Kansas Citizens for Science celebrates 10th anniversary

From KCFS President, Harry McDonald

Unbelievably, Kansas Citizens For Science just celebrated the 10th anniversary of our founding. We remain at the forefront of the struggle to promote science and good science education.

Looking ahead to 2010, we will find ourselves once again facing the prospect of losing control of the State Board of Education. Five of the 10 BOE seats are up for grabs in the elections. With numerous state races garnering most of the attention, KCFS will need to work all that much harder to ensure that science and science education are on voters' minds and that voters know where the candidates stand on science-related issues.

Now, the following will catch you up on what we've been doing the past year:

At our annual meeting in November, we elected the following officers, Harry McDonald - President, Cheryl Shepherd-Adams - Vice-President, Keith Miller - Treasurer, and Charlotte McDonald - Secretary. In addition, we welcomed Gene Garman as a new board member.

• Individual board members accepted invitations to speak at a number of events locally, across the state and nationally.

• KCFS retained its presence at KATS Kamp, the state science teachers' convention.

• KCFS continued its support of the Hays Science Cafe’ and organized a new Science Cafe’ which will begin in Johnson County in January.

• We adopted priorities to increase activities in non-science standards issues and function as a science resource; continue outreach to teachers; emphasize the teaching of established science in all our activities; and to emphasize the Year of Science 2009 in all our activities.

• Our President registered as a lobbyist for Kansas.

• We created several new flyers.

• Members monitored state board and state legislature activities that could affect science education, both in Kansas and across the nation.

• We continued to network with like-minded organizations across the country.

• KCFS co-sponsored science-related events in communities across the state, including several celebrating the Year of Science.

As always, our greatest influence came as the result of individual efforts of members acting in behalf of our shared values.

The KCFS website has been static recently, but the new year brings hope for change. A friend of KCFS has volunteered to clean up the site and keep postings up-to-date. The plan is for you to be able to go to our website, www.kcfs.org, and find out the latest news and happenings.

Jack Baurer interrogates Santa

Jazz Christmas CDs

Russell Fox has posted his list of essential Christmas CDs and issued a challenge for others to share their lists.

Though I like diversity in my Christmas music, I've decided to restrict this to jazz CDs and only those by a single artist. There are some great compilations done by labels, but there is a special challenge in putting together an entire album of Christmas music. ( On another day, I might classify the great Christmas albums by Bela Fleck and Brian Setzer as jazz, but the narrow definition gives me a post for holiday season 2010.)

Wynton Marsalis Crescent City Christmas. This is a classic. On LP, there is a secular side and a religious side. That's lost on CD. Wynton does some great playing and the ensemble and arrangements swing. His 2009 Christmas Jazz Jam is something I'd like to hear, but it's available only at Target and iTunes.)

Joe Pass Six String Santa Joe's late 1990s working quartet, plus a few solo pieces. Enjoyable anytime of the year.

Kenn Burrell, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Burrell was the definition of a soulful guitarist. Nice horn arrangements, but KB is the star. Originally released in 1966 for Cadet, the jazz imprint of Chess.

Jimmy Smith Christmas '64 It is only a slight exaggeration to claim that Jimmy Smith invented the Hammond B-3 organ. There's a version entitled Christmas Cooking that has two extra cuts. One highlight is "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Wes Montgomery.

Gerry Beaudoin A Sentimental Christmas

Tuck Andress, Hymns, Carols, and Songs About Christmas

Ella Fitzgerald Wishes You A Swingin' Christmas

Etta James Twelve Songs of Christmas

Eric Reed Merry Magic

Chet Baker, Silent Nights

An Oscar Peterson Christmas 

Al Grey, Christmas Stockin' Stuffer Jazz trombonist set features two humurous tunes with vocalist Jon Hendricks.

Dianna Krall, Christmas Songs

Carla Bley Carla's Christmas Carols. new in 2009. really exquisite arrangements for a small group. Allmusic.com says

This may be the Christmas recording of 2009. Bley's arrangements are both elegant and sometimes quirky, but always engaging and fun, and show a complete love of the original material. ...While the argument that there should be a moratorium on Christmas recordings is a good one in the 21st century, Carla's Christmas Carols provides a powerful counter to that view. She has added so much to these songs without taking away any of the warmth, joy, and nostalgia inherent to the season or their place in it.

Tiger's face in the crowd

Tiger Woods has announced his indefinite withdrawal from the golf circuit in order to repair his family life.

