Wednesday, March 30, 2016

March 31, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Cesar Chavez Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For March 31, 2016. Only 295 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term but fortunately March Madness is in full swing for both men and women and the Pac 12 has two teams in the Women’s Final Four. Great political theater as Trump admits that if abortion becomes illegal women should be punished, a statement which he walked back faster than Carl Lewis sprinting the 100 meters and Clinton appears to be dodging Sanders’ request for a debate prior to New York primary as Sanders now leads Clinton in Wisconsin and for the first time in decades the California primary might count for both Reds and Blues. As always, I hope  you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Perry Como, factoids of interest, a  relevant quote from Cesar Chavez while looking forward to a large plate of clams on the half shell, 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. Cesar Chavez Daycelebrating the contributions of Cesar Chavez, born on this day in 1927, to the civil rights movement and the improvement of the pay and working conditions for the farm workers who harvest the food for our table; the day is an official state holiday in six states and has been celebrated in California since 1995.
2. International Day Of Transgender Visibility—observed since 2009 to celebrate transgenders and to create awareness of the discrimination faced by transgenders in their daily lives.                       
3. 1957 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 19576 on a brief run of one week in that position Round and Round by Perry Como. Here is a link to Perry Como performing Round and Round: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UCM-cb9hwc.
4. National Clams on the Half Shell Day—celebrating a great way to enjoy a tasty mollusk served chilled and raw with pinch of horseradish, lime juice and seafood cocktail sauce or to be adventurous baked or grilled on the barbecue with your favorite herbs and spices.   
5. Brevity Sharpens the Mind—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1972 of Evan Williams the cofounder of Twitter that only allows messages of 140 characters and whose stock unfortunately is still down over 50 percent from its IPO price.
On this day in:
a. 1774 in another step closer to the Revolutionary War Great Britain closed the port of Boston pursuant to the Boston Port Act—needless to say the Bostonians and most Americans were not pleased.      
b. 1854 Commodore Mathew Perry signed the Convention of Kanagawa with the Japanese government opening up the ports of Shimoda and Hakadate to American trade.         
c. 1889 the Eiffel Tower, that iconic symbol of Paris, was officially opened. 
d. 1951 Remington Rand delivered the world’s first commercial computer, the UNIVAC1, to the Census Bureau. UNIVAC1 weighed 29,000 pounds and used 5200 vacuum tubes and probably had less computing power than is found in today’s lap tops.     
e. 1998 Netscape released the source code for Mozilla under and open source license.  
Reflections on why Cesar Chavez is honored on this day: “It is possible to become discouraged about the injustice we see everywhere. But God did not promise us that the world would be humane and just. He gives us the gift of life and allows us to choose the way we will use our limited time on earth. It is an awesome opportunity.” Cesar Chavez, co-founder of the United Farm Workers It seems like only yesterday in the mid sixties that students at places like Stanford to protest the meager wages and deplorable working conditions were boycotting table grapes.
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.          

