December 29, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Tick Tock Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For December 29, 2016 Talk about a one two punch—first Carrie Fisher at 60 from a heart attack and then her mother Debbie Reynolds at 84 from a stroke most likely caused by the grief of having her daughter die; Alec Baldwin whom the silent and forgotten men and women who elected Trump is rightfully being slammed by the left and the right for his pathetic tweet that death comes in threes—Fisher, Michael and integrity of the Oval Office (long since dead under Obama); 23 days left in this lame duck’s term and unfortunately he shows no signs of writer’s cramp as he sets designates 1,650,000 acres of land in Utah and Nevada as National Monuments and should announce shortly sanctions against Russia for hacking during the election (anything to foster the impression that Hillary and Obama’s policies didn’t lose but had the election stolen due to Russian hacking); the new sheriff in the Middle East Russia announced with Turkey that there will be a cease fire in the Syrian Civil War (another byproduct of Obama’s failed foreign policy-- http://alaskanpoet.blogspot.com/2016/12/us-and-syria-excluded-by-russia-iran.html); top Democrats other than Ms. Irrelevant Nancy Pelosi are slamming Kerry’s speech yesterday  which like Obama shows he is blinded by delusional cataracts even worse than Obama (one can hardly wait to see what evidence the Israelis have of the Obama’s collusion in moving the UN Resolution forward (hopefully Trump and the Congress will want to spend $3-4 billion more on infrastructure and a like amount less on supporting the UN; the winter weather in Chicago must be affecting the gangs’ aim as on Wednesday 12 people were shot but only one killed (where is the mayor, where is the governor and where is the National Guard to stop this mostly black on black carnage?).

          As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances of which there is only one and its replacement is a great word to know and use as most people that you insult with it will not have a clue what it means, a music link to Jim Croce, factoids of interest for this day in history, a relevant observation from Edward Hoagland, looking forward to enjoying a bowl of pepper pot soup, 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. Tick Tock Day—time to look back on what one did or did not accomplish before the wave of New Year’s Resolutions blur what was done (zero holidays and observances of note).

          2. Word of the Day--Barmacide—since Barack Obama’s first name starts with “B” it is only proper the word of the day filling in for a complete lack of holidays and observances should be “barmacide” which describes our president perfectly—a person who offers benefits that are disappointing or illusory, from the Islamic Arabic Prince Barmaki who provided a feast to a beggar to be served on ornate serving dishes that contained no food. Great image when you thing about “hope and change”, “nothing but shovel ready jobs” or “if you like your plan you can keep it” to name but a few examples.

          3. Number One Song in 1973—celebrating the number 1 song in 1973 on a run of 2 weeks in that position “Time In A Bottle” by Jim Croce. Here is a link to Jim Croce performing the song:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO1rMeYnOmM

          4. National Pepper Pot Day—celebrating a hearty beef or tripe soup with potatoes and selected vegetables and ground pepper, George Washington’s and FDR’s most frequently requested soup.

          5. Hogs, Hogs, And More Hogs—celebrating the birth on this day in 1880 of William S. Harley co-founder of the Harley Davidson Motorcycle Company, still going strong since its formation in 1903.

            On this day in:

1. 1845 the Republic of Texas independent since 1836 was annexed by the United States and became the 28^th state (wonder if the Texans ever believed Washington, D.C. would become the swamp it is today with its tentacles reaching into the states whether they would have consented).

2. 1860 the HMS Warrior with its screw propeller, iron armor and iron hull was launched and very quickly rendered all other warships obsolete.

3. 1934 in a chilling omen that war was bound to be on the horizon at least in the Pacific Japan, renounced the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 and the London Naval Treaty of 1930 limiting the size and numbers of warships the signatories to such treaties could build.   

4. 1997 in a bad day for chickens, Hong Kong began to kill all of the nation’s 1.25 million chickens in an attempt to stop the spread the Bird Flu.

5. 2013 in what had to be a chilling reminder to Russia that it is more at risk to the danger of radical Islam than Europe or the United States in the city of Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) due to its large and growing Muslim population and Muslim majority former Soviet Republics that border Russia to its south and east, a suicide bomber detonated his bomb at the Volgograd Train Station, killing 18 people and wounding 44.  