I am not sure that Tiger will ever return to golf or his championship form. One thing for certain, though I could be wrong, he will never be "Tiger" again. Tiger was not just the greatest golfer ever, he was a "brand." Like Faust and Dorian Gray, Tiger made a deal and now he is paying the price.

His downfall reminds me of A Face in the Crowd where the character played by Andy Griffith rises from the ranks of country music to TV star and political demagogue (a premature Teabagger) only to be undone when his true feeling are revealed.

Here's the end of the movie from Wikipedia

Rhodes is shown smiling and waving to the camera while in the control room, Jeffries and the technical staff hear him mock his viewers as "idiots", "morons" and "guinea pigs". Aware she helped create the monster, Jeffries pushes switches that throw Rhodes's comments on the air. Furious fans call the network. In a symbolic moment, an unaware Rhodes's popularity is shown plummeting as he rides an elevator going down.

The story ends with a meltdown at Rhodes's penthouse apartment, as Jeffries admits she betrayed him and Matthau predicts his future: that Rhodes is finished as a top-flight entertainer, though he may still salvage some of his career, it will never be the same. An uncredited Rip Torn is shown as "Barry Mills", the next Lonesome Rhodes waiting in the wings until the tutilage of Rhodes' agent. Rhodes ends up threatening to kill himself and pleading for Jeffries to come back, but the spell is broken as she and Mel drive off into the night.

Coming, Tiger's tawdry behavior has foreover tarnished his "brand," but there there are cotnradtictions in the brand that should have made us pause long ago.

Climate Change--those hacked e-mails

The right-wing nuts think they've discovered a vast conspiracy, but here's a video that puts things in perspective.



Check out more videos here.

Intellecutals and others I confuse

Here's a confession. I have sometimes mixed up or confused or conflated some prominent intellectuals and musicians. (I'm not including aural confusion of Tom Petty and Bob Dylan or Madeleine Peryoux and Billy Holliday.)

In retrospect it is easy to understand or excuse, I read a reference to someone and it sticks vaguely in my mind, then I read about someone with a similar name in a similar field an make an association.

I'm going to pretend that my confusions are the mark of a curious mind.

Anthony Crosland and Richard Crossman--two prominent intellectuals in the British Labour Party in the 1950s and the 1960s

Isaiah Berlin and Ira Berlin-- two prominent historians who wrote about issues of freedom and politics, but the first is British from the 1950s and Ira is an American and they are a generation (at least) distinct.

Elia Kazan and Alfred Kazin. Film maker and literary critic.

Bruce Cockburn and Bruce Hornsby-- North American rock musicians who incorporate jazz and folk touches and who have achieved somewhat more than a cult following but less than superstardom. I've never confused either with Bruce Springsteen, though.

Murray Bookchin and Murrray Rothbard--libertarian/anarchist theorists. They are from the social and individualist trends of the movement. Rothbard, in fact, seems to have been a particularly nasty political strategist, advocating and implementing an alliance of libertariansim with racist grievances. (See this article from the liberatarian Reason magazine)

Daniel Bell and Daniel A. Bell
sociologist and political scientist who have both written for Dissent.

Thomas Frank and T. A. Frank After What's the Matter with Kansas, some of the later's articles were by-line Thomas A. Frank, if I recall correctly.

Max Gordon and Max Gordon--founder of the Village Vanguard and one-time editor of the Daily Worker who broke with the CP after Khrushchev's Secret Speech.

My Live Double (Rock) Albums

Russell Fox has insomnia earlier this week and put it to good use by re-organzing his CD collection and gracing us with an interesting post of live rock double (rock) albums in his collection.

He asked for suggestions, and since he gave me some great leads and rates the Allman Brothers at Fillmore as the greatest live rock double album, I decided to search my collection and my memory.

Derek and the Dominos Live at the Fillmore

Butterfield Blues Band, Live (1970) after the departure of Michael Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop and the addition of a horn section.

Al Kooper and Michael Bloomfield, The Live Adventures--recorded over 3 mights at Fillmore West. A follow-up to the Super Session.

Grateful Dead, Live in Europe 1972. It was 3 LPs so perhaps it doesn't qualify and I've never actually owned it, but it is excellent.

Peter Frampton, Comes Alive. I can't believe this isn't in Russell's collection, given that he likes both MOR as well as hipper music. I also can't believe it is in my collection.

Bob Dylan, 30th Anniversary Concert

Various Artists, A Tribute to Woody Guthrie, okay it is actually folk music, but there's one track with the Band. I have in on LP. There's a CD which includes another live recording of a Guthrie tribute concert.

