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 - works by James McNeill Whistler in an exhibit entitled An American in London: Whistler and the Thames are at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C. through August 17th.
HAPPY TRAILS to the TV star/singer Jim Nabors - who will sing 'Back Home Again in Indiana' at the Indianapolis 500 today for the final time ... who is planning to retire to his home in Hawaii at the age of 83.
BRAIN TEASER - try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.
THURSDAY's CHILD is Poppy the Cat - an English kitteh whom the Guinness staff recognizes as the world's oldest cat (at age 24).
THE OTHER NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a look at the Rodgers & Hammerstein song You've Got to be Carefully Taught from their hit 1949 musical South Pacific - and how they refused to remove that anti-racism song from the play .... despite warnings that it could jeopardize a potential Broadway hit.
GLAD to see that Pakistan completed an ambitious vaccination program against polio - where that country's Taliban has spread conspiracy theories that vaccinating for polio is a Western plot to curb its Muslim population.
FRIDAY's CHILD is Libris the Cat - the library cat at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia.
BUSINESS NOTES - while many corporate mergers of equals are well-intentioned: they often fail unless an integration plan is agreed-to beforehand (and if one of the CEO's in question ... plans to retire soon).
WHO WOULDA THUNK that someone who donated to the reward for locating whoever killed 25 cats in Yonkers, New York was Terence 'Geezer' Butler - the bassist in Black Sabbath - who has several cats at his home in Los Angeles.
SEPARATED at BIRTH - television star Jennifer Aniston and CNN correspondent Erin McPike.
...... and finally, for a song of the week .......................… having been away for a few days (and preparing the aforementioned musical profile for Top Comments) there was no time for a C&J profile. So, two reprises of songs that are quite apropos for the season: the advent of summer.
For those of you of a certain age: you may recall the old, quite laconic Fenway Park announcer Sherm Feller - who spoke in the most slow, deliberate style imaginable. But he began his broadcasting career as a songwriter; including the ubiquitous song Summertime, Summertime - which below you can listen to by The Jamies .....
Summertime, summertime, sum-sum-summertime
Well, shut them books and throw 'em away
And say goodbye to dull school days
Look alive and change your ways
It's summertime...
Well, I'm so happy that I could flip
Oh, how I'd love to take a trip
I'm sorry teacher, but zip-your-lip
Because it's summertime
We'll go swimming every day
No time to work, just time to play
If your folks complain just say,
"It's summertime"
And for a different, more contemplative tune: Dave Brubeck (with his wife Iola providing lyrics) wrote a musical play called The Real Ambassadors as a protest against racial injustice. It was recorded in 1961 with an all-star ensemble (with Armstrong, Carmen McRae and also Lambert, Hendricks & Ross) and performed at the Monterey Jazz festival in 1962.
I have featured the title track in this space before. But today I'd like to ring out the season with perhaps the album's prettiest tune: Summer Song - with lyrics by Iola Brubeck (who died two months ago at age 90).
Dave Brubeck says that Louis Armstrong thanked Iola in writing on the manuscript of this tune and - on the day in July, 1971 that Armstrong died - New York City's all-classical music station broke with tradition and played this song in his honor. And at this link you can listen to it.
Love, to me: is like a summer day
Silent 'cause ... there's just too much to say
Still and warm and peaceful
Even clouds that may drift by
Can't disturb our summer sky
I'll take summer, that's my time of year
Winter's shadow seems to disappear
Gay is swanee season
That's the reason I can say
That I love a summer day
I hear laughter from the swimming hole
Kids out fishing with a willow pole
Boats come drifting 'round the bend
Why must summer ever end?
Love, to me: is like a summer day
If it ends - the memories will stay
Still, and warm, and peaceful
Now the days are getting long
I can sing my summer song