Reflections on the residents of our 28^th state: “Many people have believed that they were Chosen, but none more baldly than the Texans.” Edward Hoagland, noted American writer best known for his writings on nature and travel and still kicking at age 84.  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.

© December 29, 2016, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift All to Receive a Lasting Lift

December 28, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not National Pledge Of Allegiance Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For December 28, 2016 After seeing the mini riots in 9 different malls across the nation, online retailers must be licking their chops as who in their right mind would want to go to a mall and be greeting by a bunch of rioting teenage thugs; after the carnage over the long Christmas weekend, the gangs must have depleted there ammunition as in Chicago only one person on Tuesday was shot to death and only four others wounded (where is the mayor, where is the governor, and where is the Illinois National Guard?); the Rip Van Winkle of diplomacy with three weeks before he is kicked out of Foggy Bottom is going to deliver his vision of what is needed for peace in the Middle East (what took Kerry so long to wake up—a threat that Israel has solid evidence that the U.S. colluded with  members of the Security Council to prepare and present the resolution condemning the settlements as illegal?); President Obama is still in denial as he continues to insist he has the right vision for the country that voters would have accepted (his vision whatever in might be for eight years was devoid of action and clearly today is clouded by major delusional cataracts); Congress up in arms over Obama’s last minute stab in the back move against Israel appears to be planning to cut funding to the UN and possibly expel Palestinian diplomats from U.S. (President Obama for better or worse is the only president we have until noon on January 20, 2017 but his foreign policy move is unprecedented and will hand over to President Trump another major set of problems in that chaotic region); finally some good news on the battle to recover Mosul—the last bridge controlled and used by ISIS into the city has been destroyed; Echo may be the best thing since sliced bread but all sounds are recorded and with a warrant may convict someone charged with murder in a house with Echo (another example of further erosion of privacy); DHS is joining the social media age and will now be asking certain foreigners entering this country for their social media information; the celebrities in Hollywood may be bashing Trump but the forgotten Americans, the American consumers, after his election have pushed consumer confidence to a 15 year all time high.

          As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Billy Paul, factoids of interest for this day in history, a relevant observation from Jay Innis, looking forward to enjoying a  few chocolate candies, 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. Pledge of Allegiance Day—commemorating the recognition of the Pledge of Allegiance written in 1892 by Congress on this day in 1892 (given the antics of spoiled athletes like Kaepernick with respect to the National Anthem wonder when the left will mount a full scale assault to have in banned from schools due to “one nation under God) and the reference to “liberty and justice for all” which the BLM fringe believe is a lie).

          2. National Card Playing Day—celebrating the myriad of card playing games from solitaire to bridge that bring great enjoyment in an era of computer video games and in the case of cribbage are excellent to teach set theory and counting skills to children; have no idea why December 28 has been chosen as March 23 would be more appropriate as on that day in 1631 Puritans in Massachusetts banned playing cards on penalty of punishment.

          3. Number One Song in 1972—celebrating the number 1 song in 1972 on a run of 3 weeks in that position “Me And Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul. Here is a link to Billy Paul performing the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45jjVZVQwLI  Billy Paul joined the list of entertainers who left us in 2016 by dying of pancreatic cancer on April 24 at the age of 81.

          4. National Chocolate Candy Day—after enduring a slice of fruit cake if you are a chocoholic today is your day to upgrade to your favorite chocolate candy.

          5. Music Is Color Blind—celebrating the birth on this day in 1921 of Johnny Otis, often called the “Father of Rhythm and Blues” who was born to Greek immigrants but grew up in a black neighborhood and chose to live as a black musician and DJ.

            On this day in:

1. 1065 Westminster Abbey in London although not yet completed until 1090 was consecrated and King Edward the Confessor who died on January 5, 1066 and was buried in the Abbey a week thereafter.

2. 1832 with less than three months remaining in his term as vice president, John C. Calhoun resigned to replace another Senator who had resigned to become governor of South Carolina and become a Senator to better represent the state in the Nullification Crisis. He was the first vice president to resign and we would have to wait until Spiro Agnew resigned as part of a plea bargain to escape prosecution for bribery and tax evasion, proving that no party Red or Blue has a monopoly on corruption.

