December Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

DECEMBER’S POSSIBILITIES

 

PAISLEY PARK

For love is the color this place imparts
Admission is easy, just say you believe
And come to this place in your heart
Paisley Park is in your heart

I love paisley. It’s always held a funky, cool meaning for me. It has been a popular motif in fashion for centuries. To think how far it has travelled and how it developed in a small town in the Scottish Lowlands is truly amazing. Here’s how paisley went from Persia to the Beatles! … In early Persia, its distinctive tear drop shape called boteh, was a symbol of everlasting life. Then with a more floral appearance, it was used on royal crowns and court garments. It spread to other Asian and Indian countries over the centuries and became most popular in the 1600’s when it appeared on men’s shawls that were produced in Kashmir. In the 1800’s they were imported into the UK where they were made more cheaply by mass production in Edinburgh, Scotland. And then to the skilled silk workers of Paisley where the industry thrived. Which explains how the boteh pattern got renamed paisley throughout the Western world … Once the French were counterfeiting and copying them, the British government patented the pattern. By the late Victorian era, technological developments meant the pattern could be weaved into other garments, causing the spread of its popularity. But as anything that becomes too cool, it fell out of favor … And then came the peace and love psychedelic 1960’s! And paisley was the thing. With the bursting colors of flora and fauna, it was everywhere. Which meant the Beatles had a lot to do with that. John Lennon even painted his Rolls-Royce paisley after the Beatles’ visit to India. In fact, the band’s embrace of everything Eastern boosted paisley’s coolness factor considerably. To me, it will be cool forever.

 

THE CHER SHOW

“I have done so much more than I thought I would do,
and yet I am not finished.”

Just like paisley, Cher will be cool forever. Why else would there be a Broadway show all about her? What about a movie, too? And a memoir? The answers are yes and yes. In a recent tweet, she confirms it:

Writing Life Story🕶
Book Due Out First Part Of 2020🎉
Bio Pic To Follow.

 

IT’S THAT TIME OF THE SEASON

December is a singular month, when the Festival of Lights and Christmas are co-residents. Both are full of wonder, meaning, and tradition. Both bring light, joy, and warmth to our homes. Both offer the possibility that we may see each other anew. With generosity, kindness, and love? Well, anything is possible in this month of possibilities. Wishing you love, peace, and joy.

 

LET’S DRINK TO THAT!

Hot cocoa is just fine but it’s the season to celebrate! How about a Melted Snowman Martini? … You’ll need 2 oz Vanilla Vodka, 1 oz Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, 1 oz Rumchata, and 1 oz Half & Half … Shake well and pour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. And then garnish with Wilton Snowman Candy (available on Amazon) … Looks cute. Tastes yummy.

 

DOG NEWS

“Mission complete.”

Sully, the yellow Labrador service dog who worked with President George H.W. Bush, traveled with his casket on his flight to Washington, DC. This pic of Sully was posted by Jim McGrath, Bush’s spokesman with the above caption. Trained by America’s VetDogs, Sully can perform a two-page list of commands, including answering the phone and fetching items. America’s VetDogs provides service dogs to veterans, active-duty service members, and first responders with disabilities. Sully is now at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center’s Facility Dog Program working alongside other VetDogs to help the wounded warriors there.

 

ENDNOTE: MERLIN

“The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies … you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics … There is only one thing for it then. To learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.”

(T.H. White, The Once and Future King)

 

WE CAN HELP

On December 6 a little female Asian elephant calf was born at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio. But the joy was short-lived. Three weeks later she died suddenly from an infection. “At only a few weeks of age, this little calf had already won our hearts. She was a cherished member of our Zoo family, and we are mourning her passing,” said the Zoo’s president in a press release. The Zoo supports many programs to save these animals. We can make a donation  so they can continue their great work in elephant conservation. Did you know they are an endangered species? Yeah, due mostly to habitat loss and poaching. How sad to think that we might lose these majestic creatures. The loss of this new baby is all the more reason to get involved.

 

Soundtrack to this Issue

The Zombies
Time of the Season

“INVENTIVE, LUSH, AND TIMELESS. PSYCHEDELIC POP AT ITS BEST.” … That’s how the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame described The Zombies, the newest inductees into the Hall. How cool is this? … Time of the Season was on their 1968 album, Odessey and Oracle (CBS) … Rod Argent wrote the lyrics, “What’s your name, who’s your daddy, is he rich like me?” as a nod to the George Gershwin standard, Summertime, which contains the lyrics, “Your daddy’s rich and your mama’s good looking.” … R.I.P. my old friend and colleague, Paul Atkinson (guitar and vocals), who died in 2004.

C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

It’s the time of the season
When love runs high
And this time, give it to me easy
And let me try with pleasured hands 

To take you in the sun to (promised lands)
To show you every one
It’s the time of the season for loving 

What’s your name?
Who’s your daddy?
(He rich) Is he rich like me?
Has he taken, any time (any time)
(To show) to show you what you need to live 

Tell it to me slowly (tell me what)
I really want to know
It’s the time of the season for loving

 

Who rescued whom?So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l

“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Paisley Park lyrics: Prince Rogers Nelson ©Universal Music Publishing Group
Martini recipe: Drinks & Decor
Dog News pic and quote: Jim McGrath/@jgm41
EndNote pic of Merlin: Dennis Nolan for the cover of Sword In The Stone
We Can Help elephant pic: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Soundtrack Time of the Season lyrics: Rod Argent ©Marquis Songs USA

December 27, 2018
All Rights Reserved

February Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

FEBRUARY: PEACE LOVE UNDERSTANDING

“Write it on your heart that every day
is the best day in the year.”
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

WHERE IS LOVE?

“Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness.”
(Oliver Wendell Holmes)

Love, from Old English lufu, of Germanic origin; also from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit lubhyati ‘desires,’ Latin libet ‘it is pleasing,’ and libido ‘desire’ … We think of love as a swooning, star-crossed romance. But love is complex, covering a wide range of feelings and experiences. There is the non-romantic form of care, affection, and loyalty that we extend towards family, friends, and ourselves. There is the romantic love that embraces passionate desire and destiny. And there is the selfless transcendent love of compassion and religious devotion, in which our own needs are diminished. So we can be reassured that even if we are not romantically head-over-heels in love, we may still be graced by love in some precious and uplifting way.

LOVE AND DEVOTION

Someone’s head restin’ on my knee, Warm and tender as he can be, Who takes good care of me, Oh, wouldn’t it be loverly? … The Lincoln Center Theater has brought back the great musical, My Fair Lady, one of the greatest and longest-running shows of all time with one of the greatest scores of all time. The basis of My Fair Lady is George Bernard Shaw’s play, Pygmalion. In ancient Greek mythology, Pygmalion fell in love with one of his sculptures, which then came to life. As a sharp witted character study of class and gender, it resonated when Shaw’s play was presented in 1913 just as it resonates in our time … Although old fashioned, a fair lady referred to a woman who is the object of one’s love or devotion. Taking place in Edwardian London, it’s about the privileged, educated, and pompous phonetics professor, Henry Higgins, who gives speech lessons to the direct, graceful, and honest but lowly flower seller, Eliza Doolittle, to improve her job prospects. The tale of a Cockney flower girl transformed into an elegant lady begs the question, who is teaching whom? Could it be that it’s the able, more self-aware, and wise Eliza who teaches the teacher the important things in life? … And the music! Classics by Lerner & Loewe. I Could Have Danced All Night, Get Me to the Church on Time, Wouldn’t It Be Loverly, On the Street Where You Live, The Rain in Spain, and I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face. Just reading those titles I can hear the melodies in my head. And boy are they ever loverly.

THE SONG OF LOVE

While walking through the park, we hear birds using their voices to communicate with other birds. It turns out that the songbird’s brain is designed to find a life-long mate. Male and female finches learn in different ways to help them find their true love. With specific calls to identify themselves, they have a sound control system in their brains that converts sounds into social messages. The males and females both learn their father’s song but they do so for different reasons, using separate parts of their brains. The male zebra finch’s song will indicate that he is fit, healthy, and ready to breed. And the female finches critique the songs of potential suitors. Consider it the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the female songbird to find her true love.

BALLOONS!

The NYC Ballet has been home to a colorful balloon exhibition created by visual artist Jihan “Geronimo” Zencirli. There are more than 200,000 compostable, biodegradable balloons installed inside and outside of NYCB’s Lincoln Center home. Zencirli’s medium is balloons. “Balloons are not meant to last forever; they vanish.” The magic of her joyful work is its fleeting nature, a reminder that we’re alive, that we will only have this experience at this time. To create her pieces, she works with balloon artisans in Japan who make them by hand and have passed down their craft for generations. The next time we look at birthday party balloons, we can be reminded that they can be art that is meaningful and beautiful!

KETCHUP WITH YOUR DIM SUM?

Love ketchup on your big fat juicy cheeseburger and fries? Well, as American as you think ketchup is, it’s really not. Both the word and the condiment have Chinese origins. The word ketchup in English was first used in 1682 for a “piquant sauce produced in Southeast Asia from fermented soybeans or fish.” And it came from the Cantonese word, kē-chap, referring to a sauce “made from the juice of a fruit or vegetable combined with vinegar or wine and spices.” At first it wasn’t even made with tomatoes! And what about catsup? That’s just another spelling of the original Asian word.

DOG NEWS

This is the Chinese Year of the Dog. Five elements represent each zodiac: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth so 2018 is the year of the Earth Dog. Dogs are honest and loyal, the truest of friends, and a most reliable partner. We all can benefit from a Dog friend: one who gives advice and help, and is good at helping others find and fix their bad habits … It is predicted that it is going to be a good year in all respects, but it may also be a formidable one. Our feelings running the gamut from happy, yet frustrated; rested, yet tired; cheerful, yet dull … Horoscopes.com writes, “The element of earth will become very important to all signs this year, bringing more groundedness and stability.” Predictions include new business opportunities, increased cash flow, and building a good reputation. But all zodiac signs will need to pay special attention to their health. An ideal time to eat healthy, do sports, and get rid of bad habits.

ENDNOTE FROM YOKO

Valentine Painting (1967), Adrian Henri (1932-2000)

“Art communicates, spreads,
and covers the planet.
It is a blanket of love.”
(Yoko Ono)

WE CAN HELP

If you’re not ready to adopt, another option is to foster. It’s a great way to help a dog prepare for his forever home. He discovers how it feels to be loved, cared for, and no longer neglected. Being a foster fail definitely happens, you fall in love and keep him. But it’s also good to know that one of the greatest rewards of fostering is to know that you’re not only helping one dog, but also the next one in line. Animal shelters and rescue groups are always looking for committed and reliable foster volunteers to care for animals in their homes while they await permanent homes. By fostering you change an animal’s life for the better.

Soundtrack to this Issue

Elvis Costello & The Attractions’s
(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding 

Here’s a simple message of unity and love in a troubled world, surely an anthem for peace and tolerance. 

C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

As I walk through this wicked world
Searchin’ for light in the darkness of insanity
I ask myself is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery? 

And each time I feel like this inside,
There’s one thing I want to know
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? Ohh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? 

And as I walked on through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong and who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony? Sweet harmony 

‘Cause each time I feel it slippin’ away,
just makes me want to cry
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? Ohh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? 

So where are the strong? And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony? Sweet harmony
‘Cause each time I feel it slippin’ away,
just makes me want to cry

What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? Ohh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding? Ohh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love & understanding?

Who rescued whom?So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Loverly lyrics: Alan Jay Lerner/Frederick Loewe ©Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Balloon artist quote: nycballet.com
Ketchup: OED
EndNote heart pic: Valentine Painting by Adrian Henri
EndNote quote: @yokoono
Soundtrack lyrics: Nicholas Orain Lowe ©Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management US, LLC

February 27, 2018
All Rights Reserved

 

August Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

AUGUST’S RAP-UP

“Whether it was money, gangbanging, crack, LAPD and eventually AIDS — everything in the world came down on this group. What did we combat all that with? We had music. We had lyrics. We had hip-hop.” (Ice Cube)

You’d think the film Straight Outta Compton was based on today’s headlines. But it started in the 1980’s when five friends in Compton, CA, a city in south-central L.A. with drugs, crime, street gangs, and a high murder rate, formed a group and told their story. This biopic about the groundbreaking hip-hop group N.W.A. (original members Dr. Dre and Ice Cube are producers) beat all expectations, debuting at #1 … Their debut album of the same name marked the beginning of gangsta rap, hitting at real-life issues – racial profiling and police brutality. Rolling Stone cited the album as one of hip-hop’s most crucial albums, calling it a “bombastic, cacophonous car ride through Los Angeles’ burnt-out and ignored hoods.”  … With funky, bass-driven beats and explicit controversial lyrics, they left a lasting legacy on hip-hop music. The stories they were telling in the album were relevant then and resonate still – in this new film as well as in tonight’s evening news.

And hip-hop made it to Broadway, too. Hamilton, opening to record-breaking advance sales, is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical about Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. Real history with a real hip-hop score. Sure, it’s about the birth of our nation. But its world of politics with rivalries, self-interest, integrity, even a sex scandal, mirrors our own state of the union, centuries later. Another example of hip-hop storytelling that’s historically significant yet pertinent today.

THE BEATLES PLAY NEW YORK!

Did you have one of these?

August 15 marked the 50th anniversary of the Beatles concert at Shea Stadium. In front of 55,000 screaming fans, the largest crowd in music history at the time, they were introduced by Ed Sullivan: “…honored by their country, decorated by their Queen, and loved here in America, here are the Beatles.” Then they ran on stage to open the concert with Twist and Shout.

HAVING SURGERY? BRING FLOYD!

A good song makes us feel better, right? According to new research, patients who listened to music were less anxious after surgery and needed less pain relief. In fact the lead author, Dr. Catherine Meads, said Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon helped soothe her pain after hip surgery … Dr. Hazim Sadideen from University Hospitals Birmingham also researched the role of music, “Undertaking both minor and major surgery can induce stress. Music can be used…to improve the patient journey…” … So doctor, what do the tests show? Listening to music before, during, and after an operation can help reduce pain. That’s a relief … “And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear, You shout and no one seems to hear, And if the band you’re in starts playing different tunes, I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon.”

BABY WE WERE BORN TO RUN

“The screen door slams, Mary’s dress waves, like a vision she dances across the porch, as the radio plays…” … So starts Born To Run, August 25 marking 40 years it hit record stores. This is the original Columbia Records ad. Special place in my heart, my record company (CBS Records) and recording studio (Record Plant) alma maters. One happy tramp.

DOG NEWS

Turns out, August 15 is an auspicious date. It also marked Clear the Shelters day. About 7.6 million animals enter shelters across the country each year, 3.9 million dogs and 3.4 million cats, according to the ASPCA. Waiving most or all adoption fees, 400 animal shelters nationwide took part in the one-day event. An initiative by NBC-TV stations to help get cats and dogs waiting for new homes successfully adopted, the result? Over 19,000 adoptions and still counting! Westie Rescue Barkley straight out approves.

WE CAN HELP

Let’s show our love and appreciation for the military working dogs, who are highly trained to work side by side with their handlers in war zones as trackers or sentries, in search and rescue, and explosive detection. The U.S. War Dog Association has been sending care packages to military dogs all over the world, all year round, since 2003. You can send specific items needed by the dogs, such as cooling vests and mats, nail clippers, brushes, combs, Kongs and other heavy duty chew toys, doggles, collapsible nylon dog water bowls, and dog shampoo and treats (made in the USA only). Or you may make a financial contribution.

 

Soundtrack to this Issue

NWA’s Express Yourself
From Straight Outta Compton (Priority/Ruthless 1988)

C’mon, sing along, you know the words:

I’m expressin’ with my full capabilities,
And now I’m livin’ in correctional facilities,
Cause some don’t agree with how I do this.

I get straight, meditate like a Buddhist,
I’m droppin’ flava, my behavior is hereditary,
But my technique is very necessary.

Blame it on Ice Cube…
Because he says it gets funky
When you got a subject and a predicate.
Add it on a dope beat
And that’ll make you think.

Express yourself…
Express yourself…
Come on and do it…

 

Who rescued whom?

So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l

“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Ice Cube quote: LA Times, Lorraine Ali, July 30, 2015
Straight Outta Compton album review: Jon Caramanica, Rolling Stone, September 30, 2002
Beatles at Shea pic: Copyright holder unknown. (Beatles Rarities)
Music and surgery quotes: Brunel University and Queen Mary University of London music during surgery study
Brain Damage lyrics: Roger Waters ©Roger Waters Music Overseas Ltd., TRO-Hampshire House Publishing (Dark Side of the Moon, EMI 1973)
Born To Run ad: Sony Legacy Records
Thunder Road lyrics: Bruce Springsteen ©1975 Laurel Canyon Music Ltd.
Adoption results: Clear The Shelters
We Can Help pic: The U.S. War Dog Association, Inc.
Express Yourself lyrics: O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson, Charles W. Wright © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

July Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

AN AUSPICIOUS BIRTHDAY IN JULY

“My religion is kindness.” … During her set at the Glastonbury Festival, Patti Smith surprised concertgoers bringing out the Dalai Lama so everyone could wish His Holiness a happy 80th birthday. “We are grateful to him for all his love of humanity and making people aware of the importance of saving the planet,” Smith said before leading the crowd in singing Happy Birthday To You. … Also in honor of his birthday, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Lorde, etc. contributed to the Art of Peace Foundation’s Songs for Tibet II, a tribute album celebrating the Dalai Lama’s philosophy of peace, non-violence, and compassion.

