It’s time to Break It Down!

This has been quite the year for the WNBA, and with it, an equally fantastic voyage for one of its brightest stars, Caitlin Clark. The young rookie broke numerous records as a collegian. But as she neared her inevitable transition to a pro career in the WNBA, several of the league’s veterans, and more than a few former players, admonished her, and warned that moving to the big leagues would prove to be more of a challenge than Clark was prepared to handle. In short, they thought, and some said, she was overrated, and that the big, strong, grown women in the W would gift her with the comeuppance that she so richly deserved.

A week ago, Time Magazine named Clark its Athlete of the Year. Sheila Johnson, billionaire owner of the league’s Washington Mystic took exception, and criticized Time for bestowing the honorific upon Clark. Johnson, the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) asserted the media could do a better job of promoting all the league’s players, rather than focusing on Clark’s exploits. She inquired why the publication “couldn’t have put the whole WNBA on the cover,” given the talent the league possesses.

Johnson, co-owner of three Washington sports franchises – the NHL’s Capitals, the NBA’s Wizards, and the WNBA’s Mystics, continued, “When you just keep singling out one player, it creates hard feelings.” I will come back to Ms. Johnson’s criticism/query.

So, by now, you already know the CliffsNotes version. After a moderate to slow start, CC found her groove. She went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors. For much of the season, the chase for the ultimate rookie award was a two-player race, between Angel Reese and Clark. The two were collegiate rivals, playing in a couple of the most watched games in the history of Women’s College Basketball. Their teams, Iowa (Clark) and LSU (Reese), battled in the 2023 NCAA Finals, with Reese and LSU winning the Title. In 2024, They met in the Semi-Finals, with Clark and Iowa prevailing. The Lady Hawkeyes went on to lose to South Carolina in the Championship Game.

Fast forward to the WNBA Season. Reese and Clark both broke records on the way to having stellar individual campaigns. Reese broke the all-time WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles with 15-straight (she had 26 total), corralled the most rebounds in an NBA season, and finished with the most rebounds ever. She also finished with the most offensive rebounds ever, and was second all-time among rookies in defensive rebounds. It’s fair to say she is the total package, and the Chicago Sky is over the moon (pun intended) to have her in their organization.

After getting off to an inauspicious 1-8 start, Clark and the Indiana Fever recovered to make the playoffs. In the process, Caitlin proved herself in year one, to be among the most prolific scorers and passers in league history. She averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 90.6 from the free throw line. She led the WNBA in assists, she was 2^nd in free throw percentage, she was 7^th in scoring, 19^thin rebounding, and 21^st in three-point shooting. She averaged 35.4 minutes per game, second in the league, and never missed a game. She has the most assists in a single WNBA game (19), but on the downside, she also had the most turnovers in a season. Fortunately, her history-making 337 assists helped offset her turnovers.

She was the fastest player to get to 350 points and 150 assists, regardless of experience, and she also became the fastest to 100 3-pointers. She was the first player in WNBA history to record 20+ points, 15+ assists, and 5+ rebounds in a single game. She scored the most points by a rookie, she had 14 double-doubles, she set a rookie record with 122 3-pointers (second most in WNBA history). She was the first rookie in league history to record a triple-double (she had 2). Clark was the first person to be named Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month in the same month. She was Rookie of the Month four times. Not surprisingly, in the one month Caitlin didn’t win Rookie of the Month, Angel did. Clark is the Indiana Fever’s all-time leader in 10+ assists games. Clark was the ninth rookie to be names a WNBA All-Star starter. She had 10 assists in the game, which set a record in the All-Star game by a rookie.

Finally, no assessment of Caitlin’s rookie season would be complete without mentioning the Caitlin Clark Effect (CCE) on viewership and attendance. Her televised games averaged 1.178 million viewers, which is nearly three times the audience for all other WNBA games (394K). Actual game attendance for Fever games averaged 16,084. Non-Fever games averaged 8,552, an 88% difference. Some individual teams saw even more dramatic differences. When the Fever visited Atlanta, the Dream drew 17,592 fans. In all other games, they averaged 3,316 fans. In Washington, the Mystics drew 20,522 when they hosted the Fever. In other games, they averaged 4,988. It should also be noted that some teams moved their games to larger arenas to capitalize financially on the CCE. 

Beyond the games, the attendance, the stats, and the records, Clark brought additional intangibles to the table. The WNBA and Caitlin Clark were main topics of discussion, not just afterthoughts, or filler, on ESPN Sports talk shows, along with on talk radio and on social media. That is not to cast shade on current or past WNBA players. There are, and have been, magnificent star caliber players. Fact! 

But seriously, Ms. Johnson’s criticism and question are both patently absurd. The WNBA is 27 years old. As a league is has labored under a host of stigmas, from the whisper campaign that it is comprised of and caters primarily to gay women, to it’s just an under-resourced stepsister to the NBA, to it’s just a write-off for its wealthy owners, and now to, Black women in the W are just peeved because they think Caitlin is stealing their shine…and more. There have always been talented players in the W. Always. But the league has seldom had a player that demanded attention, in a must-see TV kind of way. And to be honest, Caitlin may or may not be that lightening in a bottle long-term. Time will tell.

