Wednesday, December 31, 2014

December 31 History New Year's Eve

Ridley's Believe It Or Not—December 31, 2014:    Trust your resolutions for the New Year are being framed in a fashion that you will be able to achieve and, as always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids and a relevant quote from Dirk Stikker,  with a smile on your face, looking forward to ringing in the New Year, blessed with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for a memorable event, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient.  You need only contact me for details.
       1. New Year’s Eve —celebrating world wide the end of the year with fireworks and unfortunately too many traffic fatalities from celebrants celebrating in excess.
        2. First Day of Hogmanay in Scotland—celebrated with excess by the Scots by first footing with gifts and fireball swinging. 
       3. 1970 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 1970 My Sweet Lord by George Harrison.
        4. Universal Hour of Peace Day—celebrated since 1995 from 11:30 p.m. on the 31st to 12:30 a.m. on the 1st. Sadly, we humans track record for maintaining peaceful thoughts is not a good one but one hour is better than none.
         5. National Champagne Day—Hopefully in moderation as you toast in 2015 with a resounding singing of Auld Lang Syne.
On this day in
      a. 1907 the first New Year’s Celebration was held in Times Square, then known as Longacre Square.  
      b. 1951 the Marshall Plan ended after distributing over 13 Billion Dollars of aid to rebuild Western Europe.
      c.  1983 AT&T and its Bell Telephone companies was broken up by the U.S. Government as an illegal monopoly.
      d.  1999 in a dark day for mankind, Boris Yeltsin resigned as the first president of the Russian Federation and was replaced by Vladimir Putin.
       e. 1999 in a we built it but cannot keep it moment, the U.S. turned over control of the Panama Canal to Panama.
Reflections on the Marshall Plan: “Churchill's words won the war; Marshall's words won the peace.--Dirk Stikker, Foreign Minister of The Netherlands, 1948-1952
Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 150 growing followers and please follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times
© December 31, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes on the Memorable Times
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Monday, December 29, 2014

December 29 History Pepper Pot Soup Day

Ridley's Believe It Or Not—December 29, 2014:    Trust your resolutions for the New Year are being framed in a fashion that you will be able to achieve and, as always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids and a relevant quote from Chief Seattle,  with a smile on your face, looking forward to a piping hot bowl of pepper pot soup made the old fashioned way with tripe, blessed with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for a memorable event, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient.  You need only contact me for details.
       1. Young Man’s Day —commemorating not the hit single by the Village People in 1978 Y.M.C.A. but the founding of the first YMCA facility in America at Boston in 1851.
        2. It Was A Good Year Day—celebrating on this day in 1800 the birth of Charles Goodyear, who was issued a patent #3633 for the vulcanization of rubber which ultimately enabled the onset of the automotive age.
       3. 1969 Number One Song—celebrating what we in California still really need the number one song on this day in 1969 Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head by B.J. Thomas.
        4. Pepper Pot Soup Day—celebrating Washington’s and FDR’s favorite soup—perfect for a cold winter day to warm the body and soul.
On this day in
      a. 1860 the first ocean going ironclad the HMS Warrior was launched by the Royal Navy.
      b. 1890 in another black day for this nation in dealing with its Native Americans soldiers from the Seventh Cavalry killed over 300 men, women and children Sioux at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
      c.  1959 physicist Richard Feynman gave a speech “There’s plenty of room at the bottom,” which is regarded by many as the birth of nanotechnology.
      d.  1997 Hong Kong began the killing of all of its 1.25 million chickens to stop the spread of a deadly strain of the flu virus.
       e. 1998 in a belated at best moment, the leaders of the Khmer Rouge apologized for the genocide that killed over a million Cambodians.
Reflections on Wounded Knee and genocide and why all of us as human beings regardless of race, color or creed of the victims must rise up and insure with  one voice, one act, Never Again: “My people are few. They resemble the scattering trees of a storm-swept plain...There was a time when our people covered the land as the waves of a wind-ruffled sea cover its shell-paved floor, but that time long since passed away with the greatness of tribes that are now but a mournful memory.”  Chief Seattle, The Chief Seattle’s Speech noted  19th Century Squamish Indian tribe chief Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 150 growing followers and please follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times
© December 29, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes on the Memorable Times
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

