Ridley's Believe It Or Not--This Day In History: August 2015

Monday, August 31, 2015

September 1 History Emma M. Nutt Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—September 1, 2015 Trust your Taco Tuesday is off to a great air conditioned start looking forward to cutting you lunch expense with Popeyes two piece fried chicken leg and thigh special for only a $1.49 and as always I hope you enjoy Tuesday’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest, a music video by the Rascals, a relevant quote by Paul Hawken, looking forward to enjoying some a gyro, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, 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 No Rhymes (Nor Reason) Day—celebrating those words in the English language that are a complete bane to poets who rhyme as opposed to free or blank verse—words like month or orange that do not rhyme.

2. Emma M. Nutt Day—celebrating the accomplishments of the first woman telephone operator who started on this day in 1878 and worked in that capacity for the next 33 years.

3. 1968 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1968 on a run of five weeks in that position People Got To Free by The Rascals is a link to The Rascals performing People Got To Be Free: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ntcMjYL7hc

4. National Gyro Day—celebrating a great Greek cuisine of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie and then served in pita along with tomatoes, onions and tzaykizi sauce.

5. Brawl Don’t Sting Like A Bee—celebrating the only undefeated heavyweight champion at 49-0 (50-0 if you count the computer simulated bout with Ali) Rocky Marciano who was born on this day in 1923 and who died in private plane crash at the early age of 45 one day before his 46^th birthday.

On this day in:

a. 1902 A Trip to the Moon, considered the first science fiction movie was released in Paris.

b. 1914 at the Cincinnati Zoo the last passenger pigeon on earth died; when Europeans arrived in North America estimates are that the passenger pigeon population totaled from three to five billion birds.

c. 1952 Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea was published; it would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize.

d. 1958 Iceland expanded its territorial waters bringing it into conflict with Great Britain as starting what became known as the Cod Wars.

e. 1974 a SR-71 Blackbird flew from New York to London in a world record setting time of 1:54:56 at a speed of 1543.587 miles per hour.

Reflections on extinction of species: “Biological diversity is messy. It walks, it crawls, it swims, it swoops, it buzzes. But extinction is silent, and it has no voice other than our own.” Paul Hawken, noted American environmentalist and activist. Hard to believe a species that was so numerous that its flocks during migrations were so large that they would blot on the Sun could be rendered extinct within 300 years due to human activity.

Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 162 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

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August 31 History Motorists Consideration Monday

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—August 31, 2015 Trust your Monday is off to a great air conditioned start with your batteries totally recharged to face any challenges you may face in the work week and as always I hope you enjoy Monday’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest, a music video by Bobbie Gentry, a relevant quote by Jarod Kintz, looking forward to enjoying some slices of bacon, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, 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. Motorists Consideration Monday—a day to while in the car commuting or on errands to express patience, avoid texting and above all avoid any symptoms of road rage no matter how idiotic the drivers in front of you or behind you might appear.

2. National Trail Mix Day—promoting a great snack of raisins, chocolates and nuts that was popularized by Horace Kephart in 1910 as a light weight energy solution while hiking in the outdoors.

3. 1967 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1967 on a run of four weeks in that position Ode To Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry. Here is a link to Bobbie Gentry performing Ode To Billie Joe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZt5Q-u4crc

4. International Bacon Day—celebrating not those workers who bring home daily the bacon, but rather this highly evolved omnivore’s favorite meat.

5. A Pearl Not In A Shell But On A String—celebrating not the beauty of pearl necklaces but rather the birthday of the master of the bow, Itzhak Perlman, violinist par excellence.

On this day in:

a. 1803 Lewis and Clark left Pittsburgh to start their expedition to explore the Louisiana Purchase.

b. 1842 the U.S. Congress authorized the creation of the U.S. Naval Observatory

c. 1887 Thomas Edison patented the kinetograph(motion picture camera). Justice.

d. 1910 President Teddy Roosevelt in Kansas made his speech advocating a “square deal” for American consumers.

e. 2012 Samsung in Japan took a big bite out of the Apple in winning a patent infringement lawsuit brought by Apple.

Reflections on road rage on our streets and highways: “The middle finger is a great body language tool for letting people know you’re upset. Poetry isn’t quite as effective in a fit of road rage.” Jarod Kintz, This Book Is Not For Sale As a poet sadly I have to admit that he is right.

