Twenty-five Hours and Four Minutes

It's time to Break It Down!

On Thursday, August 29, 1957, at 9:12 p.m., SC Senator Strom Thurmond concluded a filibuster that he had begun at 8: 54 p.m., the previous day. Thurmond set a then record, in an effort to waylay the Civil Rights Act of 1957. He held the floor for twenty-four hours and eighteen minutes. Since that point, he has held the record for the longest single-person filibuster in United States Senate history. In fact, it was the longest single-person Senate speech…until yesterday.

On Monday evening, NJ Senator Cory Booker began speaking at 7:00 p.m. He did not relinquish the floor until 8:04 p.m. last night, setting a new record, twenty-five hours and four minutes. Technically, Booker’s oration was not a filibuster, since it was not designed to impede any specific piece of legislation, or nomination, but rather to issue a call to arms advising that the country is in crisis. He spoke out against an array of issues, including castigating Elon Musk’s efforts to overhaul the federal government, and Trump’s warning of potential cuts to key healthcare programs for millions of Americans.

Senator Booker said, “I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able. I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis.”

He added, “In just 71 days, the president of the United States has inflicted so much harm on Americans’ safety; financial stability; the core foundations of our democracy. These are not normal times in America. And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate.”

Booker, a member of the Senate Democratic leadership team executed his speech at a time when voters have increasingly called for stouter opposition to Trump and his policies. All this while Trump and the GOP control the Executive Branch, the House, the Senate, and the Supreme Court is comprised of a two-thirds conservative majority.

Fundamentally excluded from the levers of power, and viewing the circumstances of their limited options, Senator’ Booker’s speech resonated as one of the most high-profile forms of protest by a Democratic Solon during Trump’s second term.

While no specific piece of legislation was defeated, the speech delayed most of Tuesday’s Senate business. In that regard, it principally amounted to a symbolic gesture. As he held the floor, Booker cited the spirit of the late Congressman John Lewis as his motivation. Lewis was a pivotal civil rights advocate. Thurmond, whose record Booker broke, set the record, attempting to defeat a civil rights bill, as he spoke against the 1957 Civil Rights Act. Senator Booker referenced a promise he had given Representative Lewis, vowing to make him proud. At 7:19 p.m., Senator Chuck Schumer interrupted Booker to advise him that he had broken the record.

Booker said, of Lewis, “He wouldn’t treat this moral moment like it was normal.” He then asked, “Where does the Constitution live? On paper or in our hearts?” 

TX Senator Ted Cruz, who held the floor for his own marathon speech in a 2013 filibuster against the Affordable Care Act, offered Booker this advice: “Wear comfortable shoes and don’t drink water.”

Though not a filibuster, the speech did keep the Senate floor open – and floor staff and US Capitol Police detailed to the chamber working – for as long as he continued speaking. Lawmakers had concluded voting on Monday before Booker began speaking. Democrats in the upper chamber widely praised Booker’s effort. CT Senator Chris Murphy appeared to smooth out the process by discussing the effort with Senators as they arrived on the floor and arranging speakers to ask Booker questions. Murphy spent the entire night in the Chamber. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer praised Booker for his strength and conviction.

At the conclusion of Booker's time at the podium, House Democrats, standing in the back of the chamber, and Senate Democrats rose in a standing ovation. “Twenty-five Hours and Four Minutes!”

I’m done; holla back!

 

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

 

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/31/politics/booker-senate-floor-speech-trump-protest/index.html

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2025/04/twenty-five-hours-and-four-minutes.html

A "Signal" No One Saw Coming

It's time to Break It Down!

Nothing to see here. There was no classified information. Not that I recall. It’s Pete’s fault. That last one wasn’t a quote, but it might as well have been. I’ll explain later.

Yesterday, a group of Trump’s finest faced members of the Senate Intelligence Committee for question about a group chat on the Application “Signal.” The app is encrypted but not secure in the sense that government communications that include classified information are required or at least expected to be.

That brings us to a key point. CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard repeatedly denied that the chat contained classified information.

