Today is July 27th. And according to calendarr.com, there are three things to celebrate today:
National Disability Independence Day. I think we can all get behind this one. No one wants to be disabled, or dependent. So, all you able-bodied folks, go on out and buy whatever you can afford — a scooter, a wheelchair, a Rollator, a walker, a pair of crutches, or a cane — and give it to someone who needs it. You may just be paying it forward.
Well, that was grim. But on a happier note, there’s . . .
National Scotch Day. Google tells me that this is in recognition of the day in 1494 that Scotch whisky was first mentioned in the rolls of the Exchequer of Scotland — in other words, the first time whisky was taxed in Scotland. I don’t know anyone who would celebrate taxation; but Scotch whisky — now, there’s something worth raising a glass to. Make mine Chivas Regal, please . . . on the rocks.
National Creme Brûlée Day. And while it doesn’t really go well with that Scotch, on its own it is a heavenly way to polish off a good meal. So yeah, I’ll celebrate this one too. And don’t forget the whipped cream.
So if you were thinking that life hasn’t given you much to smile about lately, just grab a spoon and a shot glass, and have at it. Because tomorrow is Parents’ Day . . . and you know your kids aren’t going to remember that one! But who needs them, when you’ve got Scotch and dessert?
First of all, it’s an acronym, formed from the initials of the five original member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
But what does it do?
“Originally identified to highlight investment opportunities, the grouping evolved into an actual geopolitical bloc, with their governments meeting annually at formal summits and coordinating multilateral policies since 2009 . . .” [Wikipedia, last edited July 26, 2024]. Membership has doubled in size, and now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE); and their meetings are not limited to the annual summit.
2023 Summit (Left to right): Lula da Silva (Brazil), Xi Jinping (China), Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa), Narendra Modi (India), Sergey Lavrov (Russia) *
* NOTE: The August 2023 meeting in Johannesburg was attended, not by Vladimir Putin, but on his behalf by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, due to the outstanding arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Putin in March of 2023 for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
And the potential for further growth is great. The following countries are said to have applied for, or expressed interest in, membership:
In Africa: Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe; in the Americas: Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Peru, and Venezuela; in Asia: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam, and Yemen; and in Europe: Belarus. [Wikipedia, id.]
That’s a lot of countries!
So we’re still left asking: What is their purpose? That, of course, is the all-important question. According to BBC.com (Feb. 1, 2024):
“The group was designed to bring together the world’s most important developing countries, to challenge the political and economic power of the wealthier nations of North America and Western Europe.”
Oh.
In searching for a BRICS website, I at first found only specific sites referencing their former and upcoming (2024) annual summits. When I tried to open the 2023 site, I was informed that my computer was in danger of being hacked. Needless to say, I got the hell out of there in a hurry.
But never fear — Vladimir Putin is here! Russia has been assigned the presidency for 2024, and he has published a statement . . .
Holy crap! I had continued on to open the site for the 2024 summit, to be held in Kazan, Russia, and hosted by none other than President Putin himself in October of this year. And when I expanded the page by clicking on “More details,” which included the entirety of his official announcement, I was suddenly booted out, with a message saying that the server had stopped responding.
But before that happened, I managed to get a screen shot of this:
What was going on? Russian censorship at work? A simple technical glitch? What the hell . . . ??!!!
I decided to try again later; but in the meantime — and particularly in view of the makeup of its membership — I began to wonder: Exactly whom are they trying to replace?
*. *. *
Luckily, perseverance paid off. It turned out there is a website: http://www.infobrics.org. Although I still couldn’t find Putin’s statement, this did bring me to a very lengthy summary of a meeting that had been held on June 10th in historic Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, which included the expanded membership (BRICS+) and focused on a wide range of economic and environmental matters . . . with a generous sprinkling of political double-speak, such as:
“The BRICS+ approach to reach key decisions through consensus and extensive consultations marks a major shift from characteristic historical hegemonic influence and marginalisation [sic] associated with the unipolar global order associated with exclusionary dominant Western influence.”
