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 82^nd Anniversary, which we will commemorate tomorrow, 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 ’23!”

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

December 7, 1941: A Date Which Will Live In Infamy Redux ’21

December 7, 1941: A Day Which Will Live in Infamy Redux ’23

It’s time to Break It Down!

The World Wide Web is an amazing thing. Through its miraculous capacity, we are enabled to communicate instantly across the world as we know it. Typically, I figure out a way to engage you once a week, no matter what.

In doing so, I select a topic that appeals to me in that space and time, and I write about it, or what I think about it, of what I believe others think about it, and yes, occasionally, what I wish more people would think about it.

Today, as happens every so often, I’m “out of the office,” so to speak. As a result, I’m delivering a reprised post, not because it’s a holiday for you, but because it’s one for me. And while it’s not a holiday, as I noted last week, the holiday season has commenced. There is no better time than the holiday season to pay additional attention to one’s health. So, listen up/check out my post from about a year and a half ago. While you’re at it, be easy on yourself.

Your Personal Health: It’s A Serious Matter (Originally posted May 11, 2022)

So yesterday, I did a thing.

Our time on this orb called earth is limited. One Biblical proclamation asserts that “The days of our years are threescore years and ten (70 years), and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years (80 years), yet is their strength labor and sorrow, for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” Psalm 90:10. 

Anthropological historians and demographers have noted that human lifespans have increased, primarily due to numerous factors, including, but not limited to, improvements in environment, food/food preservation, medication, labor saving devices, refrigeration, science, and living in an age of relative peace.

Over the course of the last few decades, life expectancy has increased around the globe. The average person born in 1960, the earliest year the United Nations began tracking global data, could reasonably have expected to live to be 52.5 years of age. Today the average is 72.  In the UK, where records have been kept longer, the trend is even greater. In 1841, a baby girl was expected to live to just 42 years of age, a boy to 40. In 2016, a baby girl could expect to reach 83, a boy, 79. In the U.S., life expectancy decreased from 78.86 years in 2019 to 76.99 years in 2020, and 76.60 years in 2021, a net loss of 2.26 years. While these changes in the U.S. and 19 peer countries have been published online by Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), the study has not yet been peer reviewed. However, the trend highlighted by these results are significantly attributable to the death toll from COVID-19.   

Laying COVID-19 to one side, the natural conclusion is that both the miracles of modern medicine and public health initiatives have helped us live longer than ever before – so much so that we may be running out of innovations to extend life further. The fact is, while medical advancements have improved many aspects of healthcare, the assumption that human lifespan has increased in some dramatic fashion over the centuries is, in a word, misleading. As always, the devil is in the details. Overall life expectancy hasn’t increased so much because we’re living far longer than we used to as a species. It has increased because more of us, as individuals, are making it that far.

I could go way more in depth about the differences and distinctions between life expectancy (which is an average), and life span of humans. Don’t worry; I won’t. In fact, this is where I shift gears.

I have written before about the importance of attending to one’s individual health. In a previous paragraph, I noted that the point that drives people to notice how much longer we live, is the fact that, more of us are living longer. Moreover, a key reason more of us live longer is more of us have and take advantage of better available healthcare. But let’s not get it twisted. None of us is here on permanent assignment. Nothing we do will alter that fact.

If there were only two people in the world, and one died of pneumonia, due to lack of available healthcare, at two years old, and the other lived to 80, the average lifespan of earth’s population would have been 41. Yet, if those same two people, instead, both lived to be 50, the average lifespan would be 50 years. Even though one of the two lived 30 years less than in the previous example, the average age increased by nearly a decade. Doing right by oneself matters. Providing, accessing, and utilizing advanced healthcare options is a critical necessity. It directly affects each of us and our quality of life as individuals, but it also redounds to us in a macro sense, because the more of us who partake of this benefit, the longer more of us are likely to live.

I had my fourth Colonoscopy yesterday. My medical history also includes a Flexible Sigmoidoscopy. Yesterday’s procedure was executed without incident, and the results were good. No polyps or other areas of concern revealed. 

I am writing about this for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I’m relieved and frankly delighted to have received a clean report. I’m happy for my wife and me, but also buoyant that my extended family and friends do not have to share the burden I would be carrying had I received a bad report.