However, in 2024, she was that woman! They say a rising tide lifts all boats. While I don’t subscribe to that aphorism in all cases, I do believe it has, so far, applied to Caitlin Clark and the WNBA. The entire brand is better, because of Caitlin. Using what justification, never mind metric or analytics, could an entire leagues be “Athlete of the Year?” The unreduced truth is, it will take a lot more than Caitlin Clarks to elevate the WNBA to be on equal footing with the NBA. It will take more stars, more sponsors, higher and more consistent viewership and attendance, and a series of years that build on 2024. Meanwhile, “I’ll Go Ahead and Say It: She Was Wrong!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.comand/or http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.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/2024/12/13/sport/sheila-johnson-caitlin-clark-time-magazine-spt-intl/index.html

It’s time to Break It Down!

I penned and published this post a year ago. I’m reprising it today. It’s not sports, or politics, or current events. It’s just a couple of extraordinary weeks from my ordinary life. Enjoy. Or not. Your call. Peace!   

Occasionally, I stretch my personal boundaries and share a personal experience in my posts. During the last couple of weeks, I published reprised editions of the blog. As a concession to being away on vacation, I opted to do so, instead of delving into process of developing new or current content. But make no mistake, posting on the fly, from thousands of miles, and numerous time zones away was a challenge. Another box checked.

The last couple of weeks presented me with an extraordinary and exhilarating slice of life. My hope is, it unfolded in an unobtrusive, if not totally unnoticeable way. My wife and I undertook a 14-day odyssey that included six airports, eight flights, a 3-day cruise, and more than 10,000 miles, not including nautical miles, or ground transportation. In addition, we spent time in locations seven, and nine time zones away. Not coincidentally, I posted from cities in each of those time zones, Egypt Standard Time two weeks ago, and Gulf Standard Time last week.

For a time, we wondered whether the whole notion of this trip was merely a snake-bit idea. Initial planned and schedule for post-Thanksgiving 2020, Covid intervened, and effectively said, NOPE, not happening. It took three years to reschedule it to post-Thanksgiving 2023. Then Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, and suddenly, the journey that I had looked to with such anticipation and excitement, seemed quite possibly headed for a second cancellation. However, as we continuously monitored State Department advisories, consulted trusted friends and associates who recently traveled to Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as checked-in with our travel agents. We continued to get affirming intel, and on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, admittedly, with some degree of trepidation, we boarded our first flight, and said, “Let’s do this.”

Needless to say; there were people in our inner circle who were not wild about the idea of our traveling to the Middle East, especially, amid heightened tensions stemming from the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Interestingly, there were also folks who, in one camp, thought Egypt was overrated, and folks in another camp who were unimpressed with the UAE in general, and with Dubai, in particular. Then there was yet another camp which was enraptured by the opulence of the Emirates. Fast forward to the end. Peace in the Middle East, at least in the parts we visited, endured. Both Egypt and Dubai delivered, as advertised. They are two very different places, The Capital of Egypt, Cairo, is part of a sprawling 20 million people metropolitan area, and known for its antiquities, while the UAE was created in 1971, one of, if not the wealthiest nation on earth, and filled with gleaming streets, and soaring skyscrapers. Dubai, the largest city in the Emirates, with a population of 3 million people, and the Capital of Emirate of Dubai, is home to the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, which stands 2,722 feet tall (over half a mile). Abu Dhabi, the second largest city in the Emirates, and the Capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, is home to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the largest Mosque in the Country, and the third largest Mosque in the world. The building complex covers an area of more than 30 acres, excluding exterior landscaping and parking.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent in the UAE, this is where I fully embrace my bias and admit, the impetus for the trip, for me, was Egypt. As a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (ΑΦΑ), Inc., which holds as its symbol, the Sphinx, I’ve long wanted to see it in person. My wife is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (ΔΣΘ), Inc., and the Pyramid is one of the organization’s symbols. For an Alpha-Delta couple, it doesn’t get much better than having an opportunity to visit/see the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid. Except, it did get better. It just so happened that the trip not only covered December 4th, the Fraternity’s 117th Anniversary, but also December 1st, my 50th Alphaversary. Suddenly, that 2020 Covid cancellation is feeling like divine karma. I’ll take it.

Visiting Giza may have been the pièce de resistance of the trip, it was one of many highlights. The Hanging Church in Cairo, the seat of the Coptic Pope, is perhaps the first church built in basilican style. It is called “Hanging,” because its nave is suspended over a passageway. The Aswan High Dam is a prominent historical landmark, and one of the largest embankment dams in the world. It is used as a mechanism to prohibit the Nile from flooding, Then, there is the Nile, the world’s longest river, 4,132 miles (11 countries…Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Republic of the Sudan, and Egypt). Karnak Temple Complex, located in Luxor, comprises a vast mix of temples, monuments, and chapels. Construction of the complex began during the reign of if Senusret (1971-1926 BCE). BCE means Before the Common Era, or before Christ was born. There were also numerous museums of note, including, the Karnak Open Air Museum, the Mummification Museum, and the Le Scarabe Papyrus Museum. Every stop included shops, and or vendors.