3. 1918 in a feat that Hillary did not get a chance to emulate, Constance Markievicz, while detained in Holloway Prison, become the first woman to be elected as a MP to the British House of Commons, but in line Sinn Fein’s policy she did not seat herself.   

4. 1973 to the consternation of builders everywhere the Endangered Species Act was passed which unfortunately did not include moderate Blues who really are an endangered species.

5. 2010 as part of the Arab Spring, popular protest began against the government of Algeria.  

Reflections on the Endangered Species Act: “What is a fish without a river? What is a bird without a tree to nest in? What is an Endangered Species Act without any enforcement mechanism to ensure their habitat is protected? It is nothing. Jay Inslee, Democratic governor of the State of Washington, agreed but you have to have balance and under Obama’s EPA particularly in the West and especially Alaska, the EPA has become a lawless rogue agency that with Trump will be reformed. 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.

© December 28, 2016, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift All to Receive a Lasting Lift

December 27, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Boxing Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For December 27, 2016 May your credit cards still have availability after you have gorged on after Day after Christmas Sales bargains; the carnage in Chicago continues and all we hear from the major are the sounds of silence and from the police the need for more gun control in a city that has the strictest gun control laws in the nation (Chicago needs a surge of National Guardsmen or a declaration of national emergency so the Military Police can be called in to supplement the Chicago PD who must be demoralized beyond belief; after reports that she was in stable condition, Carrie Fisher has died; the final numbers are in on Obama’s effect on the Democratic Party during his two terms in office—1042 Senators, House Representatives, state legislative seats, governors, and the big prize the presidency; in yet another example of the complete failure of socialism, Venezuelan women since contraceptives have all but disappeared from the shelves are resorting to sterilization in record and increasing numbers (who in their right mind would want to bring a child into the world in such an economically dysfunction country, oil reserves not withstanding?); Japanese Prime Minister Abe will be visiting Pearl Harbor but will not deliver an apology for the attack on December 7, 1941.

          As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, music links to Marlene Dietrich (both in German and English), factoids of interest for this day in history, relevant observations from Marlene Dietrich, looking forward to enjoying or enduring a few slices of fruit cake, 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. Boxing Day—if a servant or tradesman this is your favorite holiday to receive the Christmas box from your employer which normally falls on the 26^th unless Christmas falls on a Sunday to postpone the gift receiving celebration to the 27^th.

          2. National Visit A Zoo Day—since most students are on Christmas Break, today would be a great day to bundle up the family and take them to a zoo and relive a tradition that dates back to 1500 B.C. when the first zoo was established in Egypt.

          3. Number One Song in 1971—celebrating the number 1 song in 1971 on a run of 3 weeks in that position “Brand New Key” by Melanie. Here is a link to Melanie performing the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5LzOlNZPCc  A bouncy song that should make you want to dance.

          4. National Fruit Cake Day—now that Christmas is over and you are wondering what to do with the fruit cakes you received as gifts, could be a day to donate them to the local food bank or bite the bullet and have a few slices and drop a note or video to the person who sent it to you thanking them profusely, even if you do not like fruit cakes.

          5. Lili Marlene Enjoyed by All—celebrating the birth on this day in 1901 of Marlene Dietrich, iconic German born actress and singer whose career spawned over 50 years who had the sense to leave Germany in the late 30’s as she detested Hitler and entered American troops during World War II, often singing the song that American, British and German troops thoroughly enjoyed—“Lili Marlene”. Here is a recording of Marlene Dietrich singing the song in both German and English (I think the German is far more tear jerking): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q56QzGcAKZc in German https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR-nGIJAaw4 in English. In addition to being a great actress and singer, she had great longevity genes; despite smoking and being dependent on alcohol and pain killers in later life, she passed away on May 6, 1992.

            On this day in:

1. 1703 to the joy of wine connoisseurs and woolen manufacturers in England the Methuen Treaty aka the “Port Wine Treaty,” Portuguese wine primarily port could be imported into England at a tariff of one third that levied on French wines and English woolen cloth would be admitted to Portugal free of tariff.

