A New Wallenda Great or Not?

As the talk of the coronation begins to dim due in part to self inflicted wounds
And the book tour and the first week on the campaign shows to the middle class she may not be attuned
Hillary is facing a challenge to keep Obama’s support yet walk a tightrope to distance herself from Obama
While with the private email servers and Clinton Foundation mired in continuing drama
If she cannot in the voters’ mind create from Obama some space
Listen for the chorus that we do not need 4 more Obama years from the Reds in the race
But the more space she manages to create
What does that mean for support from Obama’s base she then alienates?
With Sanders, Warren and now O’Malley urging her to move further to the left
While also creating distance from Bill who had a likeable personality and as a politician was more deft
The actions Bill put in place to fight crime she wants to “reform” under the mantra of times change
While fighting off allegations that her role as Secretary enabled him to exorbitant speaking fees arrange
Already she and Warren under pressure from the unions have come to TPP oppose
Obama has already stated Warren is wrong although like Iran details are classified and may not be disclosed
Obama is hell bent for election to ram his second legacy down our throats
While the Senate concerned over “Death to the U.S. and Israel” is demanding a vote
Hillary on the Iran deal has been somewhat coy
On her views on whether this “agreement” if reached will prevent Iran from nukes to employ
In short, she is beginning to look like one of the Great  Wallendas who may not be Great without a safety net
Fearful of the next impromptu unscripted campaign misstep
Like the Johnny Carson of the old game show, the Reds will be the emcee of Who Do You Trust?
After “What Does It Matter? To Whom Should We the Security of this Nation Entrust?”  
Needing an image of transparency, openness and trust to the voters projected
While her whole being and psyche seems to have a case of terminal secrecy infected
Lurking in the wings is the potential candidacy of Jim Webb, former Senator, Secretary of the Navy and Marine
Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star with an understanding of security and the threats to be foreseen
Last but not least is the specter of the House obtaining her server with her emails to recover
God help her if she destroyed government ones or conflicts of interest Reds are able to discover
© April 30, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
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7,000 Starbucks Urns Hit by Glitch

When it comes to dealing with cyber war we Americans are a resilient lot
We have survived massive hacking of our records at Target when goods there we bought
We have survived a vicious cyber hack of Sony to force cancellation of a film parody
Believed to be engineered by the unbalanced North Korean tyranny
80 million accounts in the Anthem database were cyber hacked
Another 11 million accounts of Primera were also breached in a cyber attack
If you use a credit card it seems like the hacker is sitting at your side
No matter how hard you try to your information hide  
Though billions are now being spent to in cyber wars try to win
Our computer systems keep taking it on the proverbial chin
But finally on last Friday our collective patience came to a complete stop
Across the nation in 7,000 outlets we could no longer shop
Not because of a hack but a computer glitch
Barring us from an addiction impossible to unhitch
Starbucks somehow could no longer accept and consideration at its point of sale
Caffeine addicts seeking their fix were doomed to fail
Some outlets started to free coffee disburse
While at Starbuck’s the baristas at the IP department muttering a curse
The mark of a great company consistent with its product and service is how it responds
“All hands on deck” was the call and to the joy of caffeine lovers the glitch was fixed before dawn
What has happened to Starbucks should be a commerce wakeup call
A glitch like what happened to Starbucks could affect other companies one and all
We are increasingly by point of sale networks subject to computer links
Which if they fail could bring even the largest company to bankruptcy brink
In the same way in times of high gas prices, carriers add a fuel surcharge
Retailers in times of high hacking or glitches could add a fee to pay for a larger targe
© April 30, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
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EPA Appeal to Stoners for Climate Chane Help

