Deadman's Flats

My cousin Matt Stambaugh plays mandolin and sings in a group called Deadman Flats. They had a gig Friday night at Kelly's Irish pub in Wichita. I video-recorded one of their songs. Here it is.




Technically, Matt is a first cousin once removed. When he was in high school, I made him a deal on a guitar amp and loaned him some cool effects pedals, which unfortunately got stolen.

I'm proud of Matt's musical skill and his guts in making a music career.

Kansans now have a choice for Governor

Tom Holland, a small business owner and State Senator for Baldwin City, has announced his candidacy for Kansas Governor. The Democrats have, in my opinion, have found a viable champion of moderation and common sense to challenge the extremism and pro-business ideology of Sam Brownback.



Topeka announcement here.

NAACP on so-called "health freedom" amendment

Kansas NAACP Pres Kevin Myles discussing the proposed Kansas "Health Care Freedom" Amendment

Eric Lee for Amnesty UK board

My friend Eric Lee is running for a spot on Amnesty International's UK board. Read about the effort here.

Eric's candidacy statement is here.

Adam Holland--blogroll friend--profiled on Normblog

I've never met Adam Holland, but I've regularly read his blog and include it in my blogroll. Now, I know a little more about him because he is featured in this week's Normblog profile. Each week, Norm Geras, a UK-based poltiical scientist, profiles a blogger. ( The index of blogger can be found here and I was profiled here.)

Here's what Adam says about his blog and his best blogging experience

Why do you blog? > I call myself a man-in-the-street blogger. I blog as a way to make sense of a sometimes insane world. When the extremist camel sticks its nose under the mainstream tent, I like to rap it with a rolled up newspaper. I frequently focus on issues relating to conspiracy theories, the far right, and anti-Semitism. I also write to counter unreasonable criticism of Israel and undiscriminating support of Israel's enemies. I do this with an eye to promoting liberal ideas and promoting good sense on the liberal left. I try to do all this without making too big a deal of my opinions, focusing as much as possible on facts and avoiding name-calling and blanket characterizations. I also like digging up dirt.

What has been your best blogging experience? > I revealed that a neo-Nazi and KKK leader was on the ballot in Tennessee to be a Ron Paul delegate to the Republican convention in 2008. He had been using his role as a county campaign leader to recruit racists until I posted about it and the AP picked up the story.

I should also mention that Adam has great taste in music, picking Thelonious Monk as his favorite composer and picking two great obscure cuts as his favorite songs (of the moment)
'Sugar Bee' by Cleveland Crochet; 'Hard Grind' by Wild Jimmy Spruill

Dale Hawkins RIP

Dale Hawkins, one of the few white artists to record for Chess Records has passed at age 73. Like many of my generation, I came across his work via Credence Clearwater Revival's cover of his most famous song "Suzy Q"



Here's what allmusic.com has to say

Dale Hawkins' 1957 hit "Suzy Q," with its crackling bluesy guitar and insistent cowbell, was one of the most exciting early rockabilly singles. Recording for Chess (as one of its few white artists) between 1956 and 1961, Hawkins never quite duplicated its success, either commercially or artistically, but came close enough on a number of occasions to warrant respect as one of the better rockabilly singers. His drawling delivery, sense of humor, affinity for blues, and sharp guitar work (which was actually provided by such ace players as Roy Buchanan, Scotty Moore, and James Burton) are heard to good effect on his 1958 album and a number of non-hit singles.

I bought a cassette of his early work post-LP and pre-CD, but it's not handy. I'll check to see what is available on Rhapsody.

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.

I am a human

From Maryam Namazie on a poster from freedom forces in Iran

It says something to the effect: I am a troublemaker, a spy, a mercenary, an alien force, and now a Mohareb (warring against god) [labels the Islamic regime of Iran has given protestors]. 30 years has past - you still don't know my name? I am a human being.

Ishmael Reed on "Precious"

The African-American novelist and essayist, Ishmael Reed, had some interesting things to say about the movie "Precious" in a recent New York Times op-ed.

Black films looking to attract white audiences flatter them with another kind of stereotype: the merciful slave master. In guilt-free bits of merchandise like “Precious,” white characters are always portrayed as caring. There to help. Never shown as contributing to the oppression of African-Americans. Problems that members of the black underclass encounter are a result of their culture, their lack of personal responsibility.

It’s no surprise either that white critics — eight out of the nine comments used on the publicity Web site for “Precious” were from white men and women — maintain that the movie is worthwhile because, through the efforts of a teacher, this girl begins her first awkward efforts at writing.

