Even though St. Patrick’s Day is months away, the deeds of the great man are never far from my mind. His banishment of snakes (although post-glacial Ireland has never had snakes) from the Emerald Isle is an undertaking that is unmatched in public service, even beyond that of my friend Ed, who is credited with attempting to rid the Dominican Republic of Don Armando Rum, one bottle at a time.The Irish Potato Famine of 1845-1852 reduced the population of Ireland by an estimated 775,000 people, or a little less than 100,000 per year. On the bright side, due to the heroics of our man Paddy, no one died of snakebite.
The people in Asia don’t have it so good. Roughly 50,000 people each year die from snakebite, with about 80% of the deaths occurring in Asia. This is every year, not just for eight years in the 19th century. So since we started keeping score in 1845 or so, it’s Snakes in Asia 6,400,000 – Potato Blight 775,000.
So I really don’t want to hear about the Irish Potato Famine any longer. And if there is a 10-foot Equatorial Cobra in the produce section, just remember, Uncle Ben’s Long Grain White Rice can be found in the Soup Aisle.
