Special Senatorial Runoff Elections in Georgia (January 5th)
Critical for all the obvious reasons. If the Republicans lose these two elections, expect that they "do not go gently into that good night." Just a hunch. Results will determine the extent to which Biden can fulfill his agenda.
Currently, the races are neck and neck. Though it is not expected that the Democrats can win both Senate seats.
The Inauguration (January 20th)
These always have a sense of history about them when a new administration comes in, regardless of party. But this one really will be historical what with the swearing in of Joe Biden, who at 78 will be the oldest new president ever (and the first from Delaware), and Kamala Harris, who has just about every gender, race and ethnicity covered, excepting Inuits. But, a Jewish husband as a bonus.
VIP invitations this time around will be limited, as will the crowd size due to the virus. And as for a unique situations not usually associated with these auspicious occasions? What will Trump do on that day? How many protests will there be? What about Violence? There is a difference. Hard to imagine there won't be incidents. This is a parade many will want to rain on. One would be naive not have some concern.
Quote of the Month
"If bodies and physical spaces are really means by which we attempt to encounter God on earth, something immeasurable is lost when worship goes virtual...
Services attempt to usher finite people into the presence of someone we believe is infinite. What hymn or sermon can capture that?"
--- Rev. Esau McCaulley, PhD
Assistant Professor of New Testament
Wheaton College
Klondike Phenomenology
Maybe it’s the sea of cards
and the waves rolling in---
wave after wave
wave after wave---
precise in rhythm
yet random in caliber
that keeps me mesmerized.
Despite my guiding hand
I cannot stop this play of forces.
The cards upon washing ashore
go about their task
defined in ladders
of red-on-black; black-on-red
in the laying of steps in descending order.
Praise for this race
of integrated peoples
extending themselves
for the common good.
Perhaps it is that which keeps me fast
and not the continuum of waves.
I even hold my breath
at the upturn of each new face
from beneath the six
of seven hills that mark the landscape.
What will it contribute
to this world that it finds?
And yet for their part
the cards bide their time.
Their kingdom, they know
lies above the line
on packs of clouds
where angels gather,
the souls of generations reunited.
I aim to see it come to pass
and look, in the interum,
for kings in any suit
to fill the void.
Ron Vazzano
Obama is humbled and mindful of the fact that only eight years prior to his presidency, after he lost a primary for a congressional seat, he was basically broke. He went to the 2000 Democrat convention by flying out on whatever flight was the cheapest, and had his credit card rejected at a rent-a-car place. And then he didn't have the proper credentials to get into the convention hall. A friend came to his rescue and got him in.
Four years later, at the convention, he gave the keynote address. And was suddenly a star and future hope for the Democrat party..
Most telling for me, he readily acknowledges his shortcomings not only as a politician, but as a husband. And his life with two young kids, and the balancing act it takes trying to split time between them and a consuming job. It is not unlike many people we know. It might even be ourselves. Except you know, for the presidency, and ordering the killing of the world's most notorious terrorist. Not to mention the so called "Obamacare" (originally used with derision). Its passage being something that he is most proud of. Which could be a book in itself. A topic that might best be served at some length on another day. Especially as the pandemic has brought health care and those who administer it, to the forefront.
Yes He Can. Write. Like the wind.
Word of the Month
phenomenology
phe·nom·e·nol·o·gy | \ fi-ˌnä-mə-ˈnä-lə-jē \
plural phenomenologies
noun
The study of the development of human consciousness and self-awareness
as a preface to or a part of philosophy.
Used in a sentence
Phenomenology is neither mere psychology, nor logic, nor moral philosophy, nor history,
but is all of these and a great deal more.
Cookie Coda
Last month I did an extensive piece on Oreos. More than you would ever want to know about a cookie. But timely, as it turns out.
It's not often that I'm ahead of the curve, or in this case ahead of the cookie. But unbeknownst to me, until coming across this press release...
Lady Gaga has partnered with Oreo to release a line of cookies inspired by her
feel-good dance album "Chromatica" this month.
Taking design cues from the 16-track album, the vanilla-flavored cookies are bright pink with green crème filling and feature various embossments inspired by the album.
