Comments on: Friday Talking Points -- Biden Gets Good News Heading Into The SOTU

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 12:52:59 +0000

Better late than never, I always hate to say.

Great finale!

By: MtnCaddy

MtnCaddy — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 04:55:33 +0000

Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler. Marvin Gaye Slave. The Temptations Ball of Confusion. The Temptations Celebrate. Rare Earth

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 05:33:01 +0000

MyVoice[39],

Very nice!

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 04:25:13 +0000

Not sure if these guys ever recorded on the Motown label but, they've always been a favourite ... The Stylistics - Greatest Hits That's a wrap from my end - enjoy the rest of the evening's festivities, everyone!

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 04:16:37 +0000

From Vancouver, a band that was active 1971-1973, featuring Donny Gerrard on vocals and David Foster on keyboards... Skylark - Wildflower

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 04:00:32 +0000

Turn this one up to eleven and enjoy! Luther Vandross - The Impossible Dream

By: MyVoice

MyVoice — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 03:47:49 +0000

Oops, typo. Frankie was 13 when "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" was released.

By: MyVoice

MyVoice — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 03:46:00 +0000

Here are a couple of pre-Motown greats, not to be forgotten: Frankie Lyman, who has a writing credit on this song, was 14 when it was released. Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - Why Do Fools Fall In Love Clyde McFatter helped define rhythm & blues Clyde McFatter - A Lover's Question

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 03:41:51 +0000

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Ooh Baby Baby

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 03:27:01 +0000

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Tears of a Clown (1967)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 03:13:25 +0000

"After the haunting flute line fades away at the start of “Reach Out,” the Four Tops join together in one big growl — that’s how strong their passion is. Then singer Levi Stubbs takes the lead, offering a hand to his girl as her world crumbles, promising that no matter what happens, he’ll always be there. “I wanted the song to explore the kinds of things women were going through and for Levi to come off as understanding and supportive,” Lamont Dozier, one of the song’s co-writers, remembered in The Wall Street Journal. “I also wanted the lyrics to be phrased in a special way — as though they were being thrown down.” Ultimately, the song was as sweet as it was intense." — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone The Four Tops - Reach Out I'll Be There (1966)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 02:57:18 +0000

"By 1966, Supremes singles had already reached the top of the pop chart seven times, but songwriters Holland-Dozier-Holland decided the time had come for a change; the trio needed an injection of rock & roll edge to keep up with the times. Starting with its Morse code-inspired guitar intro, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” was their answer, and mission accomplished. Ditching the flirty buoyance of the early Supremes hits, the magnificent “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” was three minutes of relentless, haunted desperation, pushed along by a beat that never let up. According to Lamont Dozier, Diana Ross’ brief spoken interjection — “And there ain’t nothing I can do about it” — was improvised in the studio. “We wanted to make it believable, add some everyday talk, like the girl was really going through this predicament,” he said. “When you get to a certain point with a situation, you realize, ‘Hey, there ain’t nothing I can do about it.’”" — David Browne, Rolling Stone The Supremes - You Keep Me Hangin' On

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 02:48:46 +0000

"This Norman Whitfield/Barrett Strong song was clearly going to be a hit. The question was, whose? The Miracles cut their version first, then Marvin Gaye gave it a go. Gladys Knight and the Pips’ straightforwardly aggrieved funk raver got the nod. And it was a hit. But though Gaye’s take was relegated to an album track, DJs and fans heard something snakily menacing in its groove, something haunting and tortured in how he (reluctantly, at Whitfield’s insistence) stretched out of his regular vocal range to capture a pain the lyric only suggested." — Keith Harris, Rolling Stone Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through the Grapevine

