April 30, 2020 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Honesty Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For April 30, 2020 The CV pandemic across the planet continues with 78,218 new cases  (a 2.44% increase in new cases compared to 2..27% yesterday) to bring the total to 3,296,401 cases, 2,027,463 of which  are active, 1,268,938  of which have been closed with 1,035,494 recoveries (81.6% compared to over yesterday’s 81.43%) and 233,444 deaths (18.4% compared in yesterday’s 18.57%); in the U.S. which has the dubious distinction of leading the world in total cases with new cases of 24,742 have brought total cases to 1,088,936 (a 2.34% increase compared to yesterday’s 2.03%  increase)  with 873,879 active cases and 215,057 closures, 63,568 of which have been deaths ( 29.56% compared to  yesterday’s 29.48%) and 151,489  of which  have been recoveries (70.44%  compared to yesterday’s 70.03% ), while total testing has increased to 6,293,312,  an increase of 196,549  (governors starting to open their states must be on pins and needles that a spike in new cases not attributed to increased testing is manifested); Whitless Whitman ignoring protesters in and outside the Capitol and after slamming Red lawmakers extended her arbitrary lock-down orders for another month; while Pelosi has the House out until May 5 being paid and 30 million Americans are out of work, she comes out in support of Hidin’ Biden despite Tara Reade’s allegations, supports the MeToo Movement but rants about the need for due process (which she and her fellow Blues flushed down the toilet during the Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearings (what a pathetic partisan hypocrite); Biden in 2012 donated all his Senate records to the University of Delaware with the understanding that they would be open to the public on January 20, 2020 but the Board of Trustees in April of 2019 hours before Biden announced his run changed that to the later of December 31, 2019 or two years after he retires from public office and now rising calls given the Tara Reade allegations form even MSM outlets like WAPO that the University release the files (given that some trustees have had close ties with Biden who was known as Senator MBNA don’t hold your breath although reports are that Dem operatives have been given access); Pelosi is being slammed for another impeachment Mulligan event by stacking her COVID-19 response investigating House committee with strong impeachment advocates; on the CV front SCOTUS Justice Alioto has ordered Pennsylvania to respond to a group of businesses that have alleged that governor’s stay at home order is unconstitutional (the longer we are in lock down mode and the economy tanks look for more recourse to the courts to set aside what many believe are a loss of Constitutionally protect civil liberties); documents finally released after efforts akin to pulling teeth suggest the FBI was trying to set Flynn up to be accused of lying and that lovebird Strzok put an end to attempts to halt the FBI’s investigation of Flynn because no evidence of criminal activity had be found; Brittany Cooper a tenured Associate Professor at Rutgers University and poster child for a degree that leads to no jobs, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, was touting back after profane F* rants blaming Trump and his supporters for the deaths of African-Americans from COVID-19 that she can’t be fired because of tenure; Mayor DeBlasio remains a total buffoon singling out Hasidic Jews for prosecution for attending a funeral and standing by while the NYC Subways have been taken over by the homeless making it near impossible for first responders who use them to get to work to ride them; in Chicago, as of April 29, 2020, 763 shootings of whom 143 have died but none yesterday (so much for the effectiveness of Chicago’s stay at home order); Baltimore with a fraction of Chicago’s population and hoping against all hopes that 2020 will not be a record in terms of deaths is now 54 behind Chicago with 89 murders (when will Chicago and Baltimore 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 people of color by people of color and when will the left focus on the problem of color on color shootings in Blue run cities which have been more deadly and more numerous than random mass shootings?).

       As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest for this day in history, a musical link to Next, the fact that you enjoy an orthobiosis life and a quote by Naveen Jain on naming innovators, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like Father’s Day, 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. Honesty Day—created by a former Press Secretary for the State of Maryland in the early 90’s as the perfect bookend in April which begins with a day of falsehoods, April Fools Day, and ends on the anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration as president in 1989.

2. Camarón Day—celebrated in France and by members of the French Foreign Legion commemorating a heroic stand by 62 members of the French Foreign Legion in Hacienda Camarón, Mexico in a battle lasting 10 hours against 3,000 Mexicans in which 43 Legionnaires were killed and 19 captured of whom 17 were wounded and many of these died from their wounds but inflicted 190 deaths and over 300 wounds against the Mexicans before being forced to surrender.

3. 1998 Number One Song— the number 1 song in 1998 on this day on a run of 4 weeks in the position was “Too Close” By Next. Here is a recording of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwEZRPkAAu8 This R&B African-American trio popular in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s is still performing today.

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “orthobiosis” which means correct or moral way of living which is a good place to be.

