A conversation about what's going on in the world at any given point in time…and what I think about it. Occasionally, guest bloggers may appear. Viewer comments are welcome. Peace! Alpha Heel
Last week in this space, I wrote about Republicans having had a tough day. Well, yesterday, as I predicted they would, House Republicans reversed one of the elements of their hard luck dramafest. By the slimmest of margins, the narrow House GOP majority, voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The vote was 214 to 213. Three Republicans – Ken Buck of Colorado, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, and Tom McClintock of California – voted against the measure. For context, only one Cabinet official has previously been impeached in American history: Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876.
But even with another questionable record to its credit, not everything was cookies and cream for the Grand Old Party. Also yesterday, in a New York Special Election, Democrat Thomas Suozzi defeated Republican Mazi Pilip, in a race to claim the seat previously held by disgraced former House member George Santos. With the defeat, the House GOP Caucus now has 219 members. Within the 435-member Chamber, 218 members are necessary to form a majority, when all eligible members are voting. From now to November, there are sure to be many tight votes in the House. That, of course presumes, the Speaker of the House will allow votes to take place, rather them delaying, or scuttling them via various parliamentary procedures. “The GOP Gets One Back; Impeaches Mayorkas!”
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The Terrible – An Appeals Court rules there is no such thing as Trump Immunity
The Horrible – Republican efforts to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas failed
The No Good – The Party’s standalone Israel aid bill fell in the House
The Very Bad Day – Trump’s denial of endorsing Langford was exposed as untrue
All things considered, in the future, 75%, or. 3 out of four of those items could be reversed. And quite frankly, GOP voters have established that the fourth, simply does not matter…to them.
In a 57-page unanimous opinion, a 3-Judge panel of DC Circuit judges wroth that our justice system allows a former president to be held accountable for his actions while in office, because the public interest in holding a potentially criminal president answerable outweighs any potentially “chilling effect” on the presidency.
Trump has promised to appeal. He appointed 3 of the nine Justices, and 6 of the 9 are conservative/Republican.
The House is nearly evenly divided, but Republicans hold a slight numerical edge. Yesterday, they thought they could only lose three votes. Then, when an unexpected Democrat showed up and voted, suddenly the magic number was 2. They lost 3, which resulted in a tie. In a last-minute bit of parliamentary legerdemain, one supporter changed his vote to nay, widening the defeat, but giving the GOP the opportunity to bring the measure up again, later.
Almost certainly, when it resurfaces, Republicans will have the requisite numbers.
The Israel aid bill came about because many House Republicans want to demonstrate support for Israel. However, the Freedom Caucus split from the majority, leaving Republicans needing to employ a procedural maneuver that requires two-thirds majority for approval. The arithmetic of that ploy left Republicans needing Democrats to bail them out, for the measure to pass.
Democrats, however, want to secure funding, not just for Israel, but also for Ukraine, for Taiwan, and for border security. Dems passed; the bill failed.
In an interview with conservative radio host Dan Bongino, Trump claimed, never to have endorsed Senator Langford, a conservative Oklahoma Senator who led the GOP negotiations in the Senate that produced a bi-partisan bill to resolve a host of border security issues, while also providing aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. While the bill is bipartisan, it is pretty much all things the GOP wants on the border, and nothing preferred by Democrats. It been labeled by most knowledgeable observers as the most conservative leaning border legislation ever. While the bill includes things the GOP would normally salivate over, Trump has asked Republicans not to sign off on it, because he wants to run on the border. Back to the question of Trump having endorsed Langford. Trump told Bongino:
“Just to correct the record, I did not endorse Sen. Lankford. I didn’t do it. He ran, and I did not endorse him.” So, I’m sure your person will be happy to hear that.” He later added, “I like James. I did not endorse James, but I like James.”
Trump’s claim is untrue. Trump said in the September 27, 2022, endorsement statement:
“James was strongly committed to America First, and everything it stood for, and likewise strongly committed to me, as President. Sometimes we didn’t exactly agree on everything, but we do now. He is a very good man with a fabulous wife and family, loves the great State of Oklahoma, and is working very hard on trying to Save our Country from the disaster that it is in.”
Trump categorically and repeatedly declared, with no caveats, that he had not endorsed Lankford at all. In a word, untrue.
