Harvey's the Good, the Bad, the Ugly

The good, the bad, and the ugly but it’s not on the Clint Eastwood big screen

It’s real life in Houston, Beaumont and Port Arthur lands of flooded homes overflowing rivers and streams

The good is that it took very little time for boats manned by volunteers

In increasing numbers to aid neighbors, friends and strangers and friends start to appear

Texans who supported Trump most likely and whom Hillary branded as deplorables

Heading through the rising waters with devastation clearly described as horrible

Not seeking federal funds only answering the frantic calls of all hands on deck

As homes, businesses and dreams the wrath of Harvey’s rising waters continued to wreck

As humans to a person almost all of us would go without hesitation into harm’s way

To a save a dear friend or family member that rising waters would seek to slay

But the true test of humanity is when one goes into harm’s way to protect a total stranger

To somehow, someway overcome the raging waters to bring that person out of danger

In Texas we saw that time and time again, never a question of if, always only given the demands when

The bad of Harvey is the magnitude of the destruction and the time it will take for the waters to recede

The destruction of homes and businesses and the billions of dollars the victims to rebuild will need

The ugly is the mocking of rags like Politico and Charlie Hebdo with their cartoons

Implying the victims of Harvey are neo-Nazis or redneck Southern buffoons

The ugly is also the deaths that are believed to now stand at 37

Not riding in a boat to safety but oared by the Dark Boatman to the River Styx to heaven

That toll will rise but as of today no estimates of how many more will have met their demise

The ugly will also be the acts of those few whose looting, scams, and price gouging will come as no surprise

No matter how hard the people and government try to make the rebuilding go faster

A small number of victims and predators will not be saints in this truly historic disaster

But seeing the images of thousands of hard hit people coming together

Regardless of race, creed, political leanings or status we will this challenge weather

© August 31, 2017, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet                              

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Comey Rule Conclusions First Questions Later

New allegations that Comey’s investigation was a complete sham with conclusions already set in stone

Even before questioning Hillary and other key witnesses Comey was writing his recommendations to any prosecution disown

Not a chance this spineless poster child of false integrity would step up to Hillary’s coronation to dethrone

Going through the motions never ever coming close to entering the prosecution zone

It now becomes apparent that Comey’s investigation by his beloved and vaunted FBI was a total scam

Lynch and Obama had sown the seeds of obstruction of justice for this “investigation”  sham

If Comey had followed normal protocol he would have waited until the investigation was complete and all emails overturned

Then and only then would it be time to confer with his team to draft recommendations based on what all had been learned

If one’s conclusions are already being finalized before the “investigation” is complete

The blindfold has been removed and the rule of law is in full and panicked retreat

I feel for the agents who in addition to putting their lives on the lines felt they were conducting a real investigation

When their boss James Comey was hell bent on giving Hillary a get out of jail card palliation

Pure speculation and for the FBI’s sake I hope I am mistaken and wrong

What if the message was clear that if Hillary won, Comey as FBI Director would continue to belong

I suspect that Mueller may have followed Comey’s footsteps driven to protect his dear friend

Pursuing a collusion that does not exist with an expanding investigation that never ends.

© August 31, 2017, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet 

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Statute To Honor Pat Tillman San Devil Stadium

Safety

There was a man, who played safety for a professional team,

He not only tackled, he hit so hard, milk would be separated from cream.

He was paid millions to play his boyhood game in packed stands,

Buffeted by the waves of sound from cheers and clapped hands.

Too small for college, too slow for the NFL, but very, very intense,

Never would you say this man held back or stood upon the fence

Pac-10 defensive player of the year, football was his desire path.

225 men ahead, in a world of speed and strength, would intensity take hold and graft?

Franchise record for tackles, always at full, unchecked speed,

Never one to follow, always, by example, lead.

Bright as well as intense, but more so loyal to his most inner core.

Even when the Rams offered his salary times 16, he shook his head and closed the door.

9/11 shook the nation, filled with grief, resolve and a desire to resist;

But only this safety walked away from 3.8 million and as a Ranger did enlist.

Not since Rocky Bleier risked his life and limb in Vietnam,

Has an NFL player for country put himself at risk of harm.

But his nation was in a war of shadows and enemies of the night,

Sworn to bring to her knees this nation of thousands of shining lights.

