The Oppenheimer Report 12/31/18 Happy New Year

My last post of 2018 … Happy New Year to my 12+ loyal readers! Though I have mentioned it many times before, it bears repeating every New Year. I began writing this report in January of 1992, as a resolution to write a page of my miscellaneous ramblings each Monday for one year.The report was my simple exercise in the discipline of writing consistently. I resolved to write, whether I felt inspired or not, about whatever sprung into my empty head that Monday. Sometimes it was about current events, or it might be a rant about the misbehavior of celebrities or professional athletes, or about the rising cost of corn flakes. Twenty-seven years later, here I am ushering in the infant 2019, and I’m still writing these weekly reports. At 63, my point of view hasn’t changed all that much; I still look at the world with bemused detachment, I still view all political and media information with skepticism, and I am still deplorably judgmental. On the rare occasion when someone asks me “Why don’t you write a book?”, I respond that I have, it just took me 27 years.

What a year it has been. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up from this bad dream and mankind will reset as a peaceful global community, nurtured by harmony and growth; you know, the utopia that so many of us imagine. How it ever got this crazy I will never know, but for those who are even remotely familiar with the crooked path of history, you have probably noticed that cruelty, ignorance, wretched excess, violence, and abominable behavior are nothing new for mankind. There are probably still as many good things happening in the world as there were 50 years ago, it’s just that now, in this golden age of too-much-information, we hear about every bad thing that happens. I sit here, dumbfounded about what to write for the last report of this unusual year. I suppose I’ll do what I always do and just wing it. Here are some off-the-cuff memories of 2018 …

Rump the Orange Emperor might have dominated the headlines with his ego-driven budge for center stage, but there were a lot of noteworthy events that occurred in 2018 which far outshine the Commander-In-Tweet. Destructive hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires, and now volcanos reminded us that Mother Nature is boss. While I think there is a growing realization that climate change is a real threat, I don’t see mankind dealing with it in any effective way. That horse is barking up the wrong tree and it didn’t look before it leaped. Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose, Les Moonves, and a laundry list of other powerful men, were all brought down by their mistreatment of women, and the resultant “Me Too” movement created a tsunami of cathartic female rage. It will be much harder going forward to assault a woman (or man) with impunity, especially if the one assaulting is a public figure. Sadly, racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and hatred in general seem to be on the rise, likely fueled by leaders who legitimize their spread. History repeats itself, again and again, and it seems we as a species will never learn. Notable deaths: Anthony Bourdain, CNN host of one of my favorite shows, Anthony Bourdain:Parts Unknown, killed himself in a Paris hotel room. That shook me. I loved his show because it introduced me to exotic places all over the world and de-mystified foreign cultures. I enjoyed his irreverent narrative, and mistakenly presumed that he was an imperfect man who had prevailed over his demons. Clearly, he had not. Other notable deaths: former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, Barbara and George HW Bush, Vern Troyer, Stephen Hawking, Aretha Franklin, Burt Reynolds, John McCain, Margo Kidder, Stan Lee (the founder of Marvel Comics), and Ray Sawyer (lead man in the band Dr.Hook & The Medicine Show). R.I.P. to one and all.

  

I remain cautiously optimistic about 2019 (because it hasn’t started yet!). My personal goals for the upcoming year: write ten good songs, continue to write this report for another year, and find great  new songs to present on my radio show in the coming year. Spread the music, give your love generously, and do your part to contribute to peace on earth!

Wishing you a Happy New Year, one and all!