Dunbar: At Home

Most people are not excited about owning a 20 year old car, but I am not "most people". I kind of enjoy cars of the recent past; usually bone simple, comfy and deliciously covered in fake wood, stripes and vinyl. In real terms, a 20 year old car is in that gray middle ground; too old to be current but not old enough to qualify for antique. Some of Dunbar the Buick's older siblings are considered antiques, they being the introductory 1982 models introduced in late 1981. But a car as ubiquitous as a 1990's Buick Century is not a sure shot for antique collectability. Of course some said the same about the Edsel or the 57 Chevrolet at one time.

I look upon 20 year old daily driver cars as survivors; some lovingly cared for, some benignly neglected, all lucky. Dunbar fits all three categories.

All of Dunbar's past owners have cared for him well with regular maintenance, kept clean and not raced or abused. My aunt bought Dunbar used in January 1996 from the Buick dealer in Clinton, IL with 66, 431 miles. As of today (after a quick run in the rain to check) Dunbar has clocked 76,452 miles. So in a bit less than 14 years, Dunbar has traveled just 10,021 miles. Most cars do that in a year. Thus Dunbar was one that was cared for and lucky to have been owned by older adults who drove him gently and sparingly.

Sadly as she got older, my aunt could not care for Dunbar as much. I did not see it, but I guess when she gave the car to my uncle a few years ago, Dunbar looked like hell. As was common of cars of that era, sun, snow and chemicals ate away at the clearcoat that made the paint appear so wet and shiny. He ran ok, just looked like a clunker. One notch in the benign neglect category.

My uncle, being a prim and proper English type gentleman, could not be seen in such a mess, especially at the Country Club. You see, Dunbar had now been relegated to golf duty. As some men buy old wagons and cars as "fishing cars", my uncle used Dunbar solely to go to the golf course and back. Again a bit of luck.

A new paint job was in order, so Howard scouted around for some bids on a paint job. One shop told him $800. Seeking a second bid, Howard took it somewhere else where they told him "I can do it for four". They got the job. Four THOUSAND dollars later (yes, $4,000 not $400), Dunbar looks fabulous. Howard learned a lesson as well, he told me. "From now on, I will be sure to ask "four what'?" Once again Dunbar gets another point in the "Lucky" column. Instead of an overspray of the existing paint, the old paint was removed, the car sanded, primed, two coats of correct color lacquer applied, a final shot of clearcoat and then restoration of the factory applied pin stripes. Probably a better paint job than when new.

Since arriving in Kansas City, Dunbar now has another lease on life; new tires and new brakes were just installed and some new hoses and such are in his future. I bought a cover to protect that $4,000 paint job from those wintry, salty days and the searing rays of hot summer sun. Just as important, Dunbar has someone who appreciates that he is a survivor. He may get to run on the road a bit more than in the past few years as I plan on taking him back to Illinois for Thanksgiving. But for the most part he goes back and forth just here in Midtown, not venturing too far from the Palace.

Dunbar, the 1990 Buick Century Limited, one of 35,248 made, hopefully will continue his string of luck for a long time to come.

What I am Listening to Today: Kansas City Symphony New Recording

The new recording of Britten Orchestral works is about to be released NOVEMBER 10th watch for it.

Reference Recordings RR120



I got an advance copy and upon first hearing it is quite impressive, especially the demo quality sound. Even on my crappy system, it sounds marvelous.

I'll post a more complete review closer to release time. Meanwhile check out your favorite retailer or Reference Recordings and get your copy reserved!

KC Symphony: Bach, Mendelssohn and Haydn Lord Nelson Mass

Part of the art of programming a symphony concert is choosing complimentary works, making the whole program a satisfying whole. On the surface, this weekend's Kansas City Symphony concert had 3 works unified only by their common origin from the Germanic musical tradition. The concert opened with the Bach Brandenburg Concerto # 3, followed by the popular Mendelssohn E minor Violin Concerto and for the last half, the Haydn D minor Mass (Lord Nelson). Music Director Michael Stern conducted.

But craftily organized was this program. If it were not for Mendelssohn championing his works in the early 1800's, would we regard Bach as just another prolific baroque composer or worse consigned his oeuvre to oblivion? It is thus fitting that a Mendelssohn masterpiece follow one by Bach to remind us to be eternally grateful.

So what of Haydn and Mendelssohn? The year 2009 links them together, 200 years since Mendelssohn was born on Feb 3rd and Haydn's death the following May. Plus, it was interesting to watch the number of performers grow from the 10 strings and harpsichord of the Bach, to the classical size orchestra of the Mendelssohn to the strings, organ, brass and chorus and soloists of the Haydn.

The Bach was well done, precise and full of energy. The 10 strings stood in a semi circle at the front of the stage with the harpsichord off to the right. The intimate scoring worked well in the theatre for the most part. Possibly due to where I was sitting, the harpsichord was sweetly inaudible, which frankly is better than some harpsichord heavy recordings and performances I have experienced.

KC Symphony Concertmistress Kanako Ito was the soloist for the Mendelssohn. Ito is an accomplished violinist, demonstrating her prowess in a sublime Scheherazade a couple of seasons back and a polished Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto last season as well. Hers was an elegant and well-crafted performance, aided by Stern's deft and perfectly balanced orchestra. Special mention to the particularly fleet woodwinds, so vital to Mendelssohn's requirements. The second movement was singing and melodic, never cloying and so sickening sweet. Ito's energy and attention to musical line and detail never faltered throughout the concerto, earning her a rare (for me) standing ovation for her sensitive, even exciting performance.

Haydn's D minor Mass from 1798 is inexorably linked to Lord Horatio Nelson, looked upon as a hero in Austria for defeat of Napoleon's navy in Egypt. Inspired by the tense times of the late 1700's (the mass is also known as "Missa in Angustiis" or "Mass in Troubled Times"), the Lord Nelson Mass is one of Haydn's most inspiring and exciting works. In this case, Stern eschewed the more elaborate later orchestration and went with the original concept of strings, organ, 3 trumpets and chorus with soloists. The big chorus looked able to overpower the smaller orchestral forces, but never carried out the threat.

I rarely read the KC Star KC Symphony review but in this case I did. The reviewer mentioned the organ "stuck out like a sore thumb". Must have been where he was sitting, for as with the harpsichord in the Bach, I could rarely hear the organ which took the parts more commonly played by winds.

The Symphony Chorus has benefited from its new leadership, Grammy award winning conductor Charles Bruffy. Diction was clearer, entrances precise and balance, as mentioned, excellent. The soloists were a mixed bag. Soprano Mary Wilson was a bit strained, but not annoyingly so. Mezzo Sasha Cook was excellent and did a fine job in the big mezzo solo in the Agnus Dei. Tenor Thomas Cooley was a bit subdued but otherwise in fine voice. Baritone Nathaniel Webster simply did not have the depths for the demanding part, probably more suited for a bass than a baritone.

Stern and the orchestra have turned in a number of excellent Haydn performances over the past few years and this one could easily be added to the list.

Coupl'a Things XXV

1) It appears that the Britten KC Symphony recording of music by Benjamin Britten has been released on Reference Recordings. When I get a copy to audition, I will post a review. The concert preceding the recording was quite good and with Reference Recordings' audiophile sound, it should be a treat!

2) My new church Country Club Congregational had a pastoral blow up, just a year after I left my old church after a pastor conflict. Sadly, the man I admired and liked as a pastor and friend is leaving. This time I was on the pastor's side, and like last time, I seem to be on the losing side. Church conflicts are some of the nastiest around. This one seems to be too, but information is sketchy.

3) Halloween is approaching, and I will this year continue my long tradition of staying inside, locking my door and ignoring the mayhem. Halloween means only one thing to me, it is that much closer to Mardi Gras!

Use It

While enjoying a vodka tonic with some of my drinking friends, I asked Rick, who owns an antique mall, if anyone was buying depression glass. He immediately dashed my hopes of making a killing by shaking his head no and basically telling me one can not give it away.

"Use it", he suggested, "at the prices it commands now, if you break a piece, a replacement is easy to find and is cheaper than buying new at Target."

Thus some of the hundred pieces of Queen Mary depression glass I got from family, bought at malls or on Ebay is seeing the light of day, freed from its wrappers and boxes after being stored in various places since 2004.

Depression glass was made in huge quantities during the 1930's and early 40's. Cheaply pressed rather than hand cut, it was literally given away in soap and cereal boxes or sold for a few cents at the local 5 and dime. It was that generation's Corelle. If you had better china or glass, the glass that came in a bag of cornmeal was rarely used for holidays or family gatherings. Some, who suffered a loss or reduction of income, were embarrassed to have the stuff, not being able to cope with the reality of buying their dishware at Woolworth's instead of Macy's. The Depression Generation is well known for keeping everything as you never knew when you were not going to have the money for new, thus surviving depression glass is relatively plentiful.

Queen Mary 6in Bowl:



In the 1990's, at the height of the collector's boom, the stuff was selling like hotcakes. I paid thousands for what I bought and also made some by reselling some I got as bargains. I bought a mint condition, pink Queen Mary butter dish for $10 and sold it a week later on Ebay for $250. I sold it as I had two already. I sold the others off when I needed money back in my dark days. But most I kept, once displayed when I had space and then consigned to boxes when I didn't.

