The Daily Dose/May 25, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
USA! USA! Today is Memorial Day. Now, between this and Veterans Day and Armed Forces Day, it can get confusing as to who to honor, so we will clarify it for you: Memorial Day honors those who have died fighting our country’s battles. So don’t bother thanking a living veteran today. Save that for Veterans Day. Armed Forces Day is the time to give those currently serving a pat on the back.
FunFact: One thing Memorial Day is not is a time to bicker about the worthiness of the wars we’ve fought. Save that for another time. Why our country called is not important today.
Dry, Technical Matter: Tracing the origins of Memorial Day is not easy, as over two dozen places claim to have held the first one and putting flowers on veteran’s graves predate the Civil War. It is almost interesting to note it did not become an official federal holiday until 1971. Memorial Day was long known as Decoration Day.
A Personal Note: We’ve gotten off pretty easy in our family. We’re veterans ourselves and we have relatives (father, brother, grandfather, 5x great-grandfather, uncles) who have served in Desert Storm, Vietnam, both world wars and even the Revolution and all came back. Not everyone is so lucky. Family members dealing with this find little comfort in knowing their loved one(s) died an honorable, heroic death. Veterans still deal with the horror of seeing comrades die in front of them and some still wonder why luck favored them and not their buddies.
The Bottom Line: So do something today in tribute to those who have died. It’s tough this year, of course, because the usual parades and cemetery ceremonies are being canceled. And you don’t have to fast or rend garments, either. If you can’t attend a ceremony, please consider putting a candle in a window or putting a flag up. Those who have died fighting our wars would appreciate that.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow has action at the sundry stand. Today’s Diary.
Had a sundry stand sale this morning…It was cash, too, the first cash I’ve been obliged to drop in ages…About 2330 a woman comes down, properly masked, and goes and looks at the freezer offerings which now consists of ice cream, Oreo Klondikes, Choco-Tacos, breakfast burritos, Hot Pockets and that iced lemon bread no one ever buys.
The problem tho, was she forgot her glasses and couldn’t tell what she was reading, so I amble out and ask if she wants anything specific and she says ice cream, but without chocolate.
Oooh, that’s tuff: all our ice cream features chocolate, especially the chocolate fudge stuff…The cookie dough stuff has chocolate chips and the cherry stuff, while mostly vanilla, has chocolate shavings, too, and the Choco-Taco is so named for obvious reasons…
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 1787 – The Constitutional Convention begins in Philadelphia, when a quorum of seven of the 13 states, after a delay of eleven days, is present. At the time, delegates presumed they were meeting to improve the existing Articles of Confederation, though that changed as the convention progressed. Rhode Island was the only state that declined to send delegates and the proposed Constitution was sent to the several states for ratification in September and was ratified the following June. It went into effect on March 4, 1789.
In 1989 – The Calgary Flames win their only Stanley Cup title, defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 in Game 6 at the Montreal Forum. Defenseman Al McInnis of Calgary was named the playoff’s MVP, his 31 points making him the first defenseman to lead the NHL in postseason scoring. It remains the only time the Canadiens have lost the Stanley Cup Finals on their home ice and the last time the Finals were played entirely in Canada. The Flames, previously in Atlanta, also became the first team to win the Stanley Cup after relocating.
In 1968 – Bookends by Simon and Garfunkel is at #1 on Billboard’s album chart – then and now known as The Billboard 200 – for the first of seven non-consecutive weeks. It was the second of three #1 albums for the duo, and replaced their first #1 album, The Graduate at the top. The Graduate would replace Bookends at #1 on June 15 and Bookends would return on June 29, an unprecedented feat that remains the only time in Billboard album chart history two albums by the same act have replaced themselves at #1 twice. The album also went to #1 in Great Britain.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Do not trouble your hearts with thoughts of the road tonight. Maybe the paths that you each shall tread are already laid before your feet, though you do not see them. – 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 times being shutout in a season is 33, done by the St Louis Cardinals in 1908. Their 372 runs scored that year remains the major league record for fewest runs in a season.
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
How many delegates were sent to the Constitutional Convention, how many actually attended and how many ended up signing the Constitution? – Answer next time!
