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A Shot in the Dark

1/15/2021

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Well, this was a weird experience yesterday.

On Wednesday evening, I got an urgent phone call from a friend saying that Ralphs Pharmacy here in Los Angeles were now accepting appointments for COVID-19 vaccine shots for the group I qualified in.  But the slots were filling up really fast, so I should go to their website immediately.  He began telling a story about his experience signing up and what went on when he was...and I cut him off instantly without relying on politeness and in his mid-sentence I said, "Goodbye, I'll call you later!" and hung-up.

And it clearly was filling up fast.  The first few days were already gone, and when I got a date that was available, but the time I got to the end of the form, that date and time was no longer open. So, I picked another date and time, and the same thing happened when I reached the end.  It took four tries before I finally got an appointment for a little over two weeks from now.  But huzzah.

I was really surprised to hear about the scheduling, since I hadn't read anything about it on the news, but was very glad for his call.  He hadn't known either -- and he's usually on top of most-everything -- but his daughter had called him.  And word clearly spread everywhere.

Anyway, yesterday morning, I called Ralphs Pharmacy to find out if they'd be keeping a waiting list in case they got cancellations, since I live walking distance from it -- and it's actually the pharmacy I tend to most use.  The person I spoke to said, no, there wouldn't be a waiting list, but then asked when my appointment was for, which surprised me. But I told her, and at this point, the conversation went -- 

“The appointment’s been cancelled.”
 
Long pause.  “What do you talking about???”
 
“The appointment has been cancelled.  It’s only for healthcare providers.  You should be notified.”
 
Trying to digest this.  “What do you mean I should be notified??  Are they planning to send emails?”
 
“You should get an email about it.”
 
Taking a deep breath.  “This doesn’t make any sense.”
 
“You should keep the appointment, but right now it’s cancelled.  They’ll let you know.”

It made little sense to me, and was a bit disconcerting, needless-to-say.  But when it became clear that she didn't actually have information and couldn’t add more than to say that right now they were only giving the vaccine to healthcare workers and that Ralphs might be sending out an email, I knew that there was no pointing in getting upset with her or even arguing.  So, as much as I wanted to say, "You handled getting this information across really, really poorly" (after all, if I didn't ask follow-up questions, she would have left it at the perfunctory, "The appointment's been cancelled" -- which it must be noted is also a poor way of phrasing things when you later add, "But keep your appointment") -- I also recognized that they were likely overwhelmed with phone calls and harried, so I said goodbye, ungnashed my teeth, and hung up.
 
As the day went on, I talked to some people and read articles, and though there was nothing specific to learn, the situation did become a touch more clear and somewhat more comforting.  (With an emphasis on the "somewhat.") It appears that Ralphs jumped the gun and wasn’t supposed to create appointments yet.  In fact, for that same sign-up form on their website, “Coronavirus” is no longer listed among the options of vaccines that Ralph offers.  Press releases from Ralphs as of two days ago, however, say that they are, in fact, now giving the vaccine to healthcare workers.
 
Equally important to the picture is that a friend in Texas said the exact same thing happened there a couple of weeks ago.  There were sign-ups and then it turned out that they didn’t get their allotted vaccine supplies, so everything was put on hold.  But what's important to add -- and added to the comfort is that not only did they subsequently get their vaccine supply…but he got his first shot this past Tuesday.
 
That said, I don’t know exactly where things stand.  What I do know is that they said, “Keep your appointment.”  And no email has been sent out yet putting anything on hold.  Also, most people who signed up have times that are still a week or two weeks off.  And the Biden Administration is coming in next Tuesday, so there is probably a big push now to get vaccine out.  In addition, we know that Ralphs Pharmacy does, in fact, have vaccine which they are currently giving to healthcare workers.  And we know, too, that 30 million doses have been distributed but only about 10 million shots have been given.  So…it seems like things should be fine.  Though I don’t know.
 
But also, there is a possible good side to this, at least on a personal level.  The screw-up by Ralphs of jumping the gun early may explain why there were no big news stories about it – which in the end helped allow people to sign up for an appointment so early before there was a huge public rush.  So, assuming they do get it worked out, everyone who now already has an appointment probably has it earlier (perhaps much earlier) than they would have had otherwise.
 
And again, it remains comforting my friend in Texas said that this exact same thing happened there, and he not only kept his appointment, but got his shot earlier this week.