At noon today, I ate my soup and salad from a recently unpacked pink Queen Mary bowl and a small crystal plate. I marveled at the elegance of it; the glass is delicate pink or clear, bright crystal. As you can see, Queen Mary is a ribbed, prismatic pattern, austere but sleekly stylish, very art deco. Well made, the glass is thick and sturdy, with few flaws. A few years ago, I served a dinner for 8 people using my Queen Mary, the pink and crystal glass on a black table cloth. It was hard to believe that this was once cheap, everyday tableware. It was the most spectacular table I have ever set.

As I sipped my soup (ok, slurped it) I wondered where that bowl had been. Was it bought at Woolworth's or S.S. Kresge? Was it a prize at the bottom of a bag of flour? Was it a fixture at a Christmas dinner? Was it a present? Where did it come from? Why has it survived in pristine shape since at least 1937?

Whatever its story, it must feel good to be useful again; that is if one truly believes that a glass bowl can have feelings. A relic from a hardscrabble time that a couple of generations later is an elegant reminder of when even cheap things were made to last and made with pride.

Marvin Parker Memorial Garden X

The elemental cycle of seasonal growth, death and then spring regeneration is nowhere more apparent than in a vegetable garden. The once flourishing Marvin Parker Memorial Garden is now fading and dying. It has been cool and frosty, but no freeze yet, so the garden is still alive, but just barely. The tomatoes are forlorn and full of small, green fruits that will likely not ripen. My romas produce small fruits that quickly drop to the ground still green. There are buds on the plants and some small peppers, but they will not grow much. Same with the eggplants, there are a couple forming, but likely will not grow to maturity. I got a few beans, but they were down low and inside the little trellis, protected from the cold. The string beans and their poles are gone.

We'll have a fall clean up day, take the brush to the compost pile, rake and pull until the plot is cleared. Then the long winter wait do it all again.

American Heartland Theatre: "I'll be Back Before Midnight"

Yawn... "who done it" murder mysteries... one of my least favorite theatre or movie genres. I guess it is my impatience or maybe the knowledge that I am being manipulated that makes these shows a tedium for me.

But, the American Heartland Theatre's (why does Blogger spell check think "theatre" is wrong, I happen to like that way of spelling it) production of "I'll be Back Before Midnight" actually was humorous, fast paced and featured a fine cast and effective sets and lighting.

There was a bit of psychodrama and twisted, sick relationships to keep one involved, but not so much as to repulse and block the forward motion of the plot. The plot is pretty simple, as most of these things tend to be, Jan is a young woman who apparently has just been released from a long stay in a mental hospital. Her husband, Greg, who studies rocks and ancient stone tools at a college under the direction of Jan's father, has rented a farmhouse so that he and Jan can resume their lives. George, the landlord, introduces himself and despite being a simple looking bumpkin, begins to plant the seeds of murderous mayhem by telling tales of murders in the farmhouse, buried bodies and ghosts. Adding to Jan's growing dread, Greg announces his sister Laura will be coming to help out as she travels to a new life out west. Jan and Laura are not the best of friends, to put it mildly.

As the play progresses, the twisted relationships and menacing personalities emerge. George has a lot of secrets to keep, there is a hint that manipulative, cold Laura and very submissive Greg were more than just brother and sister. Jan sends cassettes to her therapist fearing she is about to lose it all again.

The two short acts come to a climax early as the secrets are revealed, motives become clear and the body count rises. The excellent cast (Vanessa Severo as Jan, Darren Kennedy as Greg, James Wright as George and Jan Chapman as Laura) are brilliant as their initial personas fade and their true selves emerge. At the end no one is as they initially seemed, making "I'll be Back Before Midnight" more of a "who are they" rather than a simple "who done it".

The show continues through October 25th.

Fall Colors

The Heating and AC people were at the Palace this AM doing their fall servicing. Since a couple of the units are on the roof, we had to venture up there for a while. Taking my trusty old Kodak EasyShare with me, I snapped a couple shots of the fall colors finally beginning to peak.

On the eastern horizon, you can see the colors dotting the canopy:



Looking south on Baltimore:



Just out front:



Amazingly green for mid October in KC. Been a cool, wet summer and fall is the same.

I dread winter's arrival.

Comedy at its Best

Last Saturday, the Kinsey Sicks, a self styled "Dragapella Beautyshop" quartet of drag performers, performed their show "Wake the Fuck up America" at my church, which is a story in and of itself.

Their performance did make me laugh and more often made me wince and shake my head. Let us just say the word "fuck" flowed freely and they had no shame.

Which contrasts to this gem



Now this is pure comedy. Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray from the 1950's, probably from Caesar's own show. Pure improv, no teleprompters and 100% live. In this thankfully preserved clip, Caesar and Fabray mime a married couple arguing to the first movement of Beethoven's famous 5th symphony.

This sketch is absolutely a masterpiece of subtle humor and flawless acting; the timing and action are impeccable. I have watched this a hundred times and still find it fresh and hilarious.

Probably can't say the same about the Kinsey Sicks.

Kansas City Symphony: Dvorak, Kodaly and Rachmaninoff

The fare for this weekend's Kansas City Symphony concerts, Music Director Michael Stern conducting, has a decidedly Eastern European bent; 3 masterpieces from Hungary, the Czech Republic and Russia.

Kodaly's Dances of Galánta, inspired by his youthful exposure to and his life long study of Hungarian folk traditions, is a colorful, energetic yet sophisticated romp through some delicious folk melodies and rhythms. Well thought out, inventive and always energetic, Galánta makes a perfect curtain raiser.

The Symphony's ensemble, intonation and precision were spot on and a pleasure to hear. Entrances were tight, and the piece was propelled forward with graceful enthusiasm. The many solos (including Clarinet Raymond Santos' warm, soulful contribution and horn Alberto Suarez's impeccable performance) blended into the colorful fabric of this most enjoyable work. I am sure it is a challenge to play and bring off, but Stern and the Orchestra made easy work of it (or at least made it seem easy work) with this exciting, bouncy performance.

The Dvorak B minor Cello Concerto is the crown jewel of cello concerti and one of the jewels of the whole concerto repertoire. Soaring melodies, dramatic cadenzas, a Slavic tinged, soulful slow movement and a propulsive, thoroughly satisfying finale contribute to the sheer perfection of this magnum opus.

Sadly, Cellist Alban Gerhardt turned in a rather bland, thin toned and hardly soaring performance. Others I talked to disagreed and the audience seemed to enjoy it, but to me Gerhardt's performance just seemed to be a competent run through. High register passages were especially thin, somewhat strident and suspect in intonation. The passion ran cold in this performance; some wonderful contributions from the orchestra (Raymond Santos again in the lovely clarinet figures in the slow movement) and well paced, never rushed tempi could not prod Gerhardt to a more intense, maybe even nostalgic performance. Maybe this is how Dvorak is performed these days, but I will always turn to the warm, soulful and thrilling Piatigorsky/Munch BSO performance.

Rachmaninoff's valedictory orchestral work, the marvelous "Symphonic Dances", comprised the second half of the program. The new arrangement of the orchestra (Stern re-arranged the seating of the ensemble to help alleviate the rather flat sound of the hall) contributed to the clear, bright and detailed sound. The basses provided a more solid foundation and the inner strings were clear. The usual fine winds and strings were combined with solid and never overwhelming brass (not a major bobble was noted all evening, thank you folks) and precise and colorful percussion. Going on a different night than usual necessitated a change in seat, sadly placing me further right and thus obscuring the important contributions of the piano and harp in the Rachmaninoff. Stern pulled one of the more focused and energetic performances from the orchestra, relishing in the many tempo changes, snappy rhythms and colorfully scored passages.

I admit to being a Symphonic Dances snob, I adore the piece and find it the one Rachmaninoff piece I turn to most often. Thus I waited throughout the performance for the one moment that, for this warped mind, makes or breaks the performance. I insist that the conductor follow the directions in the score and the "LV" (let vibrate) notation for final stroke of the gong. It should reverberate for a few seconds after the orchestra stops and allowed to fade, not just be a loud cymbal crash. Oh please, do it right.... and it was, thank you maestro. I went home happy, the perfect moment satisfying me, the energetic Galánta still resonating and the bland Dvorak not an issue anymore.

Coupl'a Things XXIV

1) I have ESP, or if nothing else an uncanny knack of fantasizing the future. After reading an article yesterday about the impending Nobel Peace Prize announcement, I thought to myself "I bet they give it to Obama...nah... but wouldn't that set the Obama haters on fire." I imagined Rush, Faux News, and all the right wing loons just imploding. It was a momentary chuckle and fantasy as my mind went on to absorb other stimuli.

And I'll be damned it happened.

Now, tell me, why can't my fantasies of winning the mega lottery, finding a rich, handsome boyfriend that adores the ground I walk on or an end to silliness and hate come true?

Oh well, Congrats Mr. President

2) It does not take a Nobel Prize winning scientific mind to note that having a car makes you fat and lazy. The bike sits unused, the walking is less. Trips to Gayfresh are more frequent and those to the Poor People's Market have dwindled. I even took the car to Gomer's for a vodka run (well, it was raining...).

I must do better.

3) Looks like Facebook has had a meltdown this AM.

4) I am cleaning out again. Yesterday I went to my storage unit up the street. In order to have a bit of space to store junk, seasonal items and mementos, I rent a large closet at a storage facility for an increasingly large sum of money each month. Although it is close and convenient, I visit the place only a couple times a year.

