Ridley's Believe It Or Not--This Day In History: June 2016

Thursday, June 30, 2016

June 30, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not National Social Media Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For June 30, 2016. Unfortunately still 204 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term as the financial markets slowly are recovering from the meltdown after Brexit; any doubt that radical Islam is a worldwide existential threat to civilization notwithstanding Obama’s silence on Istanbul and Kerry’s ludicrous assertion while taking a break from climate change rants that ISIS is desperate, news today is that the three fanatic misguided martyrs were linked to Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan; today marks the beginning of the first day of the third year of this caliphate cancer and Obama is still clueless and as a commander in chief without any strategy to defeat, much less contain, this perversion of the Muslim faith; if you thought our DOJ would impartially examine the evidence of Hillary’s criminal conduct over her server and the quid pro quo of Bill Clinton’s speeches and donations to the Clinton Foundation, dream on as in a shocking display of the appearance of corruption our AG met privately with Bill Clinton for 30 minutes while her airplane was parked on the tarmac in Arizona to chit chat about “his golf game and grandchildren”—she has fatally compromised her integrity and forfeited what little integrity the DOJ had left after the hack Holder ran it into the political swamps.

This news is so frightening and chilling that it has to stand alone; the FEC voted 3-3 to punish Fox News over its format changes to the first Republican debate with the undercard and prime time card. Talk about an assault on the free press which every American regardless of party should be totally outraged and demanding that the Blues who attempted this censorship should be impeached. Instead, just like in the case of the IRS waging war on the Tea Party, from the main stream media only the sounds of silence.

On the compassion front, Los Angeles struggling with a homeless population of over 27,000 voted to put a 1.2 billion dollar bond measure on the ballot to create shelters and drug and rehab services for the homeless—at around $80 a year per property owner seems like a human response. On the athletic front Michal Phelps, assuming he does not pick up any more DUIs will be the first athlete in history to participate in five Olympics. Tragic news and proof positive that notwithstanding their size grizzly bears are really fast sprinters as a mountain biker discovered as he was caught and killed by a grizzly in Montana’s Glacier National Park. www.lyingcrookedhillary.com is a great way to start your day along of course with www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com

As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Whitney Houston, factoids of interest, a relevant quote from Amy Jo Martin while looking forward to enjoying an ice cream soda (killer recipes 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. Asteroid Day—with all the concern over radical Islam except in the White House, global warming and the fact that the San Andreas fault is “locked and loaded” not sure if we need another observance to galvanize our awareness of another potential existential disaster, but we do and this observance to create awareness of the danger to this planet from a collision with an asteroid was created on this day in 2015. When you retire this evening and look up into the skies pray to your god that there is not hiding in the far reaches of the heavens a huge, huge piece of rock weighing many tons that is heading in our direction at 20,000 plus miles an hour.

2. National Social Media Day—celebrating since 2010 the contribution of social media to our interaction as human beings and the dissemination of knowledge and opportunities for discussion.

3. 1987 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1987 on a run of two weeks in that position by a singer, Whitney Houston, who had one of the best voices in the business “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”. Here is a link to a vibrant, full of life Whitney Houston performing that song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH3giaIzONA

4. National Ice Cream Soda Day—celebrating a really great way to beat the summer heat as we all know “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.” Here are some great ice cream soda recipes to try today: http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/ice-cream/ice-cream-soda.asp

5. Talk About A Stiff And Sore Neck—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1985 of the only athlete to compete in 5 Olympics and who has won more medals, 22, than any athlete in Olympic history and will be on the U.S. Swim Team in Rio this summer for his fifth Olympiad, looking to add to his medal total.

On this day in:

a. 1906 In response to Upton Sinclair’s book The Jungle which exposed the practices of the Chicago meat packing industry, Congress passed the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act.

b. 1936 Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia appealed to no avail to the League of Nations for help against Italy’s invasion of his country.

c. 1953 that iconic sports car the Chevrolet Corvette first rolled of the assembly line.

d. 1966 the National Organization for Women was founded.

e. 2015 in a chilling reminder of how firefighters risk their lives, 19 firefighters were killed in Yarnell, Arizona fighting a raging wildfire—being burned to death is definitely not a favored exit from this planet.

