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, for one final time: our recently deceased Laramie, Wyoming-based friend Irish Patti and ...... well, each of you at Cheers and Jeers. Have a fabulous New Year’s weekend .... and week ahead.
ART NOTES— an exhibition entitled Barbara Earl Thomas: The Illuminated Body— featuring cut-and-layered paper portraits, three glowing glass vessels and an immersive installation where light filters through hand-cut Tyvek screens — is at the Wichita, Kansas Art Museum through January 14th.
CHEERS to a wonderful trip to spend the Yuletide and also to act as host of a party for three old chums who have birthdays during Christmas Week — this year was the 48th year we have held this celebration.
YOUR WEEKEND READ #1 by Jennifer Schulze is among the better pleas for mainstream media outlets not to platform conspiracy theorists (while acknowledging at the end: that some are doing a better job than others).
TV MARATHON NOTES— New Year’s weekend always offers these up. MeTV has The Andy Griffith Show, The Brady Bunch, The Beverly Hillbilliesand more, Antenna TV has a Partridge Family marathon, USA Network has Law & Order: SVU, and of course SyFy has a Twilight Zone marathon over three days.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Cheeseball the Cat— who went missing in a Colorado snowstorm a month ago, but located by strangers eight miles away, who saw him under “Missing Cats” on the neighborhood site Nextdoor.
YOUR WEEKEND READ #2 is the sad story on how many big city interstate bus terminals are being closed … not due to lack of use, but because (among other reasons) Alden Global Capital— the firm that often buys newspapers and immediately downsizes them — is buying-up terminals and closing them … making layovers and bus transfers difficult for bus lines and passengers.
CHEERS to a reunion nearly forty-five years to-the-day in the making: a Boston firefighter who rescued a three year-old boy and his sister from a burning building (seen in a Boston Globe photo) … with the photographer also making the reunion.
YOUR WEEKEND READ #3 is this essay in The Atlantic by Adam Serwer— offering his take on how the abortion issue results in MAGA guys having trouble finding dates, “Unlike differences of opinion on tax rates or land use”.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Ms. Kitty the Cat— a California kitteh who also went missing but was located a week later: neither due to social media, nor a microchip — but instead an Apple AirTag on her collar, which found her fifty miles away.
BRAIN TEASER— try the Quiz of the Year's News from the BBC: Part One, Part Two, Part Three and Part Four ...… and the less UK-centered New York Times quiz.
THE OTHER NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a look at various year-end topics: personal and universal.
SEPARATED at BIRTH— no explanation needed.
...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… here is 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 ten years ago at age 79 (and who is now 90). This tune, though, comes from his 1971 recording Back to the Roots (featuring many of his former star musicians).
This tune showcases Eric Clapton as well as the late Canned Heat bassist Larry Taylor. 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