A safety who could today be safe waiting for training camp to dawn,

Lies dead in Afghanistan waiting for transport to an eternal, tranquil Arlington lawn.

Freedom is never free, never has been, never, ever will.

Pat Tillman, a safety, joined the countless others who willingly paid the ultimate bill.

As we enjoy our comfort and safety, please stop for a moment, pause and reflect,

Pray for the soul of Pat Tillman, who left safety, and died picking up our check.

May this statute of Pat at Sun Devil Stadium remind us to never, ever forget

The sacrifices of those putting nation before fortune and to whom we owe a great debt

Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet

©April 24, 2004

August 31, 2017 Ridley's Believe It Or Not National Diatomaceous Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For August 31, 2017 The danger and damages posed by Harvey keeps getting worse as 20% of the nation’s refining capacity has been shut down, 30,000 gallons of crude oil have been released from two damaged oil tanks, and a French owned chemical company has lost power needed to keep refrigerated certain chemicals that will explode or catch when their temperatures rise which has occurred early this morning resulting in a 1.5 mile evacuation radius; the death toll has risen to 31 and it is highly likely that it will rise as the waters recede; on the good news front Google has been matching contributions for Harvey relief and has raised $2 million, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation has given $1 million and the Cowboys and Texans preseason game has been cancelled and replaced with a fund raising Telethon with Cowboys players participating to take donations; in another example of judicial overreach so typical of too many of our federal judges, Orlando Garcia has blocked enforcement of SB4 designed to prohibit Sanctuary Cities in Texas; Governor Rauner masquerading as a Republican has signed into law legislation that makes Illinois in essence a Sanctuary State (kiss our immigration laws goodbye and open the floodgates to illegals to fulfill the left’s dream of no borders); in a really chilling video a Lt. Greg Abbot of the Cobb County, Georgia Police Department is shown on his patrol car’s video cam telling a woman he had pulled over for suspected DUI that “We only shoot black people.” (totally unacceptable from an officer and veteran police officer); in yet another example that alcohol and flying do not mix just like driving and drinking,  an intoxicated passenger who on a flight from Honolulu to New York became unruly threatening his girlfriend and her kids, striking a flight attendant and forcing the pilot to return to Honolulu has been hit with a $97,817 fine; Wells Fargo announced that the number of fraudulently opened accounts has risen from the original estimate of 2.1 million to 3.5 million; through August 30, 2017 in Chicago the number of people being shot climbed to 2530, and the death toll again on the rise to 435.

As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to the Kay Kyser and His Orchestra, factoids of interest for this day in history, a relevant quote by the birthday lady Marcia Clark on domestic violence and silver linings, hoping that our Coast Guard and Border Patrol are successful with their jerques,  secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like 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. National Diatomaceous Earth Day—celebrated to promote the awareness of and contributions to our well being of the one celled diatom plants that when they die fall to the bottom of the waters they had previously lived to form minerals with amazing abrasive, construction and filtration qualities. First discovered by  Peter Kasten in Germany in 1836.      

2. Love Litigating Lawyers Day—not sure where this observance came from other than to suspect it did not originate from a defendant who was nailed with a huge judgment; always thought although litigators can be a necessary evil, Dick the Butcher was right in his observations on lawyers.        

3. 1942 Number One Song— the number one song in 1942 on a run of 8 weeks in that position was “Jingle, Jangle, Jingle” by Kay Kyser and His Orchestra. Here is a performance of the song:

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “jerque” which means to search a ship for smuggled goods or contraband which the Coast Guard is actively doing to protect us from the cartel jerks that are bringing tons of illicit drugs into this nation and when it comes to using trucks another reason to build the Wall.       

5.  Losing to Nightmare Team Hobbled by a Racist Cop—celebrating the birth on this day in 1953 of Marcia Clark who was lead prosecutor in the trial of OJ Simpson for the killing of his exwife Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman who had enough evidence to convict the Juice ten times over but was confronted with the best lawyers money could buy and shackled to LAPD Detective Mark Furman who was exposed as a liar and a racist in front of a black majority jury—foregone conclusion the Juice would be acquitted. She is no longer practicing law but is a successful author.

