The 19th day of January 2021 is here. Amid the chaos, it’s good to remind ourselves how lucky we are to be here. The odds that every single set one of your ancestors, all the way back since humans appeared on earth, conceived generation after generation to create you are 1 in 10 with 2,640, 000 zeros. We are pretty lucky to be here. We won the biggest lottery in the Universe. We won life. This is Good Memory Day, Brew A Potion Day, New Friends Day, National Popcorn Day, Gun Appreciation Day, World Quark Day, , Tin Can Day and Rid The World Of Fad Diets And Gimmicks Day. In case you didn’t know (I didn’t), Quark is a type of European Cheese. It’s popcorn for me. Now to the history: In 1785 the first manned balloon flight in Ireland was made. In 1825 Ezra Daggett and nephew Thomas Kensett patent food storage in tin cans which is why this is Tin Can Day. In 1903 a new bicycle race named “Tour de France” was announced. In 1955 on this date “Scrabble” debuts on board game market. Finally, on this date in 1981 Muhammad Ali talked a despondent 21 year old out of committing suicide. Ali is one of my favorites. I made a lot of money betting on his fights. Here’s a quote: “I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail.” How could I not bet on someone with that much faith in themselves? Today is the birthday of Robert E. Lee. Looking up his quotes, I learned something I didn’t know. Lee said, “Mr. Blair, I look upon secession as anarchy. If I owned the four millions of slaves in the South, I would sacrifice them all to the Union; but how can I draw my sword upon Virginia, my native State?” Other quotes from him confirm that he considered slavery to be morally evil. I didn’t know that. This day is also the last day Hedy Lamarr lived (2000). She was an actress and an inventor which is a strange combination. She said, “Men are most virile and most attractive between the ages of 35 and 55. Under 35 a man has too much to learn, and I don’t have time to teach him.” She was also funny. That is enough for this day. Be safe and Abide.