In an effort to "spread musical messages of kindness throughout the country," fans can create these messages, dubbed "Oreograms," (not to be confused with Oreogasms) by recording a personal message on the "Sing It With Oreo" website. The message is instantly transformed into a song that can be shared with friends and family on social media.
Also unbeknownst to me, there are readers out there who are passionate about Mallomars. It's their go-to cookie. I heard from one person who said he has one Mallomar every day. Which strikes me as almost being a Eucharistic rite of some kind. By the way, no one makes the word "Mallomars" sound funnier than Walter Matthau in the movie The Odd Couple. Yes, we Americans have such an enriching culture.
Lady Gaga and dog eating pink Oreos
finito
Events, Happenings and Curiosities in 2021
There’s no need to replay or drill down into what went down in 2020. It’s been hashed, rehashed and hash-tagged, several times over by now. And as for predicting and forecasting what might lie ahead in the coming year? That too can be a fruitless exercise as evidenced by what I had to say last January 1st. Though I did get one thing right, when I concluded with ”Happy 2020, in what should be a tumultuous year.” I was hardly going out on a limb there.
“Alex, I’ll take DUH! for $200.”
“This will result in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.”
“What is chaos?”
(May he rest in peace).
Yes, of course I was thinking about the election. Who wasn’t? On top of the expected aftermath, regardless of who won, the sum total of all that occurred during the year was unfathomable, unbearable, unforgettable. The Year of the “Uns.” It was the stuff of a dystopian novel.
Looking to 2021, and what with the virus still expected to be with us at some level or another for most of the year---some even predicting that anything resembling “normal” won’t happen till 2022--- here are some events, occurrences and curiosities across the broad band of the culture, that I'll will be watching to see how they play out. Obviously, their level of importance varies greatly. As is the amount of attention they receive for reasons large and small. The Oscars, for example, is more than just about handing out awards. It has the ability to tell us something about ourselves. But more on that in a moment.
Hardly definitive, I’ve made a list of nine such items. They cover areas of health, politics, entertainment and sports, and are posted in chronological order. This excercise is characterized more by questions, than answers. And it assumes that 2021 doesn't turn out to be another catastrophic year. Heaven forbid.
Vaccination rollout (in progress)
It has already begun of course. Now comes the fun part. What is the order of recipients? How long will it take in getting around to vaccinating all who want it? How many will that be? How effective will it be? How will that be measured? How safe is it? How soon can this current surge in deaths be stopped? And as with seemingly with all matters, controversary abounds.
times than that final scene in Bonnie and Clyde.
New York nurse Sandra Lindsay became the first person in America to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, live on television, six days after Britain launched the West's vaccine campaign against Covid-19.
Personally, I’m very pro-vaccination. I remember well the coming of Salk’s polio vaccine. Going to a parochial grade school, it was mandatory that you get the shot, heard round the world, in a manner of speaking. No controversy here.
vaccinated. Now, a senior citizen, I’ve been “shot” more
You try telling a 1950’s nun that you don’t want to be
Times Square New Year’s Eve
A new year doesn’t begin until that ball drops with a usual crowd of a million or more people down below, counting down those last 10 seconds. With countless people nationwide and throughout the world looking on, by way of TV and other devices. A few waxing words appropos in normal times.
A clustering spirit
from in and out of town
stopping mid stream
for the sheer joy
of looking up.
A metaphor made flesh
each New Year's Eve
with
When I lived in LA, the new year kicked in at 9pm Eastern Standard Time. I.e., Times Square Time. By the time midnight rolled around in Pacific Coast Time, New Year’s Eve was soooo last year.
A slight change will be made this year. For the first time since its inception in 1907, the public will not be allowed in Times Square to follow the dropping ball. But there will be special invited guests on the premises: the “Heroes of 2020.” They will include first responders, frontline and essential workers and their families “who sacrificed so much in 2020 to provide care and support for their communities.”
Something tells me however, that some non-hero types, yahoos in waiting, will try to “crash” the proceedings.
Super Bowl LV (February 7th)
Moved to Tampa, there are plans underway to limit the seating to 13,000, or about one-quarter of the capacity of Raymond James Stadium where it will be played.
What with Commissioner Roger Goodell admitting that he was wrong for “not listening to NFL players and encourages all to speak out and peacefully protest,” and what with the Black Lives Matter movement in general and the murder of George Floyd in particular? How do I hate thee? Let me count the knees. And the reaction from the sparse crowd?
