CURRENT EVENTS

Peter Tork

Monkees bassist and singer Peter Tork, who played with the group from their earliest days as a made-for-TV band in the sixties through their recent reunion tours, died Thursday of unknown causes. He was 77. Tork’s sister, Anne Thorkelson confirmed the affable musician’s death to The Washington Post.

“I am told he slipped away peacefully,” his Monkee band mate Michael Nesmith said in a statement. “Yet, as I write this my tears are awash, and my heart is broken. Even though I am clinging to the idea that we all continue, the pain that attends these passings has no cure.” (Source: RollingStone)

BOOK OF THE WEEK

What Reading Can Do For You

MOVIE OR TV SHOW OF THE WEEK

Sherlock Holmes

Starring Jeremy Brett

I’ve seen about every film portrayal of Sherlock Holmes and Jeremy Brett’s performance rivals that of Basil Rathbone’s performances. 

Sherlock Holmes is the overall title given to the series of Sherlock Holmes adaptations produced by the British television company Granada Television between 1984 and 1994.

The series was broadcast on the ITV network in the UK and starred Jeremy Brett as the famous detective. His portrayal remains very popular and is accepted by some as the definitive on-screen version of Sherlock Holmes.

In addition, Holmes’s faithful friend and companion Dr. Watson is portrayed as the kind of thoroughly competent sidekick that Holmes would want. Initially, Watson was portrayed by David Burke. Burke appeared in the first year of the Adventures series before leaving to join the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was replaced by Edward Hardwicke, (who played Watson for the remainder of the run.

Of the 60 Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 42 were adapted in the series spanning 36 one-hour episodes and five feature-length specials. (The elements of two stories were combined in one episode, accounting for the different numbers.) (Source: Wikipedia)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

If I recall correctly, The Monkees had a tv show that aired on Saturday mornings. I was working midnights in a factory and when I got home Saturday morning from work, I made sure to watch their show.

I’m A Believer

By The Monkees

ART OF THE WEEK

Tired Buddha

I really don’t know the name of this work of art or who created it, so I went ahead and named it Tired Buddha.

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSONS OF THE WEEK

Cab Calloway & Nicholas Brothers

Jumpin Jive

Fred Astaire said it was ‘the greatest dancing he had ever seen on film’. In a dance performance for the ages, the Nicholas Brothers, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold (1921–2000), dazzled audiences with their acrobatic routine to Cab Calloway’s hit song, Jumpin’ Jive. Not only that, but the routine was unrehearsed and what you see was the first take!

The performance was from the 1943 musical film, Stormy Weather. In 2001, Stormy Weather was selected for the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” (Source: Twisted Sifter)

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

PHYSICAL TRAITS

I have a hunch Martina Navratilova would approve of Iron.

“Whoever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts,’

probably lost”

Source: Martina Navratilova

CHARACTER TRAITS

SOCIAL TRAITS 

LEARNING TRAITS

I think most of us who are on Facebook have received so many requests promising this or that, if we would just forward the message within a certain time frame. To the best of my knowledge, the following it the only message of that type, which has actually delivered.

MISCELLANEOUS 

Here is proof that you English teacher was correct about the importance of punctuation.

LAST WEEK’S POLLS