“There were no classified or intelligence equities that were included in that chat group at any time,” Gabbard testified under oath. Ratcliffe was similarly adamant in his denials at various points during Tuesday’s hearing.

That’s how they started. But…later, when pressed on whether the sensitive operational details for the forthcoming strikes against Iran-backed militants that Hegseth reportedly sent to the thread were classified, both top intelligence officials deferred to the defense secretary.

“With respect to the assertions and the allegations that there was strike packages or targeting information or things that relate to DOD, as I pointed out, the Secretary of Defense is the original classification authority for determining whether something is classified or not, and as I’ve understood from media reports, the Secretary of Defense has said the information was not classified,” Ratcliffe told lawmakers. Translation, “It’s Pete’s fault.

When asked whether such information should be classified, Gabbard told the committee, “I defer to the Secretary of Defense and the National Security Council on that question.” Interesting parsing.

Not surprisingly, Hegseth’s texts, which reportedly included “operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing,” have drawn the most attention.

Multiple current and former defense officials have said that any discussion of the timing, targets or weapons systems to be used in an attack is always classified — because of the potential risk to US service members lives if those plans are revealed prematurely. I’m sensing a clear element in disconnect in the various perspectives on this story.

Ratcliffe and Gabbard both said. “I can again confirm that with respect to the communications that were related as to me, there was no classified information,” Ratcliffe added. In other words, to quote Shaggy, “It wasn’t me!” “A “Signal” No One Saw Coming!”

I’m done; holla back!

 

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

By The Numbers: Name That President

It's time to Break It Down!

"May you live in interesting times," is an English expression, often mistakenly attributed to the Chinese. The use of the expression is meant to be Ironic, suggesting that "interesting" times are often times of trouble. I think it's fair to say, we are there.

Today's post is intended to depict a few of the ways our times are "interesting," by reviewing several metrics associated with a certain leader of the free world. Let's get right into it. 

64 Times Mentioned in Epstein Report.

 

97 Times Pleaded the Fifth.

 

34 Felony Convictions.

 

91 Criminal Charges.

 

26 Sexual Assault Allegations.

 

6 Bankruptcies.

 

5 Draft Deferments.

 

4 Indictments.

 

2 Impeachments.

 

2 Convicted Companies.

 

1 Fake University Shut Down.

 

1 Fake Charity Shut Down.

 

$25 Million Fraud Settlement.

 

$5 Million Sexual Abuse Verdict.

 

$2 Million Fake Charity Abuse Judgment.

 

$93 Million Sexual Abuse Judgements.

 

$400+ Million Fraud Judgment.

 

First President in history to serve a full term increase the deficit every year he was in office.

 

First President in history to maintain a debt to GDP ratio over 100% for his entire term.

 

Highest annual budget deficit.

 

Most added to the national debt in a single term.

 

Most new unemployment claims.

 

Largest single day point drop in the history of the Dow.

 

First major party candidate in half a century to lose the popular vote twice.

 

Longest government shutdown in history (and he did that while his own party controlled both chambers of Congress).

 

First President in the history of approval ratings to maintain a net negative approval rating for his entire term.

 

First President to be impeached twice.

 

First President to have bipartisan support for his conviction after impeachment (which happened both times).

 

Most indictments, guilty pleas, and criminal convictions of members of an administration.

 

First president to have a mug shot.

 

 

Please go ahead and lookup every claim here…that is, if you can identify the subject. “By The Numbers: Name That President!”

 

I’m done; holla back!

 

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

Five Years Later: COVID-19

It's time to Break It Down!

Yesterday was March 11, 2025. Five years ago, on March 11, 2020, after more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries and 4,291 deaths, the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic.

The U.S. on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, surpassed 1 million Covid-19 deaths, according to data compiled by NBC News — a once unthinkable scale of loss even for the country with the world's highest recorded toll from the virus.

The number — equivalent to the population of San Jose, California, the 10th largest city in the U.S. — was reached at stunning speed: 27 months after the country confirmed its first case of the virus.