In the UAE, we visited three of the country’s seven Emirates, all eponymous of their Emirate, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah, the largest cities in each of the three largest Emirates. I mentioned the Burj Khalifa earlier. Standing on the 125^th Floor circular observation tower, looking out over, and surveying the sprawling, gleaming city of Dubai was an amazing sight. The 60-second ride from lobby level to the 124^th Floor, as you might imagine, was quite the experience. But nothing compared to cityscape vista available from any point on the 125^th Floor. By the way, to get to the top floor, you must climb the final flight of stairs. I guess the engineers, architects, and designers wanted visitors to do some of the work on their own, of ascending to the summit. The only 7-Star Hotel in the world, Burj Al Arab (Tower of the Arabs), is in Dubai. It is the third tallest hotel in the world, and one of the most iconic structures in Dubai. Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization is a veritable one-stop shop for viewing over 5,000 artifacts from the Islamic world. It was a fascinating venue. Finally, Abu Dhabi, home to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, President of the UAE. Sheikh Zayed is the third son of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was the first President of the UAE, which was founded in 1971. The Presidential Palace, Qasr Al Watan, is a working palace, and a cultural landmark. Perhaps the most visited landmark in Abu Dhabi is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The main axis of the building is rotated 12 degrees south of true west, aligning it in the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

We visited all these sites, and more. Mrs. Miller even rode a Camel while in Giza, and we rode the dunes in the Arabian Desert. Much appreciation to our travel agent, tour guides, and traveling compatriots. Thank God for traveling mercies. “Fourteen Days; What an Adventure (A Second Look)!“

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.comand/or http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.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:

It’s time to Break It Down!

In 2011, in observance of the 70th Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor bombing by Japan, I wrote the following post. The now 83rd Anniversary, which we will commemorate Saturday, seems like an apt occasion to revisit subject. Since I wrote the post in 2011, a few years ago, my wife and I visited Honolulu, Hawaii, and Pearl Harbor, including the Battleship Missouri Memorial, the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Oklahoma Memorial, the USS Utah Memorial, and the USS Cisco (Submarine) Memorial Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. It was a great trip with lots of amazing history and artifacts. So, here’s the original post:

Seventy years ago today, an incursion of the highest order befell our great nation.  On that fateful Sunday in early December, the Japanese Empire, with the aid of its naval and air forces, attacked the American military installation at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  Although, Hawaii did not officially become the 50^th State until June 27, 1959, the Republic of Hawaii was annexed, and had become the incorporated U.S. Territory of Hawaii on July 6, 1898.  To wit, America was, in an instant, immersed in World War II (WWII), by default.

The next day, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) met with the U.S. Congress to request a Declaration of War, and in so doing, uttered these now famous words: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”

This brazen and unmitigated act of war had surprised the American military establishment, and the Country as a whole.  While we as Americans remember the pillage at Pearl Harbor, the comprehensive nature of the Japanese attacks, though amply documented, is less well-known.  In fact, over a two-day span, Japan spread a torrent of carnage throughout the Pacific, including:

·         Torpedoing ships between Honolulu and San Francisco

·         Launching an offensive against Malaya

·         Assailing Hong Kong

·         Raiding Guam

·         Attacking the Philippine Islands

·         Raiding Wake Island

·         Invading Midway Island

FDR’s request was granted of course.  Four days later, on December 11^th, Germany, and Italy, which had signed a three-nation pact with Japan on September 27, 1940, declared war on the United States.  In his prepared statement, Adolph Hitler declared Germany and Italy were compelled to defend their ally, Japan.  At that point, it’s fair to say it was on!  From December 7, 1941, until Japan surrendered, unconditionally, on September 2, 1945, global Armageddon raged.  Over those 3 ¾ years, many of the key operational dynamics would shift, change, or otherwise be altered, as is always the case during periods of war.  During this time frame:

• Benito Mussolini quit his post as Dictator of Italy
• U.S. Flag raised over  Iwo Jima
• FDR died; Harry S. Truman was sworn in as President of the United States
• Italians killed Mussolini
• Adolph Hitler committed suicide
• U.S. tested first Atomic Bomb at Los Alamos (New Mexico) National Laboratory
• Winston Churchill lost re-election bid
• U.S. dropped the (Atomic) Bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, three days apart
• Allied Nations celebrated VJ (Victory over Japan) Day
• Japan surrendered, unconditionally

The War had actually begun in 1939, when Germany invaded Poland on September 1^st; it lasted six years.  During that span, in what was the second World War in 25 years, every major world power was involved in a war for global domination.  By the end, over 60 million people had lost their lives.  Ultimately, the conclusion of the war was precipitated by the United States unleashing the cataclysmic and previously unknown forces of nuclear weaponry.  It was only after the U.S. destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in a three-day period that the Japanese Empire was persuaded to surrender, which for all practical purposes, ended the war.

So it is with much respect, simple humility, and a heavy dose of sadness that I salute the millions pressed to service to defend the world as we know it against the rapacious desires of those in search of global hegemony and world domination.  In any version of this story America deserves a special place.  As a nation we resisted direct involvement until victimized by a lethal and unprompted frontal assault.  After engaging, we worked with allied forces to try and repel the efforts of relentless transgressors.  Finally, when nothing else worked, we introduced a wild card, the most lethal weapons system known to man, the Atomic Bomb.  The resulting death and devastation was so stunningly pervasive, a heretofore recalcitrant enemy was forced, immediately to “call it off.”

