(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Odds & Ends: News/Humor (with a "Who Lost the Fortnight?" poll) [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-04-09 I post a weekly diary of historical notes, arts & science items, foreign news (often receiving little notice in the US) and whimsical pieces from the outside world that I often feature in "Cheers & Jeers". OK, you've been warned - here is this week's tomfoolery material that I posted. CHEERS to Bill and Michael in PWM, our Laramie, Wyoming-based friend Irish Patti and ...... well, each of you at Cheers and Jeers. Have a fabulous weekend .... and week ahead. ART NOTES — an exhibition entitled Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic Painter — famous not only as an artist in his own right but also the sitter for a 1650 portrait by Diego Velázquez (in whose studio he was an enslaved artisanal laborer for two decades), highlighting how multiracial a society Spain was at the time — is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC to July 16th. Juan de Pareja (circa 1608 — 1670) YOUR WEEKEND READ #1 is this essay by my favorite columnist (Jonathan Freedland of The Guardian) — that twenty-five years ago, the powers-that-be signed-on to the Good Friday accords, which have made Northern Ireland a much less contentious land … and how Israeli-Palestinian negotiators were unable to close-a-deal, which led to the present Middle East crisis. THURSDAY's CHILD was rescued from an Illinois house garage fire, revived with oxygen and now recuperating at a veterinary school animal hospital. Tilton, Illinois rescued kitteh YOUR WEEKEND READ #2 is this lengthy (yet quite readable) essay in The American Prospect by the wealthy progressive Nick Hanauer — Six Ways Existing Economic Models Are Killing the Economy tells how they combine to foster economic inequality. YOUR WEEKEND READ #3 is this short essay in Science, noting that the former baseball player/announcer Tim McCarver (who died two months ago) was roundly criticized for his game commentary (over ten years ago) that warming temperatures explain at least part of the increase in home runs in recent years … which a new study seems to corroborate (in no small part to major league baseball keeping stats on just about everything). FRIDAY's CHILD is named Gray Belle the Cat — a Maryland kitteh who has been at a shelter for over seven years without a single adoption application. Gray Belle the Cat BRAIN TEASER — try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC ...… and the usually easier, less UK-centered New York Times quiz. THE OTHER NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a Mixed Bag of tweets … some disturbing, some humorous, some inspiring. A NOTE on TODAY’S POLL — FormerGuy won last week’s poll and will be the subject of another Trump World poll later this month (after he is deposed in the NY state fraud case, the Fox-Dominion and the E. Jean Carroll trials start). Meanwhile …. there are two weeks worth of others to catch-up on. SEPARATED at BIRTH — 45’s attorney Susan Necheles and ………….. x Is it me..or does one of 45s lawyers look like Marcia Clark from the OJ prosecution 😬 pic.twitter.com/lAIDl0E4sv — Misleader in Chief (@MisleaderC) April 4, 2023 x Everyone's saying Marcia Clark, but I'm saying...Michelle Wolf pic.twitter.com/Z4dVsD0c45 — Meerkats R Hopping Down the Bunny Trail (@MeerkatsRMammal) April 4, 2023 ...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… hectic week, but just enough time to look at an old favorite song … now seen in a new light. I have written before that my favorite Garden State band is not the E Street Band, nor Bon Jovi, nor Southside Johnny, nor folksinger John Gorka — as meritorious as they (and others are) — but the power-pop band The Smithereens, whom I profiled in this space nearly ten years ago. When their primary songwriter/vocalist Pat DiNizio died in late 2017, I was concerned they might fold-up-their-tents .. yet have persevered, with guest vocalists (including Marshall Crenshaw). The song that I profiled originally is my favorite, Especially for You — a hallmark of Pat DiNizio’s often brooding lyrics/singing on lost love. What distinguished the song from their other early works was the instrumentation: their normal lineup of two guitars, bass and drums were subordinate to a piano and tenor saxophone. Yet often, bands are hesitant to stray far from home instrumentally: as how will you be able to replicate in concert? Results vary widely, as one might imagine … oftentimes I can't get the original arrangement/instrumentation out of my head. It was only recently that I learned of a 2008 live album (recorded in New Brunswick, New Jersey) that featured this song … which I played with some trepidation (as it is the standard two guitar-bass-drums). Lo-and-behold … I like it as much as the original! Alas, the original is nowhere-to-be-found on YouTube now, but will offer this version in its place. I've been running round in circles Trying to find my way back to you It's been so long since I felt this way That I forgot what I'm supposed to do You won't break my heart No matter what you do My love is especially for you I've been trying to build a bridge To get to you for so many years Now, it looks like it will have to be a dam Instead to hold back the tears You won't make me cry My heart won't break in two My love is especially for you It's the same every night When I turn off the light And I'm hugging my pillow Instead of you In the morning I rise And I tell myself lies And pretend that I'm happy In spite of you [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/9/2161963/-Odds-amp-Ends-News-Humor-with-a-Who-Lost-the-Week-poll Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/