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 Monet’s Floating Worlds at Giverny: Portland’s Waterlilies Resurfaces— unveiling the removal of varnish from his famous painting Waterlilies, along with twenty Japanese prints (that influenced Monet’s art) — is at the Portland, Oregon Museum of Art through August 10th.
YOUR WEEKEND READS #1 and 2 are two Substack essays by Jay Kuo, noting how (1) the American Bar Association’s lawsuit against the Krasnov administration is carefully crafted (so as to mitigate the stall/delay tactics they normally deploy), in addition to (2) the super aptly-titled What’s Driving Trump on War with Iran?
QUOTE of the DAY— as cited by Digby, it’s often former GOP strategists who point the way forward, not the DNC consultants and other stooges who want lots of internal debates, as Stuart Stevens opened on MSNBC (to Chris Jansing):
The biggest problem with the Democratic Party is that they ought to shut up about the Democratic Party. I don’t understand this. They’re like a bunch of doctors who have a patient walk into the emergency room with a nail in his head and they convene a focus group about why the guy has a headache.
THURSDAY's CHILDREN were on display at the recent 8th annual Cats in Windows tour of a Minneapolis neighborhood. Yet its twin city of St. Paul certainly wasn't going to take this lying down …. and they now have a neighborhood tour of their own, later this month.
HAPPY TRAILS to the radio host Barry “Dr. Demento” Hansen — who has said, “I taught Weird Al everything he knows!” — announcing that he will end his program (now that he is age eighty-four) this coming October, on the show’s fifty-fifth anniversary.
YOUR WEEKEND READ #3 is this lengthy essay by David Dayen (dday) in the American Prospect at how the Senate version of the baloney-bill — which was expected to be less extreme than the House — is much worse in regards to health care, notably the closure of rural hospitals due to its severity.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named (at least for now) Stowaway the Cat - who survived a three-week trip in a shipping container from China to Minnesota and (while severely dehydrated/dangerously thin) is recuperating and going to a foster home.
BRAIN TEASER— try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC ...… and the usually easier, less UK-centered New York Times quiz.
A PLEASANT SURPRISE was mine when I sent-in my on-line passport renewal. The website said that processing would take 4-6 weeks … and that was coming from the agency after the Doge Boys got through with it. Wonder of wonders … it arrived in only nine days. Did our pal Big Balls mistake me … for someone else?
FATHER-SON?— former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum and current Krasnov aide (and perhaps secretly Soviet-born) Sergio Gor.
...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… you know someone is a prolific songwriter when they write more songs than they can ever perform themselves. And besides Lennon/McCartney, Stevie Wonder has numerous songs he wrote for others or (in a few cases) were made more popular by others.
Just a few examples include: both Michael and Jermaine Jackson, Roberta Flack, the Supremes, Minnie Riperton, Whitney Houston, the Marvelettes, the Four Tops, Labelle, Brenda Holloway, the Pointer Sisters … plus even Eddie Murphy, Paul McCartney and the Beach Boys (performing it with them).
Here are four examples (among others):
Tell Me Something Good— performed by Chaka Khan and Rufus (#3 in 1974).
Stevie wrote this in December, 1973 — then gave it to Chaka Khan, as he did with other female singers of the era, as he liked her voice. At age seventy-two, she continues touring as a solo artist to this day.
It’s a Shame— performed by the Spinners (#14 in 1970)
This was the biggest hit for the Spinners during their stay at Motown Records (1963-1972). At the urging of Aretha Franklin (who felt they were neglected there) they went to Atlantic, where their career surged under producer Thom Bell. The lead singer is G.C. Cameron, who did not make the jump to Atlantic, remaining at Motown as a solo artist.
I Gotta Have a Song— performed by Jeff Beck in 1972
This was originally released by Stevie on his 1970 Signed, Sealed and Delivered album. Jeff Beck (who later recorded covers of Stevie’s Superstition, ‘Cause We've Ended as Lovers and Thelonius) covered this with vocals by the Trinidad-born Bob Tench. When Jeff died in 2023, Stevie recounted their work together in a tribute.
Until You Come Back to Me— performed by Aretha Franklin — #3 in 1974
Tonight’s final example was originally recorded by Stevie in 1967 … however, it was never released until his 1976 Anthology greatest hits collection. He played it for Aretha in 1973, and she recorded what is my favorite song from her.