Marvin Parker Memorial Garden 2010

The Marvin Parker Memorial Garden is in full bloom this season. Many of the same gardeners returned from last year and some new ones added as well.

This year, Greg and the Parker sisters worked on getting a flower garden started on the slope heading up to the garden proper. The Parker Sisters' flowers are filling up the east slope:

Each gardener has a plot if they want or can help with the chores and take from the community plots. This is a garden of lettuce and broccoli towards the front of the garden. Several gardeners have harvested some early broccoli, some let it go to seed not paying attention.

Sue has a nice stand of bush beans this season!

My string beans are heading up the pole. These were from seeds from last year's beans.

I am trying fennel this year. Growing like a weed, but I know not a thing about it. On the bottom of the picture are my peppers, I have picked 3 already this season. You may see some thin, blade-like plants between the frilly fennel fronds and the eggplant. Those are leeks... I hope.

These are the start of a whole field of eggplants in my plot. I have regular size and some of the Chinese ones as well.

Not pictured are some Italian bush beans, some shallots and a lone Roma tomato plant that came up volunteer from last year.

So far plentiful rain has fallen in between plentiful sunshine so we are hoping for a bountiful year again this season.

Final 10

The countdown has begun. I said a while back that I would do 1000 posts here on Puggingham Palace/Pato News and this one makes 990. So the final 10 are approaching.

I may stop completely, I may go on a long hiatus, who knows? Keeping up the blog is now a chore, not a joy. I stare at the blank page and then get up and go on to do something else. Many of the topics I used to love to rant about do not stir my creativity any more. Politics makes me vomit, church is nothing, the dog does little but sleep and eat, the car sits in the lot, concerts are over for the season, and frankly nothing inspires me. So like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, my favorite TV show ever, I want to quit while I am ahead.

Many years ago, I was inspired to start journaling. Sadly, most of my scribbles dating back to the 70s are unreadable; penmanship was never a strong suit of mine. Some Volumes are lost, I fear, as I have not been able to locate them. Looking back can be fun but looking back can also be depressing if you feel you have not made any progress. Most of the time I revel about how silly I was and how things that looked like disasters were just ripples.

So, few dear readers, look for the final 10. Probably not much earth shattering, just me making my way through it all.

AHT: "The Dixie Swim Club"

Greg and I are creatures of habit, especially when it comes to the regular American Heartland Theatre productions we have attended for the last few years. Greg picks me up at 6, and off we go to the Crown Center for the evening. We park in almost the same spot right by the theatre level door and head off to the Streetcar Named Desire for dinner. There we both order the pork tenderloin with extra mayo and fries (I get onions he doesn't), scotch and water to drink and sit at the same table with usually the same waitress. Greg always gives me his pickle. A stroll to the theatre upstairs, order scotch and water from our favorite bartender Mark, and wait for whatever we are going to see. Last night was no exception but we were hatching plans to escape at intermission if "The Dixie Swim Club" (billed ominously as the "Next Steel Magnolias") was more than we could handle.

"Chick" plays or "Chick Flicks" usually are crashing bores for almost any member of the male population. Greg and I are hardly the most typical of men, neither of us are big fans of loud, obnoxious, boorish films or whatever and we both say please and thank-you a lot. Nevertheless, we considered if we were going to order an intermission drink in case we fled the show. We decided what the heck and planned for the whole evening.

Danm glad we did.

"The Dixie Swim Club" is a typical AHT play, breezy, light hearted, intimate (the theatre is small and it is easy to feel right on stage with the actors, plus we feel we know most of them through their regular appearances) and well paced. The plot is simple: 5 North Carolina ladies from a college swim club get together each August at a beach house for a reunion.

Sheree (the wonderful Cathy Barnett) is an annoying hyper-organizer who gags her friends each year with inedible health food snacks. Cheryl Weaver is Lexie, a Blanche Du Bois type with a husband-du-jour. Accident prone Vernadette (the fabulous Debra Bluford) lives a trailer-trash life with a no-good husband and a kid with a mile long rap sheet. The irrepressible Missy Koonce plays Dinah, an aggressive, martini drinking lawyer with no time for a social life. Finally there is Jeri Neal (Jennifer Mays), who became a nun but decided a worldly life was more her style completes the group.

The knee slapping one liners and silly situations fly like mosquitoes in the Okefenokee Swamp and frankly a less talented and looser ensemble would soon send "Dixie" into a proverbial comic swamp. But these ladies have impeccable timing, talent to burn from subtle glances and raised eyebrows (Koonce is a master at this, even when she was not speaking, her eyes, posture and gestures spoke volumes) to over the top theatrics (Vernadette's hilarious paean to the biscuit is a show stopper) which elevates the simple material to an outstanding comic production.

As the play takes the ladies from their 40s into their 70s, a bit of drama creeps in as regrets, illness and death take their toll. But thankfully it does not descend too far or get as sticky sweet as a Georgia peach and leaves the audience with a light hearted exploration of friendship.

Keeping the feeling of an intimate, friendly theatre, the actors in each show assemble to greet the audience. Since Greg knew Missy Koonce well and I had met her, we decided to drop in. I guess I made an impression on the cast as I laughed my ass off in my front row seat. I was treated to an impression by Cathy Barnett of my reactions. She was dead on.

A real treat, so we were glad we stayed and recommend "The Dixie Swim Club" for y'all to see, including the menfolk.

Dixie Swim Club through June 27 AHT

Kansas City Symphony: Russian Fireworks

The Kansas City Symphony ended its season with a more conventional program than those of late. Three Russian/Soviet favorites were on tap: for an overture, the witty Colas Bruegnon Overture by Kabalevsky, the ever popular Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto #1, and the Prokofiev Symphony # 5. Music Director Michael Stern was on the podium, with Vladimir Feltsman piano in the Tchaikovsky.

Of all of Kabalevsky's many works only a few such as the Colas Bruegnon Overture, the Comedians Suite and occasionally one of the concerti are heard today, in contrast to the popularity of his contemporaries Shostakovich and Prokofiev. Of the three, Kabalevsky was certainly the more conventional and managed to stay out of trouble with the authorities. Although he was on Zhdanov's famous list, he escaped with nothing more than a warning.

Colas, a 3 act opera about a year in the life of an irrepressible French wood carver and the characters in his village, is a witty and vigorous piece, a perfect festive opener. Stern and the orchestra gave it a sparkling and enjoyable performance, marred only by some over aggressive brass in spots.

