August 29, 2018 Ridley's Believe It Or Not International Day Against Nuclear Tests

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For August 29, 2018 Bernie Sanders backed candidate Andrew Gillum won the Florida Democratic primary to face Ron DeSantis but he has a slight problem—an ongoing probe over corruption while he was mayor of Talahassee; Gavin Newsom is in the news with his plan to saddle California with free healthcare for illegals (Kimberly Guilfoyle we need you to campaign for John Cox against your ex); New Mexico judge Emilio Chavez dismissed the charges against the 5 Muslim extremists who allegedly were training children to shoot up schools because the state had failed to hold an evidentiary hearing to prove probable cause; Amazon and Bernie Sanders are in a twitter fit over Amazon’s payment practices to its employees with Sanders claiming the company is paying less than retail industry average causing workers to seek public assistance like SNAP and the company vehemently denying the charge; on the liberal intolerance front, a group of Facebook employees has attacked the liberal intolerance of the company to the those who have contrasting views (given the strangle hold social media has on discourse and free speech, an internet bill of rights for access to speech other than speech advocating violence to persons or property should be seriously considered by Congress); news out that HRC’s private email server was hacked by a state owned Chinese company with software inserted that every email sent or received was copied and sent to it has prompted calls from Trump to demand an investigation (when will Mueller focus on the true collusion with Russia—the anti-Trump dossier paid for by the DNC and HRC consisting of Russian lies and misstatements that formed the basis for the spying on the Trump campaign by the FBI); Trump announced by tweet that the White House Counsel will be leaving after the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh and blasted the DOJ that Bruce Ohr was still employed there (release the transcript of his testimony so Americans can judge for themselves the degree of his culpability; in Chicago while Rahm Emanuel continues to  imitate Nero playing the fiddle and Chicago’s top cop lays the blame directly on prosecutors and lenient judges not sending armed thugs to jail, through August 28, 2018 2047 people mostly of color have been shot by mostly people of color, of whom 327 have died (when will Chicago get serious about this carnage or is this the case of true racism as a Blue run city turns a deaf ear and a blind eye to the slaughter of mostly people of color by mostly people of color and when will Emanuel who has been MIA resign or be voted out of office).

        As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Stories,
factoids of interest for this day in history, that hopefully you are not cursed with mulism and a relevant quote from Donna Brazile on Katrina, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like college graduations, birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.

1. International Day Against Nuclear Tests—created by the UN General Assembly on December 2, 2009 to advocate a cessation of all nuclear tests as a step to promote a nuclear free world, a goal which North Korea has failed to embrace.

2. National Sarcoidosis Awareness  Day—proclaimed by President George Bush in 1991 to create awareness of this autoimmune disease and promote research in trying to find a cure for it.

3. 1973 Number One Song— the number one song in 1973 on a run of 2 weeks in that position was “Brother Louie” by Stories. Here is a recording of the song:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmF3jDwSTmI

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “mulism” which means an obstinate quirk or habit which describes to a tee Trump’s refusal to apologize even when he is clearly wrong.

5. Almost Made It—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1936 of John McCain who died days before his 82^nd birthday and is now lying in state at the state capitol in Arizona before being flown to the Swamp for lying in state and then burial at the U.S. Naval Academy.

 On this day in: 

a. 1786 Shay’s Rebellion an armed uprising of Massachusetts farmers due to high taxes and debt commenced with an unsuccessful attempt to seize the weapons at the Springfield Armory and resulted in General George Washington coming out of retirement to quash the rebellion and was instrumental in creating a Constitutional Convention to address the deficiencies of the Articles of Confederation.

b. 1842 the Treaty of Nanking was signed ending the First Opium War between the United Kingdom and China and ceding to the United Kingdom the island of Hong Kong.

c. 1966 in an end of an era moment the Beatles played their last concert before paying fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. 

d. 1997 Netflix was launched as a internet DVD rental service.

e. 2005 Hurricane Katrina devastated the U.S. from Louisiana to the Florida panhandle killing at least 1836 people and causing $135 billion in property damages.

    Reflections on Hurricane Katrina: “Hurricane Katrina was the storm of the 21st century. It devastated an area the size of Great Britain. More than 1,800 Americans died. Three hundred thousand homes were destroyed. There was $96 billion in property damage. I served on the Louisiana Recovery Authority. I saw Congress write one big check and then skip town.” Donna Brazile, former interim chairperson of the DNC
.    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 www.Alaskanpoethistory.blogspot.com for just This Day in History.