The half-time entertainment will be “The Weeknd,” a guy that shockingly, I’ve heard of, and
once asked in a piece I’d written in which he appears… “Can I buy a vowel?”
Not to cast aspersions on Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (his real name), but past half-time headliners have included Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, the Rolling Stones, Madonna. I’m just saying. Yet, he was considered by Time to be included in their 100 Most Influential People of 2020 listing. If he's that influential, will he use the moment to make a statement of any kind? Just wondering. Also, when is Tony Bennett going to do a duet with him?
The Oscars (April 25th)
The 93rd Academy Awards extravaganza will have a live audience, though limited. It will be interesting to see who does or doesn't make the cut. And with Trump out of office (maybe?), political statements upon reception of an Oscar are less likely. Don't expect any F-bomb droppings ala DeNiro at the Tony Awards two years ago? Or was it three? Time gets sucked up in a blackhole when you're quarantining. Yet, it's always something. April 25th seems a long way off.
The eligibility criteria has already been modified to account for films originally intended to have a theatrical release, but released directly to video.
Going forward, it would seem that the business model for movie distribution and movie-going (remember movie theaters?) has been turned on its head. Even I have access to Netflix now. (I was waiting for them to perfect it).
I will make one prediction however. Expect at some point in the evening, to see a mask on an Oscar statuette. Cute. And in fact, that's already been done. On line. Where schtick is often born. And sometimes pilfered "by fools like me. "But only God can..." never mind. But again, April 25th is hardly around the corner.
Broadway reopens (May 31st...maybe)
How will seating arrangements work? And you thought it was tough to get a ticket to Hamilton before?
This show is a startling example of how Broadway can provide key cultural moments, as it did during the last decade. And if Lin-Manuel Miranda doesn’t know “what theatre looks like on the other side of this (pandemic),” how can we?
In normal times, Broadway has about a 15 million yearly attendance. 65% of which comes from tourism. Almost 20% from foreign countries. Only 35% from the New York Metropolitan area (The Broadway League survey 2018-2019 season).
Yes, Broadway is a big deal. Hardly just a New York thing. Hardly just another mere form of diversion. And certainly not with the going rates for tickets. With theater doors now shut tightly, and walking along the empty surrounding streets, it feels as if in mourning for a human death. Or is that too melodramatic?
Summer Olympics (July 23rd - August 8th)
Scheduled to be played in Tokyo, and though now in 2021, it will still be called and logoed...
What better antidote to a pandemic than this high profile global event, whose official name this year is the Games of the XXXII Olympiad. This will mark the first time the games have been postponed rather than cancelled altogether.
How the Olympiad might be affected (or infected) by the time late July rolls around, in terms of live fan participation (and fans are participants, aren't they), remains to be seen. What will be the state of the pandemic by that point? What impact will the vaccine have had by then? All further complicated by each participating country having its own approach to dealing with the virus.
Meanwhile back at the ранчо, hit with a "Doping Ban," Russia will not be allowed to compete. On top of which, Biden will be in the White House. Poor Putin pouting.
The original theme for the games was “Discover Tomorrow,” and will remain so. Though one can expect that the pandemic will be addressed in some way. Perhaps somewhere in the opening ceremony?
Team USA is an odds-on-favorite to take home the most gold medals. We tend to kick ass in the Olympics. And anything that raises the profile of America at this point in time, is especially beneficial. "USA! USA!USA!"
World Expo in Dubai (October 1, 2021-March 31, 2022)
These worldwide expos continue to go on every five years. Though the U.S. in all likelihood, would never host one again. We seemingly cannot make it work economically.
I attended the last one in Milan (MuseLetter August 2015). “I guess the subtext in attending, was to try to capture some sense memory of 1964, when it was called a World’s Fair and it was in Queens (and it also lost a ton of money). When the world seemed simpler and on the brink of a magical future.”
No memories were recaptured. The Milan event, how can I put this? Sucked. Big disappointment. Especially the U.S.A.’s exhibit, which seemed as if we had phoned or texted it in. Why did we even bother?
That won’t be the case this time around. Within the Expo’s theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” and with the world renowned architect Curtis Fentress designing the USA pavilion, one that is circular, extensive and dramatic, our country will be putting its best foot forward. And the inside will be filled with all sorts of fabulous tech achievements in tune with the Expo's theme.
