The Daily Dose/July 11, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
DRY, TECHNICAL MATTER: One of the things you learn over the years is that language is rather dynamic. This lesson is offered as a kid reading older books and you find yourself thinking wow, people sure don’t talk like this anymore.
Since language is a necessity, most of the changes are useful, though as we age and get fussier we’re finding we don’t agree with a lot of them. We still don’t like the term ‘walk-off win’ and ‘moving forward’ and ‘your fine’ will always annoy us.
Fly In The Ointment: Something else that has started annoying us recently is the infernal use of the word ‘perfect’ all the time. We’ve run into it twice this week: the first time in a restaurant and the second, the following day, on the phone with a young lady looking to update some information for the county veterans service office job I have.
Please Pass The Dry, Technical Matter: Look, people, perfect means flawless, as good as something can get, utterly without defect. It is not an appropriate response when I’ve ordered hash browns or when I report that my email hasn’t changed. These things aren’t perfect. They may be tasty or good to know, but they are not perfect.
Boy, You Are Really On The Rag Today: Perfect should really only be used in a baseball or bowling context – where perfect games are possible – or when referring to Him. At any other time, its use should be judicious and seldom.
The Bottom Line: What should we expect, though, when awesome – which used to refer to something inspiring great admiration or fear – is used to describe pizza? These are perilous linguistic times we are living in so, moving forward, let’s watch our use of the word ‘perfect’.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: The VA has Sparrow shaking his head.
Second, there were two medals awarded: the Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal…Now, I’m not General MacArthur, but it seemed to both of us that this tended to signify service in Vietnam…
Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: There are a couple of evictions in the hotel.
Unofficial MCSD policy states you get two freebies, then on the third trip to your room, you’re evicted. It’s unofficial because we’ve evicted before the third offense if the guest particularly annoys us, and it is not completely out of the question for a babe built like a brick shithouse, or better yet, two babes built like brick shithouses, to get warned every hour on the hour without actually being evicted.
Click on the button to get unlimited access to these two American classics for only $2.99.
On This Date
History’s long march to today.
In 1897 – Swedish explorer and engineer Salomon August Andree and two others take off from Dane Island, Norway in an attempt to fly a balloon to the North Pole. They crashed on the packed ice of the Arctic Ocean after a couple of days and survived for a while on the provisions they brought and the walruses and polar bears they shot, but would die in early October. The remains, including the bodies, plus diaries and photographic film, weren’t found until 1930.
In 1914 – Babe Ruth makes his major league debut in a 4-3 win over the Cleveland Naps, now known as the Indians. Ruth was the starting pitcher and got the win, giving up three runs and eight hits in seven innings. At the plate, Ruth would go 0-2 with a strikeout. Ruth’s contract had been purchased by the Red Sox from the Providence Grays of the International League only after Connie Mack, owner of the Philadelphia A’s, passed on acquiring Ruth, Ernie Shore and Ben Egan on July 7.
In 1976 – The Starland Vocal Band is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first of two consecutive weeks with Afternoon Delight. It was the first of four chart singles for the group and remains their only top 40 hit. The song also went to #1 in Canada, peaked at #18 in Great Britain and won the first Grammy Award for Best Arrangement for Voices, an award that was discontinued after 1986. A version of the song by Johnny Carver peaked at #9 on Billboard’s country chart that year.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win. – Roger Bannister
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know.
Henry VIII had six wives. His first, Catherine of Aragon, produced his successor on the throne, Mary I.
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
What was Babe Ruth’s record as a pitcher? – Answer next time!