© August 29, 2018 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive Lasting Lift

August 28, 2018 Ridley's Believe It Or Not National Bow Tie Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For August 28, 2018 Bruce Ohr was grilled today unfortunately behind closed doors on his involvement with Steele and the fake dossier that formed the basis for the Mueller probe (some reports are that Ohr has developed a case of poor memory to avoid perjury); on the stench and corruption of the FBI in this collusion mess, Mark Meadows has claimed that the FBI leaked info to the press to justify the FISA warrants to surveil the Trump campaign; Jimmy Carter appeared on Fox News to urge Blues to curb their calls for impeachment while Newt Ginrich also appeared and indicated that there is a great chance that the Reds will gain seats in the House and the Senate (will make for an exciting Tuesday evening in November); Trump has been rightfully chastised for his petty refusal to initially not praise McCain’s service to this nation (he is not Mark Antony and should have been able to bury and praise an American hero); on the lack of tolerance front a student in a high school in Sacramento went on a profanity laced rant against a classmate for wearing a MAGA hat, ripping it off his head then striking the arm of the teacher who was escorting her to the principal’s office (she was arrested and taken to Juvenile Hall); just when you thought that ESPN was leaving the leftist political world to concentrate on sports, Max Kellerman blasted Tiger Woods for his comment that Americans should respect the office of the president even if they disagree with Trump’s policies; Cuomo will finally debate Cynthia Nixon on Wednesday (with a huge lead in the polls he must concentrate on avoiding major gaffs that would imperil his 2020 run for president); the wheels of justice move slowly in the case of police shootings but in Texas they have moved as ex police officer Oliver was found guilty of murder of an unarmed  black 15 year old; Trump is on the war path against Twitter for shadow banning conservative Reds and Google for rigging its search results (given the importance of social media to free speech serious thought must be given to an internet access bill of rights that would prohibit banning of postings unless they call for violence even more so now that Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai has thumbed his nose at Congress by refusing to testify before the Senate Intel); California has become potentially a much more dangerous place starting in October of 2019 eliminating bail for non violent criminals and thereby releasing them in 24 hours after arrest (watch for more illegals arrested for DUIs, theft, robbery, etc. being released into the community and never appearing at trial); in Chicago while Rahm Emanuel continues to  imitate Nero playing the fiddle and Chicago’s top cop lays the blame directly on prosecutors and lenient judges not sending armed thugs to jail, through August 27, 2018 2035 people mostly of color have been shot by mostly people of color, of whom 326 have died (when will Chicago get serious about this carnage or is this the case of true racism as a Blue run city turns a deaf ear and a blind eye to the slaughter of mostly people of color by mostly people of color and when will Emanuel who has been MIA resign or be voted out of office).

        As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Gilbert O’Sullivan,
factoids of interest for this day in history, that hopefully you are not being mulcted today and a relevant quote from Evan Bayh on the filibuster, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like college graduations, 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. Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day—created by Deborah Brown in 2015 to commemorate a poem called “Rainbow Bridge” about a heaven for dogs to romp and play and to give pet owners a venue to remember pets who have passed.

2. National Bow Tie Day—celebrating a tie that has been around since the 17^th Century and for many of us is impossible to tie which impossibility has been solved by the clip on or prettied bow tie.

3. 1972 Number One Song— the number one song in 1972 on a run of 6 weeks in that position was “Alone Again (Naturally)” by Gilbert O’Sullivan still going strong at 71. Here is a recording of the song:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_P-v1BVQn8

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “mulct” which means to swindle or obtain by fraud which describes too many politicians making promises in exchange for votes to a tee

5. More Than A Pretty Face—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1969 of Sheryl Sandburg, COO of Facebook and a member of the billionaires club and like too many of Silicon Valley’s executives a liberal Democrat.