 

Saturday, December 27, 2014

December 27 History National Fruitcake Day

Ridley's Believe It Or Not—December 27, 2014:    Trust Santa visited your home with gifts that you do not want to take back and not lumps of coal and your heart and soul received the gift of peace.  As always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids and a relevant quote from Marlene Dietrich,  with a smile on your face, knowing that after a Christmas feast with friends and family you have the will power to avoid a slice of fruitcake even though it is National Fruitcake Day, blessed with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for a memorable event, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient.  You need only contact me for details.
       1. Constitution Day —make sure you are sitting down when you read that today celebrates the Constitution of North Korea enacted in 1998 that among other Koreaspeak grants the right of free expression, freedom of religion and a fair trial limited of course by Article 81  which requires citizens to "firmly safeguard the political and ideological unity and solidarity of the people," and Article 82, which requires that citizens observe "the socialist standards of life."  What a crock!
        2. National Fruitcake Day—celebrating the food often soaked in brandy to preserve it so it can be given back to someone else as opposed to eating it not those mentally challenged.
       3.  Bombshell Day—celebrating not a new bomb but rather the birthday on this day in 1901 of the original blonde bombshell Marlene Dietrich, born in Germany but who became an American citizen who was a staunch anti-Nazi and who during World War II is reported to have sold more war bonds than any other celebrity and who performed before more than 250,000 troops.                                                                                           
       4.  1968 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 1968 I Heard It Through the Grapevine  by Marvin Gaye—another classic.
On this day in
      a. 1929 in a reminder moment that Vladimir Putin is an evil person Joseph Stalin as head of the Communist Party ordered the liquidation of the kulaks as a class of people.
      b. 1945 the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were created by 29 nations.
      c.  1978 Spain becomes a democracy after 40 years of Franco’s dictatorship.
      d. 2001 China was granted normal trade relations with the United States despite its persistent currency manipulation, theft of traded secrets, price dumping, and infringement of trademarks all designed to create the huge trade deficit we now face.
       e. 2004 radiation from the largest extrasolar explosion ever witnessed on this planet from magnetar SGR 1806-20 reached Earth.
Reflections on a better way to conduct one’s self: “Sex. In America an obsession. In other parts of the world a fact.” Marlene Dietrich Maybe that’s why we have so much adultery, pornography and prostitution.
Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 150 growing followers and please follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times
© December 27, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes on the Memorable Times
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Friday, December 26, 2014

