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 Laramie, Wyoming-based friend Irish Patti and ...... well, each of you at Cheers and Jeers. Have a fabulous weekend .... and week ahead.
ART NOTES — an exhibition of aerial photography entitled The Elevated Eye— covering the history of aerial photography from its low-fi, high-risk 19th-century origins to the cutting-edge technology of today — will be at the Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale, California through March 8th.
SPORTING NOTES — the financial writer Joe Nocera recounts a story he covered in 1978 about the Washington franchise in the NFL that — while it is correct to vilify the current owner Dan Snyder (due to his refusal to change the team’s horrific nickname, plus his self-serving and poor business and franchise practices) — argues the team’s previous owners utilized the type of financial engineering that threatens the entire economy, then-and-now.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Quilty the Cat— a Texas shelter kitteh who has found his purpose-in-life: opening doors at the Houston shelter in order to liberate his feline companions (with the staff having to install “Quilty-proof locks”).
DEBAUCHERY CENTRAL — lest you thought it was limited to the seedy, low-rent district: a Forbes contributor notes that jewelers in Australia, France and England are offering aspirational luxury sex toys for sale.
HISTORY NOTES — a 2012 EU-sponsored project (nearing completion) to preserve the ancient Roman city entitled The Great Pompeii Project— securing many of the site’s threatened buildings that had fallen into neglect, with tourist behavior contributing to it — has also yielded previously undiscovered frescoes, paintings, amulets and charms.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Kitty the Hero Cat— who awoke an upstate New York veterinary student to a fire (enabling her to escape) but was feared lost … until a firefighter found her (having made a cocoon in the bed’s pillows), then remaining for seven hours until being rescued.
BRAIN TEASER - try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.
YOUR WEEKEND READ is this Tim Alberta essay in Politico with the intriguing title Who Will Betray Trump?— with this telling passage:
To understand Trump’s fixation on the word loyalty is to understand that his interpretation, at least in a political context, means submission, subservience, subjugation.
People around the president say he seldom grows agitated at the conduct of Pelosi, or Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, or House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, the Democrats he most enjoys lampooning on Twitter. They are the opposition party, and because Trump holds a symmetrical view of politics, he expects (and often embraces) their antagonism.
It’s an entirely different story when it comes to intra-party dissent. Rarely does the president become more wrathful, his allies say, than when he learns of a Republican criticizing him, particularly if done in a public setting. And even when he hears of an internecine attack launched behind closed doors, Trump has been known to fly into a rage, calling people who were in the room to grill them for details on the alleged act of duplicity.
Reader Suggested SEPARATED at BIRTH (from Elwood Dowd) — author & humorist John Hodgman …..
…. and US Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman— whaddya think?
...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… while they never made much of a splash in the US, the blues-rock band Atomic Rooster had more success in their native Britain during their two incarnations (1969-1975, and 1980-1983). They merit a place in history — if for no other reason — than their various members either came from (or went on to join) more famous bands, and so served as a proving ground or way-station for some names of note. (Having a revolving-door of personnel went a long way towards making this happen).
This band was founded by keyboard player Vincent Crane— the only constant member during its run — who had left the Crazy World of Arthur Brown (with its organ-soaked “I am the god of hellfire and I bring you ... Fire!” song). He was joined by bassist Nick Graham and drummer Carl Palmer, who released their self-titled debut album in 1970 (that reached #49 in Britain) which had a souped-up version of John Mayall’s ballad Broken Wings.
Carl Palmer left afterwards to join Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Nick Graham also left then: joining Edwin Starr (of “War” fame) in 1974, then teaming with two former members of Roxy Music in 1985 and with the Jim Capaldi Band (the former drummer of Traffic) in 2003.
Vincent Crane recruited guitarist John Cann and drummer Paul Hammond for the next album Death Walks Behind You— which reached #12 in the UK charts, and to #90 in the US charts. In 1971, the band hired lead vocalist Pete French (during the recording of their third album In Hearing of Atomic Rooster) which reached #18 in Britain and #167 in the US, with its hit single The Devil’s Answer making it to #4 in the UK single charts.
Afterwards, guitarist John Cann and drummer Paul Hammond left, and later still vocalist Pete French left to join the US band Cactus (founded by the rhythm section of Vanilla Fudge: bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice).
Vincent Crane then recruited guitarist John Goodsall (of Brand X fame) plus vocalist Chris Farlowe (of Colosseum fame) and drummer Ric Parnell (later to become famous as the drummer for This is Spinal Tap) for their 1972 album Made in England— with a more soul (and less rock) influence, with Stand By Me— not the Ben E. King hit — that did not chart. They continued until disbanding in 1975.
Vincent Crane re-started the band in 1980, with early member John Cann re-joining him and — for three weeks — having the (recently-deceased) Cream drummer Ginger Baker join (before leaving to join Hawkwind). Former drummer Paul Hammond re-joined, and on their 1982 album Headline News, they had Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour perform. Are you getting a bit dizzy at this point?
The band again split in 1983, with Vincent Crane joining Dexy’s Midnight Runners ( of Come On Eileen fame). He had long suffered from bipolar disorder which had worsened over the years and committed suicide in 1989 (at only age forty-five).
In 2016, two former members of the band (singer David French and guitarist Steve Bolton) obtained permission from Vincent Crane’s widow to re-form the band and they have an upcoming February gig in London scheduled.
A song that to me captures their early sound is Tomorrow Night from their second album — reaching #11 on the UK charts — with a Top of the Pops performance.
When I wake up in your bed I can still hear what you said Like a bad dream I can't fight Tomorrow Nightx xYouTube VideoAm I lying here next to you? Am I thinking I need to Really love you? Do it right, Tomorrow Night
Time goes so slow when you're gone Days turn to years, it seems so long
Can't you trust me to see it through? Can't you wait 'till I see you? When you're working, you're uptight Tomorrow Night