The Daily Dose/March 16, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

Leading Off will return.

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow registers for a political convention. Today’s Diary. 

When we first went, it was in a conference room at a big hotel and ran from Friday thru Sunday…This year it’s at the local Masonic lodge on Saturday and Sunday morning and if this keeps up we’ll be able to hold it here at The Shire in a few years…

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Of course you would.
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Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device. 

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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it. 

In 1966 – Gemini VIII, with Neil Armstrong and David Scott aboard, launches from Cape Kennedy on Florida’s east coast. History remembers the flight for conducting the first docking of two spacecraft and for the capsule turning over and over, which required the mission to be aborted, with the crew returning safely to Earth. Armstrong later become the first human to walk on the moon, while Scott was the seventh. 

In 1872 – The oldest soccer competition in the world is played for the first time, when the Wanderers defeat the Royal Engineers 1-0 in the first Football Association (FA) Cup at Kennington Oval in London. The tournament had begun the previous November with 15 teams, four of which still exist. The FA was formed in 1863, and Arsenal, which competes in England’s Premier League, has won the most FA Cups with 14. 

In 1956 – Tab Hunter is at #1 on Billboard’s Best Sellers in Stores chart – a predecessor to the Hot 100 – for the third of four consecutive weeks with Young Love. The song also went to #1 on Billboard’s Most Played by Jockeys, and Most Played in Jukeboxes charts and was Hunter’s only #1 pop song. The song also went to #1 in Great Britain and peaked at #9 on Billboard’s Best Sellers chart.  Versions by Sonny James, the Crew Cuts, Donny Osmond, and Lesley Gore have also hit Billboard pop charts over the years. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

There’s nobody more dangerous than a sincere visionary.
Morris West
The Clowns of God

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Larry Holmes’ last professional fight was against Eric Esch, AKA Butterbean. He won a 10-round unanimous decision in 2002 and retired with a 69-6 career record.

Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.

How many Gemini missions were there? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/March 15, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

Leading Off will return.

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow forks over for a professional resume. Today’s Diary. 

Well, we got the first draft of The New Sparrow Resume (TNSR) back today, and good gravy, [she] made me look like Shakespeare…

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Would you like 4Ever & Ever access to Gaylon’s crap?
Of course you would.
Click here. It’s only $24.99.

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 1820 – Maine is admitted as the 23rd state of the Union. Long an English colony, Maine had been part of Massachusetts since 1691, when it was organized as York County. The British had attempted to lay claim to portions of the area for years, and Maine’s status wasn’t completely solidified until after the Revolution. It was admitted as part of the Missouri Compromise as a free state, which later admitted Missouri as a slave state. 

In 1985 – Larry Holmes retains the IBF heavyweight title with 10th-round TKO of David Bey at the Riviera in Las Vegas. It was the 19th defense of the title Holmes had first won in 1978 when he won the WBC title in 1978, a he vacated in 1983 after a dispute over a mandatory defense. Holmes had been issued the inaugural IBF title in 1983, holding it until losing to Michael Spinks in 1985. It was the only title fight for Bey, who died at age 60 in 2017. 

In 2014 – Pharrell Williams is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the second of ten consecutive weeks with Happy. It was the second of 17 Top 40 hits for Williams and his first of four #1s. The song also went to #1 in 23 other countries, including Russia, Norway, and Great Britain, was in its fourth of twelve consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart, was its #1 pop and soul song of the year, and it’s 21sts-biggest pop song of the decade. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.
Morris West
The Clowns of God

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Elvis Presley’s first #1 song on a Billboard country chart was I Forgot To Remember To Forget, which went to #1 on the Best Sellers in Stores chart in February 1956. It later went to #1 on the Most Played In Juke Boxes country chart and did not chart on a Billboard pop chart. 

Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.

Who did Larry Holmes fight in his last professional bout? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/March 14, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

CAPSULE OLD TV WESTERN REVIEW: Tales of Wells Fargo, starring Dale Robertson: We keep some pretty odd hours here, and there have been times over the past few years when we find ourselves with some idle hours to kill. Sometimes these hours are killed by binge-watching old TV shows, a practice that has varied between old favorites and new-to-us stuff. Tales of Wells Fargo was new to us. 

Dry, Technical Matter: It interested us because we used to drive an armored truck, so we can relate to transporting valuables, though we have zero experience in gun fights. Or in fist fights, for that matter. 

Back On Message: The main character is Jim Hardie, a special investigator for Wells Fargo at the time around the Civil War, who investigates robberies, murders, and other protocol violations against Wells Fargo stages, way stations, and offices. He is brilliantly played by Dale Robertson: Hardie is brave, honest, stalwart, and true, exactly the person we’d like to be if we were in the same situation. Like all Westerns of the era, there are many gun and fist fights, the hero is seldom shot, and he always gets his man.

