This day is called August 5, 2023. Today I will meet two different types of people: the ones that will learn from me and the ones who will teach me. I will speak less and hear more. 09/08 is Green Peppers Day, International Blues Music Day, International Traffic Light Day, Mead Day, National Disc Golf Day, National Jamaican Patty Day, National Mustard Day, National Oyster Day, Work Like a Dog Day, and National Underwear Day. Now let’s see what happened on August 5th: On this day in 910 the last major Viking raid on England ended when they were defeated in the Battle of Tettenhall. This is the day in 1305 that William Wallace (Brave Heart) was executed (hung, drawn and quartered). On this day in 1689 a force of 1,500 Iroquois attacked the village of Lachine in New France which was unfortified and contained 375 colonists who were either killed, taken prisoner, made slaves or adopted. On this day in 1861 President Lincoln signed the first US personal Income Tax into law (3% of income over $800). On the same day the enlistment period in the US Army went from 3 months to 2 years. On this day in 1917 the entire US National Guard is taken into national service, subject to presidential rather than state control. On this day in 1957 American Bandstand premiered. This is the day in 1964 that the US began bombing North Vietnam in response to the Gulf of Tonkin incident which never happened. On this day in 1992 the 4 Los Angeles Police Officers accused of beating Rodney King were acquitted. Since today in Guy de Maupassant’s birthday (1850) let’s see what this French author can tell us: “You’ve never lived until you’ve almost died. For those who have fought for it, life has a flavor the protected shall never know.” “Abstinence is the worst form of perversion.” “Patriotism is a kind of religion; it is the egg from which wars are hatched.” I’ll wrap this one up with this observation: “Life is a slope. As long as you’re going up you’re always looking towards the top and you feel happy, but when you reach it, suddenly you can see the road going downhill and death at the end of it all. It’s slow going up and quick going down.” Abide.
