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Dear Diary: What a long week! Really looking forward to the saffron festival tonight at the Iranian embassy

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As Russias brutal war on Ukraine continued last Friday, Yasemin Heinbecker, deputy chief of protocol at Global Affairs, attended a Russia Day party at the Russian Embassy in Ottawa. The government has since apologized, called this unacceptable, and vowed no Canadian officials will do so again.

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In Dear Diary, the National Post satirically re-imagines a week in the life of a newsmaker. This week, Joseph Brean imagines what Heinbecker might have been thinking.

Monday

Fun weekend! But now I am back to work at protocol headquarters at Global Affairs, where our motto is our mission. Diplomats Do It Properly. Sounds better in Latin. I am here early arranging a tea service, because Mlanie Joly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, wishes to visit. I wonder why. Ive opened a tin of caviar, as one does on such occasions. Dont ask me how much I paid for it! (Nothing. Shhh.) I have arranged some chopped onion and egg, bit of crme frache, and mother of pearl spoons. You know, properly.

Blini? I say as the minister sits down.

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Mlanie, actually, she says, coldly.

No, I mean would you like one? Theyre little pancakes for the caviar. Speaking of, did you see that New York Times trend piece about caviar bumps? Like dancefloor cocaine, off your own skin? Honestly, some people are so clueless about how little luxuries can be so obviously linked to major societal problems like drug addiction, or cartel wars in South America.

Or Ukraine? she says, nodding accusatorily.

I dont think thats where cocaine comes from, I say. More of a wheat and beet sort of place, I think.

Well, Joly says. Im glad to hear you read the newspaper. Because youre in it. At a tea party. A Russian tea party. For Russia Day. Did you go to a fing tea party for Russia Day at the Russian embassy?

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Da. I mean, yes. I mean oui. Sorry. Is that bad?

Tuesday

Turns out this is a very bad problem indeed. More than one problem, actually. There is the problem for me, for my fellow protocol experts, for the minister, the government, Canada itself. Its as if each time I open up one problem, there is another problem inside. It is like a little problem inside of a bigger problem inside of an even bigger problem, and so on.

Wednesday

This is getting worse. The minister says she did not know, but her office knew. Obviously we told them. Thats protocol. Its our specialty. Its right there on the Global Affairs protocol headquarters fridge calendar: Russia Day Tea Party, Russian Embassy, Dress: festive, but not too festive, obvs. Avoid blue/yellow combo.

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But now the minister is calling the whole thing unacceptable. If theres one thing a career in diplomacy has taught me, its that Donald Rumsfeld knew whats up. There are known knowns. Thats easy. There are known unknowns, which bother us so much. And there are the sneaky unknown unknowns. This one, however, is the rarest of all, the unknown known. Seems to me the minister knew nothing of it, any of it, all of it. All of what? Exactly.

Thursday

Out for lunch with the minister to discuss my future, as she put it, not very diplomatically. Sounds a little threatening to be honest.

What the heck is Chicken Kyiv?, I said, trying to lighten the mood. Actually, how do you feel about poutine? Im a big fan. I may be a senior Government of Canada employee, specializing in diplomatic protocol, but Id sell my soul for poutine. Such a robust connection to history. Mmmm, love that poutine, I said, en franais, as we are in Gatineau, and its proper to speak French. Not sure why everyone is looking at me.

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Friday

What a long week! Really looking forward to the saffron festival tonight at the Iranian embassy. I knocked off work a bit early to see Top Gun Maverick, which is about a pre-emptive fighter jet strike against the nuclear weapons facilities of an enemy state covered in snow and pine forests, with Cold War military equipment just lying around. So, like, China maybe? They never say. Its very intriguing, like a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, which is how Winston Churchill once described some country or other. Germany, probably. Its just like that problem of mine, in a metaphorical way, kind of like those stacking dolls. After the movie, I asked my friend if she knows what I mean.

Matryoshka, my friend said.

Bless you, I said.

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Excerpt from:
'Sorry. Is that bad?' The imagined thoughts of the protocol expert who attended a Russian party - National Post

Over the last two weeks, the U.S. House of Representatives has held public, televised hearings on the events of January 6, sharing the evidence and testimony they have collected to prove that former President Donald Trump deliberately stoked the flames of a violent insurrection.

But who is watching these hearings, and will they even make a difference in the course of American history?Dr. Ravi K. Perry, chair and professor of the department of political science at Howard University.

