From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2007 #578 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk Unsubscribe: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe Archives: http://www.smoe.org/lists/joni Website: http://jonimitchell.com JMDL Digest Thursday, February 21 2008 Volume 2007 : Number 578 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- NJC All You Need is Hate, warning political content ["Ross, Les" ] Re: NJC health care [Bob.Muller@Fluor.com] Re: NJC All you need is hate, warning political content [Laura Stanley ] NJC: health care: political (Looooong) ["Kay Ashley" ] Re: NJC: health care: political (Looooong) ["Jerry Notaro" ] Herbie News ["Happy The Man" ] Re: NJC RIP No Depression Magazine [Bob.Muller@Fluor.com] Re: JoniFest cancellation [PassScribe@aol.com] RE: SJC Joni for Obama or Clinton ["Phyliss Ward" ] Re: NJC health care/Joni and Obama [Jeannie Subject: NJC All You Need is Hate, warning political content "I've said before that there is a lot that can be improved in this area but I find it frightening that some would be so amenable to turning over their health care needs to a government bureaucracy. (shudder). I wish they would survey people in other countries about their levels of care, availabilty of treatment, etc. vs. the typical level of care, wait times for surgeries and other treatment in the U.S." well, at least in this (shudder)-inducing country, people don't lose the roof over their head when they max out their so-called medical cover or live in 'fear' of losing their health benefits if they lose their jobs. and i don't think it's incorrect to re-confirm that these privately funded so-called insurance schemes are without 'ceiling'. so, yes, there's a hell of a lot that needs to be done 'in this area' - speaking as an outsider and possibly a victim of having been misinformation-punk'd. no ours in not free but the amount people pay is commensurate with their ability to pay and if they are working at all. and there is no cap on the amount spent when you enter the health-care system. perhaps your concern over the idea of government bureaucracy being responsible for your health care says more about your government bureaucracy than the model itself. la dee dah LonLes ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:36:01 +0000 From: Patti Parlette Subject: Joni Content: David Crosby on Tavis Smiley So I *wasn't* dreaming! Here's the conversation between David Crosby and Tavis Smiley: http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200802/20080219_crosby.html Beautiful Joni and Herbie talk at the end. Goosebumps! These two really "get" Joni. "I think it's so groovy now, that people are finally getting together" to extol the genius of Joni Mitchell. Her name's in the news, everything's first class. xo, pp _________________________________________________________________ Shed those extra pounds with MSN and The Biggest Loser! http://biggestloser.msn.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:50:43 +0000 From: Patti Parlette Subject: NJC All You Need is Hate, warning political content Deb Messling wrote: Thanks for this post Monika. It's taken the Clinton candidacy to remind me that misogyny is alive and well. There are a bunch of "liberal" men out there who I think have been keeping a lid on their sexism for many years, but the prospect of a woman as commander in chief has made their woman-hatred boil over. **** Yep. Two of the most despicable things I have read/seen: 1. A bumper sticker sold at Cafepress.com: "Life's a bitch. Don't vote for one!" 2. Rush Limbaugh saying (I'm pretty sure it was him, but I don't have time to find it now so I will paraphrase): "Why would we want to watch a woman age before our eyes for four years?" xo, pp, biting my tongue _________________________________________________________________ Connect and share in new ways with Windows Live. http://www.windowslive.com/share.html?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_sharelife_012008 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:23:42 +0100 From: missblux@googlemail.com Subject: NJC health care Hey Kakki, and everyone... here are my thoughts on health care.... I tend to steer out of these debates too, mainly because I'm too ignorant,but here are my thoughts! Kakki: >Health services are not "free" in Canada and other >countries that have government run health insurance. Everyone pays some kind >of payment whether in a monthly payroll deduction or otherwse. me: In Denmark, health care is as free as street lights and policing. We pay for part of our dental bills, and noone really understands why. Also psychologists are paid privately, unless one is pathologically ill. I think that is beginning to change though, because people are more and ore aware of how crippling mental problems really are. There are some additional treatments that you pay for or get if you have insurance, I dont know what they are... Cheaper dental care I think, and maybe better rehabilitation after operations, am not sure. I never needed anything, and it is not considered irresponsible not to have extra insurance. >> That is not >>really any different than in the U.S. where most have to contribute some kind >>of payment to their job/company provided health insurance. It is different, because in Denmark you are covered whether you want it or not. So if you are too crazy to pay your bills or too stingy to want insurance, you are still covered. >> I've said before that there is a lot that can be improved in this area but I find it frightening that some would be so amenable to turning over their health care needs to a government bureaucracy. (shudder). You know I am not sure what is better, public or private health care. I definitely see the advantage of everyone being covered as in Denmark, but also the disadvantages of there not being a choice (as in Denmark). In Denmark, they have been cutting down on health care for decades, and it has been