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Sunday, August 30, 2015

August 30 History International Day Of The Disappeared

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—August 30, 2015 Trust your Sunday is off to a great sweltering start and as always I hope you enjoy Sunday’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest, a music video by Donovan, a relevant quote by Peter Benenson, looking forward to enjoying some toasted marshmallows, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, 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 Day Of The Disappeared—another UN and Red Cross observance celebrated since 1992 to create awareness and pressure on the estimated 30 countries like Iran than jail dissidents without notifying their relatives or legal counsel.

2. National Holistic Pet Day—promoting probably in response to rising vet bills the use of holistic methods like diet and environment to keep pets healthy and vet visits reduced.

3. 1966 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1966 on a brief run of one week in that position Sunshine Superman by Donovan. Here is a link to Donovan performing Sunshine Superman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTuPbJLqFKI

4. National Toasted Marshmallow Day—celebrating a tasty treat that no camping trip should be without--cooking marshmallows over a campfire.

5. Successful Oracles Do Not Use Stones—celebrating not the Oracle of Delphi but rather the birthday on this day in 1930 of the Oracle of Everything, Warren Buffet, one of the richest men on the globe and an incredibly successful investor.

On this day in:

a. 1146 European leaders outlawed the use of the crossbow in all conflicts; crossbow was a really deadly weapon but really outclassed in terms of the volume of firepower by the English longbow.

b. 1963 the hotline communication line between Washington, D.C. and Moscow was instituted to defuse the likelihood of nuclear war between the two countries.

c. 1967 the U.S. Senate confirmed Thurgood Marshall as the first black Supreme Court Justice.

d. 1979 President Jimmy Carter was attacked by a rabbit while canoeing—wonder what the Secret Service was doing.

e. 1990 Ken Griffey and Ken Griffey, Jr. became the first father and son to play on the same baseball team (Seattle Mariners)—both singled.

Reflections on "Those who today still feel a sense of impotence can do something: they can support Amnesty International. They can help it to stand up for freedom and justice." Peter Benenson, a British lawyer and the founder of Amnesty Internatinal

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Saturday, August 29, 2015

August 29 History International Day Against Nuclear Tests

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—August 29, 2015 Trust your Saturday is off to a great sweltering start and as always I hope you enjoy Saturday’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest, a music video by The Beatles, a relevant quotes by Michael Eric Dyson, looking forward to enjoying a plate of chop suey, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, 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 Day Against Nuclear Tests—another UN observance celebrated since 2009 created to promote awareness of the need to promote a nuclear weapons

free world on one hand and on the other the UN Security Council approving the removal of sanctions previously imposed on Iran due to its quest for nuclear weapons.

2. National Sarcoidosis Day—promoting awareness of a rare immune system disease that can affect almost every organ of the body, including the skin (rash), eyes (soreness) and lungs (shortness of breath, dry coughs and chest pains).

3. 1965 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1965 on a run of three weeks in that position Help! by The Beatles. Here is a link to The Beatles performing Help! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r77L3oPOLVA

4. National Chop Suey Day—celebrating a dish that originated in the city Taistan on the Pearl River in Southeast China. Chop Suey means “assorted pieces” like beef, chicken, pork, seafood and vegetables and is served over rice.

5. Unlock The Mind Day—celebrating on this day in 1632 the birthday of philosopher John Locke, the Father of Classical Liberalism and a strong proponent of property rights and limited government, ideas under massive assault by the Obama Administration.

On this day in:

a. 1758 the first Indian Reservation was established at Indian Mills, New Jersey, the first of many that condemned thousands upon thousands of Indians to a lifetime of poverty and ill health.

b. 1831 Michael Faraday discovered the principle of electromagnetic induction.

c. 1949 thanks to great espionage and U.S. traitors, the Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb known as Joe 1 at the Soviet’s nuclear test site located near Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan. After 456 tests with no regard to the health and safety of nearby residents or the impact of radiation buildup on the environment, the test site was closed in 1991.

d. 1966 the Beatles performed their last concert before paying customers at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

e. 2005 Hurricane Katrina made landfall at the U.S. Gulf Coast causing almost 2,000 deaths and over 108 billion dollars of damage.

