Ridley's Believe It Or Not June 1 History World Milk Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—June 1, 2015 Trust your weekend was a great one and your Monday is off to a good start. As always, I hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids of interest, a music video by Iggy Azalea, a relevant quote by Horace Mann, looking forward to enjoying a slice of hazelnut cake, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like Fathers’ 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. Heimlich Maneuver Day—celebrating the abdominal thrust developed by Henry Heimlich in 1974 and known by his last name, which maneuver has save thousands who would have otherwise choked to death due to food particles lodged in the trachea while eating.  
       2. World Milk Day—created by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to promote consumption of dairy products—great day to have a cold glass of milk unless you are lactose intolerant.  
        3. 2014 Number One Song—celebrating the last number one song outside the rock and roll era which children of the 60’s were addicted to, the number one song in 2014  on a seven  week run Fancy  by Iggy Azalea (featuring Charli XCX), an Australian born hip hop singer and model active since 2011. Here is a link to Ms. Azalea performing Fancy: https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-zpOMYRi0w  
       4.  National Hazelnut Cake Day—definitely a novel way to utilize a great nut.
       5.  Everyone Likes It Hot—celebrating not the pursuit of the warm sun in California but the birthday on this day in 1926 of the iconic sex symbol of the 50’s Marilyn who died of an overdose of barbiturates in 1962; one of her classic movies was Some Like It Hot  costarring Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon.  
On this day in:                                           
       a. 1495 Friar John Cor recorded the first batch of Scotch whisky.
       b. 1813 James Lawrence the captain of the USS Chesapeake after being mortally wounded uttered his immortal command—“Don’t give up the ship.”     
       c. 1890 the U.S. Census Bureau began using Herman Hollerith’s tabulating machine to count Census data.
       d. 1967 the Beatles released their iconic album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band which sold over 30 million copies worldwide.
        e. 1980 Cable News Network (CNN) began broadcasting.                  
Reflections on cable TV: “Habit is a cable; we weave each day a thread of it. At last we cannot break it.” Horace Mann, noted 19^th Century American politician and educational reformer. Watching too much TV, cable or otherwise, is a habit which is difficult to break.  
Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 160 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. o 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
© June1, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
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Beau Biden R.I.P.

It’s sadly almost like a line far worse than Joe say it ain’t so
Once again a parent reverses the order and has to bury a son named Beau
It is almost impossible even for those of us even not as parents to comprehend
The grief and sadness when with or with warning a child’s life comes to an end
Joe Biden has been cursed to go through this gut wrenching scene twice
In 1973 when a wife and a daughter Naomi without warning paid the price
A son Beau beat the uncaring, rapacious Grim Reaper for 43 years

A son of wisdom, patriotism, family, no other way to put it a good man for 46 years

43 years ago Joe Biden at Beau’s bedside was as a freshman Senator sworn in

Today again at his bedside with family he had to endure the Reaper’s delayed win

No parent should have to endure what Joe Biden has just gone through
No man of faith should ever have to drink twice the devil’s brew
This is a time where all humans any differences shed
Be you Blue, Purple or Red
And together as one our busy lives stop and join in prayer
For the grace of a loving God to help Joe and his family this grief somehow bear
This poet is a theologian not and God’s actions a mystery will  always remain
But Joe Biden’s ability to cope with this grief and not lose faith should be pillars so germane
Beau Biden, may you rest in peace and Joe Biden may God surround you in grace
You and your sons represent the goodness in men next to impossible to replace
© May 31, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
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Hillary Your Speeches Are Worse than 300 to 1

In royal protocol a queen is never addressed
Any questions of policy by mere mortals and the 4^th Estate would be suppressed
2016 seems light years away and on the Blue side on the issues where does the wanna be queen stand?
Only where the charge of hypocrisy she thinks she can with obfuscation withstand
Great sound bites since from an exposure to the press she will not permit
This one taking money from CEOs yet complaining CEOs make too much--like her in her speeches a true hypocrite
This champion of the middle class is a label by her so far from reality removed
When only 250k to 500k for a speech will the stress on her vocal cords remove
One hour to speak, maybe two hours or more prespeech work or to a canned speech to prepare
She’s worse than the 300 to 1 executive compensation she wants us to compare
Hypocrisy and an unmitigated desire by her to conceal
For you sake I hope you destroyed the email evidence as slowly State will reveal
Anyone who trusts you and your husband on the fools’ list will rank number one
Anyone who believes in integrity and honesty your coronation should shun
© May 31, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes for All the Memorable Times
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Ridley's Believe It Or Not May 31 History World No Tobacco Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—May 31, 2015 Trust your weekend is off to a good start. As always, I hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids of interest, a music video by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, a relevant quote by David Byrne, looking forward to enjoying a mint julep watching a tape of American Pharaoh winning the Kentucky Derby, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like Fathers’ 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. World No Tobacco Day—a worldwide observance of for 24 hours a complete absence of use of tobacco in any form—a first step for those who quit today to have a chance to not join the list of at least 6,000,000 who will die from tobacco use and the estimated 600,000 nonsmokers killed by second hand smoke.
       2. Save Your Hearing Day—although most of the words spoken in Washington, D.C. are not worth hearing, hearing loss, especially as one ages, is, to use a bad simile, not a pretty sight. Ear plugs at INDY 500’s or Who rock concerts (120 decibels) or when working with heavy construction equipment is a great idea.  
        3. 2013 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 2013 on a five week run Can’t Hold Us  by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, featuring Ray Dalton, an American rap band whose song Thrift Shop has garnered an estimated 750 million YouTube views. Here is a link to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis with Dalton performing Can’t Hold Us: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zNSgSzhBfM
       4.  National Macaroon Day—definitely a tasty treat which is made from coconuts and leavened egg whites and may have originated in Italy in the late 18^th Century.
       5.  Make My Day—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1930 of that iconic director and actor Clint Eastwood.  
On this day in:                                           
       a. 1790 to the joy of artists and writers then living and in the future, the United States passed its first copyright act, the Copyright Act of 1790.
       b. 1889 over 2,200 people died when a dam above the town of Johnstown, PA was breached unleashing a 60 foot high wave of water.     
       c. 1909 the National Negro Committee, the forerunner to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People convened for the first time.
        d. 1977 to the great joy of Americans seeking U.S energy independence, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System was completed.
        e. 2005 Vanity Fair revealed that Mark Felt was Deep Throat for Woodward and Bernstein’s exposing the Watergate Scandal. If only there is another Deep Throat in the IRS wanting to come forward on the IRS’ targeting of conservative groups.                  
Reflections on the need to eliminate tobacco usage: “The true face of smoking is disease, death and horror - not the glamour and sophistication the pushers in the tobacco industry try to portray.” David Byrne, noted musician with the Talking Heads. Definitely his thoughts expressed above are directly on point. Anyone who continues to smoke despite the warnings and evidence better hope that that he or she do not develop arthritis in the thumbs and has great hand strength in order to operate on continuous demand a morphine pump in the last stage of lung cancer.
Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 160 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. o 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
© May 31, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
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Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
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Look for the Union Hypocrisy Label