And this:
“However, emboldened discussions point to major progress towards collective influence for the group and for developing countries within international organizations such as the UN, the World Trade Organization and the Bretton Woods institutions. A collective approach in the multilateral institutions is crucial in leveraging growing influence to realise [sic] a level playing field in international economic and political participation, fostering a more stable and peaceful global community.”
*. *. *
And there it is: Right out of the Vladimir Putin / Xi Jinping manual for the creation of their New World Order: telling the West, in effect, that you had your chance, the world has serious problems, and now it’s our turn to fix things . . . the Putin/Xi way.
I need to know more; but between Vladimir Putin’s BRICS+ and Viktor Orban’s Patriots for Europe, I definitely feel a nightmare coming on tonight.
*. *. *
And by the way, I still can’t open http://www.brics-russia2024.ru. The server refuses to respond. Sounds like a Moscow restaurant in the 1980s.
There’s no use denying it. And the older you get — the closer you come to that inevitability — the more you start thinking about things like what you’ve done with your life, what you wish you’d done (or not done) with your life, and what you’re going to miss out on after you’ve left this life. And yesterday, while commemorating the life (and loss) of one of my personal heroes, my mind took a detour in that last direction. As usual, it came up with some funny thoughts. (That’s funny as in “strange,” not funny as in “ha-ha” — though there were a few of those as well.)
Obviously, most of us would say that we will miss being here for the lives of our families: children, grandchildren, spouse, etc. That’s a given. But beyond that, if today were my last, I would sorely miss . . .
Having my book published. Yes, that’s the book that’s been sitting, nearly finished, for the past year, hoping some Prince Charming of a publisher will come knocking on my door out here in the Georgia countryside, holding the glass slipper that will fit only my gnarled old foot. Of course, that should tell me to get off my gnarled old ass (assuming I’m still here tomorrow) and do something about it. But we’ll see.
*. *. *
Haagen-Dazs. My guilty pleasure, especially coffee flavor. I openly admit to having a little 3.6-ounce cup of it every evening, and occasionally an extra “dose” now and then when I just can’t resist or I’m having a bad day. I hope they have ice cream in Heaven (if that’s where I’m going); otherwise, it won’t really be that heavenly.
*. *. *
Midsomer Murders reruns. There are still some I haven’t quite figured out, even after half a dozen viewings. Those Barnaby detective chief inspectors are brilliant, and let’s face it . . . if there’s any reality to the characterizations, the British criminal mind is positively, diabolically genius! Sick . . . And genius.
*. *. *
Downton Abbey – the third movie. If I lived to be 150, there could never be enough Downton Abbey. It’s like Haagen-Dazs for the soul.
*. *. *
The Election. You know — the election. November 5, 2024. Trump vs. Biden . . . excuse me, Trump vs. Harris. I just have to know whether or not to be glad I’m dead.
*. *. *
Fall. My favorite season, when the heat and humidity finally lift and the air becomes crisp and cool, the leaves change to the most amazing colors, and . . . Oh, wait a minute. I’m not in New England any longer. Oh, well . . . it’s still nicer than the summer heat.
*. *. *
Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Elon Musk, Donald Trump . . . and all the other easy bull’s-eyes I have so much fun firing at from day to day in my “Blog About Everything.” Thanks for being my targets, guys; there probably wouldn’t have been a blog without you.
*. *. *
And . . . not really finally, but just to wind this up before it becomes too long for anyone to want to read . . .
My Blog. It hasn’t gone viral. Hell, it hasn’t even caught a cold. But my friends seem to have enjoyed it, and writing it has been a great joy to me. And, since I expect to survive for a while longer, I intend to keep writing it . . . at least as long as my iPad holds out.
*. * . *
Oh, and one more thing. I’ll tell you something I will definitely not miss: Freakin’ Christmas In July!!!
What can I say about Viktor Orban that I haven’t already said?
No, this is not a eulogy. Well, not for him, though perhaps — if he and his cohorts are not stopped — for democracy in Europe.
Portrait of Viktor Orban
Earlier I commented on his single-handed, underhanded attempt to convince Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Volodymyr Zelensky — and even the still-not-elected-but-convicted-felon Donald Trump — that he, the great and wonderful Orban, is capable of bringing a satisfactory end to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Seriously.