© March 31, 2016 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

March 30, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not National Doctors Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For March 30, 2016. Only 296 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term but fortunately March Madness is in full swing for both men and women and the Pac 12 has two teams in the Women’s Final Four. Great political theater as the Red candidates are backing off pledge to support the nominee and Clinton appears to be dodging Sanders’ request for a debate prior to New York primary and for the first time in decades the California primary might count for both Reds and Blues/ As always, I hope  you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, music links to Les Baxter and Celine Dion, factoids of interest, a  relevant quote from Doctor Jim Lee while looking forward to a large bowl of turkey neck 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. National Doctors Daycelebrating the contributions of doctors to our health especially those just graduating from medical schools burdened with astronomical debt and facing a hostile reimbursement environment created by insurance companies, Obamacare and relentless cutbacks in Medicare reimbursements.
2. National Pencil Day—celebrating the issuance of a U.S. Patent on this day in 1858 for a wooden pencil—where would golfers be without it, especially one with an eraser.                       
3. 1956 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1956 on a run of four weeks in that position The Poor People Of Paris by Les Baxter. Here is a link to Les Baxter performing The Poor People Of Paris:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkYWXAN_W5g No vocals but a catchy tune although might have been hard to dance to.
4. National Turkey Neck Soup Day—celebrating a great soup that realistically should be celebrated the Friday following Thanksgiving.   
5. My Heart Will Go On In Eight Languages—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1968 of iconic singer Celine Dion who has an incredible voice that has resulted in over 200 million records being sold and who also sings in 8 different languages. She is noted for singing the theme song for the movie Titanichttp://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2bcxw2_titanic-theme-song-my-heart-will-go-on-celine-dion-hd_music
On this day in:
a. 1842 ether was used for the first time in a surgery performed by Dr. Crawford Long who used it to successfully remove a tumor from the neck of a patient—can you possibly imagine how painful it would have been to be opened up and operated on while fully awake?      
b. 1867 in the bargain of all times, Alaska was purchased from Russia for the bargain basement price of $7.2 million which is the value of 9 hours of oil flowing through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.        
c. 1964 Jeopardy! hosted by Art Fleming aired for the first time on TV; the program is still going strong. 
d. 1981 President Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest in Washington, D.C. by David Hinckley; he came very close to dying and some feel that the trauma was a factor in his developing Alzheimer’s disease later in his life.     
e. 2016 French President Hollande announced that he was dropping his plans to amend the Constitution to strip French citizenship of dual citizenship citizens convicted of terrorist acts.   
Reflections on becoming a doctor: “The downside to becoming a doctor, I think, is it's a very long process; four years of medical school, three years of internship, two years of residency, umpteen years of specialization, and then finally you get to be what you have trained almost all your life for.” Jim Lee, M.D. affiliated with Kaiser Permanente and the co-creator of Doctor Online.
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.          

© March 30, 2016 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

March 29, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Vietnam Veterans Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For March 29, 2016. Only 297 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term but fortunately March Madness is in full swing for both men and women and the Pac 12 has two teams in the Women’s Final Four. As always, I hope  you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Bill Hayes by wearing your coonskin hat, factoids of interest, a  relevant quote from Zach Wamp while looking forward to a large slice of lemon chiffon 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. Vietnam Veterans Daycreated by one of the best things Obama has done by Presidential Proclamation in 2012, an observance to commemorate the sacrifice and service of all of those men and women who served in the most divisive war this country has ever fought; God bless each and every one of those vets who returned in the later years not to parades but protests and scorn.
2. National Mom and Pops Business Day—celebrating the foundation of our economy and the largest job creator in this nation; today shun the big retailers and shop in a small business.                       
3. 1955 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1955 on a run of five weeks in that position The Ballad of Davy Crocket by Bill Hayes. Here is a link to Bill Hayes performing The Ballad of Davy Crocket: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1KYpizprfI If you listen to it, it is clear that America in the 50’s was a far different place for fans of music.
4. National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day—celebrating a cake invented by an insurance salesman Harry Baker who sold the cake first to the Brown Derby in the 20’s and later the recipe 20 years later to General Mills for an undisclosed amount; a light and airy cake because of the use of vegetable oil instead of butter.   
5. Kingfisher’s Hero Day—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1902 of Sam Walton, born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma and who moved on to establish Wal-Mart, the largest brick and mortar retailer in the U.S.
On this day in:
a. 1806 construction of the Cumberland Road, the first federal highway which was to start at Cumberland, Maryland and link the Ohio and Potomac Rivers and traverse 620 miles, was authorized. In typical federal government slowness, construction did not begin until 1811 and the road reached its terminus at Wheeling, West Virginia in 1818.      
b. 1936 Adolf Hitler received 99 percent of the votes of the German people in favor of reoccupying the Rhineland in violation of the Versailles Treaty emboldening him for future aggressive acts and France and Great Britain stood idly by.       
c. 1951 Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of passing information on how to build an atomic bomb to the Soviet Union which was able to construct its own atomic bomb much sooner with the information. Both were executed on June 19, 1953.  
d. 1999 the Dow Jones Average driven by the dot.com bubble crossed 10,000 for the first time only to collapse less than a year later when the bubble burst.    
e. 2004 in what has to rank as one of Ireland’s finest moments, Ireland banned smoking in all workplaces including pubs—what smokers can’t seem to fathom as they puff away to an early death or disability is that second hand smoke kills and maims also.  
Reflections on Vietnam War Veterans: “Thank you for the sacrifices you and your families are making. Our Vietnam Veterans have taught us that no matter what are positions may be on policy, as Americans and patriots, we must support all of our soldiers with our thoughts and our prayers.” Zach Wamp, 8 term former Republican Congressman from Tennessee
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.          

