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The Course: https://tinyurl.com/4dbw3t5z
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The Daily Dose/August 18, 2026
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 to adjust on the fly at the gym. Today’s Diary.
That old biddy was holding her let’s-lay-down-on-a-mat-and-yap class in Room 2 this evening, but Room 1 was open, so we got a full 30-minutes of deep breathing in…
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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 1920 – Women in the US are granted the right to vote when Tennessee ratifies the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The amendment had passed Congress and been sent to the several states on June 4, 1919, and was first ratified by Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan on June 10. Mississippi was the last state to ratify the 19th Amendment in 1984, and the first women’s suffrage amendment was introduced in Congress in 1878.
In 2004 – Adam Nelson of the US and Yumileida Cumba of Cuba win gold medals in the men’s and women’s shot put at the Athens Summer Olympics. The events were held at the Stadium at Olympia, site of events in the Ancient Olympic Games that began in 776 BC, and marked the first time women had competed there. The site was originally scheduled to hold the discus – an event held at the ancient games – but the facility was now too small to hold modern discus throwers.
In 1979 – Mel Tillis is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the only week with Coca-Cola Cowboy. It was the 44th of 68 Top 40 country hits for Tillis, his 25th of 36 Top 10 hits, and his fifth of six #1s in a chart career that ran from 1958-82. The song also went #3 country in Canada and was Billboard’s 22nd-biggest country song of the year.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
…a prince will be fortunate who adjusts his behavior to the temper of the times and on the other hand will not be fortunate when his behavior is not well attuned with the times.
Niccolò Machiavelli
The Prince
Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.
American writer Richard Halliburton paid the lowest toll ever for a Panama Canal crossing, 36 cents in 1928 when he swam across the entire length of the canal.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What was Billboard’s #1 country song of 1979? – Answer next time!
Treasured Reader(s), The Daily Dose will return.
Click here to read today’s entry in The Diary of a Nobody.
Cheer(s),
The Daily Dose/August 15, 2026
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 gets an oil change. Today’s Diary.
We were the first one there after they opened, and the only fly in the ointment was it took a full 30 minutes because part of their service is a thorough window washing and interior cleaning…
———
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 1914 – The Panama Canal opens, with the steamship Ancon – owned by the canal company – making the first official transit. The first attempt to build the canal was begun in 1881 by the French, with the US taking over in 1904. Before the Ancon transit, two service ships had transited the canal, Panama took control of the canal in 1999, and today tolls to cross the canal average about $1.1 million.
In 1886 – Guy Hecker of the Louisville Colonels (American Association) establishes new major league records for most runs and total bases in a game and ties the single-game marks for home runs and hits in a 22-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles in the second game of a doubleheader. Hecker scored seven runs and had 15 total bases, along with three home runs and six hits. The seven runs scored remain the major league record, and everything remains a record for pitchers.
In 2015 – Cheerleader by Omi is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the fourth of six non-consecutive weeks. The song went to #1 in 21 other countries, including Poland and Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 11th-biggest song of the year. It remains the only Hot 100 hit for Omi, making him the 13th of 19 ultimate one-hit wonders, acts whose only Hot 100 hit goes to #1. Omi was born Omar Samuel Pasley in Jamaica in 1986.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
A man is worth most to himself and to others, whether as an observer, or poet, or neighbor, or friend, where he is most himself, most contented and at home.
Henry David Thoreau
Diary entry, 11/20/1857
Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.
John Sebastian was the leader of the Lovin’ Spoonful. His #1 solo hit was Welcome Back in 1976.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What was the lowest toll ever paid for a Panama Canal transit? – Answer next time!
The Daily Dose/August 14, 2026
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
DRY, TECHNICAL MATTER: One noticeable trait in America right now is our diminished capacity for outrage. We simply are not getting worked up about things that 1) would have collectively infuriated us a generation or two ago and, 2) frankly should infuriate us now.
Leading Off: We should’ve been outraged when our government started sinking Venezuelan shipping. Under the guise that they were hauling drugs to America, these ships were sunk and mariners killed, essentially executed without a trial.
And In This Corner: We should’ve been outraged when we bombed an Iranian schoolhouse at the start of the war with Iran. 156 people were killed, including 120 schoolchildren, but that didn’t outrage us, either.
Here We Go Again: We should be outraged at the war with Iran in general, because it remains illegal, immoral, and stupid. Illegal because it was not declared by Congress. Immoral because we killed schoolchildren. Stupid, because we are fighting to retain conditions that existed before the war, a circumstance that is causing History’s great commanders to roll in their graves.
USA! USA! Why we’re not capable of outrage anymore is not clear, though we have a theory: we are now in our seventh decade of TV and fast food occupying central places in American life. We are well entertained and well fed and aren’t really willing to get too worked up about anything that doesn’t affect that. We have full bellies and empty minds and, collectively, America is no longer capable of doing anything great or hard.
The Bottom Line: We deserve better than this. We deserve a government that doesn’t execute mariners on the high seas, doesn’t bomb school children, and only fights wars declared by Congress. But we’re not demanding that right now. For the second time, we elected a man of zero moral or intellectual substance president; we are being governed accordingly, and we are not getting to worked up over it.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow reports on the county fair. Today’s Diary.
The county fair’s a thing this week and to celebrate we’ve been driving by it every night heading to and from the gym, to make sure it was as hopelessly boring as ever…
———
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 1936 – The last known public execution in the US is conducted in Owensboro, Kentucky. Rainey Bethea was executed in an empty lot near the county garage for raping and murdering a 70-year-old woman the previous June, with Bethea becoming a suspect after leaving a ring at the scene. Kentucky outlawed public executions in 1938, with two executions before then held in private.
In 1982 – Pete Rose of the Philadelphia Phillies establishes a new major league record for most career at-bats in a 15-11 win over the Montreal Expos. Rose passed Henry Aaron with his 12,365th at-bat, and five days later Rose would become the all-time leader in plate appearances with 13,941. Rose retired in 1986 with 14,053 at-bats and 15,890 plate appearances, both records that still stand.
In 1966 – The Lovin’ Spoonful is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first of three consecutive weeks with Summer in the City. It was the seventh of twelve Top 40 hits for the group, their seventh of nine Top 10 hits, and was their only #1 song. The song also went to #1 in Canada, peaked at #7 in Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 35th-biggest song of the year.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
This species could have been so great, and now everybody just wants a new Salad Shooter or sneakers with lights in them. This is what we’ve settled for.
George Carlin
Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.
Switzerland, France, and Great Britain have participated in the most combined Olympic Games, 55.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
The leader of the Lovin’ Spoonful had a #1 song as a solo act in the 1970s. Who was it? – Answer next time!
Valued Reader(s),
The Daily Dose will return. Seriously!
Today’s entry in The Diary of a Nobody can be read here.
Cheers,