December 26 History Boxing Day

Ridley's Believe It Or Not—December 26, 2014:    Trust Santa visited your home with gifts that you do not want to take back and not lumps of coal and your heart and soul received the gift of peace.  As always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids and a relevant quote from Mao Tse Tung,  with a smile on your face, knowing that after a Christmas feast with friends and family you have the will power to avoid candy canes even though it is National Candy Cane Day, blessed with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for a memorable event, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient.  You need only contact me for details.
       1. Boxing Day —celebrated in England and most nations that were former members of the British Commonwealth; it is a day when servants and trades people receive gifts from their employers usually encased in a box that once contained a gift that the employer opened on Christmas Day.
        2. DACS Day—celebrating another great American event of retailing ingenuity—the Day After Christmas Sales. I you missed being jostled and pummeled in the malls and frustrated over not finding a parking place after enjoying the peace and tranquility of Christmas with your family and friends, this day is for you.
       3.  Leap Forward Then Two Leaps Back Day—celebrating not a new rave dance step but rather the birthday on this day in 1893 of Mao Tse Tung, long time leader of the Chinese Communist Party whose 5 year economic plan known as the Great Leap Forward was a disaster and abandoned in 1960.                                                                                           
        4.  1967 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 1967 Hello Goodbye by the Beatles.
       5.  National Candy Cane Day—celebrating a means to get rid of all the excess candy canes that were used as tree decorations or stocking stuffers and not consumed.
On this day in
      a. 1799 4,000 mourners attended the funeral of George Washington, eulogized as “first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of Americans.”
      b. 1846 the Donner Party trapped in the high snows of the Sierra Nevada mountains started to cannibalize their members who had died, a act of desperation followed many years later when an Argentinean rugby team’s plane crashed into the Andes.
     c. 1862 in another black mark on this country’s race relations with its Native American population, 38 Native American were hanged at Mankato, MN, the largest mass hanging in U.S. history.  Abraham Lincoln pardoned over 300 Sioux even as there was a clamor not to even though the Republican Party would lose votes in Minnesota, stating, “I could afford to hang men for votes.”
       d. 1963 the Beatles released in the U.S. I Want to Hold Your Hand  and I Saw Her Standing There launching Beatlemania on an international level.
       e. 1982 for the first time Time’s Man of the Year was a nonhuman, the personal computer.
Reflections on when even leaders with dictatorial powers need to admit they were wrong and not blame the weather: “The chaos caused was on a grand scale, and I take responsibility. Comrades, you must all analyze your own responsibility. If you have to fart, fart. You will feel much better for it." Mao Tse Tung  Unfortunately, the ability to take responsibility is a trait our President seems in most cases to lack.
Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 150 growing followers and please follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times
© December 26, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes on the Memorable Times
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Thursday, December 25, 2014

December 25 History Christmas

Ridley's Believe It Or Not—December 25, 2014:    Trust Santa visited your home with gifts and not lumps of coal and your heart and soul received the gift of peace.  As always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids and a relevant quote from Toni Sorenson,  with a smile on your face, knowing that after a Christmas feast with friends and family you saved room for a slice of pumpkin pie, blessed with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for a memorable event, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient.  You need only contact me for details. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
         1.  Christmas —celebrating a day in which all of you I hope under the tree or in the stocking also found the lasting and most valuable gift, the gift of peace to enjoy today and to give and enjoy each and every day in the waning days of this year and in 2015—Merry Christmas.
         2. National Pumpkin Pie Day—celebrating a Christmas dinner ending treat.
        3.  Whistler’s Day—celebrating not that unique ability to make an audio affirmative response to Lauren Bacall’s classic cinematic question but rather the birthday on this day in 1899 of one of the classic icons of all acting Humphrey Bogart, who like far too many smokers died of lung cancer far too early at the age of 57.                                                                                          
        4.  1966 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 1966 I’m a Believer by the Monkees.
On this day in
      a. 336 A.D. the first documented celebration of Christmas in ancient Rome; for the first 300 years following the birth of Christ, even as Christianity spread and grew Christ’s birth was not celebrated and in Rome was overshadowed by the pagan festival of Saturnalia when Romans feasted, exchanged gifts and gave alms to the poor.
      b. 1815 the Handel and Haydn Society, the oldest performing arts association in the United States gave its first performance.
     c. 1868 as a means to reunite the country President Andrew Johnson the first president to be impeached but not convicted granted amnesty to all Confederate soldiers.
       d. 1914 sadly on the Western Front, the Christmas Truce which began on Christmas Eve ended and the dogs of war were once again released with all their maiming and killing fury. The event is memorialized in the cinema and at http://alaskanpoet.blogspot.com/2014/12/christmas-truce-1914.html
       e. 1974 in what has to have been a wakeup call for White House security obviously as 2014 proved not listened to, Marshall Fields dressed in Arab clothing drove his Impala through a White House gate stopping a few feet from the entrance and after four hours of negotiations because he had claimed the presence of explosives surrendered.
Reflections on Christmas gift giving: “Christmas is about giving from the heart more than giving from the store.” Toni Sorenson noted American author On this brief quote Toni is directly on point to the potential disappointment of retailers who need Christmas to survive.
Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 150 growing followers and please follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times
© December 25, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes on the Memorable Times
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