(When I get my courage up and search through the LPs and tapes), I may find a few more.)

Farmers Union Makes Case for Public Option

NY Times reports

In a news conference on Tuesday aimed at pressuring swing-vote senators, leaders of the National Farmers Union, which represents about 250,000 farm and ranch families, stressed the importance of major health care

John Hansen, the president of the Nebraska chapter of the Farmers Union, noted that the state had succeeded in lowering its utility costs through the use of publicly sponsored generation of electricity, including wind power, to make a case for government-run health insurance.

“The public option in Nebraska for electric generation has served us extremely well,” he said, “and yet we villainize a similar kind of public option when it comes to health care.” Mr. Hansen said that 69 percent of health insurance policies in the state were written by just two private insurers and that the public plan — a government-run insurance option — was needed to increase competition.

No Sharia Law Demo in UK

Today, in Great Britain, there will be an important demonstration against Sharia law. The demo is largely organized by UK muslims and supported by the democratic left and secularists.

Vetran human rights campaigner Peter Thatchell comments at Harry's Place

Millions of people are suffering at the hands of clerical regimes, especially our Muslim brothers and sisters in countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Sadly, the turn out in Hyde Park will probably be quite small. This is odd. Most liberals and left-wingers would protest loud and strong if these persecutions were perpetrated by a western regime or by Christian fundamentalists. But they get squeamish when it comes to challenging human rights abuses done in the name of Islam. They fear being denounced as Islamophobic. They confuse protests against fundamentalist, political Islam, which seeks to establish a religious dictatorship, with an attack on Muslim people and the Muslim faith. These are two very different things. Saturday’s protest is in defence of Muslim people – and all people everywhere – who are victims of any form of religious tyranny.

Sharia law is, however, one of the most barbaric manifestations of fundamentalist religion, which is why we need to highlight it. While other faiths are also often oppressive, Sharia is especially oppressive. Its interpretations stipulate the execution of Muslims who commit adultery, renounce their faith (apostates) or have same-sex relationships. Sharia methods of execution, such as stoning, are particularly brutal and cruel.

Sadly, Thathcell's activism in support of gay rights in Islamic countries has been attacekd by some Western pseudo-lefists as a form of "imperialism."

George Miller on GOP Health Care Plan

The CBO found that the GOP plan would save money because it doesn't actually extend insurance coverage to any of the 17 percent of legal, non-elderly Americans who the CBO thinks will be without health insurance in 2010. In fact, most of the Republican plan centers around reforms that would make the health insurance industry work more like the credit card industry by allowing insurers to base themselves in the state with the weakest regulations and then sell their health plans nationwide (as credit card companies already do from South Dakota).

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)

Eagle's bad mash-up BB preview

The Wichita Eagle had a terrible idea for their college basketball preview--a mash-up of sports and fashion. It didn't work for this basketball fan and I doubt it got more women to read the section or to follow college basketball.

Moreover, if they were going to do a fashion of sports twist, they should have looked at the questionable ethics of college sports and athletic apparel. Let us know just how much the workers the workers who make Nike goods are paid. Ask whether public universities should be signing deals with clothing manufacturers who exploit workers.

WSU panel on religion and homosexuality

	Thursday, October 22, 2009
	6:30pm - 8:00pm
	Wichita State University, RSC 203

Violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities are often exacerbated by fundamentalist interpretations of the Bible. The case becomes more nuanced for LGBT people of faith. The WSU Political Science Club invites you to an open dialogue around religion, faith, morality, and sexuality which will host three speakers that will explain their faiths understanding on these issues.

This event will feature 3 speakers:
Rabbi Moti Rieber, of Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation.
Father Eric Weldon, of St. Paul Newman Center.
Pastor Charles Claycomb, of East Heights United Methodist Church

I can't attend this program because of a conflict, but it looks interesting. Hopefully, someone will record it.

A tale of two on-line quizes

If like me you avoid those annoying polls and quizzes on Face book but have never overcome that school-induced infatuation with polls, you might be interested in two on-line quizzes I took today.
I scored great on one and lousy on the other.

The Pew Research Center periodically does a survey that measures what the public knows about events and they give interested folks an opportunity to take the quiz as well as reporting on the results of their scientific poll. I liked this poll--I got 12 of 12 right, better than 98% of the population.

Bill Clinton's foundation has a challenging 10 question quiz to determine what you know about urgent world issues. I only got 3 or 4 right. It's a tough one. Except for the last one, which is all about how great Bill is. Someone should a more cynical version of that question.

