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 and ...... well, each of you at Cheers and Jeers. Have a fabulous weekend .... and week ahead.
ART NOTES— an exhibition entitled Abstract Flash: Unseen Andrew Wyeth— the first exhibition to present a body of abstract works on paper (never before exhibited) ranging across six decades of works made in Maine — is at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine through September 8th.
YOUR WEEKEND READ is a fascinating story of a professional athlete who defied the odds: earning much more in business than in his career. Junior Bridgeman— a good (yet not star) NBA player — wound up owning fast food franchises, a Coke distributorship and purchased Ebony and Jet magazines. At age seventy, he gives lectures to current players (earning much more today) on what not to do — and has numerous examples of star players who went broke due to financial illiteracy.
WITH THE DEATH of the My Lai massacre leader William Calley— who received praise for a time — it is worth remembering two of the heroes of My Lai (preventing further atrocities), Hugh Thompson and Lawrence Colburn (their partner Glenn Andreotta died separately in combat three weeks after My Lai).
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Cheetah the Cat - rescued from a Tarzana, California home fire (to the immense relief of her family) and expected to recover fully from smoke inhalation.
TRAVEL NOTES— for this summer: some venues in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark are offering visitors rewards for good behavior. The Level 6 rooftop cocktail bar offers a complimentary glass of wine, beer or soda (to visitors who can prove they arrived by bike or public transit). Guests can also get a free coffee or tea at the MACA Museum … if they bring a reusable mug.
YUK for TODAY— Charlie Pierce described Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) thusly:
"He looks like a country shopkeeper who lets you slide on this week's groceries … because the mill closed last week”.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Simba the Cat— an English kitteh who would not leave a pregnant woman’s side: then after the birth of her son Theo, stays close to him.
BRAIN TEASER— try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC ...… and the usually easier, less UK-centered New York Times quiz.
THE OTHER NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a Mixed Bag of summer stories: a family-owned restaurant changing hands, another hotel room rant of mine … and more detail on the Junior Bridgeman story noted earlier.
SEPARATED at BIRTH— two English actors born in 1990: Turner (Secrets of Dumbledore and boyfriend of singer Dua Lipa) and O’Connor (The Crown).
...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… just have time to remember a band that the All-Music Guide’s Bruce Eder felt had the chance to be the UK’s answer to Wet Willie. Vinegar Joe was the remnant of a big band named Dada and while it only lasted from 1971-1973: it had a blues/soul/rock sound that had fabulous concert sellouts … yet could never break it open in record sales.
With two noted lead singers (Robert Palmer and Elkie Brooks) that gave the band distinctive sounds on different songs, it was the brainchild of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame music executive Chris Blackwell (whose label Island Records signed both U2 and Bob Marley). They usually had a quartet of talented musicians … that turned into a revolving door (including John Mayall drummer Keef Hartley and Renaissance pianist John Hawken) which led to group instability.
After their 1973 break-up, Robert Palmer launched a solo career (with his song Addicted to Love reaching #1 in the US charts in 1986, and Simply Irresistible reaching #2 in 1988) before his death in 2003 at only fifty-four. Elkie Brooks also launched a solo career that — while generally unknown in the US — at age seventy-nine performs to this day and who is among those considered as contenders for the title of “Queen of the British Blues”.
From their 1972 album Rock & Roll Gypsies— this cover of Jimi Hendrix’s song Angel (the original of which was released posthumously after Jimi’s death).