Saturday, June 18, 2022

Kat's Korner

Every comic I post at THE COMMON ILLS?  Kat's always kind enough to repost at her site.  Her "Kat's Korner: George Ezra and Rod Stewart prove the British are still invading" went up earlier today, it's a review of albums by George Ezra and Rod Stewart.

Kat's been doing music reviews at THE COMMON ILLS for a long time -- a month longer than I've been doing comics there.  So I thought I would note her music reviews.  Before I do, BLOGGER/BLOGSPOT changed the way you can do links about two or three years ago.  Prior to that, she'd list her most recent on top  After the change, she had to start putting them at the bottom.  Here are the reviews she's been doing since 2004:

  • Sam Smith Love Blows
  • Joni Mitchell archive release
  • Return Bruce Springsteen's LETTER TO YOU
  • Maria McKee and Bright Eyes
  • Taylor Swift, Brandy, Alanis and Steve Grand
  • Haim and women in music
  • Pretenders' HATE FOR SALE
  • Ellie Goulding and Lady Gaga
  • Diana Ross hits the dance floor
  • Bob Dylan ROUGH AND ROWDY WAYS
  • Hamilton Leithauser and Ronnie Spector
  • Ricky Martin PAUSA
  • Fiona Apple FETCH THE BOLTCUTTERS
  • Judy Garland's JUDY
  • 2010-2019 the decade in music
  • 2019 in muaix
  • Coldplay EVERDAY LIFE
  • Leslie Odom's MR.
  • Taylor Swift and Tanya Tucker
  • Drake's CARE PACKAGE
  • James Blake ASSUME FORM
  • Judy Garland ALONE
  • Mavis Staple WE GET BY
  • Dionne Warwick SHE'S BACK
  • Rhiannon Giddens THERE IS NO OTHER
  • Mavis Staples LIVE IN LONDON
  • Hozier WASTELAND, BABY
  • Chaka Khan HELLO HAPPINESS
  • 2018 in music
  • Rod Stewart BLOOD RED ROSES
  • Diana Ross WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS TIME
  • Barbra Streisand WALLS
  • Cat Power WANDERER
  • Cher does ABBA - DANCING QUEEN
  • Ann Wilson's IMMORTAL
  • John Mellencamp's SCARECROW
  • Cowboy Junkies ALL THAT RECKONING
  • Sting & Shaggy 44/876
  • Dashboard Confessional CROOKED SHADOW
  • Joan Baez WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND
  • 2017 in Music
  • Diana Ross' DIAMOND DIANA
  • Taylor Swift's REPUTATION
  • Sam Smith's THE THRILL OF IT ALL
  • Tori Amos' NATIVE INVADERS
  • Blondie POLLINATOR
  • Aimee Mann MENTAL ILLNESS
  • Luke Bryan KILL THE LIGHTS
  • Conor Oberst SALUTATIONS
  • 2016 in music
  • Diana Ross' diana and the RCA Years
  • John Legend
  • Bruno Mars 24K MAGIC
  • Alicia Keys' HERE
  • Pretenders' ALONE
  • Chris Brown's Mixed up Mix tape
  • Melissa Etheridge: The lesbian who preferred men
  • Barbra Streisand's lousy encore
  • Nick Jonas LAST YEAR WAS COMPLICATED
  • No one hates Drake more than Drake
  • Ben Harper's Call It What It Is
  • Graham Nash This Path Tonight
  • Diana Ross Sings Songs From The Wiz
  • 2015 in Music
  • Tracy Chapman's Greatest Hits
  • Adele 25
  • Carly Simon's Songs From The Trees
  • The Triumphant return of Janet Jackson
  • Judy Collins plays Where The Boys Are
  • Rickie Lee Jones The Other Side of Desire
  • Wilco's Star Wars
  • Steve Grand
  • Buffy Sainte-Marie's Power In The Blood
  • Carly Simon The Bedroom Tapes
  • Ringo Starr Postcards from Paradise
  • DNR order on Madonna's Rebel Heart
  • 2014 in music
  • Ronstadt and Streisand do duets
  • Neil Young Storytones
  • Aretha Franklin Sings The Great Diva Classics
  • Stevie Nicks' 24 Karat Gold
  • Prince drops 2 albums
  • Lenny Kravitz' Strut
  • Carly Simon Original Album Series
  • Chrissie Hynde's Stockholm
  • Tori Amos Unrepentant Geraldines
  • Ben Harper and Ellen Harper Childhood Home
  • Livingston Taylor Blue Sky
  • Afghan Whigs Do The Beast
  • Cloud Nothings
  • Pretenders The Isle Of View
  • Ben Taylor's Listening
  • Bruce Springsteen High Hopes
  • Brad Paisley
  • 2013 in music
  • Beyonce's awful album
  • Jack Johnson From Here To Now To You
  • Cher's Closer To The Truth
  • Jackson and His Computerband
  • Sam Phillips
  • Ebony Bones Behold, A Pale Horse
  • Maps (James Chapman)
  • Hanni El Khatib
  • Shannon and the Clams
  • Natalie Maines' Mother
  • Holly Near, Go Away
  • Kate Nash's Girl Talk
  • Devendra Banhart
  • Taylor Swift Red
  • 2012 In Music
  • Rolling Stones GRRR!
  • Heart's Fanatic
  • Alanis Morissette
  • Animal Collective
  • Susanna Hoffs and Joss Stone
  • Carole King Demos, Maria McKee Live
  • What Regina Spektor Saw Playing It Cheap
  • Bonnie Raitt Slipstream
  • Wilson Phillips Dedicated
  • M. Ward's A Wasteland Companion
  • Carole King's Touch the Sky
  • Carole King's Welcome Home
  • Graffiti6 Colours
  • The Sensual Roberta Flack
  • Ani DiFranco Which Side Are You On?
  • Moves Like Jagger
  • 2011 in music
  • Doris Day and Rob Crow
  • Tori Amos Night of Hunters
  • Muppet 'tribute' album
  • Beastie Boys
  • Joss Stone
  • Amy Winehouse vs the Plastic World
  • Death Cab for Cutie's Codes and Silences
  • Ben Harper's Give Till It's Gone
  • Phil Spector's Wall of Sound
  • Stevie Nicks In Your Dreams
  • Emmylou Harris
  • Radiohead The King Of Limbs
  • PJ Harvey Let England Shake
  • 2010 in Music
  • Melanie's Ever Since You Never Heard Of Me
  • Cher's far from over
  • The 80s: Where Cher Proves Them All Wrong
  • Cher and the too far gone 70s
  • Neil Young's Le Noise
  • Heart
  • Cher's 60s recordings
  • Melanie's Crazy Love
  • Sarah McLachlan's Laws of Illusions
  • Tom Petty & Heartbreakers forgot to write some songs
  • Kate Nash
  • Jakob Dylan
  • Natalie Merchant
  • Torch singer Sade
  • Joanna Newsom's triumph
  • The decade in music
  • 2009 in Music
  • Joni Mitchell live on Greenpeace CD
  • Carly Simon Never Been Gone
  • Barbra is the answer
  • Holly Near & emma's revolution
  • Under The Covers Vol. 2
  • Cass Elliot's classic album
  • John Fogerty's White Flight
  • Elvis Costello Goes Country
  • Regina Spektor Far
  • Ben Harper White Lies For Dark Times
  • Tori Amos Abnormally Attracted to Sin
  • David Saw Broken Down Figure
  • Prince LOtUSFLOW3R
  • Stevie Nicks The Soundstage Sessions
  • Joshua Radin Simple Beauty
  • U2 No Line On The Horizon
  • Charity albums
  • india.arie
  • Schuyler Fisk
  • Tracy Chapman Our Bright Future
  • Bruce Springsteen Working On a Dream
  • Best of Janis Ian
  • Phoebe Snow Live
  • 2008 in Music
  • Labelle Back To Now
  • Pretends Break Up The Concrete
  • Aimee Mann @#%&*! Smilers
  • Augustana Can't Love, Can't Hurt
  • Cold Play Vida la Vida
  • The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt
  • Carly Simon This Kind Of Love
  • Jack Johnson Sleep Through The Static
  • Lenny Kravitz It Is Time For A Love Revolution
  • 2007 in Music
  • Smashing Pumpkins Zeitgeist
  • Ann Wilson Hope & Glory
  • Prince Planet Earth
  • Joni Mitchell Shine
  • Stephen Stills and Ani DiFranco
  • Ben Harper Lifeline
  • Judy Collins Sings Lennon & McCartney
  • Cowboy Junkies at the end of paths taken
  • Mavis Staples We'll Never Turn Back
  • Rickie Lee Jones and Norah Jones
  • Albert Hammond Jr. Yours To Keep
  • Tori Amos American Doll
  • Patti Smith Twelve
  • Bright Eyes Cassadaga
  • Holly Near Shows Up
  • Diana Ross I Love You
  • Lizzie West I Pledge Allegiance to Myself
  • Carly Simon Into White
  • 2006 in Music
  • David Rovic Halliburton Boardroom Massacre
  • Ani DiFranco Reprieve
  • Justin Timberlake Future Sex/Love Sounds
  • Michael Franti & Spearhead Yell Fire!
  • Free Design Kites Are Fun
  • Janis Ian Folk Is The New Black
  • Neil Young Living With War
  • Pink I'm Not Dead
  • Josh Ritter The Animal Years
  • Pearl Jam
  • Dixie Chicks Taking The Long Way
  • Bruce Springsteen Seeger Sessions
  • Richie Havens Collection
  • Ben Harper Both Sides of The Gun
  • Etta James All The Way
  • Nina Simone The Solid Gold Collection
  • Cat Power The Greatest
  • 2005 in Music
  • Carly Simon No Secrets
  • James Blunt Back to Bedlam
  • Bright Eyes Motion Sickness
  • Stevie Wonder A Time To Dance
  • Rolling Stones A Bigger Bang
  • Joan Baez Bowery Songs
  • The Complete Cass Elliot Solo Collection
  • Aimee Mann The Forgotten Arm
  • Carole King The Living Room
  • Carly Simon Moonlight Serenade
  • Coldplay X & Y
  • White Stripes Get Behind Me, Satan
  • Judy Collins Portrait of an American Girl
  • Carole King Tapestry
  • Tori Amos The Beekeeper
  • Nirvana With The Lights Out
  • Why Does Music Suck So Bad Pt. I
  • Why Does Music Suck So Bad Pt. II
  • Wilco A Ghost Is Born
  • Maria McKee Live in Hamburg
  • Almost 41 years later
  • Green Day v. Disney Kids
  • 2020 in music
  • Judy Garland's MISS SHOW BUSINESS
  • Hail The Conquerer Nick Jonas
  • Liz Phair's SOBERISH
  • Chase Rice's THE ALBUM
  • Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo
  • Laura Nyro's TREES OF THE AGES
  • Laura Nyro's GO FIND THE MOON
  • Diana Ross' THANK YOU
  • Adele's 30
  • Joni Mitchell LI VE AT CARNEGIE HALL 1969
  • 2021 in music
  • Joss Stone & Judy Collins crash and burn
  • Dolly Parton's RUN, ROSE, RUN
  • Jewel's FREEWHEELIN' WOMAN
  • Harry Style's HARRY'S HOUSE
  • Judy Garland's JUDY IN LOVE
  • George Ezra and Rod Stewart's new albums



