It’s time to Break It Down!

Another holiday week, another reprised edition of “Break It Down!”

This Issue has been revised from the Break It Down post I originally conceived, created, and published December 29, 2010, and subsequently re-posted in amended formats December 28, 2011, December 31, 2014, December 30, 2015, December 28, 2016, January 3, 2018, January 2, 2019, December 30, 2020, December 29, 2021, December 28, 2022, January 3, 2024, January 1, 2025, and today December 31, 2025. This is my final post of the month, and of the year 2025. This is the 965th Edition of Break It Down, which debuted August 20, 2007, on the BlogSpot platform. I migrated the principal site to WordPress August 3, 2012, approximately three weeks before the Fifth Anniversary of the blog. You may find this and most other posts at either site.

With this post, I hope you had a wonderful 2025, and that you will have a blessed and bountifully Happy New Year. Now, enjoy today’s post.

The one-half fortnight between Christmas and New Year’s Day is a unique occurrence in the unfolding of the American version of the Gregorian Calendar. It is the only instance in which the space of a mere seven days separates two major holidays. Unquestionably, the timing is propitious. Millions of holiday travelers returned home from their Christmas commemoration and revelry, just in time to get a day off to “celebrate” the arrival of the New Year this evening…and then recuperate from their extracurricular activities. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I hope to the extent feasible, most people whose traditions include Christmas, will celebrate, and observe the arrival of the New Year, responsibly.

In last week’s post, I presented a re-formatted airing of my personally crafted Christmas post, (https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/2025/12/24/twelve-days-of-christmas-the-e-concert-2025-edition/) from past Noels. This week, I doubled down and revisited my trusty time capsule. Once again, this tack permits new readers to catch-up by seeing the piece, it allows long-time readers to reflect upon both the passing year as well as the theme lifted in the post, and finally, it ensures that those busy readers, with no time to invest in checking out a new blog during the holidays, will not have to miss anything. It’s a win, win…win!

With that loosely framed preamble behind us, here’s this week’s déjà vu all over again post.

Since we are still in the Sweet Spot of the holidays, I shall practice minimalism. For your purposes, that means the blog should be available, but not intrusive. To that end, I am taking a page from the Christmas e-concert but going a step further. Instead of a concert, I give you a song…of reflection.

Robert Burns, a Scot, wrote a poem (Auld Lang Syne) in 1788 that has come to symbolize the spirit of mass contemplation that people around the world invoke as the clock strikes midnight, signaling not just the dawn of a new day, but of a new year. Undoubtedly, you have been somewhere, at some time, when you joined those assembled to sing Auld Lang Syne, which loosely translated means, Times gone by.

Once again, that time is upon us, as when the clock strikes midnight, it will signal the first day of the 27^th year of the 21^st century. After thoughtful reflection, I have had no choice but to conclude, my travails have been few and small, especially when compared to my blessings, which have been both abundant and vast! All praises to the one true, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient God; a mighty fortress is He.

No need to thank me for my inherent thoughtfulness. But, by all means, “Drink a cup of kindness,” or eggnog, or Champagne, or “name your favorite adult beverage,” for me. And, if you are a teetotaler, water will do nicely, thank-you!

As I complete my first post of 2025, and prayerfully and faithfully reflect upon the year gone by, I leave with you this familiar Irish Toast:

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

And rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

It was my unique honor and privilege to visit with you briefly for each of the 52 weeks of this year. I hope you have derived a fraction of the pleasure reading (and occasionally listening to) the blog posts, that I have experienced from preparing and sharing them with you. May 2026 bring you the fulfillment of all your fondest desires. “Happy New Year: Here’s to Auld Lang Syne Redux – 2026 Edition!”

I invite you to click on the links directly below, which lead to an A cappella and a Jazz interpretation of Auld Lang Syne, arranged and performed by the late Lou Rawls (and listen to the remainder of this week’s edition of Break It Down):

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/question279.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” 

Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the link below:

Happy New Year: Here’s to Auld Lang Syne Redux – 2026 Edition

It’s time to Break It Down!