We now live in the nuclear age of course.  Many nations have access to nuclear weapons, while others are trying to attain them.  What the future holds is uncertain.  But we know for sure that any number of countries have The Bomb at their disposal, and there are enough nuclear weapons stored around the world to destroy the earth, many times over.  With what should be mixed emotions, as Americans, we also know that the only nation ever to unleash the fury of this potential “world-ender” is us, as in the U.S.  In that regard, it was then, and remains today, an absolute truth, “December 7, 1941: A Date Which Will Live In Infamy Redux ’24!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.comand/or http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.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:

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5166

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VqQAf74fsE

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/day-of-infamy/

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

http://framework.latimes.com/2011/12/06/pearl-harbor-photos/#/0

http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/harford/opinion-talk/ph-ag-edit-pearl-1207-20111206,0,5066736.story

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=248401

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/pearl-harbor-day-december-7-1941-a-date-live-infamy-pearl-harbor-photos-gallery-1.25192

http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/tmirhdee.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/11/newsid_3532000/3532401.stm

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

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

http://www.worldwar-2.net/

http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2011/12/december-7-1941-date-which-will-live-in.html

It’s time to Break It Down!

This is a vintage post, originally pinned November 24, 2010, and subsequently edited and re-posted every year since 2013, including November 27, 2013, November 26, 2014, November 25, 2015, November 23, 2016, November 22, 2017, November 21, 2018, November 27, 2019, November 25, 2020, November 24, 2021, November 23, 2022, November 22, 2023, and today, November 27, 2024.

Still, it was not a given that I would re-share this post today. As I weighed recent events, numerous options presented themselves, including, the still relatively new Speaker of the House, the recently approved agreement to forestall a government shutdown, POTUS’ 81st Birthday, Monday, the dueling criminal charges of Donald Trump and Hunter Biden, the GOP impeachment inquiry into President Biden, Clarence Thomas’ protégé-led federal judge panel striking down another tool in the arsenal of civil rights enforcement, and finally, of course, the brand new hostage release/prisoner exchange deal, between Israel and Hamas. No dissenting opinions were registered. After earnestly deliberating the question of today’s topic, I put the matter to a vote. It was unanimous; me, myself, and I decided to go with Thanksgiving.

As in the past, since it is Thanksgiving Week, this post will deviate from the standard fare. I know that travel schedules (in some cases impacted by weather events, and COVID-19, again this year), meal planning, family time, shopping, football, basketball, parades, and if there is any time remaining, relaxation, will be the dominant theme this week.

However, it is Wednesday, so there shall be a blog.

Those among us who have perfected humility, and ascended to a genuine Nirvana state, have no doubt also elevated giving thanks to an art form. The rest of us must fully invest our appreciation in the notion, “That’s why we have Thanksgiving!”

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, which kicks off what we commonly refer to as the Holiday Season. Almost instinctively, Thanksgiving and Christmas come to mind. Yet, there is so much more than that to the Season.

Over the next 54 days, many of us will enjoy succulent feasting at Thanksgiving, exchange gifts and contribute to the needy during Hanukkah. We will buy, give, exchange, and/or receive, and (in far too many instances) return gifts at Christmas, eat, drink, and celebrate the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa, and party and toast the dawn of 2022 on New Year’s Day. We will honor the life and works of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on MLK Day. In addition, even in these tough (though improving) economic times, further complicated by soaring inflation, this weekend, millions of Americans will pay (literally) homage to our most celebrated of shoppers’ holiday weekend, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, by rising early, and proceeding to scour the aisles for those perfect gifts…and if not perfect, at least cheap, relatively speaking. There are even some precociously enterprising businesses that will start the shopping clock Thursday (though, fewer than in the recent past). Sigh!

In some previous years, I have recounted my reasons for being thankful. This year, like most, I find that I have more reasons than ever to sit contemplatively in humble repose, and affirm boldly, that I know, without caveat, not only the goodness, no the greatness of God, but also of his inestimable and inexhaustible beneficence. I thank Him for deliverance, and for imbuing me with the sense and sensibility to discern the distinction between Kairos and Chronos, Greek concepts for God’s time, and man’s time, respectively. 

In this the Year of our Lord and Savior, 2024, I have again been reminded, God really does have a sense of humor. Welcome back Donald Trump. I Thank you God, dearly and daily for your gloriously ineffable wit. Hallelujah, Amen!

Eons ago, when I was a college student, I pledged a fraternity. It is familiarly known as the Oldest, Boldest, and Coldest, but I digress. The point of this reference is that during the erstwhile pledge process, as prospective initiates, we were required to learn and recite several classic poems. There were many, each selected to convey a specific life lesson. Some of them have stayed with me, but none more than Invictus, written by English poet, William Ernest Henley (1849-1903).

The Latin translation for Invictus is Undefeated. You may recall it, but just in case, see it below:

Invictus (Latin for Undefeated) By William Ernest Henley:

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

So, as you go about your way tomorrow, and all the tomorrows that follow, recognize that Thanksgiving, at its core, is not simply a day on the calendar, or of the epic epicurean experience. It is a spirit that dwells within each of us, an impulse that prompts us to thank God (for enabling us to be undefeated), and a level of insight that compels us to graciously share His blessings with our fellow men and women. Indeed, every day is “A Time for Giving Thanks, Redux ’24!”

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:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year’s_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr._Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)

It’s time to Break It Down!