 On this day in: 

a. 1957 in a vain attempt to prevent the Senate from voting on the Civil Rights Act of 1957 the first civil rights legislation passed since the Civil Rights Act of 1875 Senator Strom Thurmond took the floor to begin a filibuster against the bill which did not end until 24 hours and 19 minutes had passed, making it the longest filibuster by a single Senator.

b. 1968 rioting began at the Democratic National Convention prompting a brutal and massive police response by police. 

c. 1988 at an air show in Ramstein, Germany three jets from Italy’s Frecce Tricolori collided sending wreckage into the crowd, killing 75 spectators and wounding 346 others. 

d. 1990 Iraq declared Kuwait to be its latest province.

e. 1998 Pakistan’s National Assembly passed a bill to make the Qur’an and the Shannah the supreme law of the land but fortunately for non Muslims the bill was defeated in Pakistan’s Senate.

    Reflections on the curse of the filibuster: “Filibusters have proliferated because under current rules just one or two determined senators can stop the Senate from functioning. Today, the mere threat of a filibuster is enough to stop a vote; senators are rarely asked to pull all-nighters like Jimmy Stewart in 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.'”Evan Bayh, former two term Senator from Indiana

.    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 www.Alaskanpoethistory.blogspot.com for just This Day in History.

© August 28, 2018 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive Lasting Lift

August 27, 2018 Ridley's Believe It Or Not National Petroleum Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For August 27, 2018 McCain’s farewell statement was read out loud as Schumer proposed renaming the Russell Senate Office Building to the McCain Senate Office building (here is a link to McCain’s farewell statement http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/27/farewell-statement-from-john-mccain.html ;Iran hit by crippling sanctions that are killing its economy is lashing back, threatening to close the Straits of Hormuz to the passage of oil from Saudi Arabia which has prompted a strong reaction from the U.S. (Iran can kiss its navy goodbye in a New York City second if it tries); on the Ocasio-Cortez wanna be front, Julia Salazar campaigning for a New York State Senate seat as a Jewish immigrant has been exposed as having been born here and as a Christian conservative (shades of Elizabeth Warren and her false claims of American Indian heritage to obtain favors at Harvard); Jamele Hill, an unabashed anti-Trump hater on ESPN, is leaving the network (what took ESPN so long to realize sports and political bias is a toxic mix for ratings); the death at a sober living facility of Jackson Odell the 20 year old star of the Goldbergs has been ruled by the coroner of Los Angeles as an accidental overdose of heroin and cocaine (just another example of how deadly and pervasive our opioid epidemic has become); stung by claims of a rigged primary in favor of Hillary Clinton, the DNC has made changes to the role of super delegates by eliminating their vote until a second ballot; Trump has announced a trade agreement with Mexico to replace NAFTA and urged Canada to join the negotiations and the market has soared in response); Trump in what has to be a petty display of anger nixed a White House statement praising John McCain’s accomplishments (really pathetic on his part); FBI agents searched the residence of David Katz, the shooter at the Jacksonville Madden tournament who killed two and wounded eleven before killing himself; in Chicago while Rahm Emanuel continues to  imitate Nero playing the fiddle and Chicago’s top cop lays the blame directly on prosecutors and lenient judges not sending armed thugs to jail, through August 26, 2018 2031 people mostly of color have been shot by mostly people of color, of whom 324 have died (when will Chicago get serious about this carnage or is this the case of true racism as a Blue run city turns a deaf ear and a blind eye to the slaughter of mostly people of color by mostly people of color and when will Emanuel who has been MIA resign or be voted out of office).

        As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to the Bee Gees,factoids of interest for this day in history, the day when we have more mugwumps in the Swamp and a relevant quote from James Buchan on petroleum’s importance to mankind, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like college graduations, birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.

1. National Petroleum Day—celebrating the discovery of petroleum at Titusville, Pennsylvania by Edwin Drake on this day in 1858.

2. Lyndon Baines Johnson Day—celebrating in Texas the birthday of President Lyndon Baines Johnson who died in 1973.

3. 1971 Number One Song— the number one song in 1971 on a run of 4 weeks in that position was “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” by the Bee Gees. Here is a recording of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZInWGC5L2T8

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “mugwump” which means someone who is neutral politically which given the partisanship in the Swamp would be a very rare creature indeed.

5. A Mustang in Clothes—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1961 of Tom Ford, a noted fashion designer from Texas who became the creative director of Gucci and increased its sales to over $3 billion before being a acquired and then went on to form his own fashion company.

