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 Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350— the first major U.S. exhibition (with over 100 works) dedicated to early Sienese painting (often overshadowed by Florence) — is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC through January 25th.
YOUR WEEKEND READ #1 is this Thread Reader string from Judd Legum … on who are the corporations who had been funding North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson.
YOUR WEEKEND READ #2 is this short essay in The American Prospect by Robert Kuttner — on how the Biden Administration went to work on avoiding a lengthy Longshoremen’s union strike:
White House research and public documents revealed a degree of windfall profits on the part of ocean shippers that shocked even Biden senior staffers. National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard was assigned to identify pressure points on the shippers. Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su was dispatched to work with the union. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was tasked with monitoring supply chain effects of a strike and enlisting concerned companies as allies.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Bow the Cat - an English kitteh who went missing six years ago but is now home (due to his microchip) ... and is believed to have survived by being fed by factory workers in the area where he settled into.
IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY READ this relatively quick Vanity Fair endorsement of the Harris/Walz ticket by the daughter of Rudy Giuliani— do so less for the endorsement … than for the revelation that she pleaded with him not to join-up with 45: “I was with him at the Grand Havana Room, a cigar bar at the top of 666 Fifth Avenue ... an address too fitting given the unholy alliance my father was about to enter into” — adding, “I’ve been grieving the loss of my dad to Trump. I cannot bear to lose our country to him, too”.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Pebble the Cat— a Rhode Island kitteh in the arms of six year-old Luca Arpin, who earned enough to adopt Pebble (from the shelter he volunteers at) by starting his own … pooper-scooping business.
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 an updated look at three prior topics: the legacy of the late comic/author/actor Louie Anderson, a Fawlty Towers re-boot (and a stage production in London) … and the Chicago White Sox joining the camp of worst single-season major league baseball teams of all time (with the team owner’s “apology” letter — oh and by-the-bye, we need a new stadium— raising even more ire in Chicagoland).
SON — FATHER? (Morgan born 1965, Roger Moore (1927-2017).
...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… super busy, no time for much … but I just learned that today is the 104th birthday of Charles Burrell:
The first African American to ink a full-time contract with a major American symphony, as he did when he joined the Denver Symphony Orchestra in 1949. But equally impressive is his virtuoso career as a jazz musician, making him one of a rare breed who felt as comfortable in a tux at Boettcher Concert Hall as he did with a cigar in his mouth at Five Points’ Rossonian Lounge.
In such a short time, I had trouble finding an example of him as a featured player (may try again at a future date). For now, here is an album he is listed as a performer on … and you can sense the range of music he has played, even if he is not featured on this particular song.