April 7 History National Beer Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—April 7, 2015 Trust your Tuesday is proving to be a great one unless you were a Badger fan in the NCAA finals. As always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances albeit somewhat meager today, factoids of interest, music video of Percy Faith, and a relevant quote by William Harding, anticipating a savory slice of coffee cake to go with cold beer, blessed  with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.
       1. World Health Day—celebrating the most valued treasure a person can have—one’s good health.
       2. National Beer Day—celebrating the beginning of the end of Prohibition by allowing the sale of beer with less than 3.2% alcohol on this day in 1933.
      3. 1960 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 1960, as part of a nine week run, Theme from a Summer Place by Percy Faith, noted Canadian bandleader, composer and considered to be father of “easy listening.” Here is a music video of a performance of Theme from a Summer Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaXzeQoWTko  
      4. National Coffee Cake Day—celebrating that great snack designed to break up the day along with a cup of your favorite coffee, iced or hot.                                                                         
      5.  Moonbeam Day—commemorating or bemoaning depending on your political views the birthday on this day in 1938 of Governor Moonbeam, Jerry Brown who has the distinction of being both one of the youngest and the oldest governor.
On this day in
     a. 1827 John Walker, an English chemist, sold the first friction match.
     b. 1922 the Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall was bribed to lease the Teapot Dome Naval Oil Reserve to private oil companies at low rates—before Watergate, the scandal was this nation’s most infamous scandal and Fall became the first Cabinet member to be sentenced to prison.
     c. 1940 Booker T. Washington became the first African American to be featured on a postage stamp.
     d. 1948 the World Health Organization was founded and is still very active today combating health problems of disease, malnutrition and unsanitary water.
     e. 1964 IBM announced the release of its System 360 computer.

Reflections on what keeps presidents up at night: “I have no trouble with my enemies. I can take care of my enemies all right. But my damn friends, my god-damned friends, White, they're the ones who keep me walking the floor nights!” President Harding to  William Alan White       Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 155 growing followers and please 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. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times © April 7, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare Rhymes for the Memorable Times The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

april 6 history Tartan Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—April 6, 2015 Trust your Easter weekend was a great one and your Monday is off to a great start. As always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances albeit somewhat meager today, factoids of interest, music video of Champs, and a relevant Easter quote by Frederick Buechner Williams, anticipating a savory deep dish pizza to share with friends, blessed  with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.

       1. Tartan Day—celebrating if you are lucky enough like this poet to have Scottish heritage the wearing of a tartan to proclaim your clan and listen to the bagpipes.

       2. New Beer’s Eve—celebrating the end of Prohibition the next day on April 7, 1933.
      3. 1959 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 1959, as part of a five week run, Venus  by Frankie Avalon, that iconic teen idol and film beach goer teamed with Annette Funicello and still going strong at 74. Here is a link to his performing Venus on the Dick Clark Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fakpqLDEQAo
      4. National Hostess Twinkie Day—celebrating that great snack invented by James Dewar in 1930 and on the hit list of Michelle Obama.                                                                          

      5.  Helix Day—commemorating the birthday on this day in 1928 of James Watson who with Francis Crick discovered the double helix shape of DNA.

On this day in

     a. 1329 Scotland affirmed its independence from England by signing the Declaration of Abroath.

     b. 1712 the second slave revolt in the colonies occurred at New York City; it was suppressed and 21 blacks were executed for their role in it.

     c. 1808 John Astor formed the American Fur Company that would make him America’s first millionaire. 

     d. 1965 Early Bird, the first communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit, was launched.

     e. 1996 Travelers Group announced the 76 billion dollar merger with Citicorp which created Citibank.