Secondarily, I write to caution and encourage every single person who reads this post to act proactively when it comes to your health. In Invictus, William Ernest Henley asserted, 

            It matters not how strait the gate,

            How charged with punishment the scroll,

            I am the master of my fate,

            I am the captain of my soul.

I submit that every adult among us has a responsibility to him or herself to be the best person he or she can possibly be. When it comes to our health, just as with our finances, it behooves us to be our own personal fiduciary. Some folks are reticent to consult medical professionals. Many of us know someone who received devastating news after a consultation with their physician. In too many cases, due to reluctance, hesitancy, fear, and sometimes just being too busy, we put off visiting a doctor, when there were troubling signs or symptoms that we could and should have shared with a physician much sooner, and as a result, received a more favorable diagnosis, or have had an opportunity to a get a more effective regimen prescribed. Stop playing. “Your Personal Health: It’s A Serious Matter!”

I’m done; holla back!

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

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

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the links below:

https://news.vcu.edu/article/2022/04/us-life-expectancy-continued-to-fall-in-2021https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/2022/05/11/your-personal-health-its-a-serious-matter/

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, and November 23, 2022.

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, still further fraught with the consequences of coronavirus, further complicated by soaring inflation, and a roiled supply chain, 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, 2023, a.k.a. Year 7 A.D. (After Donald), I have again been reminded, God really does have a sense of humor. In accordance, I thank him dearly and daily for the wit of Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, Dave Chappelle, and SNL, et.al. More importantly, I am thankful this moment also reflects Year 2 A.J. (After Joe), even though many of my compatriots have lost their zeal for that fact. It would take more time that I plan to devote to the matter today, to explain why I believe they are wrong, but suffice it to say, without equivocation, I do.  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. 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 ’23!”

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)

A Time For Thanks Redux ’18

A Time For Thanks Redux ’19

A Time For Giving Thanks Redux ’20

A Time For Giving Thanks, Redux ’21

A Time for Giving Thanks, Redux ’22

A Time for Giving Thanks, Redux ’23

It’s time to Break It Down!

The 45^th President is renown as a pugnacious, in your face, instrument of bluster. He preens and debases, and snarls, and swears, and rants, and raves, and basically serves as the role model for which his Party simply cannot get enough. Yesterday was a prime example of Republican Trump wannabes doing what they all seem to want to do best; emulate their idol.

At one point, Speaker Mike Johnson was successfully brokering a House agreement to avoid a government shutdown. A crime recently deemed so heinous and politically incorrect, the rightest of right-wingers in the Grand Old Party punished then Speaker Kevin McCarthy by summarily relieving him of his duties. Yesterday, the Party collectively yawned, prompting McCarthy supporters to scream hypocrisy.

McCarthy himself may have temporarily lost his political equilibrium, as Representative Tim Burchett, of Tennessee accused the former Speaker of assault. Burchett claimed McCarthy elbowed him in the back while he was talking to a reporter after the House GOP conference meeting. He characterized the incident as, a ‘Clean shot to the kidneys. For his part, McCarthy denied the incident. He told CNN’s Melanie Zanona, “I didn’t shove or elbow him. It’s a tight hallway.” One small issue with Kev’s denial. As noted, Burchett was being interviewed at the time the incident ensued. The reporter, NPR’s Claudia Grisales, was an eyewitness. She described the events this way:

“While talking to @RepTimBurchettafter the GOP conferenc4 meeting, former @SpeakerMcCarthy walked by with his detail and McCarthy shoved Burchett. Burchett lunged towards me, I thought it was a joke. It was not. And a chase ensued…”

To add intrigue to injury, FL Rep filed an ethics complaint against McCarthy, stemming from the alleged assault.

But the political pyrotechnics didn’t end there. Over in the upper chamber, aka, the Senate, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) challenged Teamsters General President, Sean M. O’Brien, to a fight during a senate hearing. In another sign of the time, octogenarian Sen. Bernie intervened and stopped Mullin from engaging in the would-be fight.

The proverbial cherry on top was provided by Speaker Johnson, who celebrated defying the red line conservatives gave McCarthy by endorsing Trump, the ultimate pseudo-warrior, for President. “Just Another Day in TrumpWorld: From Blindsided to Full Frontal Squaring Off!“

I’m done; holla back!

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

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

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

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/14/politics/speaker-johnson-conservative-reaction/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2023/11/14/tim-burchett-kevin-mccarthy-hallway-scuffle-intv-sot-manu-raju-cnc-vpx.cnn

https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/rep-burchett-accuses-rep-mccarthy-elbowing-him/VEZRKTO4UFD2FEKF7APJJ77CFY/#

https://gaetz.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-matt-gaetz-files-ethics-complaint-against-kevin-mccarthy#:~:text=Congressman%20Matt%20Gaetz%20Files%20Ethics%20Complaint%20Against%20Kevin%20McCarthy%20for%20Assaulting%20Tim%20Burchett,-Image&text=Washington%2C%20D.C.%20—%20Today%2C%20U.S.,halls%20of%20the%20Capitol%20complex.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/14/politics/mike-johnson-donald-trump-endorsement-president/index.html

Just Another Day In TrumpWorld: From Blindsided to Full Frontal Squaring Off

It’s time to Break It Down!

Fourteen 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. This year, the day falls on Saturday. So, although today is not Veterans Day, it’ll be here in three days. I’ve decided once more, to edit/re-post the Veteran’s Day Edition of “Break It Down!”

Yesterday, of course, was Election Day. I could undertake a blow by blow of the outcomes, but the news with take care of making sure you get the A to Z. Meanwhile, 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 marks the 105-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 ‘23!” 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.

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:

The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month…Redux!

The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month Redux ’19

The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month Redux ’20

The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month Redux ’22

The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month Redux ’23

It’s time to Break It Down!

Last spring, I wrote a post about going home…for my 50^th High School Reunion. Naturally, as the subject of the piece, it was a departure from my usual, at least partially researched content. This post, in some ways, is a next level version of last year’s blog.

It’s not the same, not an extension, and not a different version. Next level. 

Last October, my six surviving Line Brothers (LB’s) and I committed to spend a year preparing for our Golden Anniversary Celebration Banquet. We had been motivated by attending the 50^th Anniversary Banquet of our Prophytes, the men who pledged us into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. At Fayetteville State’s 2022 Homecoming, a couple of my LB’s and I attended, and took in every single detail of The Tenacious 22’s Celebration.

We absorbed every detail of the evening, from the décor to the program, to the meal, to the video PowerPoint, and event/post event photographs. Twenty-two holds a particular significance. There were twenty-two members of the Line that went over before my Line, and that subsequently pledged us. Watching the surviving Brothers from that Line engage and interact with each other; engaging and interacting with them ourselves, reminded us of the incredible power of bringing together in a small room, a circle of nearly 20 college-educated Black men who’ve know each other for more than five decades. It was a moment that happens too seldom, outside of funerals. Yet here we were at our alma mater, actively celebrating life, with gusto, instead of passively viewing a celebration of life, at our favorite House of Worship. Two completely different kinds of celebrations.

But enough about the Tenacious 22. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the ΑΦΑ Epsilon Zeta (EZ) Chapter Truckin’ 11. Our Line Name was inspired by Eddie Kendrick’s 1973 hit song, Keep On Truckin’, and the eleven men who bonded during our journey into Alphadom.

The week after Fayetteville State’s 2022 Homecoming (GO BRONCOS), I called the five (of six) Line Brothers, for whom I had numbers. I told (not asked) them that we were going to plan and execute our own 50^th Anniversary Banquet. The catch was, we were going to take a full year to plan and execute it. That was the beginning of our full-fledged reunion. Along the way, we picked up the 6^th Brother when 3 of us visited him. Finally, in the week before the event, we made a firm connection with the 7^th and final surviving member of our Line. We were set.

The five of us met every month. Zoom was our mechanism of engagement. We saw each other more in the past 12 months, than we had in the last 50 years. However, of the seven of us, only five attended the meetings. It took 11 months to finally lay eyes on the sixth member, and we literally did not see the seventh member until the evening of our Golden Anniversary Celebration Banquet.

The Journey. In the process of preparing for the event that took 50 years to unfold, 5 of our Line members worked together nearly as intensely as we did when we pledged. There were moments of unbridled joy, and spirited revelry, but also instances of high tension, and flat-out disagreement. As I noted in the closing notes of the Program Booklet, our experience reminded us of everything that frustrated us about each other, but also reintroduced us to all the traits and characteristics that endeared us to each other and made us Brothers for Life. Fifty years later, we are well on our way; Alpha Always.