Reflections on social media: “Just as we teach our children how to ride a bike, we need to teach them how to navigate social media and make the right moves that will help them. The physical world is similar to the virtual world in many cases. It's about being aware. We can prevent many debacles if we're educated.” Amy Jo Martin, noted American author and entrepreneur—wise words
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.

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Wednesday, June 29, 2016

June 29, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Natioanal Camera Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For June 29, 2016. Unfortunately still 205 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term as the financial markets recovered somewhat yesterday but Turkey took it on the chin yesterday with yet three more ISIS suicide bombings at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul killing over 40 and wounding over 230 (terrible loss of life but maybe Turkey will finally get its act together, close its border and bring its armed forces to bear on crushing the ISIS caliphate that is celebrating its two year anniversary today); the Benghazi Committee Report was released which shows a complete failure of Obama and Clinton leadership and indecision while 4 Americans died—Hillary in typical Clinton fashion hypocritically slammed the $7 million spent in taxpayer funds and intoned that it is time to “move on” (to some extent she is right as it is time to move on for we as a people to move on and leave this felon in the trash heap of history on the outside of the White House, never to step her unfit feet through its doors); Trump and Hillary responded to the Istanbul tragedy but only sounds of silence from Obama, Kerry touting the ridiculous idea that ISIS is desperate and Lynch winning the prize more the most ludicrous statement of all delivered before the attack that we should fight ISIS with “love.” www.lyingcrookedhillary.com is a great way to start your day along of course with www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com

As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Billy Ocean, factoids of interest, a relevant quote from John Grisham while looking forward to enjoying almond butterscotch, 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. National Camera Day—celebrating that great device that has brought memories to life and still growing strong in now a digital format.

2. Feasts of St. Paul and St. Peter—honoring the martyrdom of these two Apostles and patron saints of Rome and observed in Rome as a public holiday.

3. 1986 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1986 on a run of one week in that position “There Will Be Sad Songs” by Billy Ocean. Here is a link to Billy Ocean performing “There Will Be Sad Songs.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjpJZbxkAU

4. National Almond Buttercrunch Day—celebrating a tasty candy which in the case of Almond Roca has been around in the U.S. since 1923.

5. The Little Prince Has Legs—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1900 of noted aviator and author of The Little Prince Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who was lost on a reconnaissance flight over France during World War II; his works live on and The Little Prince has been made into a movie scheduled for release in 2016.

On this day in:

a. 1888 George Edward Gouraud recorded Handel’s "Israel in Egypt” on a phonograph cylinder; it is believed to be the oldest musical recording.

b. 1927 The Bird of Paradise, a U.S. Army Air Corps Fokker Tri-Motor completed the first Transpacific slight from the United States to Hawaii.

c. 1956 the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signed into law by President Eisenhower creating our Interstate highway system.

d. 1972 SCOTUS in the case of Furman v. Georgia ruled that arbitrary and inconsistent application of the death penalty violated the 8^th and 14^th Amendments and constituted cruel and unusual punishment.

e. 2014 ISIS declared its caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria; the JV team as Obama foolishly called them is still there and as the attack in Istanbul showed yesterday it is still very lethal, totally mocking Obama’s assertions that it has been contained.

Reflections on the death penalty: “I'm not in favor of the death penalty. But I'm in favor of locking these people away in maximum security units where they can never get out. They can never escape. They can never be paroled. Lock the bad ones away. But you gotta rethink everybody else." John Grisham, noted American author.

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.

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Monday, June 27, 2016

June 27, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not National HIV Testing Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For June 27, 2016. Unfortunately still 207 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term as the financial markets are being slammed in the aftermath of the Brexit vote with the Dow down over 300 points in early trading on Monday (some improvement over Friday’s 600 plus point plunge); Hillary and Warren made a joint campaign appearance today with Hillary praising the firebrand as “a person who tells it like it is,” which coming from someone who throughout her career tells it like it’s not seems very strange and the both of them in matching blue pant suits looking like a duo of smurfs with one Warren energetic and the other Clinton looking old and tired; SCOTUS struck down Texas’ restrictions on access to abortion clinics that did not meet standards of surgicare center standards 5-3; West Virginia is facing more flooding and on the West Coast California is fighting desperately raging out of control wildfires; Reds are still committing political suicide with the latest bickering requiring Cruz and Kasich to support Trump if they are allowed to speak at the convention in Cleveland; more red flags being raised that the Trump fund raising campaign is like a true JV or Freshman team in total shambles. www.lyingcrookedhillary.com is a great way to start your day along of course with www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com