Reflections on the first slave revolt:  ” An oligarchy of race, where the Saxon rules the African, might be endured; but this oligarchy of sex which makes father, brothers, husband, sons, the oligarchs over the mother and sisters, the wife and daughters of every household... carries discord and rebellion into every home of the nation.” Susan B. Anthony, noted American suffragette      Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 155 growing followers and please 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. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times © April 6, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare Rhymes for the Memorable Times The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

April 5 History Easter

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—April 5, 2015 Trust your Easter weekend is proving to be a great one and your Easter is spiritually refreshing. As always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances albeit somewhat meager today, factoids of interest, music video of Champs, and a relevant Easter quote by Frederick Buechner Williams, anticipating a savory deep dish pizza to share with friends, blessed  with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.
       1. Cold Food Day (China)—celebrating the time to plant seeds and bring water to the rice paddies in China.
       2. Easter—an observance celebrating the resurrection of Christ and for the children the Easter baskets filled with treats and the chance to find Easter eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny whose fellow rabbit the Gutenberg Hare is immortalized in poetry. http://alaskanpoet.blogspot.com/2015/04/easter-bunny-and-easter-hare.html
      3.  1958 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 1958, as part of a five one week run, Tequila by Champs, the first band to with an instrumental as their first release vault into the number one position. Here is a link to Champs performing Tequila on the Dick Clark Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5J802Hqsu8
      4. National Deep Dish Pizza Day—celebrating that great pizza created in Chicago in 1943 by Uno’s Pizzeria founder Ike Sewell (hopefully the national pizza chains will be giving discounts in honor of the day).

                                                                  

          

      5.  Ride Ended Too Soon Day Day—commemorating the birthday on this day in 1949 of America’s second female astronaut after Sally Ride who was on her second Space Shuttle mission on board the Challenger which exploded shortly after takeoff, killing all aboard.
On this day in
     a. 1614 Native American Princess Pocahontas married John Rolfe in Virginia.
     b. 1792 George Washington exercised for the first time a veto, rejecting a bill that would have increased the number of Congressional seats in the North (already the seeds of discontent over the issue of slavery were beginning to germinate).
     c. 1922 the American Birth Control League, the precursor of Planned Parenthood was formed.                                                         
     d. 1932 President Franklin Roosevelt signed two Executive Orders 6101 creating the Civilian Conservation Corps and 6102 forbidding Americans to hoard gold bullion.

     e. 1993 construction began at Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Reflections on Easter and the connection to God: “And now brothers, I will ask you a terrible question, and God knows I ask it also of myself. Is the truth beyond all truths, beyond the stars, just this: that to live without him is the real death, that to die with him the only life?” Frederick Buechner author of The Magnificent Defeat      Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 155 growing followers and please 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. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times © April 5, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare Rhymes for the Memorable Times The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

April 3 History Good Friday

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—April 3, 2015 Trust your Good Friday is proving to be a great one and your Easter will be a joyous one. Hope you enjoyed an exciting win by Stanford over Miami to take its third NIT title. As always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances albeit somewhat meager today, factoids of interest, music video of Crazy Town, and a relevant quote by Paul Hoffman, enjoying a large serving of chocolate mousse, blessed  with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.
       1. Good Friday—commemorating the crucifix of Christ.
       2.Weed Out Hate Day—hard to find a better way to honor Christ than by removing the weeds of others based on their creed, race, gender or ethnicity; in the same way that weeding a garden enables it to prosper so too does the weeding of hate from a person enables the soul and spirit to flourish.
      3. 2001 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 20010, as part of a one week run, Butterfly by Crazy Town, an American rap metal band formed in 1995. Here is a video link to Crazy Town performing Butterfly, which was the band’s most notable hit from a very short list of hits:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKzX5zRdsq0
      4. National Chocolate Mousse Jelly Day—celebrating a true desert classic.
      5. I Could Have Been a Champ—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1924 of one of the greatest champions in acting—Marlin Brando.
On this day in
     a. 1860 the Pony Express commenced operations from St. Joseph, Missouri delivering mail to Sacramento, CA in the unheard of time of 10 days. The Pony Express operated for 18 months and was put out of business by the transcontinental telegraph.
     b. 1948 President Harry Truman signed legislation creating the Marshall Plan which provided $5 billion ($49 billion in today’s dollars) of aid to 16 countries which aid was credited in preventing Western Europe from falling to the Communists.
     c. 1973 Martin Cooper of Motorola made the first hand held mobile phone call to Joel Engels of Bell labs; it would take 10 more years before the DynaTAC 8000X became the first mobile phone to be commercially released with a price tag of $3995, 30 minutes of talk time and the ability to store up to 30 numbers. Amazing how far cell phone technology has advanced since the DynaTAC 8000X was introduced.    

