Thursday, May 29, 2014

Ridley's Believe It Or Not-May 30 History Mint Julep Day



Ridley's Believe It Or Not—May 30, 2014:  Slow day for holidays but hope you and will enjoy these holidays, found for today along with the factoids and quote.
            1. Mint Julep Daywhy this day is not celebrated on the running of the Kentucky Derby won this year by California Chrome is beyond me; but take advantage of the confusion to enjoy this delicious mint drink.
            2. What’s Up Doc Day—not a question from Congress to a V.A. doctor over the delay in health care for vets but celebrating the birthday of one of the great voice actors of his time, Mel Blanc on this day in 1908.
            3. My Bucket Has a Hole in It Day—here is a holiday to inspire greater savings for retirement since with a hole in your bucket, you will not be able to do all the things on your bucket list.
            4. National Fasting Day---since there are no food holidays today, today is a good day to in protest make up your own or fast.
On this day in:
            a. 1911 Roy Harroun in his Marmon Wasp won the first Indy 500.
            b. 1922 the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated.
            c. 1972 in an act of terror and cowardice, the Japanese Red Army carried out a massacre at Lod Airport in Tel Aviv, killing 24 civilians and wounding 78 others.
 If you think the war on terror is over, you do not have a sense for the ideology and hatred of radical Islam:  "This agreement I am not considering it more than the agreement which had been signed between our prophet Muhammed and Koraish." Yasser Arafat on his signing of the Oslo Accords n.b.: Two years later forces under Muhammed attacked the Koraish tribe and destroyed it.
 Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join almost 140 growing followers and please follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs--click on links below. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest.
© May 30, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet

 

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Ridley's Believe It Or Not May 29 History National Coq Au Vin Day



Ridley's Believe It Or Not—May 29, 2014:  Slow day for holidays but hope you will enjoy these holidays, or celebrate in a culinary fashion, found for today along with the factoids and quote.
            1. International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers—honoring the men and women of United Nations peacekeepers wearing the blue helmets who have served to keep the peace in global conflicts and if our President reduces military adventurism, hopefully there will be a lot more to fill the vacuum created.
            2. End of the Middle Ages Day--celebrating the May 29, 1453 a date considered by most historians to be the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance.
            3. Learn More About Composting Day—here is an enriching holiday if you are a plant.
            4. National Coq Au Vin Day---definitely a favorite French dish and a good way to make chicken interesting from a culinary perspective, if you don’t drink most of the wine before starting the meal..
 On this day in:
            a. 1932 World War I Veterans began to assemble in Washington, D.C. in the Bonus Army to request cash bonuses promised to them to be paid in 1945 to be paid immediately; troops were called in to disburse and four Veterans were killed—not a stellar moment in the treatment of our Veterans.
            b. 1942 Bing Crosby, the Ken Darby Singers and the John Scott Trotter Orchestra recorded Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, the best-selling Christmas single in history.
            c. 2001 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that disabled golfer Casey Martin could use a cart in PGA tournaments.
Why this nation needs to lead as opposed to abstaining or leading from behind: "The fundamental cause of one failure after another of the UN has been the unwillingness of the United States to take the lead in the UN, make tough decisions and provide the resources for success. The result is an imperate institution where the usefulness to the United States has been jeopardized largely by the United States.  Ambassador Charles Hill, former Special Assistant to former UN Security General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join almost 140 growing followers and please follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs--click on links below. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest.
©May 29, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Ridley's Beleive It Or Not-May 28 History National Hamburger Day



Ridley's Believe It Or Not—May 28, 2014:  Hope all had an enjoyable and reflective Memorial Day Weekend and will enjoy these holidays, or celebrate in a culinary fashion, found for today along with the factoids and quote.
            1. National Hamburger Day—ecoli fears notwithstanding, what a great way to launch into the summer season of barbecues and social gatherings; if burger is rare, marinate in lime, garlic, pepper, and some red wine overnight—ecolis are totally wasted and rendered incapable of causing problems.
            2. National Senior Health and Fitness Day—celebrating the fact that being 65 plus is a state of mind to be avoided at all costs and exercise is a great concept---Go Senior Sneakers (24 Hour Fitness in conjunction with Blue Shield of California)  
            3. Sierra Club Day—honoring the formation of the oldest grass roots environmental protection organization in the United States by John Muir on May 28, 1892.
             4. World MS Day—promoting awareness and seeking a cure for multiple sclerosis, a disease now without a cure and which strikes almost three million people a year, a large percentage of which are women.
 On this day in:
            a. 1934 the Dionne quintuplets were borne, the first quintuplets to survive infancy.
            b. 1937 the Golden Gate Bridge was opened to traffic by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt from Washington, D.C.
            c. 2002 in a where was the reset button moment, Russia was admitted to NATO as a limited partner while today we wonder if Putin will want more than Ukraine and move to the Baltic Republics which as a partner in NATO we are obligated to defend.  Scary thoughts.
John Muir founded the Sierra Club; as a person who grew up in Alaska I often disagreed with the Sierra Club, especially with respect to TAPS but this quote is worthy of reflection: “The mountains are fountains of men as well as of rivers, of glaciers, of fertile soil. The great poets, philosophers, prophets, able men whose thoughts and deeds have moved the world, have come down from the mountains - mountain dwellers who have grown strong there with the forest trees in Nature's workshops.”  John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir, 1938  Anyone who mentions poets is completely worthy of respect.
 Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join almost 140 growing followers and please follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs--click on links below. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for poems on volunteering to work at Second Harvest so food can be distributed to the needy; climbing into the mountains to be nearer to God; the 2014 Boston Marathon; on the Mustangs going to the Dance with a losing record; to honor Cindy Abbott, a half blind 54 year old mother suffering from a rare disease who competed in last year's Iditarod until forced out with a broken pelvis after 600 miles to join a great collection of my poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for poems on indictment on Obama finally breaking silence on the VA scandal; Doctor Monica Wehby winning the Oregon Primary; 5 Chinese generals for hacking and stealing trade secrets; Marine shackled on Mexican jail bed;  on the death of academic freedom; senior prom students wearing surgical masks so fellow student undergoing chemo could attend; Sudan preparing to hang a pregnant apostate wife for marrying a Christian  to join numerous other comments on news events always in rhyme of course.
©May 28, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet