Covers: Warm and Tender Love

“Warm and Tender Love” was Percy Sledge’s follow up to “When a Man Loves a Woman” in 1966. While not as popular, it’s another great record. The first version was by Joe Haywood in 1965. I like the Buckwheat Zydeco version from 1985. Check out the reggae version from Alton & the Groovers.

outstanding album

another reggae version

We need something like the WPA now

A new version of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from the Depression should be part of today’s economic recovery. It not only built infrastructure projects but also funded art such as books, music, photographs and murals.

Look who’s quoted in that pic! https://t.co/y6IGFgnWbp
— Paula Krebs (@PaulaKrebs) May 6, 2021

Understatement of the day: "The Federal Art Project, part of Roosevelt’s sweeping employment plan, gave work to thousands of artists, but politics and society were different then." https://t.co/EQffQJ2LLn
— Alec MacGillis (@AlecMacGillis) April 23, 2020

During the Great Depression artists were kept employed by the government. It's unclear how long a coronavirus-related economic recession could last, but the US might need a new national arts job program. https://t.co/QxYgkQXkes
— CNN (@CNN) April 11, 2020

I recently discovered Charles Turzac, a WPA era printmaker from Chicago who did some very #MayDay appropriate work. The jackhammer print in particular blew me away. pic.twitter.com/d8bYZhq3rw
— Tovarisch (@nwbtcw) May 2, 2021

Mayor de Blasio is taking inspiration from the WPA and announces the "New York City Artist Corps" which will give artists funds to create murals, pop-up exhibitions and concerts.
— Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech (@AODNewz) May 6, 2021

“Glorified be they who forsaking unjust riches strive in fulfillment of humble tasks for peace, culture and equality of all mankind.” The inscription above the historic WPA mural at Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, AL, designed by Sidney W.J. van Sheck, 1936. Happy #MayDay! pic.twitter.com/guStCEWNah
— Robyn Hyden (@robynhyden) May 1, 2021

Curb service — we thought it was so 2020!
From @librarycongress, here’s a @chipublib poster from 1936.
"By the People, for the People: Posters from the WPA." pic.twitter.com/nWORnhUfej
— FriendsDunwLibr (@DunwLibr) April 30, 2021

According to the 1930 census, Georgia ranked 48th in literacy. This 1937 publication of the GA Department of Education outlines the significant impact WPA adult education programs had on Georgia's literacy rates in the 1930's.

Available via @DigLibGA https://t.co/IK2EaLfWxU pic.twitter.com/ud1q6GsiR2
— MAGIL @ UGA (@magil_uga) May 5, 2021

Federal Art Project: New Deal Web Guide (Virtual Programs & Services, Library of Congress) (loc.gov)

"Scott Borchert offers a wonderfully readable and colorful account of the program and the writers who produced 'rich and weird and fascinating' guidebooks to each state in America." @NYJournalofBook on @ScottBorchert's REPUBLIC OF DETOURS. https://t.co/eweryG8X8n
— Farrar,Straus&Giroux (@fsgbooks) June 24, 2021

Another federal program during the depression:

Now Anna Aizer on life effects of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which employed 3m men ages 17-23 in land conservation projects 1933-1942. Finds significant long-term benefits, suggesting short- & medium-term evaluations underestimate returns of training programs. #ASSA2022 pic.twitter.com/Py0l6X5yit
— Kathryn Zickuhr (@kzickuhr) January 9, 2022

Covers: While My Guitar Gently Weeps

George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was on 1968’s Beatles White Album. The 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame version is famous for Prince’s guitar solo. A new version of it is now on YouTube.

An alternate video edit of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", featuring one of Prince's most-beloved guitar solos, was recently uploaded to YouTube. Features shots focused more on Prince's performance. https://t.co/7pjjuiErrF
— Anil Dash 💉 (@anildash) April 29, 2021

Republicans will prevent meaningful gun safety reform

If they weren’t moved by the deaths of children, the deaths in houses of worship and mass shootings of dozens of people at a time, nothing will make them pass better gun safety laws.

BTW, we have had some gun ballot measures the last few years. I wrote on them (https://t.co/2FYroYZGVi). Their performance was generally suggestive that the public is very divided on gun control.
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) April 18, 2021

You have to be out of your mind at this point to believe that the American people need to be more heavily armed. Or a Supreme Court justice, I guess. https://t.co/u5pdOYvqdy
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) April 26, 2021

Americans respond to rash of mass shootings by breaking another gun sales record https://t.co/5OXQvfGN0y
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) April 26, 2021

NRA launches $2 million campaign to oppose Biden gun-control agenda https://t.co/ESGVVD1swK
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 22, 2021

Good morning.

