Thursday, March 17, 2022

March 16, 2022 Ridley's Believe It Or Not Take Down Tobacco Day

 

RIDLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT March 16, 2022

             CV World Cases: The planet continues with cases still increasing but the increase slowing down with cases now passing 462 million at 462,013,906 cases,  61,042,263 of which are active, 400,971,643 closed with 394,897,907 recoveries (98.49%), and crossing the 6,000,000 barrier 6,073,736 deaths (1.51% )to continue the low trend of increased cases with increased recovery percentages and decreased death percentages with some plateaus, dips, and rises.
             CV USA Cases: Total cases now passing 81 million at 81,244,936 with 23,796,184 active cases  of which 3726 are serious or critical, (15,517 on 12/12) (back to steady decreases despite the increase in active cases due to the relative mildness of the Omicron variant) to .0157% of active cases (back to back steady decreases despite the increase in active cases due to the relative mildness of the Omicron variant  and to increase  the reduction from the 29,271 peak on 12/31/2020 to 25,545 with 57,448,752 closures with 992,302 deaths (1.73%) and with 56,456,450 recoveries (98.27%). Our death rate percentage is .22%  higher than the world’s death rate.
             Standing: On a deaths per million population measure on a steady but slowing climb to 2968 the U.S. ranks behind Peru (6270) the new number 1 which has had a quantum leap in deaths previously unmatched which was a change in the classification to give Peru the a new method of reporting; Bulgaria (5272), Hungary (4642), Romania (3389),  Brazil (3044), and Poland (3008) and slightly higher than Argentina (2773), Columbia (2690), Belgium (2608), Italy (2606), Russia (2478), Mexico (2449), UK (2381), Chile (2271), Spain (2168), France (2141), Portugal (2098), Ecuador (1953),  Bolivia (1798),  Sweden (1748) that never closed its economy down like we did, and Switzerland (1532). 
             US Vaccinations: As of 03/15/22   557.2 million doses, 220,384 per day last week ( 75.9%) of population now vaccinated  with at least one shot)  and in California 35,853 per day  (which means at least 82.1% of the population of California has received at least one shot) which many believe is necessary to develop herd immunity (other than Flip Flop Fauci who may believe that 90% is required).  In California 72,140,457 total doses have been given (83.3%  of doses received to exceed the U.S. average of 80.2%), California is still stuck at 12th tied with Nevada of the 50 states in terms of the percentage of doses administered as a percentage of doses delivered to the states and at 70.8% of its population fully vaccinated compared to the U.S. average of 64.6% and has not moved from 11th   in terms of the percentage of the population fully vaccinated compared to other states (nothing like a recall election to get Newsom’s attention and performance).  
             Non  CV News: Zelenskyy spoke virally to Congress pleading for a no fly zone and the if the U.S. would not join those NATO members calling for it in the alternative to not block the Polish Mig 29’s that Poland is ready to give Ukraine as Putin continued his reign of terror of bombing, shelling and launching missiles against civilian targets (more and more world leaders are labeling Putin a “war criminal”; the $800 million of military aid was impressive even though it did not include any Iron Domes, artillery or missile systems capable of knocking down Russian planes above the height of 12,500 feet; while gas prices are soaring through the roof and Ukrainian citizens are dying by the hundreds and the world is rightfully concerned over World War III, Energy Secretary Granholm is calling it an opportunity to dump fossil fuel and move to green energy sources, ignoring the vital role fossil fuels play in generating electricity that will be needed to recharge the EV’s batteries and the Chinese domination in the production of solar panels; Chris Hayes a leftist MSNBC “journalist” is once again making us cringe as Ukraine is fighting against the Russian Bear for its life and 3.5 million refugees have fled by tossing the “racist” card against Poland for not accepting white and in many cases Muslim refugees over a thousand miles away and accepting white Ukrainians mostly Catholics on its border; Elizabeth Warren is making news on the inflation front blaming supermarkets, meat processors, and oil companies for their “greed” in raising prices but ignoring the inflationary effects of trillions of stimulus checks paid for with printed money unleashed on a COVID-19 recovering economy and Biden’s war on fossil fuels; Smollett received the good news that he will be released from his 5 month county jail stint pending his appeal; Monica Gannon-Grant, a Boston BLM organizer and her husband were arrested on fraud charges but released on her own recognizance to continue to work in her alleged defrauded charity 2 days a week but banned from handling finances; on the political Bobbsey Twins front Andrew Cuomo is purportedly considering a run against Governor Hochul and Chris Cuomo fired by CNN in his unlawful termination arbitration is demanding $125 million to settle his case; the Feds raised the discount rate today 25 basis points but the market was up significantly for the second straight day and Russia is nearing a default on its borrowing trying to get lenders to accept rubles which are nearly worthless as opposed to dollars; in the Last Great Race on Earth, the Iditarod, 16 more mushers have crossed the finish line in Nome with Mille Porsild from Denmark in 14th as the fastest female as 26 mushers are still on the trail with 24 of them competing with themselves to finish the race and take home a measly $1049 for their efforts with the furthest one out Leslie Nesbitt enroute to Unalakleet a mere 261 more miles of mushing to Nome which is a balmy 13 º.                                           

                  Chicago Gun Violence: Hey Jackass.com is alive and well to collect data to show that through March 15;  2022, gun violence involving mostly persons of color shooting mostly persons of color in Chicago is alive and well with 493 shot of whom 102 have died.
               As always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, factoids of interest for this day in history, a video recording of “Centerfold” by The J. Geils Band; the fact that you enjoy sphairistic pursuits; and a quote of Joe Biden on Russia’s referendum to acquire the Crimea, 
secure in the knowledge that if you want to send a gift for any memorable events like St. Patrick’s Day, Mothers’ Day, 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. Please contact me for details on pricing.
              1.  
Take Down Tobacco—created by Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids as National Kick Butts Day in 1996 and celebrated on the third Wednesday of March but given the rise of vaping the name was changed to Take Down Tobacco in 2020 which due to vaping resulting in the increased use of tobacco as an estimated 1 out of high school students are vaping. 
              2.  
National Freedom Of Information—created by Jim Bohannon to promote openness in government and to recognize citizens who have fought for transparency in government and the uncovering of documents and facts government agencies felt it best to conceal or not reveal and celebrated on the anniversary of the birth of James Madison.
              3. 
1982  Number 1 Song—the number 1 song in 1982  on this day was  “Centerfold” by The J. Geils  Band on a run in that position for 6 weeks noncontinuous  to join 15 other number 1 songs and 9 other acts to  hit the charts at Number 1 for the first time. Here is a video recording of The J. Geils Band performing “Centerfold”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqDjMZKf-wg The band was formed by John Warren Geils and released 11 albums between 1970 and 1985 before breaking up. Geils released two solo albums and participated in several of the band’s reunion tours and died of natural causes at age 71 on April 11, 2017. 
              4.  Word of the Day—the word of the day is “sphairistic” which means of or pertaining to tennis especially lawn tennis.
              5.  
Hiding Does Not Act As a Filter—celebrating the birth on this day in 1916 of Thelma Catherine Ryan better known to us as Pat Nixon, the first and only wife of Richard Nixon who as First Lady was known as Madam Ambassador for her goodwill trips out of the country. A heavy smoker, she never allowed herself to be photographed smoking in public and after Nixon resigned suffered two strokes and finally her smoking habit caught up with her as she was diagnosed with lung cancer in December, 1992 and died from it on June 22, 1993.
             On this day in:
              a. 1968 in a bad day for the U.S. Army, American troops near the village of Mai Lai, executed 347 to 500 Vietnamese whose only crime was that they were villagers there.
              b. 1988 as a result of their involvement of what became to be known as the Iran Contra Affair Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and Vice Admiral John Poindexter were indicted on conspiracy to defraud the United States. Both men were convicted and both men had their convictions overturned because the prosecution had used their immunized testimony to obtain convictions. 
              c. 1988 the Kurdish town of Halabja was attacked on orders from Saddam Hussein with lethal gas and nerve agents to kill 5,000 men, women and children and injure some 10,000 more.
              d. 2014 Crimea voted in alleged overwhelming in favor majorities in a referendum to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation.
              e. 2020 the Dow Jones Industrial Index suffered the largest point drop in its history falling by 2997.10 in the second largest percentage drop in its history at 12.93% following the Fed’s announcement that it would reduce the Fed Discount Rate to .0% to .25%.
             
Reflections on the referendum for the Crimea to secede from the Crimea and become part of  Ukraine: “In the 21st century, nations cannot; and we cannot allow them to redraw borders by force. These are the ground rules. And if we fail to uphold them, we will rue the day. Russia has violated these ground rules and continues to violate them. Today Russia is occupying sovereign Ukrainian territory. Let me be crystal clear: The United States does not, will not, never will recognize Russia’s attempt to annex the Crimea... It’s that saying; that simple. There is no justification.” Vice President Joe Biden to the Rada on December 9, 2015 Sadly, for Biden after over 7 years, words only in prolific supply, actions in front still lacking.
              
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.

              © March 16, 2022,  Michael P. Ridley aka The Alaskanpoet
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