I believe that the world will be especially watching all things U.S.A. this year. What with a new administration and all. Even for something like this. So here's an opportunity to showcase America as the country of discovery, invention and innovation. And hopefully by then, the pandemic will be under control and on its way to oblivion. And that the expected 25 million attendees will be realized.
By the Numbers
Almost four years ago Barack and Michelle Obama had signed a two-book deal (his/hers memoirs) for $65 million. My first reaction was, who do they think they are J.K. Rowling? That figure far exceeded all predictions by literary agents and publishers, which was more in the $20-45 million range. And even at the high end of that level, they would have broken a record, topping the $42.5 million total that the Clintons got combined, for their respective memoirs. Bill’s “My Life” (2004) and Hillary’s “Hard Choices.” (April 2017 MuseLetter)
I wondered how many books their publisher, Penguin Random House, would have to sell for them to recoup that investment and for the authors to “earn out,” in the parlance of the publishing industry. I was unable to find anything on line that answered that question other than, “For the Obamas to earn out their $65 million advance, they will most likely need to sell at least several millions of copies all together” (Vox.com). That certainly pins it down.
Michelle's book Becoming, went first. It was published in November of 2018. It still has not gone to paperback. Her sales according to The New York Times, as of November 2020 total 14 million copies worldwide, including more than 8 million in the U.S. and Canada. That seems like "several millions" enough right there!
By the Words
As a rule, I’m not a reader of memoirs and autobiographies by politicians or their surrogates. I feel that such books are little more than infomercials in print form, and therefore the “authors” (most are ghost written) are hardly going to be forthcoming in their self assessments.
I did break this rule 11 years ago, when I read Ted Kennedy’s memoir “True Compass.” I thought in the context of him knowing he was dying (it was published three weeks after), he might have offered something further on Chappaquiddick. And how that had rendered him silent during the Clarence Thomas hearings while members of the Senate Judiciary Committee (presided over by Joe Biden), did a number on Anita Hill. He denied in the book that that was the case. And once again I swore off memoirs by politicians.
I even stayed away from Obama's two previous best sellers, though they were also literary successes. One day I might give them a shot. Obama is the rare politician who actually writes his own stuff. Apparently, by hand on yellow legals pads. USA Today even ranked him second to Winston Churchill as the best politician ever to put pen to paper (ahead of Lincoln even). But I still haven't gotten around to it despite being a Barak Obama fan (Still One More Take on Obama’s Legacy February 2017 MuseLetter). I admire him, not for reasons of policy---though I think the Affordable Care Act is something special ---but for the character of the man. "No Drama Obama" for sure.
Barak would follow, with his book, A Promised Land . Which sold 890,00 copies on its November 17th release; a record for the genre. It beat Michelle's 720,000 first day sales. As of December 16th, it had sold 3.3 million copies. God only knows where his sales will top out. And at 701 pages, that's only Volume I! It's unknown when Volume II will be published, and how many trees will be felled to fill that book. I'd say that for Penguin Random House, that $65 million advance for the Obamas' books was a steal.
As for Michelle's book, I gave it to my partner as a gift and she loved it. She then passed it on to me, and to be honest, I read about 100 pages and put it aside in deference to projects I had been working on at the time. (Is that a "guy" thing? Hope not.)
Her focus up to that point is on her schooling, her relationship with Barak and career as a lawyer, prior to his presidency. She's a remarkable person in her own right, and has been the most admired woman in the U.S. for three years running, according to various polls. The latest by Gallup. I've just now gotten back to her book. The reviews have been good. But I have not completed it yet, so I'll refrain from offering my personal critique. Having sold 14 million copies, she hardly needs my imprimature. A Catholic word.
Barak's book is a different story. Literally. When I heard that his memoir would lead up to the years before and during his presidency, I was all in. Talking about your formative years is one thing. Talking about what it's like to be a president, on a very human level, is another. I bought it on November 17th, its publication date, and read all 701 pages in record time. (At least for me). And in a word, it was great. Several words are about to follow.
