I post a weekly diary of historical notes, arts & science items, foreign news (often receiving little notice in the US) and whimsical pieces from the outside world that I often feature in "Cheers & Jeers".
OK, you've been warned - here is this week's tomfoolery material that I posted.
CHEERS to Bill and Michael in PWM, our Wyoming-based friend Irish Patti and ...... well, each of you at Cheers and Jeers. Have a fabulous weekend .... and week ahead.
Sorry to have missed Netroots Nation (definitely plan to attend next year). I will be attending the Drinking Liberally conference in Savannah, Georgia on the weekend following Election Day — and most events will be open to the public. If you’re in that region, I hope that we can cross paths …. should be a lot to celebrate.
ART NOTES — an exhibition entitled Make Way for Ducklings: The Art of Robert McCloskey— featuring over 100 original artworks, ephemera, and rare preliminary book materials — will be at the Cincinnati Art Museum through September 9th.
McCloskey had other works, as wellPROGRAMMING NOTE — as noted last weekend, I’ve had some vacation time cutting-into my output …. so this week’s musical offering is rather truncated.
ENVIRONMENTAL NOTES — the Supreme Court of India has taken-to-task the state of Uttar Pradesh for allowing the degradation of the Taj Mahal— due to factories/refineries (belching dirty air and polluting the Yamuna River) and insects from the river leaving excrement on the walls — so much so that the Court said:
“Either we shut down the Taj, or you demolish it, or (you) restore it.”
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Ozzy the Cat— a Michigan kitteh who likes to curl-up to … peaches. Not to eat, nor to bat them around …. just cuddle and protect.
Ozzy the peach-loving CatEND of an ERA — the Chinese province of Macau (a former Portuguese colony, much as Hong Kong used to be a British colony) saw its last greyhound track— the final place in Asia where one could legally wager on dog races — close after both interest had waned, and authorities had cracked down on animal abuse.
x.@nytimes letter to the editor of the day - maybe month pic.twitter.com/Z6vt7fXASG
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) July 20, 2018The letter-writer concludes …..… “By the way, I’m an old biddy”.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Boo the Cat— an English kitteh who went missing thirteen years ago (seemingly scrounging food and hunting) .. then found forty miles away, dehydrated, yet returned to her family … due to her microchip.
Boo the CatSAD NEWS — the iconic Lieutenant Uhura from the original Star Trek, Nichelle Nichols has been diagnosed with dementia at the age of eighty-five — and only last month at Comic Con, she revealed that Martin Luther King urged her not to leave the show to appear on Broadway, as he considered her role that important.
YOUR WEEKEND READ is this medium-size essay by Adam Serwer on the anniversary of Charlottesville— where he contends that the alt-right has lost the battle but seems to be winning the war (at least among the GOP base).
BRAIN TEASER - try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.
SEPARATED at BIRTH — two European athletes: Switzerland’s World Cup goalkeeper Yann Sommer and Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal.
Yann Sommer (born 1988) Rafael Nadal (born 1986)...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… as noted, not enough time for a full musical profile this week …. so, a look at an old song I appreciate.
The folk musician David Wilcox (Ohio-born, now North Carolina-based ... not to be confused with the Canadian blues-rock star) has had a career touring the continent since the late 1980’s. Working with open tunings and different capo settings, at age sixty he has drifted between indie labels and the majors over the years and begins a nationwide tour next month.
From his second album How Did You Find Me Here in 1989: is a song as nostalgic as they come, with him acting as the voice of an automobile, many years after My Mother the Car went off-the-air.
Well, I don't look all that ragged For all the time it's been But I'm weakened underneath me Where my frame is rusted thin And this year's state inspection, I just barely passed Won't you drive me across the country, boy This year could be my last
I rolled off the line in Detroit Back in 1958 Spent three days in the showroom That's all I had to wait I've been good to all who've owned me So have no fear C'mon boy, put your money down And get me out of here!
Now this car needs a young man to own him One who will polish the chrome I will give you the rest of my lifetime Don't let me die here alone! Just jump me some juice to my battery Give that old starter a spin Hear me whir, sputter, backfire through the carburetor And roar into life once again
I'm a tail-finned road locomotive From the days of cheap gasoline I'm for sale by the side of the road, going nowhere Rusty old American dream I'm a tail-finned road locomotive You can polish my chrome so clean We can fly off into the sunset, together Rusty old American dream
x xYouTube Video