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 02:43:38 +0000

"Martha Reeves calls out around the world with a question: “Are you ready for a brand new beat?” The world has been moving to “Dancing in the Street” ever since. Martha and the Vandellas make it a utopian celebration of one nation under a groove, shouting out to Philly, Chicago, New Orleans, D.C., and can’t forget the Motor City. But it was also a complex challenge to an America still reluctant to share those streets with black bodies. When Detroit went up in flames in the summer of 1967, rising up against trigger-happy cops, “Dancing in the Street” took on a new meaning as a call to arms. The Rolling Stones turned it into “Street Fighting Man,” Bruce Springsteen turned it into “Racing in the Street,” and David Bowie and Mick Jagger turned it into one of the Eighties’ freakiest videos." —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone Martha and the Vandellas - Dancin' In The Street (1964)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 02:34:11 +0000

My favourite from the Temptations ... the Temptations - Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 02:32:00 +0000

"“The Temptations inspired ‘My Girl’,” Smokey Robinson told Rolling Stone’s Brian Hiatt in a 2020 episode of the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast. “If not for the Temptations I probably never even would’ve even written ‘My Girl.’” Amid Motown’s hothouse creative environment, Robinson was looking for a different kind of song to offer the label’s preeminent male vocal group and came up with the somewhat contrary notion of writing a sweet romantic tune and having David Ruffin, the group’s gruffest-sounding singer and a new member at the time, take the lead vocal. The result was the group’s first Number One single, Motown’s first Number One by a male group, and easily one of the most perfect distillations of romantic fulfillment ever recorded. Over the years, many people have assumed Robinson wrote the song for his own group, the Miracles, but as he told Hiatt, “I was just trying to write a sweet song for David Ruffin to sing for the girls.”" — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone the Temptations - My Girl (1964)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 02:23:14 +0000

"On “Superstition,” Stevie Wonder’s inspiration arrived in the form of a loose drum line played, improbably, by guitar virtuoso Jeff Beck. “Stevie came kinda boogieing into the studio: ‘Don’t stop,'” the guitarist remembered. “‘Ah, c’mon, Stevie, I can’t play the drums.’ Then the lick came out: ‘Superstition.'” Wonder played the funky line on a Clavinet and ended up layering his own Moog bass and drums, while guest musicians played the horn line. Wonder then finished it off with lyrics about falling ladders, broken mirrors, and believing “in things that you don’t understand.” Wonder told Beck he could have the song as a thank you for playing on his Talking Book LP, but it ended up being bad luck for the guitarist, since Motown’s Berry Gordy liked it so much he rushed out Wonder’s recording first — and it went to Number One." —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone Stevie Wonder - Superstition (1972)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 02:13:56 +0000

"“War” might be the toughest protest song to hit Number One in the Vietnam era — or any era. At a time when even the edgiest rock stars got too intimidated to take on the Nixon regime, it was a shock to hear “War” blast out of AM radio, with Edwin Starr leading the chant: “War! Good God, y’all! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! Say it again!” Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong originally wrote it for the Temptations, but Starr had the righteous rage in his voice to take it to Number One. “War” became a hit all over again in the nuke-crazed Reagan years — perhaps the only Motown tune covered by both Bruce Springsteen and Frankie Goes to Hollywood." — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone Edwin Starr - War (Original Video, 1969)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 02:03:29 +0000

Marvin Gaye - Trouble Man After Captain America wakes up from a 70 year slumber, the Falcon gives him something to add to his list of missed things he must now experience - Trouble Man soundtrack!

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 01:37:09 +0000

Al Green - Let's Stay Together (2021 Extended Lockdown Mix)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 01:20:55 +0000

Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes - If You Don't Know Me By Now

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 01:09:14 +0000

great first song and singer! And, the CW Sunday Night Music Festival and Dance Party is officially underway and in very fine style. Tip of the hat to Joshua for getting things started this evening. I'm so excited! Smokey Robinson - One Heartbeat (1987)

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 00:38:00 +0000

lead me not into temptation, i can find the way myself ~rita mae brown so yeah, temptations...