So, on October 20, 2023, in a room filled with 50 people, and I do mean filled…with family, our closest friends, and our Fraternity Brothers, the Truckin’ 11 immersed ourselves in the memories, in the camaraderie, and in the Esprit de Fraternite that is endemic to Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., in general, and to the 315^th House of Alpha in particular. On this night of mirth, merriment, and conviviality, we also reveled in the reunification of our brotherhood. We invoked the blessings of an all-wise God, we prepared a paraphernalia and keepsake display, we took lots of photos to memorialize the occasion, we presented a PowerPoint photo loop of our Fraternal memories, we shared personal stories, we heard poetic recitation, we dined on a sumptuous meal, we conducted a Memorial for our Dearly Departed Brothers, we shared gifts with our Brothers and with our guests, we sang our beloved and most solemn Fraternal Hymn, we prayed our Fraternal Prayer, and we extended God’s benediction on the assembly. But there was more.

During the week following the celebration, we convened another Zoom Meeting, on Tuesday, our regular meeting night. In that meeting, we undertook a debriefing of the preparation, and of our event. But more importantly, we talked about the future. October 20, 2023, was the first time some of us had seen each other in 50 years. We committed to act with intentionality to ensure that we get together more frequently, virtually, and in-person, starting with a Zoom Meeting next month.

It’s a start. It’s a not-so-subtle reminder that we let a lot of time slip away over the past 50 years. We will do better. Living Our Lives Like They’re Golden: Half a Century on da Phi!

I’m done; holla back!

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

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

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the link below:

Living Our Lives Like They’re Golden: Half a Century on da Phi

It’s time to Break It Down!

It’s been 3 weeks since the United States of America had a Speaker of the House. Keep in mind, the Republican Party jettisoned its own Speaker because…well, because he actually engaged in brokering an agreement to keep the U.S. government running. Let that sink in.

In the squirrely sequence of events, first Patrick McHenry, Speaker Pro Tempore adjourned the House for a week, presumably so his Party of crack legislators could get their underwhelming, inauspicious act together. Fast forward to last week, and the emergence of two highly motivated, but apparent uninspiring candidates for the job; Steve Scalise, Louisiana, and Jim Jordan. Neither moved the needle enough to gain the 217 votes necessary to ascend to the Speakership. This week, Tom Emmer, Minnesota, and Mike Johnson, Louisiana, respectively, take their turn…and it’s only Wednesday. We should learn sometime this afternoon, whether Mr. Johnson has the right stuff (In the eyes of his GOP colleagues. We shall see.

In other news, elsewhere under the Big Tent, aka the GOP Circus, yesterday, another Trump associate negotiated a plea deal. 

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” – Sir Walter Scott, circa 1808

Attorney, prominent conservative, and noted Trump supporter, Jenna Ellis pleaded guilty to a felony charge over her efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 loss in Georgia. A tearful Ms. Ellis told the judge she looks back on that time with “deep remorse.”

Ms. Ellis is the fourth defendant in the case to enter into a plea deal with prosecutors. She joins an august list that includes, Scott Hall, Kenneth Chesebro, and Sidney Powell. Ellis was vocal in her advocacy of Trump’s 2020 reelection bid, She was charged under Georgia’s  anti-racketeering law.

Ellis pleaded guilty to one felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings. After pleading guilty, she said, through tears, Ellis said she would not have represented Trump, is she knew then what she knows now. She claimed she relied on lawyers with much more experience than her, and failed to verify the things they told her. She went on to say:

“What I did not do but should have done, Your Honor, was to make sure that the facts the other lawyers alleged to be true were in fact true.”

All-in-all, three high-profile people responsible for pushing baseless legal challenges to Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory have agreed to accept responsibility for their roles rather than take their chances before a jury. A lower-profile defendant pleaded guilty last month. “Another Day, Another Criminal Defendant Pleads…”

I’m done; holla back!

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

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

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

https://apnews.com/article/jenna-ellis-plea-deal-georgia-election-case-c4dbacd3e4bbb5415ebd3d42d8fa3128

Another Day, Another Criminal Defendant Pleads…

It’s time to Break It Down!

For those who’ve been following along at home (as well as those who haven’t), to no one’s surprise, presumed leading candidate number 2 lost vote number 1. In the worst kept of secrets, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan failed in the first vote in his attempt to become Speaker of the People’s House. By the way, the People’s House, which, admittedly, pols on both sides often use to refer to the institution, is such a pretentious word conglomeration. Makes it sound like an adjunct of some Chinese governmental entity, a constituent institution of The People’s Republic, perhaps. But seriously, I digress.