As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Patti LeBelle and Michael McDonald, factoids of interest, a relevant quote from Michael Templet while looking forward to enjoying a drink of orange blossom water (killer and simple recipe below for café blanc), 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 recipicient. You need only contact me for details.

1. National HIV Testing Day—created to by the Association of People with AIDS in 1995 to create awareness of the need to test to determine if one has been infected with the HIV virus—an estimated 1. 2 million Americans have been infected and one in eight is not aware of that infection.

2. National PTSD (Post Trauma Stress Disorder) Day—created in 2010 to create awareness of the problems and issues facing Americans with PTSD, many of whom are combat veterans from the Vietnam War, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the wars on terror but in many cases have had the VA turn its back on them in terms of delay in receiving care.

3. 1986 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1985 on a run of three weeks in that position “On My Own” by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald. Here is a link to Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald performing “On My Own.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsH63qJlIMM

4. National Orange Blossom Day—celebrating a tasty elixir produced as a byproduct of distilling orange blossoms for perfume oil all by itself or in gin fizzes and café blanc. Treat yourself to a café blanc with this easy, simple recipe: http://blog.thenibble.com/2014/06/27/tip-of-the-day-orange-blossom-water/

5. Why We Need Term Limits—bemoaning the birthday on this day in 1940 of Barbara Boxer, a true leftist ideologue who for the last 33 years has been in the House and Senate representing California but finally is retiring. Unfortunately under California primary law the top two finishers are on the ballot which means a real leftist Kamila Harris will be facing Loretta Sanchez—tough to be a Republican in this very Blue state hell bent to tax us and spend us to death and doing an effective job of that.

On this day in:

a. 1556 in a sad day for religious tolerance and understanding that is the bedrock of Christianity, 11 men and 2 women were burned at the stake for not recanting their Protestant beliefs

b. 1844 almost three hundred years later and even with a First Amendment, religious intolerance was still alive and well as Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of the Latter Day Saints and his brother Hyrum were killed by a mob who broke into the jail at Carthage, Illinois where they were being held.

c. 1971 after only three years in business to the dismay of fans of rock and roll, rock promoter Bill Graham closed Filmore East, also known as the “Church of Rock and Roll.”

d. 1985 on a sad day for nostalgia fans, Route 66 was officially removed from the U.S, National Highway System—no more getting one’s kicks on Route 66.

e. 2007 Prime Minister Tony Blair resigned after ten years in office.

Reflections on PTSD: “Always remember, if you have been diagnosed with PTSD, it is not a sign of weakness; rather, it is proof of your strength, because you have survived!” Michael Templet author of “White Rose”

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June 26, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not International Day In Support Of Victims Of Torture

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For June 26, 2016. Unfortunately still 208 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term as the financial markets brace for tomorrow’s opening and potential fallout from the Brexit vote; Hillary proves once again that she has experience in one area fund raising by offering tickets to Hamilton for $10,000 and the ability to be totally nonassessable to the press by not having a press conference for 204 days; Sanders and his failed socialist ideas that have decimated Venezuela may be exiting from the national political scene but news indicates that thousands of his supporters may be running for state and local offices; events in Somalia proving once again that radical Islam, the threat Obama and Hillary refuse to name or strategize on how to defeat, is alive and well by a hotel attack there killing 14 innocents; the Reds continue in disunity mode with the latest defection George Will announcing he is no longer a Red due to Trump (who cares what he thinks http://alaskanpoet.blogspot.com/2016/06/george-will-mr-irrelevant.html); fires still raging in California but at least flooding has ceased in West Virginia after racking up a tragic body count; going to www.lyingcrookedhillary.com is a great way to start your day along of course with www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com

As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Bryan Adams, factoids of interest, a relevant quote from Edgar Allen Poe while looking forward to enjoying a bowl of chocolate pudding (killer 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. International Day Against Drug Abuse And Illicit Trafficking —created to by the UN in 1988 to mobilize measures to combat illegal drug use; sadly at least in the U.S. with its porous border with Mexico, this is another one of those UN observances that has had little if any success.