 On this day in: 

a. 1928 15 nations sighed the Kellogg-Briand Pact which outlawed war and was ultimately signed by 61 nations; unfortunately the agreement postponed World War II for only 11 years.

b. 1956 the nuclear power station at Calder Hall in the United Kingdom was connect to the country’s power grid making it the world’s first commercial nuclear power plant.. 

c. 1979 an IRA bomb killed retired Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten and three others while they were boating near Sligo, Ireland. 

d. 2003 the first six nation talks concerning North Korea’s nuclear program involving North Korea, South Korea, China, Russia, Japan and the United States were held without success in dismantling North Korea’s nuclear program.

e. 2011 Hurricane Irene struck the U.S. East Coast killing 47 and causing approximately  $15 billion in damages.

    Reflections on petroleum: “A century ago, petroleum - what we call oil - was just an obscure commodity; today it is almost as vital to human existence as water.” Tom Buchan, noted Scottish historian and novelist.   

    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 www.Alaskanpoethistory.blogspot.com for just This Day in History.

© August 27, 2018 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive Lasting Lift

August 25, 2018 Ridley's Believe It Or Not National Park Service Founders Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For August 25, 2018 Brennan has become completely unglued in his castigation of Trump, calling his presidency the third worse crisis in our history ranking only below the Revolutionary War and the Civil War (read Gregg Jarrett’s The Russian Hoax to see the criminal and nefarious activity of John Brennan to influence the campaign and take down the president—a total scandal); on the Trump Defragment Syndrome front more examples of the ungluing of the left as a woman put her house up for sale with the proviso that anyone who submitted an offer must not have voted for Trump (the house did not sell and was relisted with another broker with a $100,000 reduction in the listing price); on the school shooting front, after a high school football game on Friday night three people were shot one of whom died with the Afro-American shooting suspect in custody (sad commentary that parents, students and fans cannot go to a high school football game even passing through metal detectors without being shot at); at a high school in Fairfield, California two teens were shot, one of whom has died and two suspects have been arrested (the Friday night football game was cancelled); artist Scott LoBaido whose pro Trump statute was burned in 2016 is back with a 20 foot pro Trump statute in his front lawn in Staten Island, New York (wonder what the chances are that this statute will escape the same fate); in a news item that seems more appropriate for Saudi Arabia, a Houston man has be arrested for shooting at women drivers because of feelings that they should not be behind the wheel; in Chicago while Rahm Emanuel continues to  imitate Nero playing the fiddle and Chicago’s top cop lays the blame directly on prosecutors and lenient judges not sending armed thugs to jail, through August 23, 2018 2010 people mostly of color have been shot by mostly people of color, of whom 322 have died (when will Chicago get serious about this carnage or is this the case of true racism as a Blue run city turns a deaf ear and a blind eye to the slaughter of mostly people of color by mostly people of color and when will Emanuel who has been MIA resign or be voted out of office).

        As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Edwin Starr,
factoids of interest for this day in history, the day the Blues cease their mugient impeachment calls, a relevant quote from Jeb Hensarling on Hurricane Harvey, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like college graduations, 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.

As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to the Edwin Starr,
factoids of interest for this day in history, the day when the Blues stop their impeachment mugient calls and a relevant quote from Jeb Hensarling on Hurricane Harvey, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like college graduations, 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 Park Service Founders Day—commemorating the passing of the Organic Act on this day in 1916 creating the National Park Service and outlining its responsibilities in managing the National Park System.

2. National Second-Hand Wardrobe Day—commemorating the practice of contributing to non profits like Goodwill clothing one no longer wears or fits into so the less fortunate may be clothed at cheap prices.

3. 1970 Number One Song— the number one song in 1970 on a run of 3 weeks in that position was “War” by Edwin Starr. Here is a recording of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQHUAJTZqF0

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “mugient” which means bellowing or braying which describes the impeachment rants we are hearing from a party whose symbol is the jackass.

5. Touched by the Untouchable—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1930 of Sean Connery, noted James Bond actor and Oscar winner for his role in The Untouchables. Retired from acting but still going strong at 88.

 On this day in: 

a. 1945 ten days after the Japanese announced acceptance of surrender terms, Chinese Communists killed intellence officer John Birch, an act which conservatives consider the first casualty of the Cold War.

b. 1950 with the Korean War in full swing and U.S. troops holding on by a slender thread in the Pusan Perimeter, President Harry S. Truman orders the U.S. Army to seize control of the railroads to prevent a national railroad strike. 

c. 1967 George Lincoln Rockwell, the founder of the American Nazi is assassinated by a former member of the party. 

d. 1991 Linus Torvald announced the first version of what would become known as Linux.

e. 2017 Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas as a Cat 4 hurricane, causing extensive flooding with massive amounts of rainfall especially in the Houston area, $125 billion in property damage and  69 deaths.

