Belgium ’75

Here’s a movie I’d never heard of until now. Which is strange, considering how famous it apparently is, and that I’m a charter subscriber to the Criterion Channel. I happened to catch the start on Criterion 24/7.

It’s immediately compelling, despite nothing happening except for one quiet, telling event. But I had to make myself stop, because I can’t spare three hours right now.

https://www.criterionchannel.com/jeanne-dielman-23-quai-du-commerce-1080-bruxelles

I’ll set aside the time to start it over and watch through to the end. Something very bad is going to happen. So far, there is no indication of that, but everything is too quiet, so I just know it’s coming.

Found in Translation

Debbie Daughtry and Tom Hanks, of Boss Radio 66

A publication on the Netherlands asked Debbie about working with Tom on Boss Radio 66. You’ll need to use a browser that can translate Dutch into English.

https://www.heavenmagazine.nl/actueel/tom-hanks-heeft-de-tijd-van-zijn-leven-bij-boss-radio-66

Future plans for Boss Radio 66?
“Our contract with TuneIn expires at the end of this year, so we’ll see.”

Original Cast vs. Copy Cast

Multiple versions of a song competing on the record charts at the same time used to be fairly routine. Saturday’s American Top 40 with Casey Kasem on SiriusXM was from 1971. At the time, there were two versions the song ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’ on the Billboard chart.

Helen Reddy’s recording peaked at #13. To me it sounds rather rote, almost like she was doing a run-through to check the mic levels.

Yvonne Elliman was an original cast member of Jesus Christ Superstar. In my opinion, this is the vastly superior performance. Yet it only reached #28 on Billboard.

Hearing those records brought to mind another example of two recordings of the same song that were competing on the charts. It’s from the time when I was starting to work as a radio DJ.

Pat Boone’s daughter Debby had a #1 smash hit with ‘You Light Up My Life’. I must have played this single a thousand times.

The original version of the song, for the movie You Light Up My Life, was sung by Kvitka “Kasey” Cisyk. It outshines Debbie’s performance, yet it topped-out at a lowly #80.

The Small Assassins

Viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Nature’s triple threat.

The PBS Newshour covers critical research into a new generation of antibiotics. Boston’s home team includes the Broad (pronounced “Brode”) Institute, MIT, and Mass General Hospital. I have a niece who works in one of the labs at the Broad.

A significant factor in the rise of drug-resistant bacteria has been the overuse of antibiotics, especially in animals.

https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2024/11/life-saving-antibiotics-jeopardy-growing-use-factory-farmed-animals