2. International Day In Support Of Victims Of Torture--another UN observance created in 1997 to raise awareness of torture and to speak out against it in whatever form it is found; as radical Islam continues to grow and ISIS continues to chop off heads, throw people off buildings and burn them alive, another observance that has had little success.

3. 1985 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1985 on a run of two weeks in that position “Heaven” by Bryan Adams. Here is a link to Bryan Adams performing “Heaven.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eT464L1YRA

4. National Chocolate Pudding Day—celebrating a tasty desert that it easy to make; here is a cool recipe for chocolate pudding with a strawberry rose. http://blog.thenibble.com/2014/06/26/recipe-chocolate-pudding-with-strawberry-rose/ Bon appétit!

5. The Good Earth Day—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1892 of Pearl S. Buck who grew up in China with her missionary parents and won the Pulitzer Prize for The Good Earth was very instrumental in creating a favorable impression of China and its people in the United States.

On this day in:

a. 1843 the Treaty of Nanking which ceded Hong Kong to the British went into effect.

b. 1870 to the joy of retailers throughout the country, Christmas was declared a federal holiday in the U.S.

c. 1934 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Federal Credit Union Act which created credit unions.

d. 1945 the UN Charter was signed in San Francisco by 50 of the original 51 members creating the United Nations effective October 24, 1945; this time history did not repeat itself and unlike the League of Nations, the U.S. was a member.

e. 1997 SCOTUS ruled that the Communications Decency Act violated the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Reflections on drug use and abuse from the mind of a raven never more: “I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge. It has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason. It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom.” Edgar Allen Poe.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.

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Saturday, June 25, 2016

June 25, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not World Vitiligo Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For June 25, 2016. Unfortunately still 209 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term as Biden joins the lambasting of the Brexit vote claiming it was racist—just another example of how disconnected our career politicians are with a very angry population; news that really is unbelievable and demonstrates how out of touch D.C. is Carroll B. Correll, a co-chair for Ted Cruz in Virginia has just filed a class action lawsuit claiming Virginia law which requires delegates to vote for the winner on the first ballot; pundits are now weighing in on whether the dominoes of exit from the EU will be soon falling; HRC’s scandals will not go away as her official calendar has not recorded some 75 meetings of lobbyists, corporate executives and others with business before the State Department for the obvious reason of not creating the quid pro quo corruption paper trail; in another case of corruption which is really troubling, Arizona Democratic State Representative Velasquez who voted against legislation that would have made it easier to detect food stamp fraud has just been indicted for food stamp fraud-no wonder we mere mortals think politicians are crooks; going to www.lyingcrookedhillay.com is a great way to start your day along of course with www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com

On the gun control front, breaking news is that 26 of the Blues who participated in the pathetic fund raising publicity sit in stunt on the floor of the House own guns—nice double standard as usual; on a really sad and tragic note, 23 people have lost their lives in the flooding in West Virginia.

As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Duran Duran, factoids of interest, a relevant quote from George Orwell while looking forward to enjoying some grilled catfish (killer 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. World Vitiligo Day—created to create awareness for a skin disease that creates depigmentation in some 100 million people around the globe and observed on this day which is the day in 2009 that perhaps the most famous person suffering from the disease, Michael Jackson, died.

2. Leon (Noel Spelled Backward) Day—another whimsical observance that demonstrates one must never underestimate the ability of retailers to devise new ways to separate shoppers from their money; today is the halfway point to Christmas Eve, meaning it is time to start shopping for those on your Christmas gift list.

3. 1984 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1984 on a run of two weeks in that position “The Reflex” by Duran Duran. Here is a link to Duran Duran performing “The Reflex.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDnNF5cHCdo

4. National Catfish Day—celebrating a tasty sustainable fish millions of pounds of which are raised in fish farms; here is a recipe from the chef of the famous Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York City: http://blog.thenibble.com/2012/06/25/food-holiday-national-catfish-day-grilled-catfish-recipe/Bon appétit!

