Friends, if you’re ready to stop fitting into the slots others have assigned you, then you’re ready for The Life 101 Project.
The Life 101 Project: Start summiting your mountains today.
The Book: https://tinyurl.com/3s4yr7ak
The Course: https://tinyurl.com/4dbw3t5z
The Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/479zxeeh
https://thelife101project.com/
The Daily Dose/July 17, 2026
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
CAPSULE BOOK REVIEW: Creation, by Gore Vidal: One of reading’s great prizes is rereading old favorites. Every re-read is an opportunity to delve deeper into what the writer was trying to tell you that you weren’t smart enough to get the first (or second or third) time around, and that’s why you’re turning the same pages again.
Dry, Technical Matter: So it is with Creation. We’ve been keeping a quotebook of sayings we want to remember for going on 40 years, and on its seventh or eighth reading Creation is still producing new thoughts for our consideration: things we missed the first and following times around, because we are not the same reader we were years ago.
Shorthand Me: Creation is a historical novel covering roughly the 6th-5th centuries BC. The protagonist is the fictional Cyrus Spitama, a Greek-Persian diplomat who serves Great King Darius and, among other things, travels to India and China, where he meets, among others, Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Confucius. Spitama’s goal is to find how life on Earth began and, despite being the grandson of Zoroaster – the strongest of religious back then – and talking with some of humanity’s great minds, he never does find out.
A Differing Opinion: Not everyone is as thrilled with this book as we are. One malcontent reviewer called it “meandering” and a collection of “incidents, anecdotes, artifacts, and rituals”. What’s funny is that this is not entirely false. Vidal’s research into the customs and mores of the people and the times is – as always – extraordinary, and he wants to show us what he found out. Aspects some find fault with, we’ve always found contributed to an informative and entertaining book.
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 Rating: 1: Gore Vidal is one of the great historical novelists our species has produced, and our subjective opinion notwithstanding, Creation remains a landmark in human letters. It is Vidal coming to terms with his, and our, existence, why we’re here, and how we got here. This is what you pay us writers to do. He didn’t come any closer to finding out than anybody else has, but Creation is well worth any thoughtful person’s time.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow doesn’t understand anything. Today’s Diary.
His briefing, however incomprehensible it was, gave us the chance to look authoritative without actually knowing what in the hell was going on, something yours truly excels at…
———
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 1955 – Disneyland opens in Anaheim for media, invited guests, and a live TV audience. Walt Disney had been intrigued by amusement parks since the 1930s, and his initial plan was to build one next to the Disney studios in Burbank before settling on Anaheim in 1953. The earliest plans for what was then referred to as Mickey Mouse Park are dated 1948, and Disneyland remains the only theme park designed and built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Due to a plumber’s strike, Disney was obliged to choose working toilets over drinking fountains.
In 2017 – Roger Federer of Switzerland establishes a new record for most men’s Wimbledon singles titles won, defeating Maric Cilic 6-3, 6-1, 6-4. It was the eighth and final Wimbledon title for Federer, breaking the record of seven done twice, by Pete Sampras and William Renshaw and the record still stands. It was the 19th of 20 major titles for Federer and remains the only Wimbledon final for Cilic, who also won the 2014 US Open.
In 1978 – Andy Gibb is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the fifth of seven consecutive weeks with Shadow Dancing. It was the third chart single for Gibb, his third of six Top 10 hits, and his third and final #1. The song also went to #1 in Canada and Brazil, peaked at #42 in Great Britain, at #11 on Billboard’s soul chart, and was Billboard’s #1 song of the year. Gibb became the first solo act to have his first three chart singles go to #1, a record now held by Mariah Carey with five.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
If the splitter of hairs has a sharp enough knife, the fact of life itself can be chopped into nothing.
Gore Vidal
Creation
Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.
Ken Johnson of the Houston Colt .45s is the only major league pitcher to lose a 9-inning no-hitter, to the Cincinnati Reds in 1964. In 1967, Steve Barber and Stu Miller did the same thing for the Baltimore Orioles.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Which male and female have won the most combined Wimbledon titles? – Answer next time!
It’s Sparrow, an average man passing an average life…
Thursday, July 17
The Night At GHSD
Colby and ol’ Sparrow were busy tonite at the General Hospital Security Department (GHSD)…Leading off was Facilities farting around with the backup electrical system…Facilities Chief Eli (FCE) was there and we ran into him while on our first patrol and he described what was going on in excruciating detail…We are not Mr Electricity, and almost immediately we were showing Eli a palm; we had some zero clue what he was talking about…We asked him to big-picture us and he laffed and said anything plugged into a red outlet would be affected…In a hospital, this is a lot of things – vital things – in case the main power went tits up, and no small amount of coordination was called for…Eli said the whole process shouldn’t take longer than 15 minutes, and privately he confided it shouldn’t take even five minutes…As it turned out, the whole process took three.
Friends, The Daily Dose is NOT on hiatus. It will be back soonest.
Click here to read The Diary of a Nobody.
Regards,
The Daily Dose/July 15, 2026
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
Leading Off will return. Promise.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow sees a ghost. Today’s Diary.
Besides, longtime readers of this crap know we have ghosts here, so you’d expect the ghost of a former regular guest to make the occasional appearance…
———
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 1975 – The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) spacecrafts launch from the Kennedy Space Center and the Baikonur Cosmodrome in what is now Kazakhstan. Three Americans and two Soviets launched, with their spacecraft docking on the 17th. Upon docking, the crews exchanged gifts and conducted some experiments, with the Soviets returning home on the 21st, and the Americans on the 24th. It remains the last launch of an Apollo spacecraft and a Saturn V rocket, and was the last manned American spaceflight until the first space shuttle mission April 1981.
In 1876 – George Bradley of the St Louis Brown Stockings throws the first no-hitter in a major league game in a 2-0 win over the Hartford Dark Blues. It remains the only no-hitter for Bradley, who started all 64 of the Browns’ games that season, finishing 63 of them. He also threw 16 shutouts, a major league record tied in 1916 by Grover Cleveland Alexander, a mark that still stands. To date, 327 major league no-hitters have been thrown, a figure that does not include hitless games of less than nine innings.
In 1967 – The Beatles are at #1 on Billboard’s album chart – then known as the Top LPs chart – for the third of 15 consecutive weeks with Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The album went to #1 in six other countries, including Great Britain, where it spent 27 weeks at the top, and was Billboard’s 10th-biggest album of the year and its 6th-biggest of 1968. It was the tenth of 13 #1 albums for the group, and won four Grammy Awards.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
It was a great day and a great hour, whatever may come after.
J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings
Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.
Six host countries have won the World Cup: Uruguay (1930), Italy (1934), England (1960), West Germany (1974), Argentina (1978), and France (1998).
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Who is the only pitcher to throw a 9-inning no-hitter and lose? – Answer next time!
Valued Reader(s),
The Daily Dose will return.
By all means, click here to read today’s Diary entry,
Cheers,
The Daily Dose/July 13, 2026
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 is woken by a county emergency alert. Today’s Diary.
Good gravy, I was woken up so we could be informed people were not being evacuated???…This is stupid even by government standards…
———
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 1973 – White House aide Alexander Butterfield reveals the existence of a White House taping system in an interview with a Senate committe staf member. The system would be made public in testimony before the Senate Watergate Committee three days later. Butterfield was the top deputy to President Nixon’s chief of staff H.R. Haldeman and mentioned the system because he thought the committee already knew about it.
In 1930 – The first World Cup begins in Montevideo, Uruguay. Thirteen countries were divided into four groups, with winners advancing to the semifinals, where Uruguay defeated Yugoslavia and Argentina defeated the US both by 6-1 scores. In the championship match on July 30, with Uruguay defeating Argentina 4-2. Uruguay will host the first game in 2030 World Cup, and this remains the only World Cup Final between two South American countries.
In 2002 – Nelly is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the third of seven consecutive weeks with Hot In Herre. The song also went to #1 in Canada, peaked at #4 in Great Britain, was in its first of six consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and was Billboard’s 3rd-biggest song of the year. It was the first of four #1s for Nelly, who also won the first Grammy Award for Best Male Rap Solo Performance.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
I almost never think of my calendar years. I’m forever hiking across the same plateau with no end in sight.
Saul Bellow
Ravelstein
Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.
The act with the most entries on Billboard’s soul chart – now the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart – is Drake with 412. Drake also holds the Hot 100 record with 402.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
How many times has the host team won the World Cup? – Answer next time!
