Tom Hayden Speech at Wichita Peace and Social Justice Center

Tom Hayden, a leader of the student new left and antiwar movement in the sixties and a long-term activist, writer, and thinker for progressive politics, was keynote speaker at the 20th anniversary dinner of the Wichita Peace and Social Justice Center on Dec. 7 2012. My friend and fellow DSAer Russell Fox has written an insightful post on Hayden and his Wichita talk. [Dec 13 corrected: on the first version, the sound wasn't complete. This one should have the complete video of the speech.] Tom also spent about an hour answering questions from the fully packed audience. I haven't yet edited that recording.

Blues on a Saturday: Hound Dog Taylor and Little Walter

 Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers featuring Little Walter on harmonica in 1967, about a year before Walter's death.

When Delmark Records shipping clerk Bruce Iglauer couldn't convince his boss to record Taylor, he launched Alligator Records.

And there's a Kansas angle. Bob Koester, the owner of Delmark Records and the Jazz Record Mart, was born and grew up in Wichita.

Union Label Chili Feed

I have no idea why my Flickr account suddenly is in Portuguese. Regardless, hereis a slideshow from the Feb 13 Union Label chili and hobo stew feed in Wichita.

Community Concert with Joshua Nelson

I have to admit that I have never heard of Joshua Nelson before Moti Rieber mentioned the Mid Kansas Jewish Federation plans to bring him to Wichita for a December 6 concert at the Orpheum.

This is how Nelson is described

Dubbed "The Prince of Kosher Gospel," Joshua Nelson is an African American Jew who transcends race with Hebrew hymns sung in a gospel style. He spreads the sheer joy and fervent spirituality of his music from New Jersey to Jerusalem. He has performed for presidents, at music festivals, synagogues and churches, and on "Oprah," who called him "The Voice of Mahalia Jackson."

For his audiences, whatever their faith or heritage, his "kosher gospel" style music brings people and cultures together and dazzles audiences in joyous song!

Tickets on sale through Select-a-seat, 316-755-SEAT, and at all Dillon's Superstores, Plant Employee Clubs or at the door.

I've just played a Youtube video of Nelson and he sound great! (There are other youtube clips of Nelson, but there is at least one other Joshua Nelson who sings Jewish songs that may show up in your Youtube search--he sounds great too)


This should be an outstanding community event.

in reference to: Community Concert with Joshua Nelson! | Events (view on Google Sidewiki)

SPEEA gets improvements from SPIRIT, recommends contract

With membership rising and pressure increasing, management at Spirit AeroSystems today presented a new and improved contract offer to 783 engineers represented by the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001.

If ratified by a union member vote, the new 3 ½-year contract will provide a 3 percent bonus, annual salary increases and ensure engineers are compensated for all overtime hours above the regular 40-hour workweek. Employees will see medical premiums increase from 10 to 15 percent, for the life of the contract.

Union negotiators are unanimously recommending engineers accept the offer.

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Thomas Frank on Wrecking Crew

Thomas Frank has an entertaining video about his new book The Wrecking Crew.

He'll be in Wichita on Sept 16 (7:00 PM) at Watermark Books.

Schofdorf Looking at 4th District Race

According to the Eagle

WICHITA — State Sen. Jean Schodorf, R-Wichita, announced today the formation of an exploratory committee to decide whether to seek the 4th District congressional seat being vacated by Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard.

This is the first step toward running for the office but stops short of an official announcement. Schodorf says she will launch a listening tour of the 4th District.

Schodorf, considered to be a legislative moderate, will face two more conservative candidates in the GOP primary: state Sen. Dick Kelsey, R-Goddard, and Republican National Committee member Mike Pompeo.

How will a "moderate" in the Kansas GOP translate into national politics? Hard to tell. In the Second District, Lynn Jenkins was the "moderate" alternative to Jim Ryun in the 2008 primary, but she's been pretty much a far-right wing-nut since being elected

Two worker victories in Missouri and Kansas

Low-paid home care workers in Missouri vote decisively for a union and high-paid engineers at Spirit in Wichita resoundingly reject a take-away contract that included giving the right for the company to have workers work 4 hours of overtime a week without pay.