The one is irrevocable. But history has shown, Trump being untruthful is not a deal-breaker for MAGA-voters. So, in conclusion, though it may not stick, yesterday was “The GOP’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!”
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Last week, I wrote a brief post about the apparent eventuality of a Biden-Trump rematch. Not much has happened on that front since then, other than Nikki Haley insisting that she’s in the race to stay, even though, she lost the first two contests (Iowa & New Hampshire), and despite the fact she will be completely shut out in the next one, the Nevada Caucuses, next week on February 8th, where she’s not even on the ballot, and notwithstanding, she is currently trailing by 30 points in the one after that, her own home state, of South Carolina, slated for February 24th. As long as Ms. Haley can persuade donors to pony up, she will be able to hang around. That’s been her focus the past week, while D-Trump and his backers have been engaged in a campaign to collect endorsements and donors, while concomitantly disparaging Haley and dissuading anyone who would be inclined to support her.
There are a lot of people, mostly non-Republicans, who wonder why so many people say they support Donald Trump over all other Republicans, many of whom insist they will do so, even if he is convicted on any of the 91 felony charges he faces. I’ve given that some thought, and I will likely write about it, in some future post. Now, I’ll leave you with one thought. When Trump says, I will be your retribution, or I would be a dictator for just one day, or Biden and the Democrats stole the election, his acolytes love that, want that, and feel that he understands their grievances, and only he, will make it right.
Today, I simply want to say a few words about the incongruous directions of Republicans, especially in the House, where there is an effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, ostensibly for the “so-called” high crime and misdemeanor of not protecting the southern border, while they simultaneously and crowingly vow to kill a bi-partisan bill generated by Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, to protect the southern border. Indications are, even though an agreement in principle has been reached, some Republican Senators may back away from their consent, to avoid embarrassing their House counterparts, by sending them a bill they have already decided to scuttle, should it come their way.
It cannot be overlooked that one of, if not the principal reason, the GOP is contorting itself, and opting to commit political hari-kari, is because Donald Trump has asked them to do so. See my note two paragraphs above, about why Republicans support Trump, even when he expresses sentiments antithetical to the democratic (small D) credo. The current rhetoric among Republicans asserts, “There is no need for legislation; the President can take Executive action to resolve the problem at the border.” The thing is, whenever Biden openly considers taking Executive action, Republicans vociferously argue, the President is acting like an autocrat, and doesn’t have the power to act unilaterally. Consider Biden’s effort to eliminate student debt.
The long and short of it is, we are in the midst of a Presidential Campaign, and every action Biden takes is going to be characterized as overreach, while every act of restraint will be called weakness. Trump and his collaborators will make sure that any other course will be deemed GOP political malpractice.
That’s all well and good…if you’re a Trumpophile. However, anyone else needs to see this for what it is, exactly the opposite of the so-called “Country-first” mantra Republicans purport to represent. In fact, it is a strategy designed to do one thing; grease the skids for Trump’s presumed run to the White House. If this gambit succeeds, cynicism carries the day, Trump wins (the argument), and America loses the high ground as the world’s leading voice of democracy. For shame. “Impeach Alejandro, Kill the Immigration Bill: The Screaming Contradictory GOP Illogic of It All!”
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This will be a short post. No links, no preponderance of citations; just a few personal observations about the events of the day…or, as it were, yesterday.
For the second week in a row, politics and presidential candidates took center stage, and for the second week in a row, there was virtually no suspense. The results in both the Iowa Caucuses, and the New Hampshire Primary were rendered before the clock struck 9:00 p.m. On the GOP side, Donald Trump won both contests, becoming the first non-incumbent GOP Presidential candidate to win in both Iowa, and New Hampshire. Moreover, no Republican has ever won both, and failed to win the Party’s nomination.
Democrats are part of a different narrative. In Iowa, there will be a Primary in March, which will result in delegate allocation. In New Hampshire, President Biden did not register for the Primary, as the DNC effectively decertified the Primary due to New Hampshire Democrats flouting the DNC decision to hold its Primary before the February 3rd South Carolina Primary, which the DNC opted to make first in the 2024-Cycle. Just to be cautious, Democrats arranged a hastily constructed Write-in Campaign, to ensure that Biden didn’t lose, while not even running. Biden won. As a Write-in. No Delegates were awarded.