(Revised from Break It Down – 12/24/08, 12/22/10, 12/21/11, 12/26/12, 12/25/13, 12/23/15, 12/21/16, 12/26/17, 12/26/18, 12/25/19, 12/23/20, 12/25/21, 12/21/22, 12/27/23, and 12/25/24).

According to tradition, mine if no one else’s, my Christmas post includes a complement of Songs of the Season. Today’s issue will constitute the next edition in that tradition. With the exception of 2009, and 2014, I’ve done a version of this post every year since 2008. In 2009, Obamacare, or its official government name, The Affordable Care Act (ACA), was headline news, so that’s what I wrote about. In 2014, Two New York City police Officers were executed, shortly before Christmas, and several prominent Republicans tried to blame President Obama for their murder. That was the focus of my Christmas week post.

It’s Tuesday night, or in my personal time dimension, Blog Night. In keeping with what I do, let’s make it so. Wednesday’s post is coming! As incorporated in the title above, many purists celebrate Twelve Days of Christmas, and for the 16th time in 18 years, so will I. This has been documented in song, book form, at least one movie, and in countless tales and renditions. Let’s blog about it…again.

By quirk of the calendar, it’s Christmas Eve, so, right on time, here’s the Christmas Blog. I hope you enjoy the blog/e-concert.

Merry Christmas to you! I know some of you are caught up in the whole “We Are The (Secular) World” trip; thus, you substitute Holiday for Christmas in seasonal greetings. But that really shouldn’t be a problem since the man we call 44 brought Christmas back (wink-wink). But seriously though, in case you don’t know, Christmas never went anywhere.  In fact, a quick check back over the Obama years reveals…Christmas was a staple in his repertoire. (http://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/-merry-christmas-never-left-the-white-house-824078915806).  

Of course, those innately curious enough to conduct the requisite etymological research know that the root derivation of holiday is “Holy Day;” but I digress; that is fodder for another day.

The beauty of this post is, it’s timeless. By the time you get around to it, most, if not all of you will already have done whatever it is you do to observe and/or celebrate Christmas. But you know what, herein lies an opportunity to take one more moment, a time out if you will, before returning full tilt to your normal schedule.

As is my custom, I will not use this Christmas Season Post, if you will allow me to call it that, to challenge you to sort through the facts, be they esoteric or mundane. Not this past November’s  election, not the seemingly never-ending saga of the infamous Epstein Files,  or the economy (recession or no recession), no wars, no sports, and absolutely no (further) references to Presidents, past, present, or future.

No, this is your time to take a break and leave all that behind. Notice, I did not say forget it, and I certainly would never ask that you pretend it doesn’t exist. Just give yourself a break.

In the true spirit of keeping, it simple for both you and me, I am reprising an amalgam of previous posts. In fact, not just any posts…posts from several Christmas’ past. This is my sixteenth e-Christmas Concert. Several years ago, I pressed the reset button on the Concert. Instead of simply providing 12 standards, I upped the ante and provided 24, 12 by female artists, and 12 by male artists. This year, Christmas Day will be tomorrow. Take your time, but give them a listen, especially if you like Christmas Music. And I know some of you do. I heard a couple of people going on at length about Christmas songs a day or two ago. Well, this blog’s for you.

The English playwright and poet, William Congreve, in the opening line of his 1697 Play entitled “The Mourning Bride,” asserted, “Music has Charms to soothe a savage Breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.”  I think Congreve was on to something.  If indeed music is capable of enabling us to overcome our basest instincts, and in so doing, ennoble us to pursue our finer impulses, then indeed, we should take more opportunities to render ourselves captivated by its magical spell. (By the way, it really is breast…not beast; caught you thinking, didn’t I?)

So, I identified and pulled together an assortment of my favorite Christmas Standards by several of my favorite artists. This year’s version includes a variation of the artistic olio I pulled together for your reading, viewing, and listening pleasure several years ago. Below, you will find hot links to YouTube video interpretations and two songs (one male, one female), for each of the 12 Days of Christmas listed and included in today’s Yuletide e-concert.

