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CHEERS to a great meet-up this past weekend for Blue Hampshire - and we had both of our state's House members attend. Paul Hodes (2nd district) came for the first 1/2 hour, and Carol Shea-Porter (1st district) made it for the last 1/2 hour. And the main topic under discussion: how to hand Senator Judd Gregg (R-GWB) his walking papers two years hence (assuming he runs for re-election).
HAIL and FAREWELL to the lead singer of the 1960's band "Classics IV" named Dennis Yost who has died at the age of 65 (after being in poor health for some time). He sang their hits such as "Spooky", "Stormy," "Everyday With You Girl," and the group's highest charting record, "Traces of Love". Some of its members (and their producer) later went on to found the Atlanta Rhythm Section in the mid-70's, and you can hear the antecedents to that band in the Classics IV's sound.
ART NOTES #1 - the works of female artists Drawing the Line is at the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego, California through February 22nd.
ELECTION NOTES - although Canadians have been inundated with elections the past few years: the premier of the province of Québec, Liberal Party head Jean Charest - who speaks unaccented English (having an Anglophone mother) - called a snap election, as his party headed a minority government. It worked: the Liberals won a (small) majority, with the conservative ADQ party suffering a loss that will lead to its 38 year-old wunderkind (Mario Dumont) announcing the end of his party leadership.
YUK for today - in a profile of the young English singer Lily Allen the reviewer looks at her forthcoming album release in February and notes a particular track. "'Him' is about God, and includes her favourite line on the record: 'Do you think He's ever been suicidal?/ His favourite band is Creedence Clearwater Revival'".
SOME of the PROBLEMS that now befall the nation of Thailand in the opinion of The Economist stem from its king, shielded by "the world's most ferociously enforced law against lèse-majesté (offending the crown)".
WEDNESDAY's CHILD #1 is an Istanbul, Turkey bookstore cat .... doing what they do best.
ELDER CARE of a different sort in Germany is profiled in "Gray and gay in Germany".
HOLIDAY GIFT ideas - Ten 10 of the tackiest Christmas gifts for this year.
ONLY 1/5 of the number of cafés that existed in France back in 1960 exist today. While in big cities it isn't a problem: rural areas (due to changing social habits, rural depopulation, the recently introduced ban on smoking and other developments) are threatening a way of life.
ART NOTES #2 - the works of Ulysses Davis are at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia through April 5th.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING for ideas on what to get the kitty that has everything: Gifts for Cats may be of help, with 12 suggestions.
A RECENT CARTOON by Tom Tomorrow looks back at the Bush administration.
BELIEVING THAT the power of music can help with recidivism, Billy Bragg has begun a program to make musical instruments available to prisons in the UK.
THE CITY of AMSTERDAM has long been a draw for tourists to the Netherlands, as a result of its red-light district and cannabis cafés in downtown. But the mayor's office is attempting a major crackdown/reduction, leaving many uneasy.
MOTHER-DAUGHTER? - Jacqueline Kennedy and film star Anne Hathaway.
 
MUSIC NOTES - you may recall the former Sha-Na-Na singer Jon 'Bowzer' Bauman - in addition to touring with his own band today, he has a new calling.
Truth in Music is his group that is working with state legislatures to curb "impostor bands" - which perform under the name of a classic band yet have no ties (or legal agreement) to them. Bauman's group has helped 26 state legislatures enact laws forbidding a group to use a classic band's name unless at least one original member is performing, with some exceptions (and also excluding clearly marked "tribute bands").
HEALTH NOTES - an eminent French cardiologist has triggered an impassioned debate over his claim to have discovered a (medicinal) cure for alcoholism.
WEDNESDAY's CHILD #2 is Fluffy the Cat - a Texas kitty reunited with her family after going missing for three months.
TRAVEL NOTES - Kenya stands to benefit from Obama tourism yet one old tradition has sparked controversy. Bullfights - not the Spanish way with a matador, but just having two bulls go-at-it before an audience - is an old tradition that many believe should not be part of any tourist experience.
ARCHITECTURE NOTES - Berlin's Brandenburg Gate - to the German capital what the Arch de Triomphe is for Paris and Trafalgar Square is to Britain - has shown signs of exterior cracking. This is attributed to nearby construction work and because of shoddy restoration work (costing over $4 million) carried out on it six years ago.
SEPARATED at BIRTH - the new "Bond Girl" Olga Kurylenko and TV star Catherine Bell ("JAG").
 
....... and for a song of the day ....................................... though she was born in Beaumont, Texas (and lives there today) the R&B career of Barbara Lynn came to fruition in New Orleans. As a child, she had two disparate influences: male blues guitarists (Guitar Slim, Jimmy Reed) and female singers (Brenda Lee, Connie Francis). So why not combine both? Add to that her left-handed guitar stylings and the fact that from 1962-1972 she also wrote some of her own material - and you had the likes of which had not been seen since Sister Rosetta Tharp.
Barbara Lynn Ozen formed her own all-female band Bobbie Lynn and the Idols and after playing at teen dances and talent shows risked being thrown out of high school by playing juke joints while underage. She was recommended to music impresario Huey Meaux (the "Crazy Cajun") who wanted to record her at Cosimo's in New Orleans. Her parents agreed on the condition that if her recordings did not sell after awhile, that she would return and attend college (also unusual for a young woman of the day).
Yet she struck the Top Ten in 1962 and for the next ten years had a number of hits; performing at the Apollo Theatre and American Bandstand. Those hits included "You're Gonna Need Me", "You Left The Water Running", "This is the Thanks I Get" and "Oh Baby (We Got a Good Thing Going)" which was recorded by the Rolling Stones in 1965. But after one final hit in 1972 "(Until Then) I'll Suffer", she grew tired of the grind and the lack of promotion she received - and left to raise a family.
She returned in the late 1980's and has had a more low-key (yet steady) career since; having fans in countries such as Japan (where she recorded a live album). Her most recent albums date from 2000 ...
... and 2003 ...
... and she was awarded a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation in 1999. The photo right is from this past April's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
 
That breakout song from 1962 (that she wrote as a 20 year-old) was You'll Lose a Good Thing (fair-use extract below) which hit #1 on the R&B charts and #10 on the pop charts ... and years later was a country hit for Freddy Fender.
At this link you can watch Barbara Lynn perform it (on a live TV show).
I'm giving you one more chance
for you to do right
If you'll only straighten up
we'll have a good life
This is my last time
not asking any more
If you don't do right
I'm gonna march out that door
And if you don't believe me
just try it, baby
And you'll lose a good thing
You'll lose a good thing
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