Donald Trump, the former and future President has been the President in waiting for two weeks now. He, along with those who supported him are exuberantly immersing themselves in the moment…as well they should. That’s how democracy works. There will be, and always would have been, a peaceful transfer of power…as long as Trump won. Remember January 6, 2021? Trum’s supporters all emphasize he won, so let’s look forward, not backward. That would be a fair, and much more resonant point, if only Mr. Trump had embraced that outlook back in late 2020, and early 2021. Hell, even to this day, he has refused to concede he lost the election. But I digress.

Trump’s supporters claim Trump had a massive win, and with it, a mandate. Well, yes, sort of. Why sort of? He did win all 7 of the swing states. That is a compelling argument. However, even though he did amass more votes than Kamala Harris, it was technically, not a two-person race. In addition to Ms. Harris, Jill Stein, Cornel West, and even Rober F. Kennedy, Jr. appeared on some ballots. The result is, at the end of the day, Trump failed to reach 50% of the vote. He won by a plurality. So, in some ways, it’s not the dominant performance that it may have appeared to be two weeks ago. He massed 312 Electoral votes; just 5 more than Joe Biden did in 2020. But to draw a finer point on putting the matter in context, Barack Obama won 365 Electoral votes in 2008, and 332 Electoral votes in 2012. You know what, I don’t recall a single Republican proclaiming Obama had a mandate, in either year and he bested Trump’s Electoral vote total by 20 in 2012, and by 53 in 2008, so miss me with the faux narrative.

Trump won, and many Democrats seem surprised by that result. But surprise doesn’t equate to mandate. As it currently stands, his actual margin of victory is the 44^th worst out of 51 elections since 1824. He won. Let’s leave it at that.

Winning does have its privileges. And Trump is taking full advantage. He has moved quickly to build his cadre of appointments and nominees. So far, they include: 

Chief of Staff – Susie Wiles

Steven Cheung – White House Communications Director

Karoline Leavitt – White House Press Secretary

Matt Gaetz – Attorney General

Todd Blanche – Deputy Attorney General

Dr. Mehmet Oz Administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Linda McMahon – Education Secretary

Tulsi Gabbard – Director of National Intelligence

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – Department of Health and Human Services

Pete Hegseth (Fox News) – Secretary of Defense

Stephen Miller – Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy

Tom Homan – Border Czar

Mike Huckabee – U.S. Ambassador to Israel

Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy – Heads of the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) Musk is likely to serve as an outside consultant, evading a requirement for Senate approval 

Sean Duffy (Fox News) – Secretary of Transportation

Marco Rubio – Secretary of State

Elise Stefanik – Ambassador to the United Nations 

Lee Zeldin Environmental Protection Agency Administrator

Howard Lutnick – Commerce Secretary

Brendan Carr – Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission

John Radcliffe – Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

Kristi Noem – Secretary of Homeland Security

Doug Burgum – Secretary of Interior

Doug Collins – Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs

Chris Wright – Secretary of the Department of Energy

Mike Waltz – National Security Advisor

William McGinley – White House Counsel

Jay Clayton – U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York

During the campaign, Trump promised to visit vengeance on those he felt opposed him. His has offered several appointments that push the upper limits of reason. He has signaled that he fully expects the Senate to confirm them, or provide him the option to make recess appointments, a kind of wonky exception to regular order, whereby, when the Senate is in recess, the President can make appointments that would normally be subject to advice and consent.

To be clear, not all of Trump’s appointments are controversial in nature. But some are. Below are a few of the ones that are.

Gaetz, Musk, Hegseth, Kennedy – allegations of sexual improprieties, including lawsuits, and Congressional investigations

Tulsi Gabbard – Democrat turned Republican is suspected of being a Russian sympathizer, and a Bashar al-Assad (Syrian President) apologist. 

Mehmed Oz – Promoted several weight loss products, deemed false advertising, and drawing Congressional scrutiny.

Marco Rubio – Forever Little Marco

Kristi Noem – In her book, No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward, tells a story about killing her 14-month-old female dog, “Cricket,” which she shot and killed because the dog did not submit to training for pheasant hunting, due to an aggressive personality. Michael Vick is giving this one the side eye.

Sean Duffy – Like Pete Hegseth, a Fox News alum.

Mike Huckabee – Asserted “There is no such thing as a Palestinian. Peace in the Middle East?

The argument that Trump won, and therefore deserves to get to pick the Cabinet he wants will probably prevail in most of these cases. Like it or not that’s politics. It underscores the crucial nature of voting in every election. But it is what it is. We are here now. Whether you like it or not, “To the Victor Go the Spoils: Trump Takes a Victory Lap!”

I’m done; holla back!

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It’s time to Break It Down!

Fifteen years ago, I wrote a post in recognition of Veteran’s Day, and the service personnel we as a nation honor on that day. In 2009, and again in 2015 when I reprised this post, Veterans Day fell on Wednesday. In 2018, the day fell on Sunday. In 2019, on Monday, in 2020, on Wednesday, in 2021, on Thursday, and in 2022, Friday, 2023, Saturday. This year, the day fell on Monday. So, although Veterans Day was a couple of days ago, I’ve decided once more, to edit/re-post the Veteran’s Day Edition of “Break It Down!”