5. No Longer To Be Lost—celebrating to the relief of drivers everywhere, the birth on this day in 1921 of Roger Easton, the principal inventor of the GPS whose device closed down for good on May 8, 2014.

 On this day in:               

 a. 1939 NBC inaugurated its television broadcasting service with a broadcast of President Roosevelt’s opening ceremonies of the New York World’s Fair.

 b. 1975  the Vietnam War formally ended with the unconditional surrender of South Vietnamese President Duong Van Minh who had assumed office two days earlier to the North Vietnamese entering the suburbs and who was allowed to retire unharmed to his villa in South Vietnam and emigrate 8 years later to France.

 c. 1993 to the joy of all future users of the internet, CERN announced that all World Wide Web protocolswould be free.

 d. 2008 Russian scientists found the skeletal remains near Yekaterinburg, Russia that were later confirmed to be those of Alexei and Anastasia two children of Tsar Nicholas who with his family was executed by Communists.

 e. 2009 Chrysler filed for Chapter XI Bankruptcy.

Reflections on GPSs: “Today, people idolize athletes and celebrities - and yes, highly successful and visionary business people like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, but not the innovators who perhaps have not seen such high-flying levels of success. Can anyone name the inventors of GPS, which has such a huge impact on our lives today?” Naveen Jain, noted serial entrepreneur. If you followed Ridley’s Believe It Or Not, you would know the answer to the question as it notes his birthday today.  

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.             

© April 30, 2020 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

April 20, 2020, Ridley's Believe It Or Not International Dance Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For April 29 , 2020 The CV pandemic across the planet continues with 70,656 new cases (2.27% increase in new cases compared to 2.18% yesterday) to bring the total to 3,207,164 cases, 1,982,969 of which  are active, 1,224,195  of which have been closed with  996,826 recoveries ( 81.43% compared to over yesterday’s 81.41%) and 216,221 deaths (18.57% compared in yesterday’s 18.59%); in the U.S. which has the dubious distinction of leading the world in total cases with new cases of 20,881 have brought total cases to 1,056,646 (a 2.03% increase compared to yesterday’s 2.61% increase)  with 850.146 active cases and  207,500 closures, 61,180 of which have been deaths (29.48% compared to  yesterday’s 29.37%) and 140,138 of which  have been recoveries (70.03%  compared to yesterday’s 70.63%), while total testing has increased to 6,096,763,  an increase of 272,956  (governors starting to open their states must be on pins and needles that a spike in new cases not attributed to increased testing is manifested); New Jersey Governor has bowed to protest and will open parks and beaches this weekend but Arizona is extending the stay at home order set to expire tomorrow to May 15;  Hidin’ Biden received and endorsement from Hillary while in his basement and looked like he was nodding off and appeared to not know where he was as he continues to remain silent on Tara Reade’s sexual assault allegations; Hidin’ Biden has been letting the MSM carry his water to mount his Tara Reade defense but today the NYT rebuked the Biden campaign for misstating and recasting its report on the growing scandal (Biden should be listening to WAPO’s urging for him to address the issue); finally the good news on the CV front as Fauci announced promising results of patients using Gilead Science’ drug remdesivir which in one study significantly reduced the recovery time and Vermont announced no new coronavirus cases in 7 weeks; Representative Justin Amash who left the Reds to become a Blue has announced he has launched an exploratory group to consider running for president as a Libertarian; as the world wonders where the North Korean equivalent of Where’s Waldo  and what his health is; satellite images of luxury yachts at an exclusive resort near Wonsan suggest he may be there; in a never underestimate the ingenuity of American business, the Devil Lounge in Portland, Oregon is staying open by having a drive-thru strip performance which includes delivery to the car of any food ordered along with a complimentary roll of toilet paper; in Chicago, as of April 28, 2020, 759 shootings of whom 143 have died but none yesterday (so much for the effectiveness of Chicago’s stay at home order); Baltimore with a fraction of Chicago’s population and hoping against all hopes that 2020 will not be a record in terms of deaths is now 54 behind Chicago with 89 murders (when will Chicago and Baltimore 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 people of color by people of color and when will the left focus on the problem of color on color shootings in Blue run cities which have been more deadly and more numerous than random mass shootings?).

       As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest for this day in history, a musical link to Puff Daddy featuring Mace, the fact that you enjou ornithoscopy and a quote by Jody David Armour on the 1992 L.A. Riots, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like Father’s Day, 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. Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare—created by the UN on November 11, 2005 and first celebrated on this day in 2006 to honor the dead who have died or been wounded by exposure to chemical weapons. April 29 was chosen as it marked the anniversary of the effective date of Chemical Warfare Convention.

