Good morning,
THE END OF RAMADAN
Belated Eid Mubarak to my Muslim friends. The end of Ramadan was last Friday and I can’t believe I missed an appropriate acknowledgement of the event.
Observing Ramadan, the annual month of fasting, is one of the five pillars of Islam. As our Muslim friends approach Eid al-Fitr (the festival at the end of Ramadan), it is tradition to provide alms to the needy (charity being one of the other four pillars of the faith).
I have always been in awe of the tradition of month-long fasting. During Ramadan, no food or drink is consumed during the daylight hours, which I suppose makes Muslims the trend-setters of “intermittent fasting.”
I find the measuring of time and varying calendars throughout history and across different cultures to be interesting. Both the Jewish and Muslim calendars are based upon a lunar year, which is not the same as the solar calendar. Lunar cycles are 29-30 days, so if one has 12 months, there are only 354 days. That’s 11 1/4 fewer days than the Gregorian solar calendar (named for Pope Gregory, who mandated that calendar for the Christian world).
Judaism has a “leap month” thrown in every several years, keeping the lunar calendar more synchronous with the solar calendar. The Muslim calendar does not have a leap month or similar adjustment, so every year the holidays shift earlier in the year than in the prior year. For the next decade-plus, fasting during Ramadan will be getting a bit easier each year, as a result. Ramadan has in recent years been observed over the long days of Summer, making fasting that much more difficult. As the holiday moves back each year, it soon will be observed during the winter, when the days are shorter. So Ramadan should be easier for a while, after which it will get tougher again…
CARTER WAS UNDERMINED
Recently, a story that most of us thought happened but prayed really didn’t was confirmed by Ben Barnes, now an elderly 84 year-old man, who felt he had to let history know the facts. He accompanied John Connolly, emissary for Ronald Reagan, to the Middle East shortly before the 1980 election. Mr. Barnes corroborated the rumor that Reagan’s people conveyed to the Ayatollah and other Mideast governments that Iran would get better treatment under Reagan, and it should defer releasing the American hostages in Tehran. The hostages were not released before election day, but were released on Inauguration Day. Ironically, even if the hostages were released prior to the election, it is difficult to imagine how Carter could have staved-off Reagan’s landslide victory in 1980.
It is difficult to see what Mr. Barnes stands to gain by lying. His story has the ring of truth. Assuming the story is true, it was not Mr. Carter who suffered as a result, but the American hostages had to spend more time in an Iranian prison, just so the Republican nominee for president could win. It’s reprehensible. It’s a lot like when your campaign advisors meet with Russian spies and diplomats during the campaign…you know, the “non-collusion” collusion…
444 DAYS
Those of us who lived through the Iranian hostage crisis will remember the daily count of the days the Americans were held hostage. Through this crisis, Ted Koppel anchored (initially with Frank Reynolds) The Iran Crisis: America Held Hostage. This was the first “every night, must see” late-night news show. It ultimately became Nightline, the Koppel staple that went on for over 25 years.
The Iran hostage crisis was one my list of the five “how could they” moments in my lifetime. The first was the assassination of JFK (“how could someone actually murder our President in open daylight?”). The second was the Munich massacre during the 1972 Olympics (“how could members of a wrestling team be abducted and murdered at a platform for world harmony”). The third was the Iran hostage crisis (“how could revolutionaries hold the United States’s embassy staff hostage?”). Then there was the Challenger explosion (“how could our vaunted space program make such a huge mistake that killed our astronauts?). And, of course, 9/11 (“how could religious zealots commit such an act on our soil?).
CRAZY BABY NAMES
I was speaking with a couple who are expecting their first baby. We were talking about baby names. Of course, I gave my usual pitch for “Glenn” (it works for both boys and girls) but, upon receiving no encouragement, went to the well for unusual names. For some reason, celebrities seem to relish the idea of an unusual name, not really considering the burden on their child constantly having to explain the choice. Here are some of the more outrageous:
Frank Zappa’s kids. Dweezil, Diva Muffin, and Moon Unit.
Nick Cannon. Father of 12 (four of whom were born in a six month period…I’ll let you posit the explanation). Names include Moroccan, Golden Sagon, Powerful Queen, Zillion Heir, Zen, Zion Mixolidian, Rise Messiah, Halo Marie, Legendary Love, and Onyx Ice.
George Foreman. Named all his sons George (George, Jr., George III, George IV, George V, and George VI. His daughters all have their own unrelated names (well, except for Georgette).
Ed Sheeran. Lyra Antarctica
Scarlett Johansson, Cosmo
Elon Musk, Daughter named Exa Dark Sideræl, whom they call “Y,” and their son, X Æ A-Xii, who goes by “X.”
Cameron Diaz. Raddix
Jay-Z and Beyonce. Blue Ivy
Cardi B. Kulture Kiari
Robert Downey, Jr. Exton
Forest Whitaker. Forest, Sonnet and True
Bono. Memphis Eve
Have a great day,
Glenn
From the archives:
When my brother was pregnant with his first child, or more accurately his wife at the time was pregnant, I bought them a book on names. The preface had a quote that I will never forget...”sticks and stones may break your bones, but a name can fuck you up forever.” Truer words were never written.