The United States does not have more mental illness than other countries.

It has more guns.
— Heidi Przybyla (@HeidiNBC) April 18, 2021

Gun deaths per year (most recent year available):

United States: 39,682

India: 3,655

Canada: 695

Spain: 282

Australia: 229

UK: 107

Japan: 9https://t.co/BUK7mhci29
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) April 18, 2021

In 1994, President Bill Clinton banned assault weapons: mass shooting deaths went down by 42%.

In 2004, the GOP Congress let the ban purposely expire: mass shooting deaths spiked over 220% and have been climbing ever since.#GunReformNow
— Andrea Junker ® (@Strandjunker) April 18, 2021

Texans own among the highest number of guns per capita: at least 21 per 1,000 people.

If more guns and fewer laws made Texas safer, it would be the safest state. Instead, it has high rates of gun suicide and homicide, and is home to 4 of the 10 deadliest mass shootings. #txlege https://t.co/pDe3XU6RYg
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) April 18, 2021

Covers: Absolutely Sweet Marie

“Absolutely Sweet Marie” is a great song from Bob Dylan’s 1966 album Blonde on Blonde (which right at the moment I think is his best record).

Today’s right-wing lie – the Kamala Harris book

From the people who brought you the lies about Mr. Potato Head, Dr. Seuss, and meat. They can’t win on real issues so they make stuff up.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Washington Post (@washingtonpost)

"a good example of how misinformation spreads on right-wing media, gets amplified by GOP leaders

"NY Post reported Harris’ book was included in 'welcome kits' for migrant children

"Fox repeated it

"Cotton/McDaniel ran w/it

"There was only one copy" https://t.co/7bUQYyfYlZ
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) April 27, 2021

A Long Beach spokesman tells me *no* books are put in migrant children's welcome packages at the shelter. Rather, an informal library will be set up with the donated books to let kids choose what they want to read. So…wrongness on top of wrongness. https://t.co/5439nFkhha
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 27, 2021

The New York Post appears to have taken down a second nonsense story about the Harris book, the one headlined "Psaki has no answers when asked about Harris' book being given to child migrants." That link also now redirects to their home page. https://t.co/1UxUQLIJzo
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 27, 2021

Between this and Burgergate, the biggest recent attacks on Biden & Harris have been literal fake news. https://t.co/hyYGwYSb3a
— Christopher Cadelago (@ccadelago) April 27, 2021

It's a huge country full of people doing dumb things every day, so you'd think they'd be able to find somewhere an anti-MAGA cultural outrage that doesn't rest on utter fiction? https://t.co/IpuK7bujWP
— David Frum (@davidfrum) April 27, 2021

The question Fox threw at Psaki about this has aged as well as an Al Jolson mixtape https://t.co/nIlaMulhe3 pic.twitter.com/9NOCFTrMXp
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) April 27, 2021

How a photo and a Long Beach book drive led to a false story and attacks on Kamala Harris https://t.co/JWlvZhAUVu
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) April 28, 2021

The Foxconn deal was phony

The amount of jobs is much lower than originally announced.

Foxconn mostly abandons $10 billion Wisconsin project touted by Trump, slashing thousands of jobs https://t.co/vDrjWjDJch
— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) April 21, 2021

https://twitter.com/JamesFallows/status/1385696430350798856?s=20

It's hard to "fact check" claims about the future, but the Foxconn-Walker-Trump claims about the future of the Wisconsin plant always seemed very dubious, and indeed they were. @chrisidore: https://t.co/28G8ioFOn2
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 22, 2021

Foxconn mostly abandons $10 billion Wisconsin project touted by Trump, slashing thousands of jobs https://t.co/vDrjWjDJch
— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) April 21, 2021

https://twitter.com/jonlemire/status/1788312271589978369?s=43&t=rIYxMSgaBTiASp7yrXMpjA

In 2018, Trump destroyed the entire village of Mount Pleasant in Racine County, Wisconsin with the Foxconn scam. He leveled people's farms and homes for what turned out to be another one of his grifts. Today, President Biden is doing for Racin County what Trump could not. pic.twitter.com/S3zRapWxYR
— Bill Madden (@maddenifico) July 9, 2024

Biden creates opportunity, Trump lies about it: https://t.co/LXx9SfPMP8 pic.twitter.com/tMeqHihRCA
— Joseph Costello (@costellojoseph_) July 20, 2024

The right-wing meat lie

This is too stupid. Just another right-wing lie about Biden’s policies. This is right there with their nonsense on Dr. Seuss and Mr. Potato Head. How can Biden negotiate with liars?