2. 1845 Irish journalist John L. O’Sullivan displaying his bias against the English wrote in the New York Evening News that the U.S. had the right to take over the entire Oregon Country by virtue of its “manifest destiny.” Fortunately saner heads prevailed and Britain and the U.S. in 70 years and the Oregon Treaty was signed creating the border between Washington, Idaho and Montana as it exists today.

3. 1929 Joseph Stalin cemented his path to becoming the dictator who is responsible for more deaths than any human being in history by ordering the elimination of the “kulaks as a class”.

4. 1945 the International Monetary Fund was established.

5. 2001 in a let the trade deficits with China soar off the charts, China was granted permanent normal trade relation status with the United States while the U.S. received nothing but currency manipulation and closing of Chinese markets to American goods made here in the U.S.  

As the countdown to 800 homicides in Chicago continues committed mostly by black gang members against other black gang members or innocents in the wrong place and the wrong time, reflections from the birthday girl on a major root of the problem—the absence of fathers: “A king, realizing his incompetence, can either delegate or abdicate his duties. A father can do neither. If only sons could see the paradox, they would understand the dilemma.” Marlene Dietrich 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.

© December 27, 2016, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift All to Receive a Lasting Lift

December 26, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not First Day of Kwanza

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For December 26, 2016 May your credit cards still have availability for the Day after Christmas bargains; the carnage in Aleppo is finally over with Syrian and Russian forces occupying a totally devastated city (hard to believe the barbarity of Assad and the fecklessness of this administration; Israel summoned its UN Ambassador home for consultations as a result of the Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements (if Trump wants to start saving money, a reduction in the $8 billion we contribute to the UN would be a great place to start); Obama is on feeding frenzy hobbling our ability to become energy independent moving full speed ahead with pardons, commutations and releases of Gitmo detainees and is being urged by some Blues to recognize a Palestinian State before leaving office; another music legend George Michael passed away in his sleep at the age of 53; cause of death no announced; Kim Jong Un revealed his wackiness today in demanding that all North Koreans celebrate the birth on December 24, 1919 of his grandmother (if there ever is someone who deserves to die from diabetes Kim Jong Un is the perfect candidate); in what has to be one of the unbelievable news items of the day, Solano County is prosecuting a man for a DUI with zero alcohol in his system only a trace a amount of caffeine (wonder is the lights are burning late in Starbucks over this); Carrie Fisher is reported to now be in stable condition after a heart attack on a flight to L.A.

          As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances,  a music link to George Harrison, factoids of interest for this day in history, relevant observations from Mao Tse Tung, looking forward to enjoying a few candy canes from your Christmas tree, 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. First Day of Kwanza—a weeklong celebration to enable African-Americans to reconnect with their cultural heritage that was started in 1966 by Maulana Karenga.

          2. National Thank You Note Day—since a thank you note is always appreciated by the people who have given you Christmas presents today would be the perfect day to send out thank you notes even if you intend to take the gift back.

          3. Number One Song in 1970—celebrating the number 1 song in 1970 on a run of 4 weeks in that position “My Sweet Lord’ by George Harrison. Here is a link to George Harrison performing the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kNGnIKUdMI Note the cigarette that ultimately killed him in one of the photos of him as a very young man.

          4. National Candy Cane Day—now that Christmas is over a time to celebrated the removal of any edible candy canes so they can be enjoyed now as opposed to when the tree is taken out in several days such that they are not as edible as they should be.

          5. Easier to Overthrow the Government Than to Rule—celebrating the birth on this day in 1893 of Mao Tse Tung who ousted Chiang Kai-Scheck but almost destroyed China with the Great Leap Forward which resulted in mass deaths from famine in the millions and the Cultural Revolution which decimated China of its intellectual human capital.

            On this day in:

1. 1776 in a daring move George Washington’s Continental Army with morale sinking due to earlier defeats crossed the Delaware River and attacked a force of Hessians at Trenton, New Jersey, soundly defeating them with almost no casualties to the Americans.

2. 1861 the U.S. released two Confederate envoys to England that it had illegally removed from a British ship on November 8, 1961 after England indicated it would declare war if they were not released (what a disaster that would have been if England had allied itself with the Confederacy to break the naval blockade.

