Month: June 2021

Climate update 6/20/21

Phony right-wing outrage about Critical Race Theory (CRT)

Republican politicians and right-wing media can’t attack Biden because he is popular. Their supporters don’t hate him because he is a white man unlike Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. They don’t attack his policies because they are popular, too.

Instead, they stoke the culture wars – Dr. Seuss, Mr. Potato Head, and now CRT. CRT is not taught in K-12 schools. It’s an undergraduate/graduate school level subject. However, talking about it inflames the white nationalist Republican base.

How did the Orioles lose?

The Orioles lost to the Blue Jays 10-7 last night. It was probably their worst loss of the year. They led 7-3 late in the game but the bullpen gave up six runs in the 9th inning. The Orioles’ first six hits were home runs. This is only the second time in MLB since expansion this had ever happened. The Orioles bullpen is getting worn out because the starting pitching is so bad (though it was good yesterday).

If you think this is bad, I remember a game where the Orioles hit two grand slams and lost:

Two Grand Slams in an Inning – Almost Always A Win – Baseball Roundtable

The box score

Blue – Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell’s Blue is 50. It’s a great album. It’s very much about her life but has plenty for all of us to relate to. It’s very stripped down and not easy to listen to. It reminds me of Plastic Ono band by John Lennon and John Wesley Harding by Bob Dylan – austere, stripped down albums I don’t listen to much but are among the best I know.

Joni Mitchell releases ‘Blue 50,’ with outtakes and unreleased tracks from 1971 classic (msn.com)

Joni Mitchell Celebrates 50 Years Of Blue With Demos & Outtakes EP… | Articles | Mojo (mojo4music.com)

Blue – Album by Joni Mitchell | Spotify

I remember Tim Considine from My Three Sons. I didn’t know he was a photographer too.

Decoration Day – Drive-By Truckers

Decoration Day (2003) is one of my all-time favorite albums. I had never heard anything by the Drive-By Truckers before but I loved the album from the moment I began playing it. Later in 2003, I saw the DBT play at Fletcher’s, a small bar in Baltimore. It was a long, loud, sprawling, amazing show. It was even better than the album. I’ve seen them seven times but they were never better. They had three singer-songwriters who played guitar. They even played solos on songs that were written by one of the other guys. The songs were personal but also examined what the South is like today and the link to the past. The title song especially is about the past. It’s a tough world – there are two songs about suicide.

A recording of the show is available here.

https://twitter.com/JasonIsbell/status/1405603595802845187?s=20

Covers: Tell the Truth (“5” Royales song)

The “5” Royales are one of the most underrated groups ever. Several of their songs are better known by cover versions. I am going to post a series of them now. The covers, especially the James Brown version of “Think” and the Ray Charles version of “Tell the Truth” are great but the original versions are well worth your time. “Tell the Truth” was released in 1958 and followed by Ray Charles’s version in 1959.

Ringo loves the Ray Charles version.

21 Republicans voted against medals for officers who protected them during the insurrection