    Reflections on Hurricane Harvey and images of suffering: “The destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey is unlike anything my home state has ever experienced. As long as I live, I'll never forget those images of elderly women waiting in waist-deep water to be rescued.” Jeb Hensarling, Republican Congressman from the 5^th District of Texas
    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 www.Alaskanpoethistory.blogspot.com for just This Day in History.

© August 25, 2018 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive Lasting Lift

August 24, 2018 Ridley's Believe It Or Not National Waffle Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For August 24, 2018 the family of Sen. John McCain has announced that he will discontinue brain cancer medical treatment; Ocasio-Cortez may know nothing about economics but she is a quick study on hypocrisy of politicians as after attacking UBER for causing a cabby in New York City  to commit suicide in two months she has racked up $4,000 in UBER rides while lamenting the fact her favorite coffee shop closed because of the minimum wage increase she supported; a dead great white shark nine feet in length with a red hue on its face and belly washed ashore near the Pamet River in Massachusetts with three lead weights in its stomach; AG Sessions who has been completely MIA and misled the president by not informing him that he would recuse himself may be on his last legs as the Mueller witch-hunt continues unabated with no evidence of collusion; Hurricane Lane is inundating Hawaii with up to 30 inches of rain; in a Kennedy like déjà vu Trump announced that the U.S. will return to the Moon and will send a manned expedition to Mars; in a pilot program facial recognition technology was used at an airport to catch an imposter trying to enter the U.S. illegally; Germany has received a report that Salafist children in Germany are being radicalized faster and younger and the branch of Islam that advocates the replacement of democratic institutions with theocrats and Sharia is the fastest growing branch of Islam in Germany (Merkel has indicated that there are “no-go zones” Muslim areas where police and other authorities will not enter); the California legislature has passed legislation requiring the state to review marijuana related convictions going back  to 1975 to see if they should be expunged; in Chicago while Rahm Emanuel continues to  imitate Nero playing the fiddle and Chicago’s top cop lays the blame directly on prosecutors and lenient judges not sending armed thugs to jail, through August 23, 2018 2000 people mostly of color have been shot by mostly people of color, of whom 321 have died (when will Chicago get serious about this carnage or is this the case of true racism as a Blue run city turns a deaf ear and a blind eye to the slaughter of mostly people of color by mostly people of color and when will Emanuel who has been MIA resign or be voted out of office).

        As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to the Rolling Stones,
factoids of interest for this day in history, the fact that hopefully your house is not mucidinous and a relevant quote from Bryan Nocross on Hurricane Andrew, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like college graduations, 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 Waffle Day—celebrated in the U.S. on this day as it marks the anniversary of the issuance of a U. S. Patent for the waffle iron.

2.  International Strange Music Day—created by New York City musician Patrick Grant to encourage people to listen to music created by non traditional instruments in order to promote creativity.

3. 1969 Number One Song— the number one song in 1969 on a run of 4 weeks in that position was “Honkey Tonk Woman” by the Rolling Stones. Here is a recording of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6M77oHD110

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “mucidinous” which means mouldy or mildewy which is something no homeowner would want to describe his residence.

5. Hope Springs Eternal—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1955 in Hope, Arkansas, the same town that gave us Bill Clinton on Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas and failed two time candidate for the Republican nomination of president who is the proud father of the press secretary Sarah Sanders.

 On this day in: 

a. 1814 British troops invaded Washington, D.C. setting fires to the White House, the Capitol and many other buildings.

b. 1981 Mark David Chapman was sentenced to 20 years to life for the murder of John Lennon and remains in prison today with his 11^th parole hearing scheduled for August 2020.  

c. 1989 Pete Rose was banned from baseball for life for gambling on games by MLB Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti. 

d. 1992 Hurricane Andrew, a Cat 5 hurricane, made landfall at Homestead, Florida causing $25 billion in damages and killing 65 people.

e. 1995 Microsoft released Windows 95.

