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 .... Happy New Year … and week ahead.
ART NOTES — a career retrospective entitled The Condition of Being Here: Drawings by Jasper Johns will be at the Menil Drawing Institute in Houston, Texas through January 27th.
In Houston, Texas — through Jan 27thAVIATION NOTES — it was fifteen years ago that the supersonic Concorde air service went out of business (due to high fuel consumption and shock waves) … yet a new jet engine being designed by a consortium including GE could (in another five years-or-so) be able to provide service: not quite as fast as the Concorde yet be able to overcome the aforementioned hurdles.
TRAVEL NOTES — the Greek island of Lesbos— a sought-after destination for gay women — was not always so friendly to them (as recently as ten years ago) until locals began to appreciate the tourism value. And for gay men, nearby Mykonos has now become a destination spot as well.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Noelle the Cat— a Michigan kitteh who was rescued by firefighters (with a lasso) after she had become trapped inside her family’s chimney cavern.
Noelle the Cat: now rescuedWINE NOTES — while its average citizen consumes little wine each year, the climate demands extensive care in bottling and each of the twenty-nine federal states has its own licensing requirements … wine-making in India has taken-off due to Sula Vineyards, which benefits from high import tariffs.
THE OTHER NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with the tale of how my father took pity on three old chums who had Christmas Week birthdays (since his was December 30th) in 1975 ... and forty-three years later, we still celebrate their birthdays - with today marking the 100th anniversary of my Dad's birthday.
TV MARATHON NOTES — the New Year’s Day marathons are gearing-up … with the SyFy channel’s Twilight Zone Marathon set to run from late Sunday night (Dec 30) to the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 2nd. For New Year’s Eve alone, TV Guide has a listing.
FRIDAY's CHILD is a North Carolina stray mama cat who had sadly lost her kittens yet was still lactating … who was then paired-up with a litter of five kittens who were abandoned outside a public library … and they are now a family.
Stray cat adopts: abandoned kittensBRAIN TEASER EXTRAORDINAIRE - finishing-up the Quiz of the Year's News from the BBC … Part Two (April to June), Part Three (July to September) and Part Four (October to December) .. three groups of thirteen questions each.
THE YEAR OF 2019 will be when the fate of the Trumpster will be determined. On the night leading-up to Richard Nixon’s resignation announcement, I lost all of my fervor, taking a more somber “Wow, this is something … this should not be the norm; a very serious situation in our nation’s history that I will not celebrate”. Forty-five years later, I will not exercise any such restraint … if you-know-who is either deposed or at least forced to abandon any thoughts of a second term.
HAIL and FAREWELL to the lyricist Norman Gimbel— who wrote the English lyrics to The Girl from Ipanema, Jim Croce’s I Got a Name, plus the TV themes to Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley plus Wonder Woman — who has died at the age of ninety-one.
FATHER — SON? — a Consumer Cellular phone advertisement model and Yardbirds/Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.
Mobile phone ad Jimmy Page (b 1944)...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… my annual New Year’s song. This is the very mellow, contemplative Goodbye, December from bluesman John Mayall - whom I saw give a standout show six years ago at age 79 (and who is now 85). This tune, though, comes from his 1971 recording Back to the Roots (featuring many of his former star musicians).
“Back to the Roots” by John MayallThis tune showcases Eric Clapton (as well as long-time Canned Heat bassist Larry Taylor). And below you can hear it ……...…. Happy New Year, everyone.
Time for reflection Winter is here Goodbye, December The passing away of the year
Watching the day of the wind Blowing the dirt from the sky Clearing the air for tomorrow Bidding December goodbye
Make celebration Another year is gone Now part of history Gotta be moving along
Look for the sunrise Old days are dead Goodbye, December Got a big future ahead
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