© March 29, 2016 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Monday, March 28, 2016

March 28, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Dyngus Day (skimpy day for holidays)

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For March 28, 2016. Only 298 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term but fortunately March Madness is in full swing for both men and women, the Stanford women were upset by Washington yesterday. I trust your Easter was a great one leaving you at peace and spiritually refreshed; as always, I hope  you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Jo Stafford, factoids of interest, a  relevant quote from Margaret Sanger while looking forward to a large slice of Black Forest 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. Dyngus Daycelebrated in Poland and Polish communities always on the Monday after Easter during which men and boys can take the liberty of drenching a woman or girl they would like to meet with squirt guns, buckets of water, etc. In our PC culture celebrating that here in the U.S. would probably cause the celebrant to be arrested as a sex offender.
2. National Hot Tub Day—celebrating the true and lasting pleasure of getting back from a hard day at the office by relaxing in a hot tub while the pounding jets of hot water blast your stress and soreness away.                       
3. 1954 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1954 on a run of three weeks in that position Make Love to Me by Jo Stafford. Here is a link to Jo Stafford performing Make Love to Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG5Brc9KrS8.
4. National Black Forest Cake Day—celebrating a really high caloric multi-layered chocolate cake with whipped cream and cherries between the layers and which often has been soaked in brandy or rum. .   
5. Will Fans Still Trust Someone Over Thirty—observing the birthday on this day in 1986 of Stefani Germanotta, noted actress, singer, songwriter and philanthropist (thanks to the close to 200 million records sold) who turns 30 today and is better known as Lady Gaga.
On this day in:
a. 1802 Heimlich Olbers discovered Pallas 2, the second known asteroid to man and which is the second largest asteroid in the asteroid belt; with 7 % of the mass in the entire asteroid belt this is one asteroid that Earth needs to avoid.      
b. 1910 Henri Fabre became the first person to take off and better yet land safely in the water his Fabre Hydravion off the coast of Martigues, France.       
c. 1933 in what is believed to be the first case of sabotage of an Imperial Airlines plane experienced a fire in the air and crashed in Belgium, killing all 15 people on board.  
d. 1978 SCOTUS in a 5-3 decision Stump v. Sparkman ruled that the judge who ordered the involuntary sterilization of a minor had judicial immunity and could not be sued even though the trial Judge Harold D. Stump failed completely to protect the minor’s rights by appointing a guardian ad litem to represent her.    
e. 1990 in a better late than never moment, President George H. W. Bush posthumously awarded  Jesse Owens, who almost single-handedly to Hitler’s great disappointment destroyed the myth of Nazi invincibility by winning four gold medals in the Berlin 1936 Olympics, the Congressional Gold Medal.
Reflections on involuntary sterilization by the founder of Planned Parenthood who would have been dancing in the streets over Harold Stump’s callous disregard of the minor’s right if she would have been alive at the time of his decision: “While I personally believe in the sterilization of the feeble-minded, the insane and syphilitic, I have not been able to discover that these measures are more than superficial deterrents when applied to the constantly growing stream of the unfit. They are excellent means of meeting a certain phase of the situation, but I believe in regard to these, as in regard to other eugenic means, that they do not go to the bottom of the matter.” Chilling words that should have been spoken in German to coincide with the eugenics programs of the Nazis in WWII from Margaret Sanger whose organization Planned Parenthood is the darling of the left. Judge Stump was white and I could not discover the race of the minor, but a logical bet would be that she was black.
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.          

© March 28, 2016 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Sunday, March 27, 2016