December 24 History Christmas Eve

Ridley's Believe It Or Not—December 24, 2014:    Trust your gifts are all wrapped and you are enjoying Christmas Eve.  As always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids and a relevant quote from Charles Dickens,  with a smile on your face, knowing that this should be the day to enjoy some egg nog, blessed with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for a memorable event, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient.  You need only contact me for details.
         1.  Christmas Eve—celebrating a time when children should be taking No-Doz secretly so they can try to stay awake to see Santa coming down the chimney with their presents—magical time! If a parent cherish it as their beliefs in Santa like a pond in Death Valley will quickly evaporate.
         2. National Egg Nog Day—celebrating a great way to sit next to a fire and reflect on one’s gratitudes and blessings.
        3.  What Gift To Put Under A Sitka Spruce Christmas Tree—if your last name is Hughes, it would be a baby boy Howard Hughes born on this day in 1905 who grew up to be a very wealthy but reclusive man in his later years and sadly ridiculed for building a gigantic wooden float plane nicknamed the “Spruce Goose” which flew once on November 2, 1947 for one mile at an altitude of 70 feet and is now ensconced at an airplane museum in McMinnville, Oregon.                                                                                            
        4.  1965 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 1965 Over and Over Feel  by the Dave Clark Five.
On this day in
      a. 1826 the Egg Nog Riot began at the U.S. Military Academy caused by copious amounts of whiskey being smuggled into the Academy and consumed in excess in egg nog.
      b. 1865 in a black mark on this nation’s social history and dealings with black Americans, the Klu Klux Klan was formed.
     c. 1906 Reginald Fessenden transmitted the first radio broadcast consisting of music and a reading from the Bible.
      d. 1914 after four months of slaughter in the trenches in World War I, on Christmas Eve the “Christmas Truce” began with Germans and British soldiers putting down their arms and venturing out into No Man’s Land to exchange gifts, fraternize, and play soccer. Sadly, the truce did not continue past Christmas and on the 26th the killing and maiming continued. The event is memorialized in the cinema and at http://alaskanpoet.blogspot.com/2014/12/christmas-truce-1914.html
Reflections on Christmas Eve: “I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.” ~Charles Dickens Now more than ever as 2015 is near, words to live by especially in the halls of Congress and the White House not only during Christmas but also during the rest of the each day.
Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 150 growing followers and please follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times
© December 24, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes on the Memorable Times
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

