Say hello to March 4th, 2024. Chaos fills the news every day. Negativity sells. Not much room for love, empathy, or kindness. George Carlin made his career defining the chaos and the causes. One of George’s quotes is “Just because you got the monkey off your back doesn’t mean the circus has left town.” Ignore the negative BS as best you can. Just don’t think about it. Today’s holidays’ are Benjamin Harrison Day, Casimir Pulaski Day, Courageous Follower Day, Eight Hour Day or Labor Day, Fun Facts About Names Day, Hag a GI Day, National Dance The Waltz Day, National Pound Cake Day National Snack Day, National Son’s Day, Toy Soldier Day, and World Obesity Day. Now some history of March 4th. On this day in 1861 English Quaker William Penn received a charter from King Charles II making him the sole proprietor of colonial Pennsylvania. My mother’s ancestors came over with him to America. On this day in 1789 the 1st US Congress met and declared the constitution in effect. On this day in 1801 Thomas Jefferson became the 1st US President to be inaugurated in Washington DC. March 4th was the day that Presidents took office until the 20th Amendment passed in 1933 and the day was moved to January 20th. On this day in 1918 US Army mess cook Private Albert Gitchell of Fort Riley, Kansas was the 1st documented case of the Spanish Flu which killed between 50 and 100 million people. This is the day in 1924 when the song “Happy Birthday To You” was published. On this day in 1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated pledging to pull the US out of the Depression. He stated his address with “that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. Now, back to George Carlin who said, “Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” “Don’t just teach your children to read… Teach them to question what they read. Teach them to question everything.” “If voting changed anything, it would be illegal.” “Traditional American values: Genocide, aggression, conformity, emotional repression, hypocrisy, and the worship of comfort and consumer goods.” George was sinical and sarcastic, which are two of the reasons that I like him. He’s also mostly right about the state of the world. Laughter may indeed be the best medicine for what ails us. Abie.