Given what happened in the Denver office of the EPA
Comes as no surprise that Gina McCarthy was comfortable in appearing between a gap in the rap “music” being played
Less the good citizens of this country forget; Denver EPA staffers unknown were not crapping in the stalls
Rather they were leaving turds on the floors in the Denver EPA office halls
Strange way to protect our waterways from solid waste water pollution
Even though indoor plumbing was supposed to represent a great advance in sanitary evolution
When it comes to porn, the ultimate degrading of a woman’s body and mind
The EPA to its officers and employees watching hours of porn daily turns eyes that are blind
Fortunately for us, the more porn EPA staffers watch, the less time for regulations crippling business write
Less time to devote to the War on Fossil Fuels misguided fight
Symbolic that an agency that seems mired in the fusion of its own filth and porn
Appeals to the scum of the earth and ultimate misogynists, the rappers who all decency scorn
Gina McCarthy taking a break from her War on Fossil Fuels at the Broccoli Music Festival appears
To urge the rappers and fans raise their voices on climate change  while besieged by a slew of profane insults that would cause most women to cover their ears

The voices of the rappers stoned and completely high

Who any semblances of authority want to defy

While viewing women as complete and total fools

Bitches, a place good only for a haven for their third leg tools
Good for only creating more babies out of wedlock, abandoned and doomed to a life of poverty and crime
Are not the voices we need to hear in any rational discussion of climate change from these slimes
Fortunately, for those of us who may be serious about this issue, the stoned rappers and their fans
Are too high to such basics as how to vote, contact an elected official or write a letter understand
© April 30, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
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Ridley's Believe It Or Not April 30 History National Honesty Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—April 30, 2015 Trust your Thursday is off to a great start and you are rattled by the difficulties inherent in waiting to the last moment in picking out the appropriate Mothers’ Day gift which see below is easy to solve. As always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids of interest, music videos of Kiss on My List and Hair and a relevant quote by Voltaire, having enjoyed a large plate of shrimp scampi followed by an evening of dancing, 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 Mothers’ Day, 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 Jazz Day—celebrated on this day since 2011 and created by UNESCO to create appreciation for this genre of music that originated in African American communities in the 19^th and 20^th Centuries and is still going strong today.
       2. National Honesty Day— created by M. Hirsh Goldberg, former press secretary to a governor of Maryland and author of five books in the early 1990s after spending four years researching and writing The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer due to the fact since April began with a big day of lying and hit truly mind boggling levels of the 15^th he felt should end on an ethical and moral note. This is another observance that should be followed on every day especially by politicians.
       3. 1982 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1982 on a seven week run I Love Rock and Roll by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts was a rock and roll band of the 80’s and 90’s still going strong led by singer Joan Jett whom many call the “Queen of Rock and Roll” and who was elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. Here is a link to a music video of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts performing I Love Rock and Roll: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL5spALs-eA
       4. National Oatmeal Cookie Day—celebrating another one of this omnivore’s favorite cookies which in addition to the taste is probably good for you. Here is a news flash—if you want a great oatmeal raisin cookie better than your mother used to make, go to       http://www.kelliscookies.com/     
       5. Alaskan Nights—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1925 and bemoaning the death of on November 5, 1960 due to a drunk driver of, Johnny Horton, one of the Alaskanpoet’s favorite singers, especially given my Alaskan roots, since he sang North to Alaska, music and stills are in this link for you to enjoy:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSt0NEESrUA
On this day in
       a. 311 the Diacletianic or Great Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire ended; given what is happening with ISIS in Syria and Iraq and in parts of Africa involving radical Islam, that persecution almost looks benign.
       b. 1803 the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France there by doubling the size of our young nation.   
       c. 1927 in a blow for equality for women the Federal Industrial Institute for Women, the first federal prison for women, was opened in Alderson, West Virginia.
       d. 1956 former Vice President and current Senator Alben Barkley, in a perhaps poor chosen word utterance at the Washington and Lee Mock Convention, stated, “I'm glad to sit on the back row, for I would rather be a servant in the House of the Lord than to sit in the seats of the mighty,” He collapsed seconds later from a heart attack and died.
       e. 1983 CERN announced that the World Wide Web protocols would be free.
Reflections on honesty on this National Honesty Day: “Honesty doesn't always pay, but dishonesty always costs.” Michael Josephson, noted ethicist who founded the Joseph and Edna Josephson Institute for Ethics. Honesty is the foundation of ethics and character which is why this day should be observed not once a year in April but daily.
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 30, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
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Mayor Denies Stand Down Order Really?