To make what could be a long story, appropriately short, in all appearances, we have come full circle. The 2020 Race is effectively, the 2024 Race. Translation: for the next 11 months, America Past will battle America Present for the right to become America Future. Lots of people disdain the circus that is politics, and they shut down when that is the subject du jour. Recognizing what lies ahead, I’ve trod lightly in the political arena over the last 12 months. I can assure you, the coming months will not be all politics, all the time. However, it will not be possible to avoid discussing what’s likely to be a bruising campaign between the current and former Presidents. So, I will take this opportunity to keep it short and sweet. Here’s to the next 286 days. “New Month, New Year, Same Race!”
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My original posting about the King Holiday dates-back-to January 19, 2011. In 2022, I amended the topic to add a perspective shared by Nikole Hannah-Jones.
Solomon Peña, who lost his 2022 bid for New Mexico state House District 14, was arrested Monday by an Albuquerque SWAT team for allegedly paying and conspiring with four men to shoot at the homes of two state legislators and two county commissioners in December and January, authorities said. No one was injured but investigators said Peña intended to cause serious injury or death. Peña, attributed his defeat to a “rigged” election is accused of masterminding a series of shootings targeting the homes of elected Democrats. But I digress. Consider this “batschitt” craziness an FYI! It’s not the topic of today’s post.
Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Over the years, I’ve written a post about Dr. King, the holiday, and how it came to pass. Today, I am again revisiting a post I initially wrote and posted Wednesday, January 19, 2011, and that I reprised January 18, 2017, January 17, 2018, and again, January 23, 2019, examining the advent of the King Holiday. It’s been 37 years since the initial observance of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (MLK DAY), and 40 years since President Reagan signed the MLK, Jr. Holiday bill into law. Contemporary events continue to remind us that now is an apt time to look into the rearview mirror of time.
After over three decades of inculcation into the very fabric of our society, it may be largely forgotten that the conceptualization, submission and continual resubmission of the idea, the enactment, and the gradual national observance, was not the product of universal acceptance of a grand and enlightened concept, but rather, was emblematic of the civil rights struggle itself; steeped in controversy, and the eventual victory of a relentless movement to achieve richly deserved, and long overdue social justice.
Several members of Congress, a few states, and even a President, using a host of creative means, sought to undermine, outmaneuver, sabotage, subvert, and otherwise derail the efforts of the measure’s proponents. Ultimately, the movement was consolidated, snowballed, and would simply not be thwarted.
The effort to create a King Holiday was started by U.S. Representative John Conyers, Michigan, shortly after Dr. King’s death, in the spring of 1968. It was first introduced in the House of Representatives in 1979 but fell 5 votes short of the number needed for passage in the Lower Chamber.
High profile opponents to the measure included Senator Jesse Helms, NC, Senator John McCain, AZ, and President Ronald Reagan. Both Senators voted against the bill, and Senator McCain publicly supported Arizona Governor Evan Mecham for his rescission of MLK Day as a State Holiday in Arizona. The campaign however, reached a critical mass in the early 1980’s. Spurred on by Stevie Wonder penning a song in King’s honor called, “Happy Birthday,” a petition drive to support the campaign would attract over 6 million signatures. It has been called the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. History.
Buttressed by what had become a wildly successful public campaign, Congress soon followed suit. The proposal passed in the House by a vote of 338-90, and in the Upper Chamber by a vote of 78-22. Given the dimensions of this overwhelming support, in the form of bicameralveto-proof votes, President Reagan signed the provision November 2, 1983, and it became Federal Law. The first observance under the new law took place January 20, 1986, rather than on January 15th, Dr. King’s birthday. A compromise in the legislation specified that the observance take place on the Third Monday in January, consistent with prior legislation (Uniform Monday Holiday Act).
Of course, that was not the end of the story. It would take more than 30 years after Dr. King’s death before the Holiday was fully adopted and observed in all 50 states. Illinois holds the distinction of being the first State to adopt MLK Day as a State Holiday, having done so in 1973. Twenty years later, in 1993, for the first time, some form of MLK Day was held in each of the 50 States.
It was not until 2000 that South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges signed a bill to make MLK Day a paid holiday for State employees; giving the Palmetto State the dubious distinction of being the last of the 50 States to do so. However, Mississippi also sets itself apart by designating the Third Monday in January as a shared Holiday that honors the memory of Robert E. Lee and Dr. King…two fine southern gentlemen.
