The Daily Dose/October 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 fields yet another phone call reporting a bear. Today’s Diary. 

A guy did call to report he was tracking a bear in our parking lot, sounding like he wanted to lead an expedition to kill it…

The Bottom Ten/NCAA Week 8 – The race for the more or less coveted ESPNCup is heating up.

#21 Tigers first ranked team to visit UMess since #9 Worcester Tech in 1893.

LA restaurant advertising free wings for every Bruin win starting to realize they are not really getting a whole hell of a lot of value for their money.

Air Force hampered in 2024 by preseason Defense Secretary ruling requiring cadets going into Space Force to wear self-contained space suits while on field, leading to several violations of seldom-enforced NCAA rule about having both feet on ground at snap.

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———

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

In 2003 – China sends its first astronaut into space, as Yang Liwei is sent into orbit aboard Shenzou 5. Liwei would spend 21 hours in space and orbited the earth 14 times, making China the third country behind the Soviet Union/Russia and the US to send humans into space.  China has sent explorers into space six times since the most recent a 91-day mission this past summer. This would be Liwei’s only space voyage and he later retired as a major general in the Chinese army.  

In 1988 – The Oklahoma Sooners establish a new NCAA major division record for most rushing yards in a game in a 70-24 win over Kansas State. The Sooners rushed for 768 yards to break the record of 758 yards they had established in a 1980 win against Colorado. The record still stands and the all-division NCAA mark is 789 by Davidson of the FCS in 2018. 

In 1966 – The Four Tops are #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of two consecutive weeks with Reach Out I’ll Be There. It was the seventh of 24 top 40 hits for the group, their third of six top Ten 10 hits, and their second and final #1 song. The song also went to #1 in Great Britain, would later spend two weeks at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart, and was Billboard’s 4th-biggest song of the year. Versions by Diana Ross and Gloria Gaynor would hit the charts in 1971 and 1975 respectively. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

I have said to myself a thousand times that I should be happy if I were but as ignorant as my old neighbor; and yet it is a happiness which I do not desire.
Voltaire
The Good Brahmin

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Ben Hogan won five PGA match-play titles. This also established the record for most overall PGA Championships won, a mark later tied by Jack Nicklaus. 

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

How many #1 songs did the Four Tops have in Great Britain? – Answer next time!

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

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

GO IN PEACE, CHECK YOUR MESSAGES: Recently, we received a text from Richard at Truth and Liberty. It noted that 41 million Christians probably wouldn’t vote this year. He deplored this and included a link for a voter guide. 

USA! USA!: Yay for them. If any organization wants to distribute voter guides, it’s a free country. The problem comes when a government tries to enforce a specific morality on its citizens, which is what is happening in America right now. 

Quote That Sucker: Former US Senator Barry Goldwater said it very well:

Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they’re sure trying to do so, it’s going to be a terrible damn problem…Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can’t and won’t compromise. 

USA! USA! II: From the Supreme Court ramming conservative morality down our collective throats to others trying to, Goldwater was right. Christians are trying to make America a Christian nation.  

Fly In The Ointment: We are not, either by custom or decree. America’s basic proposition includes the freedom to worship – or, equally important, not worship – as you see fit. You can ram your spirituality down an adeherent’s throat, but it must be kept out of public life. The government’s only job is to ensure we can live the life we want. 

The Bottom Line: It is not the government’s job to legislate morality. One, we’re entitled to make our own judgments on these matters and, two, it doesn’t work anyway. Prohibition and our current Drug War prove that. Besides, just because something is legal  does not make it mandatory. There is room for all of us in this country, but all of us must make room for everyone else. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow is told he sucks. Today’s Diary. 

He grunts OK, and offers an ID and credit card, advising the credit card is his grandfather’s…Oh…We can’t take that, I’m afraid, sir…But he has power of attorney, he says in a tone that indicated he thought his power of attorney would probably also solve the Mideast crisis…

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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 2012 – Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner establishes a new record for the highest exit altitude and becomes the first person to freefall faster than the speed of sound in a jump that ended in the New Mexico desert. Baumgartner jumped from 127,852 feet and exceeded Mach 1 at 843.6 mph. He broke the record of 102,800 feet established by Air Force Col. Joeseph Kittinger in 1960 and the record is now 135,890 feet, done by Alan Eustace in 2014. 