Tiahrt Goes Dirty in Campaign Against Moran

Image via Wikipedia

Appearing recently on a Wichita Christian radio station, Republican Congressman Todd Tiahrt attempted to paint Jerry Moran, his rival for the 2010 Republican Senate nomination, as soft on gays, and managed to distort the record of his party's 2008 standard bearer.

His evidence Moran has been endorsed by 2008 Republican Presidential nominee John McCain. McCain on October 7 signed the conference report for the 2010 Defense Appropriation, which includes the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act.

According to Tiahrt, this means that Moran isn't fit to represent Kansas family values. According to Tiahr's logic, McCain and Moran are soft on homosexuals. Tiahrt claims the hare crimes prevention act will mean that Ministers will be prosecuted for reading 1st Corinthians from the pulpit.

There's a big problem with Tiahrt's guilt by association. At the time that McCain endorsed Moran, McCain was leading the fight against including the hate crimes bill.

Another problem: the bill protects military personnel against hate crimes because of their status.

Greatest Vocalists

NPR is having a contest to name the great vocalists, sans genre, unlike the (mainly) rock list compiled by Rolling Stones a couple fo years back. Though curiosly, the web copy asks people to name the most beautiful, which is not the same as the greatest.

Here are some I think should be named as greatest

Louis Armstrong
Joe Williams
Billy Eckstine
Frank Sinatra
Ella Fitzgerald
Sarah Vaughn
Jimmy Rushing
Billie Holiday
Johnny Hartman
Kevin Mahagony

Jimmie Rodgers
George Jones
Patsy Cline
Merle Haggard

Aretha Franklin
Muddy Waters
Bobby "Blue" Bland
Ray Charles
Dinah Washington

Van Morrison

Scare-mongering on KPERS refuted

A Koch-funded think tank came out with an alarmist report about the state employees' pension fund. Republican legislators after years of underfunding pensions and under-paying employees are talking about switching to a 401-K program. Harold Schlechtweg of SEIU 513 addressed some of the issues at a recent USD 259 board meeting.

RAJ GOYLE FOR CONGRESS RAISES $403,083.68

Very impressive figures for 4th District Congressional candidate Raj Goyle.

Just Three Months Into Race, State Rep. Goyle Sets Fundraising Record

Wichita, KS - State Representative Raj Goyle today announced he raised a record-breaking total of $403,083.68 during his first three months as a candidate for Congress in Kansas's 4th Congressional District.

After entering the race for Congress in July of this year, Goyle posted the strongest first fundraising quarter of all candidates in the race to date. Goyle's July-through-September total of $403,083.68 represents the most money ever raised in the first quarter by a challenger in the history of the district.

"I'm proud to have the support of so many people who are looking to bring some Kansas common sense to Congress during these challenging times," Goyle said. "I'm humbled and honored to have the support of business owners, farmers, teachers, medical professionals, and other hard working Kansans as we begin this campaign," said Goyle.

Goyle received contributions from over 800 individual donors. Half of the contributions to Goyle's campaign were $100 or less.

Tangled Up In Yule

(title HT: Moti)

I listened to the much anticipated Bob Dylan Christmas album today on the first day of its release. Christmas in the Heart is terrible. Is it the worst Dylan CD ever or the worst Christmas album ever?

I used my Rhapsody subscription to take a listen, thank goodness. I would have hated to have forked out the $16 or whatever for this disc.

Naturally, I expected and was ready to deal with Dylan's scraggly voice, but the arrangements are sacchrine, muzaky schlock that sound like they were stolen from the 1950s. There are a few exceptions. "It Must Be Santa" done as a Tex-mex polka and Christmas Blues done as a jazzy blues work just fine. Too many of the secular songs are light-weight, starting with the set opener "Here Comes Santa Claus" And, Bob just doesn't have the voice to tackle Mel Torme's "Christmas Song." But the religious songs just don't cut it.

Reportedly, Dylan swung a deal with Citigroup to relase the album early to its customers.

I guess the only redeeming feature of the album is that it will benefit charities that feed the hungry. My advice, be nice to yourself: don't buy the CD and give the full price to your local food bank.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Bob Dylan And Citigroup? New Album Released Early To Citibank Customers (huffingtonpost.com)

New Blog Follows Roeder Case

A new blog offers facts and information about Scott Roeder, who is accused of the murder of Wichita abortion doctor George Tiller.

Roederwatch likes like a blog worth following.