Two photos from my recent NYC trip

I took a weekend trip to NYC at the end of January and, for the first time in a long time, didn't take my Canon DSR camera. I couldn't resist taking a couple of pictures with my iPhone, though. I used the handy photoshop app on these two.

I think the app will be good for more subtle editing. BTW, it's free.

Airport in Wichita



Brooklyn

We are all Seismic Shock--a shocking case of attempted internet censorhip

Seismic Shock is a valuable UK-based site by a theology student which has featured well-informed critiques of anti-semitic tendencies about certain Christian theologians. Now, it seems that one of those he criticized has retaliated by apparently using his position as a pastor to get the police to intimidate the young blogger into removing his blog.

The minister in question is Rev. Stephen Sizer, a prominent critic not only of "Christian Zionism, "but of Jewish self-determination. Like many other critics of "Christian Zionism," Sizer has a pre-Holocaust theology, which revives many of the age-old anti-Semitic memes of Christian theology.

This episode seems to indicate that he recapitulates the anti-democratic tendencies of an older Christianity as well.

This guest post by Seismic Shock give the background

As some people have noticed, I’ve been rather quiet in blogging about the Reverend Stephen Sizer’s activities of late.

After all, what more can be said of a man forwards emails from Holocaust deniers, shares platforms with Holocaust deniers, and shamelessly flaunts his anti-Zionist theology before Iran’s apocalyptic Holocaust-denying regime? As Iranian pastors are arrested and house churches closed down, why is the Khomeinist regime translating Sizer’s book on Christian Zionism into Farsi? How many more times can I point all this out?

Yet there’s another reason why I’ve been quiet, and whilst I’ve held my tongue and my pen for a while, now is the time to speak.

At 10am on Sunday 29th November 2009, I received a visit from two policemen regarding my activities in running the Seismic Shock blog. (Does exposing a vicar’s associations with extremists make me a criminal?, I wondered initially). A sergeant from the Horsforth Police related to me that he had received complaints via Surrey Police from Rev Sizer and from Dr Anthony McRoy - a lecturer at the Wales Evangelical School of Theology - who both objected to being associated with terrorists and Holocaust deniers.

(Context: Sizer has associated with some very nasty terrorists and Holocaust deniers; McRoy has delivered a paper at a Khomeinist theological conference in Iran comparing Hezbollah’s struggle against Israel via suicide bombing with the Christian’s struggle against sin via the atoning death of Jesus, and describes the world’s most prominent Holocaust denier as an “intelligent, humble, charismatic, and charming” man who “gives quick, extensive and intelligent answers to any question, mixed with genial humour”).

The sergeant made clear that this was merely an informal chat, in which I agreed to delete my original blog (http://seismicshock.blogspot.com/) but maintain my current one (http://seismicshock.wordpress.com). The policeman related to me that his police force had been in contact with the ICT department my previous place of study, and had looked through my files, and that the head of ICT at my university would like to remind me that I should not be using university property in order to associate individuals with terrorists and Holocaust deniers (I am sure other people use university property to make political comments, but nevermind).

With my research on Reverend Sizer’s associations with terrorists and Holocaust deniers making its way into a publication of the Society of Biblical Literature, I was quite content to hold my peace. However, now that Reverend Sizer is now misrepresenting what has happened in my case in order to intimidate others, now is the time to speak up.

A Christian blogger - “Vee” of LivingJourney, who is based in Australia - linked to my blog as a resource for Christians to learn about anti-Semitism in the Church, including “lots of info on Stephen Sizer and Sabeel”.

Rev Sizer left her this comment:

Dear Vee,

You must take a little more care who you brand as anti-semitic otherwise you too will be receiving a caution from the police as the young former student of Leeds did recently. One more reference to me and you will be reported.

Blessings
Stephen

Sure, Stephen Sizer managed to somehow arrange a police visit to me from within the UK, but does Sizer genuinely think he can use police on the other side of the world to this effect?

Why is Reverend Sizer claiming that I received a police caution, when the police stressed I did not receive a caution? Is Sizer deliberately misrepresenting the same police force that he originally used to his advantage?

Who is Reverend Sizer reporting to, and why does Reverend Sizer genuinely feel he has the power to close down debate by threatening police action? Why call the cops rather than answer his critics?

Political and theological disagreements should never be accompanied with threats of litigation or police action, but instead with logic and open debate.

Bumper sticker of the week

Spotted on a car in Wichita on January 1, 2o1o.

Views expressed in the bemperticker of the week are not necessarily those of this blog.

The bumper sticker of the week feature will not necessarily appear on a weekly basis.

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.