Feltsman certainly has an affinity with the Tchaikovsky, as any Russian pianist should, thus his formidable technique and his love for the music was on full display. Unfortunately, his technique and enthusiasm made Feltsman a bit of a pounder in this performance, something the music needs in some spots (the opening of course) but less of in the middle movement and the more lyrical second theme of the sprawling first movement. The big movement seemed to bog a bit as it went along spinning out theme after theme, but Feltsman and the orchestra whipped up a stunning ending that left the orchestra and audience breathless. They received one of the longest and most enthusiastic mid-work rounds of applause I ever encountered. Feltsman, bemused at first, won the audience over with his encouraging gestures. Stern made sure the audience knew there was more to come.

The sweet second movement was appropriately languid and almost impressionistic in the simple A section and lovingly dance like in the middle. This was the most successful movement as Feltsman demonstrated that his technique and power could also gently rock and sing.The brisk, frolicking finale benefited from Feltsman's power and drive, so much so the orchestra struggled some to keep up. The usually fine KC Symphony winds added some wonderful color throughout, but the strings were feeling a bit underpowered and disengaged, especially as the work progressed. Still the large and appreciative audience gave all a hearty accolade.

The mighty Prokofiev 5th received a brisk, damn the torpedos performance bringing out the underlying tension of this powerful work written in the waining days of WW II. The winds had a field day with Prokofiev's shrieking and motoric writing. Stern milked the brooding and turbulent 3rd movement most effectively, allowing the finale to propel the work to a blaze of fireworks at the conclusion. My only disappointment there was the way too understated, manic "clockwork" passage just before the final cadences. I was told that the orchestra was particularly uncomfortable due to some awful humidity that seemed not to succumb to the theatre air conditioning. Thus they played the Prokofiev without jackets. Perhaps the heat and humidity contributed to a performance that seemed relentlessly rushed in spots and dotted with some rough entrances and ensemble. Nonetheless, it was basically a convincing and powerful performance of this symphonic masterpiece and a fitting end to the season.

I look forward to my usual balcony Row G 7 seat next year for the Martinu 4th, Berlioz Harold in Italy, the US premiere of Avner Dorman's "Frozen In Time" Percussion Concerto (which I got to hear a preview performance courtesy of this most charming and friendly composer, the Sibelius Violin Concerto with Hilary Hahn, Jonathan Biss in Brahms and Stefan Jackiw in Bruch, among other great pieces. And foremost, the last full season in the lovely but uncomfortable and acoustically lousy Lyric Theatre.

Sheer Nun-sense

Ah, hypocrisy reins in the Roman Catholic church. An Arizona Bishop has excommunicated a nun who approved an emergency abortion for a woman suffering from pulmonary hypertension. She and the 11 week old fetus would have died. Basically being pregnant was killing her, the baby would not have survived either.

The Bishop, a patsy for the ass kissers in Rome, took his high horse road and excommunicated everyone, pleasing no one but The Pope.

The article asks a very pertinent question. Why was such swift action taken on this when abusive priests were and are permitted to keep all their rights and privileges in the cult?

Damn glad I am not a Catholic.

Nun Excommunicated

Another One

Ford Motor Co. board voted today to end Mercury vehicle production in the fourth quarter. Thus the up and down life of Ford's middle child comes to an end.

The fate of the 72-year-old Mercury brand, born as an upscale Ford in 1939, has recently been in question. Thus this announcement comes as little surprise. Mercury sales peaked in 1978 at more than 580,000 vehicles but have been declining ever since. Ford sold about 92,000 Mercurys last year. That was a good year for a Grand Marquis in the 80s, not counting the other models in the line up.

In the 40s and 50s Mercury was more of a baby Lincoln rather than a Ford. The unique bathtub Mercs of the 50s (think any low slung hot rod you have seen) were more related in style to the Lincoln Cosmopolitans than the Ford Tudor. Same with the late 50s when the Turnpike Cruiser was the most Buck Rodgers thing on the road. In the 60s, Mercury suffered along with many of the mid class rivals and became more upmarket Ford than baby Lincoln. Its best years were the 70s, when the Monterrey model was closer to Ford and the Marquis was a step below a Continental.

The most well known Merc was the Cougar, itself a spin off from Ford's Mustang. Cougars were suave, sexy and luxurious and above all successful. Cougar's cat emblem virtually identified all Mercury autos for a generation, where one could buy one "a the sign of the cat."

Even then one could see the problem that eventually spelled doom for Mercury. None of its cars were unique, none screamed Mercury. Even when there was a unique Merc (that is one not sold by Ford dealers) it was a derivative of some other Ford product. Those include the German "Merker" of the late 80s and the awful Australian Capri. Mercury got a mini van care of Nissan whose "Quest" was re-badged and slightly restyled as the Villager. Thus the badge fought annually for relevance, only the long in the tooth Grand Marquis keeping it afloat.

In the last few years, Mercury became even more irrelevant. All products were nothing but re-badged and disguised Fords, from the Milan (Fusion) sedan to the SUV Mountaineer (Explorer). Those between 75 and death will have to get a-hold of their last available Grand Marquis soon.

I owned one Merc, an exasperating 1986 Grand Marquis with few miles but a nagging engine problem that led it to an early grave. Rode like a dream and was solid otherwise. My friend Steve had an 84 that we took to Cleveland and back in the late 90s. Great car.

So another great name joins the ranks of cars consigned to the dustbin. Times have changed, the old multi-layer marketing plans that relied on a customer being loyal to a brand and moving upscale as they got older and more wealthy just doesn't work anymore. Life has been tough on the middle kids; Olds, Pontiac and now Mercury. Who's next?

Some say Chrysler may drop the Chrysler brand and go to Dodge and the new Fiat made cars.

Tough time to be a car fan.

Mercury 1939-2010

Fatwa!

I shake my head in wonder.....

Fatwa issued that would have allowed women to breast feed their male colleagues so they could work together!

Literary Masterpiece

There is a literary masterpiece that every serious reader should know, but sadly out of print in its purest, original form. I am referring to the original 1961 Craig Claiborne "New York Times Cook Book". Coming the same year as Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", these two books opened new worlds for the average US cook. Reading through these wonderful recipes provides credence to the idea of a superior being. You can see that an omnipotent mind created the basic ingredients that when combined with human creativity and curiosity produces a piece of edible art.

The NYT book is, of course, broader in scope covering many cuisines and styles than Julia's. Some recipes are startlingly simple, for example the one for corn on the cob. Some, like the elegant Aubergines a la Boston, are more complex, but always well thought out and easy to follow, You can recreate a Brazilian Feijoada that was served to the great composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, make a traditional, classic and quite easy Chicken Kiev (in 1961 that dish was quite exotic), serve a delicious and unique black beans in rum, or find a good recipe for Sauerbraten (there are actually two in the book).

And so much fun to read with a genteel, elegant prose. The garlic in a Ratatouille Nicoise is to be added "..according to conscience and social engagements". For Lobster Americaine (Lobster in a tomato sauce with cognac) Claiborne argues that "American chefs say it was created by an American and the French say no such thing, unless it was a French chef lured to the US by the Yankee dollar."

Dear Craig misses the boat when it comes to his inadequate gumbo recipe which does not include celery or bell pepper, two parts of the "holy trinity" that are required (I think by law) for a proper gumbo.

In 1990, the book was revised and to me lost so much of its character. Some 40% of the recipes were replaced and many others changed. I am sure today's chefs look at these recipes as unadventurous, bland and utterly boring. I say to hell with their raspberry-garlic reduction coulis and constant tinkering with tradition; this is good cooking. Maybe not what mama used to make, unless you were on the Park Avenue side of life, but grand, tasty dishes considered gourmet and classic when the world was a bit simpler.

If you ever see one, grab it.

Drill, Baby, Drill!

Hey Sarah!! How's that drilly, spilly thing working for ya? ;)

addendum:

This was left as a comment but I thought it was worth posting:

RIP Art Linkletter

From the "I thought that person died 20 years ago" file:

Art Linkletter dead at 97

BBQ Jesse Mae Style

One of my favorite memories as a kid is that of the frequent BBQs my neighborhood had. Our little cul-de-sac loved to eat. Someone would start a grill and before you know it, salads, vegetables and beer would arrive and the party would start. The best ones were when Jesse Mae cooked.

Jesse Mae was a sort-of Southern Belle. Born in Cairo, Il (pronounced Kay-row) she was just enough genteel southern to be a bit exotic in our lilly white neighborhood. And damn she could cook. Nothing fancy, but great BBQ, salads and all that I can still taste.

The one gift I have from this remarkable lady is her BBQ sauce. Trust me, no Gregory Court BBQ was complete without it. I asked my sister to find it for me and sure enough, mom had written it down. Simple, tasty, totally unhealthy.. but damn... it is like home.

I am going to make a batch and use it this summer to remember when I was just a goofy kid, enjoying life in the suburbs.

Jesse Mae Perks' BBQ Sauce:

1/3 lb lard

2/3 qt vinegar either white or apple cider

4 tbs salt

3 tsp black pepper

2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbs paprika

Melt lard in large pan. In qt jar add all dry ingredients to vinegar and shake well to blend. Add the vinegar mix to the melted lard. Cook 15min until thicken. DO not boil.

Brush on chicken or chops.

The best.

Kansas City Symphony: Higdon and Hindemith

If you believed the big media build up, this weekend's Kansas City Symphony concert was all about:

1) The local premiere of recent Pulitzer winner Jennifer Higdon's "The Singing Rooms" for violin, chorus and orchestra.

2) Ravel's Bolero.

Me? I came for the Hindemith Nobilissma Visione Suite.

Debussy's "Prélude à L'Après-midi d'un Faune" (that is fun to type) opened the concert. Michael Stern conducted with Jennifer Koh violin and the Kansas City Symphony Chorus in the Higdon.

As the Higdon work unfolded, I drifted in thought to the 1936 article in the Soviet newspaper "Pravda" that condemned Shostakovich's opera "Lady MacBeth of the Mtsensk District" as a "Muddle Instead of Music". They could have been talking about "The Singing Rooms".

Based on poems by Higdon's Curtis Institute colleague Jeanne Minahan Mc Ginn, the composer described the piece as a "house where the violin sings, the chorus sings and the orchestra sings." But, as in a house inhabited by too many people, there was just too much going on and too many family members fighting each other for attention. The percussion banged, clanged and clinked with every sound imaginable, a full orchestra and chorus filled the stage to overflowing taking turns overpowering each other. Plus the incredible virtuosity of Jennifer Koh had to fit in now and then. Thus this massive piece, about 30 minutes duration, went nowhere slowly.

Higdon goes on to state that "every room has its own sound world". Could have fooled me. The sections "Three Windows: Two Versions of the Day", "Things aren't always", "The Interpretation of Dreams", "Confession", "History Lesson". "A Word With God" and a reprise of the "Three Windows" poem, all sounded quite the same. Each section could be characterized as featuring similar declamatory choral lines, lots of percussive effects and Koh sawing away at the violin. Higdon obviously lavished great attention on the choice of texts, but then buried them in the mix as the chorus was mostly unintelligible. A tender dialog between the cor anglais and the violin about 3/4 through the piece was a rare highlight as was a rhythmic battle between clapping percussion and the violin.

Thus I lay the blame for my dislike and the lukewarm reception of the piece mostly on the over ambition of the composer. The piss-poor Lyric Theatre acoustics, thick orchestration and some sloppy diction from the huge chorus certainly contributed to the blurring of the text and program. Frankly, I think the piece could work as a chamber piece for small chorus, ensemble and violin, allowing the listener to appreciate and follow the meticulously crafted program. Just a suggestion, Ms. Higdon.

The highlight for me was a coolly elegant and noble performance of one of Hindemith's masterpieces "Nobilissma Visione", a balletic retelling of the story of St Francis. Using 1/3 as many performers, Hindemith set the scenes of the conversion of St Francis from worldly playboy to the pious, humble saint more realistically and vividly than anything Higdon attempted in her much more ambitious work. Stern and the orchestra fully understood and communicated the restrained, rarefied joy and humility of St Francis as represented by Hindemith. The rich full strings and the excellent work of the violas (Hindemith was prejudiced you know), subtle brass and always excellent winds contributed to this most fine performance of a piece that is simply not heard enough. Stern has an affinity for Hindemith ( a fine "Symphonic Metamorphoses" brought the house down in his inaugural concert several seasons ago) and thus I ask him to please do the masterful Symphony in Eb some day.

The Debussy was a fine performance with a standout solo by flutist Michael Gordon and Stern's detailed attention to the many ebbs and flows of the piece.

And Bolero? As one expected, this brisk performance was a crowd pleaser. Spoiled only for me by a horn flub in the cleverly scored section for flutes, celesta and horn. Percussionist Christopher Mc Laurin received a well deserved accolade for his rock steady snare drum.

Service Without a Smile

Along with the implosion of polite public discourse, political compromise and co-operation comes the end of customer service. It is dead for all practical purposes. No one cares, you pays your money and you takes your chance. If something is wrong, well good luck in finding someone who cares. Good luck even finding someone to provide service. And if they say they will do something... I give it 50/50 that they will.

I have so far been stood up by 3 different concrete contractors. My friend Amy has been stood up by three totally different one. I guess they are so busy in this booming economy that they do not care for my piddly little $2000 job. I made a call to a structural engineer firm, asked for a fellow by name, told his voice mail who had referred me and never heard back.... nothing. It is a 50/50 chance my roofer will come by after reminding him he promised to come by and look at a problem 2 weeks ago. (It seems he is on his way... we will see...). Please, if you do not want my business, then tell me so. I'll go quietly and not bother you. But if you say you do and then piss me off and I will be sure everyone I know will hear about you.

And then when you do get served.. well that is a different story.

Years ago, I worked my way through college as a waiter in a fine restaurant in my home tow, The owner was a bit of a stooge, but the manager was smart and went on to own several successful restaurants. He always told us that if a customer wanted something in reason, they were to get it. If they asked for bluefin tuna and we didn't have it, that was something else. No sauce on a dish.. no problem, a pepsi and vodka with a shot of gin... whatever floats your boat...

Last night at a fancy, jackets-for-gentlemen members only club the waiter got in to a heated argument with a member who was hosting a party (little ol' me got to go!) over how to make a Brandy Alexander. This guy was belligerent and even brought over an i-phone or some such device to show him that it was made with chocolate. The customer wanted one with just ice cream and brandy. That is the way I have always had them. Now, if it were me, he would have had it the way he wanted it. When I stated that I did not like chocolate, he did not offer to make me one without, he simply said it was that way or nothing. I passed until Scott raised a bigger ruckus. It was quite tasty but they forgot the nutmeg... I didn't want to start another war.

Sad that we have come to this. I blame the work environment these days for creating the throw-away employee, laying off at a whim to make someone else richer, cutting manpower to the bone, taking away benefits and making loyalty as rare as hen's teeth.

I don't have a solution.. well maybe I do. When I worked for a company that actually stressed and practiced customer service on a daily basis, we made money, we did well and I had less employee issues than in the past. So it can be done. It just takes a change from "making value for our stakeholders" (translate make our rich stockholders richer) to "doing onto others as you want them to do unto you".

Simple really.

Coupl'a Things XXXVI

1) RIP Yvonne Loriod, French pianist and wife of the late composer Oliver Messiaen who died Monday, May 17, at the age of 86, after years of poor health.

Loriod was born on 20 January 1924 near Paris. She had piano lessons from childhood, as did her sister Jeanne, four and a half years younger. Jeanne Loriod, who died in 2001, became a leading exponent of the electronic instrument the ondes martenot. Long regarded as a brilliant pianist, Yvonne giving monthly recitals as a young girl and by 14 she knew the whole of Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier” and all 32 Beethoven sonatas.

Yvonne was Messiaen's second wife. He had fallen in love with her when she was a teenage student of his at the Paris Conservatoire and she was his muse for five decades (they only married in 1961 after the death of Messiaen's first wife, in a sanatorium, after many years of mental illness). Loriod's playing was the inspiration for music from the gigantic cycle Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jésus, for solo piano, to the piano parts of orchestral pieces in the Turangalila Symphony and Des canyons aux étoiles. She also specialized in modern French piano music, being a leading proponent and performer of the piano works of Pierre Boulez.

2) Happy Birthday to Overland Park, KS! On May17th, 1960 voters in the Mission Urban Township approved the motion to form a city, which was made official on May 20th. Just 50 years ago, this sprawling suburb was mostly farm and field. Now it is the second largest city in Kansas behind Wichita with over 175,000 people. When it officially incorporated as a city, it had less than 29,000. Despite the late blooming, it quickly overtook older suburbs such as Olathe, Prairie Village and Lenexa and passed by state capital Topeka and Kansas City, Kansas in population.

We would sometimes like to, but we could not live without you OPKS? Maybe we could with out many of your drivers who never seem to know how to signal or what "one way" means and some of your politicians as well. You are vital to the area and you know it. So enjoy your birthday. Are they serving cupcakes? (inside joke to KC area people.. we sometimes call OPKS and its county "Cupcake County")

Anyway...many more!

3) Move over Susan Boyle, 80 year old Janey Cutler is this year's sensation from Britain. What is with these spunky Scottish ladies and their singing? Must be the pubs and scotch.

Janey Cutler - Britain's Got Talent 2010 - Auditions Week 4 @ Yahoo! Video

Kansas City Symphony: Vienna 1785-1911

Associate Conductor Steven Jarvi, now in his second year with the KC Symphony, got his (official) chance to conduct a subscription concert this weekend. I say official as he was pressed into service last season when Music Director Michael Stern was indisposed. Jarvi, a student of Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World Symphony in Miami and no relation to the other Jarvi musical family, chose a concert highlighting the music of Vienna from 1785 through to the end of the empire and the advent of Schoenberg and his "Second Viennese School". Music of Mozart, Schubert, Mahler and Richard Strauss comprised the demanding concert.

The only major disappointment of the evening was the opening Schubert Rosamunde Overture. The stiffly foursquare, totally forgettable run through was redeemed a bit by Jarvi's slashing, brash work up of the final pages, thus at least ensuring a brisk round of applause.

Much better was the Mahler Adagio from the Symphony # 10 that rounded out the first half; a performance that was a thousand times more committed and passionate than the Barenboim/Staatskapelle Berlin performance I heard in New York almost exactly a year ago. Jarvi spoke eloquently about the work before the performance, giving the audience a taste of what was going through the bitter, dying composer's mind at the time and demonstrating his own passion for the music.

The performance was quite excellent, marred only by some string intonation issues (usually in the fiendishly difficult pianissimo upper registers the composer demands) and a bit too aggressive brass. Unfortunately, when they were actually called upon to be brash, the trumpets bobbled their high-pitched blasts. But on the whole, Jarvi mastered this most incredible piece of music and notably negotiated the subtle change of gears in this long lined, linear work more successfully than Barenboim. The adagio is not a splashy, colorful work, so it is imperative that the tempo relationships are adhered to so as to provide some contrast and movement. Jarvi understood that was the key to bringing this movement to life.

My friend Gerry, who was with me for the concert, was bemused at my lack of applause after the performance. "You said you adored this piece... was it not a good performance?" "Frankly, it was excellent," I responded, "but you know me, I am old fashioned and thus do not clap between movements." So, with a quite successful Adagio under your belt, Maestro Jarvi, please tackle the completed Mahler/Cooke 10th. There is so much glorious music that should be heard more often. Yes, I know the second scherzo is somewhat of a mess, the first scherzo is a bit clunky and Mahler would have likely pruned the finale a bit... but damn what a symphony and I promise I will applaud.

Jarvi and the orchestra were at their height in the second half. Pianist Simone Dinnerstein joined the orchestra for the Mozart Piano Concerto # 21 in C K 467. Showing our age, Gerry and I were both surprised no mention was made in the notes of this being the famous "Elvira Madigan Concerto", springing from its use in a 1967 film about the tragic Swedish tightrope walker and her doomed love. We figured it was because many in the audience were not born by 1967 and had never seen or heard of the now obscure film.

In a previous recital by Dinnerstein, I noted her cool and somewhat detached style combined with a formidable technique. This style worked well in this swift, yet totally classic performance of this masterpiece. I was a bit put off, however, by Dinnerstein's splashy cadenzas. Although technically brilliant, to me they clashed with the simple elegance of this noble concerto. The KC Symphony winds and strings provided a most deft and perfectly balanced accompaniment, adding to the cool grace and elegance of this satisfying performance.

Bounding on the podium with a flourish (delighting his female cheering section seated to the left of me), Jarvi concluded his concert with the suite from Richard Strauss' "Der Rosenkavailer". The KCS horns were in full bloom tonight, contributing to a well turned performance that tended to drag just a bit as Jarvi swooned over and milked some of the more juicy waltz melodies. But the audience loved this crowd pleaser, bringing a well thought out concert to a close.

Sadly, this was the last performance with our wonderful concertmistress Kaniko Ito. Ms Ito's husband, Martin Storey, has landed a plum job as principal cello with the BBC Scottish National Orchestra and thus Ito will be moving on to Glasgow. What a loss for us. Godspeed Kaniko!

Coupl'a Things XXXV

1) I note with now more pity than outrage that The Pope Formerly known as Cardinal Ratslinger calls abortion and same-sex marriage two of the most “insidious and dangerous” threats facing the world today.

Never mind about war, famine, disease, poverty, priests fucking children for sport and that little problem of terrorism. Of course the Catholic Empire can not do anything about the above and in many ways has been the leading cause of much of it throughout history. So the mighty, god ordained Vicar of Christ, picks a couple of issues of which he can not find a shred of evidence that they have caused more harm than war. Really, is same sex marriage all THAT insidious, or are you just pissed, Pope Nazi XVI, that you can't get married to your sweetie, Cardinal Fang?

There are more people in the world than not who feel the Roman Catholic Empire is among the most “insidious and dangerous” threats facing the world today.

Kick this fucker to the curb.

2) On a lighter note, I can only wonder about the chain of errors that occurred within the US Postal Service that resulted in a letter from a business to Chicago addressed to a business in Salem, New Hampshire appearing in my mail box.

3) Bad day for nudity in Missouri. Despite record unemployment, a state budget cutting essential services, a justice system out of control and myriad of other problems, the legislature led by Matt "Needs to Get Laid" Bartle R-La La Land, banned nudity from strip joints and basically makes it so difficult for them to operate that most will shut down. What will all the poor single moms and college slut ladies do now? What will all the married dads, drunk boys and truckers do for entertainment?

4) No wonder I drink too much.

Adieu KFUO

Another sad farewell to an institution that has served its community well for 62 years. KFUO FM radio, St Louis' only classical music station, will cease broadcasting classical music in the next few weeks. Owned by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, the station was sold for 26 million dollars to, of all things, a Christian Music broadcaster Joy FM.

Many in the arts community, disappointed LCMS members, listeners and even local politicians battled what seemed like a foregone conclusion that St Louis would lose this radio treasure. The church did everything to block any other group besides Joy FM from bidding on the station's license. For example, a group of donors to the listener-supported station attempted their own effort to purchase the station and keep classical music on the St. Louis radio dial, but the group couldn't come up with as much money as offered by Joy FM.

One of the reasons for that could be that the church refused to provide the donor group a copy of the term sheet for the station. Thus the controversial and high powered attorney and LCMS Board member from Omaha Kermit Brashear could shepherd the sale through the approval process and claim no one else was interested. The sweetheart deal means Joy FM only pays $3 million up front and the rest over many years. Who knows if they will ever get the full $26 million.

Even though I no longer live in St Louis, 99.1FM was set on my car presets so when I traveled back and forth from Illinois to Kansas City, I would have at least an hour or two of excellent music. KFUO also played a wide variety of good classical music, not just short baroque pieces and excerpts. At Christmas, I could hardly wait to get in range to hear their continuous Christmas music broadcasts, so much better than the pop crap that permeated the dial. I got to know the announcers, Tom Sudholt, Ron Klemm, Dick Wobbe and John Clayton and could recognize their voices. Even though I heard them rarely since I left St Louis, they still seemed like old neighbors.

But no more. Greed wins out.

KFUO 1948-2010. Thanks for everything.

LCMS 1847- thanks for nothing.

Leave It To Beavers

I am bemused today by reports from Alberta, Canada of a giant beaver dam so big that it is visible in NASA and Google satellite photos, giving it a certain cachet along with the Great Wall of China and the Panama Canal. Supposedly Sarah Palin can see it from her window.

The dam is situated in northern Alberta's Wood Buffalo National Park and stretches about 1/2 mile deep in the forest.

Busy little beavers they are, using just their instincts with no government money or environmental oversight, the dam has been a work in progress since the 70's. Canadian citizens, with their usual good humor, were proud of the accomplishment of their furry mascot accompanied by cheers of "own the podium!" and a sense of pride that the structure was one of the most impressive things ever built in Canada. Some were wondering, however, if this dam thing was not the work of one giant beaver or maybe a conspiracy of rodents to take over Alberta. Perhaps a government plan to produce "green" power by installing generators.

Any way, here is the pic. I am assuming the large brown thing is the dam.

Beaver Dam

Salt of the Earth

Supposedly, Henry Ford (not sure if it was HF I or HF II) would always take a new executive prospect to lunch. If he/she salted their food before tasting, he would have reservations about hiring them. Mr Ford seemed to think these people would act before getting all the facts and thus be a risk.

I probably would not be hired.

BUT I am getting better on cutting back on the old salt, just a short twist of my handy dandy salt grinder and I am usually fine. Unfortunately, being of the single set and a work at home person to boot, I eat out a lot. It is easier, faster and sometimes even cheaper than a home cooked dinner. And with a Micky D's up the street, it is so tempting to count out a couple of bucks and get two warm, ready to eat sausage and egg burritos for $2 than it is to prepare a fake egg omelet and turkey bacon. I am sure it is loaded with salt too, probably what makes it good.

But upon reading an article about the most salty food in the US (thankfully my burritos did not make the list) I think the old fake eggs and turkey bacon may just make more appearances. Plus, with a new used copy of the fabulous 1961 New York Times cookbook in my possession, I have all sorts of new things to try.