As the epicenter of the pandemic, 1,826 days later, COVID-19 remains a source of disparate opinion, and rancorous division. Established as a pandemic in the final year of the first Trump administration, the Coronavirus became a bright yellow line that divided Americans between pro and anti-Trump factions. Donald Trump at one point called the virus a Democratic hoax, subsequently was hospitalized due to contracting it, later proposed several not scientifically supported remedies, and hosted at least one function deemed to be a superspreader event. 

Trump supporters frequently dismissed the severity of the virus and disparaged almost all proposed strategies for keeping people safe, whether wearing masks, social distancing, handwashing, and especially closing businesses and institutions. Doctors, scientists, and people supporting such safety measures were frequently at odds with Trump and his devotees.

Five years later, COVID-19 is still with us. We learned early on that like the flu, it will probably always be around. 

The COVID-19 Vaccine became widely available in 2021. It was a two-shot regimen, with two primary deliverers, Moderna, and Pfizer. In an interview with former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, Trump admitted he had gotten a Covid vaccination.

Over 81% of the population has had at least one covid vaccination, 70% of the population is considered fully vaccinated, 97% of the population over age 16 has at least one shot, and 82% over 16 years of age are fully covered. As a result of the high number of vaccinated Americans, the frequency of the disease has been greatly diminished. Test Positivity for the week ending March 1^st, was 3.9%. “Five Years Later: Covid 19!”

 

I’m done; holla back!

 

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The Quintessential Barter: Are We There Yet?

It's time to Break It Down!

 

There’s no easy way to frame this, so I might as well just rip off the band-aid. Forget the Constitution, never mind history, legacy, and tradition. We are entering a new frontier. 

 

The Founding Fathers would be apologetic. The great experiment is null and void. Done. Finis.

 

For Republicans, Trump is known as transactional, the ultimate deal maker. His bona fides in the bizarre are legendary and need no recounting. 

 

Musk is the wealthiest man in the world. After buying Twitter and converting the platform into a conservative safe space where conspiracy theories abound, hate speech is welcome, and Trump support is the coin of the realm, he is to Trump, what Trump is to MAGA, the source of all things indisputable.

 

So, it came to pass, Musk bought the election for Trump. In turn Trump has given Musk the latitude to convert America into his wholly owned subsidiary; AmericaX. A land in which federal agencies have been neutered, and their functions outsourced to Musk and the Oligarchs. "Are We There Yet?”

 

I’m done; holla back!

 

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Hard Reset

It's time to Break It Down!

Hard Reset

The United States is the most powerful nation in the history. Through its leaders, it has long proclaimed itself to be exceptional. To be fair, in many ways, it is. By dint of will, intellect, ingenuity, ambition, perseverance, grit, and a healthy helping of God’s grace, we have attained a standard of living that is the envy of the world.

For more than a decade, Americans have been growing increasingly weary of, and disenchanted with historical norms and traditions, especially in government and media spaces. A cynical view of what fueled this rapidly emerging tempestuous reaction holds that the election, and subsequent re-election of Barack Obama was a mind-exploding catalyst.

In 2008, Obama was a relatively new US Senator from Illinois, who had dramatically entered the national political consciousness four years earlier with a stemwinder of a speech at the Democratic National Convention. Still, his auspicious introduction notwithstanding, he was a decided underdog when he entered the 2008 Democratic Primary. At that time, Hillary Clinton was considered the odds-on favorite to capture his Party’s nomination. To shorten the story, that didn’t happen. Senator Obama went on to win the nomination, and would later defeat Arizona Senator John McCain, becoming the nation’s first Black President.

McCain ran a spirited campaign, but he faced significant headwinds due to the Great Recession. However, after Clinton conceded and withdrew from the race for the Democratic nomination, Obama was able consolidate his Party’s support. Winning the 2008 Presidential Race was a seminal moment for both the Democratic Party and for the United States. The 43 Presidents before Obama had all been White, and if truth be told, it’s likely no one had first Black President on their Bingo Card in 2008.

While the dawn of the Obama era proved to be a prodigiously pivotal moment in time and history, not everyone celebrated. Democrats exulted in having stopped a third consecutive Republican administration from occupying the White House, and for having won both the House and the Senate. Black America was euphoric. Most in the community thought they might never see a Black Man in the Oval Office. 