 

VAN GOGH’S ROSES!

Have you gone to the Metropolitan Museum yet? Run to see these four paintings completed by Vincent Van Gogh before he left the asylum at Saint-Rémy. Never before shown together, the Irises and Roses exhibit features the Met’s Irises and Roses shown alongside their long separated mates: Irises from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and Roses from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Due to the light-sensitive pigments, it is noteworthy to see how the once vibrant colors have faded with time. Catch it before the show closes August 16.

 

SNEAKER CULTURE?

Sneakers as art? The Brooklyn Museum’s The Rise of Sneaker Culture show is the first exhibition to explore the social history and cultural impact of sneakers. You’ll see the oldest existing running shoes from the 1860s, 1917 Chuck Taylors, Keds from the 1920s, and the first editions of Nike Air Jordans. Did you know that in 1986 Run–DMC invited Adidas execs to their Madison Square Garden show where they performed their hit, My Adidas? Well, Adidas gave them a sneaker deal! The show will make you wish you’d saved your Reebok Freestyles from the 1980s. It closes October 4.

 

BEETLEJUICE AT LINCOLN CENTER? REALLY?

Yes, really. For Lincoln Center’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton concert series, film composer and Oingo Boingo frontman, Danny Elfman performed the scores from his three-decade collaboration with the director. It started with his first movie score for Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. Then came Alice in Wonderland, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and of course, Beetlejuice. They did 15 scores together, so what do they have in common? Elfman says, “We both loved every horror film made in the 60’s and the 70’s. His idol was Vincent Price, mine was Peter Lorre. It kind of defined us for the next 30 years: Evil mastermind tortured doomed souls, both misunderstood.” There is a fun atmosphere watching concertgoers show up as their favorite characters, but it’s truly the melding of these two artists’ weird, witty, and altogether delectable creativity that is celebrated.

 

DOG NEWS

Dogs took over Shubert Alley for the 17th annual Broadway Barks, featuring adoptable pets from 28 shelters throughout New York. Founded by Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters, and produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, more than 250,000 dogs and cats have found permanent homes since the first event in 1999. Co-hosted by Peters and Andrew Rannells, cast members from almost every current Broadway show came out to show support.

 

WE CAN HELP

Sponsoring Broadway Barks was the ASPCA. Not only fighting animal cruelty and abuse, lobbying for animal welfare, and promoting adoptions, the ASPCA website offers helpful tips on caring for your companion … Meet the winner of the 2016 Calendar Cover Pet contest. Dharma was found on the roadside. Having just given birth, the puppies were not there and she had clearly been abused. After her rescue and adoption, beautiful Dharma now enjoys road trips and hiking! … Celebrate adopted animals all year. Remember to order your 2016 ASPCA Calendar.

 

Soundtrack to this Issue

Don McLean’s Vincent
From American Pie (Capitol 1971) 

C’mon, sing along, you know the words: 

Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land

Now, I understand, what you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they’ll listen now

Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincent’s eyes of china blue

 

Who rescued whom?

So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l

“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Dalai Lama and Patti Smith pic: OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images
Beetlejuice pic: Everett Collection
Danny Elfman quote: Rolling Stone
Don McLean pic: Photograph: MediaPunch/Rex
Vincent lyrics: Enrico Nascimbeni, Don McLean, Roberto Vecchioni © Music Corp. Of America Inc., Benny Bird Co. Inc.

April Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

APRIL’S ARTS + CRAFTS

Newly minted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ringo Starr and leader of the All-Starr band, out with Postcards from Paradise … “Hold on tight and everything will be all right.” So Beach Boy Brian Wilson reassures us on his latest solo album, No Pier Pressure. Lush melodies? Check. Nonpareil harmonizing? Check. Well-constructed pop tunes? Check. And songs that sound like you’ve been listening to them for years? And check … The formidable and influential Village Voice music critic, Robert Christgau, penned Going Into the City, a memoir recounting the origins of rock criticism, as well as his clear-eyed assessment of 60’s counterculture … Dylan, Cash and the Nashville Cats, the exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, illuminates the alliance of rock and folk with Nashville in the late 60’s and early 70’s – especially the huge hits that came out of it. Pivotal were Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde, Johnny Cash’s TV show, and the session musicians known as the “Nashville Cats.”

THE WEIGHT

A sure sign of spring are flowers. And none more wondrous than those found in the floral paperweight collection at the Art Institute of Chicago. “Some fragment of a dream,” as Truman Capote described them, even taking along a few with him on his travels …

Paperweight artist Paul Stankard exemplifies the craftsmanship of this art form, calling it “poetry suspended in crystal.” This is his Honey Bee Swarm with Flowers and Fruit, featured at AIC.

ABOUT MUSIC WITH CARLY SIMON

Carly Simon just released The Bedroom Tapes (Special Edition) featuring tracks that weren’t on the original 2000 CD. The album’s name refers to where these songs were recorded, in her daughter’s old bedroom now a studio …

She talked about “honest emotions” with Philip Galanes in the New York Times: “I think music may be stronger than any of the other arts for that, than dance or painting or theater. There’s something intangible and mysterious about music. It can get you more; you can sob more. It’s got a stronger engine.” Both agreed that music was “related to the heartbeat.”

FOREVER JOAN

The Next to Last Joan Rivers Album (Buddah Records 1969), out of print 45 years, was re-released by Stand Up! Records for this year’s Record Store Day (April 18). From a set she did at NYC’s Upstairs at the Downstairs in 1968 – talking about diamond rings, being single, cooking, nurses, and stewardesses – it’s remixed and remastered with a new essay by Sarah Silverman.

WE CAN HELP

“The name of the museum is as big as its mission.” …

This is how Bono describes the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You’ll learn the stories of the people, artifacts, and events that shaped rock and roll. Through Museum exhibits, materials in its Library and Archives, traveling exhibitions, and educational programs and activities, you’ll get inspired.

Soundtrack to this Issue is
Brian Wilson’s The Right Time
From his new album No Pier Pressure (Capitol)

C’mon, sing along:
Yeah, it’s new, but you’ll be singing it within seconds!

Whatever happened to me and you
And everything we’ve been going through
So many pieces but never in a very straight line

Right could it be the right
Could it be the right time
For getting together
Right could it be the right
Could it be the right time
I’m thinking forever

 

Who rescued whom?So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Paperweight pic: Paul Stankard’s “Honey Bee Swarm with Flowers and Fruit” (2012), Art Institute of Chicago
Truman Capote quote: from his essay, “The White Rose”
Paul Stankard quote: CBS News Sunday Morning
Carly Simon quote: Table for Three, The NY Times, April 26, 2015
The Right Time lyrics: Joe Thomas, Brian Wilson (Capitol Records)

January Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

JANUARY’S HOT TOPICS

Where does inspiration come from? If you thought that Sam Smith’s Stay With Me sounded familiar, that it reminded you of Tom Petty’s I Won’t Back Down, well, you were right! Turns out, the two songs are so much alike that Smith will be paying Petty and co-songwriter Jeff Lynne royalties on the track. Smith’s camp said, “Although the likeness was a complete coincidence, all involved came to an immediate and amicable agreement…” Check out the mashup. Sounds like all the parties did the right thing.

DID SOMEONE SAY INSPIRATION?

Idina Menzel performed her hit song from Frozen on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special, but it was very cold and she had difficulty hitting some high notes. Yes, you guessed right, criticism ensued. This is the response she tweeted, using her words from a recent interview:

How do you define success? “There are about 3 million notes in a two-and-a-half-hour musical; being a perfectionist, it took me a long time to realize that if I’m hitting 75 percent of them, I’m succeeding. Performing isn’t only about the acrobatics and the high notes: It’s staying in the moment, connecting with the audience in an authentic way, and making yourself real to them through the music. I am more than the notes I hit, and that’s how I try to approach my life. You can’t get it all right all the time, but you can try your best. If you’ve done that, all that’s left is to accept your shortcomings and have the courage to try to overcome them.”

GODADDY’S AD POO-POOED!

Super Bowl ads are famously touted and analyzed, sometimes before the Big Game even airs. So it was when GoDaddy tested the waters online for their spot featuring a Golden Retriever puppy falling out of a truck and finding his way back home. Although trying to lampoon Budweiser’s heartwarming puppy ads, they were immediately criticized. The SPCA of Monterey, CA tweeted “If you can buy a puppy online and have it shipped to you the next day, it’s likely you’re supporting inhumane breeding.” And after tens of thousands of people protested, CEO Blake Irving tweeted, “…What should have been a fun and funny ad clearly missed the mark and we will not air it.” For doing the right thing, score one for GoDaddy.

JONI’S GRAND DESIGN

Yves Saint Laurent is surely smiling. Saint Laurent Paris (as his house is now named) has a new model. Joni Mitchell. Black and white portraits of her playing guitar at her house in Bel Air wearing the brand’s folk tunic, classic fedora, and a leather cape made especially for her. Part of the Saint Laurent Music Project. Say what? Too cool for school you say? Mais, oui! C’est magnifique!

WE CAN HELP

By providing free veterinary care around the world and helping animals during disasters, World Vets: International Aid for Animals improves the lives of animals. Veterinarians volunteer their expertise in underserved populations of animals, perform surgeries and treat injuries, and offer training and educational opportunities in developing countries.

 

Soundtrack to this Issue is what else?
Tom Petty’s I Won’t Back Down
From the album, Full Moon Fever (1989)

C’mon, sing along:
Gonna stand my ground, won’t be turned around
And I’ll keep this world from draggin’ me down
Gonna stand my ground and I won’t back down

Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground
And I won’t back down

Well I know what’s right, I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around
But I’ll stand my ground and I won’t back down

Who rescued whom?
So grateful for Barkley coming into my life.
Thanks to Westie Rescue of New England.

 Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Sam Smith/Tom Petty pic: VH1
Sam Smith’s rep quote: Rolling Stone
Idina Menzel pic: Just Jared
Idina Menzel quote: Broadway World
Joni Mitchell pic: Hedi Slimane/Saint Laurent Paris
World Vets pic: Punta Gorda, Belize ©WorldVets
I Won’t Back Down lyrics: Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne ©Gone Gator Music and EMI-April Music, Inc. 1989

October Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

OCTOBER IS FALL’S CROWNING GLORY

Part spoken word, part concert, Lennon: Through a Glass Onion celebrates his words and music. Happy birthday, John … On the eve of her new album release, Aretha Franklin talked with Clive Davis at the 92Y. “It really is an honor if I can be inspirational to a younger singer or person, it means I’ve done my job.” … Big-hearted Betty Buckley performed six concerts at Joe’s Pub, from her new T Bone Burnett-produced album, Ghostlight … Simon Rattle led the Berlin Philharmonic in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion at the Park Avenue Armory, part of Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival … Everly Brothers honored with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Music Masters award … Bravo, Maestro James Levine on your 2,500th performance with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra … Matisse’s colorful cut-paper collages at MOMA … Yeah, they went their own way, but now Fleetwood Mac is back and on tour … The Who: 50 Years Greatest Hits album, whoa, fifty years? No! … Also out with new albums: Yusuf, Neil Diamond, and Annie Lennox sings American standards … The 3rd annual CBGB Music and Film Festival featured Devo … Speaking of, Mark Mothersbaugh has a solo art exhibition, Myopia, traveling the US … The surprising, enterprising, never disappointing artist known as Prince released two albums at once, Art Official Age and PlectrumElectrum … Esa-Pekka Salonen and the NY Philharmonic play Stravinsky’s The Firebird, let’s see, do the prince and princess live happily ever after? …

