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 Matisse and the Sea — the first exhibition to examine the significance of the sea across Modernist artist Henri Matisse’s career, which included artwork in coastal locations on the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and the Pacific — is at the St. Louis, Missouri Art Museum to May 12th.
“Interior at Nice”
YOUR WEEKEND READ is this essay (on dynastic wealth) by the former Labor Secretary Robert Reich — positing that should TFG regain the presidency, “He’ll owe his victory in no small part to one of the richest Americans alive — in 1920”.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named is named Leonard the Cat — a super-friendly Philadelphia shelter kitteh who was always passed by (due to benign mast-cell tumors on his face) and now after seven years ... has been adopted.
Leonard the Cat
THEN and NOW —
“Rocky IV” actors Dolph Lundgren and (the recently deceased) Carl Weathers
LAST NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a biography of the (recently deceased) long-time National Public Radio morning host, Bob Edwards.
FRIDAY's CHILD is a reminder (especially now) that not all stories from Russia are bad — in 2015, Masha the Hero Cat alerted a neighbor that she was keeping warm an infant boy left outside in a box in freezing temperatures (and the child's life was saved).
Masha the Hero Cat
BRAIN TEASER — try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC ...… and the usually easier, less UK-centered New York Times quiz.
SEPARATED at BIRTH — (Armstrong born 1930, Gagarin born 1934).
...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… though I have not seen this confirmed on any major news site (albeit numerous music blogs have reported it) — the British singer/guitarist Bobby Tench may have died this past week at the age of seventy-nine.
Though little-known by most North Americans, he got around: with stints (either as a vocalist or guitarist/vocalist) as a sideman for Freddie King, Eric Burdon, Ginger Baker and Van Morrison, plus as a member of bands such as Humble Pie. Yet it was his role as a vocalist (in the early 70’s) with the Jeff Beck Group that was his greatest fame world-wide.
Bobby Tench in his youth ..
….. and more recently
This was the lead-off song on the first of the two Jeff Beck Group albums … and right away, one hears the voice of Bobby Tench. If he is indeed no longer of-this-Earth … Hail and Farewell.
The day is right, my friends
Live life as full as you can
It would do you no harm
Do what you want yourself
There's a spark down inside
I would like to die
Don’t let sadness collide
It's a future you don't want to hide
Put sadness straight out of your mind
Leave all your troubles behind
And I bring you the sweet
Right where we all want to be
Ain't no good when you’re all alone
Life's a never-ending road
If you feel like running
You better slow down; what's your hurry?
We’ve got the feeling
Bobby Tench — lower left-hand photo.