Conversely, Republicans were gobsmacked. They were in utter disbelief, and for many, McCain became a pariah for having lost…to the Black guy. After all, it was not unheard of to be out of power for four years, or even for eight, but never in the history of “exceptional” America had anyone among them seriously considered the prospect of ceding occupancy of 1600 PA Ave. to a Black man.

 

The opposition fortified immediately. On the evening of January 20, 2009, after President Obama’s inauguration earlier in the day, a group of 15 high-ranking Republicans, including Senators and House members met for dinner to plot the plan of action for the official GOP resistance to Barack Obama. The strategic assault continued throughout both of Obama’s terms in office. Author Robert Draper, wrote a book about the GOP exploits, entitled, Do Not Ask What Good We Do: Inside the U.S. House of Representatives (later republished under the title: When the Tea Party Came to Town). Spoiler Alert, judging from the second title, you can infer, the Tea Party sprang up in response to Obama’s presidency, at least in part because nothing else was successful in neutralizing him. 

The resistance, while unable to derail his re-election bid, did reduce his numerical support, advantage, and leverage in Congress. That opposition grew increasingly mean spirited during the Obama years and was often racialized. It was common for the evening news to capture depictions of Obama effigies, and other negatively racialized images of the President. 

Enter Donald Trump. Some people debate whether Donald Trump created the Birther trope. I will not split hairs on this matter. The fact is Trump was in on the use of it, early, and often. This slight, which was rooted in Trump’s oft-repeated assertion that President Obama was not born in America, served to further exacerbate racial tensions.

Since those days, we’ve seen the end of the Obama administration, the Trump administration, the Biden administration, and the advent of a second Trump presidency. Along the way, Trump, Congress, and SCOTUS have taken turns engaging in escalatory actions. 

Now, the President, armed with the aid of Senate and House majorities, a collection of malleable cabinet members, a heavily conservative-skewed Supreme Court, and a director of disruption, appears poised to change the very nature of the way the United States operates its government. I believe a legitimate question is, “Will we continue to be a constitutional federal republic?

Trump and his gofers are actively engaged in pushing, pulling, and prodding to consolidate more and more power in the hands of the Executive. Congress, which technically controls the purse strings, has consistently, willingly ceded its authority to Trump. Perhaps, when all is said and done, the most radical result of the assorted machinations will emerge from the slashing and burning of federal agencies and their staffs, which currently, is a concept that seems to find favor among people who call themselves conservatives. What remains to be seen, is how these self-proclaimed conservatives will view it when Musk and the Oligarchs assume the role of heads of privatized formerly governmental functions? 

Unless there is a quick and decisive turn, I sense, We The People, are in for a…”Hard Reset!”

I’m done; holla back!

 

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

 

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https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2025/02/hard-reset.html

That's One Theory, But...

It's time to Break It Down!

On the evening of January 29^th, an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342 while the plane was on approach for landing at Reagan National Airport. As a result of the collision, both the plane and the copter plunged into the Potomac River. All souls on both aircraft were lost.

On the Thursday evening after the crash, Donald Trump, ambled into the White House press room to face reporters and execute his solemn duty as consoler-in-chief. After a few on task opening remarks, Trump pivoted sharply, and in his own idiosyncratic style, commenced the combative, unscripted, finger pointing, scapegoating blame game madness that he has elevated to an art form.  

He started by admitting, “We do not know what led to this crash,” but quickly added, “but we have some very strong opinions and ideas.” 

He then speculated, absent evidence, that lowered standards of hiring for air traffic controllers in the Federal Aviation Administration during the Joe Biden and Barack Obama presidencies may have been a factor in the disaster. Naturally, this speculative scenario conveniently omitted the fact that he served a four-year term between Presidents Obama and Biden.

Trump, his GOP congressional coterie, and Republicans in general have regularly attacked “Diversity, equity and inclusion” programs in the federal government. He and his team have made attacking and eliminating such programs a central priority during their first days in office, arguably, even more that lowering the price of eggs, and reinvigorating the economy that he sold as faltering during his campaign…saying he’d fix it on day 1.