Of course, this all presumes that they do get their new allotment.  If not, they will have a huge mess on their hands for all the people who signed up the earliest and find their appointments cancelled, pushing them back into the pool.
 
When I had that phone conversation this morning with the pharmacy it was – as you might imagine – very weird and disturbing and very poorly handled.  But knowing more now, while still in a state of uncertainty, I do feel better about it.  And I especially feel at least a sense of comfort from being told, “Keep your appointment.”  And if and when there is any update – including to say that appointments remain on schedule – emails will be sent out. 
 
Anyway, that’s the news, which I suspect is good to know for other areas when they get their vaccine allotment and start to make appointments.

Thankfully, there is a vaccine.  And it will get administered soon.  But it's Impressive how smooth and impeccably well-organized everything about handling the pandemic and protecting the country has been by the Trump administration which alas, unlike the coronavirus, did completely disappear last March.

​January 20th can't come soon enough.

UPDATE:  There is an addendum to all this.

Since writing my column, an article in the Washington Post appeared which may be the explanation for the problem at Ralphs Pharmacy.  While Ralphs is at fault for jumping the gun, it will not shock you to learn that what caused the larger problems is probably because the Trump administration was lying.  Here’s the opening of the article –
 
“When Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced Tuesday that the federal government would begin releasing coronavirus vaccine doses held in reserve for second shots, no such reserve existed, according to state and federal officials briefed on distribution plans. The Trump administration had already begun shipping out what was available beginning at the end of December. Now, state and local officials across the country are realizing their limited vaccine supply will not immediately increase, dashing hopes of dramatically expanding access for millions of people.”

Y'know, it makes it oh-so much easlier to run your operation at "Warp speed" when you don't have to deliver what you promised.
 
Hopefully there’s enough time between now and my appointment – and with the Biden Team taking over in five days – for them to get a supply out and I can keep the date.  But I’m not holding my breath on that.  The next hope is that when they do start rescheduling appointments that Ralphs will keep the current schedule and just move those to the front of the line where they were.
 
For those interested, you can find the full Washington Post article here.
 
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Something Pretty Good

1/14/2021

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​Okay, let's head back to our 1999 videos of  when Laura Benanti made her Broadway starring debut when she was a replacement lead as 'Maria' in The Sound of Music, taking over the role from Rebecca Luker.  As I mentioned, she took over the lead at the same time Richard Chamberlain joined the cast. 

For those who don't remember, Chamberlain was famously a big TV star in the early-1960s series, Dr. Kildare. He then dropped out of sight for three years, and when he resurfaced, it turned out he had been studying serious acting and played the lead in Hamlet with the well-regarded Birmingham Rep in England to much praise.  And then reprised the role on TV in The Hallmark Hall of Fame.

Anyway, here is Laura Benanti and Richard Chamberlain singing Something Good, which wasn't in the original stage show, but has since been interpolated into it after being added to the movie.
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Today's Tweet

1/14/2021

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It shouldn't go without making 100% clear that all these Republicans saying they're scared of how this violent segment of the public will react if Trump would be impeached are NOT talking about Democrats or liberals or BLM or "Antifa." They are referring to...Republicans.

— Robert Elisberg (@relisberg) January 14, 2021
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And in Other TrumpWorld News...

1/14/2021

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How can you not love this?! --
 
Philip Rucker of the Washington Post reports that Trump has told aides not to pay Rudy Giuliani's legal fees & that he personally must approve reimbursing expenses!
 
Better still, Trump want Giuliani to defend him in the Senate trial.
 
I mean…I mean…seriously????  About all of that.  Seriously.

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Blink and Its Gone

1/14/2021

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There's an old song, "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes," which was a hit for Dinah Washington.  It might be more than "a day," but man, what a difference only two months make.

Consider --

The day after the General Election on November 3, there was basic elation among Democrats for Joe Biden beating Trump.  That was of #1 importance, and nothing else was a close send.  Still, there were other important races at risk, and a certain amount of surprised disappointment seeped in about them.  Not winning control of the Senate.  Mitch McConnell and Susan Collins winning re-election.  Losing too many seats in the House that resulted in a challenging, close majority.  Ultimately, wonderful for Joe Biden beating Trump, but a certain letdown that the Republican Party was not only not repudiated and discredited, but even came away with some advances and a bit of confidence.

That was only two months ago.  The Republican Party lost the White House but was on a solid footing to give Joe Biden trouble and build for 2022.  Just two months ago.