Going into Tuesday’s vote, talking heads from a variety of media outlets breathlessly expounded on whether Mr. Jordan could or would cobble together the necessary coalition to enable him to do what Steve Scalise, aka leading candidate number 1, couldn’t do…wrap up the quest to become the nation’s 56^th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as “the House.” Conventional wisdom was it wouldn’t happen. The GOP likes to say, that’s because Republicans are independent, and as such, are free to make up their own minds, unlike those “spineless”/mindless Democrats, who kowtowed to Nancy Pelosi, whenever they were given half a chance. At least that’s what the Party, which by all appearances, worships at the feet of Trump, has to say about the matter.

Hear this. When more than a minority of Republicans condemn Donald Trump for his exceedingly repetitive nihilistic behavior, I’ll pay attention to the GOP’s constant babbling about the Democrats’ path to ruin a great nation.

As for Jordan, and his stumble out of the gate, some (overly generous) critics say it’s a reflection of Republican’s inability to govern. I do not believe that’s the case. Rather, it appears to me, they don’t want to govern. In fact, it’s as though they’d prefer to tear down the whole thing (governmental structure). Increasingly, their view, judging by their actions is, if they cannot control every aspect of every element of the process (of governing), they would just as soon, tear it all down. Moreover, in fact, they are trying, with increasing degrees of regularity…and success, to do just that. See January 6, 2021, the 15 votes to elect Kevin McCarthy Speaker in January 2023, versus the one vote to depose him in October 2023, the near-miss government shutdown on September 30, and the continuing on-going threat once again, to push the country over that cliff. They don’t care, and they don’t give a flying figuring, if you know it. The shameless hubris of it all!

No one knows whether Jordan will eventually prevail. That Donald Trump supports him suggests, in the current iteration of the Republican Party, he certainly has a shot. If he succeeds, will it happen in less than the 15 votes required by McCarthy?

Let’s hope so. Every day without a decision propels us closer toward that proverbial shutdown. But then again, electing JJ may simply exacerbate the trend line leading to a shutdown, The Far-Right wing, which includes Jordan’s most avid advocates, seems to be hankering for that brand of chaos. I think the operative phraseology is “damned if we do, damned if we don’t.” Oh well, welcome to “Jordan Chronicles: The Saga Continues!”

I’m done; holla back!

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

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

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

Jordan Chronicles: The Saga Continues

 It’s time to Break It Down!

In the ever-increasing cultural divide, in which we find ourselves enmeshed, here in America, and globally, public health has devolved from a mutual imperative to the third element, along with politics and religion, no longer suitable for public discourse. In contemporary times, culture wars dictate that you are either a sheep-like liberal, mindlessly following the dicta of the ideology bosses, or a conspiratorial zealot, convinced that conventional wisdom is, well, just another attempt to control you, obviously, to no good end.

In January 2021, I received my first COVID-19 vaccination, quickly followed by the second dose in February. Since that time there have been four subsequent boosters or updates, I’ve had each and every one…all six.I realize there is a healthy dose of vaccine skepticism, as well as a highly charged debate around the validity of covid as an actual thing. 

This is where I say, with conviction, I don’t mind if someone doesn’t believe covid is real. I don’t care if someone rejects the notions that medical science has cured many people of myriad diseases, while, totally eliminating several diseases. After all, there are folks who don’t believe in the moon landing or who do believe that vaccines are the cause of all kinds of maladies, but don’t believe that OJ did it. Suit yourself.

As for me, I got the most recent covid shot a few weeks ago. Years ago, I resolved to avoid arguing about the efficacy of covid vaccines. When the next round of vaccines emerges, I plan to be in the queue to get mine. I will pass on the drama of debating folks about the topic. Do you; I’m good. “I Got The Jab: 6.0!”

I’m done; holla back!

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

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

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

I Got The Jab: 6.0

It’s time to Break It Down!

It’s been quite the news week. This was not the story I intended to write. To take off on the old “embarrassment of riches” phrase, there has been an embarrassment of embarrassments.

