June 18, 2016 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Autism Pride Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For June 18, 2016. Unfortunately still 236 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term as he appears more petulant every day as his complete lack of any strategy against radical Islam and his delusional failure to identify it as a major problem to our way of life continues to pile up bodies; quiet day on the national political front as a latest poll shows HRC’s lead over Trump eroding after Orlando shooting, but Sanders vows he is still in and the “Anyone but Trump” movement is still trying to figure out a way to stop him; Oakland run by Democrat mayors for the last 43 years just lost its 3^rd police chief in nine days; the governor of the state of Rio deJaneiro has just added the threat of fiscal insolvency and breakdown of social services to the Zika woes plaguing the upcoming Summer Olympics; Obama lends a deaf ear to the plight of a CIA operative and American citizen who Portugal will be extraditing to Italy that convicted her in absentia for being part of a conspiracy that abducted an infamous terrorist back to Egypt.

On the nonpolitical front California is beset by raging wildfires in the Santa Barbara that have consumed 9 square miles, have destroyed dozens of homes and threaten hundreds more and closed down Highway 101 for two nights in a row; on a lighter note we all know that Christian McCaffrey is a superstar on the football field (totally robbed of the Heisman last year) but little did we know he has all the harmonica moves Billy Joel has:   http://pac-12.com/article/2016/06/16/watch-christian-mccaffrey-plays-piano-man-harmonica 

On a light note, as always, I hope  you enjoy today’s holidays and observances,  music links to Andy Gibb and Paul McCartney, factoids of interest, a  relevant quote from Claire Scovell LaZebnik, while looking forward to enjoying a several pieces of your favorite sushi, blessed with a positive attitude and  secure in  the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like birthdays, weddings, or  anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem  at a great price  tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.

1. Autism Pride Day—created by Aspies For Freedom in 2005 to create awareness of the unique characteristics of people in the autism spectrum and their accomplishments and challenges.

2. Go Fishing Day—celebrating a great way to reconnect with your “hunter-gatherer” roots; grab your pole, head to a nearby stream, lake, or ocean either in a boot or on land and experience the truism “the worst day of fishing is always better that the best day of work.”                   

3. 1978 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1978 on a long run on nine weeks in that position “Shadow Dancing” by Andy Gibb. Here is a link to Andy Gibb performing “Shadow Dancing.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awGgULTK2v0  Sadly after years of battling cocaine addiction, he died of myocarditis at the young age of 30.

4. National Sushi Day—celebrating a reason not that one needs one to go to your favorite Japanese restaurant that also sports a sushi bar—sushi does not mean raw fish although many fish servings will be; sushi means vinagered rice.  

5. Yesterday Can Be Today And Tomorrow—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1942 of former Beatle Paul McCartney still going strong and entertaining millions with his music. As a Beatle he wrote most of their popular songs like Yellow Submarine, Hey Jude, and Yesterday.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH5x1ChYhcI

On this day in:

a. 1815 British and Prussian forces under the Duke of Wellington and von Blucher defeat Napoleon at Waterloo, leading to his abdication and exile to the island of St. Helena.

b. 1923 Checker Taxi placed its first taxi cab in service.    

c. 1948 Columbia Records introduced to the public the long playing album at a demonstration at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.

d. 1971 Richard Nixon declared that illegal drugs were “Public Enemy Number 1” and launched what became known as the “War on Drugs.” Sadly that war is still being fought and thousands upon thousands of victims have overdosed or had their lives ruined by incarceration.

e. 1983 in yet another example of the intolerance of radical Islam and Sharia, Mona Mahmudnizhad along with nine other women was sentenced to death for her Baha’i faith and hanged in Shiraz, Iran.  

Reflections on autism: “Don't think that there's a different, better child 'hiding' behind the autism. This is your child. Love the child in front of you. Encourage his strengths, celebrate his quirks, and improve his weaknesses, the way you would with any child. You may have to work harder on some of this, but that's the goal. Claire Scovell LaZebnik, noted contemporary American author  
Please enjoy the poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance or go to Ridley's Believe It Or Not for just This Day In History.

© June 18, 2016, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 
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