And in two months --

The Republican Party lost control of the Senate.  

Trump and the GOP in full went on a full-blown meltdown crying for two months about what they claimed was a fraudulent election that the sane public could see clearly Trump lost by a massive seven million votes.

The GOP exacerbated their infantile and growing anarchical image by losing 60 lawsuits -- winning only a single case that allowed moving up a voting date by three days.

Trump looked even more lunatic, irrational and fascist by claiming he not only supposedly won the election, but won by a landslide.

Trump was caught on a recording relentlessly trying to illegally coerce a Secretary of State to overturn a completely legal and certified election.

Republicans focused their anti-democracy reputation even more by challenging the perfunctory Constitutional process of accepting certified Electoral votes.

Trump invited insurrectionists to Washington where he said it would be "wild" and raged to the mob, inviting them to fight and go to Congress.  Where the seditionists broken into the U.S. Capitol and threatened the lives of the Vice President, Speaker of the House and all of elected representatives.

Around 150 Republicans in Congress still voted to challenge the certified Electoral votes even after the mob insurrection with pipe bombs, zip ties, and five deaths.

Around 100 insurrectionists have already been arrested by the FBI, who says they have 100,000 tips already and are just starting going through them all.

Trump became the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice -- getting 10 Republican votes, the most ever for an impeached president by his own party, double the next closest.

Republicans will have to face dealing with the resultant trial in the Senate, and either vote to convict the man so much of their party still loves, or acquit the man the majority of the country saw promote the insurrection and believes is responsible for the violent sedition.

Trump was banned permanently from Twitter.  And from another dozen or so social media platforms.

Numerous major corporations said they would not give donations to anyone in Congress who voted against accepting the legitimate, certified Electoral votes.

Trump became such a pariah for promoting insurrection that banks began to send signals that none would lend money to him, all the worse for someone with perhaps $800 million in loans due soon.  His sole bank, Deutsches Bank, cut ties with him.

The major social media platform for the far-right and white supremacists lost its hosting service and has been shut down.

Reports have begun to grow that Republican members of Congress may have assisted the seditionist mob in breaching the U.S. Capitol which, if true -- and it seems likely -- would be crushing to the Republican Party.

All in just two months.  And I'm sure I'm leaving out a lot.  But two months ago, the Republican Party was in a very respectable position from some small but important, unexpected victories and had a solid foundation to build on for the mid-term elections.  And now, only two months later, with us only a week from the insurrection and details only just starting to be revealed, FBI investigations in its very earliest days, and Congressional investigations not even having begun yet, the GOP is hanging on by a thread from being discredited as a party and crushed for its enabling Trump and being complicit.  At the very best for them, they are deep on their heels, playing defense with total fear in their eyes. At the worst, depending on what the various investigations uncover, they are in complete disarray, every man for themselves.

In just two months.

Two months.

Republicans snatched defeat from the jaws of success.

In only two months.

It's remarkable how the GOP not only imploded, but SO quickly to disaster while riding a high.  But of course, its success was always built on a tenuous chimera -- starting with convincing people that the truth and reality were a lie.  That said, there was no certainty it would fall apart.  Though the very reasons which allowed the success of that fantasy world to be created were the same ones that always risked causing its destruction.  Because as the strands frayed, there was no substance to sustain its weight.

And so it's begun to fray.  All in just two months.
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Two for Twoday

1/13/2021

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I was trying to think what to post tonight that would be appropriate.  And this came to mind.  It's from a 1960 movie that starred Bing Crosby, High Time, about the owner of a national chain of hamburger restaurants who decides to go back to college.  (It got basically remade in 1986 with Rodney Dangerfield as Back to School.  I say "basically" because I don't think it gave credit but is incredibly close in plot and even scenes.)  The song was written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, and was nominated for Best Song -- though lost out to "Never on Sunday."

Even though Bing Crosby introduced it, Frank Sinatra had a big hit with it and oddly is even more associated with it.  And his version seems to fit a little be better for the occasion.

All that aside, it just seems so right for today. 

And what the heck, let's throw in second one, for a bonus.  Because you can never say "a second one" today enough times.
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The Purge:  the Real Version

1/13/2021

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There were reports yesterday that, in private, Mitch McConnell was angry at Trump and actually glad that Democrats were pushing forward with impeachment because that would help Republicans purge the party of Trump.

A few things.

