September 12, 2018 Ridley's Believe It Or Not National Encouragement Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For September 12, 2018 The Carolinas are bracing for what could be a major flooding and wind disaster as Hurricane Flo chugs along in their direction at 17 miles per hour (while the focus is on Hurricane Florence, Tropical Storm Olivia is expected to hit the Hawaiian Islands soon and Tropical Storm Isaac is churning toward the Caribbean and Puerto Rico); MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough has once again gone over the top the day before 9/11 with an Op-Ed claiming that Trump has damaged this country more than any terrorist attack—tell that to the families of the 9/11 victims to get their very negative reaction, Joe; in a sign of how far the left is prepared to go to defeat by any means the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, activists have raised a crowd funding campaign of a million dollars to be used against Maine Senator Susan Collins if she votes to confirm which she rightfully claims is tantamount to attempted bribery; Feinstein smarting from the adoration for the most dishonest Senator at the confirmation hearings, Kamala Harris, falsely claimed the Kavanaugh believes Trump is an oligarch who cannot be investigated or tried (he can be investigated but not tried while in office only impeached); Farzad Fazeli attacked Congressional Republican with a switchblade  after posting a Facebook that street gangs have codes of conduct to remove undesirables like Trump if law enforcement does not (another of the blowing of the dog whistles of hate by the left and would be interesting to learn of this fanatic’s immigration status); the EU is finally waking up to the perils of illegal immigration as its president Juncker announced that an additional 10,000 border guards would be sent to the borders to try to stop it; in New Hampshire the bloom is off the Sanders’ rose as Bernie’s son was trounced in the Democratic primary for the House and Rudy Giuliani’s backed African American candidate won the Republican primary; Chicago’s failed mayor Rahm Emanuel has set up a task force to consider a pilot program of Universal Income; in Chicago, Emanuel’s announcement that he will not seek reelection has not curbed the gun violence as through September 10, 2018, 2153 people mostly of color have been shot by mostly people of color, of whom 347 have died (when will Chicago get serious about this carnage or is this the case of true racism as a Blue run city turns a deaf ear and a blind eye to the slaughter of mostly people of color by mostly people of color).

        As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Michael Sembelo, factoids of interest for this day in history, the fact that you do not possess mycterism in you dealings with other people, and a relevant quote from W. Kamau Bell on Puerto Rico, secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like college graduations, 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. National Day of Encouragement—created in Arkansas in 2007 to promote encouragement rather that criticism as a means to motivate people in all aspects of their lives.

2. United Nations South South Cooperation Day—created to promote cooperation among countries of the region to solve common problems.

3. 1983 Number One Song— the number one song in 1983 on a run of 2 weeks in that position was “Maniac” by Michael Sembelo. Here is a recording of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvYQ1TNbf2g

4. Word of the Day—today’s word of the day is “mycterism” which means sneering, rhetorical sarcasm or irony, traits found throughout the political spectrum.

5. Speed Don’t Walk--celebrating the birth on this day in 1973 of Paul Walker noted actor in the Fast and Furious movies who imitated his script and was killed in car accident on November 30, 2013 while traveling in excess of 80 mph in a 45 mph zone.

 On this day in: 

a. 1857 the USS Central America carrying 13 to 14 tons of gold from the California Gold Rush sunk some 150 miles off Cape Hatteras with the loss of 457 lives; the loss of the gold was a contributing factor to the Panic of 1857.

b. 1983 Los Macheteros a group advocating independence of Puerto Rice from the United States robbed a Wells Fargo depot in West Hartford, Connecticut of approximately $ 7 million .

c. 1994 Frank Corder while intoxicated late on September 11, 1994 stole a Cessna 15 and flew it into the White House Lawn trying to hit the West Wing of the White House and died in the crash.

d. 2003 the United Nations agreed to lift sanctions against Libya after that country accepted responsibility for bring Pan Am Flight 103 down over Scotland with a bomb planted aboard and agreed to recompense the families of the victims killed.

e. 2008 at Chatsworth, California a collision between a Metrolink and a Union Pacific Freight train killed 25 people and injured 135; the engineer of the Metrolink was distracted by texting while operating the train and ran a red light.

   Reflections on Puerto Rico: “People born in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens - except for the teeny, tiny, mind-boggling fact that if you live in Puerto Rico, you are not allowed to cast a vote in the election for president. That tiny fact starts to get bigger when you realize that electing our own leaders is the whole reason that we have a country in the first place.” W. Kamau Bell, noted sociopolitical comedian
   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 www.Alaskanpoethistory.blogspot.com for just This Day in History.

© September 12, 2018 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet

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