December 23 History Festivus

Ridley's Believe It Or Not—December 23 2014:    Trust your Taco Tuesday and Popeyes Fried Chicken $1.29 two piece chicken special (eat more chicken so Foster Farms spends more money on half time entertainment at the Foster Farms Bowl on the 30th in which the Cardinal is playing) is a great one and you are basking today in the extra minute or so of daylight over the 21st and that you do not have to brace for any more days of battling the crowds in the malls.   As always I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids and a relevant quote from an amazing woman Madam C. J. Walker,  with a smile on your face, knowing that this may be the day to try some Pfeffernuesse (if you like it get back to me), blessed with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for a memorable event or the coming Christmas, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient.  You need only contact me for details.
         1.  Humanist Light—celebrating a secular approach to the future and way of life as opposed to religious and celebrated by humanists since 2001 although not sure if the Humanist children are thrilled by a house devoid of the magic of Santa and the absence of a tree with lights and an abundance hopefully of wrapped gifts under it.
         2. Festivus—observing a parody created on this day by an episode of Seinfeld on this day in 1997 objecting to the commercialization of Christmas, now diluted by the tepid “Happy Holidays”. Give and look to receive the gift of peace on the 25th and go to   http://alaskanpoet.blogspot.com/2014/12/alaskanpoets-reflections-on-christmas.html
          3.  National Pfeffernuesse Daycelebrating what has to be a first for this highly evolved omnivore a snack he has never heard of nor tried but originates from Europe and involves a cookie which has very enticing ingredients including my favorite pepper.  
          4.  1965 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 1965 and my return home from Stanford as a freshman and dancing to Over and Over by the Dave Clark Five.
         5. Entrepreneurship Colors Are Green Only—celebrating the accomplishments and birthday on this day in 1867 of a remarkable woman that even back then proves that opportunity in this country exists regardless of race, gender or creed—Madam C. J. Walker, who by founding Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company, a leader in hair and skin products for blacks, became the first black female millionaire in this country.
On this day in
      a. 1823 another day that will stand in monument to the need for more poets and less lawyers, the most read, recited and parodied poem in American history, The Night Before Christmas was anonymously published. One of these days in the future hopefully people will say the same about Land of the Midnight Sun http://alaskanpoet.blogspot.com/2009/07/land-of-midnight-sun-full-version.html
      b. 1947 in the first steps of the electronic revolution the transistor’s properties were demonstrated at Bell Labs.
       c. 1968 the captain and its crew of the USS Pueblo illegally seized by the North Koreans in international waters were finally after almost a year of brutal treatment and torture by the North Koreans were released. The feckless response by the U.S. to this act of aggression is worth reading about in Act of War by Brad Cheevers.
       d. 1972 in a tribute to the character that rugby, a sport played by this poet, builds, the rugby players who survived a crash in the Andes and were able to survive by eating the dead were rescued due to a ten day hike through the Andes in the winter  by two of their teammates to reach help.
Reflections on what it takes to succeed and what it takes to build companies which entrepreneurs build not the federal government and the jobs that, contrary to what Hillary Clinton states, corporations create: “I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there I was promoted to the washtub. From there I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations. I have built my own factory on my own ground. I am not satisfied in making money for myself. I endeavor to provide employment for hundreds of the women of my race.” Madam C. J. Walker” Is anyone in D.C. listening to voices like this woman? Doubt it!
Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 150 growing followers and please follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times
© December 23, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes on the Memorable Times
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

 

Sunday, December 21, 2014

December 22 History National Haiku Poetry Day

Ridley's Believe It Or Not—December 22 2014:    Trust your weekend was a great one and you are basking today in the extra minute or so of daylight over the 21st and that you are bracing for another day of battling the crowds in the malls.   As always I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids and a relevant quote from Aberjhani and a Haiku from me,  with a smile on your face, knowing that this may be the day to splurge on several slices of fresh date nut bread, blessed with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for a memorable event or the coming Christmas, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient.  You need only contact me for details.
         1.  National Mathematics Day (India)—celebrating the accomplishments of the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanudan who made great contributions to the study of mathematics in the early 20th Century and probably explains there is so much software programming out of India.
         2. National Haiku Poetry Day—celebrating that very popular Japanese poetry originating in the 15th -16th Century, e.g. “Boats gliding at night/ Christmas trees lit in the bay/ Gift of peace wars slay.”
        3.  It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s Highway Beautification Day—commemorating the birthday on this day in 1912 of Lady Bird Johnson, LBJ’s wife and early bankroller of his political campaigns and an ardent advocate for beautifying our highways and landscape.
        4.  1964 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 1964 I Feel Fine by the Beatles and we did to as the Beatles took this country by storm.
         5. National Date Nut Bread Day—celebrating that classic American bread which topped with honey or butter is excellent.
On this day in
      a. 1956 Colo the first gorilla bred in captivity was born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio.
      b. 1984 in a sign that we have made some progress with racial issues, Bernhard Goetz shot four would be black muggers on a New York City subway; he was tried for attempted murder and found guilty of the offense of carrying an unlicensed firearm and served eight months. The debate over the limits of self defense is still alive and well today.
     c. 2001 Richard Reid tried and failed to bring down an American Airlines flight by trying to set off a bomb hidden in his shoes.
       d. 2010 the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy was reversed, ending the ban on openly homosexuals serving in the U.S. military.
Reflections on Haiku and its 5 syllable first line, 7 syllable second and 5 syllable third and last—the Irish are too long winded to be great Haiku poets, my attempt above not withstanding: 
 "Dare to love yourself
 as if you were a rainbow
 with gold at both ends.”
Aberjhani, Journey the Power of the Rainbow: Quotations from a Life Made Out of Poetry Wise words to live by, brief and to the exact point.
 Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 150 growing followers and please follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times
© December 22, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes on the Memorable Times
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Saturday, December 20, 2014