By: nypoet22

nypoet22 — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 00:32:25 +0000

great idea. respect!

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 15:37:00 +0000

Or, worse. Ahem.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 15:36:04 +0000

And, before anyone starts calling me an appeaser and Putin apologist, let me just say that if I were a Russian living in Russia I'd indubitably be working in a hard labour prison camp somewhere in Siberia by now. Heh.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 03:09:17 +0000

Hey, everybody - I have an idea!

Heh.

How about we devote this Sunday Night to a lot of Motown, baby, with a little slow grinding to Smokey Robinson to help celebrate Black History Month in Weigantia!

I, for one, can hardly wait! Hope I'm not alone, again.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 01:35:35 +0000

I'm done ... for now. :)

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 01:35:02 +0000

The incremental support that the US and its NATO allies is providing to Ukraine is just enough to prolong this tragic and unnecessary war, not win it.

At this point, winning it may be the only option. Which is not exactly a benign proposition. Can we say the longest and most destructive war ever with far-reaching and dire consequences?

In other words, it may be Katie bar the door time when it comes to providing Ukraine everything it needs and wants and then some, yesterday! The first anniversary of this war is quickly approaching and would be the perfect time for the US/NATO to finally get serious about helping Ukraine win and fast.

But, win what? That's up for debate.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 01:26:49 +0000

Are you saying that if Joe had ignored this and instead unilaterally took Ukrainian membership off the table that Putin would…withdraw from Ukraine? No, I'm not saying that. I am saying that Biden, along with his NATO allies, DID take Ukrainian membership in NATO very decidedly off the negotiating table before this current conflict began. In other words, Ukraine's ultimate membership in NATO was posited as an actual eventual outcome that was non-negotiable despite knowing that Ukrainian membership in NATO was the most important red line for Russia and has been for the last many decades. I am also saying that Biden and his NATO allies made damn sure that we would never find out if serious negotiations over the status of Ukraine's relationship with NATO might have avoided turning a regional security crisis into the absolute international mess we have now. In other words, by saying essentially that Ukraine's membership in NATO was a fait accompli and not open to any sort of negotiation was a very clear message to Moscow that the West was hellbent on expanding NATO right up to its front door, only a few hundred miles away. Furthermore, Biden's inartful and non-serious talk of regime change in Moscow did not help the situation one little bit.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 01:08:31 +0000

Forgive me if I stick to just expanding on my [7] and, hopefully, that will answer all of your questions and address all of your points... ah, what the Hell, let me try to take them one at time. :)

Let’s pretend NATO’s charter doesn’t say it’s up to prospective countries to decide whether or not to join — with no exception for Vladimir’s preferences.

Only if we can pretend that nowhere is it understood that defensive organizations, like NATO, for example, have every right to include or exclude any nation it so chooses - based solely on its own preferences, geopolitical or otherwise, okay?

Now, just let me finish - I'm trying to cook dinner while I'm doing this.

By: MtnCaddy

MtnCaddy — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 23:38:50 +0000

But. I’ve been missing left and right with you, my otherwise sincere Biden Fan, Elizabeth.

By: MtnCaddy

MtnCaddy — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 22:55:09 +0000

I think this strikes at the heart of our failure to see eye to eye regarding Ukraine.

By: MtnCaddy

MtnCaddy — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 22:54:17 +0000

4- do you believe that providing weapons to Ukraine is extending needless suffering in Ukraine for no reason?

By: MtnCaddy

MtnCaddy — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 22:52:06 +0000

Hope you’re having a good shift, Elizabeth!

I see where my questions are unclear, so I rephrase:

1- WHAT did Joe do wrong?

2- what should Joe have done instead — and how would it have stopped Putin from escalating (his) Russo-Ukrainian war?

3- now that we’re a year in WHAT should Joe do now — and what better result would you expect from doing so?

By: MtnCaddy

MtnCaddy — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 22:37:43 +0000

Whot we have he-yah…is fail-yuh…to comun’cate.