Upon entering the facility, I wound my way to my assigned space only to find the lock changed. I went to the lady at the desk who appeared baffled by the whole thing too. She opened it for me and I proceeded to get what I needed. She said she would look into the thing. As I rummaged, a rustle and noise directed my attention to a suitcase, whereupon I discovered Mickey Mouse had set up housekeeping.

Arrrrrgh.

The lady at the office was now a bit more sullen when I arrived. She gleefully pointed out that in April I had paid my bill 7 days late and that necessitated them securing the unit. Questioning why they had to destroy my lock and just not put a second lock on the unit (there is a place to do so) led to the usual "it is policy" answer.

So, one customer lost. Outside of that one indiscretion, I had paid on time for 3 years.

Stuff is being tossed, given away on Freecycle and stuffed into corners. Even I, who prides himself on downsizing, still has more crap than one should have.

5) The pickled okra is looking good in its tight jar. I am resisting temptation.

Slimy, Spicy Stalks of Goodness

Sitting in the "cool, dry place" that is the corner of my little underground kitchen for the next two weeks are three freshly packed jars of spicy, garlicy, vinegary, crunchy-slimy spears of good eats called pickled okra.

No one is ambivalent about okra; you'd either murder nuns and orphans for the stuff or you place it in the same category as boils on your ass or maybe Hitler. As for me?... "take that, Sister Mary."

I never made the stuff before, but sure have eaten a ton. So with the garden still producing a bumper crop, I decided to try it. I scoured the net and found what looked like a recipe I would like, with lots of spice, vinegar and chile.

What I did not count on was that you had to have laboratory sterile conditions to make the stuff. I know grandma never used clean sterile towels, fresh laundered and not used for other purposes, hand sanitizer, sterilized tongs, rubber gloves and new, never used jars. She probably boiled the jars, but that was about it. I used most of the above, but the towels were not fresh from the drier and the rubber gloves were no where in sight, so I hope I am making a delicacy, not botulism.

It said if you follow the instructions to the T, you can safely can foods for long periods without fear of bacteria or contamination. I don't think I can wait that long. The minimum for sufficient pickling was two weeks and I am sure I will not resist temptation to try my creation.

But damn it, the three jars are already bothering me. I can hear the one lone bacterium spreading its doom, multiplying with no help from any of its friends..taking over..

Ah, fear not. There is enough garlic, vinegar, mustard seed and chile in the concoction to kill anything. At least I hope. If this is my last post, you will know the outcome.

Dunbar: Heading Home

Reluctantly, I took my leave of Howard and Louise around 4;30 or so; if I had more energy I would have kept it up all night. But I had been up since 4AM, still needed to drive the 2 hours to Decatur, and it had began to rain. I left with a couple of souvenirs; a picture of dad's family taken in 1942 and Howard's autobiography of his WWII adventures and career as a biology teacher. Along with my Grandfather's Illinois Central Railroad watch that I got many years ago, I have a few things to hold on to from a vanishing generation.

Getting behind the wheel of a car again felt strange a bit, yet at the same time comforting. Mobility and freedom were mine again. Although I know now I have to play the game and have Dunbar licensed in Missouri to please the authorities bent on wringing every penny out of us they can.

Dunbar took me south on the somewhat familiar roads, past Peoria, down to Lincoln and then on to Decatur on the more familiar Route 121. It had become even more chilly from the steady fall rain and I had not brought a jacket it still being hung in my storage unit. Thus I infiltrated the blinding bright world of the Lincoln Wal-Mart, bustling at the dinner hour, to buy a cheap "Made in Indonesia" jacket for all of $10. Sadly, I think it is the only place on can buy a jacket in Lincoln, IL at that time of day.

My sister did not have to work Friday night, so immediately upon my arrival, I ordained a trip to "Los Matadores" in the once state of the art Fairview Plaza Shopping Center. What is now "Los Matadores" used to be part of the big Goldblatt's Department Store, closed many ages ago. Always good food, lots of it, good margaritas and sort of a tradition for me.

I stayed little in Decatur, needing to get back to KC, so I left Saturday AM after doing a few errands with my sister. The trip here was totally uneventful and Dunbar proved reliable and comfortable. HM Puggles was thrilled to see me home and enjoyed her first ride in her new limo on Sunday. She thinks it is fabulous, actually. She was out with me when I unloaded a bag of Purina from the trunk, purchased in Decatur when I found it on sale. She is convinced that her limo comes with food as standard equipment.

As I type this, I really wonder why I have taken the time. If you are reading, admit it, you really do not find this totally mundane story fascinating at all. I could be describing a trip to the gas station for all that matters. But it serves a purpose for me. Maybe someday, if all this gets preserved, a member of a future generation of the Clark family will find it and as it was with my Uncle's stories and a gold pocket watch, a bond of understanding will be forged between estranged generations.

Thus I go on.

Fetching Dunbar

Amtrak's "Southwest Chief" train is a bit of a different animal than the local service train I usually take from KC to St Louis or Springfield. Two powerful diesel locomotives power the train, this time consisting of a baggage car, a dining car and 5-6 big, double deck passenger cars. A couple of the cars were the sleeper cars, in reality rolling mini hotels. Since I was a short hop (the Chief starts in LA and goes to Chicago) I got one of the recliner regular seats. Long and comfy, fully reclinable and on the upper deck. For $52 and a quick trip, it could not be beat.

The Chief is the successor to the fabled Santa Fe Super Chief which ruled the LA to Chicago route during the peak of passenger rail service. Leaving KC in the AM, the Chief rolls through north central MO, stops in the hamlet of La Plata, MO serving Kirksville to the north, the river town of Fort Madison, IA and then on to Galesburg and Chicago. As the last time, Amtrak got me there on time and in comfort.

I immediately recognized my Uncle Howard, despite not having seen him in a while. Without going into a long psychological discussion, my dad's family is pretty much a mystery to me. We didn't do much with them and with the exception of my late Aunt Pauline, they were scattered here and there. Howard is the intellectual among the siblings and the most traveled and worldly. At 90, he still golfs, bicycles and is active in church and volunteerism. Tall, lots of white hair (where did mine go??, but his sons look much like me in the hair department) and sure footed and quick witted, he certainly looked less than his 90 years. Along with him was his long time friend Louise, his constant friend and companion, filling the void after his beloved wife Helen died 4 years ago.

We walked to the parking lot, like all of Illinois in the summer, undergoing construction, and there was Dunbar. I had little info on the car so I did not know what to expect. But there was a dark gray Century, resplendent in the 2 year old paint job (a story for later) despite the chilly, threatening weather. Instantaneous relief was felt when I saw the "Century Limited" badge on the back quarter panel. This meant Dunbar was of the rarer upper class, not just a lowly and ubiquitous "Custom". True to form, Dunbar is graced with power everything, the V6 instead of the underpowered I4 and a more cushy interior. I mean really, if you are replacing a Lincoln with a Buick, it should at least have some comfort!

Howard offered me to drive so off we went the few miles to his home in Knoxville. Dunbar seemed to drive fair for a 19 year old piece of machinery, but the brakes and front alignment are a bit suspect.

Lunch was in order, so we stopped at the newest incarnation of the Family Restaurant in Downtown Knoxville.

Over a fine walleye fish sandwich and two orders of beef tips and noodles (no, I did not have the beef tips) three people of two generations were to connect and re-connect. Stories told, catching up, realizing we had lots in common and a shared outlook on life.

I know better where I came from.

Dunbar: The Advent

The experiment is about over, or so I hope. Tomorrow I am off again on the choo choo train, this time the Amtrak "Southwest Chief" from Kansas City to lovely Galesburg, Il. And unlike the last trip, I have only a one way ticket.

No I am not moving to the home of Carl Sandburg. You see, the experiment of living without an automobile is about to end. It lasted 4 days short of two months. Our society is so damn dependent on the auto, I guess we just need to accept that. I tried, and enjoyed it, but when mass transit, at least in KC, MO is so time consuming and we are so spread out, a set of wheels is almost a necessity.

Last night for example. Greg was going to go to choir practice and take me, but he called about 4PM and said he had a fever, sniffles and such and thought it best to stay in. No problem, Bruce was going too as he is playing on Sunday. At 7:10pm, just as I was expecting him to show up, he called to say he had a sudden nosebleed. Thankfully, I could steal a car from a neighbor for a few minutes and got there, albeit late. A few weeks ago, I had to arrange getting Puggles to the vet for her allergy shots around the availability of a car. It makes one weak.

So I am depriving a 90 year old man of his car.

Not exactly, but sort of. You see, my Uncle Howard took my Aunt Pauline's (his sister) car a few years ago when she gave up driving. He has another one, but this one was his country club car; he took it to the golf course and kept his clubs in it. When Pauline died, the car became my sister's and Howard told her she could have it. I glommed on it to it, PDQ.

It runs.

It is free.

It is free, did I mention it is costing me nothing?

A 1990 Buick Century. Not the most exciting thing on 4 wheels, but I care not. (Unless, of course it has the 4 cyl and has no power options, then it is going to be sold if I can get some $$ out of it). As it now resides in Galesburg, Il, I am heading there to pick it up tomorrow. By this time on Oct 2nd, I should be wheeled again.

