Today is December 3, 2020 or 12.3.2020. Before I started this post, I checked Google News and found that 3,100 people died yesterday from the virus which is 20% more than our highest body count so far. How long before we hit 5,000? Since I can do nothing to change the trajectory of this, I’ll take the advice of the Dali Lama and move on. The celebratory events for this day are the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Let’s Hug Day, Make a Gift Day, National Green Bean Casserole Day and my selection, National Apple Pie Day. Onto what happened on this date: This is the day in 1586 that Sir Thomas Herriot introduces potatoes to England from Colombia. In 1868, the 1st blacks were placed on a jury for the trial of Jefferson Davis. In 1910 the first neon lights were displayed at the Paris auto show. In 1931 Alka Seltzer goes on sale. In 1956 Wilt Chamberlain plays his first college game for Kansas and scores 52 points and grabs 31 rebounds, breaking both all-time Kansas records in an 87–69 win against Northwestern. Finally, in 1969 on this day John Lennon is offered role of Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar. This is the birthday of Hryhorii Skovoroda born in 1722. He was a Ukrainian poet and philosopher. He said, “Stupid is not the one who does not know, but the one who does not want to know.” This is also the date of Robert Louis Stevenson’s (Treasure Island), death. He said, “Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.” I think I’ll borrow that one for future discussions. He also said “Wine is bottled poetry”. That is enough for today. Now, be careful. We don’t want you to die. Abide.