That also means, back to my holiday norm. Many of you may know, or at least faintly recall that I frequently alter the blog format to integrate holiday traditions into the discussion. Often holidays are expanded by days away from work, long weekends, travel, and a host of leisure activities. In those cases, I prefer to scale back in recognition that aside from road map directions, GPS instructions, and the like, most of us do very little reading.

As most Americans know, this year marked the 106-year Anniversary of the Armistice that ended World War I, AKA “The Great War,” and/or “The War That Ended All Wars.” At first, it was known as Armistice Day. It later became known as Veterans Day. But what do we really know about this day that has been set aside to honor real American heroes and sheroes?

Well, first, Veterans Day is not Memorial Day, and vice-versa. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Day is intended largely to honor Living veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served – not only those who died – have sacrificed and done their duty. Memorial Day honors those veterans who died in the service of their country, particularly those killed in combat, or because of wounds sustained in battle.

We also know that Veterans Day is a different kind of federal holiday. Except for Sundays, it falls on its actual date. In 1968, Congress approved the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. This law, which took effect in 1971, amended the observance of certain federal holidays so that Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day would be observed on Mondays instead of on fixed dates.

Congress passed the Act to increase the number of three-day holiday weekends for federal employees. After a loud and persistent outcry from Veterans and Veterans’ groups, who argued the historical significance of November 11th was compromised by the change, Veterans Day observance was returned to November 11th in 1978.

So how did this affinity for November 11th come about? As with many historical facts, it evolved. As noted earlier, Veterans Day began as Armistice Day. The significance of Armistice Day is that it was the day of the signing of the Armistice that terminated World War I (WW I). In effect, WW I ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. That was when the Germans signed the document, ending hostilities that had begun in 1914. President Woodrow Wilson subsequently proclaimed the first Armistice Day, November 11, 1919.

WW I was deemed The Great War, and was thought by many, at the time, to be “The War That Ended All Wars.” It was, as the numeric designation suggests, the First World War. Of course, more wars would ensue. There was World War II (WW II), later the Korean Conflict, and then Vietnam.

In 1953, a storeowner in Emporia, Kansas, Al King, launched an idea to honor all Veterans, not just those who served in WW I. The idea took root, sailed through Congress, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law May 26, 1954. Congress amended the Act November 8, 1954, changing Armistice to Veterans, and thus it has been ever since.

So now, especially remember…”The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month Redux ‘24!” To augment a popular bumper sticker, “If you can read this, thank a teacher”…and a veteran.

I’m done; holla back!

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

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It’s time to Break It Down!

At midnight EST, Wednesday, November 6, 2024, I am calling Election 2024. It’s Trump again. Is it mathematically impossible for Vice President Harris to rebound, and pull out an improbable win? No, it’s not impossible. But the reality is, it ain’t happening. The News Agencies, and Networks haven’t called the race over…but it is.

Kamala Harris ran an impressive race; every step of it, against the odds. Kudos for a job well done. It simply wasn’t enough. I don’t like to profess profundity or inject I-told-you-so’s into the discourse, but the truth of the matter is, I’ve been telling friends of mine, actually arguing with friends of mine, since January 6, 2021, that Trump would run for, and likely win another term as President. There were numerous bases for my contention. 

First, and foremost, I believe Trump, quiet as it’s kept, reflects the values of a plurality, if not a majority of Americans. The results of the 2024 Presidential Race seems to confirm my postulation. Secondly, Democrats cannot resist eating their own. Many of them, basically opted, in the absence of perfection, to choose the option that least served their interests. Finally (there are other reasons, but I am only enumerating three), African Americans, who were still the stoutest Democratic voting bloc, gravitated toward Trump. The lack of African American support is not why she lost, but it certainly didn’t help her cause.

While I’m not including it in my Democrats eat their own list, I would be remiss, if I didn’t articulate my firmly entrenched belief that the American psyche is unready to embrace the idea a woman president.

As I noted in 2016, “We The People” have spoken, and now, as then, Donald Trump will undoubtedly accept the results. This will likely be the most successful of Mr. Trump’s runs, as he appears headed to capture the popular vote for the first time.

I cannot wrap up this post without making one final statement. In my own canary in the coal mine kind of way, “I tried to tell you.” OK, I just needed to say that. Again! “Don’t Hate the Messenger: It’s Not Over, But It’s Over!”

I’m done; holla back!

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

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It’s time to Break It Down!

Americans are immersed in one of our sacred rites of passage, the political quadrennial, familiarly known as the race for the presidency. By the time I post again, Americans in Washington DC, and all the states, except Hawaii, will have completed voting. Polls will have closed, election staffs in dozens of states will have begun counting ballots, and several states’ results will have been tallied and revealed. By the account of most polls and of the experts who interpret them, the race is currently considered too close to call. 

The Washington Post (WaPo) and the Los Angeles Times (LAT) normally endorse a candidate for president. This year, interestingly, the two journalistic giants opted, within days of one another, not to make a presidential endorsement.

