Wednesday, April 12, 2023

April 11, 2023 Ridley's Believe It Or Not

 


       

Walmart announced that after losing millions of dollars over the years in Chicago, 4 stores there would be closed (no mention whether the wave of shoplifting crime that has hit the city was one of the reasons for the losses and planned closures). The retail giant has been forced to remove eco-friendly t-shirts due to the way the logo is displayed:                                                           

                                     

The shirts with their profane interpreted logo are still big sales items at Amazon. California has been suffering from drought for several years welcomed the massive amounts of rains and snows this year and its reservoirs have been filled to near capacity but now along with other Western States western states that draw water from the Colorado River Basin are facing another drought this one man made as Biden plans to cut by 652 million gallons the amount of water to be delivered to 7 Western States to prevent dams along the river having their water levels lowered to levels that render hydroelectric power from being generated. In a rare example of bipartisan ship 200 Blues have joined Reds in legislation placing restrictions on the ability of CCP controlled companies from buying American farmland.  Across the nation the new legal battleground has become the ability of biological males identifying as girls seeking to compete in women’s sports.
           Ridley’s Believe It Or Not April 11, 2023
           Noted Holidays: National Ranch Water Day: Created by Ranch20 Spirits in February 2021 and first celebrated on this day in 2021 to promote the skinny margarita that Texans call the “official cocktail of West Texas” made from tequila, soda water and lime and if bought in the form of a can will have an alcohol ABV kick of 7%.
           Word of the Day:  The word of the day is “alveary” which means beehive or the area in one’s ear where wax collects to rapidly diminish the quality of hearing aids if not flushed out from time to time.
           Number 1 Song: As we have left the past and returned to start the clock backwards from the present, the number 1 song on this day in 2017 was  “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran on a run of 12 weeks noncontinuous to share with 11 other songs that achieved number 1 status  while 12  acts including Ed Sheeran achieved number 1 status for the first time. Here is a music video with lyrics of Ed Sheeran performing “Shape of You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGwWNGJdvx8 
           April 11 Famous Birthdays: Alessandra Corine Ambrósio, born on this day in 1981, is a noted Brazilian model who has become an American citizen and who has become a Victoria Secret star. 
           Noted Events on April 11:
           1.    1945—American Army forces liberated the Nazi concentration camp at Buchenwald where most of the inmates worked to produce armaments in slave labor conditions. The first commandant, Karl-Otto Koch, was executed by firing squad for embezzling and corruption and exploiting prisoners. His wife, Ilse Koch, was arrested by Americans and sentenced to 4 years, released after 2 years but was later rearrested and sentenced to life imprisonment to take her life in September 1967. The second commandant, Henry Pfister, was arrested and sentenced to death but avoided the hangman’s noose by dying of a heart attack on September 8, 1948.
           2.    1970—Apollo 13, carrying Jim Lovell, as commander, Jack Swigert as the command module pilot and Fred Haise as the lunar module pilot, was successfully launched only to  have the oxygen tank in the service module on day 2 after the launch fail and a brief fire occur, venting oxygen into outer space. The disabled space craft did not land but looped the Moon with the astronauts relocating to the lunar module and managed to returned to Earth to the joys of millions rivetted to their TV’s praying for their successful return to Earth.
           3.     1976—Apple Corporation created the Apple 1, its personal computer.  
           4.     2006—Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that on its march to becoming a nuclear power, Iran had produced weapons grade uranium.
           5.     2019—21 year old Daunte Wright was shot and killed after a traffic stop in Brooklyn Heights while resisting arrest by Kimberly Potter who by mistake shot him with her service revolver instead of what she thought was her taser, sparking protests and riots across the nation. She resigned from the police force along with the Chief of Police two days later, was tried for involuntary manslaughter, convicted and sentenced to 2 years rather than the 7 year guidelines and will be released on April 24 of this year. Wright’s family sued the city for wrongful death and settled for $3.25 million and Wright’s girlfriend who was in the car and was injured after Wright crashed it after being shot sued for her injuries and settled for $350,000. 
             Famous Quotes on Events and Issues :
             Ralph Ellison on the Trial Judge’s Sentencing of Officer Porter to 2 years  :  "I accept her judgment. I urge everyone to accept her judgment. I don't ask you to agree with her decision, which takes nothing away from the truth of the jury's verdict. I know it is hurtful to loved ones of Daunte Wright. I ask that we remember the beauty of Daunte Wright, to keep his memory in our hearts, and to know that no number of years in prison could ever capture the wonder of this young man's life. Ms. Potter could make a powerful contribution. She could have a profound impact on police officers, departments, and manufacturers about the urgency of ending weapons confusion and saving lives.It will be up to her to show that she can do this with true remorse and make true amends. I hope she can."

        

© 4/11/2023 Michael P. Ridley aka The Alaskanpoet
www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com
Poems on events of the day
Commissioned unique poems         

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