Summer before last, after entertaining a whirlwind, on again off again, job offer at UNC, journalist, McArthur Fellow, Pulitzer Prize winner, and UNC alum Nikole Hannah-Jones opted to choose Howard University as her next employer, over UNC. Ms. Hannah-Jones, who gained notoriety for her work on the 1619 Project, has become a lightning rod for discourse around issues of civil rights, and the much-ballyhooed topic known as Critical Race Theory, #CRT.
A year ago, NH-J was invited to give an MLK speech on Monday. She discovered that a few members of the group hosting her wrote and subsequently leaked emails opposing her giving the speech. Those who opposed her felt it dishonored Dr. King to do so and characterized her as a “discredited activist” “unworthy of such association with King.”
This insight motivated her to call an audible. She scrapped her original speech and spent the first half of her speech reading excerpts from several of Dr. King’s speeches…without revealing that they were his words. She subbed BLACK for Negro, to avoid dating the material and giving away the fact that it was from over half a century ago. Literally, that’s all it took to transport to 2022.
Here is some of Nikole Hannah-Jones’ 2022 MLK, Jr. Day speech:
“It was in the year 1619 that the first BLACK slave was brought to the shores of this nation. They were brought here from the soils of Africa and unlike the Pilgrim fathers who landed here at Plymouth a year later, they were brought here against their will…”
“White Americans must recognize that justice for black people cannot be achieved without radical changes in the structure of our society…The evils of capitalism are as real as the evils of militarism and racism…”
“The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power. A nation that continues year after year to spend more $ on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”
“The crowning achievement in hypocrisy must go to those staunch Republicans and Democrats of the Midwest and West who were given land by our government when they came here as immigrants from Europe. They were given education through the land grant colleges…”
“These are the same people that now say to black people, whose ancestors were brought to this country in chains and who were emancipated in 1863 without being given land to cultivate or bread to eat; that they must pull themselves up by their own bootstraps…”
“What they truly advocate is Socialism for the rich and Capitalism for the poor… “We know full well that racism is still that hound of hell which dogs the tracks of our civilization.”
“Ever since the birth of our nation, White America has had a Schizophrenic personality on the question of race, she has been torn between selves. A self in which she proudly professes the great principle of democracy and a self in which she madly practices the antithesis of democracy.”
“The fact is, there has never been a single, solid, determined commitment on the part of the vast majority of white Americans to genuine equality for Black people.”
“The step backwards has a new name today, it is called the white backlash, but the white backlash is nothing new. It is the surfacing of old prejudices, hostilities and ambivalences that have always been there…”
“The white backlash of today is rooted in the same problem that has characterized America ever since the black man landed in chains on the shores of this nation.”
“Whites, it must frankly be said, are not putting in a similar mass effort to reeducate themselves out of their racial ignorance…with each modest advance the white population promptly raises the argument that BLACK AMERICANS HAVE come far enough.”
“…for the good of America, it is necessary to refute the idea that the dominant ideology in our country, even today, is freedom and equality and that racism is just an occasional departure from the norm on the part of a few bigoted extremists.”
“If America does not respond creatively to the challenge to banish racism, some future historian will have to say, that a great civilization died because it lacked the soul and commitment to make justice a reality for all men.”
“Why do white people seem to find it so difficult to understand that the Black people are sick and tired of having reluctantly parceled out to THEM those rights and privileges which all others receive upon birth or entry in America?”
“I never cease to wonder at the amazing presumption of much of white society, assuming that they have the right to bargain with the BLACK for their freedom…”
Oh, the uncomfortable silence as I read Dr. King’s words at a commemoration of Dr. King’s life when people had no idea that these were his words. When I revealed that everything I said to that point was taken from his speeches between ’56 and 67… Can you say SHOOK!
Then I read all the names that white Americans called King: charlatan, demagogue, communist, traitor — and brought out the polling showing more than three-quarters of Americans opposed King at his death while 94 percent approve of him now.
I left them with this: People who oppose today what he stood for back then do not get to be the arbiters of his legacy. The real Dr. King cannot be commodified, homogenized, and white-washed and whatever side you stand on TODAY is the side you would have been back then.
In fact, most white Americans in 1963 opposed the March on Washington where Dr. King gave the “I Have A Dream” Speech with that one line that people oppose to anti-racism like to trot out against those working for racial justice.