There’s always Trump; over the last couple of days, he’s abracadabra‘d his court appearances into his campaign, asserting that the court case in N.Y. has taken him off the campaign trail…even though, he didn’t have to appear in court. That’s some fancy political legerdemain for yo A. There’s the ongoing soap opera about the now temporarily delayed government shutdown, Joe Biden’s impeachment inquiry, Hunter Biden’s court appearances, the onset of SCOTUS’s new term, which began Monday, and this week’s pièce de résistance, the dethroning of the Speaker of the House, aka, the GOP Civil War. I strongly consider writing about SCOTUS, but there’ll be time for that; especially as some of the more compelling cases emerge. At the end of the day, General Kelly finding his voice spoke to me, so I decided to speak on it.

Just over three years ago, The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg published a staggering report on Donald Trump, his denigration of those who serve in the military, and his condemnation of fallen American heroes as “suckers” and “losers.”

Trump, still President then, was quick to respond, pushing back, and insisting the whole thing was “made up“ and a “fake story.” Mr. Trump, in response to the quotes attributed to him, said, at a Labor Day press conference, “Who would say a thing like that? Only an animal would say things like that.” Classic Trumpian denial.

So much so, even at the time, aside from Trump loyalists, the defense was hard to believe. Adding to the incredulousness of it all, much of The Atlantic’s reporting was corroborated by related reporting from The Associated Press, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and even Fox News.

Never doubt, Trump’s most avid advocates, defenders, and supporters denied it for him. They pointed to some Fox News segment in which a conservative on-air personality refuted or was said to have refuted the allegation. And that…was good enough for them. Even recently, after the Fox conglomerate had to pay out over three quarters of a billion dollars for less than truthful reporting…they still report stories in such a way that is music to their listeners’ ears.

However, now…we know, three hence, it’s also been confirmed by Trump’s former White House chief of staff. CNN reported:

John Kelly, the longest-serving White House chief of staff for Donald Trump, offered harsh and direct on-the-record criticism of the former president in an exclusive statement to CNN. 

Kelly confirmed and verified several damning stories about statements Trump made behind closed doors attacking US service members and veterans, listing a number of objectionable comments he witnessed Trump make firsthand.

CNN asked Kelly if he wanted to weigh in on Trump, on the record. Kelly responded, “What can I add that has not already been said? A person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spend years being tortured as POWs are all ‘suckers’ because ‘there is nothing in it for them.’ A person that did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because ‘it doesn’t look good for me.’ A person who demonstrated open contempt for a Gold Star family — for all Gold Star families — on TV during the 2016 campaign, and rants that our most precious heroes who gave their lives in America’s defense are ‘losers’ and wouldn’t visit their graves in France.

“A person who is not truthful regarding his position on the protection of unborn life, on women, on minorities, on evangelical Christians, on Jews, on working men and women, A person that has no idea what America stands for and has no idea what America is all about. A person who cavalierly suggests that a selfless warrior who has served his country for 40 years in peacetime and war should lose his life for treason — in expectation that someone will take action. A person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.

There is nothing more that can be said. God help us.”

CNN, in turn, sought comment from Trump’s political operation. Trump’s campaign responded by going after retired Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley, “who had nothing to do with this story.” Typical deflection and obfuscation by his camp.

After Trump left the White House, John Kelly, the man who served as the Republican president’s chief of staff for 17 months, has struggled to contain his contempt for his former boss. Over the last couple of years, the retired Marine general, who also served as Trump’s Homeland Security secretary, has accused Trump of, among other things, “poisoning” people’s minds, having “serious character issues,” and not being “a real man.” One wonders why the General is so inclined to hold back.

It should also be noted, however, Kelly has also raised concerns about Trump’s abuses while in office. Last fall, Kelly told the Times that Trump, during his presidency, told his chief of staff to “use the Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department to target his critics and perceived political foes.” Apparently, the former president is as adept at projection, as he is deflection.

Now, Kelly is going even further, confirming that the former president, while in office, disparaged troops, veterans, and their families.

Trump’s followers reflexively distrust his opponents…and anyone who isn’t foursquare for him, 24/7/365, is considered an opponent…but it is worth noting that Kelly isn’t a pundit, scholar, or elected official — he’s a guy Trump personally tapped to oversee his White House, and lauded…until he didn’t.

He’s also a guy who appears desperate to warn the public about the former’s president’s character. Sadly, methinks, it may be too little, too late. “Unnamed Source No More: General Kelly Steps Up!”

I’m done; holla back!

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

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

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/john-kelly-confirms-trump-privately-disparaged-troops-veterans-rcna118545

Unnamed Source No More: General Kelly Steps Up