The Daily Dose/October 17, 2025
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
USA! USA!: Abraham Lincoln once said if America is going to be destroyed, it will happen from within and not from without.
We The People: It’s happening now. Between federal troops in our cities and the destroying of foreign vessels in international waters, and, now, the Defense Department trying to restrict Pentagon access to reporters and require they only report on what has been approved, our country is under attack from within.
Well, Excuse Me: The government defends this by calling the press “very disruptive”. Well, yeah, sure. Of course. That’s what a free press is for, to disrupt and keep a government on its toes. To protest this, members of the Pentagon Press Association walked out.
Extra, Extra, Read All About It: It’s not immediately clear what effect the media’s mass exodus from the Pentagon will have because it’s hardly as if the Pentagon had an open-door policy before this.
Dry, Technical Matter: Besides, the media brought this on themselves. A real media – one paced by Woodward and Bernstein and, among others, Walter Cronkite – would never have let Donald Trump within a mile of the 2016 primaries. Five minutes after he announced, they would’ve exposed him as the witless blatherskite he is. But they didn’t. They escorted him directly into the primaries, the nomination, and the White House.
Fly In The Ointment: Trump and his administration are merely reflections of the people they govern. For some time now, we Americans have preferred appeasement to accomplishment and feelings to thought. We are paying the price for it now.
The Bottom Line: We are getting the government we deserve. We elected spite and ignorance, and that is what we were getting: blather about Canada being the 51st state; tariffs that are merely taxes on us; attacking vessels in international waters. Do not be surprised when our government attempts to cancel next year’s mid-term elections. We elected it, so we deserve it.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has the latest from the sack. Today’s Diary.
Those are not bad totals, but we’re not sure why were not getting to sleep earlier any more than you are…
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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 1346 – King David II of Scotland is taken captive by the English army during the Battle of Neville’s Cross in the Second War of Scottish Independence. David would be held captive for eleven years in London and was released in 1357 after Scotland agreed to pay a ransom of 10,000 marks a year for ten years. History records Scotland as having some trouble paying the ransom at times, though David was never returned to captivity. He reigned until his death in 1371.
In 1991 – Paul Coffey of the PIttsburgh Penguins establishes a new NHL record for most career points by a defenseman in an 8-5 win over the New York Islanders. Coffey had two assists, giving him 1,053 points for his career, breaking the record of 1,052 established by Denis Potvin from 1973-88. Coffey retired in 2001 with 1,531 points, and the record is now held by Ray Borque, with 1,579 from 1979-2001.
In 1970 – Johnny Cash is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the second and final consecutive week with Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down. It was the eleventh of 13 #1 country songs for Cash, and the song also went #1 country in Canada and peaked at #46 on the Hot 100. In 1969, a version by Ray Stevens went #55 country and #81 pop, and the song was written by Kris Kristofferson.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Here, if anywhere, the problem faces us: what is the role of genius in history, of man versus the mass and the state?
Will & Ariel Durant
The Story of Civilization, Vol X: Rousseau and Revolution
Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.
Billboard’s #1 song of 2014 was Happy by Pharrell Williams, which spent ten weeks at #1.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
How long did the Second War of Scottish Independence last? – Answer next time!