He said DEI has divided Americans and weakened the country. Less than 24 hours after the first major US air disaster in more than a decade, coincidentally, on his watch, Trump, along with his secretaries of transportation, defense, along with the Vice President, all took shots as hammering this point, and all with zero evidence, that federal hiring practices had any connection to this crash.

When asked by a reporter how he could blame diversity programs for the crash when the investigation had just started, Trump responded: “Because I have common sense.”

At other moments, he acknowledged there was no confirmed cause, saying, “It’s all under investigation.”

 

Because he has common sense? More than a few people would enthusiastically debate that assertion. But not me. At least not here and now. Instead, I submit an alternative contemplation.

 

An interesting thing happened on January 20^th, nine days before the crash. Michael Whitaker, the leader of the Federal Aviation Administration stepped down, months after Elon Musk demanded that he quit. As of January 29^th, the FAA had no Senate-confirmed leader. Whitaker quit before Donald Trump took office. He had run the FAA for just a year, but said in December that he would step down as the new President was being sworn in.

 

Whitaker and Musk clashed over SpaceX. It was one thing when Musk was the richest man in the world, and owner of SpaceX. But when became the leading voice behind the newly formed Department of Governmental Efficiency, aka DOGE, his personal influence on all things governmental, including the FAA expanded exponentially.

 

Last September, Whitaker proposed over $600,000 in fines for SpaceX. Musk responded by demanding his resignation and threatened to sue. Whitaker told a congressional committee fines are the only tool the agency has, that enable it to get compliance on safety matters.

 

Musk continued his attack via X, while campaigning with Trump. He accused Whitaker’s agency of harassment, posting “The FAA space division is harassing SpaceX about nonsense that doesn’t affect safety while giving a free pass to Boeing even after NASA concluded that their spacecraft was not safe enough to bring back the astronauts.” 

 

Further, in response to an Australian YouTuber who posts about space and who has said the FAA “should not exist,” Musk accused Whitaker of standing in the way of his vision of putting human life on Mars.

 

Upon announcing in December that he would leave the agency, Whitaker wrote to FAA staff:

 

“The United States is the safest and most complex airspace in the world, and that is because of your commitment to the safety of the flying public.”

 

He called his time at the federal agency “the best and most challenging job of my career.”

 

The FAA was already wrestling with persistent shortages of air traffic controllers. More recently, air traffic controllers were included in the Trump administration’s offer of buyouts to federal employees.

 

Investigating the plane-copter crash will be led by the independent National Transportation Board, which is chaired by Jennifer Homendy. For the record, she has also clashed with Musk, over the safety of self-driving software in his Tesla vehicles.

 

Trump flatly blamed DEI and his Democratic predecessors for the crash. He credited common sense for his conclusion. He did so without corroborating evidence.

 

Considering the flurry of activity across the federal government, due to Trump’s imperatives, DOGE’s planned disruptive effect, in general, and Musk’s running off the FAA head, in particular, it occurs to me, that factors other than DEI may have contributed to the crash. Feel free to draw your own inferences. Meanwhile, I leave you with, “(DEI) That’s one theory, but…!”

 

I’m done; holla back!

 

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

 

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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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Potomac_River_mid-air_collision

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpvmdm1m7m9o

https://www.yahoo.com/news/faa-administrator-quit-jan-20-045322293.html

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2025/02/thats-one-theory-but.html

Merit: Not Really, Not at All

It's time to Break It Down!

 

In the great emotional ruse that is anti DEI, anti CRT, anti-affirmative action, anti-Civil Rights Act, anti-Voting Rights Act, anti LGBTQ, anti-disabled, etc., we are told the motivation for opposing initiatives and programs to right past wrongs, some which endured for centuries, is the pursuit of merit-based selection. The inherent implied premise for this obsessive compulsion is, that merit is a special sauce possessed, only by white men.

 

The return to power of the 47^th President has resulted in celebratory exultation among many of his adherents, who believe all their various and sundry shortcomings have been visited upon them because some unfair practice or methodology intervened and redirected benefits that should have inured to them, to some Black, Brown, non-cisgender, or disabled person. 

