December 31, 2023. The last entry for this year. I won’t try to recap the chaos of 2023 and I have no expectations that 2024 will be better. In” A Tale of Two Cities”, Charles Dickens wrote “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” That quote captures the essence of 2023. The last day of the year is New Years Eve, Hogmanay, Make Up Your Mind Day, National Champagne Day, Universal Hour of Peace Day, Unlucky Day, and World Peace Meditation Day. Now to some history. On this day in 192 the 31-year-old Roman Emperor Commodus, son of Marcus Aurelius, survived the poisoning attempt by his mistress only to be murdered at his bath by behind held underwater by a wrestler. He is the emperor portrayed in the movie “Gladiator”. On this day in 1492 100,000 Jews were expelled from Sicily. When a person was expelled from a country, all they could take was what they could carry and wear. On this day in 1783 the import of African slaves was banned by all of the Northern states. On this day in 1841 Alabama became the 1st state to license dental surgeons. That is a bit of a surprise. On this day in 1904 the 1st New Year’s Eve celebration was held in Times Square, NYC. On this day in 1924 Italian Fascist Mussolini ordered the suppression of opposition newspapers. That’s what authoritarian Fascists do. On this day in 1946 President Harry Truman Officially proclaimed the end of WWII. I’ll wrap this up with a few quotes about the coming New Year. Ben Franklin said, “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors and let every new year find you a better man.” Oprah said, “cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” Sulzberger said, “For 11 months and maybe 20 days each year we concentrate upon the shortcomings of others, but for a few days at the turn of the New Year we look at our own. It is a good habit.” That’s enough for this year. I wish you well. Abide.