When the speech was over, Father Pfleger, who had been cheering me on from the crowd, whispered in my ear: That’s what you call the “You Gone Learn Today” speech.
“This is why the 1619 Project exists. This is why the decades of scholarship that undergirds the 1619 Project exists. Because if we do nothing, they will co-opt our history and use it against us.”
Dr. King was a radical critic of racism, capitalism, and militarism. He didn’t die. He was assassinated. And many, including Reagan, fought the national holiday we’re now commemorating. “If you haven’t read, in entirety, his speeches, you’ve been miseducated & I hope that you will.”
The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. –Psalm 90:10 KJV
So, a few days ago, I entered the world of septuagenarians. In doing so, I was reminded that I’ve attained a milestone. My father died at 67, my mother transitioned at 49, and my brother passed away at 31. To wit, I’ve lived longer than anyone in the nuclear family, to which I was born.
In many ways, and for many reasons, that is a sobering contemplation. A few of those ways and reasons follow.
My mother died when I was in the second grade. She was a housewife who spent her time raising, directing, and correcting me. This is where I say, I was a precocious kid, who required (and received) a lot of correcting. LOL! The thing that I recall most vividly, about my mom is, she taught me to read, using the newspaper, before I entered first grade. Oh yeah, in case you’re wondering, Statewide public kindergarten was not available in North Carolina when I was 5. Mom was my kindergarten teacher/Headstart Administrator, and first grade was my introduction to formal education, all of which was conducted in public schools (First Grade through Graduate School). Her tutelage served me well. I was an above grade-level reader, throughout my primary and secondary education years. Thanks mom!
My Big Brother was twelve years my senior. By the time I entered school, he had relocated to New York. We didn’t spend a lot of time together. My enduring memory of him is a visit with him in Albany, NY during Christmas Break, during my freshman year of college. That trip resulted in us taking the only picture of us together that I possess. I cherish that photo, and I miss him. Less than three months later, he was dead. I was 19 when he died.
My dad was a larger-than-life figure. At least he was to me. He was a minister. I heard him preach hundreds of sermons. Undoubtedly, I heard him repeat a few, yet they never got old. He was my hero. For several years, we talked every weekday. I called him. I think he looked forward to our conversations. They were never long, but they were reliably predictable.
He developed a terminal illness. He knew it; I knew it, but he fought valiantly for as long as he could. His physician was his best friend, and my fraternity brother. One Friday night, outside my dad’s hospital room, his doctor told me my father was approaching the end of the road. Absent life support, he would succumb, in a matter of days, if not hours. He had zero quality of life. He was in pain, he could hardly breath, and he had been in that debilitating state for weeks.
The question posed to me was in that moment was, whether to approve a DNR directive? I was conflicted. I thought about it for what seemed an eternity, probably only a couple of minutes in real time. Reluctantly, tearfully, I made what felt like the most difficult decision I’d ever been called upon to render. In that moment, I realized I was tacitly saying good-bye to dad. Just thinking about it, and typing these words brings back the painful memories.
Early Sunday morning, I got the call. My father had transitioned around 6:00 a.m. I got up and went to the hospital one final time. I sat alone with my dat. Again, it seemed like an eternity. It was probably 15 minutes. I thought about this man who for all my life, challenged me to be the best me that I could be. I observed how the ravages of the disease had diminished his stature so that he was no longer more stout than life itself. I reflected on losing the last member of my nuclear family. I said a prayer, shed a tear, and composed myself. After all, there was business to be conducted, and that charge now fell to me. I was 33. It’s hard to reckon, I’ve lived more years since he died, than I did before he passed away.
Here’s the thing. This is not a sad story. In fact, it’s celebratory. I’ve lived 70 years, and part of 8 decades, the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, 2010’s, and 2020’s. Blessed and highly favored are the words that come to mind; arguably, even blessed beyond measure.
Last month was pretty big in my orbit. My wife and I visited Egypt, where we saw the Sphinx, and the Pyramids of Giza, symbols of my Fraternity, and her Sorority. I observed the 50th Anniversary of membership in my Fraternity, and of course, I celebrated my 70th Birthday. My wife decided we should do something to commemorate these milestones. To that end, a few of my closest family and friends gathered, including my children, relatives from my hometown, folks with whom I went to elementary and high school, college classmates, Fraternity Brothers, former co-workers, and guys I played basketball with, for years. There was music, food, dancing, pictures, and a whole lot of reminiscing and friendship.
