May 16, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not National Sea Monkeys Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For May 16, 2016 Unfortunately still 249 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term. Very exciting political theater as the Nevada Democratic Convention erupted into total chaos; the New York Times hit piece on Trump’s treatment of women was completely discredited by one very attractive model who completely disavowed the piece literally before the ink was dry (where was the Times when Clinton was stalking women in the Arkansas governor’s mansion and in the White House?); and Zuckerman denies that Facebook routinely blocks conservative news items.  As always, I hope your Monday is proving to be a great one with all batteries fully recharged to meet the challenges of the week ahead and that  you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link as we have fled rap to Vaughn Monroe, factoids of interest, a  relevant quote from Margaret Atwood, while  looking forward to enjoying a generous serving of coquilles St. Jacques (recipe below), blessed with a positive attitude and  secure in  the knowledge that, if you want to find a gift for any memorable events 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. Wear Purple for Peace Day—another whimsical observance created not to urge the peaceful resolution of disputes between nations but rather to convince any aliens out in the cosmos that the Earth is a peaceful place to visit—takes all kinds!   

2. National Sea Monkey Day—honoring since 1957 these tiny brine shrimp and hatching kits to add spice and color to any aquarium; why these crustaceans are called monkeys is beyond this poet’s comprehension.   

3. 1949 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1949  on a long run of eleven weeks in that position N(Ghost) Riders in the Sky; a Cowboy Legend by Vaughn Monroe. Here’s a link to Vaughn Monroe performing (Ghost) Riders in the Sky; a Cowboy Legend:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyDNnQbbkSQ

4. National Coquilles St. Jacques Day—celebrating an incredible way to enjoy scallops; here is a recipe that will amaze you r seafood loving friends.   http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/fish/seafood/coquilles-saint-jacques.asp    

5. Proud to Be a Yankee Day—celebrating the birthday on this day Billy Martin a manager of five different baseball teams who was famous for turning around losing programs and fighting with ownership, especially George Steinbrenner who fired him five times; tragically at the age of 61 on Christmas Day during an ice storm he ran his car off his private driveway and was killed.                                                                             

On this day in:

a. 1843 the first major wagon train heading west to the Pacific Northwest left Elm Grove, Missouri on the Oregon Trail with 1,000 settlers. 

b. 1868 President Andrew by one vote in the United States Senate escaped being removed from office.

c. 1888 Nikola Tesla delivered a lecture describing the equipment needed to generate and transmit alternating current electricity over long distances.                                               d. 1960 Thomas Maiman demonstrated the optical laser (a ruby laser) for the first time at the Hughes Research Labs in Malibu, California.     

e. 1988 the U.S. Surgeon General released a report confirming what smokers have known for years in their unsuccessful attempts to quit smoking that the addictive properties in nicotine are similar to heroin and cocaine.    

    Reflections on the difficulties of fighting addiction be it drugs, alcohol or cigarettes: “Every habit he's ever had is still there in his body, lying dormant like flowers in the desert. Given the right conditions, all his old addictions would burst into full and luxuriant bloom.” Margaret Atwood, noted Canadian author, poet, essayist and environmental activist  
 Please enjoy the poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and 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 or go to Ridley's Believe It Or Not for just This Day In History.

© May 16, 2016, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 
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