Odds & Ends: News/Humor (with a "Who Lost the Week?" poll)

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 The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China— with materials such as gunpowder on paper — will be at the Los Angeles County, California Museum of Art through January 5th.

Cai Guo-Qiang: thru Jan 5th

CHEERS to a great time at Netroots Nation in Philadelphia … seeing old friends, making new ones, good-food-and-drink and some fascinating panelists. The Cheers & Jeers gathering is getting up-there in the world ….. held at the Ritz-Carlton this year, fer-cryin’-out-loud.

For Adam Bonin’s Pub Quiz, I promised the host of the Kansas City Drinking Liberally chapter (Gary Brush) that I’d join him … but we were short until some others joined us (including a fellow from Minneapolis who reported on Michele Bachmann’s still existing war chest) and — luckily for us — some of the Philadelphia D/L chapter folks. Because of them, our team (Muller Takes Out the Trash) came in 3rd place, second to two long-standing groups .. since many of the questions were Pennsylvania-oriented. Looking forward to Denver next year.

THURSDAY's CHILD wants you to know that citizens of Muncie, Indiana were able to — this week only — settle parking tickets by donating cat supplies including litter and food to the local shelter, as long as the dollar amount of all the donations are equal to the amount of the parking ticket.

  Cat supplies needed in IN

ARCHITECTURE NOTES — the rebuilding of Beirut, Lebanon— after a fifteen-year civil war that ended in 1990 — has continued in a way that is familiar: whether it is restoring the Paris of the Middle East’s old glory or pushing long-time residents out, and how the Place de l’Etoile is less of a mixing bowl between the city’s ethnic factions today.

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You can’t put a bear on a state flag and then act surprised when it shows up for a town hall meeting https://t.co/fr0cvcvG2g

— Dragana (@draganakaurin) July 19, 2019

FOR THOSE of YOU who are familiar with the sisters on this site who produce not only community quilts (for those who are suffering) but also Pootie Pads— they need funding to rescue their home from foreclosure due to some staggering medical bills. If you are in-a-position to donate any amount, do so at this link.

FRIDAY's CHILD is named Loki the Cat— an Alberta, Canada kitteh who was reunited with his family after going missing nine years …. due to his microchip.

          Loki the Cat

BRAIN TEASER - try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.

THE OTHER NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a post-Netroots Nation look at some famous bassists from Philadelphia— both double bassists and electric bassists — who have reached the top of the musical world.

OLDER-YOUNGER BROTHERS? — two lefty bloggers: cartoonist Dan “Tom Tomorrow” Perkins and blogger Duncan “Atrios” Black (who was born in Australia, lives in Philadelphia).

  Dan Perkins (born 1961)

  Duncan Black (born 1972)

...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… in 1997, the hip-hop group Run–D.M.C were in their sixteenth year of existence and on a European tour. The band from Queens, New York would later be called the "Beatles of hip-hop" by fellow performer Chuck D, in his introduction of them as #48 in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time this past decade, and in 2009 they would be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

But band member Darryl McDaniels - the "D.M.C." in the band's name - was a most unhappy man back in 1997. Some reasons: he had grown weary of touring, was suffering from homesickness and substance abuse, feared his voice was wearing out (from his aggressive singing style) and that creative differences with his bandmates (as the band was in a lull) were damaging their future. In addition, he felt an inner loneliness ….. for which he could not identify a reason. He began to consider suicide when he returned home, not wanting to leave his bandmates high-and-dry on the tour.  

On his way home from the airport, he had a change of heart. The reason? He heard the new song Angel - about a drug-addict's struggles with the world - by someone whose background seemingly could not have been more different than Darryl McDaniels' life had been.

Sarah McLachlan is a singer-songwriter from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who has sold in excess of 40 million records world-wide. Long involved in charity work, she penned the song I Will Remember You for the film The Brothers McMullen in 1995 and was the chief organizer for the Lilith Fair music festivals featuring women artists. Not exactly urban, male hip-hop .... but it was a lifeline to Darryl McDaniels.

A year after he backed away from contemplating suicide, he saw Sarah McLachlan at a Grammy party and told her what her song "Angel" had done for him. "Thank you for telling me that Darryl - because that's what music is supposed to do" was her reply.

A few years later, Darryl McDaniels decided to write his memoirs and in the course of researching the book, called his parents for information on his birth, which they gave to him ... only to call back 15 minutes later to tell him that he had been adopted. This, he was convinced, was that missing piece of himself that he couldn't identify.

He devoted part of his life to working on behalf of adopted children and won a 2006 Congressional Angels in Adoption Award - and at nearly the 2:00 minute mark of this video, just look at who presents him with this award.

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Darryl McDaniels and Sarah McLachlan would appear to have many years of work ahead of them, with McDaniels starting his own comic book company five years ago and Sarah McLachlan now on tour with her latest release being two years ago.

 Darryl McDaniels (b. 1964)

 Sarah McLachlan (b. 1968)

In 2006, McDaniels planned a solo album and had an interesting idea for a song. He wanted to reprise the Harry Chapin classic Cat's in the Cradle - but with revised lyrics about being adopted (and this time, with a happy ending). Darryl picks up the story from there:

Then a light goes on in my head. I'mma get that lady. That lady whose record helped me, I'mma get her to help me make a record that's gonna help somebody else.

She agreed to sing the (original) chorus for him, and once the record was finished: McLachlan told McDaniels .... that she, too was adopted. He was floored.

That's what music is supposed to do. I call up the lady that touched my life and then she tells me we had that in common. That's miraculous.

And below you can hear their collaboration entitled "Just Like Me".

It was nine whole months inside of the womb Another long month in the hospital room Facing doom in a tomb 'cause the kid is alone But somebody came along and they took the kid home

He came into the world like we all do But he never ever knew how he came through Do the best you can do if this happens to you And understand all the words that I'm rappin' to you

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon Little Boy Blue and the man in the moon When you coming home? I don't know when But we'll get together then You know we'll have a good time then

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