2. International Dance Day—created in 1982 to celebrate the contribution of dance to our culture and society.

3. 1997 Number One Song— the number 1 song in 1997 on this day on a run of 6 weeks in the position was “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down.” By Puff Daddy featuring Maze. Here is a recording of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMh_VsTuXtE This rapper and record producer is estimated to have a net worth of $750 million.

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “ornithoscopy” which means bird watching with is a relaxing occupation to enjoy.

5. Sing a Song of Tax Relief—celebrating the birth on this day in 1933 of a true music icon who started writing songs at 7 and started playing guitar for a local band at age 9 and went on to sell millions of records, write 3 books and to pay off millions to the IRS, released The IRS Tapes: Who’ll Buy My Memories with the profits going to his substantial IRS debt; a long time supporter of marijuana and user with numerous arrests to show for it, he has recently sworn off it because of respiratory problems but still performing now and then at 87.

 On this day in:               

 a. 1968 the controversial and long running musical Hair opened at the Biltmore Theater on Broadway.

 b. 1986 in a Fahrenheit 451 moment, a massive fire at the Los Angeles Central Library destroyed or damaged over 400,000 books and other items.

 c. 1992 the acquittal of LAPD officers beating Rodney King but unfortunately for them caught on camera prompted a riot in Los Angeles that in 5 days caused 63 deaths, 2,383 injured, some 12,000 arrests, hundreds of structures burned and damaged, widespread looting and over $1 billion in damages.

 d. 2011 Prince William married Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in a ceremony viewed by millions in the U.K. and around the world.

 e. 2015 in an omen of what baseball may be like under the coronavirus the Baltimore Orioles played the Chicago White Sox before zero fans due to the Baltimore Riots that were taking place.

Reflections on the 1992 L.A. Riots: “"When the verdict came out, it was a stunner for people coast to coast. My jaw dropped.There was ocular proof of what happened. It seemed compelling, and yet, we saw a verdict that told us we couldn't trust our lying eyes. That what we thought was open and shut was really 'a reasonable expression of police control' toward a black motorist."Jody David Armour, a criminal justice and law professor at the University of Southern California  

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.             

© April 29, 2020 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

April 28, 2020 Ridley's Believe It Or Not International Workers Memorial Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For April 28, 2020 The CV pandemic across the planet continues with 56,356  new cases (2.18% increase in new cases) to bring the total to 3,118,871 cases, 1,955,460 of which  are active, 1,163,411 of which have been closed with 947,190 recoveries (81.41% compared to over yesterday’s 81.33%) and 216,221 deaths (18.59% compared in yesterday’s 18.67%); in the U.S. which has the dubious distinction of leading the world in total cases with new cases of  16,668 have brought total cases to 1,027,024 (a 2.61% increase compared to yesterday’s 1.4% increase)  with 828,605 active cases and 198,419 closures, 58,281 of which have been deaths (29.37% compared to  yesterday’s 29.1%) and 140,138 of which  have been recoveries (70.63% compared to yesterday’s 70.9% ),  while total testing has increased to 5,823,807,  an increase of 184,264 (governors starting to open their states must be on pins and needles that a spike in new cases not attributed to increased testing is manifested); Sunny Hostin of The View is just as clueless as Behar as she attacks Doctor Birx for enabling Trump to spread “misinformation” was slammed by Amy Klobochar, who really wants to be VP candidate for Biden; Hidin’ Biden held a virtual town hall with Hillary Clinton to pick up her endorsement but to no one’s surprise not a single question was asked about Reade’s sexual abuse allegations (is there not a single member of the MSM free of TDS who will confront Biden on Reade’s allegations?); in a news conference today President Trump raised the possibility of more aid to mostly run Blue cities in a conjunction with an end to sanctuary city status (talk about a needed silver lining in the midst of a crisis); Florida’s Governor DeSantis has defended his partial opening of Florida while the Governor of Massachusetts is going to extend his lock down until May 18; in the propaganda war China is blasting the U.S. for lying through its teeth as YouTube censors any video critical of the W.H.O.; first it was toilet paper, paper towels and sanitizers and now potentially meat as various meat processing plants have been hit with coronavirus surges (Trump announced he was invoking the Defense Production Act to keep meat processing plants open as supplies are reaching critical levels in markets); another industry commercial fishing is taking it in the shorts due to the large number of restaurants not buying their products; Kamala Harris who never met an open border she didn’t like has lost her voice and remains mute on Reade’s allegations against Biden (she must want that VP slot very, very bad); Pfizer has announced that a COVID-19 vaccine may be ready for emergency use this fall (don’t bet the farm but definitely good news); in Chicago, as of April 27, 2020, 751 shootings of whom 141 have died but none yesterday (so much for the effectiveness of Chicago’s stay at home order); Baltimore with a fraction of Chicago’s population and hoping against all hopes that 2020 will not be a record in terms of deaths is now 52 behind Chicago with 89 murders (when will Chicago and Baltimore 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 people of color by people of color and when will the left focus on the problem of color on color shootings in Blue run cities which have been more deadly and more numerous than random mass shootings?).