We always knew politicians are the acme of hypocrites
Dumping principles to chomp on the campaign contribution bit
No one when it comes to hypocrisy can a politician surpass
Dangerous untrustworthy creatures that have the ability to laws pass
Especially when they couple hypocrisy with well planned deceit
To insure opposition to their goals go down to defeat
But perhaps to no one’s surprise
In the hypocrisy derby, union leaders may win the prize
Union leaders in Los Angeles have been in the forefront to raise the minimum wage in L.A.
Spending thousands of dollars of dues to bring their waning political on display
The poor struggling on minimum wage have a new champion for the battle has been won
The minimum wage thanks to the unions will move up to fifteen dollars an hour over time
But now to our dismay the seeds of hypocrisy planted by the unions we find
If an employer runs a union shop the new increased minimum wage does not apply
How many companies chasing lower wages will union organizing no longer defy
Win for the employer in the short term of lower wage rates
Win for the unions of more dues to fill the unions’ plate
Losers are of course are the workers who will not a higher wage receive
Forced to pay dues as a result of the unions’ attempts to deceive
Like the Trojans who took in the Trojan Horse and swallowed the bait
Employers should beware of unionization and the labor issues and increased costs that soon they will await.
© May 30, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
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Ridley's Believe It Or Not May 30 History National Mint Julep Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—May 30, 2015 Trust your weekend is off to a good start. As always, I hope you enjoy the holidays and observances (which are really meager and have really challenged me to find), factoids of interest, a music video by Gotye, a relevant quote by Audie Murphy, looking forward to enjoying a mint julep watching a tape of American Pharoah winning the Kentucky Derby, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like Fathers’ 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. Water Your Flower Day —marking the end of spring with the need to water one’s flowers although most flowers in Texas are under flood waters and given the drought induced watering restrictions in California, most flowers are probably counting the days before being replaced by cacti.
       2. Loomis Day—celebrating not a plug for Loomis and their armored truck transport services but rather the granting Maholn Loomis of a U.S Patent for wireless telegraphy on this day in 1872.  
        3. 2012 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 2012 on an eight week run Somebody That  I Used to Know by Gotye, featuring Kimbra, a Belgian indie pop singer and songwriter. Here is a link to Gotye and Kimbra performing Somebody That I Used to Know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UVNT4wvIGY
       4.  National Mint Julep Day—definitely a holiday that one would think would be celebrated not today but the day on which the Kentucky Derby is being held.
       5.  Why Listen to a Few Voices When You Can Listen to a Thousand—celebrating
not that great singing talent show on NBC The Voice but rather the birthday on this day in 1908 of voice actor Mel Blanc, aka The Man With a Thousand Voices, including such luminaries as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, Pepe le Pew, and Foghorn Leghorn to name just a few.  
On this day in:                                           
       a. 1883 a rumor that the Brooklyn Bridge is about to collapse causes a stampede with twelve people being crushed.
       b. 1922 the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C.    
       c. 1958 the unidentified remains of two servicemen killed in World War II and the Korean War were interned at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
        d. 1991 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Brown v. Reed that prosecutors do not have legal immunity in providing legal advice to the police.
        e. 2014 General al-Sisi, who unlike our president has identified the threat of  radical Islam to Islam, was elected president of Egypt.                        
Reflections on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier appearing on the wall of the wall of the Tomb Guard Quarters:
 “Alone and far removed from earthly care,
The noble ruins of men lie buried here,
You were strong men, good men,
Endowed with youth and much the will to live,
I hear no protest from the mute lips of the dead,
They rest there is no more to give.”
Untitled poem by Congressional Medal of Honor Winner Audie Murphy  
Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 160 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
© May 30, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes for All the Memorable Times
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift       

Throw the Red Card at Fifa's Blatter

Sepp Blatter is right; something following the arrest of senior Fifa officials does smell
It’s the stench of bribery and corruption on your watch that your control of funds compels
As a commercial fisherman in an earlier life, I recognize a rotting smell
For you to allege retaliation by the English speaking media is an impossible sell
Sepp, an organization like a fish rots from the top
You are the bribery disbursing equivalent of a traffic cop
How much money did Qatar and Russia have to fork over to Fifa for their World Cups?
My guess is in the millions proof positive that your leadership is corrupt
Ironic that the game which costs the least for equipment needed for the youth to play
At the top millions upon millions in bribes are the overriding rules of the day
Here is a news flash as your salary you continue to hide, Sepp Blatter
It may be hard for you to believe but ethics and lack of bribes do really matter
Parts of the world that have not been bribed to continue you autocratic and corrupt rule
Need to in addition to the criminal process reach into soccer’s bag of effective tools
Sepp, a red card at you needs to be immediately thrown
The exit door to head of Fifa you must be shown
If you remain, time to boycott Fifa and your corrupt World Cup process disown
A new noncorrupt Fifa without you and your corruption must set soccer’s new tone
© May 30, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
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Where Did Hastert Almost $1 Million to Bribe Sexual Abuse Accuser?

The news of the indictment against a former Speaker of the House
Must have been a devastating tragedy for his children and his spouse
Hastert had agreed to pay $3.5 million to cover up acts of sexual abuse
Years ago while a coach possibly involving his students, a heinous act for which there is no excuse
The details of the abuse like age and sex of the victim have not yet been revealed
Only that the payments to date in cash were designed to the bribery conceal
Almost a million bucks in amounts less than ten grand being withdrawn on multiple times
Structuring cash deposits or withdrawals to evade reporting is also a crime
A legacy in shambles, a marriage most likely ruined and children ridiculed and now estranged
Bad as this is, there is something beneath the headlines even more deranged.
How could an former teacher with a net worth of $270 grand when he took his Congressional seat
Leave Congress 20 years later increased to 4 to 17 million which seems on his salary to be an impressive feat?
Especially when in agreeing to bribe his accuser 3.5 million dollars he ignored extortion rule 101
A fool to believe an extortionist’s demands for more and more money would end and not increase once the payments have begun
Hastert’s rise in wealth while in Congress should give a renewed urgent push to limit Congressional terms
Six years would reduce favors exchanged for money needed to be raised and reduce the amount of lobbyist money after leaving office to be earned
No wonder incumbents like Hastert go to any lengths, any means to keep their seats
Lure of campaign funds means whatever idealism and ideas to serve the people will beat a quick retreat
© May 29, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
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Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
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Money Votes Blatter Reellected