 

It’s as if, in their incontrovertible view, the world, especially America, is divided into two sides; one side comprised of white men, and the other side, everybody else. Interestingly, with the certainty of this same uncontestable truth, they believe Team Everybody Else has severely damaged them, taking more than they could possibly have ever deserved, and leaving them, the only deserving ones, with a mere pittance. Inexplicably, they harbor this notion, despite the face, they control the vast majority of everything of value in a free enterprise and capitalistic society. They have by far, most of the wealth, most of the property, most of the CEO offices, most of the college and university presidencies, most of the tech businesses, most of the highest corporate titles...you name it, white men dominate it (OK, maybe not Basketball, American Football, and track and field sprint events…most of which were segregated until the mid-20^th century).

 

And yet, the whining and complaining dominates the landscape. The argument is turbocharged by a rightwing echo chamber that is so inescapable, it persuaded many individuals and groups not naturally on that side of the line to vote against their own interests. While it’s conceivable, time will enable many, if not most, to see the light, the damage will have long been done. But that’s a convo for another day.

 

Darren Beattie, a “Make America Great Again” ideologue has reportedly been hired to run the State Department’s worldwide public diplomacy efforts. Beattie shared with readers of Revolver, a conservative website he worked for, that he would be the acting undersecretary of state for public diplomacy. It was unclear whether he would assume the position on a permanent basis; that would require Senate confirmation. All things considered, in the current environment, there is no reason to believe he wouldn’t gain confirmation.

 

He first achieved notoriety when he was fired during his tenure as a White House speechwriter for the first Trump Administration. He lost his position after it was revealed that he spoke at a conference attended by white nationalists. More recently, on October 24, 2024, he wrote on the Revolver website: “Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work. Unfortunately, our entire national ideology is predicated on coddling the feelings of women and minorities, and demoralizing competent white men.”

 

This is emblematic of what one writer called a blatant, dangerous, insulting, gaslighting lie. I wish he could have made his sentiment a little more explicit. 

 

Over the course of couple of months since the election, Trump has been moving expeditiously to install members of his new Cabinet…and to “unemploy” tens of thousands of federal workers from the previous administration. As the head of the Executive Branch, or as some argue, as the Executive Branch, he has wide ranging leeway to appoint whomever he wants. Wide leeway is not the same as unlimited control. His first pick for Attorney General, Matt Gaetz, was such an unpopular selection that he withdrew his nomination. White guy notwithstanding, I guess, even Team Trump conceded he was not a worthy candidate for that position. Perhaps, miracles do happen.

 

There are other controversial nominees. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, is a noted anti-vaccine activist, and conspiracy theorist. Still, he’ll probably gain confirmation. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence has allegedly parroted Russian talking points and has met with then Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Although opposed by most democrats, she cleared a Senate Intel Committee vote, 9-8, and she will likely be confirmed by the Senate later today.

 

By traditional standards, neither Kennedy, nor Gabbard, not to mention Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, who’s highest attained rank was Major, qualify for the positions to which they have been elevated. Anyone arguing that they are is being transparently dishonest, or quite simply, lying. If anyone with their respective resumes were presented by Democrats, for those same positions, Republicans heads would explode; they’d be summarily dismissed as being unqualified, and presented by unserious, if not clueless, Democrats. But such is the nature of the game, when the President, House, and Senate are of the same Party. It is what it is. “Merit: Not Really, Not at All!”

 

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://www.wjbf.com/news/u-s-world-news/competent-white-men-must-be-in-charge-if-you-want-things-to-work-trump-admin-hires-darren-beattie-to-run-public-diplomacy-at-state-department/

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2025/02/merit-not-really-not-at-all.html

Bey Watch: "This Is My "Country" Redux '25

It’s time to Break It Down!

 

Today is my late father's 105th birthday. Happy Birthday dad; I love you; I miss you!

