Daily Report – Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Sparrow frets over the lack of those plastic grocery bags in the house on today’s edition of The Diary of a Nobody. He notes this is because he doesn’t do the wholesale grocery shopping The Wife does when she’s in residence. Also, Sparrow shares a memory of attending the Olympics with a customer at the retailer.
It is a pleasure to be writing The Thought for the Day again. As we note here from time to time, we write what we are moved to write from the inside, and it was time to resume this feature. Today’s Thought is from the late Dick Francis, a British mystery writer we’ve always enjoyed, talking about the unexpected happening in life.
On This Date:
In 1804 – Vice President Aaron Burr shoots former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in a duel in Weehawken, New Jersey. History seems to show that while Hamilton, who died the following day, did not want to actually fire at Burr, Burr had every intention of killing Hamilton. After the duel, Hamilton fled to South Carolina to live with his daughter, though he eventually returned to Washington and resumed his vice presidential duties and eventually all charges associated with the duel were dropped.
In 1914 – Babe Ruth makes his major league debut, the starting and winning pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, who defeated the Cleveland Indians, then known as the Naps, 4-3. Ruth pitched seven innings, giving up three runs and eight hits, with one strikeout. At the plate, Ruth would go 0-2 with a strikeout in his first major league at-bat.
In 1970 – Three Dog Night is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of two weeks with Mama Told Me Not Come. It was their first of three #1’s (Joy to the World, Black and White) and their fourth of eleven Top 10 hits. The song was written by Randy Newman and History notes that Mama Told Me Not To Come was #1 on the first edition of American Top 40, hosted by Casey Kasem.
Have a great day, and many thanks for reading.
Gaylon
The Thought for the Day – Dick Francis
One takes the most momentous steps unaware. – Dick Francis, In The Frame
Dick Francis (1920-2010) was a British mystery writer whose novels centered around horse racing, something Francis, a former steeplechase jockey, was very familiar with. Unlike most mystery writers, Francis’s books featured a variety of detectives, although his protagonists weren’t professional detectives, they had other lives and found themselves needing to solve crimes out of circumstance. As we recall, today’s Thought came right before one of his amateur detectives walked into a room and got the snot beat out of him.
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Daily Report: Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Today on The Diary of a Nobody, Sparrow discusses his recent eyeglass purchase, plus details procedures for watering the plants, both outside and inside, because that’s his responsibility with The Wife still out of town. Also, there is cautious optimism in the Sleep Log that the 50 hour record of two weeks ago might – might – be equaled this week.
We are pleased to announce the return of The Thought for the Day. Today, we have a thought from Alex Haley’s fine historical novel Roots, one of our all-time favorite books. Today Haley talks about the disadvantages of keeping a closed fist. As usual with this features, the quote is supplemented with the usual commentary from us. Also, while a subscription is required to read most things here, The Thought for the Day is presented with our compliments.
Also, rewrites have resumed on our forthcoming, brilliant novel Criminals, Courtesans and Constables. Rewrites are funny. The urgency to complete rewrites, frankly, isn’ there like it is for writing the first draft and we’ve got some other projects working right now so rewrites for Criminals, Courtesans and Constables took a back seat, but once you commit to the writer’s life your instincts take over and your life is on autopilot and our instincts commanded us to get back to it so we complied.
On This Date
In 1913 – The highest temperature reliably recorded on Earth, 134.1F, is recorded at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California. Though some dispute this saying it was the result of really hot sandstone hitting the thermometer, located in a shelter, it remains accepted by the World Meteorological Association.
In 1932 – Two major league single-game hit records are established when the Philadelphia A’s defeat the Cleveland Indians 18-17 in 18 innings. For the A’s, Johnny Burnett broke the record for most hits in a game with nine and for the Indians, Ed Rommel gave up a major league record 29 hits in 17 innings of relief. Both records still stand. The game had been tied 15-15 after nine innings and both teams scored two runs in the 16th.
