NANOSNET

Happy Friday and Happy New Year!

I trust that you celebrated the new year in a fun and/or meaningful way. We all hope that 2026 will be a good year. Arrival of the new year somehow creates a blank slate with resolutions for self-improvement or goals, ideas, dreams and optimism that things will get better. I find it interesting that calendar or temporal landmarks have that effect on people. After all, January 1 is no different than December 31. Thie phenomenon is known as the "fresh start" effect, a relatively new term in behavioral psychology introduced in 2014, but concept is older than that.

Temporal landmarks, such as the beginning of a new month, year, week or a birthday, have a psychological effect. Dr. Michael Shum described them as "days that stand in marked contrast to the seemingly unending stream of trivial and ordinary occurrences", which sounds much more erudite than "special days". Landmark days are more likely to inspire positive changes, distancing ourselves from past disappointments and allowing us to set new intentions. They are essentially interruptions in time. The new year is the most significant landmark of the calendar year although various cultures and religions have other important landmark days as well. These days allow us to start a new chapter and shift our attention from short-term to long-term goals. Self-improvement is often involved to narrow the "ideal self – actual self" gap. Success depends on concerted effort and motivation (I wrote about new year's resolutions in the past, available upon request). So, there really is something to it.

On this day in 1987, Aretha Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I have always liked her music and she was a remarkable woman with a very troubled background that she (mostly) managed to overcome. She was born in 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee. Her father was a charismatic Baptist minister with a "million-dollar voice" and her mother was an accomplished gospel vocalist and pianist. Her father was also quite the philanderer which led to her parents' divorce when Aretha was 6 years old. By then she had already lived in Buffalo, New York and Detroit, Michigan. Aretha stayed with her father in Detroit after the divorce and her mother died of a heart attack just before her 10^th birthday.  Several women including her grandmother and Mahalia Jackson helped raise her and her siblings. She learned to play the piano by ear and went to public school but dropped out of high school. She also became pregnant with her first child (Clarence) at age 12 (!), purportedly by the father of one of her classmates.

Franklin first started singling gospel music at church and was recognized as a child prodigy in her teens. Her father became her manager, taking her on the road with him to perform at various churches around the country. Her first single, included on one side of an album entitled Spirituals, was released in 1956 (age 14). She was introduced to many other influential singers in her youth, including Marvin Gaye, Ray Chairles, Dinah Washington, Sam Cooke and James Cleveland. Her first album was released in 1961 and included Won't Be Long that peaked at number 7 on the Rhythm & Blues (R&B) chart. She recorded vocal jazz, blues, doo-wop, and R&B. Her first hit single was Rock-a-Bye Baby with a Dixie Melody and she was named a "new-star female vocalist" in 1961.  She was crowned the Queen of Soul in 1960s.

Franklin changed record labels to Atlantic Records and had a string of hits between 1967-1972 such as Respect (originally an Otis Redding song), I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. These were followed by other hits, including Chain of Fools, Ain't No Way, and I Say a Little Prayer. She returned to gospel in the 1970s with the Album Amazing Grace. The 1980s brought more R&B, pop-rock, more gospel, opera, jazz, blues and duets with artists such as George Michael, George Benson, and the Eurythmics. She performed in movies, musical theater, TV shows, opened the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Wrestlemania III with a memorable rendition of America the Beautiful, performed an aria for the Pope, at Kennedy Center, the Super Bowl, at the Grammy Awards, as a last-minute stand in for Pavarotti (who had a sore throat) and at 3 presidential inaugurations. She continued to record into the early 2000s and won a total of 18 Grammy Awards (nominated for 44). Her last public performance was in 2017.

In addition to her musical accomplishments, she was active in the civil rights and women's rights movement. Her songs Respect and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman became emblematic for these movements. She also supported Native American rights and the rights of indigenous people worldwide. She was married and divorced twice and had 4 children. She struggled with her weight, cigarettes and alcoholism and had numerous health issues and surgical procedures that were not disclosed. She died in 1978 at age 76 from a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. Honors include a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Grammy Legend award, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Medal of Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, numerous honorary college degrees, gracing the cover of Time Magazine, and a biographical movie. She recorded over 600 songs throughout her career and released more than 40 studio albums.

Have a good weekend and all the best in 2026!

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lMlGDZ5xBo

Happy Friday and Happy New Year!

I trust that you celebrated the new year in a fun and/or meaningful way. We all hope that 2026 will be a good year. Arrival of the new year somehow creates a blank slate with resolutions for self-improvement or goals, ideas, dreams and optimism that things will get better. I find it interesting that calendar or temporal landmarks have that effect on people. After all, January 1 is no different than December 31. Thie phenomenon is known as the "fresh start" effect, a relatively new term in behavioral psychology introduced in 2014, but concept is older than that.

Temporal landmarks, such as the beginning of a new month, year, week or a birthday, have a psychological effect. Dr. Michael Shum described them as "days that stand in marked contrast to the seemingly unending stream of trivial and ordinary occurrences", which sounds much more erudite than "special days". Landmark days are more likely to inspire positive changes, distancing ourselves from past disappointments and allowing us to set new intentions. They are essentially interruptions in time. The new year is the most significant landmark of the calendar year although various cultures and religions have other important landmark days as well. These days allow us to start a new chapter and shift our attention from short-term to long-term goals. Self-improvement is often involved to narrow the "ideal self – actual self" gap. Success depends on concerted effort and motivation (I wrote about new year's resolutions in the past, available upon request). So, there really is something to it.

On this day in 1987, Aretha Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I have always liked her music and she was a remarkable woman with a very troubled background that she (mostly) managed to overcome. She was born in 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee. Her father was a charismatic Baptist minister with a "million-dollar voice" and her mother was an accomplished gospel vocalist and pianist. Her father was also quite the philanderer which led to her parents' divorce when Aretha was 6 years old. By then she had already lived in Buffalo, New York and Detroit, Michigan. Aretha stayed with her father in Detroit after the divorce and her mother died of a heart attack just before her 10^th birthday.  Several women including her grandmother and Mahalia Jackson helped raise her and her siblings. She learned to play the piano by ear and went to public school but dropped out of high school. She also became pregnant with her first child (Clarence) at age 12 (!), purportedly by the father of one of her classmates.

Franklin first started singling gospel music at church and was recognized as a child prodigy in her teens. Her father became her manager, taking her on the road with him to perform at various churches around the country. Her first single, included on one side of an album entitled Spirituals, was released in 1956 (age 14). She was introduced to many other influential singers in her youth, including Marvin Gaye, Ray Chairles, Dinah Washington, Sam Cooke and James Cleveland. Her first album was released in 1961 and included Won't Be Long that peaked at number 7 on the Rhythm & Blues (R&B) chart. She recorded vocal jazz, blues, doo-wop, and R&B. Her first hit single was Rock-a-Bye Baby with a Dixie Melody and she was named a "new-star female vocalist" in 1961.  She was crowned the Queen of Soul in 1960s.

Franklin changed record labels to Atlantic Records and had a string of hits between 1967-1972 such as Respect (originally an Otis Redding song), I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. These were followed by other hits, including Chain of Fools, Ain't No Way, and I Say a Little Prayer. She returned to gospel in the 1970s with the Album Amazing Grace. The 1980s brought more R&B, pop-rock, more gospel, opera, jazz, blues and duets with artists such as George Michael, George Benson, and the Eurythmics. She performed in movies, musical theater, TV shows, opened the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Wrestlemania III with a memorable rendition of America the Beautiful, performed an aria for the Pope, at Kennedy Center, the Super Bowl, at the Grammy Awards, as a last-minute stand in for Pavarotti (who had a sore throat) and at 3 presidential inaugurations. She continued to record into the early 2000s and won a total of 18 Grammy Awards (nominated for 44). Her last public performance was in 2017.

In addition to her musical accomplishments, she was active in the civil rights and women's rights movement. Her songs Respect and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman became emblematic for these movements. She also supported Native American rights and the rights of indigenous people worldwide. She was married and divorced twice and had 4 children. She struggled with her weight, cigarettes and alcoholism and had numerous health issues and surgical procedures that were not disclosed. She died in 1978 at age 76 from a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. Honors include a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Grammy Legend award, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Medal of Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, numerous honorary college degrees, gracing the cover of Time Magazine, and a biographical movie. She recorded over 600 songs throughout her career and released more than 40 studio albums.

Have a good weekend and all the best in 2026!

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lMlGDZ5xBo

Yes, she had various cameo roles and did more things than I could possibly mention without exceeding everyone's attention limit...

Cheers,

Deb

Happy Friday and Happy New Year!

I trust that you celebrated the new year in a fun and/or meaningful way. We all hope that 2026 will be a good year. Arrival of the new year somehow creates a blank slate with resolutions for self-improvement or goals, ideas, dreams and optimism that things will get better. I find it interesting that calendar or temporal landmarks have that effect on people. After all, January 1 is no different than December 31. Thie phenomenon is known as the "fresh start" effect, a relatively new term in behavioral psychology introduced in 2014, but concept is older than that.

Temporal landmarks, such as the beginning of a new month, year, week or a birthday, have a psychological effect. Dr. Michael Shum described them as "days that stand in marked contrast to the seemingly unending stream of trivial and ordinary occurrences", which sounds much more erudite than "special days". Landmark days are more likely to inspire positive changes, distancing ourselves from past disappointments and allowing us to set new intentions. They are essentially interruptions in time. The new year is the most significant landmark of the calendar year although various cultures and religions have other important landmark days as well. These days allow us to start a new chapter and shift our attention from short-term to long-term goals. Self-improvement is often involved to narrow the "ideal self – actual self" gap. Success depends on concerted effort and motivation (I wrote about new year's resolutions in the past, available upon request). So, there really is something to it.

On this day in 1987, Aretha Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I have always liked her music and she was a remarkable woman with a very troubled background that she (mostly) managed to overcome. She was born in 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee. Her father was a charismatic Baptist minister with a "million-dollar voice" and her mother was an accomplished gospel vocalist and pianist. Her father was also quite the philanderer which led to her parents' divorce when Aretha was 6 years old. By then she had already lived in Buffalo, New York and Detroit, Michigan. Aretha stayed with her father in Detroit after the divorce and her mother died of a heart attack just before her 10^th birthday.  Several women including her grandmother and Mahalia Jackson helped raise her and her siblings. She learned to play the piano by ear and went to public school but dropped out of high school. She also became pregnant with her first child (Clarence) at age 12 (!), purportedly by the father of one of her classmates.

Franklin first started singling gospel music at church and was recognized as a child prodigy in her teens. Her father became her manager, taking her on the road with him to perform at various churches around the country. Her first single, included on one side of an album entitled Spirituals, was released in 1956 (age 14). She was introduced to many other influential singers in her youth, including Marvin Gaye, Ray Chairles, Dinah Washington, Sam Cooke and James Cleveland. Her first album was released in 1961 and included Won't Be Long that peaked at number 7 on the Rhythm & Blues (R&B) chart. She recorded vocal jazz, blues, doo-wop, and R&B. Her first hit single was Rock-a-Bye Baby with a Dixie Melody and she was named a "new-star female vocalist" in 1961.  She was crowned the Queen of Soul in 1960s.

Franklin changed record labels to Atlantic Records and had a string of hits between 1967-1972 such as Respect (originally an Otis Redding song), I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. These were followed by other hits, including Chain of Fools, Ain't No Way, and I Say a Little Prayer. She returned to gospel in the 1970s with the Album Amazing Grace. The 1980s brought more R&B, pop-rock, more gospel, opera, jazz, blues and duets with artists such as George Michael, George Benson, and the Eurythmics. She performed in movies, musical theater, TV shows, opened the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Wrestlemania III with a memorable rendition of America the Beautiful, performed an aria for the Pope, at Kennedy Center, the Super Bowl, at the Grammy Awards, as a last-minute stand in for Pavarotti (who had a sore throat) and at 3 presidential inaugurations. She continued to record into the early 2000s and won a total of 18 Grammy Awards (nominated for 44). Her last public performance was in 2017.

In addition to her musical accomplishments, she was active in the civil rights and women's rights movement. Her songs Respect and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman became emblematic for these movements. She also supported Native American rights and the rights of indigenous people worldwide. She was married and divorced twice and had 4 children. She struggled with her weight, cigarettes and alcoholism and had numerous health issues and surgical procedures that were not disclosed. She died in 1978 at age 76 from a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. Honors include a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Grammy Legend award, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Medal of Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, numerous honorary college degrees, gracing the cover of Time Magazine, and a biographical movie. She recorded over 600 songs throughout her career and released more than 40 studio albums.

Have a good weekend and all the best in 2026!

Deb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lMlGDZ5xBo