5. All Animals Are Not Equal—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1903 of Eric Arthur Blair better know to us as George Orwell, noted English author of such classics as 1984 and Animal Farm who died way too early from tuberculosis at the age of 47.

On this day in:

a. 1876 George Armstrong Custer and his 7^th Cavalry were defeated by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

b. 1910 Congress passed the Mann Act which prohibited the transportation of females across state lines for “immoral purposes.”

c. 1948 in response to a blockade of all land and water routes into and out of Berlin by the Soviet Union, the U.S. authorized the launch of Operation Vittles, the Berlin Airlift, to bring in supplies to the people of Berlin. The operation was successful and on May 12, 1949 the Soviets came to their senses and lifted the blockade.

d. 1950 the Korean War began with the invasion of South Korea by North Korea.

e. 1998 SCOTUS ruled in Clinton v. The City of New York that the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 was unconstitutional thereby gutting the ability of the President to control spending on a line item basis. .

Reflections on a revolution that Hillary Clinton has absolutely refused to join:“In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” George Orwell Watching the Clintons weave and deceive, very astute and appropriate comments by George Orwell on his birthday.
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.

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Friday, June 24, 2016

June 24, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not World UFO Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For June 24, 2016. Unfortunately still 210 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term as Blue members ended their fund raising sit-in stunt on the floor of the House and got out of Dodge; unlike Pelosi whose tyranny in 2008 over Red House members was evidenced by her turning off the lights, Ryan showed class and a sense of frustration; Great Britain’s voters, still upset with our president lecturing them on how to vote and probably as disappointed with their ruling elite like we are here, voted to leave the EU throwing world markets into turmoil, hopefully only on a short term basis; the HRC dishonesty and deception beat just never ends with this woman as news of over 75 meetings with advisers, corporate officers, Clinton Foundation donors, and lobbyists while as Secretary of State that were never recorded in her official calendar raising the obvious question what was she hiding; and last but not least Trump unveiled a new website www.lyingcrookedHillary.com Brace yourself for a really nasty campaign.

On the gun control front, Top Gun co-star Kelly McGinnis after being subject to a home invasion and assault is applying for a concealed gun permit; in a monkey see monkey do moment numerous cities are looking at imitating Philadelphia’s soda tax; Marilyn Mosby is now 0-3 in her politically motivated prosecution of the six Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray and New Haven in the shadow of Yale University is experiencing a wave of overdoses of contaminated heroin.

As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Irene Cara that will make you want to go disco dancing, factoids of interest, a relevant quote from Stephen Hawking while looking forward to enjoying some pralines, 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. World UFO Day—highly appropriate time to be looking up in the sky for UFO as Earth prepares to battle alien forces once again in Independence Day: Resurgence.

2. Swim A Lap Day—another whimsical observance best celebrated at the end of a hot day by swimming a lap or two in the family pool to cool off and shed the stress of work.

3. 1983 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1983 on a run of six weeks in that position “Flashdance What A Feeling” by Irene Cara. Here is a link to Irene Cara performing “Flashdance What A Feeling.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX-CyHrKq64

4. National Pecan Sandy Day—celebrating a tasty French confection named after the French soldier and diplomat César, duc de Choiseul, comte du Plessis-Praslin (his military title was marshal), who lived in the town of Montargis from 1598 to 1675. According to the story, the duc’s cook, Clément Lassagne, invented pralines in 1636 by dropping almonds into a cauldron of boiling sugar. In the U.S. pecans are often substituted for almonds or hazelnuts. Bon appétit!

5. Don’t Forget To Duck—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1885 of heavy weight champion Jack Dempsey, the Manassas Mauler, best known for his line to his wife after Gene Tunney took the title away from him and that Reagan used after being shot, “Honey, I forgot to duck.” and the long count rematch against Tunney which he lost.

