Art History Volume One.....

Often imitated by never duplicated here is the masterpiece "A Poker Game" by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge. This wonderful painting was recently sold at auction and garnered a magnificent $658,00 for this seminal work of Americana. Look at the breath of detail. The expression of the doggies as they fold and raise. The heavy heart of the pooch in the middle seat who obviously thought he could catch an ace on the river. It is sublime and fabulous.

Another favorite of mine is "A Waterloo" which adds to the magnificent oeuvre of this American genius.

This painting is justly famous for the presence of a Hollywood luminary who agreed to sit for the portrait. Taking time out from saving Timmie from the well and licking the peanut butter smeared inner thighs of June Lockhart, Lassie made her debut in fine art. It was indeed a long sitting so Coolidge provided opium which resulted in the most relaxed visages you see in this magnifcent portrait.

Cassius Marcellus Coolidge who was also know as Kash Coolidge for his skill in marketing his creations had a long and productive relationship with an advertising company named Brown and Bigelow which had him designing and creating ads, calendars and other pieces of Americana that we treasure to this day. His masterpieces of course are his series of canine card players that are without peer in the current misbegotten art scene.

Of course the communist academics that pontificate today have ignored and trashed this great artist because of his status a white man and only mention him grudgingly as the great grandfather of the noted pugilist Cassius Marcellus  Clay who became famous under an assumed name. So to this very day his genius has gone unappreciated by all save the people The people who love him. The same people who love God, Baseball, hot dogs and apple pie. The people who love Donald Trump.

In other words Real Americans.

To write with concision

I can't. Guy was telling me about a resignation letter he was writing. Told him to be like Hemingway and eschew verbosity. Four words should do, the last two being "I quit".

He thought I was talking about Steinbeck. No, Hemingway. Guy says "Steinway?" Kids these days. When I mentioned the Tom Selleck movie "Quigley Down Under" guy says "Burt Reynolds?" No, they are different people despite both of them having mustaches.

Aretha died and guy says "Big wheel stopped turning". No, that was Tina Turner who is fine, and now a Swiss citizen.

Same guy is walking down the street wearing a Bob Ross t-shirt, shirt even has the words "Bob Ross" on it yet a woman comes up to him and says "Jeff Lynn - I love ELO". Close, baby, close.

Anyway, here is some Glenn Gould, and by the poor quality of the piano you can tell it is not his usual Steinway CD 318. He is playing from memory and, apparently, could sight memorize music. If true, that is an unusual skill right there.

Link

There is a version of Tina Turner singing Proud Mary that I used to like, but I can't find it amongst the million other versions posted on YouTube. The worst ones are those captured on a cell phone by someone in the audience. Very bad. But not as bad as confusing Patti Labelle with Aretha. That's bad.