But I have learned a valuable lesson. You can get around walking and biking. It is good for you too, I have lost weight, seen new things, learned to use the reusable grocery bags and come to appreciate the joy of the "poor people's market". Thus, while the weather holds, I will do some walking, biking and bussing locally. Quick trips to the market will be walking to the Thriftway. The bike knows the way to the garden and to GayFresh. My vodka is a short two blocks away at Gomer's. Hamburger night is doable on foot.

But the joy (and pain in the ass) of owning a set of wheels will be relief when the going gets tough.

Oh, yeah.. the deal behind "Dunbar"... well, every car needs a name, and sight unseen, this one is dubbed "Dunbar" in honor of David Dunbar Buick, who founded the eponymous auto manufacturer (and perfected the white porcelain bathtub common to this day) in 1903 and has so far survived the holocaust of the GM meltdown.

Watch this space to welcome Dunbar to KC!

Hump Day Funnies

I was walking down the road today and saw my Afghan neighbor, Abdul, standing on his fifth floor apartment balcony shaking a carpet. I shouted up to him, "What's up Abdul, won't it start?"

Red Carpet Pet Party

Check out this video from my friend and fellow dog lover Kellee Katillac. Go to Katillacshack.com and comment on the video there. Each positive comment will earn $1 for the Northland Pet Pantry and help abandoned dogs and cats who are the unseen victims of the economic turmoil.

A further reason to watch is for the cameo of Her Majesty at about 8:05 into the video!

Kansas City Symphony: Bronfman Plays Brahms

Passion, rapture and love; three emotions that have inspired musicians to create some of their greatest works. Such was the overall theme of the first series of concerts by the Kansas City Symphony in the 2009-2010 season. Haydn's Symphony # 49 in f "La Passione" began the evening followed by Christopher Rouse's "Rapture" from 2000. To conclude the opening concert Music Director and Conductor for the evening Michael Stern, chose the autumnal Piano Concerto # 2 by Brahms, with Yefrim Bronfman as solo.

Haydn's "La Passione" is a bit of a curiosity among his symphonies. It is in a minor key whereas most of them are major key works and it begins with a slow sonata form movement instead of a sonata allegro. Since the work was allegedly inspired by the passion of Christ and Good Friday, the sonata da chiesa form of slow fast slow fast lends itself to the alternately reflective and dramatic mood of the work.

Stern and the KC Symphony have developed a reputation as excellent interpreters of Haydn; clear, crisp, bouncy, energetic and always elegant. This La Passione was certainly all of that, even keeping the long opening Adagio. The following Allegro was dramatic enough, full of the period Sturm und Drang. A sunny and bouncy, a bright spot in this sacred passion, but alas the trio section was spoiled by horn bobbles...sigh. The final allegro brought the work to a dramatic conclusion. Haydn was to abandon the sinfonia da chiesa form after this, perfecting the symphonic form that, with some minor alterations, lasts until today.

Haydn's more subtle and formal "Passion" was followed by a more overt and visceral incarnation, the "Rapture" by Christopher Rouse. Not "The Rapture" as celebrated by evangelical Christians, "Rapture" is a musical realization of "spiritual bliss, not necessarily religious in nature" or as his notes explained "a progression to an ever more blinding ecstasy". The work is unabashedly tonal for the most part and, as in Ravel's Bolero, slowly increases in tempo and volume to the rousing conclusion. The performance was dramatic, certainly noisy yet effective; marred only by some uncertain brass intonation and entrances in the slower opening section. There were the usual fine wind contributions from the flutes and clarinet sections and the symphony's able, but never overwhelming percussion got quite a work out.

It was interesting to compare the Bronfman Brahms 2nd with that of Marc-André Hamelin's a couple seasons ago. Bronfman turned in a more leisurely, introspective, but hardly less technically brilliant performance. This time, Principal Horn Alberto Suarez opened the work with a tonally beautiful and spot on solo, the important horn part was almost perfect through out the movement. Bronfman was certainly in top form and propelled the work forward, maybe a little less forcefully than Hamelin, but never let it get as weighty or turgid as a big German dinner.

Special note is given to Principal cellist Mark Gibbs for his gorgeous opening solo in the adagio for which he received an appropriate ovation and sincere greetings from Mr. Bronfman at the conclusion of the work. Although Bronfman's and Stern's finale was a bit more leisurely and lighter than Hamelin's more muscular and staccato reading, it carried sufficient weight to conclude this mighty concerto and not serve as just another scherzo as can happen with some performances.

The orchestra sounded richer and fuller than ever before, thanks to some tinkering with the seating. Stern has separated the 1st and 2nd violins left and right, with the basses and celli on the left (as one looks from the audience) rear and the violas in the center. This has given the orchestra the aforementioned fuller and deeper sound with more prominent (but not overwhelming) bass. The acoustics in the lovely Lyric Theatre (to be replaced in 2011 by the spectacular new Kauffman Center) are challenging to be kind. This new arrangement alleviated some of the muddiness of the strings and the feeling that the section was undermanned.

Next up, Kodaly's charming Galánta Dances, Rachamaninov's Symphonic Dances and the Dvorak Cello Concerto.

RIP Alicia de Larrocha

Alicia de Larrocha, a diminutive Spanish pianist esteemed for her elegant Mozart performances and regarded as an incomparable interpreter of Albéniz, Granados, Mompou and other Spanish composers, died this evening in a hospital in Barcelona; she had been in declining health since breaking her hip two years ago. She was 86.

Ms. de Larrocha specialized, yea owned, music that demanded focus, compactness and a subtle coloristic touch. Her Mozart, Bach and Scarlatti were so carefully detailed and light in texture that even as public taste shifted toward more period-instrument style, her performances remained popular and even definitive. She was closely associated with the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, where she first performed in 1971. Her appearances remained among the festival’s hottest tickets until her final performance there in 2003.

Ms. de Larrocha’s most enduring contribution, however, was her championship of Spanish composers. She made enduring recordings of Albéniz’s “Iberia” and Granados’ “Goyescas,” and helped ease those works into the standard piano repertoire. She almost single-handedly built a following for Federico Mompou, a Catalan composer of quiet, poetic works.

Although she was often regarded as partial to Granados — her mother and an aunt were among his piano students, but he died before Ms. de Larrocha was born — she refused to cite a favorite.

Thankfully, her recordings survive as monuments to the art of the piano.

On a personal note, I did a bad thing as a college student, but 33 years later I still remember every bit of it. It involved Ms. de Larrocha.

I volunteered as a tour guide at the University of Illinois Krannert Center while attending school there. After conducting a tour I noted on the board that the Great Hall was reserved from 3-4 pm for Ms de Larrocha who was performing that evening. Knowing all the entrances and exits, I snuck quietly into the hall and sure enough, she came out to test the piano and warm up. Her assistant or whoever left, not noticing me up in the darkened balcony. Ms de Larrocha warmed up and then played Alborada del Gracioso, plus "Triana" and the "Rondeña" from Albeniz's "Iberia" just for me. I chickened out and left after that. Totally stupid on my part, but since then I have been an ardent fan of this diminutive lady with a big smile and passion for her art. I attended the concert that night which consisted of the Ravel, Mozart "Turkish" Sonata and selections from Iberia. It was amazing.

Where is my copy of Iberia, I must listen to it!

RIP great lady. Thank you.

Coupl'a Things XXIII

1) I am pleased to announce that the Queen Mary is out of prison and is now owned by a nice fellow in Independence. She was sprung yesterday and through a fortuitous situation, she is now in a garage waiting to be licensed and a new battery.

It was hard to let her go, but it was best for me, as I did not have the $ to pay off the horrible city of KCMO. How she got out is a story that I will not tell in public. Suffice to say it skirted legality or violation of this idiot city rules and I want no further trouble from them.

Go forth QM, go on to your new home, actually in the state of your birth... and ride in style.

2) Bigger news is that the QM will be replaced by a 1990 Buick Century from my late aunt Pauline. My Uncle Howard (her brother) has it and does not need it. I am going to Galesburg, Il on 10/2 to pick it up. Only 61,000 miles and a new paint job. Should be a good car. I am still going to bike and walk locally as it is good for me. But will be nice to have wheels to go longer distances.

3) Scotch has reappeared in my liquor cabinet. I am enjoying an early but deserved glass of Bowmore, a fine, mid range Islay scotch. Smooth but with the peat smoke and tang-of-the-sea flavor that makes Islay scotch so damn fine.

4) The garden is still producing, but I will not take pictures as it looks like hell. I got some tomatoes, my beans are going fine, the peppers are plentiful and I got another eggplant.

5) HM's Palace News Report: She is most highly NOT AMUSED. She got a bath (second in 5 days due to her skin allergy) and the evil vacuum cleaner paid a visit. If you see a fluffy fawn pug walking along with a bag containing her food bowl and food bag, please return her.

Morrocan Spiced Olives

For a Moroccan themed party I am preparing this dish I found on RecipeSource.com . It is quite good, really easy and different.

1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Fennel seeds
1 tsp Coriander seeds
1/4 tsp Cardamom, ground
1 pinch Crushed red pepper flakes
1 pinch Nutmeg, ground
1 pinch Cinnamon
1 tb Olive oil
1 1/2 c Green olives, brought to room temperature
1 tb Lemon juice
1 tb Orange juice
3 Garlic cloves, minced


Heat first 8 ingredients in a small skillet over medium heat until
fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat & add olives & toss to
coat.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate in an airtight container
for at least 4 hours or up to 3 weeks. The longer they marinate, the
better they taste. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Kansas City Lyric Opera: Tosca

If there is a benefit to the recent economic downturn, it is that some arts institutions have been forced to re-examine their operations and mission. For many, it has resulted in a back to basics movement; for some, that is a welcome development.