The glorious voices of Ladysmith Black Mambazo played Carnegie Hall’s South African music fest … Happy 30th birthday to Def Jam Records, influential and genre-defining … Masters of Hawaiian Music played SubCulture. Can you say ki ho’alu? That’s slack-key guitar to you … A Harlem block is officially renamed, George Carlin Way … Recovered, the Allman Brothers resumed their residency at The Beacon … They gave it away on iTunes then U2 released Songs of Innocence, their 13th album, featuring the single The Miracle (of Joey Ramone). You had me at Joey Ramone … The Beach Boys’ gorgeous classic, God Only Knows,  celebrates the launch of BBC Music with the likes of Pharrell Williams, Elton John, Chris Martin, Stevie Wonder, Chrissie Hynde, Sam Smith, and more, and oh yeah, the great Brian Wilson … Two new breeds in Westminster, Coton de Tulear and Wirehaired Viszla … New postage stamps celebrate Batman turning 75 … The Blood Moon, a total lunar eclipse, rose up bright red … And R.I.P. Jack Bruce, Cream’s singer and bassist, and co-writer of the best song there ever was and ever will be, Sunshine of Your Love.

COMPASSION IS THE SOLUTION

So says my favorite singer/songwriter, Matt Turk. Big congratulations on his latest album, Cold Revival, and his sold-out release party at The Bitter End …

“Opening with a lilting mandolin strum, Cracked Egg turns sharply into a powerhouse of explosive drums and heartfelt singing … When A Boy’s gentle, acoustic picking becomes a more upbeat track with the right amount of organ punched in … The album’s title track Cold Revival has a perfect country feel with restrained slide guitars, understated organ and strings … Say You’ll Live’s minor chords, mandolin and spoken word opening bursts into a dramatic, organ-driven piece.” …

“Matt Turk strikes a fine balance between rockers and introspective acoustic excursions.” … Oh, and Matt is Featured Artist in Guitar Player magazine … Don’t wait, buy Cold Revival at turktunes!

GOTTA READ IT, GOTTA SEE IT

Books on music: Bernstein Meets Broadway: Collaborative Art in a Time of War by Carol Oja, Griel Marcus’s The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Ten Songs, Mick Fleetwood’s Play On (timed with his band’s tour), Sheila E’s The Beat of My Own Drum, Neil Young’s Special Deluxe, Joe Perry’s Rocks, David Ritz’s Aretha Franklin bio (timed with her album release) Respect, and Tradition! The Highly Improbable, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-to-Hollywood Story of Fiddler on the Roof, the World’s Most Beloved Music by Barbara Isenberg …

And new films about music: Andre Benjamin as Jimi Hendrix in Jimi: All Is by My Side, JK Simmons as a music teacher in Whiplash, and Ethan Hawk’s inspiring bio on the equally inspiring 87-year old piano teacher, Seymour Bernstein, Seymour: An Introduction.

FALL’S WELCOME AND FAREWELL

“Even if something is left undone,
everyone must take time
to sit still and watch the leaves turn.”
(Elizabeth Lawrence)

 

WE CAN HELP

Soundtrack to this Issue
Aretha’s Version of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep
(with a dash of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, oh yeah!)
From the album, Aretha Franklin Sings The Great Diva Classics
©2014 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment

C’mon, sing along:

The scars of your love remind me of us
It keeps me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love keep me breathless
I can’t help thinking

We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart inside of your hand
But you played it to the beat

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l
“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Lennon: Through a Glass Onion pic: Illustration by Aaron Smith
Matt Turk pic: Christina Torpie, October 2014
Matt Turk’s Cold Revival review quotes: Rob Ross/PopDose
Matt Turk’s Magnet Magazine review quote: Magnet October Issue #114
Fall Colors pic: Chris Meloni
Rolling in the Deep lyrics: Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, Paul Epworth © EMI Music Publishing Ltd., Melted Stone Publishing Ltd.

September Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

SEPTEMBER REFLECTIONS

Komorebi is Japanese for “the sunlight that filters through the leaves of the trees” from Lost in Translation, a collection of words without English counterparts … NYC’s CultureAID will prepare arts organizations for another Hurricane Sandy-like emergency … A newly discovered extinct swamp animal is named Jagger’s Water Nymph because its mouth structure is “a highly innervated muzzle with mobile and tactile lips.” … San Francisco’s Spoke Art Gallery pays homage to Stanley Kubrick’s glorious films with eye-catching artworks … Metallica made the Guinness World Records as the first rock band to perform on all seven continents … To celebrate the NY Philharmonic’s Opening Night Gala, the Empire State Building again glowed red … Hakuna Matata! Broadway’s The Lion King has the most box office total of any work in any media in entertainment history … New jukebox musical, Piece of My Heart, tells the story of Bert Berns who wrote Twist and Shout, Hang On Sloopy, and oh yeah, Piece of My Heart … NY Film Festival’s celebration of the wit, intelligence, and strong women characters of Joseph Mankiewicz’s films includes All About Eve and A Letter to Three Wives … Opening night at the Met Opera saw the return of James Levine leading the orchestra in a spirited and updated Le Nozze di Figaro. Bravo, Maestro! … George Harrison’s The Apple Years 1968-75 box set of his first six albums, digitally remastered from analog masters. Also an all-star tribute concert George Fest benefits the Sweet Relief Musician’s Fund … Also new Beatles Mono Vinyl box set … lullaby and…The Ceaseless Roar, Robert Plant’s 10th solo album inspired by blues, bluegrass, West African and world music, is “a kaleidoscope of sound, color, and friendship” … Introduced to music by granddad Theodore Augustus “Gus” Dupree, Keith Richards wrote Gus & Me, a children’s book with pen-and-ink illustrations by daughter Theodora … We lost Bob Crewe. You know his songs, the Four Seasons hits, Sherry, Walk Like a Man, Rag Doll, and Can’t Take My Eyes Off You … Also, Joe Sample, the Crusaders pianist, played funk, pop, dance, jazz, rock. “Unfortunately, in this country, there’s a lot of prejudice against the various forms of music. The jazz people hate the blues, the blues people hate rock, and the rock people hate jazz. But how can anyone hate music?” So true … And Bruce Springsteen turns 65. Born to run and still driving, searchin’, boppin’, and making magic. Happy birthday, Boss.