Jeff Bezos, WaPo owner, stated, of his rationale, that he pulled the editorial (which endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris) because newspaper endorsements do not influence the outcome of elections; they just create the appearance of putting one’s thumb on the scale. He concluded, it was the right thing to do. In fact, he said the paper would discontinue the practice in future years, which it has carried out in every Presidential Election since 1976. Moreover, it should be noted, WaPo even endorsed several candidates in the 2024 election cycle. And there’s more. Coincidentally…or not, on the same day, Bezos prevented his editorial board from publishing WaPo’s endorsement, executives from his aerospace company (Blue Origin) met with Donald Trump. Both Blue Origin, and Amazon (which Bezos also owns) compete for federal contracts. It is not inconceivable, there may have been, implied or explicit, motivation or incentive to drop the endorsement…especially one that would not be for Mr. Trump. For whatever it’s worth, Bezos maintained there was no connection between the meeting, which he disavowed knowing about, and the endorsement cancellation. Draw your own inferences.

Meanwhile, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, LAT owner, said his decision to override the editorial staff, and not endorse, would be less divisive in a tumultuous election year. While his daughter asserted the Gaza War influenced the decision not to endorse (also Vice President Kamala Harris), Dr. Soon-Shiong said Gaza did not play a role, and added, his daughter has no role at the LAT, and she does not participate in any decision or discussion with the editorial board. Coincidentally, Soon-Shiong, like Elon Musk, one of Trump’s biggest backers, is from South Africa. Perhaps, more importantly, he also has history with Trump. The two reportedly discussed the future of medicine after Trump’s 2016 Election win. None of that means there was anything nefarious about the nixing of the endorsement. But…again, draw your own conclusion.

Several members of both papers’ editorial board resigned after the owners’ decision to quash the respective endorsement editorials. 

WaPo and LAT notwithstanding, there will be no dearth of presidential endorsements. Over the past two months, I have been intentional in writing about something other than presidential politics. There are a host of reasons, but primarily, I zigged while there was a whole lot of zagging. During this time of year, the topic of presidential politics is almost inescapable. As a result, I could write about most anything, and no one would feel as though they were shortchanged, since the convo is pervasive.

America, it is said, is evenly divided between those who prefer Harris, those who prefer Trump, and those who prefer none of the above. And yes, Robert Kennedy, Jill Stein, and Cornel West are also running, but let’s face it, while one or all of them collectively, could play the role of spoiler, when the dust settles (which may take a while), either Harris or Trump will be the next Commander-in-Chief.

Donald Trump is a cult of personality; 1 of 1. He could say anything, or nothing (well, that last part is probably not possible for him), and he’d get 47% or more of the vote. He has engendered a loyal following. He once said he could shoot someone on 5^th Ave., and nor lose any votes. While that is a theory, yet to be tested, I say, let’s leave it there. Just understand, his former Vic President is unavailable, his longest serving Chief-of-Staff, absent, his Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, otherwise engaged. NBC reached out to 44 people who served in Trump’s Cabinet. Only 4 said publicly, they would support his re-election bid. One said Trump met the definition of a Fascist.

So lose all this faux hand-wringing and hyperventilating by conservatives because Vice President Harris allegedly “called” Trump a fascist (she didn’t). It is just the usual misplaced projection. When asked a question in an interview by Anderson Cooper, about whether she agreed with General Milley, whom Bob Woodward wrote said of Trump, he is ‘fascist to the core,’ Harris simply answer, yes, yes I do. She never uttered the word fascist. Milley, according to Woodward, went on to say, “He (Trump) is now the most dangerous person to this country.” So save the exaggerated contempt and derision, or at least point it in the direction of the source, and not Harris. Of course, that would be honest, but much less politically satisfying.

Trump and his loyalists started early trying to define Vice President Harris, as soon as President Biden stepped aside and endorsed her. Among their favorites, based upon frequency of use were stupid, dumb, low IQ, mentally impaired, and DEI hire. All of that seems downright ludicrous, when viewed through the lens of her having destroyed Trump in their only debate. She sought another debate. Don wanted no part of the sequel. Also, consider her list of elective offices, which include, San Francisco District Attorney, Attorney General of California, United States Senator, and Vice President of the United States. Her qualifications compared to his, or anyone else’s for that matter, are in a word, stellar.

With that, I will just cut to the chase and announce that I am proud to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for the Office of President of the United States. “Six Days: Harris Walz!”

I’m done; holla back!

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

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Break It Down!

A couple of weeks ago, I penned a post about Major League Baseball. If you had told me then, that I’d do it again in two weeks, even though I’m not a betting man, I would have wagered you on the subject. At the time, I hadn’t watched a baseball game since the 2020 World Series. By the way, that hasn’t changed. There is, however, a good chance that it will in the next few days.

The World Series begins Friday, featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers from the National League, and the New York Yankees from the American League. If the series goes the distance, and takes the full 7 games, it will start on October 25th, and end on November 2nd. That would be 7 games in 9 days. MLB’s hierarchy is serious about wrapping up the season. After 162 games, plus the playoffs, who could blame them? The Dodgers won that 2020 World Series; the last time I watched a game. As I noted a couple of weeks ago, I grew up rooting for the Dodgers. For the Lakers too, but that’s a story for another day. 

Despite failing to win a hundred games for the first time since the 2018 season, the Dodgers had the best record in baseball this year. Full stop. Nevertheless, the bitter pseudo-historian in me laments the fact the erstwhile Bronx Bombers have owned my beloved Dodgers in the Series. The two squads have met 11 times, the most of any two teams in baseball. The scoreboard reads Yanks 8, Dodgers 3. That includes 6-1 while the Dodgers were in Brooklyn, and 2-2 since they moved to the City of Angels. One of my few pleasant recollections of these tilts is the last time they met, in the strike-shortened 1981 season. LA prevailed, winning 4 straight, after dropping the first 2. I never recovered my passion for the game after the strike season.