Reflections on Hurricane Katrina on the 10^th Anniversary of its U.S. landfall and the beginning of its massive death and destruction:”Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed levees and exploded the conventional wisdom about a shared American prosperity, exposing a group of people so poor they didn't have $50 for a bus ticket out of town. If we want to learn something from this disaster, the lesson ought to be: America's poor deserve better than this.” Michael Eric Dyson, noted American professor, author and radio host

Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 162 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

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Friday, August 28, 2015

August 28 History National Bow Tie Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—August 28, 2015 Trust your Friday is off to a great start and as always I hope you enjoy Friday’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest, a music video by The Supremes, a relevant quotes by Abe Ribicoff, looking forward to enjoying an a cherry turnover, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, 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 Radio Commercial Day—commemorating the first radio commercial in 1922 by Queensboro Realty for ten minutes of air time for the princely sum of $10.

2. National Bow Tie Day—honoring that unique tie that has been around since the 17^th Century and in Orange County one of the few proponents is an outstanding intellectual property lawyer Stephen La Count.

3. 1964 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1964 on a run of two weeks in that position Where Did Our Love Go by The Supremes. Here is a link to The Supremes performing Where Did Our Love Go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izzKUoxL11E

4. National Cherry Turnover Day—great way to enjoy cherries.

5. No Peace Without War Day—celebrating not the dismal history of far too many wars followed by short interludes of peace but rather the birthday on this day of one of Russia’s greatest novelists who had the wisdom to leave law school, Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace.

On this day in:

a. 1845 the first issue of Scientific American was published.

b. 1957 Senator Strom Thurman began the longest filibuster by a single senator against the Civil Rights Act of 1957 which finally ended 24 hours 18 minutes later.

c. 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his iconic “I Have a Dream Speech” at Washington D.C.

d. 1968 in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention the Chicago police department attacked demonstrators protesting the Vietnam War and commenced what would be known as the Chicago Police Riots—Chicago politics under Mayor Daley at its absolute tyrannical worst.

e. 1996 Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Princess Diana finalized their divorce.

Reflections on the DNC convention floor during the height of the Chicago police riots: "And with George McGovern as President of the United States, we wouldn’t have to have Gestapo tactics in the streets of Chicago. And with George McGovern as president, we wouldn't have to have a National Guard. How hard it is to speak the truth, when we know the problems that are facing this nation." Abe Ribicoff in his nomination of Geoge McGovern “ Mayor Daley in the audience was caught on camera shouting “Fuck you Jewish son of a bitch.”

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Thursday, August 27, 2015

August 27 History National Petroleum Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—August 27, 2015 Trust your Thursday is off to a great start and as always I hope you enjoy Thursday’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest, a music video by The Angels, a relevant quotes by Bernard Bernanke and Marcy Kaptur, looking forward to enjoying an a pot de crème pie (key lime pie without the crust), blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, 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 Petroleum Day—celebrating the beginning of the Petroleum Age in Titusville, PA by Edwin Drake’s striking oil at 70 feet below the surface on this day in 1857.

2. The Duchess Who Wasn’t A Duchess Day—honoring works of Irish author Margaret Hungerford who wrote under the pen name “The Duchess” which was also the title of one of her more popular novels published in 1887.

3. 1963 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1963 on a run of three weeks in that position My Boyfriend’s Back by The Angels. Here is a link to The Angels performing My Boyfriend’s Back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NuofNHKbVc

4. National Pot de Crème Day—great way to enjoy the same taste of a key lime pie without the crust.

5. Never An Edsel In This Line Day—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1961 of the iconic fashion designer Tom Ford, chief designer for YSL and Gucci.

On this day in:

a. 1883 the Krakatoa Volcano near Java erupted with a force of 1,300 megatons killing over 40,000 people.

b. 1928 the Kellogg-Briand outlawing war was signed by 15 nations which obviously did not end war, merely allowed early invasions like Japan into Manchuria and Italy into Ethiopia not to be accompanied by a declaration of war.

c. 1955 The Guinness World Book of Records was first published.

d. 1979 Lord Mountbatten, uncle to Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, was assassinated by an Irish Republican Army bomb while on a boating holiday near Sligo, Ireland.

e. 2001 Angelina Jolie was named a goodwill ambassador for the UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency.

