It is Sunday, December 17, 2023. I write this post early in the morning right after I get up. I do it to start my day with optimism, gratitude, context and to learn something new. What better way to start your day? The list for today is short: Clean Air Day, International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, National Maple Syrup Day, Pan American Aviation Day, and Wright Brothers Day. It’s also the first day of Gluten -Free Baking Week. Moving on to the context part of this post: On this day in 546 during the Gothic War, The Ostrogoths of King Totila conquered Rome by bribing the Byzantine garrison. I love this one: In 1398 Tamerlane defeated the Sultan’s armies by setting camels loaded with hay on fire and charging them at the sultan’s armored elephants. Can you imagine the chaos? Wow. On this day in 1791 NYC traffic regulations created the 1st 1-way street in America. On this day in 1862 General Ulysses S. Grant issued order #11 expelling Jews from Tennessee. Think about that one for a minute. On this day in 1900 a prize of 100,000 francs was offered to the first person to communicate with extraterrestrials. Martians were excluded because that was considered too easy. In 1903 on this day the Wright brothers made their first sustained motorized flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. This is the day in 1989 that “The Simpsons” first aired on Fox TV. On this day in 2018 a report was given to the US Senate saying Russian propaganda efforts on social media were much more extensive than thought, including targeting African Americans. Today’s learning part of the post comes from a several dead people. “May you live every day of your life” Jonathan Swift. “You do not write your life with words…You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do” Patrick Ness. “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do” Benjamin Spock. “You’re not to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it” Malcolm X. “I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think” Socrates. “We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking” Santosh Kalwar. The end of this post. Abide.
