The Daily Dose/May 29, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
HERE WE GO AGAIN: More deaths of innocent blacks by white police officers, more protests.
From The Northern Desk: In Minneapolis, citizens protesting the homicide of George Floyd by city police took their protests to an exciting new level by forcing the evacuation of the 3rd Precinct police building before setting fire to it. The requisite looting continues and the National Guard has been activated. The officers involved in Floyd’s death – the one who actually killed him and three others who stood by scratching themselves while it happened – have already been fired and no one’s been charged. Yet.
To Review: Floyd, threatening police while handcuffed and lying face down on the ground while having the nerve to plead for his life, was killed Monday when an officer declined to remove his knee from Floyd’s neck until a gurney came to take Floyd’s lifeless body away.
Meanwhile…: In Louisville citizens, still getting their shorts in a knot over the March shooting of Breonna Taylor, protested at city hall. Seven people were shot, none of them by police. Taylor was shot to death when Louisville officers served a no-knock search warrant looking for drugs at Taylor’s apartment but it turns out the warrant – in a Reno 911!-esque moment – was served at the wrong house. The officers involved in Taylor’s death remain on administrative reassignment and have not been charged.
The Bottom Line: Whites go around killing blacks who don’t deserve it and these things happen and blacks have been screwed so long and so hard by us we’re surprised blacks haven’t completely torched this country. The solution to the problem, of course, is for white officers to stop killing innocent blacks but good luck with that. America will be paying this price for a long time to come.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow goes for his first walk in a few days and has some news to report from his small town. Today’s Diary.
The big news – and I do mean big – is there is a new restaurant going in the old breakfast place across from the post office!!!…I am not making that up…There aren’t many more details, however…The electronic sign said it was opening in June, which is coming up, but there wasn’t much else, certainly not a name or what they’ll be serving.
Good…We can dine in now, but the only place to do that in our small town is the bar and I’m on record as not particularly liking it, so hopefully, this new joint will have good food and be able to stay open…Since we moved up here in 2011, it’s been several different things: a steakhouse, a BBQ joint, a Mexican place and then the breakfast/lunch place.
Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: It’s coming on Monday, the debut of Gaylon’s memoir working security on the Las Vegas Strip – and only the funniest book you’ve ever read – in daily post format. Click on the link for more details.
Click here get in on the laffs: Sparrow, The Bottom Ten, the funniest books you’ve ever read. We offer 4Ever and Ever access, or cheapskates can purchase books and columns individually.
On This Date
History’s long march to today
In 1790 – Rhode Island becomes the last of the 13 original states to ratify the Constitution. A year earlier, with the Constitution already ratified and in effect, Rhode Island’s governor had sent the newly assembled United States Congress a letter demanding “further checks and securities” but changed its mind after Congress gave indications it would start treating the state as a foreign country. The vote was close, with the state’s legislature approving ratification by only two votes.
In 1965 – Ralph Boston of the United States establishes a new world long jump record, jumping 27 feet, 4.75 inches at a meet in Modesto, California. Boston broke the world record he had established two years earlier by half an inch and was Boston’s sixth and final long jump world record. Boston’s mark was tied by Soviet Igor Ter-Ovanesyan in 1967 and the records stood until obliterated by Bob Beamon (US) at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Boston had won the long jump gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics, the silver at the 1964 Tokyo Games and would win the bronze at Mexico City.
In 1961 – Ricky Nelson is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first of two consecutive weeks with Travelin’ Man. It was the 23rd Top 40 hit for Nelson, his 14th Top 10 hit and his second and final #1 song (Poor Little Fool, two weeks, 1958). The song also went to #1 in New Zealand and Australia and was originally offered to Sam Cooke, whose manager was not impressed with it. Travelin’ Man was the flip side to Hello Mary Lou, which peaked at #9.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
…the praise of the praiseworthy is above all rewards. – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know.
The major league record for most home runs in a game by one team is ten, by the Toronto Blue Jays on September 14, 1987.
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
Who currently holds the men’s long jump world record? – Answer next time!
