The Daily Dose/August 27, 2020
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
INSERT OWN FUNNY/POIGNANT LEAD LINE HERE: The general feeling around Daily Dose headquarters is that anything that cancels NBA games is generally good. But the reason games weren’t played Wednesday night – protests over the shooting, in the back, of all things, of unarmed Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday – is a lousy reason because the shooting should not have happened.
Film At 11: Kenosha police were trying to arrest Blake on a domestic violence charge and Blake was not compliant. Video coverage shows Blake and officers on a sidewalk next to Blake’s SUV and then Blake walks around the front of the SUV, opens the driver’s side door and starts to reach inside when he is shot multiple times in the back. We’ve been in similar situations, a suspect walking away from us and, frankly, they should have stopped him before he was in a position to reach into his vehicle.
Dry, Technical Matter: Three NBA playoff games were canceled Wednesday night after the Milwaukee Bucks protested this by declining to take the court for their game against the Orlando Magic. The following games, Oklahoma City/Houston and Los Angeles Lakers/Portland, were also postponed. Games in other leagues, including three major league baseball games, were also not played and it is not entirely certain when or if games will resume.
The Bottom Line: Go protesters. There is a lot to protest in our country – when isn’t there, really – but right now America is about as far off her national path as it can be and still have a functioning society. The 1960s are starting to look like something out of Mother Goose. Hitting white America in their wallets and TV sets by not playing games is, perhaps, a good way to get something to happen.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody: Sparrow gets a haircut.
Regular readers of this crap know yours truly seldom has a satisfactory haircut experience and to prepare for this evolution I scoped out some pics of how I did and did not want the back of my head to look…No tapered crap…I wanted it full in the back, dammit and the barber, a lady named Barbara whose sister is the postmaster in our small town by the by, said she appreciated the pic and she did a good job…$25 is a bit more than I was looking to spend, but she did good work so why whine.
Backstairs at the Monte Carlo: The Monte Carlo gets a mission statement and core values.
I have in my hot little hands a card with the new Monte Carlo mission statement and four core values on it. I can’t believe a casino the stature of Monte Carlo has managed to get along without a mission statement and core values for this long, even the hookers have them for Pete’s sake. I mean up until now we’ve been wandering around sticking our tongue out at guests.
Free Stuff
The same trick the drug dealers use.
Backstairs at the Monte Carlo
Clock in with the graveyard crew of the Monte Carlo Security Department on the glamorous Las Vegas Strip.
Click here for the first two months of the funniest Vegas memoir ever.
Criminals, Courtesans and Constables
Gaylon’s latest novel takes place everywhere from throne rooms to death row.
Click here to read the first four chapters with our compliments.
The Regular Guys
Coming soon! Meet Lenny and Larry, two comedians going nowhere on their own who team up and become the biggest act in show business.
Click on the button to get started to read The Diary of a Nobody, Backstairs at the Monte Carlo and Criminals, Courtesans and Constables for only $4.99, a steal.
On This Date
History’s long march to today.
In 2003 – Mars and Earth are at their closest point in 60,000 years, separated by a mere 34.64 million miles. The last time Mars was closer to Earth was on Sept. 24, 57,617 BC when it was 34.62 million miles away. Mars takes 686 Earth days to go around the sun and the two planets closest approach – known as perihelion – happens every 26 months when Earth passes Mars. The farthest the two planets can get is 249 million miles and the closest the two planets are scheduled to get in the next 500,000 years is 33.32 million miles in September 294,851.
In 1982 – Rickey Henderson of the Oakland A’s establishes a new modern major league record for most stolen bases in a season in a 5-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Henderson’s third-inning steal, following a walk, gave him 119 stolen bases for the year, breaking the record of 118 established by Lou Brock in 1974. Henderson would finish the season with 130 stolen bases, a record that still stands. The all-time record for most steals in a season is 156 by Harry Stovey of the Philadelphia Athletics (American Association) in 1888. Henderson’s 42 times being caught stealing in 1982 also established a major league record.
In 1966 – Stevie Wonder is at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart – then known as the Hot R&B chart – for the only week with Blowin’ in the Wind. It was the third of a record 20 soul chart #1s for Wonder, a record he shares with Aretha Franklin and Drake. The song also peaked at #9 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and at #36 on Great Britain’s pop chart. In 1963 a version by Peter, Paul & Mary had peaked at #2 on the Hot 100.
Quotebook
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
…the bitterness of faction absorbed public energy and devotion… – Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, Vol II: The Life of Greece
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
It’s not who you know, but what you know.
Bo Jackson had 141 home runs in his major league career.
Today’s Stumper
Cheaper than Trivia Night at the bar.
Who holds the major league record for most stolen bases in a season without getting caught? – Answer next time!