March 27, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Easter

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For March 27, 2016. Only 299 days to go in President Obama’s  pathetic lame duck term but fortunately March Madness is in full swing for both men and women and the Stanford women advanced to the Elite Eight as did unfortunately for them UConn who demolished Mississippi State by a record setting 60 points 98-68. The last Pac 12 men’s team, Oregon, was eliminated and the women's Pac 12 even with the loss yesterday of UCLA still has three teams in the Elite Eight and if Oregon State wins its game the Pac 12 will one team in the Women's Final Four. I trust your Easter is proving to be a great one leaving you at peace and spiritually refreshed; as always, I hope  you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Patti Paige, factoids of interest, a  relevant quote from Charles Stanley while not bemoaning the fact that your Easter brunch or dinner will not include most likely a serving of Spanish paella, 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 Whiskey and Whisky Daycelebrating since 2009 on this date, Scottish, Canadian and Japanese whiskies (no e) and American and Irish whiskeys. The day is to be observed by toasting Michael Jackson, a noted British reviewer of beer, whisky and whiskey who was born on this day in 1942 and died from Parkinson’s Disease in 2007, and then making a donation to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.
2. World Theater Day—created by the International Theater Institute in 1961 to celebrate the contribution of theater to our culture; worthy celebration but pales to the theater on the Red and Blue campaigns we are witnessing or, depending on your point of view, enduring today.                       
3. 1953 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1953 on a long run of eight weeks in that position (How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window by Pattie Paige. Here is a link to Pattie Paige performing How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AkLE4X-bbU You now know where Hillary picked up her ridiculous barking imitation.
4. National Spanish Paella Day—Since Easter does not normally fall on March 27, more likely than not you will not be enjoying this Spanish dish for brunch or dinner with family and friends.   
5. Hateful With Violence—observing the birthday on this day in 1963 of Quentin Tarantino an American director whose films like Pulp Fiction or Kill Bill and exuded violence and whose last film, Hateful for 8 bombed in the U.S. as it  was boycotted by police and their supporters after his prolonged rant on police being murderers
On this day in:
a. 1794 after disbanding the Continental Navy due to lack of funds, in a very wise move the President Washington signed the Naval Act of 1794 establishing a permanent U.S. Navy and authorizing the construction of six frigates, one of which the USS Constitution is still commissioned and can be visited while in Boston.      
b. 1836 in a slaughter far outweighing the magnitude of the Alamo, the Mexican Army executed outside of Goliad, Texas Colonel Fannin and the 341 men under his command who had surrendered.      
c. 1915 Mary Mallon, aka “Typhoid Mary” a healthy carrier of the deadly typhoid virus was quarantined for the second time after being released after three years of confinement five years earlier but contrary to her promises not to return to cooking did. She would remain in quarantine until her death in 1938.
d. 1964 Good Friday the strongest earthquake ever to strike the U.S. at 9.2 struck South Central Alaska 78 miles east of Anchorage. It lasted almost 5 minutes and caused massive damage to Anchorage and Valdez, killing 139 people, including 12 killed by the tsunamis generated in Crescent City, California near the Oregon border.    
e. 1975 finally after years of delay due to litigation, the construction of the Trans Alaskan Pipeline began starting in Prudhoe Bay and terminating in a relocated Valdez which was destroyed by the Good Friday Earthquake.
Reflections on Easter: “There is only one secure foundation: a genuine, deep relationship with Jesus Christ, which will carry you through any and all turmoil. No matter what storms are raging all around, you'll stand firm if you stand on His love.” Charles Stanley, senior pastor at the First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia and founder of the In Touch Ministry Happy Easter to all!
,
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.          

© March 26, 2016 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Saturday, March 26, 2016

March 26, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Purple Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For March 26, 2016. Unfortunately still 300 days to go in President Obama’s dancing with the stars pathetic lame duck term but fortunately March Madness is in full swing for both men and women and the Stanford women advanced to the Elite Eight by upsetting Notre Dame last night. I trust your Saturday is proving to be a great one and your Easter will be also; and as always, I hope  you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Kay Starr, factoids of interest, a  relevant quote from Solange Nicole while looking forward to enjoying a serving of spinach or,  better yet, fiddleheads,  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. Purple Day (United States and Canada)—celebrating not the urgent need for Reds and Blues in this contentious election year to reach across the aisle and practice some bipartisanship but rather since 2008 to promote awareness of epilepsy, a disorder that affects an estimated 3 million Americans.
2. Make Your Own Holiday Day—nothing like empowering oneself to create a holiday to celebrate when the holiday cupboard is bare—since edible ferns are breaking through the ground at this time of the year, this poet declares this day to be Fiddlehead Day; sautéed fiddleheads are the epitome of a tasty side dish and since you need a walk in the woods to find them also a great source of exercise.                       
3. 1952 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1952 on a long run of nine weeks in that position Wheel of Fortune by Kay Starr. Here is a link to Kay Starr performing Wheel of Fortune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeIce5NsWKk
4. National Spinach Day—you don’t have to be a fan of Popeye the Sailorman to enjoy a serving of spinach, especially if it has been sautéed in olive oil and garlic or used in an omelet.   
5. The Road Not Taken—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1874 of four time Pulitzer Award winning for poetry, Robert Frost.  
On this day in:
a. 1344 after a siege of 21 months the city of Algeciras surrendered to the Christian Castilians; the siege marked one of the first military actions in Europe in which gunpowder was used.      
b. 1484 William Caxton translated and then printed Aesop’s Fables.      
c. 1982 a ground breaking ceremony was held for the Vietnam War Memorial.
d. 1995 20 years after its signing by Luxembourg, France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands the Schengen Treaty which provided for the abolition of border checkpoints became effective.    
e. 1999 David L. Smith introduced the Melissa worm to infect Microsoft systems which it successfully did to the tune of one in five computers worldwide. Smith was caught and sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined a paltry $5,000 but released after serving only 20 months.
Reflections on disabilities on this Purple Day: “There's nothing more debilitating about a disability than the way people treat you over it.” Solange Nicole, noted poet and 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.          

