The Daily Dose – Wednesday, August 8, 2018
The Daily Dose/August 8, 2018
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Lot’s going on today. Let’s go:
Leading Off
The Israeli spy agency Mossad is suspected of assassinating Aziz Asbar, a Syrian rocket scientist who, it was believed, had had the nerve to be working on weapons designed to target Israel.
The message, at least the one received here at Daily Dose headquarters, is crystal clear: don’t mess with the Israelis! From their heroic, ruthless hunting down of Nazis to their relentless, efficient hunting down of those responsible for the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre to this, it is plain Mossad will do whatever it takes to protect their state and its citizens, whether anyone else approves of it or not. You probably would, too, if throughout the centuries others have tried to massacre your people, too.
Today At The Site
Sparrow goes to the dentist on today’s edition of The Diary of a Nobody, and he wasn’t merely told to brush regularly and watch between-meal treats, either. It wasn’t pretty, as evidenced by the 753 appointments that were scheduled for the coming months…Also, the front desk at Hotel B does not have a working printer, a fiasco that won’t be remedied until the end of the week, at the earliest.
Benjamin Franklin, one of the more useful people our species has produced, has The Thought for the Day, a quote from his autobiography talking about people making differences by forming a plan and then executing that plan on a daily basis.
On This Date
In 1974 – President of the United States Richard Nixon, addressing his country from the Oval Office, announces his resignation, the first president to do so. The final blow to the president was a recently released tape recorded in the Oval Office which showed conclusively that Nixon had been told about the Watergate break-in soon after it happened and had approved the ensuing, obligatory cover-up, which everyone already knew anyway, but he had long denied. Vice president Gerald Ford would take office the following day.
In 1992 – The United States defeats Croatia 117-85 to win the men’s basketball gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Known as the Dream Team, Team USA was not seriously threatened, winning games by as many as 68 points and an average of 44. It was the first time NBA players were allowed to play in the Olympics and spurred the rest of the world to catch up. They did, too, for while Team USA would win the next two Olympic gold medals, Argentina would win in 2004.
In 1981 – Rick Springfield is at #1 for the second and final week on the Billboard Hot 100 with Jesse’s Girl. The song also went to #1 in Springfield’s native Australia, but only made it to #34 in Great Britain. Though it only spent two weeks at #1, Jesse’s Girl took 19 weeks to reach #1 and spent 32 total weeks on the chart and was Billboard’s fifth biggest song for the year.
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
The act with the most consecutive #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 is Whitney Houston, 7, from 1985-88.
Today’s Stumper
The United States is 138-5 in men’s Olympic basketball. Name the countries that have beaten them. – Answer next time!
Shameless Plugs
Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: A Vegas Memoir!: Clock in with the graveyard crew at the Monte Carlo Security Department on the glamorous Las Vegas Strip. You’ll meet drunks, reprobates and scoundrels, and those are just the officers! The funniest Vegas memoir ever! Promise!
The Regular Guys: Meet Lenny and Larry, two comedians who team up more or less out of desperation and become the biggest in show business. As funny as you would expect from Gaylon, and poignant, too.
Click here to read previews of both!
Click here to subscribe and get your all-access pass.
The Thought for the Day – Benjamin Franklin
I have always thought that one man of tolerable abilities may work great changes, if he first forms a good plan, and makes the execution of that same plan his sole study and business. – Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography
Benjamin Franklin (1706-90), of course, was a Founding Father of the United States who served his country honorably and ably in a variety of roles, from, among other things, the 6th president of Pennsylvania to the first postmaster general to minister to France where, perhaps, he was his most useful because the success of the American Revolution was due in no small measure to Franklin’s efforts there.
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The Daily Dose – Tuesday, August 7, 2018
The Daily Dose/August 7, 2018
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
The drivel simply does not stop. Here’s what’s on tap for you today:
Leading Off
You know, we are not paying too much attention to the Paul Manafort trial but we have noted this:
The sum total of most of our human experience is people trying to consolidate wealth and power and Manafort seems to have been born with more than the usual measure of greed. He has put an awful lot of effort into making an awful lot of money. All right, bully for him. Greed, like any ruling passion, is an awesome master to answer to.
But we couldn’t help thinking that if the US had a low tax environment for people to get rich in, people wouldn’t need to hide money in offshore banks. They could pay their share of taxes – the same low rate you and I would pay – and could carry on being rich. It is similar to our nation’s drug laws: legalize drugs and today’s drug lords are merely tomorrow’s vendors looking to move a product there is a great deal of demand for. America, however, has yet to heed this lesson.
Today At The Site
Today on The Diary of a Nobody, Sparrow notes that some of the plants in the garden that had been lagging are coming back to life, specifically the two hanging plants, one under a tree and another by the bird feeder. Also, Sparrow continues to fret about whether or not to enter the onions in the county fair.
George Carlin, one of the funnier people our species has produced, as The Thought for the Day. Like all good comics, Carlin has points to make and today’s thought concerns salad shooters and socks with blinking lights.
On This Date
In 1942 – The Battle of Guadalcanal begins in the Pacific Theater of World War II. It was the first major offensive by Allied forces against Japan and the six-month battle would result in an Allied victory.
In 2007 – Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hits his 756th major league home run, breaking the career record established by Henry Aaron. Aaron had broken Babe Ruth’s record of 714 home runs in 1974, while Bonds would retire with 762 home runs, still the all-time record.
In 1971 – The Bee Gees hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time with How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. The song spent four weeks at #1 and also went to #1 in Canada and Malaysia. To date, the Bee Gees have had nine #1 songs, including six consecutive #1’s from 1977-79, a mark that is tied with the Beatles for second all-time.
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
The last time the US executed someone in the electric chair was in 2013 when Virginia executed Robert Gleason, Jr.
Today’s Stumper
What act has the most consecutive #1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100? – Answer next time!
Shameless Plugs
Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: A Vegas Memoir!: Clock in with the graveyard crew at the Monte Carlo Security Department on the glamorous Las Vegas Strip. You’ll meet drunks, reprobates and scoundrels, and those are just the officers! The funniest Vegas memoir ever! Promise!
The Regular Guys: Meet Lenny and Larry, two comedians who team up more or less out of desperation and become the biggest in show business. As funny as you would expect from Gaylon, and poignant, too.
Click here to read previews of both!
Click here to subscribe and get your all-access pass.
The Thought for the Day – George Carlin
This species could have been so great, and now everybody just wants a new Salad Shooter or sneakers with lights in them. This is what we’ve settled for. – George Carlin
George Carlin (1937-2008) was an American comedian, usually ranked on most credible short lists of the trade’s funniest and most influential comics. Among his favorite topics were politics, religion and the English language and Carlin tended to march to his own drummer. He was a misfit in a structured society having been thrown out of both high school and the United States Air Force. Of course, Carlin was a very funny man but like all great comedians, he had a point to make once you sorted through the jokes. He had heart problems throughout his life and ultimately died of heart failure at age 71.
More Of The Thought For The Day Is Here
The Daily Dose – Monday, August 6, 2018
The Daily Dose/August 6, 2018
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Lot’s of great stuff for you today, treasured readers. Here’s what’s on tap today:
Leading Off
We are a bit more than two (2) weeks away from the debut of The Bottom Ten and the NFL Bottom Ten for 2018. For the uninitiated, these columns rank the worst college and professional teams. The inspiration came from the Bottom Ten columns by Steve Harvey we read in the Los Angeles Times growing up.
All your old favorites will be back, including the Continental Cup – issued to the team with the longest all-division losing streak in NATO – and the Sgt Bilko Trophy, symbolic of service academy lousiness and perhaps your Bottom Ten pollsters will be smart enough to come up with some new favorites, too.
The 2018 Bottom Ten will begin with the Preseason Q&A on Tuesday, August 22 with the Week 1 polls moving the following week.
Today At The Site
Today on The Diary of a Nobody Sparrow, a bit more nosy than usual, reports that his neighbor Jerry is asking $359,000 for the house he put on the market last week. Also, Sparrow whines about having to relieve Aubrey at Aisle 5 at the retailer, because her register is always a fiasco. Plus the Sleep Log is updated.
Will Durant has some thoughts on Martin Luther on The Thought for the Day. They are from The Reformation volume of his Story of Civilization concern Luther’s ability to completely focus on the purpose, as he saw it, for his life. The commentary talks about how we should have that focus, too.
On This Date
In 1890 – Convicted murderer William Kemmler is the first person executed in an electric chair, at the New York State Prison in Auburn. Kemmler had been convicted the previous year of murdering his common-law wife and reports indicate Kemmler went to his death calmly.
In 1952 – Satchel Paige of the St Louis Browns, more or less 46-years-old, defeats the Detroit Tigers 1-0 in 12 innings to become the oldest pitcher in major league history to throw a shutout. He would break this record the following month when he shuts out the Chicago White Sox.
In 1949 – Perry Como is at #1 on the Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart for the second week with Some Enchanted Evening, from the movie South Pacific. The song would spend five weeks at #1 and Como’s version was the second of six versions to hit the Billboard charts, with the last being by Jay and the Americans in 1965.
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
American Ralph Boston has broken the world record in the men’s long jump six times, the most any athlete.
Today’s Stumper
When was the electric chair last used to execute someone in the United States? – Answer next time!
Shameless Plugs
Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: A Vegas Memoir!: Clock in with the graveyard crew at the Monte Carlo Security Department on the glamorous Las Vegas Strip. You’ll meet drunks, reprobates and scoundrels, and those are just the officers! The funniest Vegas memoir ever! Promise!
The Regular Guys: Meet Lenny and Larry, two comedians who team up more or less out of desperation and become the biggest in show business. As funny as you would expect from Gaylon, and poignant, too.
Click here to read previews of both!
Click here to subscribe and get your all-access pass.
The Thought for the Day – Will Durant
He had the courage to defy his enemies because he did not have the intellect to doubt his truth. He was what he had to be to do what he had to do. – Will Durant, The Story of Civilization: The Reformation
Will Durant (1885-1981) is another writer who does not need an introduction to regular readers of this feature. Durant not only does a brilliant job of chronicling the wisdom of others, but he dispenses more than his share of wisdom as well. Of course, his eleven volume Story of Civilization is found in libraries of serious readers, but casual readers will find Durant worth the work he demands of his readers.
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