Last year, Beyoncé teased her then upcoming new Country Album, “Cowboy Carter,” during halftime of Super Bowl LVIII, held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ten days later, I blogged about Queen Bey’s foray into Country Music. Presciently, at the time, I mused what it might be like for Beyoncé to be nominated for Grammy’s or Country Music Awards this year. She was nominated by both, and while she was received 12 nominations for People’s Choice Country Music Awards, she was snubbed, going 0-for-12. Conversely, after garnering 11 Grammy nominations, she captured 3 Awards, winning for best Country Duo/Group performance, (along with Miley Cyrus), for the Top Country Music Album Award, and for the pièce de resistance, Album of the Year. Her 11 nominations elevated her record for total Grammy nominations to 99, and her 3 wins pushed her record total Grammys to 35. With that, kick back, and check out what I wrote about Bey and Country Music a year ago.

 

I am well on the way to my 17^th year as a Blogger, Content Creator, or whatever other term you choose as your preferred euphemism. In sixteen and a half years, I have made over 850 blog posts. The range of topics I have tackled run the gamut, and include, among other things, politics, history, sports, holidays, healthcare, education, race, America, labor, wars, personalities, and travel, just to cite a dozen categories. One thing I have never written about, and in full disclosure, have never contemplated writing about, is Country Music. Decades ago, I heard a Country Music singer say, “The Country in Country Music, is America.” While admittedly, not a fan of the genre, then or now, I must admit, the moment I heard the guy say that I thought it was profound. I still believe that to be true. 

 

Yesterday, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter’s new song, “Texas Hold ‘Em” debuted as the Number 1 song on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Even if it’s only a paragraph, I must write about that. Imagine Bey being featured/nominated for one or more awards in the Country category at the 2025 Grammy’s, or at the Country Music Association Awards Show next year. We all know Bey & Jay are music royalty. When they make music, they make news. That’s been the case, since long before the two became the power couple they are today. For them, grabbing headlines in the music world is virtually de rigueur. But even by that standard, this is different.

 

Let’s not get it twisted though. Black folks are not new to this country music thing. The first “string bands” in this country were comprised of enslaved people. Moreover, the root of country music is blues, of which Santi Elijah Holley said, “It’s Black as hell.” When I was growing up, Charley Pride, was the Country sensation of the era. In 1962, Ray Charles released his 17^th album, entitled, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. He went on to earn a Grammy for Album of the Year. Oh yeah, lest I forget to mention it, Beyoncé’s other new country song “16 Carriages” ranks No. 9 on the Billboard Country Music chart. Yes, in addition to debuting at Number 1, she also has a second Billboard Country Music chart Top 10 hit.

 

Today, there are several successful Black artists, popular for their singing country music, including Mickey Guyton, Kane Brown, Jimmy Allen, Brittney Spencer, and Willie Jones. They are all fine artists. However, none of them is Beyoncé, who has collected 88 Nominations, and 32 Grammy Awards: both, the most in history. Incidentally, Jay-Z has also garnered 88 Nominations, tying “his Bey” for most ever, to accompany his 24 Grammy Awards. Yes, that’s right, between the two of them, they have earned 176 Grammy Nominations, and 56 Grammy Awards.

In landing her first-ever No. 1 single on the country charts, Beyoncé enters rare air. She became only the second solo woman with no accompanying artists to achieve the feat. Taylor Swift, whose songs “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” and “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” hit No. 1 in 2021.

Bey is also the first woman to have topped both the Hot Country and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts since the lists began in 1958. Morgan Wallen, Justin Bieber, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Ray Charles are the only other artists to have reached No. 1 on both charts.

Her current hits, “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em,” were released Feb. 11, after Beyoncé teased the release of new music in a surprise Super Bowl ad for Verizon. She also announced her eighth solo studio album “Renaissance Act II” is scheduled for release March 29, 2024. “Bey Watch: This Is My “Country Redux ‘25!””

 

I’m done; holla back!

 

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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://www.cnn.com/2024/02/11/entertainment/beyonce-new-music-super-bowl-ad/index.html

 

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/11/entertainment/beyonce-new-music-super-bowl-ad/index.html

 

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/beyonce-country-album-grammy-cowboy-carter-1235256088/

 

https://www.vulture.com/article/beyonce-cowboy-carter-album-of-the-year.html

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2025/02/bey-watch-this-is-my-country-redux-25.html