With cameras put in your face, reporters demanding answers and rioting erupting all over the place
Words not carefully thought out due to a quick response needed, might be words one would like to replace
And maybe in the heat of the chaos that caught you unprepared to suppress
You forgot the words to the reporters you used to address
You said you wanted to give the protesters who wanted to destroy the city space
A balance between lawful protest and the riots erupting all over the place
We might be able to give Stephanie Rawlings-Blake the benefit of the doubt
Until her denials and blaming the media as your weakness in response began to mount
In a world of video where every word is recorded even those on unknown open mikes
You cannot deny what was captured on tape that you never said it or would say it your offensive first strike
Words captured live on tape for all the world to see

Denying them means going forward you have lost any and all credibility

All you had to say would have been “ in the heat of the riots with stones, fire and smoke
I did not chose my words carefully and I obviously misspoke
Worse than denial of words on tape are the reports that you as mayor instructed the police to stand down

As the thugs were begin to loot and torch parts of your town

Who would believe the denial of the stand-down order by Mayor Blake?
Or the report which explains why the Blue Line did not try to stop what the looters were trying to take?
Should we believe in the report “it’s only property” you observed?
You must have felt if it was only property, the looters with their space did not arrests deserve
News flash Madam Mayor! It is the property being looted and not sold
That will leave the store owners and their employees out in the economic cold
If as mayor you could order the police to stand down, where were you to the police culture to the black community address?

If you had been doing your job, your city and its owners and employees of damaged businesses would have avoided this mess

You were not prepared and on the issue of the relations between the citizens and the police

You seem to have been asleep at the job and your tenure as mayor should cease

© April 29, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
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Food Psychology

When it comes to eating too many Americans eat too much of not the right things
No wonder we are increasingly obese with all the ills that such eating brings
Too much fat, sugar, salt, cholesterol, foods refined and lacking fiber and red meat  
Just a matter of time until strokes, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart attacks we greet
Napoleon once said an army travels on its stomach with provisions to eat
Without enough calories so hard to advance and an enemy defeat
But for the rest of us not on the march to the sound of cannons and drums
Much harder for the fork’s, knife’s and spoon’s march to proper nutrition to have begun
Too many food choices with calories, fat, sugar, and salt to our good health unwind
While the food CEOs try to influence our emotions and lessen the influence of our minds
For example, if you want to be a party success
And the good looking ladies impress
It’s Doritos to munch and a Heineken to drink
Forget about what Michelle with her vegetables and fruits thinks
Herd the adults to the Golden Corral for a buffet that never ends
More prepared meals loaded with salt and models eating burgers a marketing trend  
                                                               

Children want Tony the Tiger and the Leprechaun with his Lucky Charms

Regardless of the massive amount of sugar harm
And for adults it’s Ensure clearing the fridge of Mayo and corn dogs
Maria Osmond touting the easy weight loss with Nutrisystem without miles to jog
Make no mistake about it when it comes to selling food, emotions trump the mind
No wonder when it comes to eating what’s right for us, most of us are blind

© April 29, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
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Clinton Foundation Spends 88 Percent on Poverty Programs?