On this day in:

a. 1880 the first performance of “O Canada” which would become Canada’s national anthem occurred at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français.

b. 1916 Mary Pickford became the first female star to sign a million dollar contract (worth almost 23,000,000 in today’s dollars).

c. 1947 pilot Kenneth Arnold made the first widely reported sighting of a UFO near Mt. Rainier.

d. 1957 SCOTUS ruled in Roth v. U.S. that obscenity was not protected by the First Amendment.

e. 2004 capital punishment in New York was declared unconstitutional by the state’s Supreme Court.

Reflections on UFOs: “ If aliens visit us the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America which did not turn out well for Native Americans.” Stephen Hawkins noted English cosmetologist and physicistPlease 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.

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Thursday, June 23, 2016

June 23, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not International Widows' Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For June 23, 2016. Unfortunately still 211 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term as shades of the protests over the Vietnam War, Blue members of the House have been staging a sit-in on the floor of the House to protest the lack of progress on gun control and a publicity stunt to pivot from the cause of the Orlando shooting—radical Islam; disturbing report released on the growth of home grown radical Islamists in the U.S.; rumors abound that HRC is vetting Warren to be her running mate which is hard to believe given her dynamic personality as contrasted to HRC’s unlikeable and low energy mode; ICE is in hot water for not deporting a released murderer who then killed another innocent female victim in her apartment in Connecticut; Trump blasted HRC and quid pro quo corruption around the Clinton Foundation and Bill’s millions of dollars in speaking fees from companies and foreign governments with business before Hillary’s Secretary of State; in what has to be a classic example of the feds gone completely amuck, an ICE supervisor who had the idiocy to bar federal agents from questioning the idiot who supplied the guns to the Islamist couple who killed in cold blood 14 people in San Bernardino is going to be award a medal for valor—she should have been fired.

On the Zika front more athletes are passing up the Rio Summer Olympics due to health concerns; in an era where the U.S. education system is lagging in math and science to compete in a highly technology driven world, the idiots at Wayne State University have dropped its math requirement to be replaced by a class in diversity; Britain is voting today on whether it will remain in the EU and on the shake and bake front new news of more movement on the San Andreas Fault in California to the extent that scientists are warning that the San Andreas Fault is “locked and loaded” for a major earthquake.

As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to a unique duo, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, factoids of interest, a relevant quote from Wilma Rudolph while looking forward to enjoying some pecan sandies, 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. International Widows' Day—another UN observance first celebrated in 2005 to create awareness of the plight and suffering of widows and their dependents when a spouse has died.

2. UN Public Service Day—another UN observance created by the General Assembly in 2003 to recognize the contributions of those in public service although one might argue at least in the U.S. with the growth of public service unions and the contributions made to politicians that it the private sector and its taxpayers that are serving the public servants as opposed to the other way around.

3. 1982 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1982 on a run of seven weeks in that position “Ebony and Ivory” by legendary duo Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. Here is a link to Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder performing “Ebony and Ivory.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZtiJN6yiik Great video images on why music knows no racial boundaries.

4. National Pecan Sandy Day—celebrating a tasty French shortbread cookie emanating from the Normandy region of France in which pecan bits (the sand) are kneaded into the dough. Here is an easy recipe to enjoy this tasty treat from France

http://blog.thenibble.com/2014/09/21/recipe-pecan-sandies/ Bon appétit!

5. Even A Gazelle Cannot Outrun The Big C—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1940 of La Gazella Nera (the Black Gazelle) Wilma Rudolph who overcame polio to become the first woman in track and field history to win three gold medals at the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics but became a smoker after her athletic career ended and could not outrun throat cancer and a cancerous brain tumor to die way too young in 1994.

On this day in:

a. 1860 in a harbinger of the deluge of government regulations to in the future plague this nation the Congress established the U.S. Government Printing Office.

b. 1868 Christopher Latham Sholes received a patent for the typewriter with its inefficient QWERTY keyboard design which has doomed us to slower typing speeds but given the time in practice, impractical to try to change.

c. 1894 the International Olympic Committee was founded at the Sorbonne as a result of the initiative of Baron Pierre de Coubertin who must be rolling in his grave over the spreading concerns of the adverse effects of the Zika virus on the Rio Summer Olympics.

d. 1942 in what has to be one of the classic examples of poor navigation, Germany’s latest fighter, the Focke Wulf Fw 190 was captured intact when it mistakenly landed at a RAF Base in Pembrey, Wales.

e. 1972 President Richard Nixon and his adviser H.R. Haldeman were taped discussing plans to have the Central Intelligence Agency obstruct the ongoing investigation by the FBI of the Watergate Scandal. Too bad we do not have tapes of Hillary discussing why she set up her private server with her technical adviser Pagliano—would make for interesting theater and bring us closer to indicting this potential felon.