    Reflections on Hurricane Andrew and warnings: “Making specific forecasts in uncertain situations was, is, and will always be problematic and often misleading. This lesson stands today. The bigger the potentially threatened population, the earlier the risk discussion must begin because preparation is more complicated. The earlier the alarm is raised, however, the more often, in the end, preparation will not have been not required.” Bryan Norcross, My Hurricane Andrew Story: The story behind the preparation, the terror, the resilience, and the renowned TV coverage of the Great Hurricane of 1992.
    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 www.Alaskanpoethistory.blogspot.com for just This Day in History.

© August 24, 2018 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive Lasting Lift

August 22, 2018 Ridley's Believe It Or Not National Be An Angel Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For August 22, 2018 the proillegal alien open border front proponents like Kamala Harris have more innocent blood on their hands as an illegal alien from Mexico Christhean Rivera has been arrested for the murder of Mollie Tibbetts (a crime totally ignored or dismissed by the MSM); when will the left resistance Blues come to their senses and support the wall, e-verify (how was this illegal alien able to bypass e-verify), end to chain and lottery migration and the end to sanctuary cities (if they continue to press for the end to ICE that policy will take them down to defeat); in the former Amigo Land, 14 people were killed in 36 hours in Cancun as the State Department issued a travel advisory to exercise caution in Mexico due to violence; admitted felon Michael Cohen’s guilty plea including campaign finance violations arising out of his payment to Stormy Daniels of “hush money” has reignited the frenzy of impeachment talk among Blues (who are we to believe the President of the United States or an admitted tax cheat desperate to save his skin); on the storm front, Hurricane Lane a Cat 5 hurricane is barreling toward Hawaii; Douglas Haig who sold ammunition to Stephen Paddock was indicted by the feds for manufacturing ammunition without a license; Delaware State University has banned the throwing of snowballs (wave goodbye to the fun of a snowball fight); in Chicago while Rahm Emanuel continues to  imitate Nero playing the fiddle and Chicago’s top cop lays the blame directly on prosecutors and lenient judges not sending armed thugs to jail, through August 21, 2018 1989 people mostly of color have been shot by mostly people of color, of whom 317 have died (when will Chicago get serious about this carnage or is this the case of true racism as a Blue run city turns a deaf ear and a blind eye to the slaughter of mostly people of color by mostly people of color and when will Emanuel who has been MIA resign or be voted out of office even though for the last two days in a row no one shot has died).

        As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to the Rascals,
factoids of interest for this day in history, the fact that hopefully you are motable and a relevant quote from St. Augustine on angels, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like college graduations, 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 Be An Angel Day—created by the Rev. Jayne Feldman, author of Driving Under the Influence of Angels in 1993 to encourage people to perform random acts of kindness.

2.  National Tooth Fairy Day—celebrated in this county in the 20^th Century with the first reference to the fairy occurring in 1908 in the Chicago Daily Sun; a great way to monetize the pain of losing one’s baby teeth.

3. 1968 Number One Song— the number one song in 1968 on a run of 5 weeks in that position was “People Gotta Be Free” by the Rascals. Here is a recording of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYYQx9K6Cb0

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “motable” which means constantly moving which describes Trump to a tee on the campaign trail.

5. What’s Cooking Good Looking—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1970 of noted chef Giada de Laurentiis, granddaughter of Dino de Laurentiis.

 On this day in: 

a. 1968 Pope Paul VI became the first Pope to visit Latin America by landing in Bogotá, Columbia.

b. 1978 The District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment granting residents representation in the Electoral College was passed by Congress but failed to have enough states ratify it to become part of the Constitution.

c. 1992 a FBI sniper shot and killed Vicki Weaver holding her baby in her  arms at her home in Ruby Ridge, Idaho.  

d. 2003 Chief Justice Roy Moore was suspended for failing to remove the Ten Commandments from the Alabama Supreme Court.

e. 2004 the paintings The Scream and Madonna by Edward Munch were stolen at gunpoint from a museum in Oslo, Norway.

    Reflections on angels:” It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.”
St. Augustine Swallow your pride today and reach for your humility and be an angel to someone.
    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 www.Alaskanpoethistory.blogspot.com for just This Day in History.

