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 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 Female Saints & Heroes will be on display at the El Paso, Texas Museum of Art through November 6th.
♫ West Texas town of El PasoSIGN of the APOCALYPSE — several municipal leaders in Japan (worried about young people moving away to either Tokyo or Osaka) have been trying to copy trendy styles from Portland, Oregon— even that city’s tacky airport carpet.
THURSDAY's CHILD is being held by Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel — an electrician by trade, now known as the Cat-Man of Aleppo— who has taken in more than a hundred stray and abandoned cats from people fleeing that besieged Syrian city.
Gary Johnson: THIS is AleppoLAST NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a look at one of the interesting stories that the author John Feinstein wrote in his 1995 book A Good Walk Spoiled— a quote attributed (incorrectly) to Mark Twain about the game of golf — had to do with the late Arnold Palmer (at least in the early 1990’s).
After the year-end qualifying tournament that determines the final number of players eligible to play on next year’s professional (PGA) Tour — Palmer would make a note of any players who earned a spot on the Tour for the first time and — over the course of the following year — made a point of meeting each of them personally and welcoming them to the Tour ("Where are you from?" "Do you have a family?" "Where did you go to school?", etc) … even though he probably already knew the answer. No one asked him to do it, he did this rather quietly and made no money from it – but he felt a sense of noblesse oblige as a result of his success in the sport.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Steve the Cat — a New Zealand kitteh who has become fast friends with his family’s flock of sheep: even leading them around the garden.
Steve the Cat … and his friendsBRAIN TEASER - try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.
HAIL and FAREWELL to the Canadian-born folksinger, songwriter and radio host Oscar Brand— whose NYC-based Folksong Festival radio program ran for over 70 years and had guests such as Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Harry Belafonte, Burl Ives and B.B. King — who has died at the age of 96. Doris Day reached #1 with one of his tunes and he served on the advisory panel that helped develop “Sesame Street.”
Reader Suggested SEPARATED at BIRTH from Audri— two English film/TV stars: Tim Roth (“Reservoir Dogs”, “Pulp Fiction”) and Jake Weber (“Dawn of the Dead” and the TV series “Medium”). Whaddya think?
Tim Roth Jake Weber... and finally, for a song of the week .............................. a rather hectic week, and no time for a full musical profile. So, here is simply a song I recently heard and which — to this sentimental-old-fool, at least — tugs at my heart-strings.
A San Francisco Bay Area native who relocated to the blues hub of Austin, Texas a few years ago is Mike Schermer— who has toured with Elvin Bishop, Marcia Ball, Maria Muldaur and others, before now establishing his own sound.
And his tune Blues in Good Hands refers to the passing-of-the-torch from the older blues pioneers to the younger set that seems to (sadly) happen often these days. He attended a 1984 concert by the late Texas blues guitarist Albert Collins — the Master of The (Fender) Telecaster — and said his life had changed.
He later got to perform on the same bill as Albert Collins, Hubert Sumlin, Bonnie Raitt and other veteran guitarists … and whether or not Mighty Mike Schermer is later recognized as being in their class … he has written a gem of a tribute.
Mighty Mike SchermerThe first note Albert Collins hit …….. took my breath away …… I went and bought a Telecaster the very next day …... Drove his own bus — I saw him change the oil once ….. He taught me a lot ….. about the dues you pay
Hubert (Sumlin) put his hands on my shoulders …….. He said, “Son it’s up to y’all …. now that we’re older” …… Made me strong — made me a little bolder …… Now I’m proud to be a soldier
To keep the Blues In Good Hands ……. And say something everyone can understand ….. Something real — something everyone can feel …….… Gotta keep the Blues in Good Hands
x YouTube Video