Reflections on what is needed to become a true and lasting champion: Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.” Wilma Rudolph Great inspirational words to live by.
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Wednesday, June 22, 2016

June 22, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Anti Fascist Day Croatia

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For June 22, 2016. Unfortunately still 212 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term as he appears more petulant every day as his complete lack of any strategy against radical Islam and his delusional failure to identify it as a major problem to our way of life continues to pile up bodies; the DOJ caved after facing a wave of criticism when it released Omar’s 911 transcripts but deleted any reference to his allegiance to ISIS and radical Islam—watch for the pivot that this had nothing to do with radical ISLAM but Omar’s hatred of gays due to a jilted gay lover; HRC alleged that Trump will bankrupt us like one of his casinos (with almost 20 trillion in national debt due to Obama, one might argue we are there already); Republicans are still not united behind Trump who met with evangelical leaders yesterday and will be giving a speech blasting HRC’s record and ties with Wall Street; HRC is dominating the ad wars as more and more Reds are becoming concerned that Trump’s fund raising efforts are stalled.

On the nonpolitical front Governor Kasich and the mayor of Cleveland have declared today to be an official holiday in Cleveland as a result of the Cavaliers NBA Championship win; heat wave in the triple digits is devastating the Southwest and West with raging wildfires in California, Arizona and New Mexico Stay hydrated and in the shade today; Britain nears a historic vote on whether to exit from the EU.

On a light note, as always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Kim Carnes factoids of interest, a relevant song by Randy Newman, while looking forward to enjoying some onion rings, 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. Anti Fascist Day Croatia—celebrating on a day with zero holidays of note, the formation of partisans in Croatia to fight German and Italian occupiers.

2. Day of Rembrance of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War (Belarus)—commemorating the heroic six day last stand by the Red Army at the fortress of Brest-Livosk; the Germans after occupying the city liquidated all but 7 of its 20,000 Jewish residents.

3. 1981 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1981 on a long nine weeks in that position “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes. Here is a link to Kim Carnes performing “Bette Davis Eyes.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPOIS5taqA8.

4. National Onion Rings Day—celebrating the classic complement to a delicious hamburger.

5. Drugs and Laughter Don’t Mix Well—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1954 of comedian and actor Freddie Prinze best known for his TV series “Chico and the Man” who sadly started using cocaine at the age of 16 and struggled with drugs and depression before committing suicide after signing a one million dollar deal to appear in Las Vegas put a gun to his head and shot himself dead at the age of 22.

On this day in:

a. 1633 on a sad day for science the Holy Office in Rome forced Galileo Galilei to recant his view that the Sun not the Earth was the center of the universe.

b. 1870 Congress created the Department of Justice, which under Holder’s reign became highly politicized and might best be said to be the Department of Injustice and will face a major challenge if the FBI recommends that HRC be indicted.

c. 1941 in one of history’s biggest blunders while still engaged in a war with Great Britain and lacking strategic bombers to strike deep into the heart of Russia, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union—only to stall at the gates of Moscow and face three years later on this date the Soviet’s destruction of Germany’s Army Group Center in “Operation Bagration.

d. 1969 in Cleveland, Ohio, the highly polluted Cuyahoga River caught fire to the dismay of the city fathers; fortunately the fire was instrumental in having the Clean Water Act passed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izc9t_Hhc88 This was not the first time the river had caught fire and Time Magazine’s front page cover of the fire displayed a fire that had occurred in 1952.

e. 1990 Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin was dismantled as it was no longer needed with the reunification of West and East Germany.

Reflections on the Cuyahoga River Fire by Randy Newman in his hit song “Burn On.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtW8RkI3-c4

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