© August 22, 2018 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive Lasting Lift

August 21, 2018 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Poetry Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For August 21, 2018 Sad but probably expected news-- after a month of being missing the body of Mollie Tibbetts has been found; Ocasio-Cortez continues to make a fool of herself for equating our National Park System as an example of Democratic Socialism and is drawing fire for excluding  the press from her town hall meeting (attractive lady but totally out of touch with reality);  in Portland, Oregon at a protest and counter protest, a counter protestor who voted for Bernie Sanders was attacked viciously by 4 masked antifa thugs who felt the American flag he was carrying was a “fascist” symbol (when does the FBI label this ISIS-like clad in black group of thugs a domestic terrorist group, infiltrate them and start arresting these thugs and where is the outrage from the Blues on their violence?); on the reptilian brain front actress Asia Argento, who was one of the first to level sexual abuse charges against Harvey Weinstein, has denied vehemently sexual abuse charges reported  against her in The New York Times by actor Richard Bennet for an alleged encounter when he was 17 and she was 37; on the how crazy can it get on the political front Republican House candidate Aquilera who has claimed she was abducted by aliens when she was 7 has been endorsed by The Miami Herald; on the witch-hunt front, best selling author of The Russia Hoax, Gregg Jarrett stated that Mueller has given up on the Russian collusion front and is now working on an obstruction of justice (Mueller has proven himself to be incapable of being fair and unbiased and worse surrounded by a team of biased anti-Trump investigators); the jury in the Manafort trial has revealed they are stuck on finding consensus on at least one count as they enter the fourth day of deliberations (if they find Manafort not guilty or a hung jury is found the witch-hunter in chief is going to have serious problems in continuing his witch-hunt); Sister Mary Jo who threw a perfect strike first pitch at a Chicago White Sox game put Fox commentator Ainsley Earhardt into the dunk tank on Fox and Friends today; in Chicago while Rahm Emanuel continues to  imitate Nero playing the fiddle and Chicago’s top cop lays the blame directly on prosecutors and lenient judges not sending armed thugs to jail, through August 20, 2018 1983 people mostly of color have been shot by mostly people of color, of whom 317 have died (when will Chicago get serious about this carnage or is this the case of true racism as a Blue run city turns a deaf ear and a blind eye to the slaughter of mostly people of color by mostly people of color and when will Emanuel who has been MIA resign or be voted out of office?).

        As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to the Bobbie Gentry,
factoids of interest for this day in history, the fact that hopefully your present is free of any serious mortmains and a relevant quote from T.S. Eliot on poetry, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like college graduations, 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. Poets’ Day—celebrating the art form of poetry that has been around since the time of the Sumerians and expressed in many languages. To observe the day read a book of poems or go to my blog www.alsakanpoet.blogspot.com 2.  National Senior Citizen’s Day—created by President Ronald Reagan on this day in 1988 to honor the contributions of seniors and to promote awareness of the issues confronting them in their golden years.

3. 1967 Number One Song— the number one song in 1967 on a run of 4 weeks in that position was “Ode to Billie Joe” by  Bobbie Gentry. Here is a recording of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZt5Q-u4crc Now retired she lives two miles away from the Tallahatchie Bridge memorialized in her “Ode to Billie Joe.”

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “mortmain” which means restrictive effects of the past on the present which describes the effects of the disastrous deficits of Bush and especially Obama on present fiscal policies.

5. No Harm No Foul—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1936 of Wilt “the Stilt” Chamberlain who averaged over 30  points per game although he was a lousy free throw shooter and set the single game scoring record of 100 points; a lifelong bachelor who never fouled out of a professional game, he claimed to have slept with over 20,000 women before passing away from a heart attack at age 63.

 On this day in: 

a. 1957 the world became a much more dangerous place with the successful test by the Soviet Union of the R-7 Semyorka, the world’s first intercontinental missile with the ability to carry a nuclear warhead some 3,400 miles.

 b. 1961 Motown Records released its first number one recording “Please Mr. Postman” by the Marvelettes.

c. 1968 James Anderson, Jr. was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Cam Lo, South Vietnam on February 28, 1967 when he rolled on top of an enemy grenade that had landed near him to protect those fellow Marines near him; he became the first African-American Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

 d. 2000 Tiger Woods won the PGA Open becoming the first golfer since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three major tournaments in a single season.

e. 2017 a solar eclipse coming ashore in Oregon traversed the continental United States and was witnessed in Salem, Oregon by the Alaskanpoet.

    Reflections on poetry as we celebrate Poet’s Day:  “Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things.” T.S. Eliot
    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 www.Alaskanpoethistory.blogspot.com for just This Day in History.

© August 21, 2018 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive Lasting Lift