Some Miller votes

Representative Mary Miller (R, IL-15) has tweeted thoughts and prayers for Ukraine. Yet she voted last week against H.R. 7691, Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022. The bill passed, 368–57.

Miller has also tweeted about the scarcity of infant formula. (Never mind the reasons.) Yet she voted on Wednesday against H.R. 7790, the Infant Formula Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022. The bill passed, 219–192.

Miller has also tweeted about the cost of fuel. (Never mind the reasons.) Yet she voted yesterday against H.R. 7688, the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act. The bill passed, 217–207.

Despite what I have read — in reliable sources — about Illinois redistricting, it’s now clear that my household will still be part of IL-15 in the upcoming election, and our representative come November will be Rodney Davis or Mary Miller. The horror.

Related reading
All OCA Mary Miller posts (Pinboard)

[GovTrack.us is far better than house.gov for following bills and votes.]

Griffy and Lippy and Sluggo

In today’s Zippy, Zippy is on vacation in downtown Duluth. (Fresca, take note.) Griffy is stuck with Zippy’s “diametrically opposite” twin Lippy. What to do? Griffy’s suggestion: “Wha’d’ya say we read a lot of old ‘Nancy’ comic strips & question th’ hidden subtext of Sluggo?”

[“Beating Around the Bushmiller.” Zippy, May 20, 2022.]

Related reading
All OCA Nancy posts : Nancy and Zippy posts : Zippy posts (Pinboard)

Elaine Fine, “Adoration” arranger

The online music-magazine Van (as in Beethoven) has an article by Felix Linsmeier about Florence Price’s “Adoration”: “Das Über-Orgel-Stück”. Or in (Google’s) translation, “The Over-Organ Piece.” The German title is a translation of Elaine’s characterization of “Adoration” as a “super-organ piece.”

The article credits Elaine as “wohl die Pionierin der weiten Welt der Adoration-Adaptionen” — “probably the pioneer of the wide world of ‘Adoration’ adaptations.” Elaine has arranged “Adoration” for violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet, and tuba (each with piano), six violas, violin soloist and orchestra, string orchestra, and orchestra. She’s made all her arrangements of this (public domain) composition available at no cost through the IMSLP.

It’s good to see Florence Price’s music getting new attention in the twenty-first century. And it’s good to see an arranger — especially this one — get some recognition for her work. Give the composer some. And give the arranger some too.

Here, from 2020, is Elaine’s first arrangement of “Adoration,” for violin and piano, with the eminent violinist Augustin Hadelich at the piano and thirty-seven other musicians.

Free COVID-19 tests, round three

I’ve mentioned it to several people who didn’t already know, so I’ll mention it here too: third shipments of free at-home COVID-19 tests are now available to U.S. households.

Was it ever thus?

We are in a train compartment. Bing Crosby is on the radio. From the musical short I Surrender Dear (dir. Mack Sennett, 1931):

Mother: “Will you please shut off that noise?”

Daughter: “Noise? Mother, that’s Bing Crosby.”

Noise! Was it ever thus? Yes, it was.

For an approving take on the singer, here’s Roaring Lion’s “Bing Crosby.” And here’s Van Dyke Parks’s recording of that tune, released on the album Discover America fifty years ago this month.

Garfield, with, without

Here’s a strip that I think is better minus thought balloons but with Garfield.

[Garfield, May 18, 2022. Click for a larger view.]

But maybe not:

[Garfield, May 18, 2022. Click for a larger view.]

There’s also a Marie Kondo version, with Garfield and Odie in a box on a faraway shelf. Or maybe they’ve gone to the Goodwill:

[Garfield, May 18, 2022. Click for a larger view.]

No more Garfield for me after today. My tolerance is limited. Maybe yours too.

Previous examples
Thoughtless : “Look at me” : Odie with sunglasses : Sofa, Jon’s back

In search of lost LA

Art Donovan (Jack Bannon) asks questions. Charlie Hume (Mason Adams) answers. From the Lou Grant episode “Hollywood” (December 17, 1979):

“When did they get rid of the orange groves in the Valley? Whatever happened to the eucalyptus trees along Melrose? Why do I sound like a ninety–year–old man?”

“You know, what surprises me is that so much of the town is still here. Remember those donut places shaped like coffee mugs? I saw one the other day. Now it's dry cleaner shaped like a coffee mug. But you see, the old LA is still here just under the surface. But you gotta look for it.”

It’s a singular episode: a miniature film noir, with George Chandler, Laraine Day, Howard Duff, Nina Foch, Margaret Hamilton, John Larch, Paul Stewart, and Marie Windsor.

A pencil sculpture

A Minneapolis man is sculpting a giant no. 2 pencil from a dead tree. Sixteen feet tall, to be sharpened away, one foot a year.

Related reading
All OCA pencil posts (Pinboard)

A BFD, I hope

In The New York Times this afternoon:

The Justice Department has asked the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack for transcripts of interviews it is conducting, which have included discussions with associates of former President Donald J. Trump, according to people with knowledge of the situation.

The move, coming as Attorney General Merrick B. Garland appears to be ramping up the pace of his painstaking investigation into the Capitol riot, is the clearest sign yet of a wide-ranging inquiry at the Justice Department.

Garfield minus Garfield

I somehow got to thinking about Garfield minus Garfield, a self-explanatory strategy for greater reading enjoyment. Does it still work?

[Garfield, May 9, 2022. Click for a larger view.]

[Garfield, May 14, 2022. Click for a larger view.]

I think so.

Previous examples
Thoughtless : “Look at me” : Odie with sunglasses