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.
ART NOTES – the exhibit Small Treasures: Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, and Their Contemporaries will be at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh thru January 4th.
MUSIC NOTES – Bob Geldof is planning to host a fourth incarnation of his musical project Band Aid – with the money raised going towards the fight against Ebola in West Africa – and the first European version of the music festival Lollapalooza will be held in Berlin, Germany next year.
HAIL and FAREWELL to the former mayor of Chicago, Jane Byrne – who let John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd film “Blues Brothers” in Chicago, even granting Belushi’s request to crash a car through a window at Daley Plaza – who has died at the age of 81…… and the TV series writer Glen Larson – whose works include Quincy M.E., Magnum P.I., Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider, The Six Million Dollar Man and It Takes a Thief – who has died at the age of 77.
THURSDAY’s CHILD is Freya the Cat – the kitteh of Britain’s finance minister, who is being sent away from Downing Street to a country home of a staffer: partly due to her propensity to get involved in accidents … and reportedly because she was too aggressive towards George Osborne’s new dog.
IT’S A LENGTHY READ – but have a look at the story of the captain of the basketball team at West Point, Max Lenox – born to a crack-addicted mother, then adopted by two North Carolina gay men. In fact he turned out to be a healthy child, with the main problem being one of his two dads now having to tell his father that (a) his son was gay … and (b) his grandchild is black.
YUK for TODAY – with Fox all over the Kim Kardashian story, the American Prospect’s Paul Waldman notes the dichotomy of Fox simultaneously (a) declaring the president and immigrants are ruining this country, the kids are outta control and decency has flown-the-coop, yet (b) showing endless stories of spring break, reports on Hooters and matters sexual. He concludes:
On Fox, you can be like the stern father who discovers his teenage son’s stash of Penthouse … looking through each issue carefully to understand the depths to which the boy has sunk … lingering over each photo spread as you shake your head at how depraved the world has become. And should a voice in your head alert you that you’re finding this stuff dangerously titillating: you can remind yourself that the reason you’re there is to express your dismay. After all, it’s on Fox, the only network you can really trust.
FRIDAY’s CHILD is an Australian kitteh who was discovered in the engine block of this vehicle … but who survived with only a few scratches/some minor burns.
VISITORS TO ROME have the opportunity to visit the city-owned Villa Torlonia which now offer tours of Mussolini’s bunker – which was never used.
LAST YEAR Pope Francis had to force-out Germany’s Bishop of Bling – now, several Spanish priests have signed a letter critical of a possible Archbishop of Bling in western Spain.
BRAIN TEASER – try this Quiz of the Week’s News from the BBC.
SEPARATED at BIRTH – governor-elect Charlie Baker (R-MA) and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (the son of Charles Goodell, who was briefly a GOP senator from New York).
…… and finally, for a song of the week ………………………… in a busy week, there was no time for a full profile. Instead, I’ll reprise the song that appeared in my Top Comments diary last week. On an important political trend? A scandal at a major bank? Actually, it was a look at the …… Three Stooges? …. why, soitenly!
The Chicagoland-based Jump ‘N the Saddle Band never had another hit … but the Curly Shuffle was a standard offering at Shea Stadium during 1980’s NY Mets games.
And – for those of a certain (ahem) age – it still resonates.
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