As I concentrate on being future-focused, that was a night I will always remember with fondness. Threescore And Ten: Next!
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 links below:
During this holiday week, here’s a 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, and today, January 3, 2024. This is my first post of the month, and of the year 2024. This is the 861stEdition of Break It Down, which debuted August 20, 2007, on the BlogSpot platform. I migrated the principal site to WordPressAugust 3, 2012, approximately three weeks before the FifthAnniversary of the blog. You may find this and most other posts at either site.
With this post I hope you had a blessed and bountifully Happy New Year. Now, enjoy today’s blog 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 GregorianCalendar. 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 New Year…and recuperate from their extracurricularactivities, including the exploits of New Year’s Eve. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I hope to the extent feasible, most people whose traditions include Christmas, celebrated, and observed 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/2023/12/27/twelve-days-of-christmas-the-e-concert-2023-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. 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 omniscientGod; 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 2024, 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 last 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 2024 bring you the fulfillment of all your fondest desires. “Happy New Year: Here’s to Auld Lang Syne Redux – 2024 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):
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 links below:
During this holiday week, here’s a 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, and today, January 3, 2024. This is my first post of the month, and of the year 2024. This is the 861stEdition of Break It Down, which debuted August 20, 2007, on the BlogSpot platform. I migrated the principal site to WordPressAugust 3, 2012, approximately three weeks before the FifthAnniversary of the blog. You may find this and most other posts at either site.
With this post I hope you had a blessed and bountifully Happy New Year. Now, enjoy today’s blog 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 GregorianCalendar. 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 New Year…and recuperate from their extracurricularactivities, including the exploits of New Year’s Eve. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I hope to the extent feasible, most people whose traditions include Christmas, celebrated, and observed 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/2023/12/27/twelve-days-of-christmas-the-e-concert-2023-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. 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 omniscientGod; 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 2024, 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 last 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 2024 bring you the fulfillment of all your fondest desires.
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(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, and 12/21/22)
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. 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 coming! As incorporated in the title above, many purists celebrate Twelve Days of Christmas. This has been documented in song, book form, at least one movie, and in countless tales and renditions.
By quirk of the calendar, Christmas was a couple of days ago, but this is still Christmas Week, and so, here, as scheduled, is 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 the pending election, or the economy (recession or no recession), no wars, 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 fourteenth 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 was Monday, two days ago. Take your time, but give them a listen, if you like Christmas Music.
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, and 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 for each of the 12 Days of Christmas listed and included in today’s Yuletide e-concert.
Female Artists
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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In a stunning development, the Colorado Supreme Court removed Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 Presidential Ballot, ruling that he isn’t an eligible presidential candidate because of the 14th Amendment “insurrectionist ban.”
In a previous ruling on November 17th, a Colorado lower court had ordered the state’s top elections official to place Trump on the 2024 primary ballot, rejecting a lawsuit from a group of voters who argued the Republican frontrunner is constitutionally ineligible to hold office under a Civil War-era insurrection clause.
Judge Sarah B. Wallace of the Denver District Court ordered Trump be included on the ballot, even though she rejected Trump attorney’s claims that Trump’s messages to his supporters, including incendiary social media posts and a speech at the White House Ellipse preceding the violence at the Capitol, were protected speech under the First Amendment. Wallace wrote:
“The Court concludes … that Trump incited an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, and therefore ‘engaged’ in insurrection within the meaning of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.”
Still, Wallace ultimately sided with a legal theory, put forward by several conservative scholars arguing that the provisions of the insurrection clause does not include the presidency. She wrote:
“After considering the arguments on both sides, the Court is persuaded that ‘officers of the United States’ did not include the President of the United States,” Wallace wrote. “It appears to the Court that for whatever reason the drafters of Section 3 did not intend to include a person who had only taken the Presidential Oath.”
Similar suits have also been rejected in Minnesota, and in Michigan, where the matter is currently under appeal. Yesterday’s Colorado Supreme Court ruling is the first to actually bar Trump from a state’s Presidential Ballot in 2024. The ruling disagreed with the assertion that the ban did not apply to the President. And, since it agreed that he had incited an insurrection, a majority of the Court concluded Trump should be excluded from the 2024 Ballot, ruling him ineligible due to the provisions of the 14th Amendment Insurrection Ban.