3. 1898 Marie and Pierre Curie announced the isolation of radium.

4. 1919 the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New Yankees and the “Curse of the Bambino” was born marking a drought of 86 years from the last World Series won by Boston in 1918 of 86 years.

5. 1963 the Beatles released in the United States “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “I Saw Her Standing There" marking the beginning of Beatlemania on an international level.  

Reflections from the birthday boy on war, guns and politics: “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. War can only be abolished through war, and in order to get rid of the gun it is necessary to take up the gun. Politics is war without bloodshed, while war is politics with bloodshed.” Mao Tse Tung. Sadly he is right on the second and third observation but in the case of the first in the U.S. save for the exception of Donald Trump, power grows out the funds of the SuperPacs and in Trump’s case also out of the power of social media. 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.

© December 26, 2016, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift All to Receive a Lasting Lift

December 24, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Christmas Eve

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For December 24, 2016  It is Christmas Eve and this poet’s greatest and most earnest wish is that the spirit of peace finds its way into the hearts of all men and women and especially into the hearts of our elected Reds and Blues and having so wished will not comment on any of the news save a wish that all of humanity on this time of year enjoy and transmit the gift of peace---we are all on this tiny spec of blue together and our journey through the darkness will be far easier if we travel with  a sense of peace on earth and good will toward all men.     

     As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances,  a music link to the Supremes, factoids of interest for this day in history, a relevant poem from Francis Niven and a link to one of my poems, looking forward to enjoying a cup of egg nog to go with your feast of seven fishes, 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. Christmas Eve—finally a time to stow the credit cards and reflect on why we celebrate the birth of Christ on this day and the message of peace that today is so hard to deliver or receive.

2. National Egg Nog Day—celebrating our survival of the commercialism of the Christmas season with a relaxing drink with or without alcohol around a fire with friends and family knowing that children will be fighting the sandmen to try to catch glimpses of Santa.  

3. 1969 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1969 on a surprisingly brief run of 1 week in that position “Some Day We’ll Be Together” by the Supremes.  Here is a recording of the Supremes performing the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixEOMB6jyEE

4. National Feast of the Seven Fishes Day—celebrating a tradition of Christmas Eve that harkens back to medieval Italy and sounds and tastes like a great idea especially if you are going to celebrate Christmas with a ham or prime rib and want to jump start your lowering cholesterol defenses.

5. Join Fashion Parade in Spades—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1962 of handbag designer Kate Spade who after selling her line to Neiman Marcus has formed a new fashion line Frances Valentine. 

On this day in:                                                                                   

a. 1814 Britain and the United States sign the Treat of Ghent ending the War of 1812 but unfortunately for the British who were slaughtered when they attacked New Orleans not knowing that it had been signed.

b. 1865 in a really dark day in our history of race relations the Klu Klux Klan was formed; fortunately today there are only a few fanatics who still belong to the thoroughly despised and discredited organization.

c. 1914 in one of the few moments of humanity in the colossal slaughter of World War I, German, British and Frence soldiers left their trenches to observe a Christmas Truce and for a few hours end the slaughter on both sides. http://alaskanpoet.blogspot.com/2016/12/christmas-truce.html

d. 1969 Phillips Petroleum discovered oil reserves in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea.

e. 1973 residents of Washington D.C. were granted the right to elect their own municipal governing officials.   

Reflections by a minor poet on the Christmas Truce of 1914 which should guide us all:

 O ye who read this truthful rime

From Flanders, kneel and say:
God speed the time when every day
Shall be as Christmas Day. Francis Niven  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.