This is another Clinton scandal that gets longer legs each and every day
News coming out on how little to programs that benefit the poor the Clinton Foundation gave away
The Clinton Foundation has raised two billion dollars and to its poverty programs it claims 88 percent
Such claims are now being questioned and evidence may reveal that a lot less on poverty was spent
Like the private email server and the failure by the foundation to many of its foreign donors disclose
The Clintons weave a complicated web of complexity that makes it difficult for the public to know
Where the money comes from and how it was spent
But more importantly whether laws against conflicts of interests were bent
Hillary has admitted in filings the Foundation made mistakes
As cash into it from foreign governments it continued to rake
The Better Business Bureau in 2012 gave the Foundation a failing accountable grade
Lack financial reporting transparency keeping transaction covered in the dark of shade
Another review by the BBB is about to be begin
If it is more of the same as voters thirst for someone to trust, harder for her to win
One thing the Foundation has over many of its rivals when it comes to fundraising costs while Hillary was Secretary of State
The money would flow in from foreign governments and companies with issues pending on her plate
All of us, Red and Blue, are all thankful the Bill’s plane to Africa to the release of Clinton Cash dilute
Even with engine trouble landed safely, was on the ground briefly then off again from its Tanzanian route
© April 29, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
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Bali 9 Executed For Drug Smuggling

In the war on drugs many an American believe the War on Drugs has been lost

Fighting it in terms of DEA corruption, crowded jails, gang and cartel violence has come   at too great a cost

The rumble we hear is the barriers against the use of marijuana beginning to crumble

The drive to ban drugs and send the users to prison starts to stumble

While in the U.S. increasingly the debate over the legalization of drugs is becoming passionate and loud

Whether marijuana for medical or recreational use should be allowed

Evidence on damage to the user’s mind and body is still not completely in

Despite the NORML pitch on less harmful than alcohol or smoking spin

Worries on lack of drive and energy seem to be beginning to abate

As more and more people even those not in sweet perfume are looking to the State

Heroin is much harder to debate but methadone seems to prevail

Still our users are dying in droves on the OD needled trail

Meth is a different animal and ages a person at hyper speed

Rotting the teeth and destroying a lot of the cranial capacity to prosper we need

Some debate over the harshness of penalties especially when it comes crack

Too many black youth and men on a one way prison track

Prison time yes but sentences are being cut back

But the death penalty for drugs we rightfully lack.

In Indonesia against the drug smuggling death penalty there are few opposing voices

Only stand, kneel or sit are a condemned drug smuggler’s only choices

Today the Bali Nine had their rendezvous with a firing squad

Despite pleas from the governments of Australia and France, the Indonesians’ desire    to execute never thawed

One would hope the condemned had blind folds; facing rifles so close one could not miss the heart

That the command was visual and at the same time all of the Bali Nine would from this earth depart

Also that this execution might in the future smuggling reduce

                        If not, bring opponents of the death penalty home to roost

Better yet, encourage debate on why its use should be not a cause for death or jail

When history tells us Prohibition of drugs or alcohol is doomed to fail

                                                                   © April 29, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
                                                                    Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

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Ridley's Believe It Or Not April 29 History International Day of the Dance