It took two years of intense investigation. Bin Laden could be anywhere. ...And then
"through aerial surveillance our team had been able to observe a tall man who
Where to begin? How about at the end. Chapter 27. Which makes up the last twenty-five pages of this tome and reads like a spy novel. Only, this was real. And is just one aspect of the book which makes it so unique. It details the mission to kill Osama bin Laden, and for me was worth "the price of admission" alone. And this from an Obama often criticized for being just a bit too cool, too dispassionate at times. And not unjustified I might add. But not here. Not in May of 2009 following a Situation Room meeting about terrorist threats. He had advocated for renewed focus on bringing bin Laden to justice. But it had been perceived by some, as a mere political stunt during the campaign.
"I had brought a handful of advisors---including Rahm, Leon Panetta and Tom Donilin---up to the oval office and closed the door...'I want to make the hunt for bin Laden a top priority,' I said. I want to see a formal plan for how we're going to find him. I want a report on my desk every thirty days describing our progress."
never left the property but regularly walked in a small garden area within the compound's walls. 'We call him Pacer' the lead officer said. 'We think he could be bin Laden.'
Obama goes on..."Based on what I'd heard, I decided we had enough information for developing options for an attack on the compound." Though as yet there was no certainty that "Pacer" was bin Laden.
Options were then fully explored, using a model of the compound that "Pacer" was in, built by the CIA and used to develop a strategy and tactics. Upon which, Obama then concludes "...ultimately this is a fifty-fifty call let's move on."
But what if he was wrong? It could lead to another Jimmy Carter fiasco, ala the failed attempt to free the American hostages held by Iran, circa 1979. There would be no second term. But Obama never lets that consideration enter into the equation.
On the night of the attack by the SEALs, Obama reports: "...all I saw at the moment were grainy figures (on a screen) on the ground rapidly moving into position and entering the main house. Then after, "twenty excruciating minutes...a suddenness I didn't expect, we heard...'Geronimo ID'd...Geronimo EKIA. Enemy killed in action. Osama bin Laden---code named 'Geronimo' for the mission...brought to justice." Ten years after 9/11. "Inside the conference room there were audible gasps."
Soon after, Obama travels to New York City to meet with the firefighters of a company who had lost all 15 men on duty the morning of 9/11. He later participated in a wreath laying ceremony, and met with some 9/11 families, including Payton Wall a 14 year old girl who had lost her father on that day, and with whom Obama had exchanged hand written letters. And at this point, my eyes were moist. The next day he flew to Kentucky to meet with the SEALs involved in the raid that killed bin Laden, to personally thank them for their risky mission well done. And I searched my nightstand for a tissue.
Reviews have been positive across the board, noting in particular, Obama’s graceful writing style. With which I concur. It's been described as a "...novelistic approach. Something one doesn't usually associate with a political memoir." As I've noted. His descriptions of the "characters" in his narrative, can be to the point and unsparing. For example, he is not impressed with Russian leader Vladimir Putin: “With the fastidiousness of a teenager on Instagram, he curated a constant stream of photo ops, projecting an almost satirical image of masculine vigor.” A rather well crafted sentence, don't you think?
Never superficial, he is given to deep analysis, meticulous details (sometimes almost too much I thought), and a willingness to open himself up to self questioning. At one point he wonders whether his running for office was not so much about serving, as about ego or self indulgence. I can't imagine any other politician revealing themselves in such an open way in a memoir. Yes, he was now out of office. But so was Ted Kennedy.
At times Obama gives you almost an "everyman" sense of what it is like to be a president. He loves the job. Even notes the wonder of that one minute stroll from the White House to the West Wing each morning. Yet he quickly comes to realize, the reality of what you can and can't achieve. And how it is often at odds with lofty ideals expressed in the campaign. The "Yes We Can" slogan by the way, was suggested by David Axelrod. Barak thought it was corny....Michelle didn't. It stayed in and it resonated. And the rest, literally, is history.
Featuring...
pre November 2018
muse-letter \’myüz-‘le-tər noun
1: a personal message, inspired by a muse of one's own creation, addressed to a person or organization, in the course of which, the sender becomes absorbed in thought; especially turning something over in the mind meditatively and often inconclusively.
2: a letter from a poet, or one who envisions oneself as such, in which he or she “muses” on that which is perceived to be news, or newsworthy, often in some ironic or absurd way.
Parts of the site under reconstruction
Ron Vazzano
Ron Vazzano
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