When it comes to sport, soccer at the World Cup Level is corrupted both on and off the field
On the field, the winner is the best actor whose theatrics a penalty kick will yield
Off the field, should not be a shock,
Bribes in the millions are the only walk
Ethics and purity of the sport are idle talk
Any attempt to clean up Fifa, Sepp Blatter balks
For Fifa, it would seem that only money matters
How else could one explain the reelection of Sepp Blatter
150 million dollars in bribes to six key Fifa men
Yet the voters knowing the money would still be flowing, voted him in again
One would hope that the FBI has not finished with its investigation of the bribery trails
That should prove that the World Cup site award to Qatar and Russia were a sale
When one thinks of all the soccer moms in this country starting their kids in AYSO
To learn not only the game but sportsmanship and teamwork not the cutting of corners or the refs to snow
At the pinnacle of the sport to realize it’s all one big bribery show
Rigged in favor of the smaller nations with Blatter making any reforms very, very slow
Six Billion dollars in four years for Blatter in secret to bestow
How much to himself is a best kept secret that only he knows
Transparency is something needed in government and just as needed in a ruling body of a sport
When it comes to transparency in Fifa, it and Blatter fall woefully short
Because of his allocation of funds to the voting members he will be there until he dies
The will of the fans and bribery scandals he can defy
The industrialized world should deliver an ultimatum that he must resign
Or the industrialized world will form its own Fifa with a transparency design
Plus it will link its foreign aid to countries where corruption often reigns
To those whose Blatter’s corruption they will no longer deign
Time to form a new World Cup and Fifa’s existing sponsors boycott
A fish from the head always rots
Ethics and transparency in soccer should matter
Time to get rid of Sepp Blatter
© May 29, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes for All the Memorable Times
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Funny Friday At Starbucks Bristol and Jamboree

Starbucks has come a long way from banning its baristas from tattoos to display
A marketing light bulb quickly went on when bloggers vented their dismay
A quick look at the caffeine seeking customers pouring through a Starbucks door
Would reveal that one in four or five adults would have one tattoo and maybe more
To the company’s credit they acted with coffee grinding speed
The tattoo banning edict, baristas no longer must heed
This poet’s impression is that the baristas are a devoted, customer friendly lot
Main reason why there are so many locations and why so much coffee is bought
Today is Friday and it is my pleasure to report as I enjoy a Sumatra refill Gold Card free
At Starbucks in Newport Beach, corner of Bristol and Jamboree
The barista spirit is alive and a sense of humor competes with the coffee aroma in the air
For the female baristas dressed in black all are sporting apparent facial hair
At first glance this author of Ridley’s Believe It or Not which on factoids, holidays and quotes is the last word
Experienced a wave of panic and doubt as to his secret sources within him stirred
Did I in today’s Ridley's Believe It Or Not somehow did a holiday get lost in the fog?
Did I miss National Fake Mustache Day which means an embarrassing reblog?
A friendly barista quickly calmed my growing terror
Assured me I had not made an error
Today at this outlet only is Funny Friday and drawn or fake mustaches carried the vote
Just another reason to at this location more time devote
A special mention to a barista named Stevie as a new hire did not know
That a fake or drawn mustache she was supposed to show
Not to panic and showing that in addition to service, baristas can adapt
With a flair of creativity quickly tapped
A few black dots on the inside of her index finger then curled to her upper lip
Voilà, the perfect mustache without the need of any adhesive to grip.
© May 29, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
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38 Deaths Arrests Down in the Wild West

