The memory remains
Every November 11, Veterans Day is celebrated as a federal holiday in the United States of America to honour those who have served in the US military. The day is usually marked by parades, ceremonies and time off. Major brands such as Kohl’s, Walgreens, Office Depot stores, SoulCycle and others offered cost-saving deals to veterans this year. They also got free haircuts and car washes.
In New York City, the 102nd annual parade, the biggest in the country, resumed after cancellation last year due to Covid. The parade included military vehicles, floats, military units, student veterans and some 200 marching units, creating a celebratory atmosphere.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a trip out to the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey to speak with US service members and their families. November 11 is also Remembrance Day in the United Kingdom. The couple was seen wearing poppy lapel pins to honour the day. According to Page Six, they stayed in a luxury apartment in Manhattan at the United Nations Plaza. They also attended the Salute to Freedom Gala at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
The president, Joe Biden, whose own son served in Iraq, participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the iconic Arlington National Cemetery. The moment comes at the heels of his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan after a 20-year-long war.
New crises
Representational image. Shutterstock
Santa Claus is coming tonight — or is he? According to HireSanta.com, which spoke to the Wall Street Journal, this year there is a nationwide Santa shortage. It has been reported that there are 15 per cent fewer Santas this year due to the labour shortage even though the demand is 121 per cent higher than that of last year. The WSJ says that older men are not applying for the Santa Claus role owing to the risks of Covid-19 exposure. Families are excited about the festive season and their appointments with Santa, but Santas must be careful among kids.
Labour shortages have also sent ripples through other industries, including trucking, manufacturing and hospitality. On top of that, people have begun holiday shopping early and stores have begun Black Friday and holiday deals well before they normally do. The supply chain friction continues as goods are sitting on shipping docks, waiting to be transported.
While there is no turkey shortage — thankfully — they will be more expensive. Every year, the US consumes about 46 million turkeys on Thanksgiving Day. Even though turkey farmers are still breeding the same number of birds, the US department of agriculture says that the frozen turkey inventory is 24 per cent lower than the three-year average. This year, gatherings will still be dialled down due to the pandemic, which may force people to buy smaller turkeys, leading to a bigger demand.
Turn the page
Most books on Donald Trump offer scandalous details and cast the former presidency in poor light. They usually top the charts for a few days while being criticized by the former president himself. But, recently, two books by Conservative supporters of Trump have stealthily made their way up the charts. The one by Keith Kellogg, a national security advisor under Trump, reportedly jumped from 14,026th to 180th position on Amazon after a personal endorsement by Trump. Similarly, the Conservative (and unvaccinated) economist, Peter Navarro, who served under Trump as a trade advisor, released his book this month and is #2 on USA Today’s non-fiction list.
Earlier this year, books by Stephanie Grisham, former press secretary to former first lady, Melania Trump, and Fiona Hill, a former Russia adviser to Trump, became bestsellers. Mary Trump’s book, Too Much and Never Enough, marked record sales in the first week. All of them, as The Atlantic aptly puts it, read like airport thrillers. Typically, books on politics are not lapped up by the general public. But the Trump presidency, unfurling with its own set of scandals, made for late-night comedy and Saturday Night Live fodder during his four years’ term and has whet the appetite for tell-all exposés.
Let there be light
American Indians celebrated Diwali in full swing on November 4. For the first time, a Congresswoman, Carolyn B Maloney, introduced a bill to make Diwali a nationally recognized federal holiday in the US. Joined by the Congressmen, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Gregory Meeks, she introduced the Deepavali Day Act. She had also worked on Diwali stamps. “Now I am ready to put the same hard work into advocating, as I did for the stamp, for enshrining Diwali next to Christmas, Memorial Day, Martin Luther King’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Juneteenth Day as a federal holiday,” she said, adding, “it’s very appropriate that the world’s largest democracy and the world’s oldest democracy are such good friends and allies.”
Joe Biden posted a picture of himself and Jill Biden lighting a diya in the White House. Sundar Pichai, Tim Cook and Kamala Harris also took to social media to extend their wishes. Mindy Kaling hosted her own Diwali party. “We hosted some amazing women from our community and got to share stories and celebrate each other (with delicious food and major fashion moments),” she wrote. Guests included Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Lilly Singh.
Footnote
Lion outside NYPL. Twitter/@nypl
An iconic marble lion statue that sits right outside the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue has a band-aid on. The NYPL posted a photo on Twitter showing a 14 by 4.6 inch red bandage on the lion’s arm as a way to encourage people to get vaccinated. “We’re roaring about vaccines from the steps of Fifth Avenue! Vaccines are the best and *mane* way New Yorkers can keep each other safe,” the library wrote. Last year the lions had face masks on to encourage people to do the same.