The ruling is being placed on hold until January 4, in order to facilitate an appeal by Trump’s legal team to the U.S. Supreme Court. Read the 4-3 decision.
The Trump campaign said it would swiftly appeal, and described the ruling as “a completely flawed decision.” Trump has denied wrongdoing regarding the events of January 6th. He has decried the 14th Amendment lawsuits as an abuse of the legal process.
The state Supreme Court decision only applies to Colorado, but the historic ruling will almost certainly roil the 2024 presidential campaign. At least until SCOTUS decides whether it will hear the case (of course it will), and subsequently issue a ruling.
Colorado’s secretary of state, Jenna Griswold, vowed to follow the state Supreme Court’s ruling disqualifying former President Donald Trump from Colorado’s ballot. She disagreed with the dissenting justices’ rulings that the court erred in its decision. She told CNN’s Pamela Brown on “AC360:”
“My job as secretary of state is to make sure that only qualified candidates appear on our ballot.”
Not surprisingly, virtually the entirety of GOPWorld roundly condemned the decision.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) railed against the decision, calling it “nothing but a thinly veiled partisan attack.”
Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, vowed the Trump campaign would appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority and includes three justices nominated by Trump.
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) similarly dug into the justices, writing in a statement, “Four partisan Democrat operatives on the Colorado Supreme Court think they get to decide for all Coloradans and Americans the next presidential election.”
Without calling out Democrats directly, Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said “they will do everything they can to block Donald Trump from being president again.”
Calling the ruling “extreme judicial activism,” Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert (R) said the ruling was designed to suppress the votes and voices of Colorado residents.
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) called the justices behind the decision a “disgrace to our country,” and echoed the ruling is “just more election interference.”
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (R), who publicly endorsed the former president earlier this year, said Democrats are “trying to imprison the party’s chief political opponent.”
Conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) echoed her Republican colleagues’ comments, arguing the decision “stole the election” away from Colorado voters and “robbed” them of their right to vote for Trump.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) weighed in on the decision, suggesting the Colorado Supreme Court violated an interest of the U.S.
Kari Lake, who is currently seeking one of Arizona’s seats in the Senate, said the decision overturns “over a century of judicial precedent.”
Even Texas Rep. Chip Roy (R), who came under attack by Trump on Monday, expressed his opposition to the ruling. In a repost of Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-Utah) post that read, “This lawless, cynical ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court will not stand,” Roy wrote, “Agree.”
With that, it’s clear, the wagons have been circled. Even a guy skewered by Trump Monday, took his side Tuesday. Trump went after Roy, who has long backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s Republican presidential nomination, calling for someone to primary Roy, though the election filing deadline already passed.
Finally, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said he plans to introduce legislation to prevent states from disqualifying presidential candidates from the ballot “on Constitutional matters that should be decided by only the Supreme Court.”
The reality, as it relates to Tillis’ gambit…is, it is unlikely that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, will have the Senate take up the legislation.
Oh, by the way, the six petitioners who lodged the suit that ultimately led to the court banning Trump, are comprised of four Republicans, and two unaffiliated voters. Sorry to disappoint the naysayers in the Trumpian echo chamber, but, there was no vast left wing conspiracy. One final point. That Democrats were not a party to the action was no accident. Colorado state law dictates that in order for voters to challenge the placement of a candidate in the Republican presidential primary, they must be Republicans or unaffiliated voters. In other words, in order to have standing…they had to be Republican. The lead plaintiff, Norma Anderson, 91, is a former state legislator who served as a Republican in Colorado’s House of Representatives and state Senate. As Norma likes to say, she has “been a Republican for longer than most of her lawyers have been alive.”
Lest anyone get too excited, or distressed, by this action, just remember, SCOTUS is 6-3 conservative, including 3 Trump appointees. It is very likely this decision will be overruled. Still, I am heartened by the fact that after courts in several states, including North Carolina, rejected bids to remove Trump, one followed its convictions, and ruled without fear or favor, that no man is above the law. Kudos Colorado. “Colorado Supremes Declare Presidential Ballot A No Trump Zone: SCOTUS to Decide!”
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.
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BREAK IT DOWN! 