For the 2009-2010 season, the Kansas City Lyric Opera has shuffled its performance schedule and programmed operas that are guaranteed to be crowd pleasers. While its been great to see a world premiere (John Brown from a couple seasons ago), a neglected opera or two (Thomas' Hamlet for example), seeing great productions of the core repertoire can have its benefits as well. And of course the crowds fill the coffers, preparing the way for better times and more adventurous performances.

Thus the opening production of the season is Puccini's masterpiece, "Tosca". If there is a work that epitomizes opera it is Tosca. Melodrama galore, young artists, the pageantry of the church, evil, a love triangle, double crossing, everybody dying at the end...what more could one ask of an opera. Of course gorgeous melody and the beloved aria "Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore" definitely helps things along.

The performance Wednesday was uniformly quite excellent. The voices, especially Lisa Daltirus as Tosca and Greer Grimsley as Scarpia, one of the most despicable characters in all opera, were quite good. The only exception, sadly, was Rafael Davila as Tosca's tragic lover Mario Cavaradossi (what he sees in Tosca, I'll never know), whose too light tenor voice was frequently overwhelmed. His acting was a bit leaden overall as well. Daltirus (who is a Tosca veteran and who was featured in the Chicago Lyric "Porgy and Bess") was ever so flexible in her role, going from jealous, almost petty lover, to tragic heroine who brings down the evil Scarpia. Grimsley, who portrayed Wotan in the Seattle "Ring", was superb; oily, shifty, pure evil, never a caricature. The smaller parts were well done, especially noting Kevin Glavin who came close to stealing his scenes as the harried Sacristan.

The sets and lighting were effective, straight forward and assisted in telling the story. Music Director Ward Holmquist was in fine fashion with the orchestra, both in the subtle underpinning of the voices and in the magnificent processional that ends act one.

So what if this production broke no new ground, didn't set the opera in a factory in Communist Romania, or didn't have Tosca dressed as a 70's rock star? It was opera at its best, riveting, colorful, musically powerful without all the gee-gaws that detract from the original masterpiece.

Kind of refreshing actually.

What I am Listening to Today: Part I

Music from 2 divergent threads, one from an artist long passed from the scene and one from the live, local and current world.

On the CD player now is a wonderful recording, one of the few available, sadly, of Liszt and Alkan piano works by the renowned but sadly almost forgotten American pianist Raymond Lewenthal. Lewenthal, born in Texas of Russian parents, burst on the scene in the late 40s, winning major competitions and having the enviable honor of making his orchestral debut as a soloist with Mitropoulos conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra in the Prokofiev 3rd Piano Concerto. Lewenthal was on to the road to a remarkable career when he was brutally attacked in New York's Central Park in 1953. The attack left his arms broken and he retreated to Europe to recover phyiscally and mentally.

Lewenthal returned to prominence in 1963 when in a radio broadcast he played and discussed the remarkable works of Charles Valentin Alkan (1813-1889) a great, but reclusive French pianist, composer and teacher. Lewenthal devoted the rest of his career and few recordings to Alkan, Liszt and some of the lesser known Romantic composers such as Moscheles, Scharwenka, Rubinstein, Field and Dussek. Lewenthal died in New York in 1988 while working on a definitive biography and study of his hero Alkan.

The recording I am listening to, Elan 82276 (available from CD Universe, HB Direct, Amazon or Archiv Records to name a few) is a re-release of the acclaimed 1965-1966 RCA recording, which some say in its rare CD iteration is superior in sound to this one, but try to get a copy for under $45.

The cost of this or the RCA CD is worth the price for the stunning Alkan Symphonie For Piano, movements from his !2 Etudes for the Minor Keys OP 39. Far from an academic etude, this is truly a well proportioned and argued symphonic statement. Lewenthal is breathtaking in the stark staccato passage near the end of the 1st movement of the Symphonie, taking them to a shattering climax. The other Alkan selections "Le Festin D'Esope" (from the op 39 Etudes) Barcarolle and "Quasi-Faust" from the Grande Sonata" are stunning in their virtuosity and musical thought. The Liszt piece "Hexameron" (I am not a big fan of Liszt's hyper-romantic music) is technically brilliant and always musical.

I was introduced to these performances from the wonderful Lance G. Hill who is not only the force behind the Classical Music Guide but hosts a weekly radio program featuring an artist of the week on Saturday evenings. You can listen in on WPEL radio Saturday at 7PM EST 6PM CST.



Worth seeking out!

Tomorrow, from the other side of the spectrum, The River Cow Orchestra.

Notes from a Trip: Mayophobia

On board the Lincoln Service/Missouri Mule train from Chicago to Kansas City, one can usually find Pat in the last car manning the cafe. One benefit of train tavel is that you can actually get up and wobble down the aisle to the cafe car and purchase a drink or a snack. The fare is little better than airline food, and catering to a captive audience, it is quite pricey. But the pleasure of getting out of your seat and taking a stroll to get a coffee, microwaved hamburger or packaged deli sandwich is a bit of a pleasure.

Pat handled the cafe car on both days I traveled, so she recognized me from my frequent trips for coffee. Being about 7PM with my diabetic tummy needing some food, a trip to Pat was in order.

A lady was ahead of me and she got one of those awful Asian ramen noodle cups and a turkey and swiss sandwich. As Pat was heating the noodles, the lady opened the packaged sandwich and started to cover it with several packs of mayo...just like I was going to do as I had decided that was to be my choice (minus the noodles).

"OH!! I can't STAND the sight of mayonnaise"!!!!! Pat screamed while turning her head and shading her eyes from the offending condiment.

She handed the lady her change and the hot noodles while not looking at the mayo doused sandwich. "I am sorry, the sight of it makes my skin crawl, I can just imagine being buried in it.OOOOOOHH ahhhhgh!" She shuddered as the poor customer slinked away from the counter, feeling like she had just asked for a shit sandwich.

Needless to say, I slathered my mayo on mine out of sight of Miss Pat.

Mayoitis. That is the formal name for mayonnaise phobia, at least according to my net research. Apparently it is somewhat common; there is even a Facebook page for mayo phobics.

As for me, put mayo on a dead horse ass and I would probably eat it.

I am Don, I am a mayoholic... HI DON!

Notes From a Trip

First of all kudos to Amtrak for a great trip. For years, at least here in Missouri, Amtrak was synonymous with "late". I took Michael to the Independence station years ago for a trip back to Jeff City and the train was 45 min late from Kansas City, where it started! My sister was always late arriving, and two years ago I used it to Jeff City and could have walked there faster.

Some new sidings, allowing the freights to pull over, more double track, a new double track bridge and supposedly better co ordination with the freight trains has eliminated a lot of the delay. I think less freight traffic may contribute as well.

The train was clean, spacious, free of hassle (I carried 5 bottles of wine back in my bag, see if you can do that in a plane) and the passengers friendly and varied. Watching the scenery go by, observing life in the small towns, seeing the back side of the world (not always attractive, but certainly interesting), with the drone of the clack clack clack of the wheels is comforting and somewhat nostalgic.

And besides, it got me there in one piece.. what more could one ask?

A New Rise

While sorting through some of my old books, I came across my old copy of William Shirer's classic book "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich", still today considered the definitive story of the Nazi era in Germany. I did not read the whole thing cover to cover again, but I did pick chapters here and there to review, mostly from the rise era.

It scared me to death.

For you see, I found frightening parallels between the rise of the right wing fanatic Adolf Hitler during Germany's greatest economic and political crisis and the USA's summer of discontent. Well trained and motivated hooligans are making a living going around comparing Obama and Democrats to Hitler. The most disturbing, and insane, images are these young (should I go so far as say Brownshirts or Hitler Youth???? maybe) instigators holding signs with Obama's image disfigured to look like Hitler.

These poor schleps can't even get history right. Hitler cared not a wink about people, especially poor, we all know that. If there is a Nazi movement in the US, it is from the right, not the left.

In 1930, Germany was a defeated, economically challenged disaster. The once proud nation was reeling. No longer a world power, no longer a leader, ashamed, crushed. Germans, looking around at their world, saw immigrants and people not like themselves coming in and taking jobs, making money, gaining power. Political leadership was corrupt, old fashioned and totally inept.

In the last decade, the US has faced similar, but hardly exact challenges, but similar enough to give one pause. The US is battered by a fast changing world economy, American industrial icons like General Motors, Chrysler, Boeing, General Electric, Kodak, I could name more, are no longer world leaders, usurped by Asia, Europe and even Latin America.

Just as many Germans were concerned over foreign and Jewish ownership of business and feared a take over, a flood of immigrant and threats at home by terrorists have shaken many Americans. My GOD! Even the Supreme Court has a Latina and a black man ("Uncle Tom" though he may be) trying to destroy the Constitution. Many right wing publications, commentators and religious leaders are quick to scream that "True Christian Americans" are under attack. The "birther" idiocy... is that just a cover to make sure no "Muslim named, African" can ever become president again? The term "Pure Aryan Stock" ring a bell, anyone?