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—April 29, 2015 Trust your Hump Day is off to a great start and you are rattled by the difficulties inherent in waiting to the last moment in picking out the appropriate Mothers’ Day gift. As always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids of interest, music videos of Kiss on My List and Hair and a relevant quote by Voltaire, having enjoyed a large plate of shrimp scampi followed by a night of dancing, 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 Mothers’ Day, 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 Dance Day—celebrated on this day since 1982 and created by the International Council for Dance to educate the general public to this unique human form of art.
       2. Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare (International)—commemorating the victims of chemical weapons from the horror of liquid fire in antiquity to mustard and chlorine gas in World War I to the possible use of chemical weapons today by ISIS; April 29 was chosen as that was the day that Chemical Weapons Convention was signed which today has be signed by all but five nations one of which should not surprise you--North Korea.
       3. 1981 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1981 on a three week run Kiss on My List by Daryl Hall and John Oates, following in the footsteps of another hit by Blondie—Rapture. Hall and Oates were a dynamic duo that achieved great fame in the 70’s and 80’s with the fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues. Here is a link to a music video of Hall and Oats singing Kiss on My List: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHXvosmjaOI
       4. National Shrimp Scampi Day—celebrating another one of this omnivore’s favorite dishes. In honor the day Red Lobster is offering ten shrimp scampi at $2.99 to be added to any entrée.
       5. You Don’t Need a Horse to Be a Duke—commemorating the birthday on this day in 1899 of one of the most influential jazz musicians of all times with over 1,000 compositions which he called not jazz but American Music—Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington.  
On this day in
       a. 1882 the Electromote, the forerunner to the trolleybus, was tested in Berlin by Ernst Werner von Siemens.
       b. 1910 the British Parliament passed the People’s Budget, the first budget in British history with the goal of redistributing the wealth of the creators of jobs to those less fortunate—coincidence that since that time the sun set more and more on the English Empire.
       c. 1953 ABC affiliate KECA in Los Angeles broadcasted the first 3D television Space Patrol.
       d. 1967 after refusing induction into the Army on religious grounds, Mohamed Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay was stripped of his heavy weight championship title.
       e. 1968 the controversial musical Hair with nudity, drugs and an antiwar message  opened at the Biltmore Theatre in New York City. Here is a link to the song Hair from the musical Hair:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dyl0j3WU6Y
Reflections on dance on this International Dance Day: “Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.” Voltaire, noted 18^th Century French Enlightment author, philosopher and historian noted for his attacks on the Catholic Church, advocacy of freedom of religion and expression and separation of Church and State. I agree with him on dance but to some it extent reading depends on what you are reading, i.e. Al Qaeda tracts on how to make IEDs.
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 29 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
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The Iran Naval Mouse Roars Will We Respond

We have become accustomed to Somalian individuals posing as pirates and seizing ships
Even Hollywood pounced on the acts in Captain Phillips as acting as snipers freed Hanks from the pirates’ grip.
But to see nations in the act of boarding and seizing you have to go back to the Barbary Pirates, the scourge of the Mediterranean Sea
Ottoman corsairs on a ransom of cargo and crewman spree
We went to war to rid these parasites and add to the Marine Hymn another memorable line
And to the universal concept of freedom of international navigation define
Today that naval mouse of the Mideast has just roared
Firing upon and boarding a container ship and leading it to the Iranian shore
Rumor has it that the Iranian convoy enroute to Yemen with sophisticated weapons on board
May have turned around and has by so doing sheathed its weaponry sword
Having lost face in the might of a U.S. nuclear carrier force
Another attempt by this terror state its regional hegemony seek to enforce
Or is it but another attempt to the U.S. resolve disgrace?
The ship flew the Marshall Islands flag which we may have the obligation to defend
If so and no action by us is not the message to the region and the world we should want to send
A line in the sand which Obama vowed and then immediately went into retreat mode
Emboldened our foes, dismayed our allies but inaction where a duty to defend is owed
Will a major erosion of our standing in the world of nations forebode?
It is almost given Obama’s desire to the nuclear deal he will do anything into our inaction let the Iranians goad
Death to America, Death to freedom of navigation and delivery of a huge portion of the world’s oil
For his supposed legacy, once again like in the ACA our president has sold his soul

© April 28 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
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State Stalls on FOIA Requests

