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— this coming September: a new museum dedicated to the early life of Frida Kahlo will open near the existing museum of her (and Diego Rivera’s) works in Mexico City. The Museo Casa Kahlo will (instead) focus on her early life and influences (via photographs, dolls, jewelry, clothing and letters) along with rotating art shows of Mexican, Latin American and other women artists.
YOUR WEEKEND READ #1 is this essay in Salon by Amanda Marcotte on the various ways that RFKjr uses subterfuge to cover what are his eugenicist impulses.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Mirage the Cat - whom I noted in this space a few weeks back (as miraculously surviving a nearly 400-foot Bryce Canyon, Utah drop that killed her owners). She has now been adopted by the search and rescue pilot who found her that day.
YOUR WEEKEND READ #2 is this essay in the Washington Post by author Larry Nye (who wrote a terrific book I reviewed in this space months ago), positing that while Edward R. Murrow did help take-down Joe McCarthy: he was late, and that the syndicated columnist Drew Pearson took Joe head-on earlier (and harder).
YOUR WEEKEND READ #3 is this other essay in Salon by Amanda Marcotte — with her take on the Krasnov-Elon feud.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Buzz the Cat - a nearly 20 year-old English kitteh found as a stray at Britain's biggest power station (emaciated and nearly blind/deaf) but now with a forever home and "adores attention, chin rubs and the sunshine".
BRAIN TEASER— try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC ...… and the usually easier, less UK-centered New York Times quiz.
Reader suggested OLDER-YOUNGER BROTHERS?— from Audri— two UK television stars: Alexander Siddig (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Game of Thrones) and James Callis (Battlestar Galactica) ………... whaddya think?
...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… echoing my theme of two weeks ago: a song made popular by one popular band that become a popular cover by others — and I have included four different renditions.
The UK band Traffic (with principal songwriter Steve Winwood) on their 1968 second (self-titled) album had this original song entitled No Time to Live— co-written with drummer Jim Capaldi. I liked it on the original album, yet it is the way others have interpreted it that has made it far more special to me.
As time begins to burn itself upon me And the days are growing very short People try their hardest to reject me But in a way Their conscience won't be caughtSo often I have seen that big wheel of fortune Spinning for the man who holds the ace There's many who would change their places for him But none of them Have ever seen his lonely face
Something's happening to me day by day My pebble on the beach is getting washed away I've given everything that was mine to give And now I'll turn around and find That there's no time to live
In 1970, Johnny Winter — in his band Johnny Winter And, including guitarist Rick Derringer (whose passing was noted in this space last week) — did a cover version that had a slightly harder edge.
Jumping ahead forty years, R&B singer Bettye LaVette — who brought the house down at the 2008 Kennedy Center Honors for The Who (just as the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl predicted) with her soulful version of the Quadrophenia song Love Reign O’er Me— did a cover version of tonight’s tune … again, in her quite distinctive soulful way.
Yet, my favorite rendition also came in 1970 by the UK band Brian Auger & the Trinity— in no small part due to Brian’s swirling organ sound. Later in the 1970’s, he has fronted his own jazz-rock band Oblivion Express, which continues to this day (with two of his kids performing with him).