Female Artists

1. Eartha Kitt is known for having had many talents skills, and abilities, among them acting and singing.  Last year I substituted her most popular Christmas song for “Nothing for Christmas.”  After a 1-year hiatus, I’m bringing back Santa Baby.  As I’ve noted before, the song was born in 1953, and as I will this Sunday, it turned 65 this year.  She slays (or if you’re really in the Christmas spirit — sleighs) it. https://youtu.be/Mk_GmhD053E
2. Dianne Reeves is a Grammy-winning jazz artist who sings in the vein of Dinah Washington and Carmen McRae, a skilled lyricist and scat singer.  She presents “Christmas Time is Here” as if it’s her own. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hInJstw1cGE
3. Vanessa Williams was the first black Miss America.  She had a short and tumultuous reign.  But cream rises to the top, and her talent ensured that losing her title was but a mere speed bump in a star-studded road.  Her rendition of “Do You Hear What I Hear” provides a glimpse of her musical flexibility and skill. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKmvk0NJnzE
4. Lena Horne was a jazz musician whose career spanned over 70 years.  She was also an actress, dancer, and civil rights activist.  She demonstrates her vocal caliber in this version of “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh8JZp_gnU4
5. Cassandra Wilson was born December 4, 1955.  Her birthdate alone ensured that I included her on this list; ’06!  But that’s not the only reason she made the cut.  Her range includes blues, country, and folk music, as well as jazz.  Moreover, she stuck the proverbial landing in her rendition of “The Little Drummer Boy.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmAQzS5Zk7o
6. Toni Braxton is a lot of things: a talented songwriter, singer, pianist, record producer, actress, television personality, and philanthropist. She is known to be sexy, sultry, and an unpredictable reality show star.  She’s still best known for her music though, and her version of “Santa Please” will do absolutely nothing to change that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nFWiF_E_VQ
7. The Emotions are one of those classic Old School Girl Groups born in the 70’s.  Influenced greatly by Maurice White of Earth Wind & Fire Fame, they continue to perform today.  One of my favorite tunes by them is their version of “What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas?” https://youtu.be/coO2E2v5RwE
8. Anita Baker released her first solo album in 1983.  In 1986, she released “Rapture”, and it was the dawn of her stardom.  She is known for her trademark “husky” voice, and she is at her Christmas best in this version of “The Christmas Song.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHze40h13mc
9. Diana Ross and the Supremes were the “It” Group of Motown when Motown was the “It’ place of Soul Music.  The Supremes are America’s most successful vocal group with 12 number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Here they are with their 1965 rendition of “Silver Bells.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIJROwP4BnM
10. Ella Fitzgerald is jazz royalty.  Frequently referred to as the First Lady of Song, the Queen of Jazz, and Lady Ella, she was widely acclaimed for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, and intonation, as well as a horn-like improvisational ability.  Virtually all scat singing is measured against her. Check out her version of “Sleigh Ride. ”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnEbRaFaqfg
11. Whitney Houston had a voice known worldwide.  Her recordings accounted for nearly 200 million records sold.  Hers was a clarion voice of our times.  This version of “Joy To The World,” taken from the movie, “The Preacher’s Wife,” is special, as was she. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYPpyTyPf6I
12. Ledisi (Anibade Young) is an R&B and jazz recording artist.  Her first name means “to bring forth” or “to come here” in Yoruba.  She was aptly named.  Enjoy her rendering of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xMz5oGc8s1Q