In 1961 – Bobby Lewis is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with Tossin’ and Turnin’. The song would spend seven weeks at #1 as well as ten weeks at #1 on the R&B chart and was Billboard’s #1 single of 1961. Lewis’ follow-up, One Track Mind, was his only other hit, reaching #9. Now 95, Lewis lives in New Jersey.
Many thanks for reading, and have a good day.
Gaylon
The Thought for the Day – Alex Haley
When you clench your fist, no one can put anything in your hand, nor can your hand pick anything up. – Alex Haley, Roots
Alex Haley was an American writer, the author of the monumental work Roots. Haley, interestingly, did not start writing professionally until well into his 20-year career in the United States Coast Guard and we were dismayed to note Haley’s admission that some passages from another book made it into Roots. Novelists ourselves, we find it beyond comprehension that one writer would use someone else’s work without attribution. Despite this, however, Roots remains a landmark in American letters.
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Daily Report – Monday, July 9, 2018
Another first for Sparrow on today’s edition of The Diary of a Nobody as a guest asks to view satellite imagery to help him find the condo he is staying in…Also, the neighbor across the street appears to have acquired a drum set while Sparrow frets over the robin’s nest, because he hasn’t mommy or daddy robin in a day or two.
The last time we featured The Thought for the Day King David was quoted. His thought was to a great extent we are what we think we are. Today on The Thought for the Day we feature another thought along those same lines, from Anthony Trollope, who also discusses the importance of having a good opinion of yourself.
On This Date:
In 2011 – South Sudan gains its independence for Sudan, after having been autonomous since 2005. Though over 200 languages are spoken, English is the official language and its capital is Juba. Despite several cease-fire agreements, South Sudan has been fighting a civil war since 2013 and is still the planet’s newest country.
In 1955 – The Rock Era in American popular music begins when Bill Haley and his Comets reach #1 on Billboard’s Best Sellers in Stores chart, a forerunner of the Hot 100. The song would spend eight weeks at #1, would fall on and off the Best Sellers in Stores chart for the next year or so and would hit the Top 40 again in 1974, spending a week at #39. The song also went to #1 in Great Britain where it remains the only non-Christmas song to chart five times.
In 1971 – The Oakland A’s defeat the California Angels – now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – 1-0 in 20 innings. The winning run is scored when Angel Mangual scores Curt Blefary with a two-out single in the bottom of the 20th. It remains the longest 1-0 game in American League history.
Many thanks for reading and have a good day,
Gaylon
Daily Report – Sunday, July 8, 2018
Yes, The Sunday Bottom Ten is back. It’s Sunday and no one would expect anything less. This week we feature rankings and our usual witless commentary on everything from the recent executions in Japan to World Cup penalty kick shootouts to race quotas in college admissions.
In today’s edition of The Diary of a Nobody, Sparrow, an average man leading an average life, discovers some new plants growing in the yard, plus there are some snotty people looking for rooms at the hotel. At the retailer, not all customers are all that bright, either. Also, Sparrow wraps up the week with a solid seven hours in the sack, giving him 46 for the week, a bit off last week’s record, but still not too bad.
On This Date:
In 1932 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes at 41.22. Though this would be the lowest it would fall during the Great Depression, it would not reach its pre-Depression high until 1954.
In 1889 – John L Sullivan defeats Jake Kilrain in Richburg, Mississippi to retain his world heavyweight boxing title. It was the fight bare-knuckled boxing title fight. The ended when Kilrain’s second threw in the towel. Under the London Prize Ring rules, rounds ended when one or both fighters went down, and the fight lasted 2 hours and 16 minutes.
In 1972 – Bill Withers hits #1 for the only time on the Billboard Hot 100 when Lean On Me ascends the throne for the first of three weeks. A former enlisted man in the US Navy, Withers also had a successful career as a songwriter and record producer and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.
Many thanks for dropping by.
Gaylon