  • That's a pretty diverse list: Diana Ross, Greenday, Rolling Stones, Harry Styles, Lenny Kravitz, Prince, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, Bob Dylan, Judy Garland, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Kate Nash, Tracy Chapman, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Joss Stone, Roberta Flack, Tori Amos, Janis Ian, Stevie Nicks, Pretenders, Afghan Whigs, Bruce Springsteen, Bright Eyes, Brandy, Fiona Apple, Ricky Martin, Dolly Parton, Tanya Tucker, Coldplay, Drake, Mavis Staples, Dionne Warwick, Cher, Heart, Sting and Shaggy, Cat Power, Bruno Mars, John Mellencamp, Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Luke Bryan, Barbra Streisand, Nick Jonas, Ben Harper, Adele, Janet Jackson, Rickie Lee Jones, Ringo Star, Wilco, Madonna, Neil Young,  Brad Paisley, Beyonce, Ebony Bones, Animal Collective, Bonnie Raitt, Ani DiFranco, Doris Day, Amy Winehouse, Radiohead, Stevie Nicks, PJ Harvey, Death Cab For Cutie, Melanie, Tom Petty, Sade, Mavis Staple, Sade, Cass Elliot, Elvis Costello, U2, Phoebe Snow, Labelle, Jack Johnson, Smashing Pumpkins, Cowboy Junkies, Patti Smith, Pink, Justin Timberlake, Etta James, Stevie Wonder, White Stripes, Nirvana, Liz Phair, Chase Rice, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., Laura Nyro, Jewel. Richie Havens, Natalie Merchant, Josh Ritter . . . 

    That's a pretty diverse list.

    Ruth was doing a radio report for THE COMMON ILLS, Kat was covering music and CI. was covering politics.  I wanted to offer something and that's why I started drawing comics for the site.

    I always enjoy Kat's reviews and she often steers me to albums I'd otherwise miss.