CAN WE TALK?

Who were Joan Rivers’ first guests on her Late Show Starring Joan Rivers? Cher, Pee-Wee Herman, and Elton John. Cool? Very … “I have become my own version of an optimist. If I can’t make it through one door, I’ll go through another door – or I’ll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present.” … Words to live by from a person who was always relevant, who always spoke the truth, and who was always funny. Amen.

As RUN-DMC’s agent, I booked them on the Late Show Starring Joan Rivers, where they performed Walk This Way in October 1986. And yes, Joan rapped with my guys: “Well, have you heard, I’m the first and number one, Not the best, not the worst, cause my name is Run, And I’m second cause I reckon that you want to see, An emcee like D inside the place to be, And have you heard he is third and his name is Jay.” And Joan raps: “I’m Mama Joan and I’m here to say, I got my own show and I’m here to stay!”

FUNNY + INFLUENTIAL = COSBY

“My father established our relationship when I was seven years old. He looked at me and said, ‘You know, I brought you in this world, and I can take you out. And it don’t make no difference to me, I’ll make another one look just like you.’” … In Cosby: His Life and Times (Simon & Schuster, September 2014), Mark Whitaker, longtime Newsweek editor and TV news executive, reveals the man we all think we know. Still travelling to do shows more than 30 weeks each year, Bill Cosby is a celebrity without entourage who carries his own bags and says hello to everyone. Mark will make you believe that the man we invited into our homes every week, the man who made us laugh at our own foibles, this groundbreaking comedian, is the approachable man we thought he was. Thank you Mark.

WE CAN HELP

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides financial assistance to career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems. Donations help pay for an artist’s medical expenses, housing, food, utilities, clothing, transportation, programs, and counseling.

Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell, RUN-DMC’s DJ, died October 30, 2002. The Jam Master Jay Foundation for Music provides funding and resources to support free public school music education programs. Donate to continue Jay’s legacy of creativity, positivity and community support.

Soundtrack to this Issue is
Radio Nowhere by Bruce Springsteen
From the album, Magic ©2007

C’mon, sing along:
I was driving through the misty rain
Searchin’ for a mystery train
Boppin’ through the wild blue
Tryin’ to make a connection with you

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l
“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Sun through leaves pic: Stout Travel Adventure
Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World: By Ella Frances Sanders (Ten Speed Press, September 2014)
Jagger’s Water Nymph quote: Journal of Paleontology (September 2014)
Kubrick pic: Tracie Ching
Robert Plant quote: from Amazon editorial review
Joe Sample quote: Los Angeles Times (1985)
RUN-DMC and Joan Rivers rap: Jam Master Jay: The Heart of Hip-Hop by David Thigpen
Cosby: His Life and Times: Simon & Schuster (September 2014)
Radio Nowhere lyrics: © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

August Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

AN AUGUST IN AND OUT OF SYNC

Remember when you made your own mix tapes? Those were “best-of” times for sure. Well, all your faves are #1 now with the Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix Vol. 1 soundtrack featuring “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Spirit in the Sky,” “O-o-h Child,” “Fooled Around and Fell in Love,” and “Hooked on a Feeling.” Try to get any of those outta your head. You’re welcome … Great music at Bard, Mostly Mozart, Bargemusic, Saratoga, and Tanglewood summer music fests … Americanafest NYC is the first-time collaboration between Lincoln Center Out of Doors and the Americana Music Association, which promotes American roots music. Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, and Rosanne Cash were streamed live. “I like to say that if you can taste the dirt through your ears, that’s Americana,” so says the AMA’s director … The glorious Patti Lupone spent two weeks at 54 Below … Horrible things happen on The Leftovers, the HBO show based on Tom Perotta’s book. Don’t miss the always wonderful Marceline Hugot (y’know, 30 Rock’s hilarious, silent Kathy Geiss), who plays Gladys, a stalking, silent smoker. You heard me … Rockaway resident Patti Smith helped heal the Hurricane Sandy-struck Queens section with Rockaway!, a public arts festival … The USPS issued a Janis Joplin postage stamp … A pristine copy of Action Comics No. 1, which sold for 10 cents in 1938 and introduced us to Superman, was bought at auction for $3.2 million …. Westminster Kennel Club noted the passing of Sadie, the beautiful Scottish Terrier who was Best in Show in 2010. She had a great career, the only “triple crown” winner ever (Westminster, AKC National Championship, and National Dog Show presented by Purina) … And the Supermoon glowed bright and close above us.

ROBIN WILLIAMS

Of another super star, Billy Crystal said of his friend Robin Williams, his “beautiful light will continue to shine on us forever, the glow will be so bright it will warm your heart.” … I invite you to watch this clip from Inside the Actors Studio with Robin Williams. As James Lipton recalls, “I introduced him and…bedlam! Then he took off!” … Watch it and laugh. Even as the tears roll down your face. And be thankful he was even here on earth among us. Amen.