       As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest for this day in history, a musical link to Celine Dion, the fact that you do not suffer from ornithophobia and a quote by Mick Jaggar after learning of the death of L’Wren Scott, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like Father’s Day, 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 Workers Memorial Day—created by created by the AFL-CIO in 1989 and celebrated on this day as the anniversary of the enactment of OSHA in 1970 as a day of remembrance for workers killed, disabled, injured of otherwise made unwell in the course of their work.

2. Great Poetry Reading Day—not sure by whom or when this day to enjoy poetry was created but it is easy to celebrate by reading some poetry and if you have no ideas let me suggest @Alaskanpoet.com on Twitter or www.Alaskanpoet.blogspot.com.

3. 1996 Number One Song— the number 1 song in 1996 on this day on a run of 6 weeks in the position was “Because You Loved Me” by Celine Dion. Here is a recording of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDcuRgk-JEI This incredibly successful Canadian with a great voice is still going strong and bringing great enjoyment to her millions of fans.

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “ornithophobia” which means a fear of birds which you might develop after seeing Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.

5. Designing Clothes But Not LIfe—celebrating the birth on this day in 1964 of Laura “Luann” Bambrough better known as L’Wren Scott, a noted model, stylist and fashion designer and who was in a long term relationship with Mick Jaggar from 2001 until her death on St. Patrick’s Day 2014 when she killed herself by hanging.

 On this day in:               

 a. 1944 6 German E-Baots attacked a convoy of LSTs practicing an amphibious landing for D-Day at Slapton Sands, England sinking several ships and killing 746 sailors and soldiers and wounding some 200, an attack which was not repeated with any major success on D-Daydegre.

 b. 1945 Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci were shot dead by Italian partisans and then hung up in public in Milan before angry crowds.

 c. 1973 Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon rose to Number 1 on the Billboard 100 Chart to begin a record 741 week run on the charts.

 d. 1994 former CIA counterintelligence agent Aldrich Ames pled guilty to committing espionage for the Soviet Union and later Russia; has was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole and is currently rotting in a federal prison at Terra Haute, Indiana.

 e. 2004 in a black for the U.S. Army, CBS News released video showing rape and abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib detention facility.

Reflections that suicide always has more than one victim: “I am still struggling to understand how my lover and best friend could end her life in this tragic way. We spent many wonderful years together and had made a great life for ourselves. She had great presence and her talent was much admired, not least by me. I have been touched by the tributes that people have paid to her, and also the personal messages of support that I have received. I will never forget her.” Mick Jaggar on his web site after learning of her death.

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.             

© April 28, 2020 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 Lif

April 27, 2020 Ridley's Believe It Or Not World Design Dayr O

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For April 27, 2020 The CV pandemic across the planet continues with 55,158 new cases (22.2% decrease in new cases) to bring the total to 3,048,420 cases, 1,920,896 of which  are active, 1,127,524 of which have been closed with 916,985 recoveries ( 81.33% % a .42% improvement over yesterday’s 80.91%) and 210,539 deaths (18.67% , a 41% improvement); in the U.S. which has the dubious distinction of leading the world and has just cracked the 1,000,000 case mark with new cases of 13,728 have brought total cases to 1,000,888 (a 1.4% increase compared to yesterday’s 2.61% increase)  with 807,100 active cases and 193,788 closures, 56,323 of which have been deaths (29.1% compared to  yesterday’s 31.8%) and 137.465 of which  have been recoveries (70.9% compared to yesterday’s 68.2% ),  while total testing has increased to 5,639,543,  an increase of 182,934 (governors starting to open their states must be on pins and needles that a spike in new cases not attributed to increased testing is manifested); unlike Ms. Ford’s allegations against Kavanaugh who had no corroboration of the alleged assault, two more people who knew Tara Reade have come forward to substantiate her sexual assault claim against Creepy Joe Biden who picked up an endorsement from Nancy Pelosi who seems to have joined the ignore Biden’s sexual proclivities crowd; Joy Behar on The View in full rant attack Dr. Birx for defending Trump whom she claims is senile; China is flexing its propaganda muscles on the CV front as fear of not being able to get medical supplies in the CV Pandemic fight may be muting EU criticism of it; Airbnb responding to CV fears has announced enhanced cleaning protocols of properties and a 24 hour window between rentals; in a sign of the CV times, Air Asia has unveiled new uniforms for its flight attendants to aid in the fight against COVID-19 coronavirus:

Cuomo may be the darling of social media for his briefings on the CV front, but the New York Nurses Association has sued his Department of Health over the lack of PPE to protect its members; in Chicago, as of April 26, 2020, 746 shootings of whom 141 have died (so much for the effectiveness of Chicago’s stay at home order); Baltimore with a fraction of Chicago’s population and hoping against all hopes that 2020 will not be a record in terms of deaths is now 54 behind Chicago with 87 murders (when will Chicago and Baltimore 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 people of color by people of color and when will the left focus on the problem of color on color shootings in Blue run cities which have been more deadly and more numerous than random mass shootings?).

       As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest for this day in history, a musical link to Montell Jordan, the fact that you are open to orisons in dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic, and a quote by Tom Hodgkinson on computers and mouses, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like Father’s Day, 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. Marine Mammal Rescue Day—created by California State Senator Toni Atkins on this day in 2017 to honor the large number of marine biologists, veterinarians and animal care specialists who rescue thousands of hurt, starving or diseased marine mammals that wash up on our shores.

2. World Design Day—created by Pat Paulsen in 1995 to celebrate the contributions to our society and well being by designs.

3. 1995 Number One Song— the number 1 song in 1995 on this day on a run of 7 weeks in the position was “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan. Here is a recording of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVi8bJFIac8 This African-American R&B singer took a 5 year hiatus from music from-2010 to 2015 to practice his faith as a Born Again Christian Minister.

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “orison” which means prayer which may be a good idea as we start to open up the economy with concerns that the COVID-19 virus will come roaring back as result.

5. Sportsmanship Transcends National Borders—celebrating the birth on this day in 1913 of Carl Ludwig “Lutz” Long, a German long jumper who won a Silver Medal behind Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics while Hitler was having a snit fit over the losses suffered by Super Aryan athletes but he is best remembered for advising Owens to avoid fouling out in the qualifications to takeoff a couple inches behind the board which he did and won a Gold Medal. Unfortunately, Long was killed on July 14, 1943 of Sicily.

 On this day in:               

 a. 1974 in another move toward his removal from office, 10,000 people marched in Washington, D.C. demanding his impeachment.

 b. 1981 Xerox PARC introduced the computer mouse.

 c. 1987 the U.S. Department of Justice barred the entry in to the U.S. of Austrian President Karl Waldheim and his wife on the grounds both were Nazis and he had been involved in deporting thousands of Jews for execution as a German Wehrmacht officer.

 d. 2006 Construction began on the Freedom Tower, later renamed One World Trade Center.

 e. 2018 the Panmunjom Declaration is signed by North Korea and South Korea, indicating their desire to end the Korean Conflict.

Reflections on the computer mouse:  “To me there is no more depressing sight than a five-year-old staring at a screen, unsmiling, mouse in hand. Besides whatever dreadful things this prolonged exposure to screens is doing to their brains, computer games tend to be solitary affairs, and produce little laughter.” -  Tom Hodgkinson, noted British author and proponent of the relaxed life.

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.             

© April 27, 2020 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

April 26, 2020 Ridley's Believe It Or Not World Intellectual Property Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For April 26, 2020 The CV pandemic across the planet continues with 70.016 new cases (14.7% decrease in new cases) to bring the total to 2.989,420 cases, 1,906,190 of which  are active, 1,083,230  of which have been closed with  832,550 recoveries (80.91 % a .50%  improvement over 80.41%) and breaking the 200,000 mark and 206,730 deaths (19.08 %,  a .51% improvement); in the U.S. which has the dubious distinction of leading the world, new cases of 24,884  have brought total cases to 985,535 (a 2.61% increase compared to yesterday’s 3.21% increase)  with 811,429 active cases and 174,106 closures, 55,365 of which have been deaths (31.80% compared to from yesterday’s 31.78%) and 118,741  of which  have been recoveries (68.20% compared to yesterday’s 68.22% ),  while total testing has increased to 5,456,609,  an increase of 199,701 (governors starting to open their states must be on pins and needles that a spike in new cases not attributed to increased testing is manifested); in a hopeful sign the USNS Comfort has discharged its last patients and will at the end of next week; Gropin’ Joe Biden is still in basement for Reade’s sexual abuse allegations in hidin’ while on Sunday News Shows a cone of silence on questions to his potential running mates on the allegations (MSM needs on this to change acronym to MSN—“Monkeys See Nothing”; McCarthy is not mincing words when he calls the W.H.O. the “Wuhan Health Organization” while demanding from Pelosi to get Congress back to work; while the CV Pandemic has been a disaster for small businesses it has been manna from heaven for felons , charged or convicted as they are being released due to fears of CV infecting big time jails and prisons as in New York City charged rapist Robert Pondexter released just ten days ago from Rikers Island is back charged with attempted rape (sadly in California with its no cash bail law, felons don’t need a CV Pandemic excuse); in Chicago, as of April 25, 2020, 738 shootings of whom 140 have died (so much for the effectiveness of Chicago’s stay at home order); Baltimore with a fraction of Chicago’s population and hoping against all hopes that 2020 will not be a record in terms of deaths is now 55 behind Chicago with 85 murders (when will Chicago and Baltimore 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 people of color by people of color and when will the left focus on the problem of color on color shootings in Blue run cities which have been more deadly and more numerous than random mass shootings?).