But wait . . . there’s more.
It seems that Viktor Orban — little noticed by the general public outside of Hungary until fairly recently — is well on his way to realizing his dream of reestablishing the Habsburg Empire, apparently with himself as a modern-day version of the Kaiser.
You heard me.
Yeah, I know. It sounds like the plot of a Mel Brooks comedy. But this is no “Robin Hood, Men In Tights.” This is serious business . . . and it all revolves around a group that calls itself “Patriots for Europe.”
The problem is, they’re anything but what they profess to be.
What they are is a coalition of EU member countries falling into step behind Orban and his far-right demagoguery, designed to give him the political platform he needs to achieve his goal of leading a “new” Europe . . . one in which “democracy” presumably will become a non-word, and extreme nationalism will rule the day.
The founding members of his club — Austria, Bohemia (the Czech Republic) and Hungary — once formed the core of the original Habsburg Empire. And earlier this month, France’s National Rally party and Italy’s Lega signed on to join the Patriots, following a growing list of hard-right parties throughout Europe. Orban is hopeful that Slovenia and Slovakia will not be far behind.
Announcing the formation of Patriots for Europe, Orban said: “We are creating a political formation that in my view will take off like a rocket and very quickly become the largest group of the European right. The sky is the limit.” [Matthew Karnitsching, Politico, July 12, 2024.]
*. *. *
(Why do I keep hearing echoes of Adolph? . . . )
Nuremberg, 1934
*. *. *
One of Orban’s staunchest allies is Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia, who recently survived an assassination attempt that he now says — not surprisingly — was carried out by an “activist of the Slovak opposition.” He is an avowed fan of Vladimir Putin, and has said he wishes he had been well enough to travel to Moscow with Viktor Orban to meet with Putin, commenting:
“I want to congratulate Hungary’s prime minister and express my admiration for his decision to visit Kyiv and Moscow without any hesitation. If my health had permitted it, I would gladly have joined him.” [Politico, id.]
Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia
*. *. *
Though all of the far-right parties that have joined the Patriots to date (with the exception of Austria) are members of NATO as well as the EU, they are, to varying degrees, admirers of Vladimir Putin. In a recent interview with Axel Springer media outlets, Orban said:
“Putin can’t lose. The notion that Russia can be defeated is very difficult to fathom.“ [Politico, id.]
Whether that’s a prognostication, or simply wishful thinking, I don’t know. But it is a clear indication of Mr. Orban’s mindset, and his ambitions. In today’s political environment, his is a voice not to be ignored.
Really. Can anyone help me solve a mystery? It may be a simple “computer thing,” but I’ve never run across it before.
No, I’ve seen these. We all have!
As you know, if you’ve read any of my posts on Facebook, I have a blog, which I share daily on FB. It’s administered by wordpress.com, and it’s been working very well. When I post a blog “chapter,” as I call them, I get feedback as to the number of views and viewers, as well as the country in which they are (ostensibly) located. (I say “ostensibly” because I understand it is possible to hide your location, for whatever reason — but that’s a whole other can of worms.)
Today, however, with the usual majority of viewers being in the U.S., and one in a Scandinavian country, there was one additional one, from [cue mysterious music]:
UNKNOWN REGION
So, can anyone tell me: What the hell is an “Unknown Region”??!!! Is it one of those places, for example, in the Amazon where some tribes have never seen an outsider? Not likely, as they don’t have internet. They don’t even have plumbing.
Is it a whole other planet? Is Elon Musk reading my blog from Mars? Would you put it past him?
Cut it out, Elon!
Is it one of the disputed territories in Ukraine that the Russians claim as their own, despite the fact that the whole world knows it’s not true? Nah — those places are on the map.
Is it some very savvy hacker who doesn’t want anyone to know he’s out there, and knows how to cover his tracks? These days, that’s a distinct possibility.
Or — scary, paranoid thought — is somebody (other than Elon Musk) stalking me?
“You can run, but you cannot hide.”