Our airwaves have been taken over by a right wing propaganda machine that spits out such abuse at its opponents and weaves so many fear mongering lies that would give Nazi Propaganda Minster Joseph Goebbels a hard on. The truth is what we tell you, spouts the "Völkischer Beobachter" (for the uninformed, the Nazi Party Paper from 1920-1945) and Fox News (the American Right Wing voice since 1996). Lies become truth, and once debunked, they are kept alive by attacking those who dare to challenge.

The USA is a frustrated country. Frustrated and irate at a government that lied and led the country into an unwinnable and unpopular war. Coffers drained, military might stifled, prestige bruised. It is frustrated by its inept and cruel handling of disastrous hurricane Katrina and its victims. The last administration presided over an historic economic collapse, while the new one went on a spending spree leading to the inevitable crushing debt.

Then today Senate Repub leaders came to Kansas City for "Closed Town Hall Meeting" What the FUCK is that?? Oh yes, A Republican town hall, where all the like minded agree on everything the leaders say. In this meeting, Rep Sen Mc Connell of KY said it was time to start over on healthcare. Sure Sen. McConnell wants to start over on health care. The current versions won't protect the mega profits of the insurance industry that is bankrolling his re-election campaigns and those of his friends. To the tune of 2 million plus In Mc Connell's case.

Isn't is amazing that they can have a "closed door town hall" and think they are getting a "fair and balanced" set of opinions? Oops, I forgot, "fair and balanced" means only the right gets to express an opinion. And the Repub's idea of bi-partisanship is 'do it our way or else we'll whine about it to Rush Limbaugh."

Or have you eliminated.

The Poor People's Market

Tongue firmly in cheek, my neighbor, Mr. Ford, calls the Thriftway Supermarket at 40th and Main "The Poor People's Market". I say tongue in cheek as he shops there frequently himself, and owning a unit at the Palace and 2 expensive European autos hardly qualifies him as poor. As for me, I had not been in the place for years, opting for the bigger and brighter SunFresh about 8 blocks to the west. Until necessity changed all that. Car-less and counting all the pennies until the ticket mess is done, I think I now qualify as a "poor person".

And frankly, it is not all bad. It reminds me of markets from my Decatur childhood such as the now closed Eisner's on Grand or the Tolly's across the corner on Oakland. Small, narrow aisles, somewhat rickety shelves, only 3 check out counters, most of the liquor behind a counter, no fancy carts, no floral shop, no pharmacy, no salad bar, not a hint of a sushi bar, nix on the deli, generic ATM machine but not a bank, no bakery,and certainly no fresh seafood counter (lots of canned tuna though), all the things we really have come to expect from a "super market". What it does have is friendly staff, interesting shoppers of all stripes, decent selection and not bad prices. My beloved Diet Coke with lime is 30 cents cheaper at Thriftway. As my dear friend Mary Ruth said after meeting her at SunFresh after their recent remodeling, "I see prices are up again, guess someone has to pay for all this", gesturing to the new flooring, fancy displays and new sushi garden. I think chewing gum holds some of the shelves up at the Poor People's Market and the floor, while spotless, looks like it has seen a few decades of shoppers.

When life foists a change on you, and makes you do things a bit different than the rest of the world, you soon learn to adapt. One thing about me, I do know how to adapt to negative situations; poor eyesight, tinnitus, diabetes, low paying job, being single for ages, etc.. for the most part. I bitch about them a lot, and frankly deep down it can hurt and cause lots of sleepless nights. However, being of good English stock, I look at adversity as a bloody nuisance rather than a disaster and with upper lip stiff go about my life.

Thus almost daily, I trek the challenging 3 blocks to the Poor People's Market. I get a few things, say hi to the clerk who calls everyone "babe", wave at the guy at the service desk back in the corner (I need to start noticing and learning names, but there name tags are not always part of the uniform) and adapt once more.

Bud

It is surmised that dogs and humans have had a symbiotic relationship for over 15,000 years. Dogs went with humans as we spread throughout the world, working for and along side our ancestors in their migrations. As humans became more civilized, dogs became less of a worker and more of a companion. Living, working, playing and comforting with us, they have earned the unique nickname, "man's best friend".

Best friend... that certainly described Bud. Bud and his dad Greg were inseparable friends for 10 years. Bud went everywhere with Greg, to church, out to eat with us, visiting, on errands, to the farm. Rare was the time when I would look in the back of Greg's PT Cruiser (especially chosen since it had the requisite "Bud Room" in the back) and not see Bud riding along, surrounded by treats and toys and a warm, familiar blanket.

Bud was found in 1999 as a 3-4 month old stray in Greg's neighborhood; lost, hungry and full of worms. Bud was a Rottweiler, or close enough for Government work. Since his progeny is not known, one can only assume. Graced with the beautiful copper/black markings, graceful large body, dark eyes and an expressive but un-bobbed tail, he looked every inch a Rottie.

He acted like one too; gifted with a gentle yet commanding presence. Bud would rather kiss than bite, have his ears scratched than growl and would lean on you and eventually sit on you to be sure he had your complete attention. He demonstrated that last Fall when at the "Blessing of the Animals" service at our church, he introduced himself to the pastor by knocking him over and sitting on him. Bud rarely got angry, he loved everyone and wanted everyone to love him too. But when threatened, he showed he could mean business. I saw that only once, when a street person leaned in to the open car window as we were parking to go to dinner at Thai Paradise. Bud growled and snapped at the man, causing him to recoil in fear. "Teach you to stick your face where it doesn't belong", Greg admonished the startled beggar as he beat a retreat. Bud, if nothing else, was one of the best auto security systems around.

Bud loved his walks, as many as he could persuade Greg to do. Thus it was heart breaking to see Bud slow down and start to limp. He had good days and some bad ones; when fine he would escort Greg up to the garden and visit all his neighbors. In the last few weeks, he had slowed even more. Greg, recovering from surgery, and Bud formed an even greater bond as they relied on each other to heal and endure.

Sadly, Bud got worse and the Vet confirmed this week that he had cancer. Monday night he cried all night and slept not a wink. On Tues, he went bravely and quietly to the Rainbow Bridge, a place where all beloved animals go, free of pain and suffering, waiting to play with us again.

Bud 1999-August 25, 2009

Bud Spring of 2009



Who could not love this face??

Traveling at "See Level"

I think it was Amtrak that coined an advertising slogan "Travel America at 'see' level", touting the advantages of traveling along the rails and actually seeing the country side go by. Walking, biking and busing through KC could be similarly described. Not having to concentrate on other drivers, speed traps, red light cameras, surly, donut deprived police and other obstacles gives you a more intimate view of this frankly somewhat broken and battered town.

You get to know sidewalk cracks and upheavals, just as you get to know potholes and rough crossings. You can relish the tenacity of weeds, flowers and trees as they cling to their little patches or grow quickly to obscure an abandoned building. You can talk to people, on the way back from Gomer's with my precious cargo of vodka, I had a wonderful time on the porch of my neighbors Mitch, John and Scott a couple days ago... Scott is Scott, John is writing a play and Mitch, a contractor, is pulling another disastrous project out of the ditch, as he is often called upon to do. Sylvia and I discussed spider plants and I took some seeds to plant at the Palace as I walked back from CVS. This AM, while biking to the garden, I stopped to marvel at how the ivy had covered the walls of the Boston Apts and watched a wedding party assemble at the charming Pilgrim's Chapel.

As we speed by in our insulated cabins, stereo blaring, AC keeping all the humidity at bay, we seldom really get to appreciate and rail against the details of our city. I hope, as I go forth with my sort of self imposed car-less life, I can also make a bit of a difference. Pick up litter, not pollute the air, lose weight, meet people ... hopefully friendly.

Winter will be a challenge, but you know, we managed to live for a long time with out getting into motorized vehicles and scooting around. If this winter it is too bad to go out, I won't. Have to learn to stock up (something I am not good at.. but learning) but the anxiety of having to get out and about will subside.

Motorless life has its advantages and can be less stressful. But like everything, there is compromise and another side to the story. You trade the freedom to go about at will for the scheduled and slower world of mass transit, or have to wait for better weather to venture forth. But if nothing else, I am resourceful, I have friends, and if they give me a ride, I offer something in return; Bruce took me on a long errand so he got his wine paid for at 303 that night.

I know I am crazy, been told that by several professionals and non-professionals alike, but this has kind of been sprung upon me and I am making the best of it.

Besides, I'll have stories to tell.

Marvin Parker Memorial Garden X

It is hard to believe it is actually August 20th. Not only has 2009 sped by, we have weather more like April than August. Usually by this time the grass is burnt out from days of drought and relentless sun. Fields are brown, flower gardens wilted, lawn sprinklers out in force and usually by now the newspaper has featured a photo of squealing city kids splashing in an open fire hydrant. Not seen a one.

It was a cool and breezy 62 degrees when I walked over to the garden this AM. Grass wet, cloudy, a rain storm over night that blew over a large tree on 38th St. Police had to leave their morning donuts to block traffic and allow the crews to remove it.

I didn't take the camera to the garden, it being all dark and gloomy. Besides, she is not the most photogenic these days. Some gardeners never got started, their plots looking weedy and forlorn. Some have neglected theirs. The sweet corn, a big failure this year as the odd weather did not provide the hot, humid nights corn loves, is turning brown and falling over. The not so bright idea of planting acorn squash in the corn rows did nothing but produce nuisance vines. Sue's big tomato plant is defying all attempts to keep it upright. The cool, damp weather has propagated tomato leaf rust on most of the plants. My romas keep producing, despite the clumps of brown-yellow withered leaves. Too bad most toadstools are poisonous, we have a bumper crop.

Toadstools in August, don't think I have seen that before.

I did get a bounty today, most of the tomatoes are from the community crop. A few peppers from mine, the community string beans, a couple of the miniature eggplants from an abandoned plot and a big old stalk of basil from my herb garden at the palace.



I think there will still be some good eats and bounty from the garden as the summer closes. This week is supposed to be moderately warm and drier, allowing the tomatoes to ripen and the ground dry a bit, reducing mold, rust and rot. I know am enjoying the bounty, and it is fun to share the rewards with my friends and neighbors. Those that deserve it, that is!

Coming True

I predicted this. Whoever succeeded G.W. Bush would have a tough time dealing with a country more fucked up than it has been since the 1930s. With an economy in shambles, wars still raging in Iraq and more seriously in Afghanistan, the healthcare debate bogged down with lies and fear mongering, the US is facing massive challenges. I harbored a secret thought that maybe it would be good for Mc Cain to win and then fall flat on his face, thus nailing the right wing coffin shut for good. But I was afraid he would not serve a full term and then we would have a bigger mess in the form of the Alaskan nutcase, Ms. Palin.

It almost seems that the success of the now right wing controlled Republican Party is in direct ratio to the stupidity of the American voter. Believe the lies. Believe the "American Dream", whatever that is, and for sure "me first".

The success of the Republican Party is in direct ratio to the stupidity of the American voter. Believe the lie. Believe the American dream. Make up stories, scream it over your airwaves (something like 66% of Republicans think Fox News is 100% accurate and unbiased) bully, hinder, lie, lie some more, take money from your wealthy clients and businesses (conflict of interest anyone??) and be sure the haves have and the have nots are told they are just fine as they are.

But the Dems are getting on my nerves as well. We live in an era where "Profiles in Courage" (John F. Kennedy's (well, maybe his book, that is a story in and of itself) classic book about politicians who stood up for what was right and fair despite criticism and personal defeat) has become "Profiles in Poll Numbers". I just don't get it. 60 Dems, 40 Repubs in the Senate, Democratic majority in the house, and a few Republicans and failed nutcases (Palin, Limbaugh, Cheney, Blunt) are calling the shots. As Rachel Madow put it, when describing the Democrats wishy washy cave in to the right, "I have seen overbred teacup poodles that are better at dealing with sudden loud noises."

Then there is Barney... Way go to man!



Thankfully someone puts down these clowns and tells it like it is. Sadly, Barney is not President. I think Obama is floundering, badly. Meaningful healthcare reform is dead, Iraq and Afghanistan will rage on, the economy will sputter on and off.

The Repubs got us in the mess, and as it was in the Depression, they will throw bricks at every attempt to clean it up. But unlike the 30s, politicians are not as civil.

Win at all costs, keep your numbers up and damn the people.

Coupl'a Things XXII

1) Best headline I have seen in years:

"Octomom Nadya Suleman: 'I screwed myself.'"

I guess that is how you get 8 babies all at once.... but still can't quite picture it in my mind...

2) Saw the fine film "Julie and Julia" last weekend. I recommend it to all. Funny, intelligent, interesting, well paced and insightful. Meryl Streep as Julia Child is amazing, she totally captures the unique voice and manners of Child without being a silly parody. The rest of the cast was excellent as well, standing up to, but of course yielding to Streep's incredible presence.

Also starring was a fabulous and rare 1950 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon. Rare even when new; only 420 ever made.

3) Today's adventure in no wheels: Going to the grocery store. Should be interesting.

Mean Streets

The all too common sounds of police cruisers roaring down Main St, sirens ablaze pierced the warm Midtown evening. For the second time in a week, I knew they were because of me.

But this time, I at least knew they were not coming for me, they were out in force because I had called them. Hearing them, as I walked down Baltimore Ave towards 303 to meet my friend Amy for a night of chatting and vodka consumption, was a relief; I was wondering if they were even going to respond. Sadly, the outcome, while not costing me any money, dignity or my personal freedom, was almost as frustrating as the last time the KCMO police were on the move because of me.

As I left the Palace, I could not help but notice two men sitting on our sidewalk steps eating something out of a large shopping bag. Figuring they were homeless and had no place to cook and eat a meal, I felt bad that I had to shoo them along. The people who pay my salary and help provide me with the place to cook and eat my dinner do not want people of any situation having an unauthorized picnic on our steps and ask me to ensure that.

One of the men, neatly dressed in black slacks and a colorful red/yellow/blue patterned shirt went off. He threw whatever he was eating, the plastic forks and a few small rocks at me. Telling me in no uncertain terms I did not understand what it was like to just to try to find a place to eat in peace. "Don't fuck with me," he screamed, "I am from Cuba." This I kind of doubt as he said "Cue-ba" as we say it instead of a more native "Coo-ba". I guess I was supposed to be afraid of that. I told him to leave, immediately. He threatened to kill me.

Happily he left, cursing and screaming towards Main St. I called 911 and luckily got a dispatcher on the first try. After giving the description and telling the dispatcher I would like a follow up, I left for 303. Soon the sirens blared.

The officer was nice, I could not hear him well, but apparently this character is new to the city, caused some trouble from time to time and they were keeping an eye out for him. I guess they stopped him and likely let him go. I thanked the officer and he told to call anytime we saw him or for anything.

For the first time ever, I am thinking of getting a gun and learning to use it. If you know me at all, that was as unlikely a statement as the Pope denying Jesus. But times are different. I am forced to walk, bike a bus, out on the streets more, and they are not safe. This morning, I bought a couple of canisters of pepper spray, mostly sold to women to carry in their purses. I got the ones you can attach to a key ring. I feel a bit safer.

What a crock. I am in more trouble than this threatening, volatile, desperate man is. Go and threaten and intimidate someone, they shake your finger at you. Traffic violations? Get the shit kicked out of you.

No wonder the streets are mean.

Getting Around

It was a pretty typical Wednesday AM at the Palace. Since we are blessed with 3 antique collectors/dealers/designers in the Palace, furniture, art and other expensive objects are constantly going in and out of the building. Such was the case on Wednesday; a library table was going down from 4th floor to its new owner's home. A moving van had been hired to take it on its journey.

The driver called me as I was walking down the stairs and told me he was on the way. "Best you park on the 38th St side", I told the him. For some reason a KCMO Police traffic unit was ensconced in the middle of Baltimore and she didn't appear to be moving anytime soon. I stopped to watch. She sat and sat in her little Ford Focus, just looking out the window, doing nothing, blocking traffic. A rumbling from down the street announced the arrival of a tow truck, waking Ms Meter Maid from her repose. She was back in action; they were going to tow my neighbor's car for some reason, maybe it was parked too close to the curb, or wasn't washed.... it takes no reason for these jokers to write a ticket.

The owner got wind of the event and came running out as the tow truck was hoisting his old Range Rover none too gently onto the bed. A long discussion ensued (turned out the owner is selling the truck and seems he took the plates off just the evening before) and finally the errant Range Rover was none too gently put sort of back in place and the truck and surly parking lady stormed off, no doubt pissed that they had failed in their mission to make Kansas City a safer place...more like make the city some $$$.

I chalked this up as further justification in my warped mind to not have a car in Midtown.

Later that afternoon a friend told me his car was towed a while back over not having the current insurance form, and then he also was gifted a red light camera ticket for not stopping and looking both ways. Basically nothing, but the city gets its money. The previous mayor let every new business get away without paying taxes for years, so they have to make it up on us citizens; at least that is my take on the issue.

Yes it can be an inconvenience to not have a set of wheels. But I am learning to get around. The bike goes to the garden; what great exercise.. and the feel of wheeling down the slope of 38th St brings back the memories of me biking all over Decatur, the city map in my room marked each street I and my trusty Schwinn had visited. I found I can get a bus to the hardware store and the Dollar Tree (my new best shopping friend) taking about the same time as driving. The frustrating thing is not being in control, being able to go whenever I want. I will also need to learn to make lists and be sure I have everything I need. Running out to get a forgotten item is not as easy as it once was.

But at least I don't give the authorities cause to hassle me. That is worth a lot.

The Queen Mary: A Swan Song

Yes... the fabled Queen Mary is likely gone....sadly not my real choice, but I am being pragmatic and facing the inevitable.

She is the victim of my recalcitrance to license her in MO, being slow to license in IL and not paying some tickets from 2004. So the KC police decided she (and I) were a bigger menace than druggies, vagrants, shooters and such and spent 3 officer's time and 4 hours being complete jerks. Since she was a menace, off to the tow lot she goes.

Sadly, all sentimentality has to be set aside and I have to realize it would cost more than she is worth to get it back. So they can have her. She understands... she was running on borrowed time anyway. The paint was shot, the tires were shot, the engine was starting to nickel and dime to death, plus I know underneath she was a rust bucket waiting to happen. She was junk yard bound anyway.

For $1000 4 years ago I got my money's worth.

For now, I am forgoing automobiles for a while. I am sick of police, speed traps, red light cameras, no turns, bla bla bla, all for this hell hole of a city to make money. I got a bike now, for the long distance runs. I can walk to:

Grocery
Bank
Garden
Drug Store
Post office
Barber Shop
Liquor Store
Favorite Bar
Plaza
Westport

Express Bus direct to:

Church
Downtown
Crossroads
Crown Center (not like I go there every day)

I don't think I'll miss it much. I will later, I am sure and sometime a new vehicle may occupy my spot. For now, a further simplification of my life.

Queen Mary: July 23, 2005-August 7, 2009

The Queen in her Better Days:

Wrestling With Bernstein's Mass

It was the musical commission of a generation. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis gave Leonard Bernstein quite a plum; compose a work for the highly anticipated opening of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

The whole world would be watching, the audience glittering, an event tailor made for the showman in Lenny. Bernstein wrote: “I’ve always wanted to compose a service of one sort or another, and I toyed with ecumenical services that would combine elements from various religions and sects, of ancient or tribal beliefs, but it never all came together in my mind until Jacqueline Onassis asked me to write a piece dedicated to her late husband…The Mass is also an extremely dramatic event in itself—it even suggests a theater work."

"Mass: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers" premiered in September 1971. Vietnam still raged, everything in society was questioned... everyone was cool, hip, flower power reigned. This "cool", "hip" and irreverent Mass was panned, lauded, dismissed, raved about, misunderstood and dismissed.. sometimes by the same critics. Embarrassingly 70's-ish, awkward, one moment highly classical, the next then trendy pop-ish, "Godspell" on steroids
(the two pieces had the same librettist), Mass seemed to be a one performance wonder. Jacqueline even stayed away.

A recording led by Bernstein soon came out on Columbia LPs. The day it appeared at the "Spin Shop", I snatched a copy...played the damn thing endlessly. My friend Rodger and I listened to it daily. Off to college, my friend and eventual roommate Steve also loved it. In fact, it was my hearing it coming from his room that led to us becoming long time friends. It was played endlessly then as well.

To this day, I know every note and word of this strange, zany, psychedelic recreation of the Roman Catholic Mass. That being in spite of not having heard it in years, the LPs being victims of a flooded basement years ago. I never got the CD version.

For a long time, it appeared that only the opening "A Simple Song", soon to be a staple of church performances and the "3 Meditations", taken from 3 instrumental interludes, would survive. A few performances cropped up now and then, but the Kent Nagano led German performance with Jerry Hadley as the Celebrant was the first recorded since 1971. Looking back, with nostalgia and a realization that little socially and politically had changed, Mass looked a little less geeky and silly.. and a bit more relevant and grown up.. as we had along with it. Critics seems to let up a bit and even say the piece might have some life left.

2009 has been an embarrassment of Mass riches, with two new recordings: Kristjan Jarvi led another German based performance for Chandos and now Marin Alsop leads a Baltimore performance on Naxos.

I have not heard the Nagano performance in total so I can not comment on it myself, but it was well received and compared favorably with the Bernstein. It was the first recording using Bernstein's revisions in the score and libretto. The Jarvi was quite good, but a bit on the fast side and I am not sure his cast really understood the piece.

However, the new Alsop/Jubilant Sykes performance is quite a revelation, and spot on for the most part. Sykes is more comfortable in the pop/gospel element, but pales a bit in comparison to Alan Titus' darker, more intense (and "classical") Celebrant in the Bernstein. Alsop's "Dona Nobis Pacem" section of the "Agnus Dei" is breathtaking in its intensity, but darn it, I missed Titus' more commanding, operatic breakdown, screaming "pacem!!" to the out of control cast and world as he breaks the chalice and spills the blood of Christ on the floor.

In a couple of classical music forums, I posted that I dismissed Mass as a dated, embarrassing mess.. part of me wants to simply hate the piece. But 40 years on(!!!) I am still wrestling with the damn thing. Yes some parts are corny (kazoo band still intact, some awfully silly lyrics, every musical style imaginable, sometimes within the same measure) and it still reeks of a bell bottomed, flower child, "peace, man", "dig this" society... but I think, maybe, if we give it a chance and overlook it weak points, it still will speak to us. Instead of being dated, it can show us we have not made a lot of progress socially in 40 years, only the names and clothing styles have changed.

Bernstein wanted this to be his magnum opus; he yearned to be remembered for Mass rather than West Side Story. That likely will not come to pass, but neither will this wacky, overblown...thing.. disappear. It has come back with a challenge to listen and reassess and to remind a fragile nation that "we've got quarrels and qualms and such questions, give us answers, not psalms and suggestions" is a cry heard on the streets today just as loud as it was in 1971.

Hey Kids!!

You can have your VERY OWN counterfeit, bogus and oh so obviously fake Kenyan Birth Certificate!!

Kenyan Birth Certificate

I got mine...




It is free, it is easy and it is Birther Approved!

Civil Discourse

...has gone the way of the dodo bird and the Pontiac Bonneville. Kaput, extinct, deleted, discontinued.

I guess it began in earnest in the Clinton era when a liberal leaning President dared to poke the haves of society with health care reform and gays in the military. That seemed to rock their world to the core, shaking their very core values of "me, mine and more for me". Clinton paid for his sins by having his very life and Presidency ruined by malicious, jealous that he could still get a blow job, "investigators" who really found nothing and spent the country into oblivion making a few lawyers rich but proving little. The skepticism over Bush's two victories, the morass of Iraq and Afghanistan and the "you are either with me or against me" mentality of the last administration further fractured the country.

Patriot = agree with Bush and the wars.
Traitor = anyone who disagreed or criticized.
Idiot = anyone agreeing with Bush
Idiot = anyone who didn't

The color gray was washed from the palate of conversation, dark black and shocking white were all that remained.

The advent of online additions of newspapers has brought with it the concept of instant comments, letters to the editor without a stamp and paper. Sometimes the comments are interesting, most of the time they show the still widening divide.

Most of the time they show the "haves" losing their touch with reality.

Re this comment:

"When that "Democrat" digs in my pocket, instead of cutting spending (ala Cali), to take money for "taxes", when you Dipsh*ts, voted for him. You right! What happen to we are only going to tax 250k, 175k, 150k! This SAYS MIDDLE CLASS. Nuttinclown, what do you classify as middle class! Some "middle class" are making a choice of gas in the gas or food on the table! A tax when we are discussing taking over healthcare, clunkers for cars, a failed stimulus program, is absurd! It just shows how out of touch CONgress and this President are. Is It's funny you bring the race card in, I just take as you thinking "stupidly", and go about your business."

This in response to an article in the KC Star about University of Mo scientists working to control an alien plant species (spotted knotweed) that is threatening to take over cropland.

When discourse gets this silly and polluted, all possibility of compromise or progress is out the window. I read another article that Members of Congress, mostly Democrats, are facing organized hostile crowds at "Town Meetings" shouting the lies of the FUX news lovers, Birthers and other loons. As much as I thought, and still think, Ronald Regan was a fool, he had the class and style to actually have regular card games and informal evenings with his nemesis Tip O'neil. Imagine Bush and Pelosi at a BBQ? Not hardly.

Sadly, this ranting and raving what goes for TV news commentary and "reporting" in 2009. No wonder my TV sets dark. No wonder we miss Walter Concrite. No wonder there is no social progress. The haves, who make the most noise and can buy the most power, get what they want.

The beauty is the US is a free country and all loons of all stripes have the ability to speak their mind. But when the discourse comes down to name calling, lies, innuendo and deceit, we all lose.

Especially the powerless.

OK Seattle, Give Me My Summer Back

HM decided that 5:30 AM was explore-the-garden-to-see-if-Mr-Bill-had-paid-homage-to-Her-Majesty-with-more-treats time. A few lights flickered on, clothes found, doors opened and off we went. It was cool outside, and raining. The grass a thick green carpet, tree branches drooping with sodden leaves; newly transplanted mint was already taking over the little plot where grass had refused to grow. With rain falling and the grass soaking, HM looked at me and decided that 5:30AM was NOT explore-the-garden-to-see-if-Mr-Bill-had-paid-homage-to-Her-Majesty-with-more-treats time and retreated back to her comfy couch/throne.

I immediately went up stairs and looked out every window I could, wondering if I could glimpse the Space Needle, a glimmer of Puget Sound through the lead skies or possibly snow capped Mt Rainier to the east.

All I saw was the familiar roof tops and skyline of Kansas City.

You see I thought for a moment I had been transported overnight to Seattle. Consider the facts: It is raining...always, it is cool; the temp this AM at 5:30AM was around 60 and everything is green... Pacific Northwest climate, not mid-continent US climate. By August 1st I am used to the world looking UPS truck brown, not green, lush and wet.

The National Weather Service said it is not abnormal to see short term cool weather from the north in the summer. It is unusual, however, to see the cooler air persist for so long. Since records were kept, only 1891 and 1950 had cooler temps. We have yet to see a 100 degree day officially, but we got close.. this spring.

Oh, and as for Seattle...they got our summer, with temps in the 100s and little rain. Maybe like ball teams, we need to do a trade.

Both the pro and anti global warming factions have been doing their usual back and forth using the cool month both to prove and debunk the idea of global warming. Both seem to forget that the climate is unlikely to change over night, and one cool month or one hot winter will not totally prove or disprove the theory. Frankly, as I see it, there is strong evidence of a slow and persistent climate change... and we need to take steps to alleviate it.

But really, I think Grandma had it right all along; the men who landed on the moon screwed with something and everything has been nuts since.

It is plausible... that would also explain Rush Limbaugh's popularity and two G.W. Bush terms too....