10 Saltiest Restaurant Meals

1. Chili’s
Jalapeno Smokehouse Burger w/ Jalapeno Ranch (6,460 mg)
Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy (1,050)
Seasonal Vegetables (490)
Total sodium: 7,770 mg

2. Chili’s
Buffalo Chicken Fajitas w/ Tortillas & Condiments (6,290)
Bowl Black Bean Soup (1480)
Total sodium: 6,950 mg

3. Denny’s
Meat Lover’s Scramble (3,180)
Hash browns with Onion, Cheese and Gravy (3,820), Small Milk (100)
Total sodium: 6,165 mg

4. Red Lobster
Admiral’s Feast (4,400)
Caesar Salad w/ Caesar Dressing (1,120)
Creamy Langostino Lobster with Mashed Potato (1,110)
Cheddar Bay Biscuit (350)
Light Lemonade (55)
Total sodium: 5,925 mg

5. Olive Garden
Tour of Italy (lasagna) (3,830)
Breadstick (with garlic-butter spread) (400)
Garden Fresh Salad w/ House Dressing (1,930)
Coca Cola (5)
Total sodium: 5,725 mg

6. Olive Garden
Chicken Parmigiana (3,380)
Breadstick (with garlic-butter spread) (400)
Garden Fresh Salad w/ Dressing (1,930)
Raspberry Lemonade (15)
Total sodium: 5,320 mg

7. Denny’s
Spicy Buffalo Chicken Melt (3,820)
Vegetable Rice Pilaf (820)
Small Tomato Juice (680)
Total sodium: 5,090 mg

8. Dairy Queen
Spicy Chili Bowl (3,900)
Large French Fries (1,040),
Large Mountain Dew (150)
Total sodium: 4,625 mg

9. Arby’s
Large Beef ‘n Cheddar Sandwich (2,200)
Large Mozzarella Sticks w/ Marinara Sauce (2,380)
Dr. Pepper (Small Cup) (45)
Total sodium: 3,280 mg

10. KFC
Large Popcorn Chicken (1600)
Biscuit (530)
Macaroni & Cheese (880)
Jalapeno Peppers (480)
Large Lipton Green with Peach Tea (280)
Total sodium: 2,760 mg

10 Saltiest Packaged Foods

1. Hungry-Man
Grilled Bourbon Steak Strips in sauce with rice and green beans (one prepared meal)
Total sodium: 6,990 mg

2. Boston Market
Meat Loaf with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy (one prepared meal)
Total sodium: 5,680 mg

3. Maruchan
Instant Lunch Chicken Vegetable Soup (recommended serving = 64g)
Total sodium: 1,420 mg

4. Celeste
Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza for One (one pizza)
Total sodium: 1,230 mg

5. Rold Gold
Pretzel Rods, (recommended serving six pretzels)
Total sodium: 1,220 mg

6. Hormel
Chili with Beans (recommended serving one cup)
Total sodium: 1,200 mg

7. Jimmy Dean
Breakfast Bowl with sausage, egg, potatoes and cheddar cheese (one prepared meal)
Total sodium: 1,090 mg

8. Hebrew National
Quarter Pound Franks (one frank)
Total sodium: 1,070 mg

9. Oscar Mayer
Lunchables Lean Ham and Cheddar Cracker Stackers (one prepared meal)
Total sodium: 1,060 mg

10. Kraft Easy Mac
Microwavable Macaroni and Cheese Dinner (one prepared meal)
Total sodium: 1,050 mg

I think I could make a Chicken Parmesan without using 3,380 mg of salt.

HM's 11th Birthday Photos

Some photos from HM's 11th birthday, taken by Royal Photographer Lord Snowpug:

Browsing the treats at Three Dog Bakery:

After Returning home:

Enjoying Sausage for breakfast in her fine silver:

The Sausage was a special treat:



2010 11th Birthday Official Portrait:

Royal Announcement

Royal Announcement
Puggingham Palace

HM's Birthday Celebrations

Today, we celebrate the 11th birthday of Puggles Duchess Windsor, Queen of Pugs, Supreme Ruler of Alaska, Princess Royal of Baltimore Place, Grand Duchess of Missouri, Grand Duchess of Kansas City and St Louis, Duchess of Illinois, Duchess of Clinton, Baroness Pugtona, Royal Order of the Greenie and Treat, Grand Order of the Scrunchie, Knight Commander of the Royal Order of Kibble, Patroness of the Royal Pugharmonic Orchestra.

By Royal Decree, all Pugs in PugVillage, Alaska, Kansas City, all places mentioned above and everywhere HM sees and rules will get extra treats in honor of the Royal Birth. HM has further declared this to be a Most High and Wonderful, Grand, Fabulous Royal Day.

HM will be spending the day at the Palace, receiving guests and reading birthday wishes from all over the world. Later this PM, after a photo shoot from Lord Snowpug, she has ordered the Limo to take her to the Three Dog Bakery for her only public appearance and to receive her customary Birthday Big Scary Kitty Cookies.

We wish HM many more birthdays and a most happy one today.

~ Palace Communications

Teocali, Authentic Mexican

When one works at or around home, a person feels the need to get out of the place now and then. So when most are returning home from a work place and want to cozy up in their own home, I am planning an escape. Thus I eat out more than I should. You would think that I would know every restaurant in town, but that is not the case. I tend to find a favorite or two and stick to my routine. Even in my escape from routine and familiar I tend to play it safe.

Thus my new favorite, once a week at least, hot spot is a charming, small and locally owned (usually my prerequisite for a good restaurant) Mexican restaurant, Teocali.

Teocali has been around since 2006, but I first visited about 6 months ago. A neighbor of mine suggested it to me in the past, but I was absorbed in Thai then and had no time for Mexican. When Greg told me about it, I remembered the ringing endorsement of my neighbor and decided to try it out.

Set just south of the sprawling UMKC medical complex and Children's Mercy Hospital, Teocali is bustling at lunch with all the doctors, nurses and students from the hospitals and medical school. The lunch specials are a bit cheaper and more routine fare such as tacos, burritos, taco salad, etc. than the dinner menu but are tasty, quick, fresh and with generous but not wasteful portions.

The owners state, both on their website and to customers personally, that the dishes are authentic and similar to the recipes used by their family for generations. The Gutierrez family is usually around while open and are always friendly and chatty. One can tell that the place already has a regular following.

Dinner menu is a bit more limited than some Mexican places, but that is fine by me as the selections are carefully prepared and sometimes off the beaten path. For example, one has to experience the unique Flautas Nortenas, a bit larger and not as dry as regular flautas, with a crisp flour tortilla wrapped around flavorful chicken and a tangy, smoky chipotle sauce. My friend Greg loves the sopes; masa patties layered with beans, meat, lettuce, tomato, monterrey cheese and sour cream, a variation on a traditional tostada. Last night I had some of the best carne asada I have ever had, tender and spicy with 6 plump, butter and garlic kissed shrimp, a bargain at $13.99. The fajitas are generous and full of tasty grilled meats and lots of onions and peppers. The ubiquitous sides of rice and beans are always flavorful and fresh. I have been less impressed with the burritos; the meat inside, whether chicken or beef is on the bland side. The chips and salsa (which they, like a growing number of restaurants do, charge for) are excellent.