First, it's good to hear that McConnell apparently likes the idea of impeachment.  Perhaps that means there is a chance of it getting a two-thirds vote for conviction, though even if not, at least a good majority vote.

Second, what would actually be meaningful if McConnell truly felt this way was if he scheduled a vote on a Senate trial as soon as possible, rather than express pleasure in private.

And third -- no, even a conviction of Trump would not purge him from the Republican Party.  The GOP has enabled Trump for four years.  They supported his manic, lunatic cries of a fraudulent election.  And they are complicit in everything he did -- including what he did to deserve two impeachments, the first time in U.S. history, and perhaps conviction.  Until Republicans acknowledge their responsibility in it all, and express regret for it all, and explain what they plan to do to accept blame and ensure it doesn't happen again in the party, the Republican Party will not be purged of Trump.  And even if they do all that, it will take years to repair the damage.

On a separate note, though related, last Wednesday, the night of the insurrection, I was watching coverage of the House and Senate debate on some Republican members' objection to certification.  I didn't watch most of the speeches, not having the stomach to sit through them all, but did watch a few.  And one that caught my eye was when House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer got up to speak.  What stood out to me was that although I've seen Rep. Hoyer over the years, I haven't hear him talk much.  When there was a public occasion, it would usually be Speaker Nancy Pelosi who gave the remarks, and when House and Senate leaders would gather to address the nation, she and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer would usually be the ones to talk, and Hoyer would stand behind.  And on this night, hearing him talk for 15 minutes, I was impressed and moved by what a thoughtful, powerful speech he gave.  It starts well, though somewhat standard, but when he begins to talk about the election of 2000, it becomes moving.
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By Jiminy

1/12/2021

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It's been much too longer since we've gone Out and About with Jiminy Glick, and thought now was a good time to go back and visit the fellow.  Here. Steve Martin is the interview guest, and the fun is knowing that he and Martin Short are actually such good friends, having made movies together and in more recent years touring together in a sort of stand-up concert with a bit of overlap.  And even knowing each other so well, there still are moments when he unsuccessful fights to keep from laughing.
​
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What Lies Ahead

1/12/2021

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It's remarkable, though oddly not terribly surprising, how quickly events are moving in news related to the insurrection.  This is my sense of things:

The more time that passes, the more we see new galling videos of brutality at the U.S. Capitol, and the more stories we hear about the risks to their lives that members of Congress and their staffs were actually facing, and the more we find out about security measures that weren't done that should have been, and the more we come across videos of members of the insurgency mob getting arrested (currently around 100), and the more we learn about other plans like those for during the Inauguration and at all 50 State Capitols -- and again, this is all going very fast, not slowly developing over months, but overlapping on itself by the hour -- and the more Trump officials resign, and the more news investigations uncover details of what went on, and the more impeachment proceedings progress in the House and pressure is put on the Senate to act, and the more Republicans in Congress start to see the writing on the wall and desperately try to save their careers, and the more Trump is silent but acts like nothing happened...

...and the more and more and more this builds, I get the sense that what began as sadness and disappointment and horror and wariness is slowly developing among most people in the country as white-hot, visceral fury.  Not all people, there will always be fascist apologists, and that's a large group, maybe 25-30%, but the rest of the country, the other 70-75%, including lifelong Republicans who are...well, Republicans, not fascists, Americans who wholeheartedly have lived their lives believing in democracy and the United States, all of these people -- the vast majority of Americans -- seem to have a growing, roiling, volcanic anger.  A smoldering, churning rage.

And we're seeing some of the manifestations of that already, even if just in seemingly small ways -- but ways that are very personal and profoundly, deeply hurtful to Trump.  

First, getting banned from Twitter. Then losing the PGA Championship at his golf course. And yesterday being rejected by the legendary coach Bill Belichick for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.  And we haven't even gotten to the Impeachment vote yet.  Yet, for all the significant, important news of the week, I suspect these three personal rebukes hurt Trump, who cares solely about himself, the most.  Though the Republican Party is hurt even more by all the corporations who've already said they won't be donating to anyone who voted to object to the election certification.  And I'm sure more reactions are to come -- like banks turning Trump down for loans.

By the way, one thing to keep in mind as we start to see more and more Republicans start to belatedly distance themselves from Trump who they enabled for four years, like rats fleeing a sinking ship:  when rats flee a sinking ship, they are still rats.

I don't know where it all will lead.  But it appears justifiably horrible for the Republican Party in the present -- and the story is still in its infancy -- and as the story and details grow, in 2022.  And I sense that if there is even the slightest violence or perhaps even just disturbance at Joe Biden's Inauguration, or at any of the 50 State Capitols where intelligence services are hearing reports of chatter, it will not only be horrible on the purest level, but be disastrous for the Republican Party.  It will nail their undemocratic complicity to the table. It would not just be one more leap too far in domestic terrorism and fascist actions, but I think Americans take the Inauguration of a new president an almost sacred event, even if it's from the other party, because it is the foundation of democracy and the heart of Constitution, 

I don't know where it all will lead, because we don't know all of the details yet -- or, I suspect, even close to most of them.  But what we do know looks truly repulsive for the Republican Party.  And what was sadness and horror at one point is now, I sense, becoming pure anger.

And it is not something that, like many issues, gets shunted aside with the passage of weeks or months.  Not just because of how the public, and notably Democrats, feel, but far more this time because of how Democrats in Congress feel.  Because, remember, they were all hiding for hours in the U.S. Capitol at the risk of their lives.  That's not something you probably ever move past.  And then, after that, after finally returning safely with democracy intact, they watched around 150 Republicans come back to the chambers and still vote to object to certifying the fair, democratic election.  That's not something you likely ever move past either.  Neither is testing positive for COVID-19 -- or even just knowing fellow-representatives who tested positive -- when you had to hide with Republican members who refused to wear masks and mocked others for not doing so.

And in the end, the mantra holds true.  This is not about Trump -- just about Trump -- this is about the elected members of the Republican Party who enabled him, supported the foundation of his seditious insurgency every step of the way, with each lie about a non-existent fraud, and are entirely, down to their seditious bones, complicit, 
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Walking Back In

1/11/2021

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Last week, as a sort of coda to the insurgent mob walking into the U.S. Capitol, I ended the article by embedding the song, "Walk Right In," which had been a big 1962 hit for a trio called The Rooftop Singers.  And when I say "big hit," that's not hyperbole, it reached #1 and stayed there for two weeks.

When I searched for which video to post, one of them began with a graphic card that the song was written by Gun Cannon.  I knew nothing about his career, but figured he'd had a number of hits, which is why the person posting the video included his name.  Mainly, I just liked that the name of the songwriter was included, particularly since we live in an era where people refer to a song "by" the singer who performs it.

For those who don't know the song, or didn't play it the other day and so haven't heard it in decades, here it is again.  Bear with me, there's a point to this all, so do give it a listen.

The point to this all is that while doing some more browsing I found out more about Gus Cannon, the songwriter.  And it turns out that he wasn't a contemporary of The Rooftop Singers, but in fact was a black banjo player who had written the song...in 1929!!

​And recorded it.  And with just a few minor lyric changes and small tempo changes, it's the very same song.

Side note:  I know that there is a history of white singers recording current blues songs from black singers and black songwriters and turning these little-known songs into more mainstream hits.  (It's one of the sub-themes of August Wilson's play, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, now a Netflix movie.)  While I suppose there's a touch of that here, I really don't think this is a precise case of that, since there was a 33 year gap, and it's more uncovering a lost song and giving it a new life.
​

There's a little bonus to all this.

In the late 1950s, a small record label, Satellite Records, was found and soon merged with Atlantic Records and became Stax Records, which became influential in rhythm-and-blues and soul music.  And in 1962, they changed their name to Stax Records.  And as it happens, at least as far as I can tell, the first record they did in 1963 was with -- Gus Cannon.

So, here is that recording.  And it's wonderful, in some ones a better version -- his voice is strong, the banjo solo break is lovely, and the sound quality very good.  I didn't use it above because I thought it best to play the original 1929 version.  But this is a special treat, and why I'm adding it, because he talks at the beginning briefly about how he came to write the song.

(By the way, at one point in his story he refers to "Bessie," and I wonder if that was the Blues legend Bessie Smith?  Just a guess...)

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    Robert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. 

    Elisberg is a two-time recipient of the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting. He's written for film, TV, the stage, and two best-selling novels, is a regular columnist for the Writers Guild of America and was for
    the Huffington Post.  Among his other writing, he has a long-time column on technology (which he sometimes understands), and co-wrote a book on world travel.  As a lyricist, he is a member of ASCAP, and has contributed to numerous publications.



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