Breaking Records, Breaking Chains: How Cory Booker's 25-Hour Speech Outlasted Hate

When Senator Booker started his quest to disrupt the Senate for "as long as I am physically able" one week ago, most people didn't pay him a lot of mind. After twenty-five hours, they didn't have a choice. Everyone was talking about it. What am I talking about? I'm talking about Cory Booker standing on the Senate floor for over twenty-five hours in a record breaking event. On Monday, March 31st, he took the Senate floor and began a speech condemning this current administration's cruel and inhumane policies. He did not sleep. He did not eat. He did not use the restroom.  In the end, It surpassed the previous record set in 1957 by segregationist Senator Strom Thurmond, who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes to oppose the Civil Rights Act. So it was that Senator Booker started the speech at 7PM on Monday and told us he would use his time to disrupt the normal business of the U.S. Senate as long as he was physically able.  

Fight Fight Fight: Resisting Fascism and the Tyranny of Fear

Every time another policy is implemented or there is a rhetoric out there from America’s political right with a unique purpose to dehumanize people and strip them of their dignity, what angers me the most is that these people do it in the name of the Lord. It angers me to measures I can’t possibly describe. 

When I woke up in Nairobi on November 6, 2024, and saw this man won the election again, I was in disbelief. I was terrified. I knew of the impending danger. And yet, even I didn’t think it would be this despicable. In less than three weeks, they have unleashed terror like never before imagined. He has made himself king. He has put such cracks on the foundations of our democratic institutions that sometimes I pinch myself to ask if this is still America. All of this is done with an intention. So much so that I’ve seen people just give up. I’ve watched colleagues live with fear. I’ve seen people lose hope. Our Democratic elected leaders also took too much time to lick their wounds. Too many lives will be impacted. Too many people are confused. I didn’t understand either, why it seemed like evil was winning. Why it seemed like the wicked was prospering. Why it seemed like the wicked enjoyed a life of ease while the marginalized, the oppressed, the voiceless continued to suffer.

Book of the Month: Ask Again, Yes By Mary Beth Keane

Welcome to the Book of the Month! I asked last time about whether to talk about a few in one post or just one book per BOM post and it looks like the vote goes for a combination of both approaches. So, let's try that. I feel like knowing me there are some books I will feel so strongly about as to want to dedicate one post too, anyway. So this format works. And today's book feels like one of those books. 

Ask again, Yes starts with two NYPD cops, Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhorpe. They eventually become neighbors in the suburbs and the peculiarities of what happens in each home one night sets the stage for explosive events that will ripple through generations. 

Some Books I Read

Happy New Year, friends! Book of the Month suffered last year; not just because I didn't read as much (I really didn't) but because I didn't talk about what I did read as much. I really enjoy books and talking about them and in the spirit of finding pockets of joy everywhere and especially outside of work, hopefully I'll be better at talking about books I read this year.

Towards the end of 2024, I posted about some books I read on Instagram and I thought to share them here, where they can be more permanent. So here goes (in no particular order):

How We Spent Two Days in Brussels AKA A Two-Day (48 Hours) in Brussels Itinerary

I am determined to get this out before the end of the year because it's bad enough to be writing about this eight whole months after but to then carry it into a whole new year. Nah uh. 

Read about the other parts of the trip here: Paris here. And London here. 

This promises to be a much quicker read than the other two. 

Day 1: we arrived in Brussels and frankly, it looked a little rougher than expected. Of the three countries, this looked the least prettiest imo. Okay, so of course, we Uber to the hotel. Then we rested a little at the hotel. And went to look for food. We landed at a place called Pomodoro. Something was off here. The servings were HUGE (we had started getting used to the European decent serving size and not the humongous American sizes). The food was okay. It wasn't great but just okay. Then we headed back to the hotel. Ordered desserts from room service. Day 1 it was. 

How We Spent Three Days in Paris AKA A Three-Day (72 Hours) in Paris Itinerary

 This has been a LONG time coming. Read the first part of this, focused on London, here. 

This is now EIGHT months ago. But better late than never, eh? As I said in that last post, this is part of a three-city/country trip, with Paris, France being the second part of the journey. 

Friday Reflections...

 1.) ...on a Monday. It's been a while we did this. Let's go!

2.) There is the elephant in the room: the elections. I've processed personally and of course, I have thoughts but for now, let's all pretend. Let's collectively be in denial.  Let's pretend like this country did not vote in a convicted felon to lead this country. Shall we? We shall. Below are things that will cause you to think, maybe scare you a bit, and teach you how to be better.