December 21 History Winter Solstice

Ridley's Believe It Or Not—December 21 2014:    Trust your weekend is proving to be a great one and that you are bracing for another day of battling the crowds in the malls.   As always I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids and a relevant quote from Aberjhani,  with a smile on your face, knowing that this may be the day to splurge on several hamburgers from your favorite restaurant, blessed with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for a memorable event or the coming Christmas, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient.  You need only contact me for details.
         1.  Winter Solstice—celebrating the official beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest day of the year.
         2. National Homeless Persons Remembrance Day—observed since 1990 to create awareness of the plight of the homeless and seek solutions to a major problem.
        3.  Flo-Jo Day—commemorating the birthday on this day in 1959 of Florence Griffith Joyner who was one exceptionally fast sprinter but who could not outrun epileptic seizures and died at the age of 38.  
        4.  1963 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 1963 Dominique by  the Singing Nun.
         5. National Hamburger Day—celebrating that classic American favorite especially one purchased at Hudson’s in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho—almost worth the trip.
On this day in
      a. 1620 the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
      b. 1913 to the ultimate joy of millions, Arthur Wynne’s “word-cross,” the first crossword puzzle, was published in the New York World.  
     c. 2012 The Walt Disney Company completed its acquisition of Lucasfilms thereby acquiring all rights in Star Wars.
Reflections on the plight of the homeless on the beginning of winter four days from Christmas: “The image titled “The Homeless, Psalm 85:10,” featured on the cover of ELEMENTAL, can evoke multiple levels of response. They may include the spiritual in the form of a studied meditation upon the multidimensional qualities of the painting itself; or an extended contemplation of the scripture in the title, which in the King James Bible reads as follows: “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” The painting can also inspire a physical response in the form of tears as it calls to mind its more earth-bound aspects; namely, the very serious plight of those who truly are homeless in this world, whether born into such a condition, or forced into it by poverty or war.” Aberjhani author of Elemental: The Power of Illuminated Love and noted black American author, historian and poet
 
Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 150 growing followers and please follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to
www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times
© December 20, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes on the Memorable Times
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

December 20 History Go Caroling Dayi

Ridley's Believe It Or Not—December 20, 2014:    Trust your weekend is off to a good note and that you are bracing for another day of battling the crowds in the malls.   As always I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids and a relevant quote from Jackie Robinson,  with a smile on your face, knowing that this may be the day to splurge on a large platter of fried shrimp, blessed with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for a memorable event or the coming Christmas, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient.  You need only contact me for details.
         1.  International Human Solidarity Day—a UN holiday observed since 2005 commemorating those who have worked for humanitarian purposes.
         2. Go Caroling Day—what better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to with neighbors go caroling in the neighborhood or better yet to nursing home.
        3.  National Fried Shrimp Day—celebrating a great meal especially when the shrimp are sautéed in butter, garlic and basil.
        4.   1962 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 1962 Telstar by the Tornados.
         5.   Blue 42 Day—celebrating the birthday on this day of Branch Rickey, manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers who broke the color ban in baseball by signing Jackie Robinson, number 42.
On this day in
      a. 1946 the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life starring James  Stewart and Donna Reed premiered in New York City.
       b. 1951 EBR-1 in Arco, Idaho became the first nuclear reactor to generate electricity with enough juice to power four light bulbs.
      c. 1996 NeXT merged with Apple paving the way for the introduction of Mac OS X.
Reflection on Jackie Robinson: “I am not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” Jackie Robinson  Great thoughts to live by as we approach Christmas.
 Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 150 growing followers and please follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times
© December 20, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes on the Memorable Times
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift