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 holiday weekend .... and week ahead.
ART NOTES— an exhibition entitled Overalls: Grant Wood’s Depictions of Denim— looking at denim in his work (and in his youth, growing up on a farm) as well as the implications of their appearance — is at the Cedar Rapids, Iowa Museum of Art to August 27th.
YOUR WEEKEND READ is this short (yet comprehensive) essay by Harold Meyerson of The American Prospect on the history of stock buybacks— how they were once illegal, then quietly legalized, then having a small tax on them having virtually no effect, and now a bill to re-outlaw them again.
CHEERS to legislators in the state of Connecticut — who have voted to exonerate 12 people more than 370 years after being convicted of witchcraft, in trials the state Senate acknowledges were a "miscarriage of justice", following a long campaign by descendants to clear the names of those wrongfully accused.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Marylyn Monroad the Cat— who has been riding in the basket of a gent bicycling across the United States, now finishing-up the tour in Maine.
YUK for TODAY— in reading of the 500 Americans that Russia has banned from entering the country — including Stephen Colbert, Rachel Maddow and Brad Raffensperger, who said “My inclusion on this list is deserved, and I appreciate them thinking of me” — I’m reminded of the Nixon Enemies List, which both Paul Newman and Carol Channing cited as the highest honor they ever received.
In fairness to Richard Nixon, the second (and much longer) Enemies List was probably not one he compiled: as he would not have listed Joe Namath, quarterback, New York … Giants”.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Kizzy the Cat— a 25 year-old English kitteh who had gone missing two years ago, was found malnourished and had fleas … but when reunited with his family, recognized the husband’s scent and now back home.
BRAIN TEASER— try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC (a doughnut for me this week) ...… and the usually easier, less UK-centered New York Times quiz.
SEPARATED at BIRTH— two European models — from Russia, Irina Shayk and from Germany, Nicole Poturalski.
...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… though relatively unknown in the US (except for a sixty year-old tune, which will be noted later on) … this week saw the death of someone who (in his native Australia and his adopted Britain) had reached the pinnacle of success in the entertainment world: children’s television, art works (even painting a portrait of The Queen) and had royal honors bestowed on him. Until … ten years ago, when Rolf Harris was credibly accused of numerous counts of indecent assault dating to the 1980s, as well as four counts alleging production of indecent child images. His convictions the following year shocked many … except of course, for the victims whose story waited to be told.
Born in the western Australian city of Perth (to Welsh immigrants) he showed talent in a number of areas: swimming titles and paintings on display. He went to art school in 1952 and — except for a stint back in Australia late in the decade — made Britain his home. He found work in the art world as well as playing music (on a more frequent basis). It was on television that he found his niche: hosting many children’s programs (often involving art) as well as art shows for adults.
It led to a career involving music (with guest appearances on recordings by performers as varied as the North Wales Voice Choir to Kate Bush) and then the royal awards: an MBE in 1968, OBE in 1977 and Commander (CBE) in 2006.
All were stripped after his convictions, and after serving his sentence went into seclusion the rest of his life (in poor health). The judge at sentencing said:
"You have shown no remorse for your crimes at all. Your reputation now lies in ruins, you have been stripped of your honours … but you have no one to blame but yourself."
Last week on Thursday, May 18th there was a documentary on Britain’s ITV network entitled Rolf Harris: Hiding in Plain Sight— with The Guardian television reviewer Lucy Mangan noting the importance of enablers in any such monster.
On Tuesday, May 23rd of this past week .. it turns out that he had died on May 10th (before the documentary aired) at the age of ninety-three.
I have often written on what I refer to as the Musical Interregnum— that five-year period between the Day the Music Died (in February, 1959) and The Beatles arriving in the USA (February, 1964) when the pop charts saw instrumentals, doo-wop, folk, jazz, foreign language and novelty songs make the charts … that could not have done so before/after that span.
In 1960, Rolf Harris recorded a novelty song that he said was inspired by Harry Belafonte (who interestingly, died earlier this month). In it, Harris played what he referred to as a wobbleboard— a sheet of masonite (used in his paintings) that makes a whoosh sound when flexed. He also references a didgeridoo— an Aboriginal wind instrument that Harris (years later) played on a Kate Bush recording.
Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport was originally recorded in 1960, which went nowhere in the US charts. Two years later, an Aboriginal-inspired song had some minor success in the US charts, when a Denver disk jockey rediscovered Harris’s song .. and got so much audience reaction, it became a regional hit.
Epic Records asked for a re-recording (this time produced by Sir George Martin) that eliminated a verse about Aboriginals that came to be seen as a slur. The song references a stockman (rancher, in US parlance) on his deathbed and I suspect that for many Americans of the era: this 1963 release (that reached #3 on the US charts in July) was their first exposure to Australian lingo/slang.
Watch me wallabies feed, mate Watch me wallabies feed They're a dangerous breed, mate So watch me wallabies feed
Keep me cockatoo cool, Curl Keep me cockatoo cool Ah, don't go acting the fool, Curl Just keep me cockatoo cool
Take me koala back, Jack Take me koala back He lives somewhere out on the track, Mac So take me koala back
And mind me platypus duck, Bill Mind me platypus duck Don't let him go running amok, Bill Just mind me platypus duck
Play your didgeridoo, Blue Play your didgeridoo Keep playing 'til I shoot through, Blue Play your didgeridoo
Tan me hide when I'm dead, Fred Tan me hide when I'm dead (So we tanned his hide when he died, Clyde And that's it hanging on the shed!)
Tie me kangaroo down, sport Tie me kangaroo down Tie me kangaroo down, sport Tie me kangaroo down