My biggest quibble is with the margaritas. Strong, generous sized and tasty, but they are on tap and are often a bit fizzy. A carbonated margarita is not really my thing, but it does not stop me from enjoying them. However, last night there was not a hint of fizz and on some but not all past visits the fizz has been less noticeable. My suggestion: find a way to keep them easily on tap but without the carbonation. The bar is well stocked and features a slew of tequila which I have not sampled but looks impressive as I remember my tequila slamming days.

Tex-Mex fans will be disappointed in the lack of thick sauces, heavy cheese and hot spices. The flavors are more natural, smoky and lighter than the usual, which makes Teocali a special and unique treat.

Teocali is located at 2512 Holmes directly south of the UMKC Dental School and just east of Crown Center. Sadly, not open Sunday, my favorite day to go out, but open to 10 most nights for the late crowd.

Planned Obsolescence

I remember the excitement when it arrived at my sister's doorstep. Just removed from Kansas City and a bout of unemployment, I had landed a job in the Chicago area. I was rooming with a friend in a clap-trap house in the wonderful suburb of Waukegan but was relishing the fact that I had some money again. My old computer had been eaten by a virus and was functioning erratically and totally unreliable. So I ordered a new Dell computer with state of the art memory processor, big new monitor and all the latest software preloaded. Paid a lot for it too. Since I was not sure how secure the delivery would be in Waukegan, I had it sent to my sister who was usually home.

Excitedly I came down that weekend, opened her all up and with in minutes had it functioning; dial up modem and AOL to boot.

Now, in about an hour or so.. she is going to be scrapped. I hate the throw away society we are in, but if the damn thing is now obsolete and I have no room to store it, what can one do? A local group is sponsoring a free electronics recycling day and she is going out there along with an old printer and a VCR, other remnants of obsolete machinery. At least I am not going to dump it on the street or in the trash, hopefully some parts or whatever will find a new use.

The big old CRT monitor is staying behind; they are so worthless they charge you to take them off your hands. Something tells me it may end up as a door stop, or in the trash.

Dell Dimension 8100 1999-2010 thanks for the years of service.

From Our Local Rag III

This tidbit was in the online edition of Our Local Rag today:

"KC Goose is shot to death"

"A goose was shot to death near Trace County Park this morning. Kansas City Police dispatchers received a call today about shots being fired near Blue Parkway and 87th St.

When they arrived, they reported a goose had been shot and died.

A shotgun was involved (really, ya think so??), but no other information was immediately available."

Sad to see the journalistic standards of a paper go down so quickly. Of course since all the pros were fired or laid off, what does one expect?

Volcano!

Click here and watch the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland do its thing. She has made a mess of flying all over Europe these last couple of days.

Ugly looking critter too:

To the Moon

Apollo 11 Saturn V Launch (HD) Camera E-8 from Mark Gray on Vimeo.

Fabulous video of the launch of a Saturn V rocket carrying Apollo 11 to the moon, July 16, 1969. Basically old 16mm film slowed to a HD format. Do yourself a favor and watch on full screen.

Those were such exciting and heady days.

Kansas City Symphony: Mahler 4th and Barber

Mahler's Symphony # 4 is his shortest (still at about 1 hour, hardly a trifle) and his most gentle in many respects. The orchestra required is also almost a chamber orchestra in comparison to his other symphonies; for example the 4th has no trombones or tuba and smaller percussion ensemble. No cowbells, hammers, organ, and only 7 brass, usually Mahler has that many horns alone. For a long time, I did not fully appreciate the glories and subtleties of this work, but as I get older and gentler, I realize just what a jewel this piece is.

Famed American soprano Heidi Grant Murphy joined Music Director Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony for most a well conceived and enjoyable program of "music evocative of a simpler time": Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin", Barber "Knoxville Summer of 1915" and the aforementioned Mahler 4th.

The opening work, "Le Tombeau de Couperin", Ravel's homage to the Baroque suite and fallen friends from World War I, benefited from Stern's well controlled performance and the always excellent Symphony winds. "Le Tombeau" is practically a concerto for winds and oboe anyway, thus the technically brilliant contributions of the new principal oboist Mingjia Liu were well appreciated.

Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 is based on a short prose poem by James Agee. One of Barber's undisputed masterpieces, Knoxville poignantly evokes a simpler time long past through its lush, rich and wistful textures. The setting of the prose can be problematic since there is of course no rhyme or much rhythmic meter to the words. Barber chooses not to fight the prose but underpin it with lyrical, rhapsodic music, allowing the words to weave in and out of the textures to tell their story.

Grant Murphy literally threw herself in to the role of story teller, her light but clear and shining voice perfectly evoking an adult breathlessly recalling simple joys that with time have become almost magical. At times her light voice made it difficult to understand her in Barber's more thickly scored sections (the Lyric's lousy acoustics do not help at all of course), but even without understanding every nuance, the audience was treated to a fine performance of this ravishing work, one likely not to be heard again soon.

It maybe Mahler's shortest, lightest scored in number symphony, but it is hardly a simple piece. The nostalgic mood is achieved through some fiendishly complex music. The Symphony was in fine show on Saturday, the winds and brass were excellent, the strings quite competent (but really needed a few extras to better balance the ensemble) and the important percussion colorful without overwhelming the piece. The 3rd movement was sublime, one of those rare moments in orchestral concerts where everyone is of one mind and purpose, leaving us with a splendid and moving performance. The orchestra could be raucous when needed, especially in the dancing scherzo. Concertmistress Kanako Ito was marvelous in the strange "Totentanz" scordatura violin in the demonic scherzo.

Grant Murphy returned for the last movement's solo "Das himmlische Leben", an earlier setting from the "Wunderhorn" songs. Himmlische Leben depicts a sweet and naive vision of "heavenly life", excitingly describing the preparation of a feast for the heavenly hosts. Despite a gruesome sacrifice of a lamb and heartless killing of an ox, the child goes on to describe all the culinary treats of heaven. Frankly this has been the reason I have not always been so fond of the 4th, I can not get past the silliness of the poem, but there is no denying Mahler set it with some of his most tender and colorful music. Grant Murphy was again a bit light and hard to hear, but her voice was suitably child like and so full of wonder (she has a wonderful stage presence no doubt honed by her extensive opera career)that we can enjoy her singing about:

Good greens of every sort

grow in the heavenly vegetable patch,
good asparagus, string beans,
and whatever we want.

American Heartland Theatre: "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change"

For some reason I can not explain, maybe it was the title, I was not really looking forward to the latest American Heartland Theatre (Kansas City's best theatre venue) production of "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." I was expecting the same, tired marriage and relationship farce that has been done over and over. "I Love You.." is a musical face about love, marriage, dating, sex, relationships, growing old and all that. But the songs are so witty, the music so catching and this minimalist production (spare set, solo piano and 4 actors) so sparkling and well paced that I found myself laughing out loud all evening while reflecting on how difficult and heartbreaking we humans can be.

