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, our Wyoming-based friend Irish Patti and ...... well, each of you at Cheers and Jeers. Have a fabulous weekend.
ART NOTES - early works (including posters and magazine covers) in an exhibition entitled Warhol Mania are at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in Québec through March 15th.
DESPITE EFFORTS to ascertain whether it was, in fact, tuberculosis that claimed the life of the composer Frederic Chopin - enough doubts remain to consider it a mystery, still.
TV NOTES - CNN will air a documentary on the life-and-times of the late film critic Roger Ebert - beginning at 9:00 PM Eastern tonight (Sunday, January 3rd). It will be repeated; check your local listings.
WHILE OBITUARIES for the late TV star Donna Douglas understandably focused on her role in the Beverly Hillbillies ... to me, it was her performance (a few years earlier) in this Twilight Zone episode Eye of the Beholder that is my favorite role of hers.
CHEERS to the first country in Europe to establish an independent shelter for its whistleblowers: The Netherlands will offer legal protection to employees who denounce abuse in the private and public sectors, investigate reports of wrongdoing and will be funded by the Dutch government.
FRIDAY's CHILD is Theo the Klepto Cat - an English kitteh with a history of pilfering neighbor's items ... but who had a slow season this past year.
ATTENTION, READERS - this year's quiz from King William's College (a prep school located on the UK's Isle of Man) - with said quiz known as its General Knowledge Paper officially - is now available.
It consists of 18 groups of 10 questions - with one section on events from 1914 (100 years ago) and another section on events of 2014. Each group has a common theme (although perhaps not immediately recognizable) that helps if you can answer at least one of that group's questions ... thus giving slight hints about other answers. It is among the most difficult general knowledge quizzes on earth (quite British literature-laden, as you might well imagine).
At this link is this year's quiz - and no talking during the quiz! The answers will be made available in early February. Last year I got a blistering 2 correct out of 180. It's so tough that I need to channel ...... Captain Binghamton:
I could just scream!
HISTORY NOTES - with just four years to go before the 500th anniversary of the march that the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés - some writers and TV producers want to add to the existing narrative (glorifying the Aztecs and anguishing over the genocide that Cortés perpetrated in God’s name) the acknowledgement that his journey unified two cultures that led to the birth of modern Mexico.
HAIL and FAREWELL to long-time Washington D.C resident Bernice Madigan - who has died (in her native Massachusetts) at the age of 115.
Sixteen different presidents were inaugurated during her lifetime, and with her passing: there are now only five living people born
before 1900 whose date of birth can be cross-verified (using multiple documents). And also ....
HAIL and FAREWELL to the long-time ESPN host of Sports Center, Stuart Scott - who has died from a long bout with cancer at the age of 49.
SATURDAY's CHILD is Zeb the Cat - a kitteh who has suffered mightily: contracting feline immunodeficiency virus (similar to HIV in humans), losing an eye and all but four of his teeth .... who mercifully now has a forever home in Pennsylvania.
SCIENCE NOTES - a group of African space enthusiasts are raising money for (what they say) will be the continent's first moon mission - in no small part to keep the continent's science graduates from leaving for jobs overseas.
SEPARATED at BIRTH - TV star and comic Jerry Seinfeld and TV host Matt Lauer.
......and finally, for a song of the week ............... no time for even a mini-profile this holiday week. So I'll just reprise my favorite New Year's song.
This is the very mellow, contemplative Goodbye, December from bluesman John Mayall - whom I saw give a standout show two years ago at age 79 (and who is now 81). This tune, though, comes from his 1970 Back to the Roots album. It features Eric Clapton (as well as long-time Canned Heat bassist Larry Taylor). And below you can hear it.
Time for reflection
Winter is here
Goodbye, December
The passing away of the year
Watching the day of the wind
Blowing the dirt from the sky
Clearing the air for tomorrow
Bidding December goodbye
Make celebration
Another year is gone
Now part of history
Gotta be moving along
Look for the sunrise
Old days are dead
Goodbye, December
Got a big future ahead