Parenting may be a difficult task in these times fraught with danger from drugs, internet bullying and gun violence to name a few but it is a job that must be done not abdicated as the sad events in Central Regional High School in Berkeley Township, New Jersey prove as Adriana Kuch who had been subject to months of bullying on the internet was attacked by a group of female classmates in the hallway and beaten up badly, while one student filmed the incident to the cheers of spectators. The video went viral and despite complaints by the father to the school and the police, nothing was done and she committed suicide. Raises the question of what kind of parents by instruction or by example lead their children to say it’s okay to gang up on a fellow student then broadcast the beating on the internet (why was such a video even tolerated)? 4 students involved in the attack have been suspended and 40 students staged a walkout to protest bullying. Stanford Women crushed Arizona 84-60 in Tucson and will meet ASU in Tempe at 12 on Super Bowl Sunday.
Ridley’s Believe It Or Not February 9, 2023
          Noted Holidays: Pizza Pie Day Pizza in the form of flatbreads has been around since Greek and Roman times but modern day pizzas trace their beginnings back to Naples in the mid-18^th Century but its consumption outside of Naples would have to wait until the 1940’s after waves of migrants had immigrated here bringing their longing for thick pizza crusts. It what is believed to be the first pizzeria, G. Lombardo’s on Spring Street in NYC opened in 1905 and must be doing something well as it is still in operation with original ovens but at a different location. Hamburgers and hot dogs are number 1 and 2, respectively, in terms of food popularity but pizza comes in a number 5.
           Word of the Day: Agenocratia which means opposition to birth control of whom for those concerned with population outstripping our resources those opposed are not in the majority and diminishing as the Catholic Church may be receptive to altering its opposition to birth control.
            Number 1 Song: The number 1 song on this day in 1963 was “Telstar” by the Tornados on a run of 1 week following a run of 2 weeks in 1962 to share with 20 other songs that achieved number one status while 19 acts achieved their first number status. Here are the Tornados performing “Telstar”:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryrEPzsx1gQ        
            February 9 Famous Birthdays: James Owen Sullivan, better known to his fans as “The Reverend Tholomew Plague” shortened to “The Rev” was born in Huntington Beach on this day 1981 was a noted drummer who received his first set of sticks at age of 5 and co-founded the heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. Sadly his promising career was cut short on December 28, 2009 at age 28 a drug overdose from oxycodone (Percocet), oxymorphone (a metabolite of oxycodone), diazepam (Valium), nordiazepam, (a metabolite of diazepam) and alcohol.
            February 9 Notable Events:
            1.     1895—William Morgan created a net game to be played indoors due the weather which he called Mintonette and which now call volleyball.

            2.     1965—The U.S. Marine Corps landed in South Vietnam a Hawk MIM 23 missile battalion at Da Nang Air Base to protect it from the Viet Cong who had no planes but the battalion quickly led to 2 battalions of Marines to protect the Air Base and he nightmare which would become the full-fledged Vietnam War was off to the races.

            3.     1948—Satchel Paige a noted African American pitcher in the Negro League appeared in his first MLB game at age 42 for the Cleveland Indians as the first African American pitcher in the American League and the 7 African American MLB player and pitched his last game on September 25, 1965.  Even with his best years as a pitcher spent as a young pitcher in the Negro League Paige retired with 118-80 record with an E.R.A. of 2.70
            4.     1982—Seiji Katagiri the pilot of Japan Airlines Flight 350 tried to crash the DC-8 into the ground approaching Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan and withstood the efforts of the flight engineer and first officer to restrain him causing the plane to crash in shallow waters in front of the runaway, killing  24 of the 174 passengers and crew aboard. Katagiri was caught trying to leave the plane but was adjudged to have paranoid schizophrenia and was ruled to be innocent by virtue of insanity to be confined in a mental institution before subsequently being released to live near Mt. Fuji.  

            5.     2021—Having been impeached by the House on mostly party lines 7 days prior to his termination of his presidency by the election of Joe Biden, the second impeachment trial began and ended on February 13 with Trump being acquitted by a vote of 57-43 with 67 guilty votes needed to convict.
            Famous Quotes on Notable Events Or Persons:   Satchel Paige as quoted by Mark Ribowsky in his book on Satchel Paige Don’t Look Back: Satchel Paige two days before playing in an exhibition game in Oakland between Paige’s All Stars and a team MLB players and soon to be MLB players like Joe DiMaggio:  “Never before have I faced so many great hitters in one game. I’ve licked teams with three or four big-leaguers, but a whole club of them … this ain’t going to be easy. However, I expect to whip ’em.” 
Satchel Paige: “DiMaggio was there grinning to beat all. I didn’t hear all he said, but I did hear him saying something like, ‘Now I know I can make it with the Yankees. I finally got a hit off Ol’ Satch.’ ”   60 days later after getting only hit off of Paige who in a 2-1 losing effort after striking out 12, DiMaggio was called up to the Yankees.
Unknown New York Scout telegramming back to the home office-- “DiMaggio everything we’d hoped he’d be: Hit Satch one for four.”  
Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com
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