    On that, she's noting Rod Stewart's new album is on sale at AMAZON -- the vinyl version is on sale:

    The Tears Of Hercules
    FREE Delivery Wed, Jun 22


    That sale is also noted in these posts from today:


    Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):


    Friday, June 17, 2022.  Is Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stuck in an eternal senior moment, Iraq remains without a government when it really needs one and look what political figure emerges to speak out against Turkey's continued attacks on Iraq?


    ADDED: Charley Adams (BBC NEWS) reports, "Wikileaks founder Julian Assange’s extradition to the US has been approved by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel. Mr Assange has 14 days to appeal over the decision, the Home Office said."


    Maybe it should have been: Nancy, are you okay?  Are you okay, Nancy?



    Talk about a smooth criminal.  The Speaker of the House is attempting to pin inflation on COVID 19 and the Iraq War.


    Maybe Nancy's trying to live out a Bee Gees' song?  "I started a joke, which started the whole world crying . . ."


    La megera Dem Nancy Pelosi, affiliata ai Satanisti, ha trovato il motivo dell'inflazione record in USA: Non delle “sanzioni”. La colpa è del Covid e della guerra in Iraq. Perché non metterci anche quella del Vietnam?🤔😂
    Image
    🇺🇸Dinosaurs of analytics. In the US, they finally found the reason for record inflation. Covid and the war in Iraq are to blame, says 82-year-old Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.


    🗣 - 🇺🇸 #USA La presidenta de la Cámara de Representantes, Nancy Pelosi, explicó los problemas de #EEUU con la "guerra en #Irak". 🤯 “Tenemos una #guerra en Irak, tenemos #COVID”, dijo Pelosi. 😁🥰 #Ukraine #Russia #Iraq #Biden


    At a certain age, people should retire.  Nancy passed her expiration date.  


    THE ECONO TIMES notes, "This week, Shia leader and leader of the Sadrist Movement in the Iraqi parliament, Muqtada al-Sadr, announced that he would be stepping down from the political process. Al-Sadr cited that he does not intend on getting involved with politicians deemed 'corrupt'."

    Oh, Moqtada's such a sweet little boy, far too pure for politics.  Murder?  Murder he's down with.  Politics are too dirty for Moqtada.  (Maybe he knows Nancy Pelosi?)  ANHA offers:


    After 8 months of political wrangling and failures to form a new government and choose a president for the country, Iraq today stands at a foggy crossroads with the resignation of the Sadrist bloc’s deputies from parliament, in a move that raised several questions about the immediate political future of Iraq and the expected changes in alliances between parties and blocs.

    Last Sunday, the representatives of the Sadrist movement submitted their resignation to the Speaker of Parliament after they received an order from the leader of the movement, Muqtada al-Sadr.

    As soon as the resignation took place, speculations and expectations about future scenarios for Iraq surfaced, after many outstanding crises without solutions, exacerbated by the political stalemate as a result of the sectarian quota system and failure of the Iraqi parliament three times in choosing a president and forming a government.

    On this, the Iraqi researcher and political historian, Dr. Jawad Al-Baydani, spoke about the repercussions of this step, saying: "I believe that the political blockage will end with this resignation. It seems that there are hidden threads which occurred previously, with evidence that Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi signed the resignation as soon as it came to him, Perhaps there were negotiations taking place behind the scenes between the political blocs in light of the alliances made by the Sadrist movement with the al-Halbousi bloc, as well as the Kurdistan Democratic Party.

    This context he said, "In light of the Iraqi elections law, any member of the Iraqi parliament when he submits his resignation, the member close to the votes is the one who ascends or replaces him, and this is what will happen. Most of these will be from the coordinating framework as well as the independents, and thus will facilitate formation of the government.


    The inability to form a government eight months after the October 10th elections?  That's major unless we're in the US.  The US has no interest in Iraq -- unless it can start an illegal war or, as Nancy demonstrates, use it as an excuse for inflation under President Joe Biden.  Scapegoating?  Iraq will rush to the tongue of Nancy for that.


    Amr Salem (IRAQI NEWS) explains:

    The Iraqi Ministry of Environment, on Thursday, called for developing a national strategy supported by an annual budget to combat climate change and desertification in the country, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

    “The climate change and its negative impacts on Iraq are clearly visible,” The Iraqi Minister of Environment, Jasesim Al-Falahi, said in a statement cited by INA.

    Falahi explained that United Nations reports confirm that Iraq is one of the five countries in the world most affected by climate change, according to INA.

