Tag archive: Victoria

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On the Campaign Trail

AAA’s crack team of political reporters (me) has been digitally traveling coast to coast to check out conditions on the ground (and in the sky) as the 2024 US presidential election draws nearer.  There have been quite a few twists and turns, and several moments that highlight the state of the race.  This article will attempt to fill the gaps in our knowledge with an asteroid-eye view of where things stand, as the Above reflects the Below.

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Aster-Obit: James Earl Jones

Actor James Earl Jones passed away on 9 September 2024, at the age of 93.  Jones was a member of the exclusive EGOT club, meaning he had won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award, but ironically, most people know him best from three roles where he never appears on camera:  as the voice of Darth Vader in the original “Star Wars” trilogy; the voice of Mufasa in Disney’s animated feature “The Lion King;” and as the voiceover announcer who for decades declaimed the tagline, “This is CNN” at the cable news network’s commercial breaks.  It was Jones’ basso profundo vocal range that set him apart from the competition, though his 6’2” height and substantial frame also gave the actor a stage presence and gravitas few could rival.

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Lauren Bacall Centennial

She was born Betty Joan Perske, but she was Lauren Bacall.  The grace, sophistication and style that name came to embody fitted her like a glove, but Lauren Bacall was never comfortable with her Hollywood moniker, and remained “Betty” to friends and family to the end of her days, though Bogie called her “Babe.”  Born 16 September 1924, Lauren Bacall would have celebrated her centenary this week if she hadn’t died a decade ago.

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The Trump/Harris Debate

From the moment she stepped on stage at the presidential debate held at Constitution Hall in Philadelphia, PA on September 10, 2024, Kamala Harris dominated, striding purposefully across the platform to force Donald Trump to shake hands with her as an equal.  Trump had been evading that moment (as indeed, he avoided even glancing her way throughout most of the debate), but she walked directly into his space and demanded compliance with the time-honored norm.

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2024 US Election Preview

Perhaps no US election has been more fraught with consequences for the nation and the world than will be the 2024 presidential contest.  It’s true that 2020’s election was pivotal as well, but the depths to which Donald Trump was willing to sink to maintain power weren’t apparent until he sent an armed mob to the Capitol to challenge those results, two months later.  Now, with full knowledge of his depravity, abuse of power, and contempt for the Constitution, reinstalling this felon in the Oval Office is unthinkable.  And yet, here we are.

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The 2024 Democratic National Convention

The 2024 DNC kicked off in Chicago on 19 August, under very different circumstances than those under which it was conceived and planned.  Originally intended as a re-up ceremony for incumbent US President Joe Biden, likely a fairly sedate affair (given his age and the flagging poll numbers in the race against Donald Trump), after the former withdrew from the race and passed the baton to VP Kamala Harris, things changed dramatically. 

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