Meet Sparrow, an average man passing an average life…
Tuesday, March 19
Slow night at the hotel, which I was grateful for because, of course, I was dead tired…There was some work to do playing mailman because GM Barbara had letters advising guests about the room renovation to be delivered to most rooms, but other than that it was a routine night…I didn’t actually go and lay down on a couch in the lobby, but I couldn’t even be bothered to work on projects.
The Daily Dose/March 19, 2019
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Leading Off will return.
The Diary of a Nobody: It’s a pretty slow night at the hotel, and Sparrow gets a funny line off at the retailer. It’s Sparrow, an average man passing an average life.
A rather slow night…There was not much action on the coffee service after the Halliburton crew left…They drank their usual half a pot and completely laid bare the French vanilla creamer, but after that, no one came by for coffee…Also, I only made four sheets of scratch paper, more or less replacing what I used, and the stack on the monitor stand in the back is now at exactly one inch.
Click here to read The Diary of a Nobody. $5.99 includes all entries, past, present, and future.
Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables: Friends, my latest novel Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables is now available for $3.99, a price that goes up to $5.99 on the official release date of April 1.
Would you like to read excerpts and a sample chapter? Of course you would. Click here to do just that.
On This Date
In 1649 – The English House of Commons abolishes its counterpart in Parliament, the House of Lords, citing them as “…useless and dangerous to the people of England”. The Commons had been in ill humour for a while, having executed King George I for treason in January. The House of Lords would not be restored until 1660 when the monarchy was also restored.
In 1981 – The Buffalo Sabres score nine goals in the second period in a game vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs, establishing a record for Most Goals in a Period by One Team. The Sabres broke the record of eight done several times in the past and won the game 14-4. Their record still stands. The Maple Leafs scored three goals in the period and the 12 combined goals remain the highest scoring period in NHL history.
In 1977 – Barbra Streisand is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the third and final week with Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born). It was Streisand’s second of five #1s on the Hot 100 and the song also went to #1 in Canada and was Billboard’s fourth biggest song of 1977. Evergreen earned Academy and Golden Globe awards for Best Original Song for Streisand and co-writer Paul Williams.
Quotebook
If you are extraordinary, be extraordinary. People only err when they try to be who they are not.
Deng Ming-Dao
365 Tao
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy each have nine seasons with 50 or more goals, the NHL record.
Today’s Stumper
When did the English House of Commons first meet? – Answer next time!
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The Daily Dose/March 18, 2019
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off: Capsule Book Review: The Warrior Generals: Combat Leadership in the Civil War by Thomas Buell
One of the things you learn over the years is how revered generals Ulysses S Grant and Robert E Lee remain in the hearts of many. Thomas Buell tries his darndest to shatter those myths, providing a well-researched, consistent and reasoned analysis of how a variety of generals did their work in the Civil War.
Among other things, Grant was faulted for consistently fighting battles based on how he wished conditions were as opposed to how they actually were, while Lee was cited for blindly sending troops into battle without knowing exactly the conditions he was sending them into and failing to house, clothe and feed his troops. About the only generals that find consistent favor with Buell are Union generals George H Thomas and Francis Barlow.
Conspicuous by his absence is Union General George McClellan, though this book concerns itself with generals who actually fought and McClellan didn’t do too much of that, and Buell doesn’t bother too much with the overall political context of the war. The book does a very good job of bringing the horrors of the Civil War to life.
Final Ranking: B. Buell tends to force his opinions on you, but they are reasonable conclusions based on the evidence presented and they are hardly hatchet jobs on figures who remain revered figures throughout the country. A good read for both scholars and casual fans of history,
Today At The Site
The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow deals with an unknown alarm going off in a room, and it’s Sunday Spaghetti Nite (SSN) at The Shire.
I head over and, sure enough, there is a beep coming from behind a panel in the far wall, not too far from the heating unit…I have no clue what the deal is, of course, but I start investigating and there are two thermostats and one has a sign attached that advises not to have the unit on Cool in the winter because the unit will freeze.
This thermostat was set to Cool…The other was set to Heat, so plainly the unit was confused, threw its hands up and said “I give up”…
Click here to follow Sparrow – an average man passing an average life.
$5.99 includes all entries, past, present, and future.
Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables: Friends, my latest novel Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables is now available for $3.99, a price that goes up to $5.99 on the official release date of April 1.
Would you like to read excerpts and a sample chapter? Anyone would. Click here to do just that.
On This Date
In 1965 – Man walks in space for the first time, when Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov spends twelve minutes outside the Voskhod 2 spacecraft. He and Mission Commander Pavel Balyayev had taken off earlier that day in a mission that was plagued with errors, including assorted reentry errors that caused the spacecraft to land 239 miles from its intended site, in an area so heavily forested it took two days to recover the crew.