Lights…Camera…Action: There is no shortage of actors who latter become famous making guest appearances, too. James Coburn, Jim Davis, Jack Nicholson, and Michael Landon, among others, are all seen when they are very young. Our favorote guest star was Edward Platt, the future chief of CONTROL in Get Smart, who makes three appearances, all as Doc Bell. 

LOL: There was one really funny line: Hardie and someone else are staking out a cabin they know has outlaws in it. The guy asks if Hardie knows they did it:

Well, I don’t have a signed confession, but they did it. 

Get Your Official Daily Dose Rating Scale Right Here: A – The very best; B- Very good; C – Good; D – OK; F – A steaming pile. 

Final Rating: B – Tales of Wells Fargo ran for six seasons, from 1957-62. The first four seasons were brilliant. In season 5 they start running out of ideas and there are more show tunes than were useful. This problem was mitigated somewhat in the final season, when the show was colorized, extended to an hour, and Hardie was given a base of operations in a small town, probably in California, though this is never specified. 

The Bottom Line: Had seasons five and six been as good as the first four, it would’ve been entitled to a higher rating but it hung on a couple of seasons too long. We’re not complaining about that, however, because Jim Hardie is a memorable character. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow screws up the weight on the final set of the bench press. Today’s Diary. 

…at first, we thought we were stronger than usual…Long about the eighth rep we started strongly suspecting something was up and when we blew thru the tenth rep we were sure of it.

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Would you like 4Ever & Ever access to Gaylon’s crap?
Of course you would.
Click here. It’s only $24.99.

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 1964 – Jack Ruby is found guilty of murdering Lee Harvey Oswald while Oswald was in custody following his arrest for assassinating President John F Kennedy. Ruby had pleaded insanity and would later be sentenced to death. The conviction was overturned by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeal for, among other things, an oral confession that should not have been admitted despite the fact there were photographs and video coverage of Ruby shooting Oswald. Ruby died in custody before his second trial could begin and legally died unconvicted. His real name was Jacob Rubenstein. 

In 1962 – Wilt Chamberlain concludes one of the greatest regular seasons in NBA history in a 119-115 win over the Chicago Packers. Chamberlain played 53 minutes and had 34 points, giving him averages of 50.4 points and 48.5 minutes per game, both NBA records that still stand. The Warriors defeated the Syracuse Nationals in the first round of the playoffs, before losing to the Boston Celtics in the conference finals. The Packers became the Baltimore Bullets, now the Washington Wizards, in 1963. 

In 1981 – Elvis Presley is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the only week with Guitar Man. It was a rerecording of the song Elvis had first released in 1967 and that had been written, and also released as a single, by Jerry Reed. It was the eleventh and final #1 country hit for Elvis, the song also peaked at #28 on the Hot 100, and remains Elvis’ last appearance at #1 on a Billboard singles chart. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

He preferred the comfort of a familiar hearth to the solitude of the innovator.
Morris West
The Clowns of God

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The Chicago/St Louis/Arizona Cardinals have won two NFL titles, in 1925 and 1947. 

Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.

What was the first #1 song on a Billboard country chart for Elvis? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/March 12, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

Leading Off will return.

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow rents a room to a couple. Today’s Diary. 

It was funny because they went thru the motions of attempting to act like they’d known each other for longer than two hours…This attempt was as unnecessary as it was unsuccessful because this isn’t our first hotel shift and we know two humans looking to mate when we see them…

———

Would you like 4Ever & Ever access to Gaylon’s crap?
Of course you would.
Click here. It’s only $24.99.

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 1088 – Urban II is elected the 159th pope at a meeting of cardinals in Teracina, Italy. Urban, who also reigned over the Papal States, is primarily remembered for what History refers to as The Crusades, a series of Christian conquests, largely in the Muslim world, that he inspired following a 1099 speech at the Council of Clermont. Urban reigned until 1099 when he died in Rome. Urban was opposed by Clement III, who was an antipope from 1080-1100. 

In 1956 – Dick Farley of the Syracuse Nationals establishes a new NBA record for the fastest disqualification in a 97-92 win over the St Louis Hawks in a game played in New Haven, Connecticut. Farley fouled out in five minutes and research into whose record Farley broke was inconclusive. The record is now 2 minutes, 43 seconds, by Bubba Wells of the Dallas Mavericks in December 1997. 

In 2011 – Lady Gaga is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the third of six consecutive weeks with Born This Way. It was the eleventh of 25 Top 40 hits for Lady Gaga, her ninth of 17 Top 10s, and her third of five #1s. The song went to #1 in 22 other countries, including Luxembourg, Israel, and Japan, peaked at #3 in Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 22nd-biggest song of the year. It was the 1,000th #1 song on the Hot 100. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Every living creature on this earth can do something great.
Minnesota Fats

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Basketball made its first appearance at the Olympics at the 1904 St Louis Games, where it was a demonstration sports. A variety of teams of varying age levels took part in a variety of tournaments. 

Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.

What was the first #1 song on Billboard’s Hot 100? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!