                                                                     
     d. 1981 the Osborne 1 the first successful portable computer was introduced at the West Coast Computer Faire in San Francisco. It weighed 23.5 pounds with 64 Kbs of memory and was priced at $1795 ($4884 in today’s dollars).  
      e. 2010 Apple, Inc. released the iPad, a tablet with computing power that makes the Osborne 1 look like someone computing with a hammer and chisel.                                        
    

Reflections on the Marshall Plan: “If he had listened to some of his advisors and had tried to make the Marshall Plan a political dumping ground for unqualified politicians, it couldn't have been a success.” Paul Hoffman, noted automobile executive who was a director of the Economic Cooperation Administration which administered the Marshall Plan.      Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 155 growing followers and please 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. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times © April 3, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare Rhymes for the Memorable Times The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Easter Bunny and the Easter Hare

The Easter Bunny and the Easter Hare 

During Easter week the Easter Bunnies are so busy, free time is very rare,

Picking chocolate eggs and rabbits, Easter grass and candies for children to share.

On Easter morn, hard to find a doorstep without the signs of an Easter Bunny there.

But in this chocolate kingdom, a new suggestion voiced from the Gutenberg Hare,

“Fellow rabbits I do not want to break tradition,

Never accuse me of treason or sedition,

We all bring the joy of Easter in a long anticipated rendition,

But in your sweet baskets perhaps a small welcome addition?”

Now rabbits may squeak but they rarely complain or moan,

Yet from the twitching tails and noses came a collective moan,

“Our baskets are overloaded; handles already cut through to the bone,

any addition would be too much weight to carry alone!”

The Gutenberg Hare slowly raised his paw above the rabbits’ complaining din,

Even though a gentle, studious hare, this was a dispute he must win,

For the joy of Easter should not be only a chocolate web to spin.

Slowly he bent over into an open, non candied laden bin.

He lifted and put into his Easter basket a book every child would want to read,

“Friend rabbits chocolate is divine; on it children will always draw a bead,

But a good book read is like a farmer planting the seeds,

Of morals, thoughts, fables, or heroes to do good deeds,

Teachings and lessons to show the way or teach how to lead.

Lucky is the child, who has a large chocolate to savor and not waste,

While reading a book for sweet knowledge is also a long lasting taste.”

And so with a voice vote that closed the friendly debate,

For no rabbit on Easter morn wished to be late,

To the lucky houses chocolates and candy baskets left on porch or stair, 

Followed by a basket of books left by a Gutenberg Hare.  

Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet

© 3/24/2005

 

April 2 History World Autism Awareness Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—April 2, 2015 Trust your Thursday is proving to be a great one and you dodged any pranks on April Fools’ Day and you are preparing to cheer for Stanford in the in the finals of the NIT against Miami tonight. As always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances albeit somewhat meager today, factoids of interest, music video of Santana, and a relevant quote by Paul Collins, reliving your childhood by enjoying a peanut butter and  jelly sandwich, blessed  with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.
       1. International Children’s Books Day—celebrating since 2000 the unbeatable joy of reading to a small child and then watching him or her picking up a book to read.
       2. World Autism Awareness Day—an observance promulgated by the UN General Assembly and observed since April 2, 2008. If you see someone wearing blue today, it may not be because they are a Duke fan rooting for them in the NCAA finals or a rabid democrat but rather because they are observing World Autism Awareness Day. 
      3.  National Ferret Day—celebrate a very intelligent pet legal to own in 48 states but not California by going to a web site to promote efforts to put on the ballot a referendum to ferret out the problem and make it easier to own these adorable pets: http://igg.me/at/CLIFF/x/292522
      4. 2000 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 2000, as part of a long 10 week run, Maria Maria by Santana, a Latin rock band formed in San Francisco which has sold more than 90 million records. Here is a video link to Santana performing the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPLV7lGbmT4
      5. National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day—celebrating a kid’s favorite sandwich but more likely that not on Michelle Obama’s hit list.
      6.  Can We All Get Along Day—observing the birthday in 1965 of Rodney King, whose brutal beating by the LAPD following a traffic stop which was caught on video spawned the 1992 LA riots after the officers charged were acquitted.
On this day in
     a. 1900 the U.S. Congress passed the Foraker Act, granting limited self rule to Puerto Rico.
     b. 1917 Woodrow Wilson who ran on a campaign of keeping the U.S. out of World War I asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany due to its sinking by submarines or U.S. ships in the Atlantic and the interception of the Zimmerman telegram enlisting Mexican support for attacking the U.S.
     c. 1972 Lexis Nexus the computerized legal search service was launched which made the search for legal precedence much easier but did little to lower legal fees incurred.                                                               
     d. 1982 Argentina invaded the Falklands, British possessions some 7,000 miles from Great Britain; its troops were soundly defeated in 74 days.
     e. 1976 George Wallace, governor of Alabama, infamous for his attempts to block integration of public schools in Alabama announced that he would not seek a fifth term as governor, probably due to the fact that he had been paralyzed in a 1972 assassination attempt by Arthur Bremer while running for president.