Of course, these are victories along the way. Both workers still have to negotiate a decent contract. The home care workers have to build a new union and negotiate a first contract. The engineers will be back at the table next week and they need to build their membership to get a better contract.

Best of luck to them.

United Way of Plains Opens Laid Off Worker Center

Good news in response to bad news in Wichita.



For more about this story, see the press release on Kansas Workbeat.

SPEEA Engineers Rally for a Fair Contract

This photo was taken Monday during a rally by Boeing engineers. members of SPEEA. Their contract expired in November. Usually, after engineers in Seattle reach a deal, a contract in Wichita is easy to finalize in a few day. Not this time. A few weeks back, the Wichita engineers rejected the company's offer by a 88%-12% margin. On Monday, the talks resumed, with the aid of a federal mediator. But on Tuesday, they broke down. SPEEA say it will take another vote on the contract and will add a strike authorization vote.

I'm not an engineer, not a member of SPEEA, and this is just my opinion, it looks like the company is toying with provoking a strike. Making a substandard offer, that they know the workers can't accept.

Some people seem to think the engineers make too much money and should  be happy just to have a job in such trying times. This is envy combined with subservience. For if the corporations can get away with stomping highly educated and skilled workers, what chance to the rest of us have.

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band headlined the closing concert of Friends University's Jazz Festival and did a great job.

Opening acts "Soulstice" and the Friends Jazz Band I also did a very good job.

Here's video of the Phat Band, I found on You Tube.

Be patient through the introductions, you'll be rewarded.

Two Anti-Fred Phelps Protests in Wichita on Tuesday

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SPEEA engineers reject Boeing Offer

Engineers delivered a resounding “NO” to a contract offer from The Boeing Company in voting today, a move that sends both sides back to the bargaining table.

Following the recommendation of union negotiators, members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001, voted down the Boeing offer at a special meeting held at Curtis Middle School. The tally showed 88 percent of the voting members rejected the offer, with 209 voting “No” and 28 voting “Yes” to accept Boeing’s offer for a new contract covering engineers at Boeing’s Wichita Integrated Defense Systems (IDS). Union tellers counted the votes at SPEEA’s Midwest office following the meeting. The ballot did not include a strike authorization vote. “This is a very clear message to Boeing corporate that engineers in Wichita will not tolerate being treated as second-class,” said Joe Newberry, chair of the SPEEA Wichita Engineering Unit negotiating team and a 35-year employee at the plant. “We’re anxious to get back to the table.”

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Bobby Watson at Friends

Friends University, a private college here in Wichita, has a very fine jazz education program. One outstanding thing they do is periodically bring in a leading jazz artist to teach, rehearse, and perform with their big bands and combos.

Last night it was KC-based saxophonist Bobby Watson, a former musical director for Art Blakey. Watson played to a good sized --and enthusiastic audience--with two student big bands and the Soulstice small group.

The groups played lots of Watson originals, including one of my favorites "Wheel within a Wheel," which I first heard on the New York Stories CD led by guitarist Danny Gatton.

I found a YouTube version with Art Blakely.




At intermission I bought Watson's new CD, From the Heart which sounds great. One of his better efforts.

Something non-political: Blues Guitarist Showdown

The Wichita Blues Society's 5th Annual Guitar Showdown is coming up to fill that blank space between elections and Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday

Get ready for some mighty fine guitar playing coming to Sam’s Place on Sunday, November 16th.

This year’s showdown features 8 musicians. Rachelle Coba, Clayton Crawford, Monte Harrison, Ken Kretzschmar, Vinnie Mourning, Michael Pelzer, Ron Starkel and Henry Walker.

Backing the guitarists up will Eddie Macy, Shawn Kail and Vinnie Mourning. This event is an exhibition, not a competition. Each player will have a 15 minute set. Get your friends together and come out for a grand evening. Doors open at 4 pm and the show starts at 5 pm. Sam’s Place 5521 W. Kellogg Drive.$3 Members $5 Non-Members

Soulstice CD Release Gig

I went to the Soulstice CD release party last night at the Broadview hotel and took a view pictures also bought their CD "Record Highs." Soulstice is a small group combo at the very fine jazz program at Friends University (which has an outstanding series of concerts scheduled over the fall and spring semesters.