In 1945 – Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens becomes the first NHL player to score 50 goals in a season, scoring with 2 minutes and 15 seconds left in the third period of the 50th and final game of the season. The Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins that night 4-2 and this would be the only time in his Hall of Fame career that Richard would score at least 50 goals in a season.
In 1967 – Penny Lane by The Beatles is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for its only week. The song also went to #1 in Australia, Canada, Holland and New Zealand and was the group’s 13th of 20 #1 songs in the US. Penny Lane was part of a two-sided hit, issued along with Strawberry Fields Forever, which peaked at #8. Penny Lane refers to a street in Liverpool, where Paul McCartney, who wrote most of the song, grew up.
Quotebook
As I writhed under it, I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eye to the horrible pit, but no ladder upon which to get out. In moments of agony, I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity.
Frederick Douglass
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Gendun Drup (1391–1474), is recognized as the first Dalai Lama, though this title was bestowed in 1578, 104 years after his death.
Today’s Stumper
What NHL player has the most 50-goal seasons? – Answer next time!
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The Daily Dose/March 17, 2019
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off: Jamal Khashoggi is still dead.
Though the modern, never-ending news cycle disdains follow-up reporting, it is useful to keep up on the developments in old stories.
Or lack of developments as the case may be, such as in the affair of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi, you may recall, was a Saudi writer who lived in America and had had the nerve to be critical of the Saudi government. He was killed by Saudi agents in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.
Al-Jazeera reported this week that a Saudi spokesman said “those on trial” for Khashoggi’s murder have had three hearings so far, but offered no details on anything whatsoever. In late 2018 the Saudis had said eleven people had been indicted and held over for trial but no further information has been made available. Most of the US government and, therefore, most of the US media, long ago lost interest in the case.
The only other real development came earlier this month when 36 nations – none of them the United States – signed a statement condemning Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and urging them to cooperate with a UN-led investigation into Khashoggi’s murder.
Good luck with that. A similar declaration by your local elementary school’s second-grade class would have had the same effect. Eventually, perhaps, some hapless low-level prince may be offered up in sacrifice, but to expect there to ever be a substantive investigation into Khashoggi’s murder is folly.
Today At The Site
The Diary of a Nobody: It’s a dead sprint for Sparrow at the hotel, including a family that offers some attitude when Sparrow cannot the provide the exact accommodations they demand at 4 in the morning.
I’ve run into this before, someone who’s mad at you because you are unable to immediately solve their problem as if it’s my fault they drove in from the Arctic Circle on the spur of the moment and can’t find suitable accommodations…They leave to look for something else, but come back an hour later, paying good money for a room for five hours.
Click here to follow Sparrow – an average man passing an average life.
$5.99 includes all entries, past, present, and future.
Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables: Friends, my latest novel Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables is now available for $3.99, a price that goes up to $5.99 on the official release date of April 1.
Would you like to read excerpts and a sample chapter? Anyone would. Click here to do just that.
On This Date
In 1959 – The Dali Lama, and others, flee Lhasa, Tibet in the face of occupation by the Chinese. The Dalai Lama, then 19, and his group would reach India on March 30 and would later set up a government in exile. The Dalia Lama still lives in exile in India and has not returned to his homeland since.
In 1953 – The Boston Braves, a member of the National League since its founding in 1876, play their final game, a spring training affair in Florida. In the middle of their game the following day it was announced the National League had approved their application to move to Milwaukee, where they played for 13 seasons before moving to Atlanta for the 1966 season.
In 1979 – Gloria Gaynor is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the second of three non-consecutive weeks with I Will Survive. The song also went to #1 in Great Britain, Ireland and Canada, was Billboard’s sixth biggest hit of 1979, Gaynor’s second and final Top 40 hit and remains her only #1 song. I Will Survive would spend the following two weeks in the runner-up spot before returning to #1 on April 7
Quotebook
Both Gettysburg and the second inaugural address were forged by advice to himself and his country to study what had happened for helpful lessons rather than retribution.
Fred Kaplan
Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland are the cities that have been in the American League continuously since 1900.
Today’s Stumper
How far back does the Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism, trace his lineage? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/March 16, 2019
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Leading off will return.
Today At The Site
The Diary of a Nobody: It’s a busy shift at the retailer, as Sparrow keeps some guy from scamming a discount on ski goggles, and there are breakfast sandwiches on sale in the freezer case across from the service desk. Today’s Diary.
There are several varieties: ham and cheese, sausage and cheese and bacon and cheese, both croissant and English muffin…I have some street cred here: do NOT ever buy a frozen English muffin sandwich…Get the croissant…The biscuits, if you can find them are next and only get the English muffins if your only other option is Drano…$8.63 for a pack of eight and, frankly, the house brand is just as good.
Click here to follow Sparrow – an average man passing an average life.
$5.99 includes all entries, past, present, and future.
Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables: Friends, my latest novel Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables is now available for $3.99, a price that goes up to $5.99 on the official release date of April 1.