The Dodgers, without question, boast a star-studded cast. None shine brighter than Shohei Ohtani. In the off-season, the Blue signed the two-way superstar to a 10-year, $700 million contract. Ohtani played his way to fame as a member of the Los Angeles Angels, with whom he excelled as both a pitcher, and a slugger. He spent this year, his first with the Dodgers, as a designated hitter, and skipped pitching altogether, as he recovered from surgery. To make it interesting, he became the first MLB player to amass 50 homeruns, and 50 stolen bases in a single season.

Let’s be clear though, the Yankees will by no means be an undercard. They have mega-talent, in their own right. While it will be Ohtani’s first World Series, it will also be the debut of Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gleyber Torres.

The Yankees won the National League East and were the American League’s first seed. The best of the East meets the best of the West, fitting, indeed. By clinching a berth in the World Series, the Yankees will be returning to the World Series for the first time since 2009; a 15-year absence. This will be the 120^th World Series. The Yankees have made 41 appearances, winning 27, and the Dodgers have made 21 appearances, winning 7. According to the oddsmakers, the Dodgers are slight favorites. No active MLB players were alive the last time Yankees-Dodgers was a thing. “Coast-to-Coast: Play Ball!”

I’m done; holla back!

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

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It’s time to Break It Down!

Monday was Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Still called Columbus Day in most of the United States, it is a day celebrated on the second Monday of October, October 14 this year, to honor the cultures and histories of the Native American people. The day is centered around reflecting on their tribal roots and the tragic stories that hurt but strengthened their communities.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day got its start at a U.N. international conference on discrimination in 1977. South Dakota, in 1989, was the first state to recognize the day. Two California cities, Berkeley, and Santa Cruz followed suit. Although the day is still considered Columbus Day in most places, many people have begun calling it Indigenous Peoples’ Day to celebrate the rich culture and the lives of the Native American people.

For Native Americans, Columbus Day was an often-painful reminder of a violent past, constituting 500 years of colonial torture and oppression by European explorers like Columbus and those who settled in America. Indigenous Peoples’ Day draws attention to the agony, trauma, and broken promises that were erased by the celebration of Columbus Day. Before his arrival, the indigenous folk were successful self-sufficient communities that sustained life for millennia.

Year after year, the movement to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day is spreading to more and more states, towns, and cities across the United States. Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrates, recognizes, and honors the beautiful traditions and cultures of the Indigenous People, not just in America, but globally. Their way of life and culture carries wisdom and valuable insights into how we can live life more sustainably.

Today, 14 U.S. states and the District of Columbia celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day and not Columbus Day. Over 130 cities including Arlington, Amherst, Cambridge, Brookline, Marblehead, Great Barrington, Northampton, Provincetown, Somerville, and Salem also celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Numerous organizations are seeking to address the lack of access indigenous people have to higher education. They have also created scholarships to help address this challenge.

HOW TO CELEBRATE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY

1. Read indigenous literature

Some must-read books include “A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies” by Bartolomé de las Casas, “1491: New Revelations Of The Americas Before Columbus” by Charles C. Mann, “An Indigenous People’s History Of The United States” by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, and “Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee” by Dee Brown.

2. Attend an event

Attend an event hosted by a group of Native Americans or a Native American organization. Learn more about how you can be of assistance with any issues that the group is facing.

3. Host a movie screening

Watch a movie with your friends and have a discussion afterward. There are a plethora of films to choose from like “Dances with Wolves” (1990), “Songs My Brothers Taught Me” (2015), “Gather” (2020), and “Indian Horse” (2017).

5 FACTS ABOUT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY

1. Female warriors 

Native American women fought alongside men in battles, the most popular among them being the Buffalo Calf Road Woman of the Northern Cheyenne tribe.

2. Popcorn 

The Indigenous Americans were the first to domesticate the strains of maize that produced popcorn thousands of years ago.

3. Maria Tallchief 

The first Native American (and American) to dance at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and with the Paris Opera Ballet was Maria Tallchief. Hockey

• Hockey 

The Native American tribes of Foxes, Saux, and Assiniboine played a game called shinny, which is where hockey came from.

5.  The sequoia tree

The sequoia tree is named after the revered Cherokee leader Sequoyah, who created an alphabet for his people.

WHY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY IS IMPORTANT

1. It celebrates the original inhabitants

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a holiday that celebrates the Native Americans, the original inhabitants of North America.

2. It recognizes the indigenous cultures

Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors the beautiful indigenous traditions, cultures, and lives all around the world.

3. It stands in solidarity with the indigenous people

We take a stand for and support the indigenous people on this day. We should also offer our support to those who invest and uplift the indigenous communities.

I have observed there are folks who go out of their way to say Columbus Day, rather than Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Undoubtedly, they consider themselves making a point. In this hyper-partisan era, any concession to individuals of non-European heritage rubs some folks the wrong way. In that light, it’s important to remember that what Columbus really discovered when he arrived in the Americas was that…he was lost. “Indigenous Peoples’ Day:  Why?“

I’m done; holla back!

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

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