© December 24, 2016, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift All to Receive a Lasting Lift

December 23, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Festivus

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For December 23, 2016 In a chilling reminder on how porous Europe has become and what kind of problems the U.S. may face due to Obama’s reckless refugee policy, Anis Amri, the jihadist who killed 12 people at a Christmas market in Berlin, after traveling through Germany, France and Italy was shot and killed by Italian police in Milan; the A-list performers are snubbing President-elect Trump’s Inauguration (time for the 62 million deplorables to boycott such pampered leftists like Elton John, Celine Dion and others who have refused to perform for political reasons); the new sheriff in town Donald Trump is slamming Lockheed for the outrageously bloated F-35 program and asking Boeing to bid a replacement at lower cost (in addition to swamp draining in Washington, Trump is bringing the pumps to the defense industry); the Sun Bowl has lost a reason to watch it as Christian McAffrey announced he will not be playing in it in order to concentrate on the upcoming football draft (bummer if you are football fan); Joe Biden ripped his own party for its growing elitism (are you listening Pelosi and Schumer?) and ignoring the working class and even that swamp creature in chief Harry Reid charged that the DNC was “useless” (will be interesting to see if Nation of Islam supporter Rep. Ellison will be elected by his fellow Blues to head the DNC); when all else fails in the war against radical Islam, bring in the lawyers for the families of those killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting who have sued Google, Twitter and other social media site for providing aid to ISIS; on a final note and a glaring example of what is wrong with this nation’s higher education system, George Washington University has just eliminated for its history majors a requirement to take any courses in U.S. History (how can you defend a country if you are clueless as to how it arrived at where it is today)?

          As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances,  a music link to Marvin Gaye, factoids of interest for this day in history, a relevant quote from Corey Haim, looking forward to enjoying a few pfefferrnuesses (killer recipe below), blessed with a positive attitude and the ability to absquatulate from a difficult or embarrassing situation  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. HumanLight Day—created by Humanist Society of New Jersey in 2001 to celebrate secular Humanism for those agnostics and atheists that feel left out during Christmas and Hanukah.

2. Festivus—celebrating an alternative to the commercialism of Christmas and popularized by an episode on Seinfeld.

3. 1968 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1968 on a run of 7 weeks in that position “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye.  Here is a recording of Marvin Gaye performing the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FODXN6LnzA

4. National Pfefferrnuesse Day—celebrating the hard spicy cookies which despite meaning pepper nuts have no nuts in them. Here is a recipe to make these delicious cookies: https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/pfeffernuesse/aae0157a-ec97-4a22-a786-99a7c83ee912

5. Prescription for Disaster—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1971 of Corey Haim, noted teen actor who was best known for his role in The Lost Boys but who struggled with prescription pill addiction and managed to circumvent the system using multiple pharmacies and doctors to abuse his prescriptions and died too early on March 10, 2010.  

On this day in:                                                                                   

a. 1572 showing that Christianity has not been free from religious intolerance in Heidelberg, theologian Johann Sylvan was executed for heresy for his antitrinitarian beliefs.

b. 1913 President Woodrow Wilson signed into law the Federal Reserve Act creating the Federal Reserve System that Ms. Yellen heads up today.

c. 1947 the transistor was first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories and the Electronic Age was soon upon us.

d. 1954 the first successful kidney transplant was performed by J. Hartwell Harrison and Joseph Murray.

e. 1979 in what would prove to be the Soviet Union’s almost ten year Vietnam like nightmare costing them 14,453 killed and almost 54,000 wounded Soviet troops occupied Kabul.   

Reflections on abuse of prescription drugs from one who knows about it first hand: “But one led to two, two led to four, four led to eight, until at the end it was about 85 a day - the doctors could not believe I was taking that much. And that was just the valium - I'm not talking about the other pills I went through.” Corey Haim No wonder he died. early.  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.

© December 23, 2016, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift All to Receive a Lasting Lift

December 21, 2016 Ridley's Beleive It Or Not Winter Solstice

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For December 21, 2016 We have in Berlin witnessed the Obama legacy that is just waiting to become our Ghost of Future Terrorist Future as we now must wonder how many of the refugees without any input from the people or their elected federal and state officials have been or are in the process of being radicalized just waiting for the chance to “mow the infidels down like weeds.” One of the endangered species of Blues, a moderate, who had the courage to confront the HRC dominated DNC and run for president, Jim Webb, mocked Bill Clinton rightfully so for his claim that he won in a landslide with 43% of the popular vote (we would have been spared the embarrassment of the Clintons and their web of scandals if only Ross Perot had not run and sucked millions of votes from Bush); unlike Christ who brought a message of love, faith, and hope but warned He would be like the thief of the night, Obama who continues to bring a message of divisiveness and now legacy losing bitterness a message of intimidation of the DOE and firing any scientist who questions his view of climate change and implements his warning that he will be like the executive order Devil at midnight of his term by banning drilling in the Arctic and off the coast of the Atlantic; the members of the pro Hillary group on Facebook Pantsuit Nation are livid that, taking cue from Hillary who made millions on her books in terms of advances and raked in millions in speaking fees for her husband and millions in donations to the Clinton Foundation, the founder of Pantsuit Nation, Linda Chamberlain, announced she will be publishing a book consisting of the postings of members of the group made during the campaign.

