller died in 1992 (56) and King of the Road was sung by a variety of country stars when Miller was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1995.
Quotebook 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 Yes Sir, I Can Boogie by the Spanish duo Baccara is the biggest single in Swedish history, spending 22 weeks at #1 in 1977-78.
Today’s Stumper Which is the other US Navy nuclear submarine that was lost at sea? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/April 9, 2019
By Gaylon Kent America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Blown calls in America’s biggest sports events continue to make news. Recall in January a pass interference in the NFC Championship Game that could have been called from the moon was not made and there is whining about two calls in the closing seconds of Saturday’s Virginia/Auburn national semifinal college basketball game.
The first call people are whining about is a no-call on a double-dribble where a player bounced the ball off his foot, possessed it with both hands, and then resumed dribbling. There is merit to these complaints. The Virginia player’s dribble ended when he held the ball in both hands and resuming it was in violation of the rules. The other call was a foul call on Auburn with 1.5 seconds. Auburn whined because that’s the way it is in America nowadays, but there was contact on the shot and it was a great call. If the situations are reversed and no call is made, Auburn is whining about that, too. Virginia made their free throws and won the game and Monday won the national title, though if the double dribble call is made maybe Virginia doesn’t even make the title game.
The double-dribble call was missed, though, and while the crew didn’t address the matter after the game it’s possible the covering official didn’t see the double-dribble. At Referee University you’re taught to “ref the defense” because it is seldom anything happens without the defender doing something. Except when the dribbler bounces the ball off his foot, catches it, and resumes dribbling and you caught watching the defender.
I tell you what, we should probably get used to blown or missed calls in big games. While the big-game officials you see on TV are superbly trained and sufficiently experienced, the pool top officials come from is decreasing every year because more and more people, at all levels, leave the trade because the abuse that attends 21st-century sports officiating is not worth taking because who wants to work in an environment where someone is advising you that you suck every other call? At lower levels, JV officials say screw it and leave, in alarming numbers, too, because two-thirds of new officials do not make it to Year 3. Another alarming stat is there are more officials over 60 than under 30. Too bad. This is officiating’s loss, but also an ex-officials loss, too, because he missing out on meeting the challenges and enjoying the successes that come with the job.
But we should get used to missed calls. Men and women who would normally become good big game officials are not getting started in or sticking with the trade anymore.
Today At The Site The Diary of a Nobody:Sparrow enjoys a slow night at the hotel and then reports for duty as the new veteran service officer for the county, where already he is whining about his office. Today’s Diary.
The worst part was the computer’s keyboard was one of those goddamned, wavy, new fangled ones that I don’t see the point to…Good gravy, it was as if I’d never typed before as I was obliged to look at the keyboard the whole time and my first email was to the Help Desk, opening a ticket for a new keyboard, which was delivered in short order.
Click on the button to read The Diary of a Nobody. $5.99 includes all entries, past, present, and future.
Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables: Friends, my latest novel is now available, for $3.99 until later this week when the price goes up a couple of bucks. Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables is about a nice guy who runs high-class call girls in and out of 5-star suites and throne rooms, collects ransoms and runs from the constables. Hilarity ensues.
On This Date In 1865 – The American Civil War effectively ends when Confederate Army General Robert E Lee surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia to Union Commanding General Ulysses S Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia. Gen. Joseph Johnston surrendered 90,000 troops to Gen. William T Sherman on April 26 and other surrenders followed. The final Confederate general to surrender was Brig. Gen. Stand Watie, a Cherokee, who surrendered in Oklahoma on June 23.
1912 – Fenway Park in Boston hosts its first game as the Red Sox defeat Harvard 2-0. The first batter was Harvard sophomore Dana Wingate, batting against Casey Hageman with the game was called after seven innings due to cold and snow. Harvard, which had been playing baseball since 1865, would go 12-10-1 in 1912, while the Red Sox would win the American League pennant with a 105-47 record and defeat the New York Giants in the World Series.
In 1977 – ABBA is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with Dancing Queen. An enormous international hit, Dancing Queen would spend one week at #1 in the US and hit the top spot in 16 other countries, including Britain, Mexico, Rhodesia, and their native Sweeden, where it spent 14 weeks at #1. ABBA remains one of the most commercially successful groups in pop music history and had 14 Top 40 and four Top 10 hits in the United States and Dancing Queen remains their only US #1.
Quotebook In short, I am convinced, by both faith and experience, that to maintain one’s self on this earth is not a hardship but a pastime. Henry David Thoreau Walden
Answer To The Last Trivia Question Henry Aaron hit his first major league home run on April 23, 1954, in the sixth inning of a 7-5 win against the Cardinals in St Louis. The homer came of Vic Raschi.
Today’s Stumper What is the biggest single in the history of the Swedish record chart? – Answer next time!