Reflections on petroleum as it is priced today at under $40 a barrel and our fracking industry is under great political stress as a part of the Obama war on fossil fuels:

“I believe America's chief strategic vulnerability is our dependence on imported petroleum.” Marcy Kaptur, 16 term Democratic Congresswoman from Ohio who surprise, surprise takes reasonable positions on issues like energy.

“Growth in U.S. real imports slowed to about 3 percent in 2006, in part reflecting a drop in real terms in imports of crude oil and petroleum products.” Ben Bernanke, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 162 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

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Wednesday, August 26, 2015

August 26 History National Dog Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—August 26, 2015 Trust your Hump Day is off to a great start and as always I hope you enjoy Wednesday’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest, a music video by Tommy Roe, a relevant quote by Dave Barry, looking forward to enjoying an ice cold cherry popsicle, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, 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. Women’s Equality Day—celebrating the certification on this day in 1920 of the 19^th Amendment granting women the right to vote; it took 42 years after the amendment was first introduced to have it ratified.

2. National Dog Day—honoring the 80 million plus canine pets in this nation and promoting adoption for the numerous dogs who will be euthanized if not adopted. 3. 1962 Number One Song--celebrating the number one song in 1962 on a run of only two weeks in that position Sheila by Tommy Roe. Here is a link to Tommy Roe performing Sheila: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1ClOAX9zFw

4. National Cherry Popsicle Day—great way to beat the heat and tasty too.

5. The IRS Should Read More Biographies Day—celebrating not a push to have more literacy at the IRS but rather the birthday on this day in 1743 of the Father of Modern Chemistry Antoine Lavoiser who despite his science credentials had the misfortune of being a tax collector and was guillotined during the French Revolution.

On this day in:

a. 1346 English long bowmen under the command of Edward VII slaughtered the heavily armored French knights at Crecy. The French did not learn much from the defeat and the futility of charging at massed bowmen and repeated the fiasco at Agincourt in 1415.

b. 1498 Michelangelo was commissioned to carve the Pietra.

c. 1791 John Fitch was granted a patent for his steamboat.

d. 1967 the Beatles, Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithful met with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation.

e. 1996 President Clinton signed into law major welfare reform legislation adding a requirement that welfare recipients obtain work to be eligible for benefits.

Reflections on our canine friends: “You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'” Dave Barry, noted Pulitzer-Prize winning columnist and author

Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 162 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

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Tuesday, August 25, 2015

August 25 History Touch A Heart Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—August 25, 2015 Trust your Taco Tuesday is off to a great start and as always I hope you enjoy Tuesday’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest, music videos by Bobby Lewis and Bruce Springsteen, a relevant quote by Bruce Springsteen, looking forward to enjoying a large slice of peach pie, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, 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. Touch A Heart Day—celebrating a day that should be celebrated every day—reaching to loved ones, neighbors, friends or strangers with acts of kindness. For ideas on how to put “a little love in your heart,” go to http://bk2hk.org/week/tuesday/

2. Paris Liberation Day—great day to be in Paris celebrating the liberation of Paris on this day in 1944.

3. 1961 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1961 on a run of seven weeks in that position Tossin And Turnin by Bobby Lewis. Here is a link to Bobby Lewis performing Tossin And Turnin (with film clips from the iconic film American Graffiti: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghFBvBmXv4E

4. National Banana Split Day—great day to turn bananas, ice cream, whipped cream, cherries and nuts into a classic treat.

5. Watch The Moving Baton Day—celebrating not a new way to put a person hypnosis but rather the birthday on this day in 1918 of iconic composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein whose symphony performances would never put someone to sleep.

On this day in:

a. 1609 Galileo Galilei demonstrated his telescope to Venetian lawmakers.

b. 1835 the Great Moon Hoax claiming the existence of life and an advanced civilization on the Moon was perpetrated by The New York Sun in a series of six articles.

c. 1916 the U.S. National Park Service was established.

d. 1975 “the Boss” released his critically acclaimed album Born To Run which vaulted him to the top tier of rock performers. Here is a link to Bruce Springsteen performing one of the songs on the album, Born to Run:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxuThNgl3YA

e. 1991 Linus Torvaid announced the first version of a computer operating system which became known as Linux.

Reflections on life from Bruce Springsteen: “It's a sad man my friend who's livin' in his own skin and can't stand the company.” Very astute observation by “The Boss."

Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 162 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

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