Male Artists

1. James Brown was renowned for his energetic performances, which earned him another of his many titles, “Hardest working man in show business.” His rendition of “Merry Christmas Baby” is not so up-tempo, but still a reminder that he had earned his chops the hard way, and that he was much more than just flash and dash. https://youtu.be/4VFZGRoZwB0
2. Donny Hathaway was a multifaceted soulful crooner and a product of Howard University who excelled in jazz, blues, soul and gospel music, an Alpha Man.  He suffered from depression and died of suicide January 13, 1979, at 33 years old.  He rendered this marvelous recording of “This Christmas. https://youtu.be/pj1mVUEHeUE
3. The O’Jays were formed in 1965 and have been a staple in Soul and R&B music ever since.  They knock it out of the park with this version of “Christmas Just Ain’t Christmas Anymore.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc4g1wsIA9g
4. The Temptations were a significant part of what made Motown, Motown, in the 60’s and 70’s.  Their rendition of Silent Night lives on as a classic among classics as far as Christmas music goes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFc7STuQF0U
5. Al Green, soul singer, turned minister, soul singer-minister was at his most popular during the 70’s.  He puts his considerable talents to good use in this version of “I’ll be Home for Christmas.” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cFyRwlR5YXk
6. El DeBarge was the central figure in the group known as DeBarge, which reached its zenith in the 80’s.  El was one of several members of the group who went on to fashion solo careers.  He nails this version of “Christmas Without You.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_xB6VD7fS8
7. Will Downing has been recording albums since 1988.  I’ve seen him in concerts twice, including a couple of weeks ago, and I own most of his recorded music.  He simply does not disappoint.  This recording of The First Noel is no exception. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOQWKBIuk-I
8. Joe (Lewis Thomas) released his debut album in 1993.  He has maintained a presence on the music scene ever since. His nuanced presentation of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” is just another fine example of his limitless talent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vbpsVILCvU
9. Jerry Butler, popularly known as the Ice Man, fitting for an Alpha, is a singer, songwriter, and musician (guitar, electric guitar, bass, piano, saxophone, and drums) who was the lead singer for the Impressions before going on to a solo career. He recorded this classic version of O Holy Night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0dR1Dk7Bu0
10. Luther Vandross was a musical icon. Period. End of story.  He is one of my favorite musicians, and his treatment of “My Favorite Things” is certainly among my favorite Christmas songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6TRlV6MOOU
11. The Whispers hail from LA, and have been around since the 60’s.  They became members of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003…for good reason.  They got it like that.  And they prove it with this version of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbJ95aWUc_A
12. Kem (Owens) is an R&B/Soul singer who has made his uniquely fashioned mark on the music scene since 1999.  He enlists Ledisi (Anibade Young), another single named musical star to create a fabulous rendition of “Be Mine For Christmas.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_8rVJ_ENaY

That’s it, 24 artists and videos and/or songs. Add it all up and you get “Twelve Days Of Christmas: The e-Concert – 2025 Edition!“ Enjoy it throughout the Season, and by all means, remember the Reason for the Season!

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”  Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

Twelve Days Of Christmas: The e-Concert – 2025 Edition

Break It Down!

If I were to hazard a guess, I doubt there are very many non-MAGA folks who are familiar with the name Susan Summerall Wiles. In fact, more people are likely to be familiar with her father, Pat Summerall, who played in the NFL, but gained legendary status as an announcer for the League with CBS, Fox, and ESPN. But enough about Pat. The post is about his daughter who has carved out a niche for herself in her chosen profession.

Susie, as she’s known, has had several important roles in politics, none more noteworthy than the last two; Co-Chair of Donald Trump’s 2024 Presidential Campaign, and current White House Chief of Staff. She is universally respected Republican circles, and she brought the kind of electricity and magic to Trump’s second campaign that Kellyanne Conway brought to the first one. Moreover, she seemed to have handled the multi-varied demands of Chief of Staff with a level of dexterity that none of the several men who held the role in Trump’s first term mastered.

And for the most part, she did it all quietly. Until yesterday. Then, from out of the blue, Susie changed the game. I’m sure you’ve heard by now, Wiles was interviewed by Chris Whipple for Vanity Fair. According to Whipple, Wiles revealed a number of factoids that differ, substantially in some cases, from the Trump Administration’s talking points. The story hit yesterday, and the White House has been doing proverbial clean-up on Aisle 3 ever since.