deteriorating a lot. Nowadays there are private hospitals, so if someone has good insurance they dont't need to wait in line to get treated. I think most people feel it's a defeat for the welfare system and also unjust that those how can afford it get treated before other people. Before the private hospitals there was no choice, today there is - for the rich. Well, and we ae quite rich here! But when you say shudder, I have to say that most people here shudder at the idea of the health care system being on private hands. I think there is little trust that a private company will be in it for anything than the profit. My friend from the US is very ill, but lives in constant fear of doing something that will make the lawyers from his health insurance suspect that he is actually well and deceiving them, because he could lose his income and end up in the gutter, pratically. The idea that it is up to some lawyer in the private sector appals me. But then, here, he might be persecuted by the social services... I'm just saying that the system you've got in your country will always seem like the right one, even if you complain about it. >> I wish they would survey people in other countries about their levels of care, availabilty of treatment, etc. vs. the typical level of care, wait times for surgeries and other treatment in the U.S. Well, in Demark as I said the health care system has been deteriorating for some time, but it used to be very good. I thought it was very bad in England, but then they have a lot of poor people. I believe France has the best health care system in the world, and I believe it is mostly publicly funded. My mother was treated there, and the standards were very high. But again, it's a question of ideology. Say a survey would reveal that the US had the shortest waiting times, highest availability etc. I would probably still not really believe the result because I'd be thinking that this is because a few rich people get treated very fast but the very poor don't get treated at all. If Denmark came in first people in the US would think, yes, everyone gets treated but at a lower standard... Which one do you want? Ultimately the US system seems to me to be based on the American dream: those who want to fend for themselves get what they want, the others don't deserve it. The Scandinavian system is based on the idea of the state being like a big family, we all fend for each other. That's probably easier to understand in a nation of 5,500,000 inhabitants, mainly of the same ethnicity, than in a place like the US. It's like the death penalty: if you've got it in your state you will be likely to think that it is not entirely bad, if like me you live in a country where we don't have it, contries that do seem to be living in the middle ages. Compeletley barbaric and unenlightened. What a rant, sorry it's so long! Benedicte ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:18:13 +0800 From: "Australian Seashells" Subject: Re: Re; Doing It For The Ancestors NJC Dear Anita, Thanks for your input - yes, I am aware of family constellations. They do work. I suppose this may also have been around for a very long time, in many cultures, under many different names. It's not rocket science after all, just mainly careful observation and (a lot of) empathy. At any given time in human history, there would have been the odd bright person who figured out the mechanics. Perhaps there's just currently a bit of a slump of bright people? It seems a bit like it :) Kidding aside - this ties in beautifully with physics: Humans (and everything else really) consist of mainly empty space. Between those relatively few atoms there's nothing much at all. That is, if you disregard energy and intent. We're practically buzzing with it and this energy does not die, it doesn't get lost; once generated it's always present, every second, all the time. Some of the basic rules in our universe say: 1) Nothing ever gets lost 2) We exist in time. Understanding those two, you could conclude that physical bodies are only one aspect of life, which really is multi-dimensional and mostly invisible. A body dies and changes - its energy converts as well. Apparently though energy is a lot more resistant to the effects of time. We are targeted by such energies (I am not saying intentionally) and we allow them to influence us, our partners, family members, children, etc. We allow this mainly because we're generally totally oblivious to this process. Kids have a really hard time to make sense of particularly the negative stuff. They can feel something's up, but mostly they just try to compensate and make things right again. They have absolutely no defense and even worse, due to their lack of perspective they'll feel it's somehow their fault when things go badly. Generation after generation of kids unknowingly struggle with residue from stuff that happened yonks ago and is none of their doing. If unresolved, it will go on to twist and stifle their lives. It's totally, utterly unfair. Few people are aware of this. Even less will go as far as to publicly acknowledge their awareness. It's still a no-no. Total fruitcake stuff. So yes, I perk up seeing someone so much as hint at turning these thoughts over in their mind, like Joni did in that interview. It's an uneasy kind of knowledge, because once you have experience, you cannot just pretend to forget and leave be. Once you start digging at the causes, you'll find out how painful that can be. A lot of people give up at that point, quite understandably. You need pain like a hole in the head. Well - it may be useful if you try to write soul-searching lyrics :) I am still struggling with my family stuff, after 25 years (or so) of knowing about this. Realising perfectly well what the problem is with my mind doesn't fix anything. It's the heart and soul that have to make the jump. Lately the realisation crowds in that if I wriggle out of this, on it goes into the next generation. I would also let down all those that came before me - because time is a living (a part of life itself) link and a connection that goes both ways. If that to you sounds like science fiction or (worse!), like trite amateur psychology with a twist, relax! You're in good company, as most of the rest of the world will share your view. Grin - but hey! If you're on thin ice already, you may as well tap dance. It does feel like that. Seriously, if only it were that easy, I'd take that label instantly (if it works?!). However, psychotherapy is less than helpful here. This is (dare I admit it?)...on a spiritual level, and a real confusing one at that. Anita, suppose if constellation work was possible on a grand scale - say: applied to the whole of Australia! Or the US? All hell would break loose! Such a refreshing thought though, seeing all those unassailably fake TV faces turn human.. Cheers to that (and to you), Simone - ----- Original Message ----- From: Anita Tedder To: joni@smoe.org Cc: shells@seashells.net.au Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 6:22 PM Subject: Re; Doing It For The Ancestors NJC Simone wrote: "Now that's interesting, I thought - because of course as a descendant you can indeed resolve unfinished business for your parents and grandparents, etc., retrospectively. I really do believe that." For those interested, I have been involved for several years in constellation work. It's a bit controversial - but I personally have found it (somewhat spookily) very healing. One site you can check out is http://www.systemicfamilysolutions.com/introductionto.html or look up anything about the work of ( as a young man)anti Nazi Youth, Catholic priest, Zulu missionary, psychotherapist, Bert Hellinger. Love Anita ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 10:36:16 -0600 From: "mack watson-bush" Subject: Re: NJC All You Need is Hate, warning political content or otherwse. That is not > really any different than in the U.S. where most have to contribute some > kind > of payment to their job/company provided health insurance. For those who > do > not have health insurance through an employer, it is possible to obtain it > fairly inexpensively through many carriers available on the internet. - --Absolute hogwash et typical Republican party line. I have to wonder if it is simply because these folks just flat out do not care for their fellow man, despite their protestations to the contrary. The poor and the rich in this country get healthcare. The millions, 47 million of em,YES, 47 MILLION, are shit out of luck. Here in the land of the free. The best country in the world, la, la , la. Those of us that fall into the middle income category have no health insurance unless we are lucky enough to have a job that provides it. Currently I do have it with my current job but know many that don't. I looked it up. For me, individually, the best price I could come up with was $171.00 a month and that is with a $5,000 dollar deductible. The next best is $178.00 with a $5,000 deductible. I don't call that real good insurance as one would be paying most everything themselves et with these bloated prices that is impossible. I work in healthcare and know exactly what goes on. A $500.00 deductible would run $511.00 dollars per month. Relatively inexpensive? In who's world? Most certainly not most of us. And that is the individual plan, just one person. Add someone in the same income level that has a wife and two kids and the costs are even worse. The best quote there is $391.00 a month with a $5,000 deductible. Goodness forbid two of those four get sick in the same month. Or you could go with the good plan, ha ha, with a $500.00 deductible for only $1168.00 a month. Of course forget food, mortgage, car payments, etc. This is the kind of tripe that Republicans continue to spread as the truth. This is not affordable healthcare by any means. There are many getting very rich off the backs of their American brothers and they simply don't care that there are many suffering. THESE PRICES ARE HARDLY WHAT I OR ANYONE ELSE PAYS FOR A MONTHLY INTERNET CONNECTION. >. I've said before that > there is a lot that can be improved in this area but I find it frightening > that some would be so amenable to turning over their health care needs to > a > government bureaucracy. (shudder). - --And just exactly who is running our healthcare now? It is naive' and completely ridiculous to even suggest that the government isn't running the healthcare system in this country. As a matter of fact the only two parts of it that work, however poorly, are Medicaid and Medicare. The hospitals are getting richer, the drug companies are getting richer, the physicians are getting richer, and the politicians are getting richer, as I write. That is exactly why they want things to stay exactly as they are. Another falsehood the Republicans like to spout, in line with their fear tactics to keep us all in line, is that if our system changes people won't be able to see the dr. of their choice. We can't do that now. One has to find a Dr. within the network. If you go out of network, insurance doesn't pay. What is the difference? There isn't any. rvey people in other > countries about their levels of care, availabilty of treatment, etc. vs. > the > typical level of care, wait times for surgeries and other treatment in the > U.S. - --This statement is another in the line of falsehoods meant to perpetuate the current system. American healthcare isn't the best in the world, it isn't even close. To make a statement like this hold any water at all we would have to have a good system, one that works, one that takes care of its citizens. Ours does none of those things. We spend more on healthcare than any country in the world so we should be best. We aren't. Hmmm. We are ranked 37th in the world in overall performance and 72nd in overall level of health. And it goes on and on. mack ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:53:49 -0800 (PST) From: Monika