Monday: Nonsense about Biden trying to dictate people’s meat consumption is widely debunked, Fox News anchor admits on air that it’s wrong

Wednesday: The top House Republican goes on Fox News and says Biden is trying to dictate people’s meat consumption https://t.co/U2u9JNOHKh
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 29, 2021

A vivid illustration of how the misinformation meme machine works: Take an obscure study, distort its findings, attribute them to your political adversary. https://t.co/QBEH7qQrq5
— Paul Farhi (@farhip) April 26, 2021

There is no Biden plan to force Americans to eat less red meat. The policy Fox discussed on at least five shows on Friday and Saturday, and that Republican governors and members of Congress have denounced, is completely imaginary.

A fact check: https://t.co/Ur4CLoWz0U
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 26, 2021

Biden’s climate plan doesn’t ban meat. But baseless claims left Republicans fuming: "Stay out of my kitchen" https://t.co/4dpt3RxTc7
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 26, 2021

❌ No, President Joe Biden's climate plan does not include cutting 90% of red meat from Americans' diets by 2030. https://t.co/cIHGBN7XXu pic.twitter.com/Y8caIJ2Wpr
— snopes.com (@snopes) April 26, 2021

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack dismissed a myth spread by conservative media that Biden intends to stop Americans from eating burgers and steaks as part of his plans to combat climate changehttps://t.co/97ENxGEY8M
— POLITICO (@politico) April 26, 2021

Saw Greg Abbott comment on this fake "Biden plan" yesterday – it's a Daily Mail listicle based on a 2020 U of M paper unrelated to Biden. But colleagues point out today that Idaho's gov also jumped on, and Nikki Haley's group created a meme for her to RT pic.twitter.com/ksoYAeXHd5
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) April 26, 2021

Fox gently acknowledges that its coverage about Biden supposedly trying to force Americans to eat less red meat wasn't accurate: "A graphic and a script incorrectly implied that it was part of Biden's plan for dealing with climate change. That is not the case." pic.twitter.com/iClZSk8P4M
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) April 26, 2021

How a false claim about beef and Biden’s climate plan spread (yahoo.com)

Republicans want to crack down on protests

They’re fine with the Trump mob insurrection. They just don’t want anyone who disagrees with them to protest.

New research finds 100 pieces of legislation introduced since George Floyd's death aimed at increasing punishments for activity associated with protesting. https://t.co/gC23NmYVEs pic.twitter.com/SzSwsvhWOW
— Philip Bump (@pbump) May 14, 2021

There are now nearly 100 gop bills to criminalize free speech. Several try to give legal immunity to people who drive their cars into protesters.

If we saw this in Venezuela or Burma we’d say it’s authoritarian. This is the republican party. pic.twitter.com/tXZBnaJcnw
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) April 24, 2021

Opinion | @DeanObeidallah: Apparently, the GOP is not satisfied with simply enacting laws that will make it more challenging for people of color to vote; they now want to make it more difficult for people to publicly organize and march. – @MSNBCDaily https://t.co/nRgD9O7Mbo
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 24, 2021

There's a lot of competition but Republicans creating a right to run over protesters is one of the most alarming trends in American politics right now https://t.co/bUdwjndxIp
— 'Weird Alex' Pareene (@pareene) April 24, 2021

In 2021, lawmakers in 34 states have introduced more than 80 anti-protest bills, the vast majority of them drafted by Republicans.

And so far, four Republican governors have signed the measures into law, including in the state of Florida. https://t.co/raHVr6BIjC
— The ReidOut (@thereidout) April 23, 2021

The bill grants civil and criminal immunity to drivers who unintentionally injure or kill protesters while driving away from a riot. https://t.co/sH1aZpUoe3
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) April 23, 2021

“For Republican activists in 2021, any manifestation of progressive power — whether it be a street demonstration, corporate statement, or Democratic election victory — is itself a form of unlawful disorder” https://t.co/Qlhn0YnT96
— b-boy bouiebaisse (@jbouie) April 22, 2021

“The GOP is waging a two-front war on the First Amendment…GOP legislatures and governors are moving hard to vitiate the rights of protesters.”https://t.co/3ZOEC4Uo8g
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 22, 2021

G.O.P. Bills Target Protesters (and Absolve Motorists Who Hit Them) https://t.co/kJ0PFRYEud
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) April 21, 2021

Covers: At Last (not the one you know)

This song “At Last” was first recorded by Marvin Gaye in 1968. I first heard it by Taj Mahal who covered it in 1997.