Before I list a few of the assertions Whipple says Wiles made, I will first disclose her objection…which was many things, but not a denial. Wiles said yesterday, after the article hit:

“The article published early this morning is a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history.” She went on to say:

“Significant context was disregarded, and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the story.” She further added:

“None of this will stop our relentless pursuit of Making America Great Again!”

Now, before I go on, allow me to elucidate what separates what Whipple reported from what Wiles retorted.

When Wiles, and White House insiders suggested her comments had been taken out of context, or misconstrued, Whipple produced receipts. When the New York Times called and said Wiles said she’d been misquoted or misinterpreted…Whipple played the tapes. Oops!

By the way, it’s worth noting that the interview was in fact, more like 11 interviews. Whipple met with, or talked to Wiles 11 times, over 11 months, for a total of about 11 hours, or roughly an hour each time. It basically a Year in Review summation of Trump’s first year, term two. Sort of an homage…in reverse. 

On Donald Trump: 

She said of the President, “He has an alcoholic’s personality.” She of course, was not suggesting the President (Who doesn’t drink) is an alcoholic. Rather that he has the kind of mood swings and obsessive nature about (actually many) things that an alcoholic might.

On J,D. Vance:

(Basically, in comparison to Marco Rubio) “His conversion was a little bit more , sort of political.” This was in recognition of the fact that prior to the Vice President’s Senate run (for which he needed Trump’s support), Vance was virtually a Never-Trumper. He actually compared Trump to Hitler. By contrast, she suggested Rubio, who also did an ideological shape-shift from Little Marco to Trump’s Do-it-all Secretary of State.

She also said of Vance, “He’s been a conspiracy theorist for years.” As proof, I offer, do you remember the “Haitians are eating the dogs” ruse? A conspiracy theory Vance doubled down on, and that to my knowledge, he never disavowed. Then he claimed Fentanyl was being brought into the country as a plot to kill conservatives, and then…the stolen election (2020). Enough said.

On Elon Musk:

He’s an avowed ketamine(user). And he sleeps in a sleeping bag in the EOB (Executive Office Building) in the daytime.”

On Pam Bondi:

“I think (AG Bondi) completely whiffed on appreciating that that was the very targeted group that cared about this…First they gave them bonders full of nothingness. And then, she said that the witness list, or client list, was on her desk. There is no client list, and it sure as hell wasn’t on her desk.”

On Ghislaine Maxwell’s move to a better prison: It was (Blanche’s) suggestion…”The president was ticked…The president was mighty unhappy. I don’t know why they moved her. Neither does the president.”

On Bill Clinton (my personal favorite):

“There is no evidence Bill Clinton visited Epstein’s island, according to Wiles; as for whether there was anything incriminating about Clinton in the files, ‘The president was wrong about that.’”

On Trump and Maduro:

“He wants to keep on blowing up boats until Maduro cries uncle. And people way smarter than me on that say that he will.” In other words, unlike the whole drug charade the White House and Republicans tout, Trump’s intent appears to be regime change, and he’s made that clear, at least to Susie.

On the question of retribution:

Back in March, I asked Wiles: “Do you ever go in to Trump and say, “Look, this is not supposed to be a retribution tour?” “Yes, I do.’ She replied. ‘We have s loose agreement that score settling will end before the first 90 days are over.’” Suffice it to say, that did not happen!

She added, “I don’t think he’s on a retribution tour. A governing principle for him is, ‘I don’t want what happened to me to happen to somebody else.’”

And so people that have done bad things need to get out of government. In some cases, it may look like retribution. And there may be an element of that from time to time. Who would blame him? Not me.”

On the case of Letitia James:

“Well, that might be the one retribution.”

On the economy:

“Wiles told me she thought Trump should pivot more often from world affairs to kitchen-table issues. ’More talk about the domestic economy and less about global matters.”

