Vincent, Marianne &More

Headline from nypost.com: “Dems scream ‘racism,’ but NYC minorities cheer Trump’s ICE raids.” Bubbleheads.

Some folks have all the luck. From NYP: “Treasure hunting: Previously unknown Vincent van Gogh painting worth $15M bought at Minnesota garage sale for $50: experts.” And the caption: “A red hair — the color of van Gogh’s locks — was found embedded in the paint, which was proven to be from early 19th century France.” Photo from NYP:

More Mad Vlad. From NYP: “Battle for hearts, minds: Russian army recruitment drops 80% in Moscow — as fighters from Asia and Africa fill the ranks for cash: report.” This seems to indicate the war will last forever if a negotiation is not set.

RIP Marianne Faithfull, 78. Born in London, she was the child of a ballerina and a PhD who taught Italian and previously worked in British intelligence. She was six when her parents divorced. Her career began in 1964, singing in coffee houses. She recorded As Tears Go By, a Jagger/Richards composition, that year. She was very successful in Europe and admired worldwide. She dove headlong into the Swinging London scene and it eventually caught up with her. A heroin addict, she spent two years homeless in the ‘70’s, living on the streets. She made a stunning comeback in ’79 with the release of Broken English, which earned her only Grammy nomination. Her voice had completely changed, become gravelly. She moved to NYC in the early ’80s, still battling drugs. She entered rehab in ’85. In April 2000 I had the privilege of viewing her set on PBS’ Sessions at West 54th, one of the best music shows ever. Her rendition of John Lennon’s Working Class Hero was particularly riveting. Throughout her career she recorded the songs of master songwriters and collaborated with renowned artists. It is believed several Rolling Stones classics, including You Can’t Always Get What You Want are about her. According to her Wiki profile, she released 21 albums, the last, spoken word, in 2021. She battled health issues for many years but continued working. She had a significant career as an actress, stage and screen, as well. There are 50 titles under her name at IMDb. She played Ophelia in the 1969 version of Hamlet, opposite Nicol Williamson, a role she also did on stage. Her profile lists eleven theater credits, including Three Sisters, Alice in Wonderland, The Rainmaker and The Threepenny Opera. She was a master of the voiceover. She was a mom of one. Given her lifestyle, it is surprising she lived as long as she did. Photo from amazon.com:

From NYP: “Single women own millions more homes than single men in the US — and the gap is only growing.” Wow — millions?

Fortunately, the wind had died down or the Anti-Inflation Book Shop would have been a no-go on this cold but beautiful day. My thanks to Lulu, who bought Amazing Grace by Danielle Steel and to the gentleman who donated a Bible in Russian. Another day closer to spring.

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