The Daily Dose/May 17, 2025
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

CAPSULE BOOK REVIEW: What We Had by James Chace: We humans read for many reasons, and one of them is for insights into our collective human experience. For our money, the best at doing this are, in no particular order, are Gore Vidal, Will Durant, and Louis L’Amour, and we’ve obliged regular readers of this crap to suffer through quotes of theirs in the Some Philosophy Crap segment for years. 

Dry, Technical Matter: One of the pleasures of reading is finding an insight of this sort where you really didn’t expect it, and we certainly weren’t expecting it here, because Mr Chace’s memoir was more meandering than anything. 

Dry, Technical Matter II: Chase (1931-2004) was an American historian who grew up in Fall River, Massachusetts. His memoir is about a prosperous town and his prosperous family, both of which eventually find hard times. 

Write This Down: We were forging ahead in good spirits though, honestly, we were considering putting it down when we came across Mr Chase cutting our human experience down to one sentence. It’s from a recollection about working in one of his family’s cotton mills: 

I learned how easy it is to prefer unhappiness to simple risk. 

Holy Living F*ck: Good gravy, this is life in a nutshell: those who get on in this life exchange this unhappiness for some risk. They know themselves and the life they were put here to live, and they go and live that life. It’s how things get done, it’s how talents are maximized. It’s how we got humans to the moon and back safely. It’s how humanity advances, both individually and collectively. 

Fly In The Ointment: On the other hand, those who shrug and accept less than they are meant to be are the ones unwilling to accept a little risk, unwilling to break away from the herd, unwilling to take a road less traveled. Every day it’s our call. 

Get Your Official Daily Dose Rating Scale Right Here: 1 – The very best; 2 – Very good; 3 – Good; 4 – OK; 5 – A steaming pile. 

Final Ranking: 2: The above line wasn’t the only morsel of wisdom, and they bump the final ranking up a bit because outside of some wisdom, we found the book to be rather dry. Chase’s family does have an assortment of oddities, but your family does, too. Some wisdom, though, is what you pay us writers for, and Chace delivers that, and What We Had is entitled to high marks.  

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow is in his element discussing flag etiquette. Today’s Diary. 

No flag flies above the US flag, tho US law does allow for a pennant to fly above the flag when a Navy chaplain is conducting church at sea for sailors and Marines…  

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Of course you would.
Click here. It’s only $24.99.

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It’s easy reading on any device. 

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

Editor’s Note: due to time constraints, the first two items ran in 2019. 

In 1954 – The United States Supreme Court issues its landmark Brown v. Board of Education opinion, ruling unanimously that separate public schools for whites and blacks are unconstitutional. The case stemmed from a 1951 class-action suit by parents of students in Topeka, Kansas after the parents had attempted to enroll their kids in the closest public school, but had been turned down and instead referred to the nearest segregated school. Before reaching the Supreme Court, a Kansas district court had ruled in favor of the Topeka Board of Education.

In 1968 – Frank Howard of the Washington Senators establishes a new major league record for most home runs in five consecutive games with eight, homering once in a 7-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers. The following day Howard would hit two more home runs, tying his five-game record and establishing a new mark for most home runs in six consecutive games with ten. Both records would be tied by Barry Bonds in 2001.

Today – Bad Bunny is at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the fourth non-consecutive week with Debi Tirar Mas Fotos (I Should Have Taken More Photos). It’s the ninth chart album for Bad Bunny, and his fourth #1. Fuerza Regida is at #2 in the survey with 111XPANTIA, marking the first time in the history of the Billboard album charts that two Spanish-language albums have occupied the top two spots. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

For it is a good general rule among men that they are ungrateful, fickle, liar and deceivers, fearful of danger and greedy for gain.
Niccolo Machiavelli
The Prince

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

Reggie Leach of the Philadelphia Flyers was the MVP of the 1976 Stanley Cup playoffs. 

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

Who had the first #1 on Billboard’s first album chart? – Answer next time! 

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The Daily Dose/May 16, 2025
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 has to repair the heater. Today’s Diary. 

Now, you don’t have to edit Heating and Air Conditioning Today to strongly suspect if the heater fired up – it had been off for a week or two – it was working, and the thermostat is copping an attitude…

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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 1866 – The US Congress establishes the nickel 5-cent piece. Previously, the government had issued a 5-cent coin known as the half-dime and 5-cent fractional currency notes, which would stay in circulation until 1876. The nickel joined two- and three-cent coins that  remained in circulation throughout the 19th-century. The current nickel is three-quarters copper and one-quarter nickel. 

In 1976 – The Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3 in game four to sweep the series. It was the 19th – and the first of four consecutive – of an NHL record 24 Cup wins for the Canadiens and the first of six runner-up finishes with the Flyers, to go with two titles. Montreal defenseman Rick Chartraw, born in Venezuela to American parents, remains the only player born in South America to win the Stanley Cup. 

In 1953 – Percy Faith & His Orchestra featuring Felicia Sanders is at #1 on Billboard’s Best Sellers in Stores chart – a predecessor to the Hot 100 – for the first of ten consecutive weeks with The Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart). The song was Billboard’s #1 song of the year, and a version by Mantovani went to #1 in Great Britain. It was the first of two #1 songs for Faith and remains the only #1 for Sanders.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

But shortsighted men undertake policies for their immediate advantage, paying no heed to the slow poison hidden within them.
Niccolo Machiavelli
The Prince

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

The oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the US is St Augustine, Florida, founded in 1565 by the Spanish. 

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

Who was the MVP of the 1976 Stanley Cup Finals? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/May 14, 2025
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE MANTLE OF IDIOCY: The witlessness of the Trump Administration continued this week with his executive order regarding prescription drug prices. It was heralded as giving drug companies 30 days to lower prices. 

