It was with sadness that I learned today of the passing of Maurice Sendak, the man who took the concept of Children's books to an entirely new level. His was a unique voice and vision and it will be missed.

I found an episode broadcast earlier today via NPR's Fresh Air program which features a remembrance of Sendak along with excerpts of several of the interviews he did for that program over the years.

If you haven't already heard it - here it is now.

Rest in Peace Maurice Sendak - you made surviving the day-to-day so much more bearable.

(Voce Quartet - they even have their own MySpace page)

Back over to Madrid this week for a concert by Quatuor Voce (The Voce Quartet) of Paris performing works by Smetana and Ravel. The concert was recorded live by Radio Nacional Espana on May 8, 2010.

Los conciertos de Radio Clásica
Ciclo: Solistas del Siglo XXI. Transmisión directa desde el ILustre Colegio Oficial de Médicos de Madrid.
RAVEL: Cuarteto de cuerda en Fa mayor. SMETANA: Cuarteto de cuerda nº 1 en Mi menor “De mi vida”. Cuarteto Voce. S. Dayan (vl.), C. Roubin (vl.), G. Becker (vla.), J. Decoin (vc.).

Announcements are Spanish, the band is French, the music is good.

Another anti-road rage Wednesday.

Fifty one years ago today, NASA held a Press Conference and the guest of honor was Alan B. Shepard, whose spaceflight on May 5th 1961, made history as the first U.S. Astronaut in Space.

A momentous occasion and a huge boost in our sagging morale, after hearing of the Soviet launch of Yuri Gagarin into space earlier. The Cold War period Space Race was on and there was determination to get to the moon before 1970.

Here is that Press Conference complete, as broadcast over CBS Radio on May 8th 1961.

Despite the breathless news a day earlier, and the quick admonition that it wasn't really official, the news finally broke 24 hours later that yes, in fact that Germans had surrendered and the War in Europe was really-really over.

So news of this May 8th in 1945 was given completely over to reports and reactions - speeches and proclamations and reminders there was still a war in the Pacific going on. So as much as there was cause for celebration, it was not as riotous as would be imagined.

Here is a 1 hour extraction from that day - from roughly 11:00 am - 12:00noon Eastern War Time, as reported on CBS Radio, anchored by Robert Trout with reports from correspondents throughout the European front. Also included are some addresses, including one by General Patton, one of his rare public speeches.

All this on May 8th 1945.