© March 26, 2016 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Friday, March 25, 2016

March 25, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Good Friday

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For March 25, 2016. Unfortunately still 301 days to go in President Obama’s dancing with the stars pathetic lame duck term but fortunately March Madness is in full swing for both men and women, but as Brussels proved so is the war practiced by Radical Islam on us and many of us after seeing Obama dancing the night away in Argentina are not comforted by his statement that fighting ISIS is his “top priority.”
Stanford women face tonight at 6:00 P.M. a very tough Sweet 16 game against Notre Dame who lost only one game during the season. We face the most challenges we have ever faced since World War II but Trump continues to demonstrate why women in large numbers will not support him by his unfounded and unjustified attacks on Cruz’s wife. Will the Bern be back this weekend by winning Alaska, Hawaii and Washington? I trust your Good Friday is proving to be a great one and your Easter will be also; and as always, I hope  you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Perry Como, factoids of interest, a  relevant quote from Harriet Beecher Stowe while looking forward to enjoying a plate of lobster Newburg, 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. VÃ¥ffeldagen (Sweden)a celebration observed in Sweden by eating waffles; the day is also observed in the U.S. but celebrated on August 24, the anniversary of the patent issued for the waffle iron.
2. International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade—observing since 2007 one of humanity’s darkest stains on its moral fiber which affected upwards of 15 million men, women, and children uprooted from their homes in Africa and sent to the Americas as slaves.                       
3. 1951 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1951 on a run of six weeks in that position If by Perry Como. Here is a link to Perry Como performing If: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPqhvhlhCcs
4. National Lobster Newburg Day—celebrating a great way to clog your arteries—lobster chunks smothered in a sauce from butter, cream, egg yolks, sherry and seasonings and created by the chef at Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City and originally named after a patron Mr. Wenburg but after a quarrel on his demand the “Wen” was replaced with “New.”  
5. Go Daddy—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1982 of one very fast woman, Danica Patrick a race car driver who also appeared in numerous Go Daddy.com commercials.  
On this day in:
a. 1807 the Slave Trade Act, abolishing the slave trade (but not slavery itself which was banned 26 years later) in the British Empire, was enacted; too bad it took another 58 years and the Civil War for us to follow Great Britain’s lead.      
b. 1948 the first successful prediction of a tornado strike was made which predicted that a tornado would touch down near Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.    
c. 1957 in a blow to the First Amendment, the U.S. Customs Office seized 520 copies of Alan Ginsberg’s poem “Howl” on grounds of obscenity.
d. 1969 on their honeymoon to protest the Vietnam War, Yoko Ono and John Lennon commended their bed in for peace at the Amsterdam Hilton which lasted until March 31st.    
e. 1995 WikiWikiWeb the world’s first wiki was made available to the public by Ward Cunningham.
Reflections on slavery from the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin: “So long as the law considers all these human beings, with beating hearts and living affections, only as so many things belonging to the master — so long as the failure, or misfortune, or imprudence, or death of the kindest owner, may cause them any day to exchange a life of kind protection and indulgence for one of hopeless misery and toil — so long it is impossible to make anything beautiful or desirable in the best-regulated administration of slavery.” Harriet Beecher Stowe,
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.          

© March 25, 2016 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift