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Odds & Ends: News/Humor (with a "Who Lost the Month in Trump World?" poll)

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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 entitled Diamonds of History: Mighty Women by Ashley Longshore— highlighting the contributions, struggles and triumphs of 29 influential women from the past and today — is at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum in Baton Rouge through July 2nd.

Florence Nightingale: 2019

YOUR WEEKEND READ #1 is this quite entertaining essay in Slate by Alex Sammon, attending the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention, with attendees being many of the wealthiest Americans, with high recent profits, laws protecting their industry and financially supporting Republicans by a 6-to-1 margin .… yet quite nervous about the electric vehicle future, seeing it as a threat.

THURSDAY's CHILDREN are announcing that the Cincinnati Zoo along with Massachusetts General Hospital believe they have developed a way to spay cats — and tackle cat overpopulation — via gene therapy (without having to perform surgery) and there have been zero adverse side effects.

        Cincinnati Kittehs

YOUR WEEKEND READ #2 is this truly comprehensive essay in The American Prospect by Gabrielle Gurley on the potential revival of a (fourteen mile) east-west light rail route in Baltimore called the Red Line— intended to benefit the African-American community, which was cancelled by the previous GOP governor — that new governor Wes Moore has vowed to complete.

FRIDAY's CHILD is named Derek the Cat— a Florida kitteh who went missing eleven years ago, located and was micro-chipped … yet with obsolete information, requiring extra work and record research … before the grateful family was located.

  Derek the Long-Lost Cat

BRAIN TEASER— try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC ...… and the usually easier, less UK-centered New York Times quiz.

DAUGHTER-MOTHER?— model Bella Hadid and former model (and also former French first lady) Carla Bruni.

Bella (b 1996) Carla (b 1967)

...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… among the many noted music obituaries this week (Cynthia Weil, Astrud Gilberto, George Winston) is a name unfamiliar to most Americans … yet in Britain, the death of the guitarist Tony McPhee (and leader of his band The Groundhogs) brought forth tributes … not only from fans, but from younger musicians who were influenced by his up-tempo blues rock. His passing needs remembrance on this side of the Atlantic.

Born in 1944, he saw some of the early British blues pioneers in clubs (Alexis Korner, Cyril Davies) and in 1962 joined an existing band (the Dollar Bills) playing blues and R&B. Eventually they renamed themselves The Groundhogs — and this was the band he was associated with most of his life.

When American blues musicians came across in the early 60’s, they were unable to afford to bring their backing musicians — they often needed their own travel subsidized — and so local musicians were hired. Along with bassist Pete Cruikshank and drummer Ken Pustelnik, The Groundhogs were frequently chosen to back-up such stars as Champion Jack Dupree, Little Walter, Memphis Slim, Jimmy Reed and — especially — John Lee Hooker, who said they were the best pure blues band in the UK (which McPhee considered the highest praise he ever received). John Lee Hooker even recorded an album with them.

Yet they had trouble sustaining a career otherwise and split in late 1965. For a time, McPhee was a session guitarist on recordings produced by Jimmy Page, as well as recording some blues singles. Remembering his work, Champion Jack Dupree utilized him on his 1966 album From New Orleans to Chicago.

In 1968, he re-formed The Groundhogs, and they went on to record six studio albums that all sold well in the UK (though only modestly in the US). They moved beyond pure blues into both pop and hard rock, with songs on the UK charts such as Cherry Red, Split, Eccentric Man and Earth Is Not Room Enough. Opening for the Stones on their 1971 European tour helped their albums chart high throughout Europe.

The band split in 1976, though would reform over the years (with numerous live recordings released). McPhee recorded a solo album in 1973 — one side acoustic blues, the other a solitary synthesizer tune. Over the years, he often performed solo acoustic shows.

Tony McPhee had a series of strokes beginning in 2009 (which happened to my own mother, years earlier). He finally retired in 2015, and suffered a fall last year before his death this past week at the age of seventy-nine.

Tributes poured in from band members representing a wide spectrum of UK musicians. They ranged from The Fall, The Damned, Joy Division, Arctic Monkeys and Queens of the Stone Age — citing him personally as well as their favorite Groundhogs recordings. The Guardian columnist Alexis Petredis wrote a tribute declaring, “(Tony) will remain a hero for the musically adventurous”.

Tony McPhee (in the 1970’s)

…. and many years later

Of all of his work with The Groundhogs, my favorite is 3744 James Road (describing a plane flight to Memphis) for the 1972 Groundhogs album Hogwash (with new drummer Clive Brooks). This song remained a staple in his future gigs.

Seven hours, six miles above the ground Each trip is a year off my life Just longing for the minute we're down Like sitting on the edge of a knife

Apprehension is itching my stomach Anticipation of the things ahead This coffee doesn't help the situation Just wastes two minutes instead

Sixteen hours after leaving my home Three thousand miles to the west Feeling tired and very alone Need to take a bath and get refreshed

Alienation is easy to feel Cut-off from the situations you know Two people waiting for us to land Just help to make these feelings go

3744 James Road: you've been like a home to me 3744 James Road: I'll come back and see you again


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