       As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest for this day in history, a musical link to R. Kelly, the fact that you are not orgulous unlike Pelos, and a quote by Mikhail Gorbachev on Chernobyl, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like Father’s Day, 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. World Intellectual Property Day—created by the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2000 to commemorate the importance of patents, copyrights, trademarks and designs in improving our lives but sadly does not promote awareness of the massive ongoing theft of IP by China.

2. International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day—commemorating the world’s worst reactor disaster on this day in 1986 that exposed millions to released radiation which like the Communist Party in China on the pandemic originating in Wuhan, the Soviet Communist Party tried to cover up but was caught due to radiation monitoring stations in neighboring countries. The reactor has been shut down and covered in concrete surrounded by an exclusion zone that extends 30 kilometers in all directions due to radiation contamination.

3. 1994 Number One Song— the number 1 song in 1994 on this day on a run of 4 weeks in the position was “Bump and Grind” by R. Kelly. Here is a recording of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAXxkNaRkp8 This former semi-pro basketball has sold millions of records and has been called the “Pied Piper of R&B” which might be appropriate as he has had a checkered career involving allegations of sex with minors and is now in jail awaiting trial on 18 federal counts including child pornography, forced labor and kidnapping.

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “orgulous” which means haughty and describes aloof and out of touch Pelosi to a tee.

5. Behold A Camelot Revival—celebrating the birth on this day in 1970 of Melania Trump a Slovene ex fashion model who because of intense TDS Vanity Fair is loathe to put this 47^th First Lady on its cover.

 On this day in:               

 a. 1945 the Wehrmacht fought its last successful battle of WWII against Soviet and Polish forces at Bautzen.

 b. 1960 South Korean President Sygnman Rhee was forced by trhe April Revolution to resign after 12 years of dictatorial rule.

 c. 1981 Doctor Michael R. Harrison performed at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center the world’s first open fetal surgery.

 d. 2005 Syria withdrew the last of its 14,000 troops from Lebanon, ending a 29 year occupation of the country.

 e. 2018 a jury found Bill Cosby guilty of 3 counts of indecent assault and he was sentence on September 18, 2018 to 3 to 10 years and is now in a Pennsylvania State Prison.

Reflections on Chernobyl: “The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant…has painfully affected the Soviet people, and shocked the international community. For the first time, we confront the real force of nuclear energy, out of control.” -Mikhail Gorbachev, former Premier of the Soviet Union.

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.             