Fly In The Ointment: The order is pure Trump: all bluster and no substance. there is no legal mechanism for enacting price reductions and is, in essence, a request. The order is so powerful, pharmaceutical stock prices rose after the announcement; the industry was expecting worse. 

Snake Oil For Sale: Any reductions would only affect the government’s price for drugs for Medicare and other federal programs, like VA medical care. There is no reason to think it will affect the price paid by private insurers and retail buyers. 

Dry, Technical Matter. This is typical Trump braggadocio: claiming to cure all ills when, in actuality, nothing will be accomplished. Trump won’t care, either: his only realy goal is to draw attention to himself and he’s done that. He’s already moved on to accepting a new jet from Qatar and butting in on college sports. He continues to offer ignorance and blather to a country that still  – after ten years – cannot get enough of it. 

The Bottom Line: Trump’s executive order does reaffirm that heath care in this country remains a fiasco. In fact, it is to the point where we should either adopt a single-payer system or get the government out of it entirely and return doctors and health insurers to the free market. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has to scramble for a place to eat. Today’s Diary.

The Mexican joint in the next county was closed!!!…

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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 1607 – The first permanent English settlement in the Americas is established at Jamestown, Virginia, then known as James Fort. It was established by the London Company, which had made landfall in April, originally settling at the mouth of the James River, about 30 miles south. The first representative assembly in America, the House of Burgesses, met at the Jamestown Church in 1619. The town was abandoned in the 1750s after the capital was moved to Williamsburg. 

In 1980 – Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers has the first quadruple-double in NBA Finals history in a 108-103 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in game five. Johnson had 14 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 turnovers and the feat has not been duplicated. The ten turnovers broke the Finals record of nine established by Gus Williams of Seattle the year before, and the record still stands. The Lakers would win the series in six games. 

In 1977 – Leo Sayer is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the only week with When I Need You. It was the fourth of eight Top 40 hits for Sayer, his third of four Top 10 hits, and his second and final #1. The song went to #1 in four other countries, including Zimbabwe and Great Britain, peaked at #94 on Billboard’s soul chart, and was their 24th-biggest song of the year. The song was written by Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

In a word, other men’s armor will either slip off your back, or weigh you down, or constrict your actions.
Niccolo Machiavelli
The Prince

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

Five countries – Great Britain, the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland – have won the America’s Cup. 

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

What is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the US? – Answer next time! 

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/May 13, 2025
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has a leisurely night at the hotel. Today’s Diary. 

Thirty rooms, none of them bothering me for anything more troublesome than a wake-up call and, like last nite, we were back from walking the hotel well before midnite…

———

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 2012 – Mexican federal police discover 49 dismembered bodies on a highway outside of Monterrey. Forty-three men and six women had their heads, feet, and hands cut off, appeared to have been tortured, and were put in plastic bags. The victims were never identified and might have been migrants heading for the US. Several members of the Los Zetas drug cartel were arrested and research into the disposition of the case was inconclusive. 

In 1995 – New Zealand wins the America’s Cup for the first time, defeating the defending champion from the San Diego Yacht Club in the fifth race to sweep the series. It was only the third time a US team had lost the Cup since winning it from the British in 1851. New Zealand would defend the Cup in 2000 before losing it to the Swiss in 2003. New Zealand has won the last two America’s Cups, and the year of the next defense is still to be determined. 

In 1967 – Diana Ross & the Supremes are at # on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the only week with The Happening. The song also peaked at #6 in Great Britain, at #12 on Billboard’s soul chart, and was their 29th-biggest song of the year. The song was from the movie of the same name and was written by the legendary Motown team of Holland, Dozier, and Holland, as well as the film’s musical director Frank DeVol, who would later play Happy Kyne on Fernwood 2Nite. It was the tenth of twelve #1 songs for the group, still the record for an American group. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

…the man who does not lay his foundations in advance may with great effort build them later – but he will always do so with inconvenience to the architect and danger to the structure.
Niccolo Machiavelli
The Prince

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

The Union commander for the Battle of Palmito Ranch was Brig. Gen. Theodore Barrett and the Confederate commander was Colonel John Ford. 

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

How many countries have won the America’s Cup? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/May 11, 2025
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 walks the hotel. Today’s Diary. 

…there was a lot of action going on in 103 –  the noises of a couple definitely enjoying familiarities with each other…

The male half of the coupling was spewing the usual nonsense we men do in this situation, while the girl was heard to request greater thrusting action from her man…

———

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 1865 – The Battle of Palmito Ranch – the last major land action of the Civil War – begins on the southern tip of Texas. The Confederate surrender at Appomatox was known to both commanders, but surrender terms for Southern troops could not be agreed upon. The battle lasted two days and ended in a Confederate victory, with the Confederate troops not surrendering until June. 

In 1974 – The Boston Celtics win the NBA title, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 102-87, to win the series 4 games to 3. It was the twelfth of 18 NBA titles for the Celtics and remains the only runner-up finish for the Bucks in the Finals, to go with two titles. The Celtics had defeated the Buffalo Braves and New York Knicks in the first two rounds, while the Bucks had defeated the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls.  

In 1990 – Sinead O’Connor is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the fourth and final consecutive week with Nothing Compares 2 U. It was the first of two chart singles for O’Connor and remains her only Top 40 hit. The song went to #1 in 18 other countries, including New Zealand, Norway, and Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 3rd-biggest song of the year. The song was written by Prince. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

…men don’t really believe in anything new until they have solid experience of it.
Niccolo Machiavelli
The Prince

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

Grand Funk Railroad’s last appearance on a Billboard chart came in 1982 when the single Stuck in the Middle peaked at #8 on the Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart. 

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

Who were the Union and Confederate commanders at the Battle of Palmito Ranch? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!