The Diary of a Nobody/April 13, 2023
The Diary of a Nobody/Thursday, April 13, 2023
The Daily Dose/April 13, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Leading Off will return.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has the latest 3-hole punch drama from the hotel. Today’s Diary.
After the remodel it was placed on the shelf above the desk, very convenient, because we don’t have to get up for it; we can merely reach up and get it…
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4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.
Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device.
———
On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 1873 – An indeterminate number of Blacks – estimated at between 60 and 150 – are murdered at the courthouse in Colfax, Louisiana by former Confederate soldiers and KKK members. The violence was part of large-scale rioting that gripped the state following a disputed gubernatorial election the previous year and the number of deaths is difficult to determine because some of the dead were thrown into either the river or a mass grave. History refers to the murders as the Colfax Massacre.
In 1940- Cornelius Warmerdam of the US becomes the first person to pole vault 15 feet at a meet at UC Berkeley. For reasons that History has declined to make clear, the vault was not ratified as a world record, which Warmerdam took care of on June 29, vaulting 15 feet, 1 inch and he would hold the world record at assorted heights until 1957. Armand Duplantis of Sweden has held the record since 2020, including a vault of 20 feet, 4.75 inches this past February.
In 1974 – Gladys Knight & the Pips are at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart – then known as the Hot Soul Singles chart – for the second and final consecutive week with Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me. The song also peaked at #3 on the Hot 100, went #7 pop in Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 4th-biggest soul song of the year. It was the seventh of ten #1 soul hits for the group in a chart career that spanned from 1958-88 and in 1973 a version by Ray Price hit #1 on Billboard’s country chart. The song remains one of the few to go Top 10 on all three major Billboard singles charts.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Who can ask more of a man/Than giving all within his span/Giving all, it seems to me/Is not so far from victory
George Moriarty
The Road Ahead of the Road Behind
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Elton John’s biggest hit on Billboard’s soul chart was That’s What Friends Are For as part of Dionne Warwick and Friends, which three weeks at #1 in 1986.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What was Billboard’s #1 soul song of 1974? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Wednesday, April 12, 2023
The Daily Dose/April 12, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Leading Off will return.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Morning coffee service being left out all day now. The latest from Sparrow.
…the coffee is still decently hot and if you’re looking for an evening cup of joe in a hotel lobby you’re probably not all that picky in the first place, so we leave it out until fresh pots are made.
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Click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.
Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device.
———
On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 1945 – Harry S Truman becomes president of the United States following the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt died while sitting for a portrait at the Little White Hosue in Warm Springs, Georgia and his final words were “I have a terrific headache”. Truman would be elected to the presidency in 1948 and declined to run in 1952. Roosevelt was first elected president in 1932 and remains the only president to serve more than two terms.
In 1938 – The Chicago Black Hawks win the Stanley Cup, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 in Game 4 to win the series 3 games to 1. It was the second of six Stanley Cup titles for the Black Hawks and the fourth of eight runner-up finishes for the Maple Leafs. The Black Hawks had barely made the playoffs, finishing with a 14-25-9 record, two points ahead of the Detroit Red Wings, and they remain the only team with a losing regular season record to win the Stanley Cup.
In 1975 – Elton John is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first of two consecutive weeks with Philadelphia Freedom. It was the 17th of 58 Top 40 hits for John, his twelfth of 27 Top 10 hits, and his fifth of eight #1s. The song also went to #1 in Canada, peaked at #12 in Great Britain, at #32 on Billboard’s soul chart, and was Billboard’s 3rd-biggest song of the year. The song was written by John and Bernie Taupin for Billie Jean King, who played for the Philadelphia Freedoms tennis team.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
He was the Fool. …the footloose traveler, urged onward by something outside the confines of intellect and caution.
Robertson Davies
The Lyre of Orpheus
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Carl Hubbel of the New York Giants holds the record for most consecutive wins by a pitcher over consecutive seasons with 24, in 1936-37.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What was Elton John’s biggest hit on Billboard’s soul chart? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Tuesday, April 11, 2023
The Daily Dose/April 11, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Leading Off will return.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has the latest on the chick front. Today’s Diary.
We are pleased to report that the cacophony of last week – when ol’ Sparrow had no less than three women in play – has passed without yours truly getting a date…
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Click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.
Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device.
———
On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 1970 – Apollo 13 is launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Two days later an oxygen tank failed, making a lunar landing impossible, and getting the crew back to Earth took no small amount of ingenuity in extraordinary circumstances, a safe return to Earth not entirely certain until they reentered Earth’s atmosphere. Apollo 13 Commander James Lovell was also a member of the crew of Apollo 8 and remains the only person to travel to the moon twice and not walk on the surface.
In 1912 – Rube Marquard of the New York Giants wins the first of a major league record-tying 19 consecutive games in an 18-3 win over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Marquard would not lose until July 8 at Chicago and tied the record established by Tim Keefe, also of the Giants, in 1888. Marquard finished the season 26-11 and the mark remains the major league record for the longest winning streak from the start of a season.
In 2009 – Lady Gaga is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the only week with Poker Face. It was the fifth of 17 Top 10 hits for Lady Gaga and her second of five #1s. The song went to #1 in 21 other countries including Mexico, Norway, and Great Britain, peaked at #75 on Billboard’s soul chart, and was Billboard’s 2nd-biggest song of the year. The song spent 40 weeks on the chart, including 18 weeks in the Top 10 and nine non-consecutive weeks at #2.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Either the people would overthrow the government or, more likely, the government would overthrow the people.