Okay, that last one was a joke. I think.
But seriously, does anyone know what “Unknown Region” means?
It’s July 25th. The temperature outside is 102 degrees Fahrenheit, in the shade. The swimming pool is crowded with people in bikinis; movie theaters are crowded with people not fortunate enough to have air-conditioning at home.
And some damned fool, a few years ago, decided that this should be declared “Christmas In July Day.” Every. Single. Year.
Buy Now, Buy More Later
So I’m taking the day off . . . not to shop, but to hide. To hide from the ads and TV commercials telling me it’s time to start my Christmas shopping. Because it’s not! And to hide from the merchants telling me I need to take advantage of their one-time-only low prices . . . on merchandise they couldn’t sell last year, that I didn’t want then, and I don’t want now. And from the whole “let’s-see-if-we-can-make-life-go-by-even-faster” mentality. Because in my world, there’s still the rest of summer to get through, then beautiful autumn, the fun of Halloween, the joy of Thanksgiving (remember that?), and then . . . and only then . . . the stores get decorated and the Christmas cheer begins.
The Real Christmas
Or that’s the way it should be . . . the way it used to be. And — screw the merchandisers! — I’m going to go and pull the covers over my head now, pretend it’s still 1960-something, and not come out until the 26th (possibly of November). Because I’m sick of being sick of Christmas by the time it actually arrives.
Some people really know how to take the joy out of life. I can’t stop them . . . but I don’t have to join them.
It’s actually Wednesday, July 24th as I write this, but I don’t anticipate posting it until tomorrow. Feeling kind of blue and sentimental today, because it is — was — the birthday of someone very special to me, and to a lot of other people . . . in fact, to almost everyone who ever met him. And although it’s been over 35 years since he had the nerve to leave us, I’m still really pissed, because he went so quickly, without notice, and I never got the chance to tell him . . . well, so many things. Things that I still remember as clearly as though they happened just yesterday.
Walter Sterling Surrey: 7/24/1915 – 1/30/1989
I’ve written about Walter before: his brilliant mind, his diabolical sense of humor, his amazing professional accomplishments. And I even threw in a few anecdotes about the outrageously funny side of him, and the mischief he got away with because people just loved him.
But today I’ve been thinking about his effect on my life — even now, so many years after that horrible, horrible day when I got the call from his wife. And all the things I never had a chance to thank him for. Like my nickname.
I was Walter’s office assistant (they called us secretaries in those days), responsible for keeping the many facets of his professional life from crashing into each other. I never thanked him for recognizing that I was capable of more than just typing and filing. He let me take on as much responsibility as I felt I could, always pushing me to do a little more: dealing directly with clients, heads of major multinational corporations, government officials, and even a couple of heads of state. He trusted me with his personal accounts as well, and with the “keys to the kingdom” — sharing with me things that he told very few others. And in so doing, he taught me to trust myself and my own judgment. He taught me self-confidence.
So . . . thank you for that, Walter.
“I’ve got this.”
*. *. *
In many ways, we were a perfect match. Walter never held back an opinion or a wisecrack, and neither did I. The fact that he was my boss made no difference; I could match him quip for quip, insult for insult. We had some hilarious exchanges . . . and some colossal fights. Unlike a lot of individuals at the top of their game, he could take it as well as hand it out. And in so doing, he taught me that it was all right to stand up for myself, and how to clear the air without any lingering hard feelings. He taught me to be brave.
Thanks for that, too, Walter.
He said, she said.
*. *. *
And when I did manage to best him in one of our classic verbal fencing matches, he would simply stop talking, look at me for a minute, get in one final word — Bitch! — and walk away. And that became my nickname, for ever and always. He taught me not to take myself too seriously.
Thanks a lot, Walter.
*. *. *
I also need to thank him for noticing when I was worried about a personal matter, and ordering me to sit down and talk about it. He always had good advice; and even when he couldn’t solve a problem for me, just having someone there to listen was enough.
And I don’t think I really told him how much I appreciated his not firing me when I threw that surprise 65th birthday party for him in the office, when everyone else was in on it. I could tell he secretly loved it, even when he said, “Thank you; but don’t ever do that again.” It was the smile that showed up in his eyes before he managed to turn aside that gave it away.
