Just when I thought the Gorillaz went all New Order on us, well, it seems they did.

There’s one very simple reason behind this: Peter Hook is playing bass on their latest track, “Aries.”

I wrote about this track in my weekly blog post called Release Radar. where I talked about an original member of New Order guesting on the latest Gorillaz track. I also mentioned how nice it was to hear Damon really sing again, as I missed his voice.

I’ve become more excited about the track as the week has worn on, and during today’s jog, post-spring snowstorm, it hit me. I decided to check the track and as it scrolled across my screen, it said “Aries (featuring Peter Hook and Georgia).” That’s why it sounds so much like New Order.

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How do we find joy and meaning while in hiding from the scourge?

I recall my visit to Amsterdam to see the hidden room where Ann Frank wrote her poignant story. I find inspiration in Victor Frankl’s astonishing book, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” written while an inmate at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

I forward the encouraging quotes my friends send daily. I Facetime with my granddaughter. I write this weekly post.

Brainy stuff. All good. But not enough.

Watching Trump spew his lies each afternoon puts me on the edge of exploding like a
Gummy Bear dropped in potassium chlorate. After bingeing all ten episodes of “Ozark” I feel like a saggy Happy Birthday balloon left tied to the doorknob for days after the party ended.

I know what I must do.

I turn to my zafu cushion in front of the statue of the Buddha and Ayurveda healing crystals. And I turn inward, the journey signaled by a light tap on the healing bowl, my senses seduced by calming music (I prefer the harp to the harmonium).

Do not confuse me with some head shaven monk prostrate in front of a golden icon. The lyrics of my spiritual trip are not sung in Sanskrit. The stanzas are very much in the vernacular. I whisper to myself…

Go with the flow. Relax, accept what is, surf your emotions; if I stay calm, I can float on the tempestuous sea; if I panic, I become rigid and lose my buoyancy… and drown.

Be mindful. Focus on the miracles that are everywhere present. Be present. The store-bought orchid I’ve nursed through the seasons for eight years has bloomed again!
I am grateful for my family, my good health, my strong body… for everything.

Awaken to the light of your own true nature. Be conscious of my connection to the infinite. I am not a physical being having a spiritual experience, I am a spiritual being having a physical experience. The difference is vast. There are times when I understand it.

The chimes sound; time’s up. Time for the news. After dinner we’ll stream an old television series called “Damages,” starring Glenn Close. It’s engrossing. Another day of sheltering in place comes to a close.

DETROIT, April 12, 2020 – Motown Museum is staying connected with Motown fans around the world by releasing a stream of entertaining and educational content on Instagram, FaceBook, YouTube and Instagram TV.  Its part of Motown Museum’s mission to celebrate the legacy and pioneers of Motown Records and to ‘pass on the seeds of inspiration, community and creativity to the next generation of artists and entrepreneurs’.

(L-R) Elesha-Bridgers, Robin Terry, and Edna Kane Williams at the Hitsville Honors: Celebrating Berry Gordy & 60 Years of Motown event. Orchestra Hall, Detroit. Photo: Motown Museum.

The Temptations performing at the Hitsville Honors: Celebrating Berry Gordy & 60 Years of Motown event. Orchestra Hall, Detroit. Photo: Motown Museum.

Robin R. Terry, CEO and Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of Motown Museum says the virtual experiences will allow fans to engage and interact with the museum during its temporary closure due to shelter in place measures.
“Even in the most challenging moments, there is room for creativity and connectivity,” said Terry. “We hope these programs bring joy, inspiration and fill our fans with a little bit of Motown magic as we navigate this time together.”

Curtis Terry, Honorary Co-Chair and Robin Terry, CEO & Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of Motown Museum. Photo: DVIDEO 79 Productions for The Production Crew: On-Camera documentary series.

[VIDEO] NE-YO Perform at Hitsville Honors: Celebrating Berry Gordy & 60 Years of Motown.

[VIDEO] Robin Terry interviewed by Daina Howze for The Production Crew: On-Camera documentary series.

Motown Museum is the pride and joy of Detroit and becoming one of the nations’ biggest tourist attractions.   The museum is the home of the iconic Hitsville U.S.A. building where artifacts and the original Motown recording studio is on display to the public.  It’s also the birthplace of the world’s best soulful music from renown artists like Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, The Supremes and Marvin Gaye.  “With nostalgia from the past and optimism for a brighter future,” expresses Terry, “we are hopeful these virtual engagements will help us remain connected as we eagerly await the day we can welcome our guests back.”

Big Sean performs at the Hitsville Honors: Celebrating Berry Gordy & 60 Years of Motown event. Orchestra Hall, Detroit. Photo: Motown Museum.

The virtual campaign will showcase content during the month of April and include a Motown inspired DJ dance party, educational programs, entertainment from Motown’s Spoken Word open mic performances and a sneak peek of last year’s Motown Museum 60th anniversary weekend event, Hitsville Honors: Celebrating Berry Gordy & 60 Years of Motown.

Motown Museum is bringing the party to your home. With traditional nightlife currently on pause,  Motown DJ Dance Party will feature music spinsters like Carl “DJ iNViSiBLE” Hollier and DJ RUE as they mix your favorite Motown songs from the expertly curated Motown Museum Spotify playlist.  Motown DJ Dance Party will stream live for an hour on Motown Museum’s Instagram Channel (@motownmuseum) every Friday in April.  Guest deejays will shout out to fans and invite Motown alumni to join in, promising a good time for all.

During the month of April, Motown Museum will unveil a diverse virtual lineup of educational programming that includes a series of easy-to-follow activities designed to enrich the artistic lives of children in grades K-12. These engaging lesson plans are structured to peek students’ interest  by offering home schoolers, educators and curious parents an exciting  new way for children to learn about Motown’s legacy and pioneering spirit.   Hitsville Next: Educational Content will inspire the spirit of Motown for the next generation with lesson plans made available online via the Museum’s Facebook Page.

April is National Poetry Month and while Motown Mic: The Spoken Word 2020 is postponed due to shelter in place ordinances, Motown Museum will give spoken word artists and performers a voice.  Motown Mic: At Home will feature previous winners and finalists in new and prerecorded performances premiered live for Motown Museum Facebook fans. The Spoken Word Competition was created in 2012 to pay homage to the Black Forum, a Motown spoken word label created in the ’70’s by Berry Gordy and the Motown Record Corporation.

In celebration of last year’s Motown Museum 60th anniversary, Hitsville Honors: Celebrating Berry Gordy & 60 Years of Motown, the Motown Museum will debut never-before-seen clips  from the event.  Hitsville Honors was a star studded ceremony, hosted by television and film actor Hill Harper, that celebrated Motown’s legacy and paid homage to Motown founder Berry Gordy and other Motown pioneers. Exclusive performances from The Temptations, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, along with award-winning contemporary artists Ne-Yo, Kem, and Big Sean will be showcased on Motown Museum’s YouTube Channel, Facebook Page and Instagram (IGTV Channel).

Motown Museum was founded in 1985 by Berry Gordy’s sister Esther Gordy Edwards. A major fundraising announcement was made in 2016 to expand the museum to a 50,000-square-foot world-class entertainment and education tourist destination.  To date, over 25 million dollars have been  raised and when completed, the museum will have a transformative impact on the surrounding Detroit communities.  For more information on Motown Museum, visit http://www.motownmuseum.org.

About the Author:  Don Howze is an Emmy Award Winning Film/Tape Editor and Associate Professor of Journalism and Television Production.  Don is the producer and director of the upcoming film documentary The Production Crew, funded in part by The Field Foundation of Illinois.  imdb.me/dondvideo

And what does that say about the reliability of climate change models?

Models are running America.

America has shutdown because scientists say their models tell us that we must. Wildly fluctuating models have frog marched us into an economy with consequences shocking, destructive and, perhaps, catastrophic.

It’s science, we’re told, and us mere persons must not challenge The Word. ‘Science, not politics must be the guide [to reopening America],” Gov. Gavin Newsom said, typical of the view that grants papal-like infallibility to “science.”

Okay, but what if the modeling is wrong?

It has been. “Don’t Believe the COVID-19 Models,” advises The Atlantic. The Associated press warns, “Modeling Coronavirus: ‘Uncertainty Is the Only Certainty.‘”

It’s almost certainly wrong. All models are wrong. Some are just less wrong than others — and those are the ones that public health officials rely on.

And more: “How mortality predictions in a leading coronavirus model dropped over time,” and “America’s most influential coronavirus model just revised its estimates downward. But not every model agrees,” saith the Washington Post.

Then why, good Lord, do the models dictate public policy? Especially when the models themselves have predicted a range of COVID-19 deaths from 20,000 to millions. Pick your poison.

Even though we were given little choice but to follow the models into the depths of a possible depression, the modelers now are telling us that their attempt to create a representation of reality are not intended to perfectly predict our future–only what “might” happen.

The modelers can’t lose. If their worst predications come true they can say, “See told ya so, that it would be horrible.” If their predications flame out and a lot fewer lives are lost than they forecast,  they can say, “See told ya so; by shutting down (i.e. ruining) the economy as we said you had to do, it wasn’t a bad as it could have been.”

Fine, take whatever credit you want. But we need to understand that the coronavirus models all have a fatal flaw: Because virus infections can be asymptomatic no one knows how many people contracted the disease. Without that knowledge, a reliable prediction of the death rate is impossible. The data that were fed into the models were and are, in a word, garbage. As in, “garbage in, garbage out.”

Can the same cautions be issued about those climate change models whose advocates insist that they are indisputably accurate?  Like the coronavirus models, are the global warming models reliable enough that they can, without argument, require potentially destructive changes in our economy and, consequently, in our lives?

Consider: How accurate are the data that attempt to describe the complex interactions between the sun and ice, oceans and land, atmosphere and the mysterious matter that constantly barrages earth. And more. Isn’t it just the slightest bit arrogant to claim that you have identified every single one of the multitude of variables that variously affect the climate in multitude and different ways.

This is not “anti-science.” The essence of science is to challenge and after that to challenge again. And again. Rigorous science is by its nature skeptical. To question does not make one a “denier.”

Just as i’m not denying that we’re in a middle of a destructive pandemic that requires quick and thorough responses that seriously disrupt our lives and the economy.

But Anthony Fauci does not get to decide when we emerge from lockdown. That’s decided–for better or worse–by people we elect, this being a republic. They are tasked with balancing the risk to public health with the risk to the economy, taking into the decision the advice of scientists. And economists who see ruination in the cards.  And the therapists who must treat mental illness exacerbated imposed isolation. And the managers and business owners who must protect their employees while satisfying their creditors. And many more.

No, this  view does not make one “anti-science.” It only posits that in self-government, we are entitled to question everything. More than that, we are required to question everything. Whether or not we like the answers.

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www.dennisbyrne.net 

My historical novel: Madness: The War of 1812

These days I have spent more time on social media than I am comfortable admitting. I have binge-watched, Zoomed through happy hours, worked out virtually, danced at Club Quarantine, and seen my fill Tik Tok challenges. In the middle of all that, I have found a new love for some of my Instagram “friends” that are definitely invited!

Tabitha Brown – @iamtabithabrown – She is an actress and vegan food enthusiast who is getting a lot of notice these days. I am not even vegan, but since we’ve been quarantined she has had me making veggie wraps, air frying egg rolls, cleaning seamoss and craving carrot bacon. You read that right.

She makes you feel like you are watching your good girlfriend talk you through a recipe as she puts easy meals together and throws in her southern-gal catch phrases “like so, like that” or adds a little extra garlic powder “‘cause that’s her business”. Her infections smile and positive energy just make you feel good! She even calls her beautiful Afro by its first name – Donna! She’s my kind of girl!

Check her out as she shows how to make a smoothie bowl!

Deon Cole – @deoncole – CHICAGO’S OWN!!! America may know him best as Charlie from Black-ish but in Chicago we know him as just Deon Cole from All Jokes Aside and The Cotton Club. So when the home-grown homie announced he would be going live doing some dj sets, I had to tune in. His musical selection did not disappoint, but the most entertaining part is watching him get excited about his own music.  His page definitely felt like a Chicago House party; he even did an Easter Sunday/Gospel/House set that had me grooving! He regularly posts hilarious side by sides of himself and his many look-a-likes – Paddington Bear, Wilson the Volleyball, the Tin Man, a Cabbage Patch Kid, and even my favorite, Frederick Douglass.  Check him out, he’s a man of many faces.

Kevin Hart – @kevinhart4real – Now I know you know Kevin Hart, but he does a series on his IG page called “ Confessions from the Hart” where he tells true stories of his misadventures and life lessons. A few are familiar from his book I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons, but many are new. All of the stories showcase his witty ability to tell a story, like this one involving Beyonce, Jay-Z and a little pineapple juice. He does interviews, workout videos, motivational videos, he does it all and doesn’t hold back which always has me checking for his content. 

When my father was first diagnosed with COVID-19, I was terrified. Fear and isolation from being quarantined made me crave social connection, laughter, and and good ole positive energy more than ever. Everyday I found myself literally scrolling and searching for little things to pick me up and make me crack a smile. My new favorites did just that and have definitely earned their place on the guest list!

I am happy to report that my father is doing much better and getting stronger everyday. My heart and my prayers go out to everyone who has been infected or affected by this crisis. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay home!

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Schooling from home has become the norm for households across the global amid COVID-19.  Many parents (myself included) have found ourselves playing a more direct role in educating our children. Don’t get me wrong, our household is pretty involved with schooling to begin with, and regularly review homework assignments and give feedback on graded classwork when necessary.  What’s happening now, is a different level of teaching that we’re doing to make sure our children don’t miss a beat while schools are closed.

Many of us are likely receiving enough work to keep our children busy throughout the day, however, it’s still good to help stimulate their minds with fun and educational activities that they aren’t being graded on. School assigned work can be stressful as many children are under pressure to do well enough for a good grade, which also puts a level of pressure on parents who want to make keep grades up to par now that the ball is completely in our courts.

I’ve rounded up a few online resources that will keep children and even parents entertained with fun quizzes, DIY experiments, puzzles, story time sessions and more to add a little balance to our lives.

• Discovery Education virtual field trips: Looking to go on a fun family field trip without leaving the house? Look no further than Discover Education for virtual experiences related to farms, science and even a trip to Facebook.
• Toys R Us Play@Home theater:  The place where a kid can be a kid has a new platform for families to enjoy. From printable sheets to fun quizzes, DIY Play Doh projects, BrainPop content and more, Toys R Us Play@Home Theater is the “place” to be while staying safe at home. You can even sign up here to stay up to date on new toy trends and play ideas. (We even tested our toy knowledge with one of the quizzes and got an 80% on the first try!)
• Sesame Street: Caring for each other: Preschooler’s favorite furry friends at Sesame Street have a variety of activities and content to keep them engaged throughout the day.
• Explore.org Digital Safari: People of all ages can watch live footage of animals across the world. From bald eagles to, African wildlife to bears and even pets, there are always 100 or so cams streaming at once for you to explore animals in real-time. It’s like going to a world zoo without leaving home.
• The Kids Table virtual cooking classes: Have a future chef at home or just want to help the kids brush up on cooking skills? Head on over to The Kids Table to take part in virtual cooking classes. The current schedule includes a variety of snack, dessert, dinner and breakfast ideas that will be fun for all ages. The cost of the classes are donation based so you can feel free to give what you can, or simply share positive vibes.

These are just a few of the many great resources available online for families during these tough times. You can also create your own fun like we did last week with our virtual paint and sip among friends. Now is an important time to hold your family close and create great memories. Feel free to chime in with additional resources and family bonding ideas in the comments.

Magnolia blossoms are opening now.

Daffodils noddingly shake.

A robin is pecking at seeds on a bough.

Tulips are ready to wake.

Solomon’s seal is spiking the air.

Grass floods the ground in deep green.

Resurgence of everything is everywhere

Defying against quarantine.