Reflections on Autism:  “Think of it: a disability is usually defined in terms of what is missing. … But autism … is as much about what is abundant as what is missing, an over-expression of the very traits that make our species unique.” Paul Collins, author of Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism and the parent of an autistic child      Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 155 growing followers and please 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. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times © April 2, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare Rhymes for the Memorable Times The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

April 1 History Poetry and the Creative Mind Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—April 1, 2015 Trust your April Fools' Day is proving to be a great one by not falling for any pranks and you are preparing to cheer for Stanford in the in the finals of the NIT against Miami on Thursday night. As always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances albeit somewhat meager today, factoids of interest, music video of Cher, and a relevant Arab proverb and  quotes by Mark Twain and George Orwell, enjoying a some sourdough bread, blessed  with a positive attitude even though you know you will have to wade through tons of spam in your inbox, and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.
       1. Edible Books Day Day—celebrating the since 2000 the unbeatable combination of a love of knowledge found in books with a hunger for food; great way to read and then eat your book. www.books2eat.com
       2. Fossil Fools Day—an observance promoted by Greens since 2004 opposing the use of energy derived from fossil fuels. Nice play on words but somewhat misguided especially when natural gas with its low carbon footprint is replacing coal in the generation of electricity in this country.
      3.  Poetry and the Creative Mind Day—celebrate today by writing a poem, reading some of mine www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com or some poems from your favorite poet.
      4. 1999 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song on this day in 1999, as part of a 4 week run, Believe by Cher still going strong at 69 and noted for her distinctive contralto voice. Here is a video link to Cher performing the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Uu3kCEEc98
      5. National Sourdough Bread Day—celebrating a great bread to use in your sandwiches or as a bread bowl to serve clam chowder in.
      6.  RMS Day--celebrating not a typo with the “R” but rather the birthday on this day in 1973 of Rachel Maddow the first openly gay commentator on MSNBC appearing nightly during the week in the same time slot as Megyn Kelly on Fox and therefore gets creamed by the Kelly File.
On this day in
     a. 1891 to the delight of gum chewers everywhere, the Wrigley Company was founded in Chicago.
     b. 1893 the naval equivalent of sergeant in the army, chief petty officer was established.
     c. 1957 in what would rank as a classic April Fools' Day Hoax; the BBC broadcasted its spaghetti tree hoax on Panorama. Years later, CNN was to call the hoax the largest hoax created by a reputable news organization. Photo is of a woman harvesting spaghetti from a “spaghetti tree.”
                                                                                 

                                                               

     d. 1976 Apple, Inc. was formed by Steve Jobs, Steven Wozniak and Ronald Wayne.
     e. 2004 Google announced the release of Gmail to the general public.

Reflections on April Fools' Day:  “April 1. This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four." — Mark Twain "The aim of a joke is not to degrade the human being, but to remind him that he is already degraded." — George Orwell  "A fool may be known by six things: anger without cause; speech without profit; change without progress; inquiry without object; putting trust in a stranger; and mistaking foes for friends." — Arab proverb      Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 155 growing followers and please 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. Go to Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times for comments on important and breaking news events that should be of interest. www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com Ridley's Believe It Or Not  Rhymes On The Newsworthy Times © April 1, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare Rhymes for the Memorable Times The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift