The Daily Dose/August 25, 2018
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
In The News
One of the more interesting tidbits revealed after the death of Aretha Franklin was that she died without a will, a situation that appears to be not uncommon among entertainers. After deducting the first $11.5 million dollars the government allows, her heirs will be obliged to pay a 40 percent tax on what remains.
40 percent!
That’s an awfully high tax burden for someone who is merely trying to pass on their good fortune to their heirs. But taxes have become so routine in this country that no one gives it a second thought, especially nowadays when it is popular in some circles to want to tax the rich. Consider this though: inherited money is money that has been earned by someone and has already had taxes paid on it. Why should the government get 40 percent of it?
They shouldn’t. Money that goes to the government is money that is taken out of the economy, that is not going to earn interest, not going to be invested and not going to be spent. The inheritance tax should be eliminated.
Today At The Site
Today on The Diary of a Nobody, Sparrow’stooth is still hanging in there, as the countdown to his new smile is inside of three weeks, Sparrow declines two (2) returns at the retailer and there is a new, temporary general manager at Hotel A.
Evan Thomas, writing about President Eisenhower’s ability to reserve knowledge for himself and keep his own counsel, has The Thought for the Day.
On This Date
In 2012 – Voyager 1 becomes the first spacecraft to enter interstellar space, though this wasn’t known at the time and this date was reckoned by NASA the following month. Voyager 1 was launched in September 1977, reached Jupiter in March 1979 and Saturn in November 1980. At approximately 13.83 billion miles from Earth, it remains the most distant spacecraft from Earth and radio communications with the spacecraft take 19 hours and 48 minutes one way.
In 1922 – The Chicago Cubs defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 26-23. The Cubs got one run in the first, ten in the second and 14 in the fourth to lead 25-6. The Phillies would make it close by getting three in the 5th, eight in the 8th and six more in the 9th before leaving the bases loaded at the end of the game. The 49 runs and 51 hits establish ML records that still stand.
1979 – My Sharona by the Knack moves into the #1 spot for the first of six weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100. The song also went to #1 in Italy, Canada and Australia and was Billboard’s #1 song of 1979, and the 10th biggest song of the 1970’s. At the time the Knack had been compared to the Beatles because of the quick impact they had on the charts, but the Knack would only hit the Top 40 two more times, neither song making the Top 1o.
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Three songs have spent 18 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s R&B chart: The Honeydripper (Parts 1&2) by Joe Liggins and His Honeydrippers, Choo Choo Ch’Boogie by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five and Once Dance by Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla.
Today’s Stumper
What was the original name of Billboard’s R&B chart? – Answer next time!
Shameless Plugs
Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: A Vegas Memoir!: Clock in with the graveyard crew at the Monte Carlo Security Department on the glamorous Las Vegas Strip. You’ll meet drunks, reprobates and scoundrels, and those are just the officers! The funniest Vegas memoir ever! Promise!
The Regular Guys: Meet Lenny and Larry, two comedians who team up more or less out of desperation and become the biggest in show business. As funny as you would expect from Gaylon, and poignant, too.
Click here to read previews of both!
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