I took a few pictures a non-SLR digital camera, which are in the slideshow below. By now means a thorough documentation of the evening. I didn't get a snap of Nathan Hittle the very fine piano player.

I'm very impressed with the CD. In a blindfold test, even sophisticated listeners might not detect that it is a bunch of college students from Kansas.

Hawker Beechcraft Workers Rally in Wichita

Here's a inspiring video of Tuesdays' rally by IAM LL 733 nenbers.



Here's a report from the Wichita Eagle and a video on KAKE-TV's website.

KBOE Forum: Science Standards

Five of the six Wichita area candidates for the Kansas Board of Education appeared at a forum on June 30 at Allison Middle School. Towards the end, they were asked about science standards (i.e., evolution vs. creationism.)




It's not always easy to tell where BOE candidates really stand. In the past, anti-evolution candidates have been elected to the KBOE through stealth campaigns.

Two candidates in the 8th district--Democrats Walt Chappell and Chalels Wiggins are clearly in favor of strong science-based science standards. Republican Dennis Hedke appears ambivalent.

In the 10th District, Democrat Paul Cassanova and Republican David Dennis are against imposing religious views on science instruction. Republican Marty Marshall skipped the forum.

Marshall and Hedke have both been endorsed by the Kansas Republican Assembly, which supports so-called intelligent design.

Merle Haggard at the Cotillion

I went to Merle Haggard's show at Wichita's Cotillion tonight. It was a little under a full sell-out, which was good since I bought my ticket at the door.

Merle is one of the true giants of American music. I was glad I went. It was my first live Merle show. A fellow at the next table said he had 17 Merle albums. I'm close to that--or more, but about half of mine are LPs I bought second hand after the beginning of the CD era. For a while, I went to lots of yard sales and flea markets. I was mainly looking for jazz, but if I found any Merle vinyl in decent shape I picked it up.

Merle has written some great tunes and the audience tonight knew the songs and the lyrics singing along to quite a few. Some of Merle's tunes are solidly in the country genre, but he's written a number that could and should become part of the American songbook. Someone like Kevin Mahogany could do a nice jazz treatment. The Merle Haggard Songbook should be up there alongside Gershwin and Porter.

I had hoped the Kansas City's Iris Dement might be the opening act, but she wasn't. Merle's son Noel did a warm-up set and after a brief intermission, it was time for the Merle show. A credible guy whose name I didn't catch let the Strangers through a mini-set of 3 or 4 tunes.. Then it was time for the master.

Merle opened with "Silver Wing." I didn't write down the set list, but I recall "Mama Tried," "Big City" "I Think I'll Stay Here and Drink" "Rainbow Stew" "I"m a Lonesome Fugitive" "Fighting Side of Me"

The Strangers is/are still an outstanding band. Merle is a great guitar player. And there are two other fine ones in the group. If I heard right one is a Haggard.

Only disappointment were that Merle didn't do an encore, didn't do "Working Man Blues" or any of his recent political songs. And I didn't like the selection of tee shirts on sale. The designs I like are at the on-line store.

Merle didn't come back for an encore, but he did say he was planning on coming back next year.

I'll plan on catching him again.

Here's a fine "Left Side of Merle" stanza from "Big City"

Been working everyday since I was twenty.
Haven't got a thing to show for anything I've done.
There's folks who never work and they've got plenty.
Think it's time some guys like me had some fun.

UPDATE July 3 5:30 PM. Eagle on-line review is here. That was Merle's youngest son, Ben, on guitar. The review is mostly okay, but contains a real howler. Jeffrey Lutz wrote Haggard "had played most of the chart-topping hits he has made famous during the last 40 years." Wikipedia has a list of 38 #1 hits.

Machinist leaders on Spirit Negotiations