Excerpts and a sample chapter await you here.
On This Date
In 1916 – The United States Army invades Mexico when both the 7th and 10th cavalry regiments cross the border in search of Mexican revolutionary Panch Villa. Despite searching for most of the next year, the search was unsuccessful and the expedition marked the first time the US Army used aircraft and trucks in an operation.
In 1900 – Owners of teams in the Western League, meeting in Chicago, announce they are changing their name to the American League in an effort attain major league status. The American League would have eight teams in 1900, with Chicago winning the pennant by four games over Milwaukee. The new league would not be recognized as a major league until the following year.
In 1963 – The Four Seasons are at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the third and final week with Walk Like a Man. It was third of five number one songs for the group, following Sherry and Big Girls Don’t Cry. The song was written by Bob Crewe and Four Seasons member Bob Gaudio and the production session is noted for a fire in a room above the studio that Crew would not break up until pulled out of the studio by firefighters.
Quotebook
Lincoln appealed to reason, historical fact, and the sense of justice that he believed a constituent of human nature. The power of persuasive language, he hoped, could motivate America to become the agent of its own liberation.
Fred Kaplan
Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
The Doobie Brothers had five Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Today’s Stumper
What cities that had American League teams in 1900 still have their original clubs? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/March 15, 2019
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
What is funny about the whole college bribery story is how people are getting worked up over it because let’s be honest, is any of this surprising? It shouldn’t be.
The rich are bribing their way into elite colleges and universities? Please. What would be surprising is if this hasn’t been going on since Harvard opened their doors in the 1630s. Nothing really changes in this world; the privileged, and everyone else for that matter, will do what it takes to look after themselves. It’s the way the world is built. If a silly law stands in their way, they will ignore that law and go about their business.
Should we be surprised college sports was involved? Of course not. American college sports has been a cesspool since Harvard and Yale first rowed against each other in 1852. Professionals and other ringers were used on both sides and the event was held not near either campus, but at a resort in New Hampshire whose owner was merely exploiting the event to drum up some business. Imagine that.
And something else: we don’t approve of the bribing of collegiate rowing coaches any more than you do, but who exactly is the victim here? Some scrappy, unwashed rower from the projects? All right, granted, some otherwise deserving kids probably missed out an opportunity but life is both tough and unfair. Get up, dust yourself off and go somewhere else. College, like every other aspect of this life, is what you make of it.
We should be surprised at none of this and we should remember these are only the ones who got caught; it is probably just the tip of the iceberg.
Today At The Site
The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow and The Wife enjoy a much needed leisurely day off together and it’s Sunday Spaghetti Nite, even though it’s Thursday. Today’s Diary.
Recall a couple of weeks ago for Sunday Spaghetti Nite (SSN) I had cooked up some Italian sausage for the sauce however I wasn’t entirely pleased with it, so at the big grocery store in town I bought some sweet Italian sausage and boy, that turned out really good…I didn’t completely cut it up, either, and there were some nice big chunks in there and both The Wife and the cat said it was the best ever.
Click here to follow Sparrow – an average man passing an average life.
$5.99 includes all entries, past, present, and future.
Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables: Friends, my latest novel Criminals, Courtesans, and Constables is now available for $3.99, a price that goes up to $5.99 on the official release day of April 1.
Click here to read excerpts and a sample chapter.
On This Date
In 44 BC – Julius Caesar, dictator of the Roman Republic, is assassinated by assorted members of the Roman Senate at the Theater of Pompey. While Caesar was able to stave off the initial attack of a malcontent Casca, others soon joined in and Caesar was stabbed a total of 23 times. The autopsy report, the earliest in recorded history, said only one stab wound, which severed the aorta, would have been sufficient to cause death.
In 1991 – Sergei Bubka, then of the Soviet Union, later of the Ukraine, becomes the first person to pole vault 20 feet at an indoor meet in San Sebastian, Spain. In August, Bubka would become the first person to vault 20 feet outdoors. He would retire with a personal best of 20 feet, 2.1 inches and, dominating like few others in sports history, Bubka would break both the indoor and outdoor pole vault 35 times over the course of his career. The pole vault world record is now held Renaud Lavillenie of France, who vaulted 20 feet, 2.5 inches in 2014.
In 1975 – The Doobie Brothers are at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time with Black Water. The song would spend one week at #1 and had been released the previous year as the B side to the single Another Park, Another Sunday, which peaked at #32. The Doobie Brothers would hit #1 again in 1979 with What A Fool Believes.
Quotebook
If in the future we find ourselves with a lot of fourth-rate citizens, we have only ourselves to blame.
Louis L’Amour
Education of a Wandering Man
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Michael Jordan holds the NBA playoff record for career scoring average at 33.4 points-per-game.
Today’s Stumper
How many Top 10 hits did the Doobie Brothers have on Billboard’s Hot 100? – Answer next time!