The Nenana Ice Classic is Alaska’s great betting pool
Much harder In an era of trying to guess whether the earth is warming or staying cool
For charity thousands buy tickets to the exact moment predict
When the ice on the Tenana River breaks up and boat movement no longer restricts
March Madness brings office productivity to almost a complete halt
As millions pour over brackets trying to divine the 65 teams’ strengths and faults
Elements of some betting skill but with an upset lurking at each game
Often sheer luck the hands on favored teams tames
Super Bowl Sunday pools capture the nation but here the pools are a game of luck
Hoping you haven’t picked a square uncovering a “2” or a “5” so before kickoff you kiss off your twenty bucks
Sadly to these pools another one is getting some attention
Here no money will change hands but it is gaining a morbid mention
The pool without winners, only losers comes out of Baltimore
With two days left in May, will the trips to the morgue pass the all time score?
So far in May the number of murders stands one less than the record at 38
Terrified residents are wondering if they might share that deadly fate
Charm City is a name that really with all the bodies in the morgues does not fit
Worries that with the police indictments, the cops have given up and on arrests just quit
Charm City has become the Wild West with the bad guys all packing heat
For a civilian it is dangerous even in broad daylight to seen on the streets
Some might pooh pooh the loss, claiming it’s only a spike not a trend
Or that it is merely a case of gangs bringing their rivals to an untimely end
Misguided view that Baltimore will be a better place if the gangs kill each other
But victim 37 was an eight year boy and victim 38 was his mother
Hardly gang material and such a view totally ignores
That all lives matter, even gang bangers in Baltimore
Arrests are down because the cops feel under Mosby and Blake
They will be charged with a crime or lose their job if in an arrest there is the slightest mistake
No matter how much the cops are defiled by Mosby and Blake
Do not forget they are human and likely, to protect themselves, normal police work forsake
38 residents in May have paid the ultimate price; will the record of 39 be surpassed?
No line in Vegas but answer likely yes if this demonization of the Thin Blue Line continues to last
 © May 29, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes for All the Memorable Times
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting lift         

Ridley's Believe It Or Not May 29 History World Digestive Health Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—May 29, 2015 Trust your Friday is all ready to be the perfect springboard to a great weekend, unfortunately for drought stricken California a weekend of sunny skies. As always, I hope you enjoy the holidays and observances, factoids of interest, a music video by Adele, a relevant quote by Susan Rice, looking forward to enjoying a serving of coq au vin with friends, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable event like Fathers’ 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 UN Peacekeepers Day —commemorating the formation by the UN of peacekeeping forces in areas of strife; brave men and women in blue helmets to try to enforce truces and keep warring parties from killing each other and sadly taking a lot of innocent civilians with them.
       2. World Digestive Health Day—created by the World Gastroenterology Organization to create awareness of gastro-intestinal problems that affect us all, regardless of where we reside. This year’s focus is heart burn which can cause severe problems if untreated.  
        3. 2011 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 2011 on a seven week run Rolling in the Deep by Adele, a British born pop singer and songwriter, who, in addition to selling a lot of records, won an Oscar for her original song Skyfall in the Bond movie of the same name. Here is a link to Adele performing Rolling in the Deep (with an apology to the vitamin C ad): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYEDA3JcQqw
       4.  National Coq au Vin Day—definitely a great way to get rid of your two buck Chuck wine from Trader Joes that your wine connoisseur friends will not deign to drink.
       5.  Where There Is a Road, There Is Hope—celebrating not another freeway or lane on one but the birthday on this day of comedian, actor and dedicated USO performer who entertained us with such movies as “Road” movies with Bing Crosby and ended his career  in 2003.
On this day in:                                           
       a. 1942 Bing Crosby, the Ken Darby Singers and John Trotter’s Orchestra recorded Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, which resulted in more sales of a single record than any song in history and is still selling millions each Christmas.
       b. 1953 Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tanzing Norgay became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mt. Everest.    
        c. 2001 in a victory for handicapped persons, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that PGA golfer Casey Martin could compete using a golf cart.
        d. 2004 the National World War II Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C.                        
Reflections on UN Peacekeeping from the “it’s a video queen”: “Well, Nigeria has played a constructive role in peacekeeping in various parts of West Africa. But unless and until Nigeria itself is democratic and respects human rights, it too may well be a source of much greater instability as political repression limits the ability of the people of Nigeria to achieve their full potential.” Susan Rice, National Security Advisor whose opinions on the world are usually off the mark or who is usually surprised by events but here is reasonably profound.  
Please enjoy the 140 character poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and join 160 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
© May 29, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
Rhymes for All the Memorable Times
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift