Aliens discussing Lunar Codex party plans. (Note: Examine alien’s faces and see how seriously they’re taking this endeavor.)

I read the latest Lunar Codex posting concerning the Polaris launch. It said, “The Polaris launch is scheduled with Griffin for November 2024, with a possible delay to February 2025. Schedule changes in the space industry are not uncommon – space is hard.”

Well, you know what else is hard?

Party planning.

Party planning without knowing when Polaris is going to launch or the lander is going to touch the surface, that’s tough.

How are we going to book a venue?

How are we going to draw in a crowd?

Well, anyway the South Florida Writers Association created this game plan.

But next to the words “date” and “location” appears the ominous acronym “TBA.”

So our PR Director created her list of media contacts to invite to the party. (Editors of The Writer’s Digest and The Writer are send invitations to party and press package.

But without a date and a venue, press releases can’t be emailed.

I know what you’re thinking, “What’s he bellyaching about? In the words of Tonto, “Kemosabe, party many moons away.” Ya Tonto, it’s only May and we’ve got until December or February to pull this party off.

But SFWA members are moonstruck, obsessive-compulsive Earthlings. Like the Boy Scouts, our motto is “Be Prepared.”

So here’s our proposed agenda:

MOON PARTY AGENDA—Venue and Date TBA

1. Welcome by President;

2. Introduction of Howard Camner (Our member and poet who has 14 of his poems headed toward the Moon and Co-editor of The Sea of Tranquility—A Literary Anthology

3. Howard discusses: How my poems and SFWA members poems and short stories landed on the Moon;

4. Some of the “Old Guard” and SFWA members read their works dressed as Astronauts or Aliens;

5. Our resident chanteuse, with anyone who wants to accompany her, sings: “Fly Me To The Moon” or “Got A One-Way Ticket to the Moon” and “Blue Moon.” Lyrics to these songs provided to party goers. Here is a sample:

“Blue moon, you saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for
Someone I really could care for

Lyrics by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart (1934)

6. Ten (10) SFWA or “Old Guard” members read their own poems or short stories that are housed on the Moon (3 minute limit per member);

7. Samuel Peralta, curator of the Lunar Codex time capsule, speaks about the Lunar Codex via Zoom or in person;

8. Salt and Pepper Shakers, shaped like the Moon, the Earth, a rocket ship and an alien are awarded to all attendees who had their work on the Lunar Codex;

9. Artist-created souvenir menu lists items TBD but crescent rolls and moon cheese seem appropriate as appetizers;

10. A moon-shaped cake—pockmarked with craters, a plastic satellite and an alien—and the words, “Congrats Lunar Codex Poets and Writers” written in black on the white frosting;

11. Place-settings consist of Moon and spaceship designed napkins, plates, paper cups and one Moon pie (You remember those delicious Southern snacks consisting of two round Graham Crackers with marshmallow filling in the center dipped in chocolate) placed on an outer space plastic tablecloth. Tied to chairs are Starry Night Moon Shaped Metallic Balloons. (Available on Amazon)

12. Paper cups filled with Moon juice (ingredients remain a top secret) are raised for a hearty toast to Howard and all the Lunar Codex writers. And each participant is awarded:

A. A congratulatory artist-created certificate;

B. SFWA or NASA created space patch adorned with a picture of the Polaris rocket or a lunar satellite or Lunar Codex disc;

C. T-shirt with one of the The Sea of Tranquility—A Literary Anthology artist’s painting on it and the words: “We Made History” or “We Made It To the Moon”;

D. A copy of The Sea of Tranquility—A Literary Anthology—The Earth-bound edition.

Note: All attendees receive copy of the book with paid admission to event. Patches and T-shirts are for sale.

13. If our venue sells alcohol beverages, our assortment of drinks ranges from moonshine to Blue Moon beer to blue moon martinis to amber moon and to angry moon. Who knew that so many drinks have moon in their names?

So you can see, we have one-hell-of-a-party planned.

But don’t forget, schedule changes in the party-planning business are not uncommon—therefore, party planning is hard.

---

Oh my! You are incredible—Thelma

I enjoyed that, thank you for sending it to me!—Samuel Peralta, Curator of the Lunar Codex time capsule

Thumbs up:

Mary;

Donna;

Joanne;

Becky;

Alan;

Mary;

Harold;

Paul;

Sandy;

Steve;

Michael

Richard;

Jonathan;

Cary;

Perry;

Perry Thank for sharing;

Neil;

Aaliyah;

Debra;

Deborah;

Aimee;

Sue;

Bella;

John;

Sandra;

Jason;

Aishat;

Carol;

Joseph;

Surelle;

Guang;

Should I drink the “Moon Juice” before or after I discuss the moon trip? I’m looking forward to this. —Howard

Copilot

Who gave you permission to protest and scorn,
To ridicule those from the moment they’re born?
For I am a Jew, I am Black, I am Chinese, too,
I am Arab, Russian, Ukrainian, through and through.
I am Mexican, I am fat, I am old, I stand apart,
I am different from you, but I have the same heart.
Why do people hate us? What did we do?
We’re all trying to live in harmony, me and you.
Some thrive on hate, it’s true, they start a war,
Have you lost someone? It cuts to the core.
We all hurt, it’s a universal score,
It starts with a death, greed, or something more.
Someone’s different, believes not like you,
Crosses a line, and conflict ensues.
Rage replaces reason, maniacal views step in,
Seeking to punish, to hurt, to pin.
Get even, they say, hurt them, kill, exterminate,
But come on, we’re human, let’s not berate.
Why not try to understand, to communicate?
Why not solve our differences before it’s too late?
Let’s love each other, let’s give it a chance,
In the dance of life, let’s learn a new dance.
Where understanding blooms, and kindness can enhance,
A world where love and peace get more than a glance.

Thoughts Last

I think of all the places I’ve seen
The wonders and beauty, the chaos and peace
The mountains and oceans, the forests, and fields
The cities and villages, the cultures, and beliefs
I think of all the lessons I’ve learned
The wisdom and folly, the grace and sin
The courage and fear, the faith and doubt
The kindness and cruelty, the silence and sound
I think of all the moments I’ve shared
The happiness and sadness, the calmness and stress
The birth and death, the love and hate
The friendship and betrayal, the fate and choice
I think of all these things and more
And wonder if I’ve lived enough
If I’ve given enough, received enough
If I’ve fulfilled my purpose, my dreams
I think of all these things and sigh
And feel a tear roll down my eye
I wish I had more time to live
But I know this is the end of it
I close my eyes and say goodbye
To all the things that made me alive
I thank them for being part of me
And hope they’ll remember me fondly
I close my eyes and drift away
Into the darkness, into the light
I don’t know what awaits me there
But I hope it’s something beautiful.

An Outline of My Ted-like Talk—Connecting Thirty-Six Jewish Dots From the Past, to the Present to the Future:

1. Who is Mort Laitner to give such a presentation?—A short 75-year history.
2. Anti-Semitism Now and Then—Everything is Relative—We seem to be able to forget the horrors of past—Neo-Nazis on our streets—Why Are They So Quiet?—The Internet;
3. Netanyahu’s Obama’s History, Biden (Self-fulfilling prophecies) and Trump;
4. The Pro-Palestinian Student Protesters—A long history, Goals—BDS, cutting off arms shipment, From the River to the Sea;
5. Miracles: Israel, Pre-statehood, Statehood the Present Day—The Glass is More than Half Full—Zionism, Herzl, Turkish Expulsion, Balfour, 1920 Riots,1929 Riots, Nazis, the Palestine Economy, 1939 White, British Lies, The German Army in Egypt, 1948 UN partition, Four Wars 1949,1967,1973, 2023;
6. A Glance at America’s Right and Left Wing—A Golda Meir—A Socialist Story;
7. The Shoah Clock—Never Again—1933 to 2024;
8. Israel and the Bomb—Three stories, Ben Gurion 1950, The Sinai War 1956 and Yom Kipper War 1973;
9. Five Countries—Iran, Russia, Syria, Turkey and Lebanon—Seeing the Big and Little Picture;
10. The Israel/Gaza War—A Bunch of Fatal Mistakes—Lessons Learned—The Battle For Stalingrad—Economic—Tourism, Inflation, Psychological, How long will it go on? Definition of Victory— Security, The Settlers—The Media— The Propaganda Wars;
11. The Jewish Renaissance in America, Northern Exposure;
12. Existential versus Non-Existential Threats—Define as relates to–American Jews—Israel;
13. All things can be used for good or evil (Emmanuel Kant)—All events can lead to good or evil (Nazi pre-war expulsion of Jews from Germany economic policy—-Holocaust—Israel)
14. Readings: A Seder Speech for 2024, The Last Jew in Vinnitsa On A Tee Shirt; The End of the Jewish Renaissance in America, When Fascism Comes to America—A Poem; Hamas What the Fuck were you Thinking.
15. Q&A Session

Jewish American Heritage Month Lecture: – Being Jewish in 2024–As Seen Through the Eyes of a Blogger

Thursday, May 30: 2:00pm – 4:00pm

 Davie/Cooper City Branch – Multipurpose Room

AGE GROUP:   ADULTS

EVENT TYPE:  SPEAKER, DISCUSSION/LECTURE, ARTS & CULTURAL

Mort Laitner, local author and speaker, will talk about being Jewish in today’s world. Refreshments and snacks will be provided, and registration is required.