© April 26, 2020 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

April 25, 2020 Ridley's Believe It Or Not World Malaria Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For April 25, 2020 While Cuomo has been sending released COVID-19 patients to nursing homes to infectr residents, California is sending its National Guard to nursing homes to help stop the spread; the CV pandemic across the planet continues with 82,092 new cases (.8% increase in new cases) to bring the total to  2,910,918 cases, 1,875,503 of which  are active, 1,035,415  of which have been closed with  832,550 recoveries (80.41% a .53%  improvement over 79.88%) and breaking the 200,000 mark with 202,865 deaths (19.59 %, a .53% improvement); in the U.S. which has the dubious distinction of leading the world, new cases of 29,128  have brought total cases to 954,360 (a 3.21% increase from yesterday’s 2.26% increase)  with 784,296 active cases and 170,064 closures, 54,049 of which have been deaths ( 31.78% down from yesterday’s 36.15%) and 90,338  of which  have been recoveries (68.22% up from yesterdays 63.85%),  while total testing has ramped up to, 5,256,908  an increase of 305,330  over yesterday (spike in increased cases could be coming from increased testing and hopefully the the tentative baby steps to reopen the economy); the liberal MSM that has protected “Groper In Chief” Joe Biden with a cone of not airing a word over Tara Reade’s allegations may be opening the flood gates by airing her mother’s phone call to the Larry King  Show years ago (when does Biden emerge from his basement and how long with the MSM hide his dwindling mental faculties?); MSM may be taking down its cone of Biden protection but only silence on behalf of the DNC which has outraged Sanders supporters; before his brother broke quarantine and almost assaulted a bicyclist in a moment of rage for being caught, brother Andrew was belittling the adverse effects on health by having to stay home news out of NYC that murders this week at 10 have doubled last year’s number of 5; sad news out of Long Island, Phil Kahn, a 100 year old decorated WWII veteran who had symptoms of COVID-19 but was not tested until the day he died had lost his twin brother to the Spanish Flu (talk about history repeats itself); in Chicago, as of April 24, 2020, 732 shootings of whom 139 have died (so much for the effectiveness of Chicago’s stay at home order); Baltimore with a fraction of Chicago’s population and hoping against all hopes that 2020 will not be a record in terms of deaths is now 54 behind Chicago with 85 murders (when will Chicago and Baltimore 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 people of color by people of color and when will the left focus on the problem of color on color shootings in Blue run cities which have been more deadly and more numerous than random mass shootings?).

       As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest for this day in history, a musical link to Snows, the fact that the ordalian effects of the COVID-19 cannot last forever, and a quote by Anthony Fauci on malaria, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like Father’s Day, 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. Parent Alienation Awareness Day—calling attention to the fact that the most severely affected victims in a divorce are usually the children arising out of custody fights and the despicable proclivity practiced by far too many custodial parents to do whatever they can to alienate the child from the noncustodial parent.

2. World Malaria Day—created by W.H.O. in 2007 to promote awareness of a disease that claims some 700,000 lives a year, mostly African children and the need to fund mosquito eradication and disease prevention efforts.

3. 1993 Number One Song— the number 1 song in 1993 on this day on a run of 7 weeks in the position was “Informer” by Snow. Here is a recording of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSffz_bl6zo. This 59 year old Canadian born Darrin O’Brian has broken easily the color barrier for doing reggae music and is still going strong.

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “ordalian” which means of, like or pertaining to an ordeal which describes to a tee what COVID-19 is putting us through.

5. Be Careful Who You Work For—celebrating the birth on this day in 1963 of Joy Covey, the first CFO of Amazon who was killed while bicycling by a OneTrac van which Amazon had contracted with to carry Amazon packages.

 On this day in:               

 a. 1944 the United Negro College Fund was incorporated. With its motto of “A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste” its endowment has risen to over $100 million dollars.

 b. 1954 laying the foundation for a future Green Deal, Bell Labs demonstrated the first practical solar cell.

 c. 1961 Robert Noyce was granted a patent for an integrated circuit and the Electronic Age accelerates.

 d. 1983 ten year old school girl Samantha Smith was invited to visit with Soviet Premier Yuri Andropov after she wrote him a letter expressing her fears over nuclear weapons; she accepted and flew to the Soviet Union but could only speak with him by phone as he had been hospitalized. Sadly she was killed in an airplane crash on August 25, 1985 returning from a film shoot as a child actress.

 e. 2007 Boris Yeltsin’s funeral was the first to be sanctioned by the Russian Orthodox Church since the funeral of Tsar Alexander III in 1894.

Reflections on malaria from one knee deep in alligators dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic: “It is now widely recognized that any attempt at malaria eradication must be a long-term commitment that involves multiple interventions, disciplines, strategies and organizations.” Anthony Fauci. Let’s hope he is not diverted from  his work on COVID-19 back to malaria.
        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.             