Many years after he was gone, his introducing me to the world of international politics paid off in terms of my future work in Prague and in Russia. I certainly owe him for all of that. He taught me to take a chance on the unknown, and my life has been that much richer for it.
Taking A Chance
And for the thousands of memories — so many of them hilarious enough to make me laugh again, even now — I thank him.
*. *. *
And on the flip side, I must finally forgive him for the one thing I have never been able to let go of: telling me I spoiled my kids when I had to take an afternoon off because my son (grown and on his own by then) needed my help following surgery . . . when he (Walter) had once flown back from Tokyo, cancelling his trip to China, because his wife had broken her thumb. But that’s a whole story in and of itself. And after all these years, it’s time to just let it go. So . . . it’s okay, Walter. You were wrong, but I forgive you. Just don’t do it again.
All Is Forgiven
*. *. *
It’s the 25th now, and I actually do feel better. Good night, Walter, and thanks again . . . for everything.
“Bitch” 7/25/24
P.S. And speaking of nicknames . . . what the hell did “Dink” stand for?
According to Elon Musk, their official presentation is just around the corner in 2025. They will first be produced for internal use at Tesla — as promised by Musk in a statement on X — to perform “unsafe, repetitive or boring tasks.” They are projected to be available for purchase by 2026. [Joao da Silva and Natalie Sherman, BBC News, July 23, 2024.]
Named “Optimus” (sounds like one of Musk’s children), this rather hunky fellow will have a limited debut, but will ultimately be mass-produced at a projected cost of less than $20,000 each.
Meet Optimus, the latest member of the Musk family.
Kind of androgynous looking, don’t you think? At least, from what we can see. That’s very 21st Century, and it’s absolutely fine; but I’d be willing to pay a few dollars more if it had a face. And if it turns out to be female, the name needs to be changed to Optima. But we’re still in the development stages, so there’s plenty of time to work out the whole gender identity thing.
I’m actually more concerned about the effect — let’s call him “he,” or “Optimus,” for the sake of this discussion — will have on his co-workers. To begin with, won’t he be replacing some of the very employees who will have worked so hard and so long to create him? And, since he will presumably be capable of working 24/7, without lunch or bathroom breaks, he and his brethren (or sistren) could conceivably replace three workers apiece. Now, at a production cost of well under $20,000, this dude is a bargain for Tesla, and for the other companies who will potentially be racing to “hire” him.
But what does that do to the actual humans who will be replaced in those boring, repetitive jobs? Taking over some of the “dangerous” tasks would be a good thing, but people depend on what are often deadly dull jobs to support themselves and their families. Will they be retrained, perhaps to do maintenance work on all the Optimi (or Optimae, if female) * when they inevitably develop glitches and tics from working those 24/7 shifts?
The First Assembly Lines
* NOTE: Since my Latin is very limited, can anyone tell me whether there is a plural ending in the neuter gender in that language? If not, we may have to change Optimus’ name. I rather like Caesar.
And here’s an idea: Perhaps the same humans could do double duty by stepping in to substitute in their former jobs while one or more Optimi/Optimae are in the shop. But then, the employers wouldn’t actually be saving anything on salaries, would they? Although the Optimi/ae wouldn’t need benefit packages . . . except perhaps the mechanical/electronic equivalent of medical coverage. But no dental, no retirement package, no paid vacation or sick leave, and probably no workers’ compensation coverage — although I’d have to check that one in each individual state.
I wonder if Elon Musk knows what a hornet’s nest he’s poking with the introduction of his hunky humanoid brainchild. But then, that seems to be what he does best.
Did you know he’s also working on the development of self-driving cars? Of course, he’s not the only one thinking along those lines, and quite frankly, it’s giving me nightmares. As if traffic on the interstates isn’t treacherous enough!
Oops!
What we’re going to need are lots of self-driving tow trucks — and some training in first aid and CPR for the Caesars.
The Blog About Everything … and Sometimes Nothing 