OH, FOR ART’S SAKE

“Art has this ability to allow you to connect back through history in the same way that biology does. I’m always looking for source material.” … It’s a Jeff Koons summer in NYC. He is the subject of the Whitney Museum’s last retrospective at their Upper East Side home. Dogs and puppies, cats, Michael Jackson, Elvis, and a slice of cake. Something for everybody. There’s also his flower sculpture, Split-Rocker, sitting atop the plaza at Rockefeller Center.

BOOKS FOR YOUR EARS, TOO

There’s still time to catch up on your summer reading, hey there’s always time for a good book. Here’s our highlights, most are by friends … Lisa Robinson’s There Goes Gravity: A Life in Rock and Roll … Nelson George’s The Hippest Trip in America: Soul Train and the Evolution of Culture & Style … Holly George-Warren’s A Man Called Destruction: The Life and Music of Alex Chilton, From Box Tops to Big Star to Backdoor Man … Paul Stanley’s Face the Music: A Life Exposed … And Gina Arnold’s Exile in Guyville.

WE CAN HELP

It’s not just about the GRAMMYs. Did you know in the past year, The Recording Academy’s MusiCares held 162 clinics for musicians in need including Safe Harbor Rooms, dental, hearing, vision, and healthy living workshops? To find an event near you go to the MusiCares Facebook page.

 

“I pledge to help rescue animals in need using my time, my voice and my resources so that every animal is safe and protected from harm.” … Make the pledge to fight animal cruelty. Join singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat in the ASPCA’s Come To Their Rescue effort to help abused and abandoned animals find their forever homes.

 

Soundtrack to this Issue is
O-o-h Child by The Five Stairsteps

C’mon, sing along:
Ooh, ooh, child
Things are gonna get easier
Ooh, ooh, child
Things’ll get brighter

 

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l
“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Americana Music Association quote: NY Times, August 8, 2014
Robin Williams pic: indiewire.com
Billy Crystal quote: Emmy Awards, August 25, 2014, NBC
James Lipton quote: bravotv.com
Cake pic: Oil on canvas (1995–97) Private collection. ©Jeff Koons
Jeff Koons quote: Whitney Museum
O-o-h Child lyrics: Words and music by Stan Vincent/© EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

July Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

A WHOLE LOTTA MUSIC IN JULY

She is loved! Linda Ronstadt received the National Medal of Arts at the White House from President Obama, who revealed, “I had a little crush on her back in the day.” … Yet another award, the Library of Congress George Gershwin Prize for Popular Song was given to Billy Joel … The irony of it all. The George Harrison Tree got infested by, yeah, beetles … Newly restored, A Hard Day’s Night plays in theaters 50 years on, pretty good soundtrack … Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers released Hypnotic Eye … Eric Clapton saw to an all-star tribute album, The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale. Joining him are Mark Knopfler, Tom Petty, and Willie Nelson … The NY Philharmonic’s Star Spangled Celebration for July 4 … Lincoln Center’s Out of Doors series presented a memorial concert for Pete Seeger, Toshi Reagon’s Deep Roots of Rock and Roll, and the premier of John Luther Adams’ Sila: The Breath of the World … The positively upbeat Jason Mraz released YES! … Love the piano? Mannes held their annual summer keyboard festival …  James Taylor and Renee Fleming performed Tanglewood’s opening night  with the Boston Symphony Orchestra … Music Vault is Wolfgang’s Vault’s YouTube page of 13,000 performance clips and full concerts. Now you can watch the Who at Tanglewood in 1970 … Summertime means Peter Frampton with the Doobie Brothers, Aerosmith, Crosby Stills and Nash, and Yes on tour … Finally, Tommy Ramone, the last Ramone, has joined the band to play Blitzkrieg Bop in rock ‘n roll heaven. “We started auditioning drummers, but they just couldn’t grasp the concept of the band – the speed and simplicity.” And that’s how Tommy became their drummer. “Hey ho, let’s go!”

WEIRD AL RULES

“I wasn’t thinking, ‘Oh, I’m on the bleeding edge of marketing, this is going to be a business model that will change the world.’” Remember Eat It? Weird Al Yankovic finally made it to #1 on the Billboard album chart with Mandatory Fun. The King of Parody’s online video campaign went viral crazy, especially with the songs Tacky and Word Crimes, which yours truly wrote about (see Blog post: Weird Al Yankovic’s “Word Crimes” Ain’t No Crime!). “I read your email, It’s quite apparent, Your grammar’s errant, You’re incoherent.”

WE CAN HELP DOGS!

“My friend has two dogs, a Shi Tzu and a Shar Pei. She named them Fluff and Fold.” Elayne Boosler’s (yeah, that Elayne Boosler!) Tails of Joy raises funds for rescue organizations, gives “Little Guy Grants” daily on a most needed basis, helps with pet emergencies, works for the passing and enforcing of anti-cruelty laws, and rescues animals. Learn more at the Tails of Joy website. Staffed entirely by volunteers, 100% of every donation is dedicated to animal welfare!

Sign the ASPCA’s pledge vowing to make pet adoption your first option. “The only way to stop is to adopt it!”

Broadway Barks held their annual dog and cat adoption event to benefit NYC animal shelters and adoption agencies, featuring Broadway stars like Zach Braff and Audra McDonald and hosted by founders Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters. Their fabulous 2014 Calendar is out now!

Soundtrack to this Issue is
When Will I Be Loved? by Linda Ronstadt

C’mon, sing along:

I’ve been made blue, I’ve been lied to
When will I be loved?
I’ve been turned down, I’ve been pushed round
When will I be loved?

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l
“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Linda Ronstadt National Medal of Arts pic: AP Photo/Charles Dharapak
Tommy Ramone quote: Noisecreep, 2011
Weird Al pic: still from Tacky video
Word Crimes lyrics: from the album, Mandatory Fun (2014)
Linda Ronstadt pic: Asylum Records
When Will I Be Loved? lyrics: Phil Everly © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC