INSPIRED BY THE SHADY DELL, YORK, PA, AND DEDICATED TO ITS OWNERS JOHN & HELEN ETTLINE
AND TO MARGARET ELIZABETH BROWN SCHNEIDER, NICKNAMED "THE OLDEST LIVING DELL RAT"


Friday, May 14, 2021

My Role as a Social Media Influencer -
I Take it Seriously..... So Should You.


SCROLL DOWN 















































OMG! For a split second, you took me seriously,
dear friend. You shoulda seen the look on your face!

I hope you never make that mistake again. You should
know by now that the only thing I want to influence
you to buy is my brand of humor, and the only thing
I want to influence you to do is to sing, dance,
laugh and have fun. With that in mind, I'll
reveal the actual title of today's post: 

Let's All Play -
Name That Sample!

I can't tell you how many times per day,
(maybe 10 or more, maybe even a hundred!)
people come up to me on the street and
ask the following question:

"WHAT IS SAMPLING?"

Actually the number of times is zero. It's never
happened... but I'm gonna tell you anyway.

Sampling is the process of taking a portion of one sound recording
and making it part of another sound recording. Hip hop was the
first pop music genre based on the art of sampling. The craze
started in the 70s with deejays playing vinyl records on twin
turntables and, using a mixer, creatively combining them
to make new dance sounds. In today's post I bring you
five 21st century recordings that sample five hits of
the 20th century. Please listen to all five songs and
see if you can Name That Sample - name the old
recording sampled in the more recent recording.

SONG #1:
THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS
ft. will.i.am

The Pussycat Dolls were a Los Angeles based girl group and dance troupe
that specialized in R&B, pop, hip hop and dance music. will.i.am is a
hip hop artist and producer also from LA. In 2006 the two acts
came together on the international hit single "Beep."

"Beep" - The Pussycat Dolls ft. will.i.am
(Feb. 2006, highest chart pos. #13 Hot 100/#2 UK,
#1 Australia & New Zealand, from Sept. 2005 album PCD)



SONG #2:
RIHANNA

Rihanna is a R&B and dance-pop singer from Barbados now
based in New York. In 2006 Rihanna topped the U.S. pop, dance
and top 40 charts with her international hit single "SOS."

"SOS" - Rihanna
(Feb. 2006, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100,
#1 U.S. Dance Club Songs, #1 U.S. Mainstream Top 40,
#2 UK/#1 Australia, from Apr. 2006 album A Girl like Me)



SONG #3:
JOJO

She hails from Foxborough, Mass. Her real name is Joanna Noëlle
Blagden Levesque. Wisely the young pop/R&B singer chose "JoJo"
as her stage name. In 2007 JoJo reached the top 40 on the U.S.
Pop Songs chart and brushed the UK top 20 with "Anything."

"Anything" - JoJo
(May 2007, highest chart pos. #38 U.S. Pop Songs,
#21 UK, #18 Ireland, from Oct. 2006 album The High Road)

START PLAYING VIDEO
AT 1:45 MARK!



SONG #4:
MISSY ELLIOT

Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot is a hip hop/R&B singer
from Portsmouth, Virginia. In 2006 Missy went
top 50 U.S., top 40 UK, top 25 in Australia
with the funky number "We Run This."

"We Run This" - Missy Elliot
(Feb. 2006, highest chart pos. #48 Hot 100, #38 UK,
#23 Australia, from July 2005 album The Cookbook,
Sept. 2006 album Respect M.E. & OST of 2006 movie Stick It)

START PLAYING VIDEO
AT 1:10 MARK!



SONG #5:
MADONNA

In 2005/2006 Madonna, The Queen of Pop, topped charts
worldwide with the album Confessions on a Dance Floor,
a set of songs influenced by 1970s and 80s disco.
"Hung Up," the lead single from the album,
was also an international hit.

"Hung Up" - Madonna
("LaRCS" - "Live and Record Combined Stereo") 
(Oct. 2005, highest chart pos. #1 U.S. Dance Club Songs,
#1 UK, #1 in 18 other countries, from Nov. 2005
album Confessions On a Dance Floor)




How many samples were
you able to name?

(SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE ANSWERS)






























ANSWERS

SONG #1:

"Beep" by The Pussycat Dolls ft. will.i.am samples "Evil Woman,"
the 1975 hit by the English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).

START PLAYING VIDEO AT 2:40
MARK TO HEAR THE SAMPLE!




SONG #2:

"SOS" by Rihanna samples "Tainted Love," the
1981/82 hit by the English synthpop duo Soft Cell.




SONG #3

"Anything" by JoJo samples "Africa,"
the 1982 hit by the American rock band Toto.




SONG #4

"We Run This" by Missy Elliot samples "Apache,"
the 1982 hit by The Sugarhill Gang




SONG #5

"Hung Up" by Madonna samples "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
(A Man After Midnight)," the 1979 hit by the
Swedish pop supergroup ABBA.




How many sampled songs were you
able to name? Check below to
determine your sampling I.Q.:

ALL 5 RIGHT:
Samply sensational!

3 OR 4 RIGHT:
Samply sufficient!

1 OR 2 RIGHT:
Samply seek some support.

0 RIGHT:
Sample Simon says
put on the dunce cap
and start studying!


Have a samply Shady Day!

35 comments:

  1. Tom,

    I'm in the 'Samply seek some support' class. I easily identified JoJo's sampling mix in "Africa" and while I recognized three of the others I couldn't pull the original songs out of my brain but as soon as I saw what they were then the light went on. Are you applying a curve to your grading system because if you did I'd "Samply sufficient" category. :) Thanks for putting my brain to work this morning with such a great music exercise! Have a good weekend, my friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Cathy!

      Thanks for coming over to play "Name That Sample," dear friend! You're the Early Bird this time around, and that automatically makes you Samply Sensatonal!

      Yessum, I think lots of people will be able to identify Toto's "Africa" sampled throughout JoJo's best known song "Anything." It jumps out at you from the very start. I also think many people will recognize the familiar riffs and melodies carried in some of the other songs, but not be able to name the original songs or artists. This post illustrates how many 21st century hits benefited tremendously from borrowing pieces of 20th century hits.

      I'm glad your brain enjoyed the massage this morning. Thank you again for coming by early and have a good day, dear friend Cathy.
      I'll see you tamale on the CAAC bandstand!

      Delete
    2. Tom,

      I've heard other songs over the years that remind me of other songs but I can't ever recall which one which drives me crazy during the duration of the tune. It'll be fun to play this game again in the future. I'm sure you have another set to launch at some point, right? Incidentally, I really appreciate the Elvgren beauty. She's no dunce I assure you. She has a whole lot of smarts!

      Thanks for joining in my BoTB round as well as hitting the 4M dance floor this morning, my friend. Have a good week!

      Delete
    3. Hi, Cathy!

      Thanks for coming back over to follow-up, dear friend! I'm not sure if this specific type of post will turn into a series. I don't have anything drafted at this point. I do, however, have several series that compare covers and originals, series that pit covers against covers, and other types of Brain Buster quizzes to spring on you.

      I knew you would appreciate the Elvgren pin-up I used. :) Thanks again for returning to chat, dear friend Cathy!

      Delete
  2. Numbers one and three were obvious for me. Once I looked at the answers, I recognized the sample in number two. I didn't get the last two at all.

    That's a fun game to play!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Kelly!

      Welcome back to Shady's Place, dear friend! You placed second in the Early Bird race this time, taking home the silver, and I thank you for coming!

      Seems I need to award you two-and-a-half stars as your Brain Buster score, meaning you are Samply Suffient but it wouldn't hurt to Samply seek some support. :) At least you avoided the dreaded Dunce Cap. :)

      Yessum, the ELO song and the Toto song are easily recognizable to most people. "Tainted Love" is another very familiar riff as is that big hit by ABBA.

      I'm thrilled to see you and to know you had fun. I hope Pat listened to the songs along with you. Thanks again for joining the fun and have a wonderful weekend, dear friend Kelly!

      Delete
  3. I need help...hahahaa. I knew ABBA's song to name and that it. I knew the others but I could't place them. I love ELO too but it escaped my brain. I can't tell you how many times I dance to "Tainted Love." It just shows that these newer songs could not be so original even Madonna who, I heard, paid some money for that riff. I was bored with that little girl singing her pop sung with Africa song in the mix. I do love the Madonna tune to be honest. Missy Elliott is not one I would buy records but I like the dance moves and especially her stick figure. I love the fact they danced without pushing the T & A & the V in one's face. Speaking of, Rihanna and the pussy cat Dolls are just the type to bring home to mother...if your mom was Ma Parker. I know the lead singer of the Pussy Cat Dolls has a great voice but I am not one for the T,A & V that is a constant in all their videos. The men will and do love it and are just fine with it...no surprise there :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Birgit!

      How are you, dear friend? I hope you are feeling better by the hour. Thanks for coming to play a friendly game of Name That Sample! (I need to caution you, BB. This is only an exhibition. This is not a competition. Please, dear friend -- no wagering!)

      Looks like you got one correct answer in this Mom & Pop quiz, dearie. Therefore I recommend you Samply seek some support. Gosh, you came dangerously close to wearing the Dunce Cap. :)

      I'm happy that you remembered the ELO and Soft Cell hits when you scrolled down to the answer section and heard the originals. Sorry you fell asleep listening to Beantown beauty JoJo singing "Anything." I must admit it does get very repetitive hearing that "Africa" riff over and over again. As a movie buff, you should be interested to know that Missy Elliot's song "We Run This" is in the OST of the 2006 comedy drama Stick It starring Jeff Bridges. It a movie about a gymnastics competition. "Stick It" refers to "sticking" the landing and thereby finishing your gymnastics routine in perfect form.

      Yessum, the official music video for "Beep" by The Pussycat Dolls shows lead singer Nicole Scherzinger and her girl posse doing some hoochie mama moves. However, to their credit, the naughty parts of the song are "beeped" out, hence the title. Yessum, theirs is the only song in recorded history with 47,000 beeps in it. :) Music historian Shady sez "Beep" by the PCD is almost exactly the same - repeat - almost exactly the same - as the 1958 novelty record "Beep Beep" by The Playmates. :) Rihanna is another female artist who like to show off her assets and strut and pop her way through her videos. Not one to sit in judgement of my fellow man (or hoochie mama as the case may be), I am willing to give those women the benefit of the doubt and 100 years to cut it out. :)

      Thanks again for coming down to play, dear friend BB. Stay well and have a wonderful weekend!

      Delete
  4. Oh I got a couple of these because I've been listening to these songs for years. Rihanna's SOS has Tainted Love in it.

    Beep has a sample of ELO's Evil Woman.

    I actually don't care for that Jojo song but she has another one called, "Leave" that I do like.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Mary!

      It's great to see you again, my new friend! Thanks for taking my Sampling quiz. Looks like you scored fairly well on the exam. Were you up all night cramming? :) You certainly did well enough to avoid the dreaded Dunce Cap. :) You are the second friend to turn thumbs down on JoJo's single "Anything" which relies very heavily on Toto's "Africa." Thanks for tipping me off about another of her songs that you like better. I'll check it out.

      Thanks again for your visit and comment, dear Mary, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

      Delete
    2. I actually like Toto's Africa. I herd that song a lot when I was a kid and still like it today.

      Delete
    3. Hi, Mary!

      Thanks for popping back in, dear friend! Did you read our mutual friend PFT's comment below? He recommends Weezer's 2018 soundalike cover of "Africa." Are you familiar with it? For your convenience, I posted the link to the band's official music video which has "Weird Al" Yankovic replacing singer and guitarist Rivers Cuomo:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk5Dwg5zm2U

      Thanks again for coming to chat, dear Mary, and have a wonderful week!

      Delete
    4. Ok, that was pretty good. They did a great job.

      Delete
    5. Thanks for checking it out, Mary. I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

      Delete
  5. Well, well, well, Shady! I don't know what to tell you! You're such a trickster, and that's okay with me! I could hear the sampling, and recognized 4 of them, but could only name one.

    "SOS" with Rihanna left me singing the sample along, but I kept thinking it was the Cars! Close, huh! "Tainted Love"!

    I did get "Africa" by Toto right. I love that song, and hear it almost daily. JoJo's song "Anything" is a good one, and I like the video.