In 1916 – Jim Barnes of England wins the first PGA Championship, defeating Scotsman Jock Hutchinson 1-up (leading by one hole after the final hole) at the Siwanoy Gold Club north of New York City. It was the first of two PGA titles for Barnes and his first of four major wins. The PGA had been established in April, and the PGA Championship went to a 72-hole, stroke-play format in 1958. 

In 1972 – Donna Fargo is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the first of three consecutive weeks with Funny Face. It was the first of 16 country Top 10s for Fargo, her first of five #1s, and the song also went #1 country in Canada and peaked at #5 on the Hot 100. The song was written by Fargo, who later said it originally had 16 verses. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

But Tim had done his best to dramatize an election in which neither candidate dared to say what he meant to an uneasy people who realized something was seriously wrong with their political system.
Gore Vidal
The Golden Age

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Micahel Jackson’s smallest hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 was Stranger in Moscow, which spent two weeks on the chart in 1997, peaking at #91.  

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

Which golfer won the most match-play PGA titles? – Answer next time!

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The Daily Dose/October 13, 2024
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

The Sunday Bottom 5
A ranking of some things.

1. Donald Trump – Still a lying sexual predator who believes the moon is part of Mars, but lately showing his age, turning into even more of a babbling, incoherent blatherskite than usual…A convicted felon, as lousy a human being as we can produce (Non-Dictator Division), a three (3)-time GOP presidential nominee, Trump shows exactly how far America has fallen in the 70 years since TV became the focal point of American life…We are as ignorant as he is.  

2. Kamala Harris – A typical Democrat who believes government can be all things to all people,  but she isn’t Donald Trump, giving her a leg up on Donald Trump…First presidential candidate some Americans are lusting after since Victoria Woodhull in 1872. 

3. USA! USA! – The 3-hole staple…A hundred years from now all new people – perhaps Americans, if there are any left – will look back at the Donald Trump Era and conclude that America tolerated the three-time nomination of a man of zero moral and intellectual substance because America herself was no longer a nation of any moral or intellectual substance.  

4. College Football – Only two (2) conferences that matter – Big 18 and SEC – meeting to decide how best to consolidate wealth and power by forcing a super league down everyone’s throats…All major division college sports a house of cards now, with everyone – conferences, universities, coaches, players, and networks – all in it to strafe marketplace for every last possible dollar…It can’t possibly last.  

5. Fact Check: Special Natural Disaster Edition – Click here for assorted lies, misinformation, and inaccuracies from hurricanes Helene and Milton. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

Read Free Sunday (RFS) is a thing today at The Diary. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow doesn’t fret when the restaurant key can’t be found. Today’s Diary. 

There is no need to panic here, because it is entirely possible – probably even likely – that ol’ Sparrow left it in his vest pocket when he left Tuesday morning…So we check, and BOOM there is was, right where we’d left 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 1792 – The cornerstone of the White House is laid in Washington D.C. Construction would take over eight years, with President John Adams and his family moving into what was then known as the Executive Mansion in November 1800, when the capital moved from Philadelphia to Washington. Later, the sandstone used to construct the mansion was whitewashed, giving the building its eventual name. 

In 1903 – The Boston Americans, now the Red Sox, win the first World Series, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 5 games to 3 with a 5-3 win in Game 8 in Boston. It was the first of nine World Series titles for the Red Sox and the first of four runner-up finishes for the Pirates to go along with four titles. The World Series would revert to a best-of-seven format from 1905-18, with the final best-of-nine series being played from 1919-21. 

