This is my post for March 16, 2021. Another beautiful Spring day lies ahead in Central Florida. The temp will be in the mid 80s, pollen count is off the charts. Teenagers are having fun spreading the virus along the Atlantic coast beaches. Everything appears to be near normal. Today happens to be Everything You Do Is Right Day, Lips Appreciation Day, National Artichoke Heart Day, National Panda Day, National Freedom Of Information Day and St. Urho’s Day. It seems that when St. Urho was a young boy in Finland, he ate sour milk and fish soup and then chased the grasshoppers away saving the grape crop. Now you know. Now to the history of this day. In 1190, 150 Jews living in York, England were massacred or commit suicide rather than submit to baptism. Here’s the back story: Jews, after the Norman conquest of 1066 were allowed to be “money lenders”. Some of the people who owned the Jews money decided to erase the debts by fanning the flames of discrimination, inciting a mob. Problem solved. In 1802 on this day West Point is established through Congressional act. In 1830 on this day at the New York Stock Exchange it was the slowest day ever when only 31 shares were traded. In 1968 the My Lai massacre occurs when American soldiers kill 400 unarmed Vietnamese civilians, in one of the most controversial incidents of the Vietnam War. This is Henny Youngman’s birthday. I think of him as the King of the one liners. Here are a couple: “My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn’t need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle.” “I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back.” and “There was a girl knocking on my hotel room door all night! Finally, I let her out.” I’ll end this post with an acknowledgement to Sargent Stubby who stopped breathing on this day in 1926. Stubby was the most decorated dog of WWI. As official mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 26th Division, he served for 18 months and participated in 17 battles on the Western Front. He saved his unit from a surprise attack, found and comforted the wounded and once caught a German solider by the seat of his pants and held him until his comrades arrived. Hell of a dog. Abide.