Bogdanowicz Subject: Re: (njc) Music is a healer Thank you for posting this. I enjoyed reading it. I believe 100% that music is a healer! -M kbhla@fastmail.fm wrote: I know you all probably already know this but thought I would pass it along as ongoing proof of the power of music. This was sent to me from an longtime friend, my age, who is recovering from a moderate stroke. I will tell him, yes, listen to the music ;-) Kakki > Music speeds recovery from stroke: study > by Marlowe Hood > Tue Feb 19, 7:25 PM ET > > > > PARIS (AFP) - A daily dose of one's favourite pop melodies, classical > music or > jazz can speed recovery from debilitating strokes, according to a study > published Wednesday > > When stroke patients in Finland listened to music for a couple of hours > each > day, verbal memory and attention span improved significantly compared to > patients who received no musical stimulation, or who listened only to > stories > read aloud,the study reported. > > Those exposed to music also experienced less depression than the other two > control groups. > > Three months after a stroke, verbal memory was boosted by 60 percent in > music > listeners, by 18 percent in audio book listeners, and by 29 percent in > non-listeners, the lead author Teppo Sarkamo, a neuroscientist at Helsinki > University, told AFP. > > The differences held true after six months as well, said the study, > published > in the Oxford University Press journal Brain. > > Sarkamo's findings bolster a growing body of research pointing to the > benefits > of music and music therapy for conditions including autism, schizophrenia > and > dementia. > > But this is the first time music alone has been shown to have a positive > effect > on victims of brain injury such as stroke, he said. > > "Everyday music listening during early stroke recovery offers a valuable > addition to the patients' care, especially if other active forms of > rehabilitation are not yet feasible," Sarkamo told AFP. > > Sixty victims of left or right hemisphere cerebral artery strokes were > randomly > divided into the three groups in a single-blind trial between March 2004 > and > May 2006. > > Most of the patients, whose average age was just under 60, had problems > with > movement, as well as cognitive processes such as memory and focusing their > attention. > > Every day one group listened to at least two hours of self-selected music, > most > of it Finnish- or English-language pop. "The idea was to include only > music > with lyrics the patients could understand," said Sarkamo. > > A second group listened to audio books, and a third to neither. > > The 54 patients who completed the study were subjected to a battery of > cognitive and psychological tests. > > Sarkamo speculates that three mechanisms in the brain account for the > startling > impact of song and melody. > > One is an enhanced arousal of a part of the brain implicated in feelings > of > pleasure and reward that is stimulated by the release of dopamine, a > hormone > and neurotransmitter. > > Previous research has shown that increased dopamine enhances alertness, > speed > of information processing, attention, and memory in healthy humans. > > Music also directly stimulates the damaged areas of the brain, as well as > the > more general mechanisms related to "brain plasticity," the ability of the > brain > to repair and renew its neural networks after damage. > > Sarkamo cautioned that his findings should be replicated by other > larger-scale > clinical trials before music is systematically integrated into the > recovery > regimen of stroke patients. > > And music listening may not work for all stroke victims, he cautioned. > > But if validated, the study points to an easy and cost-effective therapy > for > recovering stroke patients. > > "Stroke patients typically spend about three-quarters of their time each > day in > non-therapeutic activities, mostly in their rooms, inactive and without > interaction," Sarkamo said > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > Be a better friend, newshound, and > know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. > http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ - --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:35:50 -0500 From: Bob.Muller@Fluor.com Subject: Re: NJC health care No need to apologize - I really appreciated the post and your perspective. Unfortunately there is a tendency here to think that because it's the way things are done in the USA, it must be the best way. We would do well to get past that arrogance, look outside our borders, and learn from other countries that have models that work. Bob NP: Sufjan Stevens, "Abraham" - ------------------------------------------------------------ The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain proprietary, business-confidential and/or privileged material. If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are hereby notified that any use, review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, reproduction or any action taken in reliance upon this message is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of the company. - ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:08:24 -0800 (PST) From: Laura Stanley Subject: Re: NJC All you need is hate, warning political content Monika wrote: "I just hope with the little experience he has, that he knows what he is doing and will indeed stick by his word (as I hope Hillary would if she became Pres which is doubtful now that she will get the spot). I am more one for action as opposed to words or perhaps words followed by action! So since Obama will more than likely get the Dem spot, I just HOPE that he knows what he is doing and will stand by all his, "I will change this and that and we need this and we're tired of that" mumbo jumbo. Atleast we know that whoever is in office next can't be any worse than George W!" Hi Monika, I'm an action watcher too. And, as for Obama, I haven't seen any action that impresses me. I liked him better before he started his show. One of my friends compared him to a carnival barker. The thing I like the most about him is his looks. But, you can't judge a book by it's cover, and as the pages are being revealed, each page seems to read like a copy of the title page, O. I keep listening to him hoping to hear something substantial and will continue to do so. The race is more tied than it is lead by either of them at this point considering delegates and superdelegates. The states Obama has won are not as impressive to me as those Hillary has won. NY and CA as well as FL are progressive states. We'll see where it goes from here. It is far from Over. Love, Laura ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:31:12 -0800 (PST) From: Em Subject: Re: NJC All you need is hate, warning political content FL is a progressive state??? ????? I'll have to open my eyes and ears wider and see if I can detect that one of these days. Em - --- Laura Stanley wrote:> ...snip ... NY and CA > as well as FL are progressive states. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:39:31 +0100 From: missblux@googlemail.com Subject: Re: NJC health care SJC Joni and Obama Hi Bob, well it's the same tendency all over the place! Try going to the doctor in another country, and you will find that if they don't prescribe the same medicines as they do back home there is something dodgy, or they are backwards; and its probably not safe. When my mother had cancer treatment in France, people here were very slow to understand that they actually provide more modern and efficient treatment down there. And I think they very quickly forgot about it again, because, well, we like to complain about the welfare system, but the realization that it might be better somewhere else is too damaging to our self-esteem as a nation. Oh, and on a completely different topic. I (who suffer from I-think-Joni-is-just-like-me-but-perhaps-with-a-few-differences) am sure that if you asked Joni she'd say go vote for Obama. To me, he definitely seems like the most decent of the two candidates, when it comes to personality. If there has been less mud-throwing in this campaign than is normally the case isn't it because he has held a low profile in that game? Plus, there is her claim that black men are not afraid of their own emotions. Hillary on the contrary could be suspected of having a lot of built-up anger and frustration; we don't want that canalized out the wrong way.... There are other things to be said against Obama and for Clinton, but I think these are the points that would interest good and politically naive people like me and Joni..... Bene Listening to the humming of my pc fan. And cars passing on a wet street three stories down. And my own chewing gum. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:09:32 -0800 From: "Randy Remote" Subject: Re: NJC All You Need is Hate, warning political content Lots of good points, Mack. Insurance, like health care, is a 'for profit' industry. Of course every business must make a profit, but in other countries, doctors do not enter the profession because of an expectation to be rich, drive BMWs, etc. So I see that as part of the problem. Insurance, health care, and the pharma industries are major campaign contributors for a reason: they are on the gravy train. They hire people especially to find ways to exclude sick people from getting benefits (See "Sicko"). They are in the money business, worshipping the real God of American Corporatism, and are top heavy with billionaire CEOs. If these candidates were actually concerned with change, it needs to be systemic, not the cosmetic appeasement approach the frontrunning Dems are offering. They must be so happy to be rid of John Edwards. RR ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:08:14 -0600 From: "mack watson-bush" Subject: Re: NJC All you need is hate, warning political content > FL is a progressive state??? > ????? > I'll have to open my eyes and ears wider and see if I can detect that > one of these days. > > Em touche'. about as progressive as tx. mack ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:17:25 -0500 (EST) From: "Jerry Notaro" Subject: Re: NJC All You Need is Hate, warning political content And that really is the core of the split in this country. Many believe that profit is a strong enough motivator to increase opportunity and lower prices. Others see services such as health insurance as the same as schools and other public services that should be handled by the government to keep the profit margin out so the primary motivation is good service and keeping costs down. Jerry Randy Remote wrote: > Lots of good points, Mack. > Insurance, like health care, is a 'for profit' industry. Of course every > business must make a profit, but in other countries, doctors do not enter > the profession because of an expectation to be rich, drive BMWs, etc. So I > see that as part of the problem. Insurance, health care, and the pharma > industries are major campaign contributors for a reason: they are on the > gravy train. They hire people especially to find ways to exclude sick > people > from getting benefits (See "Sicko"). They are in the money business, > worshipping the real God of American Corporatism, and are top heavy with > billionaire CEOs. > If these candidates were actually concerned with change, it needs to be > systemic, not the cosmetic appeasement approach the frontrunning Dems are > offering. They must be so happy to be rid of John Edwards. > RR ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:35:23 -0500 (EST) From: "Jerry Notaro" Subject: Review - Just a Little Lovin" - njc From Creative Loafing and one of my favorite reviewers: Just a Little Lovin' SHELBY LYNNE (Lost Highway) We may have gotten to the point where grownups would rather hear a great singer make a CD of remakes than one of new material. How else do you account for the proliferation of cover albums by veteran artists? On the face of it, this is a troubling trend, but then you hear Just a Little Lovin', Shelby Lynne's homage to Dusty Springfield, and the quality of the music is so high that it ceases to matter that the songs are recycled. The timeless emotional resonance of the '60s chestnuts, rendered with sensitive aplomb by a terrific vocalist, offers its own considerable rewards. The question becomes: Would you rather hear Lynne sing "Anyone Who Had a Heart," "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," "I Only Want to Be With You," "The Look of Love," "Breakfast in Bed" and others or a compendium of fresh material? I can make arguments for both. It's important to note that Lynne is not strictly trading on nostalgia here. When she released her brilliant comeback album, I Am Shelby Lynne, in 2000, the former country chanteuse drew favorable comparisons to Dusty Springfield. But on Just a Little Lovin', Lynne seems determined to downplay her stylistic affinity for the blue-eyed soul legend. Whereas Dusty was most effective with big gestures, Lynne opts for restraint. She and fabled producer Phil Ramone dial everything back, slowing the tempos and relying solely on a seasoned four-piece studio band. The roomy rhythm tracks are made up of plaintive drum patterns and bass work, simple guitar figures and chords, and the bell-like tones of a piano or Fender Rhodes. Nary an overdub can be heard. With this minimal backdrop, Lynne is free to caress each lyric, lingering on words and phrases for emphasis, drawing the listener in close. It's funny that she started out in country, because Lynne has much more innate bluesiness than twang in those pipes. Given that, she never forces a bent note for effect. Most often she starts out at a simmer, then sumptuously, even casually, builds the intensity -- more to a bubble than a boil. The result is a pervasive melancholy that winningly courses through the disc. Whereas Dusty's version of "I Only Want to Be With You" reverberates with the joy of unmitigated love, Lynne sings the line "I don't know what it is that makes me love you so," with a certain incredulity, as if it's too good to be true. This kind of thing happens repeatedly in Just a Little Lovin': new takes on old tunes, making them sort of new again. 4 stars --Eric Snider ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:37:43 -0500 From: "Kay Ashley" Subject: NJC: health care: political (Looooong) Kakki wrote: "I'm trying to stay out of the political discussions but will comment on the health care issue. Health services are not "free" in Canada and other countries that have government run health insurance. Everyone pays some kind of payment whether in a monthly payroll deduction or otherwse. That is not really any different than in the U.S. where most have to contribute some kind of payment to their job/company provided health insurance. For those who do not have health insurance through an employer, it is possible to obtain it fairly inexpensively through many carriers available on the internet. For a younger person like you, the cost would probably be no more and maybe less than what you pay for your monthly internet connection. I've said before that there is a lot that can be improved in this area but I find it frightening that some would be so amenable to turning over their health care needs to a government bureaucracy. (shudder). I wish they would survey people in other countries about their levels of care, availabilty of treatment, etc. vs. the typical level of care, wait times for surgeries and other treatment in the U.S." - -------------------- Kakki, I'm afraid that the lengths and depths to which I'm about to go are *exactly* why you tend to avoid the political these days ;-D LOL, but please bear with me. Here I go. I worked for two insurance brokerage firms for a total of 7.5 years. And I have to respectfully disagree that there is anything resembling affordable individual health insurance in this country. I am now thankfully and gainfully employed at a hedge fund and have an excellent health plan, but this is after over 2 years of temping without any insurance coverage whatsoever (I quit my last insurance job because I just couldn't take it anymore -- as Bart Simpson might say, "insurance sucks"). I was a member of the NY Freelancer's Union while a temp and I qualified for their insurance; but being able to afford it was another matter entirely. There are "catastrophic" plans that can cost around $100 per month -- but those plans generally come with a whopping $10,000 deductible. In other words, if you're so poor that you can only afford the premium for such a "cat" plan, then you're better off taking your chances, going to the ER if you get hit by a car or have a heart attack, and then get on a low-income-adjusted payment plan with the hospital. Because, of course, after the $10k deductible, there's no guarantee whatsoever that your insurance company will honor your claims. There have been many news stories in the past few years about people being "underinsured" and fighting with insurance companies to honor their policies (and those insurance companies employ a LOT of people whose sole purpose is to deny claims). The "cat" plans are notorious for not paying claims. I did a TON of internet research about "affordable" plans during my tenure as an underemployed and underpaid temp. I never found anything that was less than $400/month. If you're living in a big city and can't count on a regular paycheck, that is simply not tenable. The other kicker is this: I was too poor to pay for health insurance, but made too much to qualify for Medicaid or NY State's Healthy New York program for low income New Yorkers. I did the math, and I can tell you that if there were a federal mandate to raise Medicaid income thresholds, and if the states were allowed to determine those thresholds based on relative cost of living (and if the thresholds were raised regularly to account for inflation and increased cost of living), that would have covered me, and would cover many, many other people -- possibly the majority of the uninsured/working poor in this country. The solution to the U.S health care crisis is actually incredibly simple. Expand Medicaid. End of story. But although conservatives get downright apoplectic at the suggestion of this idea, the reality is that Medicaid works quite well, and if we adjusted our values as a nation, it would be EASY to come up with the money to pay for this. "Where there's a will there's a way." And Jenny Goodspeed can tell you how well Massachusetts' mandated health insurance plan is working for artists and other working poor. So no, I did not vote for Hillary in the NY primary. The idea of charging fines to individuals for not purchasing coverage is, well, umm, for once I am at a loss for words. I don't mean this personally at all, Kakki, so please know that I am not digging at you. But your assertion that there is affordable health insurance available to individuals is simply not accurate. For example, the only insurance plan that would come close to the equivalent of internet access would be the "cat" plan I mentioned above, and that would have to be a pretty expensive internet plan. Your assertion also seems to belie a conservative attitude that is very prevalent in this country: that if one only had his/her shit together, there's no reason that one can't get a good job and get health insurance. I have a degree from an Ivy League university and I was severely underemployed for years. Because that is the reality of our economy. And because that is the reality of the low, disrespected place that a non-famous (and therefore "unsuccessful") artist holds in our society. Yes, I could have gone to medical school or law school, or I could have killed my soul and completed the graduate degree in geology that I began many years ago -- but I chose another path. Do I deserve poor health because of that choice? U.S. conservatives gasp in horror at the idea of a government agency controlling health care. U.S. liberals gasp in horror at the fact that we are a civilized society that allows approximately 15% of its citizens to live without access to affordable health care. My philosophy may become more conservative as I get older if Winston Churchill's old chestnut holds true, but I will ALWAYS come down on the liberal side when it comes to access to health care. Access to health care (or lack of it) strikes at the heart of a modern society and its values. It's a moral issue, plain and simple. I have spent a lot of time in Sweden -- lived there for a year, plus many long visits since then -- and of *course* the health care system there is not "free". People in Sweden (and Canada and many European countries) are accustomed to paying 40%-50% of their income in tax. For that, they receive guaranteed health care, guaranteed education (at world-class universities), among many other benefits. There are plenty of Americans who already pay over 40% in tax and don't get any of that. I am currently taxed at a bit over 30%. I would GLADLY pay 40% or more not only to receive these benefits, but also for the added value of knowing that these taxes are ensuring that there is a safety net in place for all citizens. And of course the systems in those countries are not perfect. But they are far superior to what we have, and at a significantly lower price tag (search Paul Krugman's NY Times columns for more info). It's called social responsibility -- or, dare I say it, altruism. And altruism is a value that is sadly absent in American society. We're happy to let the poor and uneducated fight an illegal war, to "preserve" our "freedom" to indulge in material decadence and collective schadenfreude over the misfortunes of vacuous, entitled celebrities. And we are too divided economically, politically, and racially -- not to mention too selfish -- to help our fellow citizens unless the law mandates that we do so. That's why we need a federal law to guarantee health coverage for everyone. We'll have to work out the details, and it will take a long time to put it into place, but we as a society have to come to grips with the reality of how hard it is for those without insurance to get it, and how hard it is to live without it. If you haven't lived it, you just don't know. Respectfully (and only Slightly Crankily), Kay ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ KAY ASHLEY ~ Singer-Songwriter http://www.kayashley.com http://www.myspace.com/kayashley http://www.sonicbids.com/kayashley ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:53:09 -0500 (EST) From: "Jerry Notaro" Subject: Re: NJC: health care: political (Looooong) In addition, those so called affordable plans do not let you in with an existing medical condition unless you exlude it. Jerry ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:22:48 -0800 From: "Randy Remote" Subject: Re: health care: political (Looooong) From: "Kay Ashley" > People in Sweden (and Canada and many European > countries) are accustomed to paying 40%-50% of their income in tax. > For that, they receive guaranteed health care, guaranteed education > (at world-class universities), among many other benefits. There are > plenty of Americans who already pay over 40% in tax and don't get any > of that. Perhaps if we weren't shoveling so much tax money into that most wasteful of government bureaucracies-the military-industrial complex-we would have more $ for things like health care. Call me crazy and hit me with a $600 hammer. RR ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:50:12 -0500 From: "Richard Flynn" Subject: NJC RIP No Depression Magazine My absolute must-read magazine is soon to be no more :-( http://www.nodepression.net/blogs/letter/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:06:48 -0600 From: "Happy The Man" Subject: Herbie News Herbie Hancock's Album Of The Year winner *River: The Joni Letters*skyrocketing from No. 159 to No. 5 and nearly doubling its total sales in the space of seven days. (It sold 54,000 copies and has moved 114,000 to date.) Go Herbie...Go Joni. Peace, Craig NP: Andy Gullahorn - How Precious Life Is. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:28:02 -0500 From: Bob.Muller@Fluor.com Subject: Re: NJC RIP No Depression Magazine Too bad - a very intelligent and in-depth mag. Typically always more than even I could take in. Bob NP: Joni, "My Secret Place" - ------------------------------------------------------------ The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain proprietary, business-confidential and/or privileged material. If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are hereby notified that any use, review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, reproduction or any action taken in reliance upon this message is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of the company. - ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:18:54 EST From: PassScribe@aol.com Subject: Re: JoniFest cancellation In a message dated 2/19/08 3:02:54 AM, owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org writes: > Subject: Northeast Jonifest canceled > I think that having the fest every year may be a bit of a drain on many people, financially, especially for those who travel a great distance and/or must add airfare or other travel expenses to the cost of the fest itself. And, although I know most people who attend love the whole experience, perhaps every-other-year might be a more attractive alternative. Hope it can happen next year, Kenny B ************** Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living. (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duf fy/ 2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:27:45 -0500 From: "Phyliss Ward" Subject: RE: SJC Joni for Obama or Clinton I belive Joni indicated in an interview that she had dual citizenship in Canada and the U.S. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:49:01 +0000 From: "Jamie's Box of Paints" Subject: Re: Herbie News LOL reminds me when Turbulent Indigo came out and she won 'Best Pop Album' that year (TI - POP?!?!??!) and I think the sales jumped something ridiculous like 800% Mainly because no one bought it before the grammys.... Zooby On 21/02/2008, Happy The Man wrote: > Herbie Hancock's Album Of The Year winner *River: The Joni > Letters*skyrocketing from No. 159 to No. 5 and nearly doubling its > total sales in > the space of seven days. (It sold 54,000 copies and has moved 114,000 to > date.) > > Go Herbie...Go Joni. > > Peace, Craig > > NP: Andy Gullahorn - How Precious Life Is. > - -- I am a lonely Painter I live in a Box of Paints I'm frightened by the devil But I'm drawn to those ones that 'aint afraid... Jamie Zubairi can be found for voice-overs at http://uk.voicespro.com/jamie.zubairi1 acting CV and showreel at http://uk.castingcallpro.com/u/81749 http://www.jamiezubairi.co.uk Facebook me! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:50:37 -0800 (PST) From: Jeannie Subject: Re: NJC health care/Joni and Obama Hi All, Long time, no speak! Been listening and observing all around me, instead! Health care and education in this country are issues of top-notch priority which must be corrected. I do feel that it shall improve with Barack and with Hillary somewhat, if not, lots. I feel the cowardly stings and the blood stains on the hands of Bush, Cheney and certain ultra right wing Conservatives who ran amok with stolen power and our nation's economy like wild, wicked, destructive brats loosed at a ToysR'Us store, grabbing, hording and stealing all they possibly can/could with their heavy handed grip on this nation, now lose the grasp of their strength, in all aspects. I met Barack Wednesday afternoon and he took my hand. I'll be back to tell y'all about it all..I've been cookin' in the kitchen and it's vittle time for my mother, son and my innocent creatures before I head on home. Love, Jeannie PS: I'm happy about Herbie and his success with his album ~the joni letters~. Perfect timing, I must say! How can you stop a fast moving, rhythmic train? Can we stop the corn from ripening naturally? Let's see science and technology stop the driving rain. And to those who practice inhumane methods for trying to stop babies from being born are cruel and are handed a heavy sentence of intense, hell-bent karma, sooner or later! PSII: So damned sad and pitiful what we have had to endure through these last years with George W. Bush as President of the United States. Federico Fellini could have made a sequel to Satyricon---US of A style. No props, scenery, script necessary---simply W. and Crony Co., LTD. performing their prime time crimes and circuses on real time with a couple of camaras and crew members following the clowns and Federico around. missblux@googlemail.com wrote: Oh, and on a completely different topic. I (who suffer from I-think-Joni-is-just-like-me-but-perhaps-with-a-few-differences) am sure that if you asked Joni she'd say go vote for Obama. To me, he definitely seems like the most decent of the two candidates, when it comes to personality. If there has been less mud-throwing in this campaign than is normally the case isn't it because he has held a low profile in that game? Plus, there is her claim that black men are not afraid of their own emotions. Hillary on the contrary could be suspected of having a lot of built-up anger and frustration; we don't want that canalized out the wrong way.... There are other things to be said against Obama and for Clinton, but I think these are the points that would interest good and politically naive people like me and Joni..... Bene Listening to the humming of my pc fan. And cars passing on a wet street three stories down. And my own chewing gum. ~nj~ - --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2007 #578 ***************************** ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------