In 1979 – Michael Jackson is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the only week with Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough. It was the sixth of 40 Top 40 solo hits for Jackson, his fourth of 30 Top 10s, and his second of 13 #1s. The song went to #1 in six other countries, including Australia and Norway, peaked at #3 in Great Britain, was Billboard’s 93rd-biggest song of the 1979 survey period, and earlier had spent five weeks at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Everyman achieved his own greatness by reaching out beyond himself, and so it is with nations…Only when a nation means something to itself can it mean something to others.
Werner Von Braun

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

Steve Crawford and Donnie Moore were the winning and losing pitchers in Game 5 of the 1986 American League Championship Series. 

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

What was Michael Jackson’s smallest hit on the Hot 100? – Answer next time!

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

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

Leading Off will return.

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow includes a pic of navigation dividers. Today’s Diary. 

The dividers we used to navigate submarines with would’ve been useful here, but we don’t customarily carry dividers with us, so we got a page from our notebook and made two marks on 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 2000 – The destroyer USS Cole is attacked by two al-Qaeda suicide bombers during a refueling stop in Yemen. 17 sailors were killed 37 were injured, the deadliest attack on a US Navy ship since an attack on the USS Stark killed 37 in 1987. The US did not retaliate and the Cole was transported by barge to the US, where it was repaired and it remains in commissioned naval service today. 

In 1986 – The Boston Red Sox defeat the California Angels 7-6 in eleven innings in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. The Red Sox had trailed 6-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Angels were a strike away from winning the pennant when Dave Henderson’s two-run home run gave the Red Sox a 6-5 lead and the Angels tied the game in the bottom of the ninth. The Angeles still led the series 3 games to 2, though the Red Sox would win the American League pennant in seven games. They lost the World Series in seven games to the New York Mets. 

In 2013 – Lorde is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first of nine consecutive weeks with Royals. It was the first of four Top 40 and Top 10 hits for Lorde and remains her only #1 song. The song also went to #1 in four other countries, including Great Britain and her native New Zealand, and was Billboard’s 15th-biggest song of the year. The song also won 2014 Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Confucius listened to each speaker as if he expected to hear words of shattering wisdom. That he was plainly not shattered by what he heard seemed in no way to surprise him.
Gore Vidal
Creation

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The first sitting US president to fly in an airplane was Franklin Roosevelt, in 1943 from Miami to Morocco for the Casablanca Conference. 

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

Who were the winning and losing pitchers in Game 5 of the 1986 American League Championship Series? – Answer next time!

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/October 11, 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 and Asher note a foul smell at General Hospital. Today’s Diary.

The decision here is not whether or not to go hunting for a skunk – this isn’t bleeping Wild Kingdom – but whether or not to notify someone…

———

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 1910 – Former President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt becomes the first president to fly in an airplane at Kinloch Field in St Louis. Roosevelt had been invited to attend an air show that included the Wright Brothers, who had invented air travel in 1903. Roosevelt’s plane was piloted by Archibald Hoxsey, an instructor at a Wright Brother’s flying school who had become the first pilot to fly at night. Kinloch Field became St Louis International Airport in 1971. 

In 1902 – Laurie Auchterlonie of Scotland wins the US Open, establishing a new 72-hole scoring record at the Garden City Golf Club on Long Island, New York. Auchterlonie shot a final round 77 to beat Steward Gardner and Walter Travis by six strokes. It remains Auchterlonie’s only major victory and his 72-hole total of 307 broke the record of 313 established by Henry Vardon in 1900. The record is now 268 by Rory McElroy in 2011. 

In 1975 – Neil Sedaka is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of three consecutive weeks with Bad Blood. It was the 17th of 21 Top 40 hits for Sedaka, his eighth and final Top 10 hit, and his third and final #1. The song also went to #1 in Canada, and due to charting in both the 1975 and 1976 survey periods, it was Billboard’s 93rd-biggest song of 1975. Elton John sang backup vocals on the song, though he did not receive label credit.

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

Let the day go by; why should we mourn over that? There are millions of days coming.
Anonymous Samoan Tribal Chief

Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.

The Soviet Union won the most medals at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics (96), while the US won the most gold medals (36). 

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

Who was the first sitting president to fly in an airplane? – Answer

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