PicoBlog

The moment I heard Tina Turner died, I thought of my mother. I’ve been thinking about them both all week. In 1984, when Turner’s legendary album, Private Dancer, came out, I was in third grade, and I can remember, as clearly as though it were yesterday, sitting in the soft velour backseat of my mother’s beige Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, singing along to the hits the local pop radio station played: “Better Be Good to Me,”  “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” and that soulful, sensual title number, “Private Dancer.

Who is the author of this passage describing? He hated the EU very deeply, he said. For a while, he had remained content with Britain’s part in the world, till gradually it dawned on him just how trivial this was. In the historical mayhem of his own lifetime, he could point to no one occasion: simply he knew that if England were out of the game, the price of fish would not be altered by a farthing.

My sister called me up last week and asked, “Have you ever heard of Magnify 90?” “Nope. But is it the girl version of Exodus 90?” Bingo. Her parish is doing that pair of programs beginning Jan 1, which this year is precisely the start for an Easter finish. If you aren’t familiar with any of these, they are ninety-day plans of self-mortification and spiritual edification, designed to be carried out in a group or accountability-partner format.

Last weekend, my family took a quick trip from Germany to the Netherlands. While there, we experienced the first weekend of Keukenhof, the world-famous tulip festival. I had a vision in my head about how our afternoon would go. We’d walk through the garden, soak in the sunshine, smell flowers, and take cute pictures for my kids’ photobooks and my Instagram feed. Then, as often is the case, real life happened.

(Henry Diltz) Memoirs can be some of the most entertaining, page-turners available in literature. Depending on the topic and person, they’re a decent look back to a time and place in history through a real person who was there. Many celebrities have autobiographies and non-fiction books about their experiences with fame and fortune. But while amusing, they can also be reminders said celebrities shot to stardom for something other than writing.

(via ew.com) There are funny ladies who are funny for a living, and funny ladies who just happen to have a great sense of humor. Our spotlighted gal for this week is the latter. Much like MOTW from last month, Debralee Scott, June was in the middle of Hollywood as both a screen performer and a significant other in the classic rock music scene, but about a decade earlier than Debralee.

(Warner Bros.) ♫All I wanna do when I wake up in the morning is see your eyes. Rosanna, Rosanna♫ Contrary to popular belief, the lyrics to Toto’s classic 1982 pop single ‘Rosanna’ aren’t entirely about actress Rosanna Arquette. The song was written by the band’s keyboardist and main songwriter David Paich, who used various past girlfriends as inspiration for the words. The title, however, is a reference to the famous Rosanna, who was dating David’s bandmate and fellow keyboardist Steve Porcaro at the same time the song and accompanying album ‘Toto IV’ were recorded.

Dear reader Bloomberg reports that Bolt Technology OU has secured a €220 million ($235 million) credit facility that the Estonian mobility company says will help it prepare for a public offering. In a statement, Markus Villig, the startup’s chief executive officer, said the financing “provides us with additional flexibility as we work towards being IPO-ready.” Bolt offers ride-hailing, food delivery and scooter rentals — categories where growth has slowed in recent years.

Laughing is a universal pastime revered by all. I can say this with great certainty. Even people who are in a pissy mood can be completely transformed with a little dose of tee-hee. Humor is the bandaid upon which we can prolong our great underlying dread and uncertainty, and it does a very good job of this, time and time again. Sometimes a simple haha does the trick. And sometimes a Lol really breaks the tension and brings joy.