Boss What’s-his-name,
COOL HAND LUKE…

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 15:46:32 +0000

Okay, what we have here is a classic case of a failure to communicate. Where one person says or writes something and the other hears or understands something completely different! It explains a lot. Heh.

I will try to explain things again when I get home from work.

By: MtnCaddy

MtnCaddy — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 15:20:05 +0000

Really? When did Biden take NATO membership off the table. And if he did (I missed it) then if I understand you correctly that should have made Putin “happy?”

Please tell me what Biden should have done differently and why it would have (even possibly) made a difference.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 15:16:11 +0000

By the way, Caddy, the US has been pushing for Ukraine's membership in NATO since long before Russian forces took Crimea.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 15:00:39 +0000

Caddy,

Are you saying that if Joe had ignored this and instead unilaterally took Ukrainian membership off the table that Putin would…withdraw from Ukraine?

Please explain that comment because it doesn't make any sense.

Biden actually DID take Ukrainian membership off the table. Which guaranteed that we would never know if the current conflict could have been avoided or if Ukraine could have made its own decisions about its economic relationship with Europe or its security arrangement with Russia. That has been my point all along. Hello! :)

By: italyrusty

italyrusty — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 08:12:22 +0000

This isn't about American politics per se, but still worth highlighting.
https://www.politico.eu/article/luke-skywalker-mark-hamill-sell-signed-star-wars-posters-for-ukraine/

By: italyrusty

italyrusty — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 07:50:04 +0000

When Democrats are hopelessly outnumbered in state legislatures, it can seem there's no way to oppose even the most idiotic and/or harmful legislation. Here's a marvelous example of someone in "fly-over country" who deserves at least an honorable mention for MIDOW for attention-getting:
'Conservatives in the Nebraska legislature recently proposed a bill, LB 371, that would make it a crime for children to attend a drag show. So progressive senator Megan Hunt is fighting back by amending the anti-drag bill to ban children from attending vacation Bible study or any similar “religious indoctrination” camps.
Obviously, Hunt is doing this to make a point. If right-wing lawmakers actually wanted to protect children, they could go after the people who are actual threats to children. Instead, they’re going after drag queens. They’re waging a culture war battle instead of doing anything useful.'
https://onlysky.media/hemant-mehta/megan-hunt-drag-show-bill-religious-indoctrination-camp-ban/

By: MtnCaddy

MtnCaddy — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 04:42:58 +0000

[3]

So, Joe assumed office in January, 2021, seven years after Russo-Ukraine war started.

Let’s pretend NATO’s charter doesn’t say it’s up to prospective countries to decide whether or not to join — with no exception for Vladimir’s preferences.

Are you saying that if Joe had ignored this and instead unilaterally took Ukrainian membership off the table that Putin would…withdraw from Ukraine?

Please explain your thinking.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 02:55:00 +0000

Everytime Biden gets praise for his economic prowess, whether as VP or Prez, I am amazed. I've always considered him to be the foreign policy guy. Well, at least up until his disastrous Ukraine strategy.

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 02:49:37 +0000

There's a lot of talk about shooting that 'Chinese spy balloon' down and all I can think of is, great. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

By: Elizabeth Miller

Elizabeth Miller — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 02:46:41 +0000

However, Joe Biden is a staunch traditionalist, so picturing him actually taking this advice is rather tough to do. But Tyrangiel is right -- sooner or later some president is going to see the wisdom of his suggestion and at least add a few video breaks to the annual spectacle.

Some pretty great ideas there!

Oh, I don't know, I could see Biden taking this advice. It's too late coming for this SOTU address but, I'm thinking, the 2024 SOTU just might be the opportune opportunity to unleash this new style of presenting the state of the union. With a whole year to prepare and lay the groundwork, it could be, well, awesome! Of course, that presumes that the good times will keep rolling. Heh.