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 Kent Monkman: History is Painted by The Victors— a career retrospective of forty-one works by a Fisher River Cree Nation artist — is at the Denver, Colorado Art Museum through August 17th.
YOUR WEEKEND READ #1 is this Substack essay by former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, advising his readers to keep-up the fight against Trumpism, and yet:
It’s okay to take a breath, to recharge, to find moments of peace and joy along the way. Don’t let the darkness of the times steal your light. Enjoy your family, cherish your friends, and remember that life isn’t just about the battles – it’s also about the moments that make those battles worth fighting.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Cooper the Cat - who was surrendered by a Florida family (who had lost their home) to a Humane Society, who expected him to be adopted quickly .... yet months later, they suspect his natural, "dirty-looking mouth" may be a deterrent: so a donor has offered to cover his adoption fee.
YOUR WEEKEND READ #2 is this Substack essay by legal analyst Jay Kuo, outlining how Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer are waging a (partial) battle against proposed Medicaid cuts, complicating the GOP plan to slash benefits.
SPORTING NOTES— a nice tribute in The Guardian by Drew Lawrence (on the recent retirement of the NBA coach Gregg Popovich) with the apt title, The NBA truth teller who held Trump and the U.S. to account.
YOUR WEEKEND READ #3 is this excerpt in Vanity Fair of a soon-to-be-published memoir by frequent MSNBC analyst Molly Jong-Fast— on her mother (the author Erica Jong) and her increasing dementia (and her step-father’s Parkinson’s).
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Buddy the Cat - a Michigan kitteh who went missing three years ago, but was seen on a Facebook post (having wandered ten miles away), now reunited ... and is now also micro-chipped.
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 look at how springtime elections used to be the bane of left-of-center voters … and now, are a plus (with hopes that it will endure past the Age of Krasnov, as elections are very different when he’s on the ballot, compared to when he’s not).
SEPARATED at BIRTH for three rock singers: Bob Seger (yes!), David Lee Roth (of Van Halen) and the late Michael Hutchence (of INXS).
...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… super hectic week, so just time for a quick song.
Leon Russell’s A Song for You has been covered by many performers, ranging from Andy Williams, Amy Winehouse, the Carpenters, Cher, Lou Rawls, Peggy Lee, Willie Nelson, Aretha Franklin, Jaye P. Morgan, Vikki Carr, Joe Cocker, Dusty Springfield, Peabo Bryson, Whitney Houston ..…… to Telly Savalas.
Ray Charles and Donny Hathaway had hits with it … yet one of my favorite cover versions is this effort by The Temptations, sung by Dennis Edwards (1943-2018).