    I got nothing from Missy Elliot! I had no clue, and still don't, haha! I knew I liked whatever was going on with the Pussycat Dolls, and it turns out ELO-"Evil Woman", a great song!

    Madonna's song and video was very cool, but I have no idea what the sampling was with that one. I just didn't hear ABBA in the background...I'm going to say it's because I was enjoying the dancing and video so much, I didn't pay attention!

    This is fun, Shady, and I get the jist of it. I have actually heard some of this in the past at various disco dance clubs in the later 80's. Also, you didn't fool me about the "social media influence". I happen to know that aside from your great blogging, you want nothing to do with it, and you don't need it!

    Great post, Shady! Have a wonderful weekend. Scootie only has 1 1/2 weeks of school left-what in the world am I going to do with him this summer? Take care, dear friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Suzanne!

      Thanks for joining the fun as Shady Del Knight busts your brain with another Mom & Pop quiz, this time a test that measures your Sampling I.Q.

      Before I forget, I want to give a shout out to Shady's Place CEO Tom Anderson and thank him for allowing me to use his picture to set up the gag at the top of the post. I didn't ask Tom's permission to use the pic, but he's a good sport and played along. He even texted me a "thumbs up" emoji, so I guess that means we're good.

      I also want to apologize for replying so late to your comment Mrs. Shady and I just got back in off the road after driving across the state this morning to attend a family picnic and celebrate three May birthdays - Mrs. Shady's, our 24 year old granddaughter's and our 6 year old grandson's. The weather was beautiful. It was in the 80s instead of the 90s with low humidity and sunny skies. We had a nice time.

      Seems you came very close to running away with the contest, Suzanne, having recognized the sound samples in 4 out of the 5 songs. You flirted with "Samply sufficient" status, but since you could only actually name the title of one song, you wound up "Samply seeking some support." I'm glad you didn't need to sit in the corner wearing the Dunce Cap. :)

      I think you are the first to approve of JoJo's heavy sampling of "Africa" on her song "Anything." I like the song, too, but it starts to wear a little thin toward the end when the familiar riff is repeated.

      Don't you remember "Apache" by Sugar Hill Gang? It was a huge dance hit in clubs in my neck of the woods. I danced to it many times in my second bachelorhood. That's the sample you hear in Misdemeanor Elliot's soundtrack song "We Run This." ABBA's big hit "Gimme Gimme Gimme" is woven throughout Madonna's "Hung Up" song. There's no way you can miss it. How'd you like that side by side split screen effect with The Material Girl performing the song live on stage at left and performing in her official music video on the right?

      I'm glad you had fun with the post, Suzanne, and once again I thank you for dropping by. Stick around for the official debut of Knocked out Nifties with your host Joe Niagara - The Rockin' Bird - coming up this Thursday.

      I hope you and Scootie can have a powwow and decide what he'd like to do during his summer vacation. Thanks again for taking the Sampling challenge and enjoy the rest of your weekend, dear friend Suzanne!

      Delete
    2. Oh my goodness, Shady! I wore myself sick trying to get the name of the "Apache" song. I had the Ventures in mind, but just couldn't nail it, and didn't even think of the Sugar Hill Gang. The song stayed on my mind for a while that day! Ugh em! If only I could have gotten that one too, as it was a song I always liked! Maybe I'll do better next time...I was glad to have heard the samplings even though I didn't get the titles!

      Hope Mrs. Shady and family had great Birthdays! We've had plenty of rain, and are expecting more this coming week. Take care, dear friend!

      Delete
    3. Hi, Suzanne!

      Thanks for coming back to chat, dear friend! I didn't see your second comment last night because I went to bed early. Yesterday was a long, exhausting day. The traffic on the way over to the picnic b-day party was horrible. We hit at least half a dozen areas of heavy congestion and the Wayz finally needed to send us on an alternate route which added an extra hour to our drive time. This is May. It's even worse during snowbird season. Mrs. Shady's son theorized that the reason so many people were flooding the highways was because it was the first weekend after the announcement of new relaxed guidelines on mask wearing. For the first time in more than a year it felt safer to travel, visit friends and relatives, theme parks, restaurants, etc. It was also a beautiful beach day and many people could have been headed there. We were driving in the same direction. It's too dry here and we desperately need some of your rain. Please send us some. :)

      I'm happy to learn that you got the "Apache" tune stuck in your noggin for a while. I've been playing the ELO sample in my mind over and over again. No wonder so many record producers choose to insert these catchy riffs in their new song recordings.

      Have a wonderful Sunday and a safe and happy week ahead, dear friend Suzanne!

      Delete
  6. Good day my friend! I am in the Samply Sufficient category. This is a topic of conversation I've had with my son a lot. I always point out the hip hop (not my favorite genre) songs he listens to that have some of "my" music in them. Another one is "Islands in the Sun" by the Bee Gees or Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, which was used in "Ghetto Supastar" by Pras.

    Side note, I tried to access your blog yesterday when I got the email notification and was unable to get on the site! Huge warning popped up about possible spam virus. I was happy to see I could find you again today. It was very weird. Hope you have a marvelous weekend dear Shady.
    Janet’s Smiles

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Janet!

      Thanks for swinging by. dear friend! How's my buddy Benny today? Sorry I am late with my reply. I just got back home after a day on the road. I'm happy to see that while I was gone you visited, took my latest Brain Buster music quiz and passed. No dunce cap for Janet! :) Turns out your Sampling I.Q. is higher than any other friend who has commented so far. Congratulations are in order!

      Yessum, I doubt many Gen Z kids know the origins of the catchy riffs embedded in some of their favorite current songs. There are many. I have seen cases where a current artist, group or band performs a cover of an old song, but they credit the most recent artist that had a hit with the song and perform it in that artist's style, not realizing that you can trace the song's origin much farther back in time to the 60s, 50s or earlier.

      I am dismayed to learn that you got a possible spam notification and were blocked from Shady's Place. That's never been reported before and I hope it never happens to you again. Several of the blogs I routinely visit are labeled as "not secure" but I continue to follow those bloggers and leave comments w/o incident. Thanks for persevering and returning to comment today.

      I wish you, your hubby, your children and Benny a super Sunday and a safe and happy week ahead, Thanks again for coming, dear friend Janet!

      Delete
  7. I don't even want to talk about my score. Not to go too far off-topic, but I've been an ELO fan for eons, and get excited any time I even see the name mentioned. Also, speaking of going off-topic; have you heard Weezer's rendition of Africa? My god, it's almost as good as the real thing! Typically that never happens. Okay, I'm done for today. Gotta lay off the coffee, I think. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, my friend.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hi, PFT!

      It's a pleasure to welcome you back over to Shady's Place, my new friend! Thanks for coming by and testing your musical memory on my Sampling quiz. Sounds like it was a bit of a struggle for you to match the samples with the original artists and songs. I hope that doesn't mean you've donned the dreaded Dunce Cap. :)

      Off-topic is always on-topic here at Shady's Place, my friend. Just read the other comments and replies and you will see how far we stray from the subject. The important thing to me in blogging is to entertain, nurture genuine friendships and give people encouragement and support.

      Actually your discussions of ELO and Weezer are right on topic because they relate directly to the artists and songs in the post. I welcome friends to share their musical likes and dislikes and contribute relevant personal anecdotes such as yours.

      I too loved the sound ELO produced, and Jeff Lynne is still going strong, touring with the latest iteration of ELO. The band released a new album in late 2019 entitled From Out of Nowhere. It shot to the top of the UK chart.

      I never heard that Weezer cover before. It's great, but maybe too great, because I have to wonder why a band would record a cover that's note for note nearly identical to the original. One negative comment I read on YouTube echoes my opinion: << Because its literally the same f--king song. Waths the point on remake it if youre not gonna add nothing? >> I see that Weird Al and his band were brought in to replace the Weezer band for the filming of the official music video. In the vid, Al reminds me of Buddy Holly. Perhaps he should consider doing some semi-straight Buddy covers.

      I know you're presstfortime :) and that's why I thank you again for spending some of it in the Shady. I see you've got some musings about Sir Elton on your blog. I'll be right over to check it out. Enjoy your Sunday and have a great week, PFT!

      Delete
  8. I recognized four but could only name "Africa". Part of the problem is I'll be on the verge of naming it, when suddenly the sample ends and my ears are hearing something else, and I just lose it.

    I must say, I think sampling is fine in hip-hop where a clear distinction can be made between the rap part and the sample melody. I think it's more problematic when the whole songs is melodic. If the sample melody blends in too seamlessly with the "new" melody, and someone listening to it is unfamiliar with the sample melody, that person may think the whole song is original. Just my opinion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Kirk!

      Thanks for making the club scene with me, good buddy!

      I'm happy you chose to play Name That Sample, sorry for your sake that you only had one correct answer and will need to Samply seek some support, but relieved that you aren't in the corner wearing the Dunce Cap. Question of the day: Are dunce caps considered politically incorrect, even when worn by a buxom pin-up model in a tight sweater with her skirt hiked up showing off her legs, stockings and high heels? Just curious.

      I think I see where you are going with your remarks, Kirk. When does sampling turn into plagiarism? How many seconds of an old song can you insert into your new song without permission? If you do get permission, how much does sampling cost? Is it negotiable?

      Here are some of the somewhat confusing and conflicting answers I found:

      << Contrary to popular belief, the US courts have ruled that sampling in commercial recordings is NOT fair use (no matter how short the sample) >>

      << Because there's currently no compulsory license for sampling, there's also no statutory rate. So unlike typical mechanical licenses, which cost 9.1 cents per copy for songs of five minutes or less, you'll have to negotiate sampling rates for each song you sample. ... >>

      << there is no bright line rule that says a use is an acceptable use as long as you only use 5, 15, or 30 seconds of a song. Any use of copyrighted material without permission is, according to U.S. copyright law, copyright infringement. >>

      << Many small labels cannot afford the steep sample clearance rates. While there are no standard fees, the music publisher usually require: an upfront "advance" payment (which could be anywhere between $250 and $5,000), and a percentage of the song income (usually between 15% and 50%). >>

      Follow this link I posted for Mary (above) and check out Weird Al Yankovic fronting the Weezer band in the official music video for that band's cover of "Africa."

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk5Dwg5zm2U

      Thanks again for coming to the club and putting your musical knowledge to the test, good buddy Kirk. Have a great week!

      Delete
  9. Hey Shady,

    Sure!

    #1: Evil Woman by ELO
    #2: Tainted Love by Soft Cell
    #3: Africa by Toto
    #4: Apache by Sugarhill Gang
    #5: GIMME GIMME GIMME! ABBA

    I got all five of them! :D While the newer songs aren't my favourite, however, SOS is pretty good. I like the originals they sampled from.

    Such fun! Have a great Monday, dear friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Jessica Marie!

      Thanks for coming over to play Name That Sample, dear friend! My goodness - you swept the competition with a grand slam - correctly identifying all five 20th century songs and artists sampled in these 21st century recordings. That's amazing! No Dunce Cap for you! This means you will take home the gold medal unless someone else comes by in the next two days and is able to match your achievement. If someone else does manage to get all five right, the two of you will compete for the top prize by determining which of you is the first to make fire.

      Great job, dear friend JM. Thanks again for taking the challenge and have a wonderful week!

      Delete
    2. Hi Shady,

      I'd like to thank my Boomer parents for letting me listen to their music. LOL! That will be the first thing I say in my acceptance speech. :) Hey, this music has come to grow on me too. :)

      Have a wonderful week as well dear friend!

      Delete
    3. Hi, Jessica Marie!

      I'm happy to know the music your boomer parents grew up with is growing on you. By the same token, the music you grew up with is growing on me.

      Hey, JM - cat (below) has matched your perfect score, forcing me to stage a tie-breaker event. Start practicing your fire making skills if you want to win a life size cardboard cutout of Shady D.K. :)

      Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend JM!

      Delete
  10. Finally made it to your show, friend Shady :) As for the contest, I' happy to report that Thunderbutt and I passed all 5 challenges with flying colours :) And it was so fun!!! Thank you :) In other than that, we still in strict lockdown country Alberta. People are getting quite angry by now, as it would be the second summer without church services, rodeos, pow wows, music festivals, weddings and proper funerals, family reunions and such. So peeps are gathering no matter what, which of course has legal consequences. Much division among us because of that. Reminds me a bit of this song by Pete: https://youtu.be/5iAIM02kv0g Sending love, and wishing continued health and happiness, cat.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, cat!

      Thanks for coming down and busting your brain on my latest music quiz, dear friend! I'm excited to know that you and Theo Thunderbutt correctly named all five song samples and that you had lotsa fun playing the game. No Dunce Cap for you or TT! With a perfect score of five out of five you are tied with Jessica Marie (above). Each of you will be issued a flint stone and wood shavings. The first to make fire wins and will be awarded a life size cardboard cutout of Shady. :)

      I'm sorry to learn that a strict lockdown continues up there in Alberta while restrictions are being eased elsewhere. I can understand why many folks are getting angry and disobeying the order. Yessum, seems we are always in a position of having to choose a side, and I very much dislike having to do that. I just read an article that says Americans who prefer to keep wearing their masks in public during this period of uncertainty over non-vaccinated citizens and viral variants are becoming targets of ridicule. From the very beginning of the pandemic, the decision to wear or not wear a mask was an indication of which side you are on, which way you lean politically. I listened to and very much enjoyed Pete Seeger's live performance of the union anthem "Which Side Are You On" and agree with you that the song applies to the current political scene and the handling of the pandemic. The song was written in 1931 by activist Florence Reece, wife of Sam Reece, a union organizer for the United Mine Workers in Harlan County, Kentucky, during the bitter clash between striking coal miners and mine owners. As we hear in the song, workers who crossing the picket line were labeled "lousy scabs." Yessum, division is a sad fact of life in our world. I wish it weren't so. My goal is to help bring people together through music and laughter. Thanks for supporting me in that endeavor.

      Please take good care of yourself and Theo and come back and see me again soon, dear friend cat.

      LUBBINS! LUBBINS! LUBBINS!

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    2. Hi again, friend Shady. Just wanna say something regarding "the dunce cap" ... That word gave me instant chills, flash backs and tears. Explanation: In Europe 1st time 1st graders are given a similar cone by the parents. It's filled with sweets/ goodies to share. It's meant to celebrate the important mile stone of starting school. After immigrating to Canada, I did exactly that for my 1st born on her 1st day of school.
      She came back home in tears, because she was made fun of because of her "dunce cap" ... That memory still makes me cringe. https://youtu.be/dZI8_0ievgw

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    3. ... anyway ... my daughter turned into a lovely and smart human being. She finished school with honours plus the Governor General of Canada Medal of Achievement, and a scholarship. She has 2 Bachelor degrees (Chemistry/ Math and Linguistics), plus a Masters in Library Science. ... smiles ...

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    4. Hi, cat!

      I am just now getting back from a doctor appointment and see that you have returned to chat. Thank you, dear friend!

      Thanks for expanding our thread and discussing your daughter's unpleasant experience with a traditional celebratory cone that somehow reminded someone at her school of a dunce cap, leading to her being teased about it. It's unfortunate, and I am frankly surprised that anyone made that association, because the dunce cap was, even when your daughter was young, a relic of the past, having been discontinued in U.S schools in the 1950s. I am also surprised that they teased your daughter given the fact that she brought sweet treats to share with the class. I watched the video of the ceremony at the German school located in San Francisco's Silicon Valley. The children there were proud of the cones they received welcoming them to the school. No cones were placed on heads and no child was forced to stand in a corner wearing a "dunce cap" in shame or as a means of being punished. Ironically, until the mid 16th century, dunce caps were regarded as symbols of merit and intelligence. I found this:

      << THE DUNCE CAP HAS LONG been a visual symbol of idiocy and punishment, but was once seen as something closer to a wizard’s hat. While today we understand the goofy-looking cone hat as denoting some kind of intellectual failing, it actually began as a symbol of respected scholars. >>

      To sum it up, I am surprised the children and/or adults at your daughter's school reacted the way they did. To her credit she was able to put that unfortunate incident behind her and go on to become a high achiever. You have every reason to be proud of her.

      Thanks for returning to chat, dear friend cat!

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    5. ❤️. Thank you for your words. Wishing you health and happiness, friend Shady. c.

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    6. You're very welcome, cat.

      Please smooch Theo for me.

      LUBBINS! LUBBINS! LUBBINS!

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