Gore Vidal
Empire
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
Four Americans – three men and one woman – have won Olympic marathon gold medals.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Who holds the major league record for most consecutive wins over multiple seasons? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Monday, April 10, 2023
The Daily Dose/April 10, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
Leading Off will return.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow is obliged to listen to a woman whine about rates. Today’s Diary.
What’s funny, of course, is there is no proper response on my part…I mean, we’re the problem: we’re a hotel with the temerity to manipulate/utilize the free market and jack up rates in a season when people need places to stay…Silly us…
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Click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.
Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device.
———
On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 1963 – The nuclear submarine USS Thresher sinks about 220 miles east of Boston. Thresher was doing a deep diving test following an overhaul and an inquiry concluded Thresher sunk when a joint in a saltwater piping system failed, though some maintain an electrical fire was the cause. The final underwater telephone transmission with a support ship was the number “900”, possibly her depth as it continued to sink. In keeping with US Navy tradition, Thresher remains in commissioned service, officially lost at sea.
In 1896 – Spyridon Louis of Greece wins the first Olympic marathon in 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 50 seconds. There were 17 runners, 13 from Greece, in the race and the highest-finishing non-Greek was Gyula Kellner of Hungary, who finished third. The race from Marathon to Olympic Stadium in Athens was a bit less than 25 miles and the current distance of 26 miles, 385 yards was first run at the 1908 London Games and became standard in Paris in 1924.
In 1982 – Stevie Wonder is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the eighth of nine consecutive weeks with That Girl. It was the 33rd of 47 Top 10 soul hits for Wonder and was his 15th of 20 #1 soul songs, a record once held with Aretha Franklin and now held by Drake (26). The song also peaked at #4 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and remains Wonder’s biggest soul hit. That Girl spent 19 weeks on the chart, including 15 in the Top 10.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
A ship does not sail with yesterday’s wind.
Louis L’Amour
The Walking Drum
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The Congress of the Confederation had one chamber. It existed during the period the Articles of Confederation were in force, 1781-89.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
How many Americans have won an Olympic marathon gold medal? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/Sunday, April 9, 2023
The Daily Dose/April 9, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
The Sunday Bottom 5
A ranking of some things.
1. Dallas Mavericks – Hey guys, if you didn’t want to play your stars in a meaningless season finale that’s your lookout, but keeping them out of a game with play-in tournament implications – perhaps to improve your draft position – is wrong…Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters hereby fine you $10 million…Please remit check soonest.
2. Clarence Thomas – Supreme Court justice might – or might not – have a technically legal argument that his acceptance of luxury trips is merely accepting personal hospitality but public servants like him should make the point moot by not accepting them in the first place.
3. #USA! #USA! – 70 years into TV being the focal point of American life, Americans so well-entertained and well-fed they are tolerating 1.4 shootings per day involving no less than four (4) injuries/deaths, perpetual war, and sub-standard government…Sunday Bottom 5 pollsters remain “pretty sure” US has until this half-century is out to do something before Great American Experiment tossed aside History’s scrap heap.
4. 2024 Presidential Election – Good gravy, potential options like choosing preferred strain of the clap: a Democratic Party hell-bent on providing cradle-to-grave coverage for all of us and a GOP determined to force-feed America their way of life…The middle of the road in America has been overtaken by extremes, tho Americans – unwilling to make changes at ballot box – seem to be OK with this.
5. Boston Bruins – As good a team as NHL has produced, Bruins now third team to win at least 62 games in a season and are trying to become first of them to actually win Stanley Cup…Bruins looking to hoist Cup for seventh time and first time since 2011.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has to tell a guest the bar is closed. Today’s Diary.
…this is another instance where ol’Sparrow could’ve made some extra cash by having a cooler or a bottle handy, but we don’t really think in terms of hustling cash, except after its too late…
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Click here to get in on the laughs.
4Ever & Ever ($8.99) and monthly ($2.99) plans available.
Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device.
———
On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 1784 – The American Revolution comes to an end when the Treaty of Paris is ratified by King George III of Great Britain. The treaty had been signed in Paris the previous September and had been ratified by the US Congress of the Confederation in January and the countries would exchange signed copies in May. The only article of the treaty still applicable and in force is the first, which acknowledges the US’s independence.
In 1912 – Fenway Park in Boston hosts its first game, an exhibition between the Red Sox and the Harvard Crimson won by the Red Sox 2-0. The first batter was Harvard’s Dana Wingate, the first pitch was thrown by Casey Hageman, and about 3,000 fans showed up on a snowy day. The first American League game was a 7-6 win over the New York Highlanders on April 20 and to date Fenway Park has hosted 8,696 regular season games, a total that includes 85 Boston Braves games between 1913-15.
In 1977 – ABBA is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the only week with Dancing Queen. The song went to #1 in 14 other countries including Norway, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 12th-biggest song of the year. It was the eighth of 14 Top 40 hits for the group, their first of four Top 10 hits, and remains their only #1 song. Versions by the Glee Cast (#74, 2011) and A*Teens (#95, 2000) have also hit the Hot 100.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
To live, one must embrace the immediate and actual…as well as the distant and perfect.
George Santayana
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The first US senator elected under the provisions of the 17th Amendment was Augustus Bacon of Georgia, on June 15, 1913. Bacon had served in the Senate since 1894 and had been appointed to the seat on March 4 when the legislature failed to elect a successor. He ran unopposed in the election.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
How many chambers did the Congress of the Confederation have? – Answer next time!