Dance: Nagada Sang Dhol Baje Dance Performance

Choreography: Mannat Dance Academy

via MANNAT DANCE ACADEMY 

Spinners: Patrick Mason - Radio Rudina

via Radio Rudina

Tom Jones & The Cardigans - Burning Down The House

Music Appreciation

In 1999, Welsh crooner Tom Jones teamed up with Swedish pop sensation The Cardigans to cover Talking Heads' classic "Burning Down the House" for his album Reload, which was released September 13, 1999. The original track, written by David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, and Tina Weymouth, was released in 1983 and is known for its energetic vibe and abstract lyrics. Jones and The Cardigans' rendition brought a fresh twist to this iconic song.

Their version infuses the track with a blend of Jones' powerful vocals and The Cardigans' smooth pop sensibilities. The arrangement maintains the original's funky rhythm while adding a contemporary pop-rock flair, showcasing the seamless collaboration between the artists.

The accompanying music video, directed by David Mould, features Tom Jones and The Cardigans' lead singer, Nina Persson, performing amidst dynamic visual effects and vibrant backdrops, capturing the song's energetic essence. 

Sources:

Wikipedia

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9673924/

https://www.moopy.co.uk/threads/tom-jones-the-cardigans-burning-down-the-house.100524/

https://www.openculture.com/2021/06/tom-jones-covers-talking-heads-burning-down-the-house.html

https://www.discogs.com/release/440788-Tom-Jones-And-The-Cardigans-Burning-Down-The-House?srsltid=AfmBOoqSX1_TVyX93A7CyPL669JY2SWayqrf-aDIOLJwUdzj1Ux7_S8q

MODELING: Best of Pirelli Calendar

Featured Models: Miranda Kerr, Milla Jovovich, Malgosia Bela, Margareth Madè, Lara Stone, and others

Photographers: Terry Richardson, Peter Beard, Karl Lagerfeld, and Mario Sorrenti

via Quokka Fashions

Charlie Kirk’s Death and the Uneasy Road Ahead

Pardon the Interruption

On September 10, 2025, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University, the first stop of his “Prove Me Wrong” tour. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, played a major role in mobilizing young conservatives and fueling the MAGA movement. Even Donald Trump acknowledged his influence in remarks last night, calling him “a martyr for truth and freedom” and praising his efforts to bring young people into politics.

Kirk was always a lightning rod. His speeches and online posts often pushed conspiracy theories and combative views. He labeled COVID-19 the “China Virus,” compared vaccines to apartheid, and promoted the “great replacement” theory. He railed against diversity, equity, and inclusion, while arguing that women should prioritize motherhood over careers. 

Recently, he even declared that gun deaths were an acceptable price for preserving the Second Amendment: “I think it’s worth it… some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights.” Moments before he was shot, Kirk was fielding a question about gun violence in America.

Watching the news coverage, I couldn’t help but feel unsettled—not only about his death, but about where this might lead. Trump’s response only deepened my concern. His words—“radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives”—were less about healing and more about stoking anger. It’s hard not to ignore the possibility that this tragedy will fuel even greater division.

I texted my daughter, who is transgender, telling her to stay alert and aware of her surroundings. Her reply was simple but sobering: “It’s heating up.” That message, more than anything, captured the dread I was already feeling.

by Clay Jones (Sept 10, 2025)

Sources:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/charlie-kirk-gun-deaths-quote/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/charlie-kirk-controversies-1.7630859

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/us-politics/charlie-kirk-most-controversial-statements-b1247191.html

https://abcnews.go.com/US/total-shock-witness-fatal-charlie-kirk-shooting-recounts/story?id=125453787

https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-vlog-charlie-kirk-september-10-2025/

https://claytoonz.com/2025/09/10/sorry-charlie/

Stephen Etnier

Art Appreciation

Stephen Morgan Etnier was born on September 11, 1903, in York, Pennsylvania, into a family of privilege. Although he initially followed family expectations to enter the manufacturing business, he instead pursued art. His education was varied and somewhat irregular -- attending institutions such as Haverford School, Yale's School of Art, Haverford College, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He apprenticed under artists including Rockwell Kent and John Carroll in the mid-1920s.

Etnier launched his solo exhibition career in New York in 1931 and later showed at Midtown Galleries through the 1960s. During World War II, he paused paintings to serve in the U.S. Navy as an officer aboard convoy and troop ships from 1942 to 1945. After the war, he settled in South Harpswell, Maine, building his studio-home "Old Cove" in 1948. The 1950s and 60s marked his most productive period -- he exhibited widely, won awards such as the National Academy of Design's Saltus Medal and Samuel F.B. Morse Gold Medal, and received honorary doctorates from Bates and Bowdoin Colleges.

Etnier painted in a realist and luminist style -- his scenes often showed coastal and industrial subjects with precise composition and an emphasis on atmospheric light. He worked mostly en plein air, rising early to capture morning light on Maine waterfronts, boats, buoys, wharves and select tropical locales during winter voyages. Among his well-known works are Still Morning (1960), Fort Popham (1981), Storefront, Nassau (1957), the mural Waiting for the Mail (Spring Valley, NY, 1938), and Mail from New England (Boston, 1940). 

Still Morning (1960)

Fort Popham (1981)

Storefront, Nassau (1957)

Sources:

Wikipedia

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Etnier-2

https://daviddike.com/portfolio/etnier-stephen-morgan/

https://www.invaluable.com/artist/etnier-stephen-morgan-8vrpm8rz5i/sold-at-auction-prices/

https://www.artbrokerage.com/Steven-Etnier

https://fineart.ha.com/artist-index/stephen-morgan-etnier.s?id=500049429

https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/wall-decorations/paintings/stephen-etnier-modernist-painting-harpswell-maine-seascape-circa-1940s/id-f_31780172/

https://yorkblog.com/universal/york-native-artist-stephen-m-etnier-painter-of-maine-and-the-tropics/

https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/interviews/oral-history-interview-stephen-etnier-12692

https://www.islandinstitute.org/working-waterfront/stephen-and-david-etnier-a-legacy-of-place

https://artfacts.net/artist/stephen-etnier-1903-us

https://www.si.edu/es/object/archives/sova-aaa-etnier73

https://www.tfaoi.org/newsmu/nmus12f.htm

WALK THE MOON - Shut Up and Dance

Music Appreciation

​"Shut Up and Dance," released on September 10, 2014, is a standout track by American pop rock band Walk the Moon from their third studio album, Talking Is Hard. The song draws inspiration from a real-life experience of lead singer Nicholas Petricca at a Los Angeles nightclub, where his girlfriend's spontaneous invitation to dance sparked the song's theme of embracing the moment and letting go of inhibitions. Petricca envisioned it as an anthem encouraging listeners to release frustration and enjoy themselves. ​

Musically, "Shut Up and Dance" is characterized by its upbeat tempo and fusion of pop rock, new wave, and synth-rock elements, reminiscent of 1980s influences. The track features energetic guitar riffs, vibrant synthesizers, and a driving rhythm section. Lyrically, it narrates the story of a young man being pulled onto the dance floor by a woman, capturing themes of spontaneity and youthful exuberance. 

The music video, directed by Josh Forbes, complements the song's lively spirit with a retro, 1980s-inspired aesthetic. It depicts lead singer Petricca engaging in dance sequences alongside actress Lauren Taft, embodying the song's narrative of carefree dancing and romantic spontaneity. 

Sources:

Wikipedia

https://www.videostatic.com/watch-it/2014/10/23/walk-moon-shut-and-dance-josh-forbes-dir

https://americansongwriter.com/inside-shut-up-and-dance-walk-the-moons-number-one-hit/

https://imvdb.com/video/walk-the-moon/shut-up-and-dance

https://lbbonline.com/news/the-work-that-made-me-josh-forbes