Here is Anis Amri, the face of the Ghost of Christmas Terrorist Present and although I do not have the photo of the Ghost of Christmas Terrorist Future I do know that if President-elect Trump had not been elected, the truck he or she would be driving would not have been loaded with steel but would most likely have been loaded with radioactive waste, chemical weapons, or thousands of pounds of explosives:

                                                              

                    

          As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances,  music links to the Monkees and the Beach Boys, factoids of interest for this day in history, a relevant quote from Hubert Humphrey, looking forward to enjoying a hamburger or two (killer recipes for 35 different kinds of hamburgers below), blessed with a positive attitude and the ability to absquatulate from a difficult or embarrassing situation  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. Crossword Puzzle Day—celebrating a pastime that is supposed to help one stave off Alzheimer’s, dementia and other lapses of mental skills and believed to be the most popular game in the world; the first published crossword puzzle was created by Arthur Wynne and appeared in the Sunday edition of the New York World on this day in 1913.

2. Winter Solstice—celebrating since 2:45 a.m. this morning in Southern California the official start of winter which has been announced with a goodly amount of rain which we could use..  

3. 1967 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1967 on a run of 4 weeks in that position “Daydream Believer” by the Monkees.  Here is a recording of the Monkees performing the song: https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU615FaODCg

4. National Hamburger Day—celebrating that great American favorite, the hamburger and since this poet always wants to provide value in Ridley's Believe It Or Not-This Day In History here is a link to recipes for 35 different kinds of hamburgers so can continue celebrating the day for the next 35 days with a different burger each day (up the salmon oil dosage to keep your cholesterol down).  http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/meats/beef/burger-recipes.asp#tips

5. No Good Vibrations Here—celebrating the birth on this day in 1946 of the youngest Beach Boy, Carl Wilson who started smoking at the age of 13 and like so many smokers died way too early of lung cancer in 1998. He wrote and was lead singer in one of the Beach Boys’ iconic hit songs Good Vibrations:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eab_beh07HU

On this day in:                                                                                   

a. 1620 the Mayflower with its 102 Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts.

b. 1861 President Lincoln signed into law Public Resolution calling for the creation of the Medal of Valor for exceptional bravery of sailors, petty officers and landsmen of the U.S. Navy (the U.S. Army followed suit with its Medal of Honor in 1862 as its highest decoration).

c. 1937 the first full length color animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered at the Carthay Circle Theater in Los Angeles.

d. 1965 the International Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination was adopted which called for the end of racial discrimination and required members to ban hate speech and criminalize membership in racist organizations; the United States is a party to the Convention but has limited it to any obligations imposed which conflict with or go beyond the Constitution. Given the atrocities being committed by ISIS in its caliphate it is clear those jihadis do not feel bound and per President-elect Trump should be eradicated.

e. 1995 the town of Bethlehem passed from Israeli control to Palestinian control (sadly in 1990 Christians made up a majority of the town’s residents and now after almost three decades of Sharia they make up less than 15% of the population).   

Reflections on the anniversary of signing of the above International Convention that ought to resonate when the left under the guise of being “liberals” demonizes anyone who voted for Trump as “angry white men” and a “basket of deplorables”: “Liberalism, above all, means emancipation - emancipation from one's fears, his inadequacies, from prejudice, from discrimination, from poverty.” Hubert H. Humphrey, former senator from Minnesota, vice president under Johnson and failed presidential candidate in 1968 against Nixon. 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.

© December 21, 2016, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift All to Receive a Lasting Lift