That’s ten items, in no particular rank order. You have to know, that 11 hours of interview material covered so much more than these ten items. One of those things was that Trump was included in the files. But you already know that. This post was designed to elevate several things you either didn’t know or wouldn’t expect Trump’s Chief of Staff to go on, and on, and on about. But she did. The most interesting thing about this breaking story is the way the Trump White House and its surrogates have responded. There has been universal support for Wiles. So far. Most seasoned Trump watchers are saying, just give it time. At the very least, there are sure to be bruised feelings, and lacerated egos. Over time…there are bound to be consequences and repercussions. “Tales From the Inner Sanctum!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”

Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box. Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-1

Tales From the Inner Sanctum

Break It Down!

Long, long ago, in a land far, far away, the Trump administration cut and/or laid off hundreds National Weather Service (NWS) employees. This happened as hurricane season was pending, and ahead of the normal array of winter storm events that assail large swaths of America, especially in the Northeast and Midwest. It was one of many moves that Elon Musk, and DOGE undertook with more than a modicum of élan. In one particular occasion, Musk actually brandished a chain saw to underscore the wildly exuberant nature of the cuts he and DOGE were making, including those at the NWS.

Less than two weeks before the official first day of winter, as the exigencies of the season begin making themselves felt, the natives, er a, I mean, the citizens are getting restless. They realize the agency’s severe understaffing will put millions of Americans in peril, unnecessarily. Alas, it appears, as sometimes doesn’t happen, the Trump administration is also coming to this realization.

The NWS is now in the process of working to hire back hundreds of positions earlier displaced by the administration. Admittedly, it’s happening slowly. So far about 80 final job offers have been accepted for meteorologists, hydrologists, and other specialized staff. 

The agency received permission in late July to add 450 people, after 550 people were cut by DOGE earlier. The decision to reverse course and authorize new hires came after lawmakers and citizens expressed concern about how the NWS cuts would impact public safety. 

As a result of the slow hiring, the NWS will enter yet another critical storm season with over a dozen forecast offices forced to operate with severe staffing shortages, undermining forecast accuracy and warnings during powerful and dangerous winter storms. 

(Lack of weather data due to Trump’s budget cuts impacted forecast for deadly Alaska storm).

This scenario is akin to the challenges and concerns raised ahead of hurricane season. Hurricanes, including three Category 5 storms, fortunately did not make landfall in the U.S.

Rick Spinrad, who led NOAA during the Biden administration, said “The administration is trying to put out a fire that they started. The 450 hires for the NWS won’t even cover the full shortfall.”

He further noted, “Also, let’s not lose sight of the fact that even if NWS could hire 450 people tomorrow, there is little chance that they would have the centuries of experience held by their predecessors.”

Staffing a weather forecast office requires 13 meteorologists. This enables fully staffing an office on a 24/7 basis. However, many NWS facilities are doing so with just 10 or 11 at the present time.  Tom Fahy, the legislative director for the NWS Employees Organization, the union that represents agency staff, observed that the weather forecast office in Goodland, Kansas is short eight meteorologists.

He said that the NWS offices in Rapid City, N.D. and Cheyenne, WY are also short 7 or 8 meteorologists, and that, where new people have been hired, those individuals are not all in place. It takes time to move personnel and match peoples’ skillsets with specific gaps in expertise around the country.

Winter storms can be deadly, and short staffing at the NWS has the potential to erode forecast accuracy and delay warnings, experts said.

There is still one forecast office, located in Hanford, Calif., that is too short on staffing to operate 24/7, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) official who requested anonymity for fear of retribution. The NWS is part of NOAA within the Commerce Department.

On the flipside of the debate on the current efficacy of weather agencies, NOAA spokesperson Kim Doster told CNN that the NWS is “Properly staffed to meet our mission of predicting weather hazards and providing essential services at all levels to keep communities informed, and we remain fully ready for the winter season ahead.”