© April 25, 2020 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

April 24, 2020 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For April 24, 2020 On the CV front validating that a one day rise of 122.47% does not a war lose, the number of new cases in the U.S. decreased 27.98% from yesterday as Georgia, with 264 new cases increased its total cases to 22,147 CV cases, opened bowling alleys, hair salons, barbershops, tattoo and massage parlors under criticism by many like Stacey Abrams that it was irresponsible (more and more states are inching forward to open certain businesses and even Gavin Newsom who always want to look good has reopened salons and barbershops in California); the CV pandemic across the planet continues with 81,390 new cases (3.94% increase in new cases) to bring the total to 2,804,559 cases,1,832,578 of which  are active,  971,981 of which have been closed with 776,387 recoveries (79.88% a .24 % improvement over 79.64%) and 195,594 deaths (20.12 %, a .25% improvement); in the U.S. which has the dubious distinction of leading the world, new cases of 19,774 have brought total cases to 906,216 (a 2.26% increase  with 764,739  741,513  active cases and 141,477 closures, 51,139 of which have been deaths (36.15% down from yesterday’s 36.87%) and 90,338  of which  have been recoveries (63.85% up from yesterdays 63.13%),  while total testing has ramped up to,   4,951,578  an increase of 443,718  over yesterday; the House agreed to the massive stimulus bill which Trump has signed but already governors are crying for more aid (Newsome finally did something useful for Californians not just illegals by signing an executive order prohibiting debt collectors from garnishing the stimulus checks from the federal government while thousands upon thousands of California jobless are being disqualified from receiving benefits with no explanation of why and faced with the impossibility of getting through to the California’s EDD); AOC once again displayed her inane lack of reality by being the only Blue to vote against the $484 billion stimulus bill because “it is too small”; under the guise of the CV pandemic Congress has its pedal to the metal to increase spending without any attempt to rein in any spending including salaries for itself and our national debt is projected to exceed  our GNP by year end (watch out for the wolves of inflation!); Hidin’ Biden may have lost it mentally still remembers how to rake in donations as despite his pledge to the contrary which may have slipped his mind is still taking in money from oil and gas interests; the Black Knight of China that brought us the COVID-19 Pandemic is trying to become the White Knight by contributing $30 million to W.H.O.’s budget; Witless Whitman already in a snit with the legislature trying to curb her executive orders has indicated she will not respond to any FOIA requests until June; in Chicago, as of April 23, 2020, 725 shootings of whom 137 have died (so much for the effectiveness of Chicago’s stay at home order); Baltimore with a fraction of Chicago’s population and hoping against all hopes that 2020 will not be a record in terms of deaths is now 52 behind Chicago with 85 murders (when will Chicago and Baltimore 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 people of color by people of color and when will the left focus on the problem of color on color shootings in Blue run cities which have been more deadly and more numerous than random mass shootings?).

       As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest for this day in history, a musical link to Kriss Kross, the fact that you are not needing a orchidometer, and a quote by Mustafa Ariz on the Armenian Genocide, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like Father’s Day, 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. Armenian Genocide Rembrance Day—commemorating the genocide of Armenians by the Turks of the Ottoman Empire that stared on April 24, 1915 with the roundup and eventual murder of some 270 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders and continued with the death of up to 1.5 million Armenians through 1924 by execution and forced exile during harsh conditions that killed many of the participants.

2. Fashion Revolution Day—started in 2014 to commemorate the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh when  an 8 story garment factory collapsed, killing over 1,1000 workers, and to promote worker safety and transparency in third world countries engaged in producing clothing.

3. 1992 Number One Song— the number 1 song in 1992 on this day on a run of 8 weeks in the position was “Jump” by Kriss Kross. Here is a recording of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPB84Plv8tc. African American hip hop duo of Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly and Chris “Daddy Mac” Smith was noted for its outlandish clothes which they often wore backwards. The duo ceased performing when Chris Kelly stopped jumping with a fatal drug overdose on May 1, 2013.

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “orchidometer” which is not a device to measure any property of orchids but rather the size of testicles.

5. Winter Can Be the New Summer—celebrating the birth on this day in 1952 of producer Ralph Winter who has produced such notable films as the Startrek series, I, Robot and Planet of the Apes.

 On this day in:               

 a. 1967 Cosmonaut Vladimir Kormarov has the dubious distinction of being the first human to die in a space mission when his parachute on Soyuz I failed to deploy on relanding.

 b. 1980 in an incident that help sink Jimmy Carter’s reelection, 8 U.S. soldiers died in the Iranian desert during Operation Claw, an operation which was designed to rescue the hostages held by the Iranians at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

 c. 1990 the universe became much clearer and closer when Space Shuttle Discovery launched the Hubble Telescope.

 d. 2004 the United States lifted economic sanctions imposed on Libya 18 years ago as a reward for terminating its nuclear weapons program.

 e. 2011 to the embarrassment of the Pentagon, WikiLeaks started publishing the Guantanamo Bay files leak, detailing the abusive treatment of terrorist detainees being held there.

Reflections on the Armenian Genocide: ”Surely a few Armenians aided and abetted our enemy, and a few Armenian Deputies committed crimes against the Turkish nation... it is incumbent upon a government to pursue the guilty ones. Unfortunately, our wartime leaders, imbued with a spirit of brigandage, carried out the law of deportation in a manner that could surpass the proclivities of the most bloodthirsty bandits. They decided to exterminate the Armenians, and they did exterminate them.” Mustafa Arif, Ottaman Minister of Interior, December 13, 1918.

        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.             

© April 24, 2020 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