    The Minister of Environment also elaborated that the country is facing an unprecedented scarcity of rainfall and water leading to an increase in desertification rates and decrease in available fertile land.


    But he's not really the Minister of Environment.  He's a hold over from the previous government and the highest court in Iraq has already ruled that the holdover  government is highly limited in what they can and cannot do.  Which is a shame because Iraq is facing serious consequences from climate change.  THE JERUSALEM POST observes:

    Environmental experts have warned that the drying up of Lake Sawa in southern Iraq is a sign of more to come, with climate change and a lack of cooperation defining water distribution in the Middle East.

    In April, the lake, which changes level seasonally and is the only one in Iraq to draw its water from underground aquifers, dried up completely for the first time in thousands of years.

    For the inhabitants of nearby Samawa, the environmental concerns were trumped by the existential threat of losing access to the lake, which provides the only reachable water source in the region. Droughts resulting from climate change are thought to be partially responsible for the drying up of the lake.


    Iraq could really use some leadership right now -- especially as the water issue is resulting in conflicts with neighbors.  One of those neighbors?  Turkey.  


    And there's a lot for Iraq to have conflict with Turkey over.


    The Turkish government has been bombing northern Iraq with War Planes and drones, it's sent Turkish foot soldiers into the country and established military bases in Iraq.  These are legally defined acts of war.  These are violations of Iraq's sovereignty.  


    And yet they continue.  Will any politician outside the Middle East call them out?  Or will Jeremy Corbyn be the only one to do so?


    In yesterday's snapshot, we noted that the Turkish government had killed yet another child.  Mirza Dinnayi names the child:

    A dirty war crime and a planned elimination of Yezidi minority. An air strike killed a 12 y Yezidi child in Sinjar. Salah was working in a small shop of his father in Sinuni. Such a shame for the international community generally and iraqi political powers to keep silent
    Image


    Amberin Zaman (AL-MONITOR) reports:

    The government of Iraq has yet to comment on a Turkish drone strike that killed a 12-year-old boy in the town of Sinune yesterday, the latest in a string of attacks in the Sinjar region of northern Iraq, adding to fury among Yazidis, a marginalized community that was subjected to genocide by the Islamic State.

    Nobel laureate Nadia Murad, a Yazidi genocide survivor who was enslaved by IS, called Turkey’s attack “an act of terrorism.”

    “Iraq has the ultimate responsibility to stop Turkey from attacking Sinjar,” said Murad Ismael, a prominent Yazidi activist. “The international community also has a moral responsibility towards Yazidis and the people of Sinjar. It is both painful and illogical that these attacks go [unaddressed] as if they are legitimate. It seems Turkey can get away with anything,” Ismael told Al-Monitor.

    The UN condemned the attack without mentioning Turkey by name. “UNICEF is shocked at the killing of a 12-year-boy in an attack in Sinjar area,” the international body’s arm that deals with children said in a statement yesterday. “UNICEF calls on all parties to fulfill their obligation, under international law, to protect children at all times and without delay,” it added.


     Would a functioning government make any difference?

    Who knows?

    But there is rightful outrage.

    The Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) called on NATO and the international community to speak out against Turkey's drone strike in Northern Iraq's Sinjar region that killed a father and a small child on Wednesday. medyanews.net/nato-and-the-i
    Today Turkey murdered Salah Nassir, a Yazidi child and a shopkeeper in town of Sinuni while he was attending his shop. Salah was murdered as Turkey conducted an airstrike inside a populated civilian area. We condemn this act of terrorism & call on Iraq & intl community to act.
    Image


    Violation of Iraq’s sovereignty by any state is rejected and the continuous Turkish incursions in the Kurdistan Region will harm relations between Baghdad and Ankara, influential Iraqi politician and former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki said on Thursday.

    “The violation of Iraq’s sovereignty from any state is rejected and the government needs to take necessary measures to stop it,” Maliki who is a prominent figure of the Coordination Framework, Iraq’s largest Iran-backed alliance, said in a statement.

    “The continuation of Turkish incursions on Iraqi land in the Kurdistan Region and the death and injury of a number of people will result in major harm to the relations between Iraq and Turkey,” he said, adding that such continuous attacks would require Iraq to review its stance and work on stopping them.



    Former prime minister and forever thug Nouri.  He never stops running for office.  And his words are going to resonate with a public that's tired of seeing their government roll over and ignore these constant attacks from Turkey.



    The following sites updated:




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