On this day in:                       

a. 1895 Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin patented his dirigible that would see service as a bomber in World War I and until the disastrous fire of the Hindenburg at Lakehurst, New Jersey,   passenger service across the Atlantic.

b. 1920 the first radio news program was broadcast on radio station 8MK in Detroit, Michigan.     

c. 1943 the USS Harmon the first warship to be named after an African-American, posthumously Navy Cross winner Mess Attendant Leonard Harmon killed aboard the USS San Francisco off Guadalcanal while protecting a pharmacist tending to wounded with his body was commissioned.

d. 1997 Diana Princess of Wales was killed along with her companion Dodi Fayed in an automobile accident in a tunnel in Paris.  

e. 2006 Edvard Munch’s famous painting The Scream stolen from the Munch Museum in Oslo in 2004 was recovered by Norwegian police.    

Reflections on the on need to find a silver lining in any adversity or setback: “To me, one of the big silver linings of the Simpson trial is the advances we've made in understanding domestic violence as a lethal problem. Before that trial, I think there was a widespread sense that it was a family affair, a normal part of a relationship, not really a crime. The reality is that it's very much a crime, and a very serious.” Marcia Clark. Right as rain on this observation as domestic violence is a great predictor of further violence even death especially when the relationship is ended. 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.  

© August 31, 2017, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet                              

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Clinton Book Tour Doomed To Fail

Hillary is showing that once again she is out of touch and in complete delusional mode

News that she will soon be on the What Happened book tour selling road

To have her sign her book that someone was foolish enough to buy

She is going to all standards of good marketing practices defy

If you want a signed copy you have to shell out 125 bucks

What an arrogant, out of touch total schmuck

The real bargain for those who had to endure the quid pro quo when she was Secretary of State

A $2500 meet and greet photo opt with her for the really foolish will await

This is a woman whose lack of coronation she will never accept

Will be in denial til the day she dies,  rejecting the reality that as a candidate she was inept

There are probably no mirrors in the Clinton household hanging on the walls

To painful for her to look at the face of the person at fault for her losing pratfall

Good luck Hillary, you felonious crook

Wishful thinking that anyone will buy your book

© August 30, 2017, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet                              

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Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
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August 30, 2017 Ridley's Believe It Or Not International Day of the Disappeared

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For August 30, 2017 Houston area waters are finally starting to recede but the death toll is rising to 23 along with the number of residents admitted to shelters and nearby Beaumont and Port Arthur are literally under water; MSM always quick to find anything to criticize Trump for are in a frenzy over Trump’s supposed lack of empathy and Melania’s wearing stiletto heels on to Air Force One while the Texas governor grades Trump’s deployment of federal resources in Texas as meriting an A+; the DNC (Dedicated to Nominate Clinton) dodged a class action lawsuit by Sanders supporters seeking refunds of contributions to the DNC that clearly rigged the primary process to make sure she got the nomination and given her abysmal campaign and lack of energy in hindsight guaranteed Trump would win; Congress is reaping the sowing of the seeds of obstruction and gridlock with an approval rating of 15% which given what has been accomplished seems overstated by a factor of 5; Trump is taking his case for tax cuts to the people in Springfield, Missouri tonight (Sen McCaskill needs to listen and get on board if she wants to return to the Senate in 2018);  the scenes of volunteers in boats saving trapped Texans reminds us the tragedies like Harvey bring out the best in Americans but the news that thieves posing as DHS officials ordering people out of their homes so they can be burglarized also reminds us that such tragedies sadly bring out the worst; news that the Antifa movement because of its violence may be of concern to liberal anti Trumpers (why should there be any doubt that these thugs should be prosecuted and disavowed?); through August 29, 2017 in Chicago the number of people being shot climbed to 2516, but surprise, surprise the death toll remained at 434.

As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, factoids of interest for this day in history, a relevant chilling quote by Jorge Videla on the disappeared in argentina, hoping that if you are opening a jeroboam tonight you have a few friends to share it with you,  secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like 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 Day of the Disappeared—created in Costa Rica in 1981 by the Latin American Federation of Associations for Relatives of Detained-Disappeared to create awareness of the plight of people wrongfully arrested and incarcerated and to agitate for the end of such practices far too common in Latin American countries with dictatorships.      

2. National Beach Day—created by Colleen Paige in 2014 to promote cleaning up beaches of trash and debris which is not only unsightly but also a danger to wildlife on our beaches.        

3. 1941 Number One Song— the number one song in 1941 on a run of 4 weeks in that position was “Green Eyes” by the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. Here is a performance of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI7U2Ys4DM0

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “jeroboam” which means a large bottle of wine holding the equivalent of 3 liters of  wine.       

5.  Quite A Cup of Tea—celebrating the birth on this day in 1946 of Mod Squad actress Peggy Lipton who retired from acting after the birth of her two daughters but after a divorce has returned.

On this day in:                       

a. 1963 in a move designed to prevent accidental nuclear war and ease tensions the Washington, D.C. Moscow hotline was installed.   

b. 1967 Thurgood Marshall became the first African American appointed to SCOTUS.   

c. 1984 the Space Shuttle Discovery took off from the JFK Space Center on its maiden voyage.

d. 1992 after being wounded by a FBI sniper who killed his wife, the 12 day siege of Ruby Ridge ended with Randy Weaver surrendering to authorities.  

e. 1995 NATO started launching air strikes against Bosnian Serb forces in Operation Deliberate Force.    

Reflections on the ends justified the means rationale of Jorge Videla former dictator of Argentina who is now serving a life sentence for his part in Argentina’s Dirty War: “Let’s say there were 7,000 or 8,000 people who needed to die to win the war against subversion. There was no other solution. We were agreed that was the price to win the war against subversion and that we needed it not to be evident so that society didn’t notice.” Jorge Videla His figures are sadly too low as most historians believe 30,000 Argentines disappeared many weighted down and dropped from airplanes into the Atlantic to avoid detection. 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.  

© August 30, 2017, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet                              

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive Lasting Lift

Epic Disaster And MSM And Left Jeremiad About Heels Huh

Houston has been hit for several days with record rainfall that blows one’s mind

According to a now fired Ken Storey because Texas voted for Trump explains why it is in such a bind

The optics coming out of Texas as Harvey delivered a Texas sized amount of grief

Show a people united as one trying to give each other some sense of relief

Like the Brits coming down the Thames heading for the Cliffs of Dover

In private boats  despite waiting shells and bombs to Dunkirk heading over

An army to be saved to fight again the Nazi horde

Pulling Tommy after Tommy from the beaches to be onboard

In Houston where streets became rivers, houses getting ready to float away and field became lakes

Hundreds upon hundreds of boats searching to prevent more deaths all hands of deck to do what it takes

It mattered not whether a drowning target was an Indy, Blue or Red

Volunteers trying at all costs to keep them in the land of the living and not dead

The waters kept rising it would not abate

Death by drowning is a terrible fate

Unlike the 500 New Orleans police officers who as Katrina hit became MIA

The Houston PD answered the call of “All hands on deck!” and one of its own was KIA

Working almost around the clock, drenched with little to drink or eat

Like their fellow citizens unwilling in the face of rising waters to admit defeat

Politics used to stop at this nation’s waters’ edges

Looked like the adage would apply as flood waters rose to window ledges

Melania Trump full of dignity and grace was wearing heels to Marine One to head to Andrews Air Force Base

Then the leftist “comics” and media outlets started to ridicule her and the politics of hate and bias again embrace

Led by Chelsea Handler who is not funny and for whom any sense of decorum has long since been erased

People flooded or blown out and will return to ruin and the media looks to heels-what a shameful disgrace

After touching down in Galveston Melania did the women professionals commuting reverse

Instead of sneakers to the office and then to heels from a large bag or purse

Walking down the stairs from Air Force One

Sneakers as the heels onboard she had shunned

Another jeremiad about much to do about nothing from the celebs and MSM

When will outpouring of bias and hatred of all things Trump be finally stemmed?

Floods or other disasters can bring out in people their very best

But not in the Handlers or Storeys of the world whose growing hatred of Trump they cannot arrest

© August 29, 2017, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet                              

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive Lasting Lift

August 29, 2017 Ridley's Believe It Or Not International Day Against Nuclear Tests

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For August 29, 2017 Harvey’s rainfall has set a new record with over 52 inches as rain continues to fall to the point that reservoirs are overflowing creating more mandatory evacuations with loss of life climbing to 14; the silver lining in this disaster of epic proportions has been the outpouring of Texans with boats coming out to rescue friends, relatives and complete strangers (here is a link to donate to the Red Cross to help it in their aid efforts https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation?scode=RSG00000E017&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxPW21vr81QIVElcNCh0mUQY2EAAYASAAEgICofD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CMGmkNz6)

_NUCFdV5Ygod6xUEFQ); Trump and several members of his cabinet have just landed in Corpus Christi and are being briefed by local officials as to their needs, which needs Trump has indicated will be met immediately (since he is a builder not a politician not only will needs be met but expect recovery as opposed to Katrina or Sandy to occur on time, under budget and without fraud and abuse (thank God HRC given the quid pro quo of the Clinton Foundation in the Haiti earthquake aftermath is not in the Oval Office); the mouse that roared has launched a missile over Japan which is a flagrant provocation (China has a clear choice to reign in this obese lunatic or face the real possibility of nuclear strikes against Kim and his missile and nuclear sites and a nuclear armed Japan with a military charged not just with defense but with offensive capabilities and goals in addition to massive sanctions against the Chinese economy); on the academic front U of Tampa prof Ken Storey who tweeted Texas deserved Harvey because it voted for Trump has been fired (kudos U of Tampa!); in addition to worrying about nuclear tipped missiles, Kim has 200 An-2 biplanes that are hard to detect due to low speed that could carry a nuclear warhead (remember the low speed British biplanes launched from an aircraft carrier managed to damage the Bismarck’s rudder, enabling the British battleships to catch her and pound her to the bottom; Pelosi leads the hypocrisy parade with total silence on the violence by Antifa in Berkeley; normally Mayor Di Blasio is totally out to lunch on almost all issues, but should be cheered for raising the price of cigarettes to $13.50 a pack and seeking to cut in half the number of places that can sell the cancer sticks; through August 28, 2017 in Chicago the number of people being shot climbed to 2507, 434 of whom have died.

As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, factoids of interest for this day in history, a relevant quote by Mark Skousen on the fraud in Katrina relief efforts, hoping that you are not exposed to any jeremiads,  secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like 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 Day Against Nuclear Tests—created by the UN General Assembly on December 2, 2009 to promote awareness of the danger of nuclear weapons and the testing thereof and to the need for a nuclear free Earth (sadly the observance is not celebrated by the obese lunatic of the rogue nation North Korea); August 29 was chosen as it coincides with the closing of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site in Kazakhstan in 1991.      

2. According to Hoyle Day—commemorating the death of Edmond Hoyle on this day in 1769 and who wrote the rules for the popular 17^th and 18^th century card game of whist, but is forever remembered in the English language by the phrase “according to Hoyle.”     

3. 2017 Number One Song—leaving 2017 to go back to 1940 and then to head year by year to the present, the number one song in 1940 on a run of 12 weeks in that position was “I’ll Never Smile Again” by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Here is a performance of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il7DWoLySW8

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “jeremiad” which means a long harangue or lengthy list of complaints which describes the rants from the MSM in reporting on Trump and his agenda.       

5.  Queen of the Blues—celebrating the birth on this day in 1924 of Ruth Lee Jones better known to her fans as Dinah Washington who was one of the most popular female black singers of rhythm and blues but ending up drinking far too much and died of an over dose of barbiturates while sleeping with her 7^th husband Dick “Nightrain” Lane at the age of 39.

On this day in:                       

a. 1916 the U.S. passed the Philippines Autonomy Act laying out the framework for the Philippines to become an independent nation in the future.

b. 1949 the Soviet Union thanks to its espionage efforts on the Manhattan Project successfully tested its first atomic bomb known as “Lightening Joe” in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan.   

c. 1966 in an end of an era moment, the Beatles held their last paying concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

d. 1991 the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union disbanded all activities of the Communist Party, an act which Putin is determined overturn and return Russia to its former territorial glory. 

e. 2005 in an it almost seems like yesterday moment after slamming into Florida, Katrina got her second wind in the Gulf reaching a Cat 5 status before slamming into Louisiana to devastate and flood New Orleans and kill over 1800 people.  

A hope that Harvey recovery operations will not be a repeat of Katrina recovery efforts that occurred 12 years earlier: “Fraud is common when you give away billions. Fraud related to Hurricane Katrina spending is estimated to top $2 billion. In addition, debit cards provided to hurricane victims were used to pay for Caribbean vacations, NFL tickets, Dom Perignon champagne, 'Girls Gone Wild' videos, and at least one sex change operation.” Mark Skousen, noted investment analyst and college professor. Although the number seems high and outrageous it represented only 2 2/3 percent of the money doled out by the federal government for relief. 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.  

© August 29, 2017, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet                              

Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive Lasting Lift

August 28, 2017 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Dream Day Quest and Jubilee Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For August 28, 2017 Harvey continues to cause massive flooding throughout Houston and now threatens dams in the area (New Orleans survived the initial onslaught of Katrina only to have the levees fail and submerge large parts of the city); almost like desperate calls for boats by the BEF from the beaches of Dunkirk, the call has gone out for volunteers with boats in Harris County  to be able to rescue people trapped their homes by rising waters; the flooding has caused several refineries to shut down causing gasoline futures to rise 7%; Trump will visit areas hit by Harvey tomorrow and has been given high marks for his response to the tragedy; on the inane PC front, the Orpheum Theater in Memphis that has been showing Gone With the Wind for thirty-four years has decided to cease screenings due to “insensitive racial content” (when will the leftist celebs in Hollywood start demanding that the numerous Oscars awarded to the film be revoked?); news out that while the VA still struggles to address wait lists, a new scandal is coming to the surface--the delay in seeing nonVA doctors notwithstanding legislation signed into law to allow the practice if a vet lives more that 40 miles from a VA facility or has not been sign within 30 days (why not turn the VA into a Medicare like program and eliminate it as it seems this bureaucracy is incapable of addressing its problems?); on the powder keg front the potential clash between India and China over some worthless territory in the Himalayas has been solved with India removing its troops; with Nixon we had ping pong diplomacy with China and with Putin we have judo diplomacy as he is visiting Hungary for the World Judo Championship Matches; through August 27, 2017 in Chicago the number of people being shot climbed to 2503, 433 of whom have died.

As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, factoids of interest for this day in history, a relevant quote by Sheryl Sandberg on facing tragedy, hoping that in dealing with issues you face that you are not jejune,  secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like 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. Rainbow Bridge Rembrance Day—commemorating those pets who have passed; the day stems from an anonymous story poem written in the 80’s or 90’s  called “Rainbow Bridge” which was a bridge to enable dogs to cross over into heaven to romp and play to their hearts content.      

2. Dream Day Quest and Jubilee Day—commemorating one of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” historic speech delivered from the Lincoln Memorial on this day in 1963 as part of the March on Washington for Jobs.        

3. 2017 Number One Song—the number one song in 2017 on a run of 15 weeks in that position was “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee. Here is a performance of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJQP7kiw5Fk

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “jejune” which means naive, simplistic and superficial which is exactly where our leaders cannot be in dealing the complex problems that face this nation.     

5.  Not Just Another Pretty Face In My Book—celebrating the birth on this day in 1969 of Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook and who had the misfortune of losing her husband while on vacation to a head trauma caused while working out on a treadmill.                    On this day in:

a. 1898 in it’s all in the name moment, Caleb Bradhamm changed the name of his soft drink from “Brad’s Drink” to “Pepsi Cola” and the cola wars were on.

b. 1937 Toyota Motors became an independent company.     

c. 1955 14 year old Emmett Till an African American visiting relatives in Mississippi was falsely accused pf flirting with a white woman that so enraged her father and uncle that they kidnapped him, beat him viciously, killed him and tossed his body into a river and to add insult to injury were acquitted by an all white jury; the murder was a galvanizing event for the Civil Rights Movement.

d. 1968 during the Democratic National Convention a police riot occurred and hundreds of police viciously attacked 10,000 anti Vietnam War protesters in Grant Park,  most of whom had violated no law, had ignored no order and were not a threat to anyone. 

e. 1988 at an air show at Ramstein, Germany, three Italian jets from the Italian Air Force’s equivalent of our Thunderbirds collided in the air and crashed to the ground, killing 75 people and severely injuring 346.  

Reflections from the birthday woman on coping with tragedy: “I think when tragedy occurs, it presents a choice. You can give in to the void: the emptiness that fills your heart, your lungs, constricts your ability to think or even breathe. Or you can try to find meaning.” Sheryl Sandberg, truer and more profound words have rarely been spoken. 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.         

© August 28, 2017, Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet                              

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