I dont think anyones watching, said Dr. Ravi K. Perry, chair and professor of the department of political science at Howard University. For most people, the audience really is cable news audience that do not watch Fox [News], and I think thats in general the best you can hope for.

On the first night of broadcast, when the hearings aired during primetime, 20 million people tuned in to watch the proceedings, according to Nielsen ratings. That amount is akin to the viewing audience for the Macys Day Thanksgiving Parade, but less than the numbers for presidential debates or even the State of the Union address. As the hearings moved to the daytime hours on Monday and Thursday of the following week, viewing numbers dropped by half.

Dr. Shaun Harper, a professor at the University of Southern California, said this decline might be because the hearings feel largely performative.

I do not expect anywhere close to the level of accountability that this attack on our democracy deserves. I certainly do not believe there will be any serious consequences for President Trump, said Harper. Because of this, I do not know many friends and colleagues who are wasting their time watching them.

The hearings have, for the most part, confirmed what was already known, said Harper. But scholars agree that these hearings are, in essence, attempting to make it clear that Trump should be ineligible to run for president in 2024, which Trump has hinted he aims to do.

Amos Jones, a civil rights lawyer in D.C., noted that these hearings are not trials with criminal claims, and added that no tangible results will likely come from them.

The purpose of these hearings is clearly to somehow make President Trump a neutralized figure for future office, said Jones, who also teaches media law. But its difficult to see where this could lead to a barring. Just like Margorie Taylor Greene, he has a clear path to the ballot in 2024. He will be challenged, but as the former president, he has a lot of authority still within the Republican party and influence there.

Ultimately, whether Trump ends up on the ballot or not, Jones said his election will come down to the people. These hearings are an attempt, albeit partisan, to inform the voting public, said Jones, but they are given more legitimacy by the fact that many of the witnesses, and the vice chair of the hearings Representative Liz Cheney from Wyoming, are Republican.

Perry said these witnesses are, for the most part, people who Americans would view as reasonable.

So it feels, hopefully to American people and voters, that even most Republicans knew [Trumps Big Lie] was wrong, and Trump and Trumps inner circle refused to follow the law, said Perry. My hope is that people will take this information and understand that to be anti-Trump isnt to be anti-conservative, just anti the antics that Trump attempted to circumvent hundreds of years of American law.

The first big test of the hearings usefulness will come with the midterm elections in November 2022. Jones cautions that, despite the hearings, time is a mitigating factor in voters minds.

Amos Jones, a civil rights lawyer in D.C. and professor of media law.The further in time we get from a crisis, the more the outrage dissipates. A bunch of Americans arent watching anymore, said Jones. Theyve been through two impeachments, were a year and a half away [from Jan. 6]. The American people always look to the future.

There is some hope that the invasion of the U.S. Capitol, what Jones called the temple of democracy, will stick longer in peoples minds. But for Jones, the hyper fragility of the American democracy goes back further than just the months leading up to the November 2020 election and the violent uprising it spawned. He points to the year 2008, when the Republican nominee for president Sen. John McCain picked Gov. Sarah Palin, and the Tea Party, as his running mate.

When I think about a fragile democracy, to me the fragility is not Jan. 6, its that were in full blown oligarchy and autocracy, because the very rich control the two parties that have a total lock on the system, said Jones. This two-party lockdown, with no room for independent voices, affects poor people, Black people, women, everyone. We need to look to whos running our elected officials, because its not us. Its not the people. Until the people have more of a say and influence in the way politics are done, were going to see these malfunctions, or unstable people on the fringe, getting elected and taking control of Congress.

Liann Herder can be reached at lherder@diverseeducation.com.

Originally posted here:
The January 6 Hearings - Performative, or Useful? - Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

The Army-Navy game will be played in five different cities along the East Coast over the next five years, including stadiums near Boston, Washington, Baltimore, New York City and Philadelphia, the schools announced jointly Wednesday.

Foxborough, Massachusetts, will host the 2023 game on Dec. 9, followed by Landover, Maryland, on Dec. 14, 2024. Baltimore will host on Dec. 13, 2025, and East Rutherford, New Jersey, will host the 2026 game on Dec. 12. Philadelphia will host on Dec. 11, 2027. All five games will be televised nationally by CBS.

"Our destinations over the next five years provide the Academies with an opportunity to share the economic impact, history and tradition of Army-Navy with a number of communities in diverse geographic areas," Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk said in a statement. "We are certain that each location will present a uniquely accommodating experience for our fans and will make for an incredibly memorable event for our midshipmen and cadets. Our gratitude goes out to all the cities that showed interest and congratulations to the recipients of the games."

The 2023 game will be played in the Boston region in conjunction with the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party and the 225th anniversary of the USS Constitution's maiden voyage. It will be the first time the Army-Navy game has been played in New England, and Navy will serve as the home team. The region of the nation's capital will host the 2024 game, which will also mark the 125th game in the series dubbed "America's Game."

This will be just the second time the game has been played in the D.C. area and the first since 2011, when Navy won 27-21. Army will serve as the home team.

"The Army-Navy game is a great showcase for both service academies," Army athletic director Mike Buddie said in a statement. "We are looking forward to the pageantry and tradition to be on display for the fans in these cities while providing an opportunity to support the Cadets and Midshipmen. We had great interest from many regions and thank the cities who participated in the bid selection process. We cannot wait to have this game played at some incredible venues in great cities."

The game will return to Baltimore in 2025, with Fort McHenry, the site where Francis Scott Key penned the lyrics to the national anthem, serving as the backdrop. It will be the seventh time Baltimore has hosted the game and the first since 2016. The teams are 3-3 in Baltimore, and Navy will serve as the home team.

East Rutherford, New Jersey, will host the 2026 game as part of the 25th anniversary of 9/11. It will be the 19th time the game has been played in New York or New Jersey and the sixth time it has been played at the Meadowlands. Navy is 4-1 against Army in games played in East Rutherford, including a 17-13 win last December. Army will serve as the home team.

Philadelphia, which is hosting this year's game at 3 p.m. on Dec. 10 at Lincoln Financial Field, will host again for the 91st time in 2027. Navy will be the home team for the 2027 game.

Navy leads the series 62-53-7 and has won two of the past three.

Read more:
Army-Navy game to be played in five different cities along East Coast over next five years - ESPN

BALTIMORE Juneteenth is now recognized as a national federal holiday.

On June 17, 2021, Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

Juneteenth, which is celebrated on June 19, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans. It also celebrates African-American culture with events, music, dancing, clothing, and so much more.

This year, Juneteenth will be on Sunday. Government offices will be closed on Monday, June 20 to observe the holiday.

There are celebrations and commemorations taking place across the WMAR-2 News viewing area.

Baltimore City: AFRAM: The Juneteenth headliner in Baltimore City is AFRAM, one of the largest African American festivals on the East Coast. AFRAM will be at Baltimore City's Druid Hill Park. The two-day festival with performers, food, and more, will be on Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Click here for more information.Organizers say the purpose of the festival is to teach people about African American culture and highlight the excellence within the Black community.

Juneteenth Father's Day Soul Marathon: This will be held on Sunday at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena. Tickets range from $63 to $103. The Juneteenth Father's Day Soul Marathon will have performances by Freddie Jackson, The Manhattans Featuring Gerald Alston. Special performances include The Softones, Bloodstone, Blue Magic, The Temprees, First Impression, JKar, Palovation, and Style. Hosted by Ms. Maybelle with Special Guest DJ Mike Jones and DJ Unique.

Juneteenth: Black Business Marketplace: Palladium, 2900 Liberty Heights Avenue, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 18, 60+ Black-owned businesses, sponsors and community organizations will be in attendance.

GiveThx Party: Come out and dance the afternoon away! This event will feature a live DJ playing the best in dance music from house music to disco! Visit the other side of the park for the lively drum circle! Shop, eat, fellowship and, most importantly, dance from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 19 at Eager Park between Ashland Avenue and Eager Street.

Culture Queen's Juneteenth Jubilee: Sunday, January 19 from 2:05 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. at Bliss Meadows-Backyard Basecamp, 5105 Plainfield Avenue. Award-winning children's entertainer to speak at black-owned farm.

Juneteenth Brunch: Hosted by The Presidents' roundtable, at Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt Street, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Join for brunch, networking, and a panel discussing a look back at the past, how far we have come, and how far we still have to go within the Black Business Community in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. region.

Bask in Freedom: From 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, June 19. Join to celebrate Juneteenth with a special commission and live performance by Ray Winder and her intrepid band of musical creators, whose jazz meets hip-hop meets R&B sound is sure to move both body and mind. This family-friendly live performance is FREE and will include a specially commissioned piece by Ray Winder and her band that celebrates Juneteenth and the fearless expression of Black freedom. Come, bask in your freedom!

Juneteenth Festival and Marketplace: Sunday, June 19, from 3 pm to 7 p.m. at Eubie Blake National Jazz and Cultural Center. Celebrate African American culture and the principle of Ujima (collective work and responsibility) and Juneteenth. This year's celebration features more than 25 artists and performers. The experience will include poetry, dance, music, storytelling, and art and will present the self-determination, artistry, and faith of Black Baltimore.

Juneteenth Community Walk: Saturday, June 18, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Pennsylvania Avenue A.M.E. Zion Church, 1128 Pennsylvania Avenue. Walking to raise funds to support educational opportunities for children, youth, and adults in Baltimore City's underserved communities. The goals are to do more to help the elementary schools in the community by offering tutoring sessions and camps, entrepreneur cohorts, computers, and other resources needed for diverse generations in the Heritage Crossing and Upton communities in Baltimore City.

Juneteenth par-tea: Saturday, June 18 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., EMAGE Center: Dress up in your sun dress & hat for some tea party fun. Music, indoor & outdoor seating, tea party food, games, door prizes & more!

"On Juneteenth & Jubilee": Saturday, June 18 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm, 3811 Park Heights Avenue. Join to chat about the book On Juneteenth (Annette Gordon-Reed) and Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking (Toni Tipton-Martin)! Annette Gordon-Reeds On Juneteenth provides a historians view of the countrys long road to Juneteenth, recounting both its origins in Texas and the enormous hardships that African-Americans have endured in the century since, from Reconstruction through Jim Crow and beyond.

Baltimore County:Celebrate Our Day of Freedom: A free event will be held on Saturday, June 18 at Liberty Court Center, 8604 Liberty Road, in Randallstown. The event will be from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., with food trucks, vendors, music, games, health screenings and community resources.

Historic East Towson Juneteenth Music Festival: This will be held Sunday, June 19, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 411 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, in Towson. This event features jazz vocalist Michele Bowman, blues legend Mark Muleman Massey, Baltimore's hottest trumpeter, Brandon Woody, and more. Inspired by the Historic East Towson Renaissance Movement, the festival is a celebration of the hertitage, history, and culture of this storied community.

Juneteenth Celebration: Catonsville: Saturday, June 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum. Follow segments of the Underground Railroad with Harriet Tubman and listen to Master storytellers weave various stories of strength, honor and hope relevant to all cultures.

Anne Arundel County:Annapolis Juneteenth and Festival 2022: Saturday, June 18 from 12 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Bates Athletic Complex. This is the 2nd annual Annapolis parade and festival. This year, there will be an R&B main stage and a gospel main stage, featuring blockbuster headliners and a host of local talent. Fireworks will immediately follow the show. Last year over 65 organizations, bands, and clubs jammed the streets of Main and West as thousands aligned the sidewalks to witness history being made Annapolis' first celebration of Juneteenth.

Harford County: Hosanna School Museum's Upper Bay Juneteenth Festival: Saturday, June 18, Historic Hosanna Museum, 2424 Castleton Road, Darlington: The Hosanna School Museum's Upper Bay Juneteenth Festival will return to an in-person celebration on Saturday for its sixth-annual event to commemorate the end of slavery and celebrate African American history and culture.

Howard County:Juneteenth Celebration: Sunday, June 19, Wilde Lake High School, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.: The Howard County Center of African American Culture's Juneteenth Celebration 2022 will be Sunday at Wilde Lake H.S. starting at 1:30 p.m. The event includes a musical interlude, presentation of the flag, music, poem readings and more.

Carroll County:Downtown Westminster's First Juneteenth celebration: Saturday, June 18, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., The Carroll Arts Center, 91 West Main Street in Westminster: The Juneteenth in Carroll Planning Committee is excited to announce the 1st Annual Juneteenth in Carroll! Join us at the Arts Center and the surrounding downtown area for an afternoon of live performances plus panel discussions, community vendors, food trucks, and kids activities.

Cecil County:Juneteenth celebration: Monday, June 20, 1 p.m., Cecilton Community Center, 30 Levi Coppin Street, Cecilton: Join various speakers and enjoy light refreshments.

Read the original post:
What is Juneteenth and where will it be celebrated in the Baltimore area? - wmar2news.com

Patriot Ledger staff| The Patriot Ledger

HINGHAM Paintings by Duxbury artist Gayle Loik will be on display in the Dolphin Gallery at the Hingham Public Library through June 24.A Duxbury resident, Loik was last year's winner of The Patriot Ledger's annual Christmas art contest. Her creation was featured on the newspaper's front page.The exhibit is titled "The Art of Gayle Loik: My Way," and is sponsored by the North River Arts Society. The library is at 66 Leavitt St. For more information, go tohinghamlibrary.org.

MILTON First Parish Churchwill hold a yard sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 18.Items for sale will includeart, books, collectibles, furniture, housewares, kitchen gadgets, sports equipment, toys, tools, clothing and jewelry.The yard sale is the church's annual fundraiser to raise money for itssocial justiceand outreach programs.First Parish is at535 Canton Ave.

QUINCY The documentary "A Symphony in Stone" will be shown at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, June 18, atFirst Presbyterian Church, 270 Franklin St.The event is hosted by theScots' Charitable Society,an organization that dates back to 1657 andprovides financial supportand scholarships topeople of Scottish descent in the Boston area.Producer Tony Burton will also be on hand to discuss the film, which celebratesGlasgows cityscape and architecture.To RSVP, visit http://www.addevent.com/event/GW13783580.

DUXBURY The 172th annual First Parish Church Fair will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 842 Tremont St(Route 3A) next to town hall.There will be food, games, face painting, a white elephant table, music and other entertainment. A live auction is scheduled for 10 a.m. The event will take place rain or shine. Admission is free. For more information, call781-934-6532 or visit uudux.org.

WEYMOUTH The Arc of the South Shore will host its ninthannual Summer Soiree and VIP Reception from 5 to 9 p.m. June 21 atthe Arcs day program facilities atWebb State Park.There will be food from local chefs, cocktails, entertainment, an auction, chances to win prizes and more. Billy Costa of KISS-108 will host.The VIP Reception is from 5 to 6:30 p.m.For more information, to register or learn about sponsorship, visit http://www.arcsouthshore.org or contact Brenda Linden at blinden@arcsouthshore.org or 781-335-3023 ext. 2222.

PLYMOUTH The Mayflower Society's first "Teddy Bear Picnic and Tea" is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. June 26 at The Mayflower Society, 18 Winslow St.Children 10 years old and youngerwill stuff a teddy bear and decorate a T-shirt. Activities willinclude games, stories, singing and dancing.Refreshments will be provided. The cost is $25 per child, who must be accompanied by an adult guardian.The Mayflower Society is a group that researches the lineage of the Pilgrims who traveled aboard the Mayflower in 1620. Members aredescendantsof the original passengers.Reservations are required; call 508-746-3188 ext. 25, or go online at http://www.eventbrite.com.

MILTON The"Dogwood Days" celebration is underway at the Mary Wakefield Arboretumthrough Sunday.The arboretum will be open to visitors daily, with hours subject to change. The arboretum is at 1465 Brush Hill Road. It features hundreds of blooming Kousa dogwood trees planted and cultivated by the late Polly Wakefield. Admission is $5.A full schedule of events, including family yoga and a wine and cheese tasting,is available at wakefieldtrust.org.For more information, call 617-333-0924 or email arboretum@dogwoodlanefarm.org.

QUINCY The Thomas Crane Public Library will throw a free 21-plus jazz party from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 17.There will be dancedemonstrations of the Lindy Hop and the Foxtrot, a silent film, vintage games, food, drink and other entertainment of the era.The library is at 40 Washington St.Reservations are not required.Attendees must show a photo ID. For more information, go to thomascranelibrary.org.

SCITUATE The Pilgrim Festival Singers, anonprofit community chorus based on the South Shore,will perform four concerts of songs from popular musicals this summer in a series titled "American Vignettes."The series kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 17, atFirst Trinitarian Congregational Church, 381 Country Way.The performance will include songs fromRodgers & Hammersteins Oklahoma!, Meredith Willsons The Music Manand Leonard Bernsteins West Side Story." There will also be a tribute to Stephen Sondheim, who died in November.Other shows are on Friday, June 18, at First Congregational Church in Plympton; June 25 at Central Congregational Church in Middleboro; and June 26 atSt. Bonaventure Parish,Plymouth.Tickets cost $10 at the door. For more information or to buytickets online, visit pilgrimfestivalchorus.org.

RANDOLPH The artwork of nine Randolph teenagers is on display in the first Teen Art Gallery exhibit at the Turner Free Library, 2 North Main St.The exhibit is the result of a program the library provided, funded by a grant from the Library Initiative for Teens and Tweens, in which teen art interns received$250 to work on a commissioned piece with artist Jamaal Eversley.The library is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, go toturnerfreelibrary.org.

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Local briefs: Jazz bash in Quincy, big yard sale in Milton and teddy bear tea party - The Patriot Ledger