Thank God for groups like Judicial Watch that FOIA requests do not hesitate to lodge
Especially when our government is in secret mode and its accountability tries to dodge
Judicial Watch has been in a holy legal war with the Department of State
As FOIA request after request like planes trying to land in the fog are told to wait
Why the Department of State is on a mission to protect the Clinton Foundation’s from conflict of interest probes
Stalling, redacting and refusing to documents deliver due to its desire to insure her crown and purple ermine robe?
 When Hillary is no longer at its head?
Does it mean culpability of the bureaucrats Hillary led?
Hillary’s strategy in addition to the messenger debase
Is to stall and stall in the hope that time will public attention erase
It has to be time only because as a lame duck Obama has most likely shot his scandal load
Save maybe the Iran nuke “deal” there may not be much on the horizon to attention on conflict of interest scandals erode
Keep up the good work Judicial Watch
Always relentless when the feds’ transparency is botched
© April 28 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
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Ridley's Believe It Or Not April 28 History Great Poetry Reading Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—April 28, 2015 Trust your weekend was a great one and your Taco Tuesday is also is off to a great start. As always, I  hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids of interest, a music video of Call Me and a relevant quote by John F. Kennedy, having enjoyed a large slice of blueberry pie ala mode,  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. Workers’ Memorial Day—can international observance to promote awareness of the need for work safety in the workplace.
       2. Great Poetry Reading Day—celebrating the joys of reading poetry to a group or to a prospective boy or girl friend (It is also Kiss Your Mate Day and nothing warms a mate's heart more than a great romantic poem). I of course am partial to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com.  
       3. 1980 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1980 on a six week run Call Me  by Blondie, a very popular pioneer band in new wave and punk rock that has sold over 50 million records, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, and is still performing today. Here is a link to a music video of Blondie singing Call Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StKVS0eI85I (Debbie Harvey has a great voice).
       4. National Blueberry Pie Day—celebrating this omnivore’s favorite desert especially when served ala mode.    
       5. Lists Can Be Your Friend Day—commemorating the birthday on this day in 1908 of German industrialist who saved over 1,200 Jews from the Holocaust and is buried in Jerusalem, the only member of the Nazi Party to be accorded that honor.
On this day in
       a. 1253, Nicheren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, propounds Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō for the very first time and declares it to be the essence of Buddhism, in effect founding Nicheren Buddhism.        
       b. 1503 in a preview of the destructive capabilities of rifles, the Battle of Cerignola in Southern Italy between Spanish and French forces with the Spanish armed with arquebusiers defeating a larger French army. It was the first battle won by small arms fire.
       c. 1869 Chinese and Irish laborers working for the Central Pacific set an unmatched record for laying track—10 miles.
       d. 1996 in one of many scandals that have embraced the Clintons over the years, President Clinton gave a 4 ½ hour deposition for the defense in the Whitewater Scandal.
       e. 2001 Dennis Tito became the first space tourist paying for a ride on a Soviet spacecraft to visit the International Space Station. Wonder what 20 million would buy in terms of fine wine and cuisine.  
Reflections on great poetry from the eyes and ears of a great president: “When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” John F. Kennedy—I can hardly wait to find some time today to craft a poem or two and read them out loud
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 28 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes for All the Memorable Time
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Riots in Baltimore, Calm in Tulsa

If the voices of black males on police brutality are heard but never listened to
Easy to see how resentment among the black community in Baltimore grew
Years of citizen protests over violence without arrests
A course of conduct in Baltimore that black lives don’t matter suggests
Thousands upon thousands of dollars paid out to dismiss civil brutality suits
No wonder distrust and hatred for the police have in Baltimore deep roots
Following the funeral of Freddie Gray, that hatred was in full display
Looting of stores, arson, attacking the police in a roving mobs’ fray
Looting will not bring Freddie Gray back
Nor will throwing bricks and stones at police to attack
Here we have a black mayor who seemed to give the protests a get out of jail card
Only to walk it back today as the police after the funeral were caught off guard
A tale of two cities—Tulsa where an unarmed black was shot and killed by Reservist Bates
Who although on bail a trial for involuntary manslaughter now awaits
There was no riot in protest
No videos of looters and rioters subject to arrest
Baltimore where a man’s spine is broken while in a police van
A death that is hard to fathom or understand
Save the fact the officers are on paid administrative leave
While the Gray family is left to wonder and greave
The officers deserve due process but there seems to be a lack of the D.A.’s sense of urgency
Leaving the feeling of hopelessness in a black community deemed persecuted run free
Looting and rioting, if Freddie Gray’s death is not to be in vain, must end
But the police department needs to be reformed if we are ever going to stop this death of unarmed black men growing trend.
© April 27 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
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