She said the agency is on track to hire the remaining staff by the end of the 2026 fiscal year (September 30, 2026). Playing along, I will concede, that could happen. But, if we are not as lucky with winter storms as we were with hurricanes that did not reach landfall, we could find out first-hand, just how devastating winter storms can be. It has been said there is an axiomatic expression for every situation. Clearly, the apt bromide for this case is, it’s better to be lucky than good. Here’s hoping we avoid “The Winter of Our Discontent!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/. Find a new post each Wednesday.

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https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/09/weather/national-weather-service-hiring-gaps-winter-weather-storms-trump

The Winter of Our Discontent

Break It Down!

If you live in current-day America, you probably know there is an “imagine that” moment, or two, or ten, daily…that’s every single day. Today, I’ve picked one; the saga of the Department of War’s alleged “double-tap” of a boat of said to be narco-terrorists in the Caribbean on September 2. The controversy, if you believe there is one, revolves around a Washington Post story that attributed the call for a second attack on the boat, after it was disabled, to Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth. According to the story, Hegseth is alleged to have said, “Kill the all.”

Initially, Hegseth denied it, and in doing so, characterized the claim as fake news, manufactured by partisan Democrats. Interestingly enough, as time unfolded, that assertion melted into, it happened, but Hegseth, and shockingly, his boss, Donald Trump, knew nothing about it. They both, after the initial story disintegrated, blamed…I mean, attributed the decision for the second attack to Navy Vice-Admiral Frank Bradley.

Though it’s not surprising Trump and Hegseth conveniently found someone to throw under the bus, they did not do so until their cover story failed to hold up to scrutiny. Once even Republicans in Congress started questioning whether Hegseth’s version was counterfactual, and if so, was it also either illegal or unconstitutional, a new narrative was required. On Tuesday, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, a Republican, excoriated Hegseth for defending a second military strike on survivors of an initial attack on an alleged drug boat, after he had previously dismissed the report as fake news. 

At one point yesterday, Paul, speaking to reporters at the Capitol said, “Secretary Hegseth said he had no knowledge of this, and it did not happen. It was fake news. It didn’t happen. And then the next day, from the podium of the White House, they’re saying it did happen. The Senator went on to say, Hegseth was either “lying to us” about his knowledge of the strike or “he’s incompetent and didn’t know it happened.” 

Without a doubt, Paul suggested he thinks Hegseth is lying to the American public. He added, “So as a country, are we just going to let people lie to us, to our face? Are we going to let them kill people who they call enemies anytime in the world? Are we going to let them like when someone is stranded and holding on to the scraps of a boat put a second bomb on them? I think it’s outrageous and should be universally condemned.”

Let’s not lose the irony of this moment. A few months ago in early fall, Hegseth called virtually the entirety of military brass to meet at Marine Base Quantico, in Virginia. In that meeting he lectured them, he lambasted them, he lit into them in the most demeaning of ways. Near the end of his diatribe, aimed at impressing an audience of one, Donald J. Trump, he invited anyone not on board with his instructions, to retire from the military. But that was just one of the outrageous takeaways. He declared:

“We also don’t fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement, just common sense, maximum lethality and authority for warfighters.”

Be mindful, this meeting, and those comments came after the attack on the boat. Taking into account hindsight, it is almost as though, he was low key bragging about the dastardly deed and camouflaging it in an olio of “warrior ethos” and “fog of war.” 

Many people think they want the glory and success of being a “beast” but are unwilling to put in the hard work, practice, and mental toughness required to achieve it. It highlights the difference between wanting a result and being willing to endure the difficult process of the “hunt,” the “grind,” or the “practice” needed to get there. It was all good until it wasn’t. When the home team, aka, a number of Republicans, joined Democrats in questioning the legitimacy of his actions, the Secretary of War, or of Defense, or of whatever, appeared to have a case of second thoughts.

As I watched him back pedal from his aforementioned bravado, I was reminded of a phrase attributed to motivational speaker, Eric Thomas, who is credited with having said, “Everybody Wants to be a Beast…Until It’s Time to do Beastly Things!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”

Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box. Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/02/politics/rand-paul-hegseth-boat-strike

Everybody Wants to be a Beast…Until It’s Time to do Beastly Things