The show succeeds on the strengths of the 4 actors, favorite Jesslyn Kincaid, Natalie Weaver, Jon Daugharthy and Adam Branson. All have fine voices, a great sense of timing and comic ability and the versatility to assume multiple roles. The always wonderful Anthony Edwards was on stage doing his usual bang up job as accompanist. As I mentioned, the sets were stark simple, but not looking cheap, just the minimum to set the mood. The scene of the 4 actors and husband and wife with two kids in a car was a masterpiece of clever use of props; each actor was in a rolling office chair and sat in formation as in a car and then spun all over the stage as the inevitable argument ensued.

Easily the best scene was "The Very First Dating Video of Rose Ritz, featuring Kincaid as an older divorced woman recording her first dating video. Kincaid sat before a live camera and delivered a poignant monologue on the cruelties and heartbreaks of relationships and love. Her image was projected above the stage as we voyeuristically watched her pour her heart out. When the unseen recorder tells her it was "kind of depressing, should we do it all over again", Rose states, "no, I said what I needed to say." Like the rest of the show, book and lyricist Joe DiPietro, didn't hit us over the head but allowed us to reflect and, yes laugh too, about our attempts to find love.

Runs through April 25.

Coupl'a Things XXXIV

1) First photo of my new clean head:

2) Further proof Republicans are loony to the max:

Virginia Governor restores Confederate History, rewrites history by ignoring issue of slavery.

and:

Wisconsin DA wants to criminally charge teachers for teaching sex education, which is required by law

3) Gotta love the Midwest in spring, storms, hail and 80 degrees on Tuesday. Clouds, wind and 40s on Wednesday.

4) My little apt is awash in the aroma of a wonderful sausage, mushroom and onion pasta sauce. Damn the diet, diabetes and all that.. I am going to enjoy this!

5) Finally, although I will be munching Italian, I am listening to Ravi Shankar, the man responsible for bringing Indian classical music to the world on his 90th birthday.

Ravi Shankar at 90

Easter

FROM ALL OF US AT PUGGINGHAM PALACE!

Lucky

A lovely Easter Eve (is that a correct term?) Saturday inspired me to accompany HM, The Queen of All Pugs on an afternoon walkabout in her 2nd favorite park. The small Mill Creek Park is close, has a nice trail and is relatively free of the shady characters and trash that litter most of midtown. We were rounding the bend by the fountain when we found ourselves face to face (muzzle to muzzle actually) with a rather large canine. Being a narrow walkway, there was not much we could do to avoid the encounter.

HM attempted to greet the fellow walker while her daddy asked me "now what kind of dog is that?" The temptation to slap him with my white butler's glove and icily state that HM is NOT a "that" or actually a dog for that matter passed and I replied "Pug". HM continued to check out her new friend, but the new friend was not all that amused.

I detected some Chow; the ruddy red coat, stocky body and black tongue gave that away. Her face, however, was pure German Shepherd; long nose, prominent teeth quite apparent.

"She is a Chow-German Shepherd mix", the nice fellow stated verifying my observations. "And a lucky one too. I found her 12 years ago in December, she was trying to suckle her dead mother under a porch of an abandoned building. Mother had probably been dead a few days and the tiny pup about 3-4 weeks old. Probably were some other pups, but they were likely dead too. I had tried to get to her but could not, so I got some help. As we were almost under the structure, a pack of feral dogs came running up. The alpha male, probably her papa, was a big, ugly Chow mix, all mangy, bloody and dirty. Mean too. Although his bitch was dead, he was still defending his territory. Got a hold of my pants and coat, but not me luckily. My friend got some bricks and boards and fought them off, just enough for me to grab the pup and get out of there."

By now, HM and her new friend were cautiously checking each other out. Her friend's dad was making sure she did not get too close to Puggles and I was doing the same. Sorry, but I do not trust Chows, they are a bit aggressive and temperamental. I did note that the Chow had a nice white leather collar with stones and a matching leash. She was obviously now quite well removed from her humble beginnings.

"Well", continued the fellow, "I took her to a vet and it was touch and go for a while. She like to never gain weight and fought mange for a long time. But, as you can see, she is a healthy girl, been my friend and companion for all that time, haven't you girl??" He gave her a big pat and ear scratch and her fluffy tail wagged happily. "She is lucky for sure, so she is named 'Luckita', lucky to be alive."

We chatted a bit and went our separate ways along the winding path. A few minutes later I noted them by their car. The man opened the door, produced a bowl of water for Luckita to lap happily. Finishing her drink, she sat obediently and got a treat of some sort. After a few more rubs, ear scratches and treats, Luckita, her bushy tail contentedly wagging, hopped in the front seat of the mini-van and off they went.

Some things are just meant to be, no questions asked.

Coupl'a Things XXXIII

1) Sperm Sperm Sperm Sperm SPERM, wonderful SPERM.. Sperm sperm sperm sperm...

I was amused greatly by the Heartland Men's Chorus' concert celebrating British pop music from the Beatles to Susan Boyle this past weekend. One of the best shows they had mounted in a long time; the chorus was in full view, voices in fine tune and with just the right blend of camp and serious musical work.

The ad-hoc reviewer from the KC Star gave a few backhanded accolades laced with a whiff of homophobia. He mentioned an "offensive" song and had to caution that it was not "family friendly", the code for anti-gay hysteria. The offensive song was the classic "Every Sperm is Sacred" from "Monty Python's Meaning of Life." Look it up if you don't know it, it is hilarious... especially so sang by 100 men. :)

The local rag, as do many of the papers in their online editions, allows you to post a comment. So I started to post that the offensive song was the above mentioned ditty. When I clicked to post my comment, it flagged it and asked me to remove a word. Yep.. sperm. Offensive.

Thus goes the USA, the most sexaphobic country in the civilized world for sure. Sex is a bigger crime than killing someone, sex is not to be discussed, shown, or even referenced to. The Puritans strike again.

So I posted my comment, changing sperm to "male seminal reproductive fluid". That convoluted mouthful was ok.

Sperm.

2)Easter and all that is upon us. Since I am sort of annoyed at all things church and religion, it has less meaning than usual this year. No singing, no running around for special services. I guess I will go a service on Sunday with my friends the Highfills and then to a brunch. But the excitement and meaning is gone for this year. We'll see what next year brings.

3)Spring is upon us as well. It is 66 degrees at 10:30ish AM, and the sun is full. The spring bulbs are in bloom, the peonies are popping up, birds are everywhere. I even saw a small moth flitting around.

I have fertilized the vegetable garden and raked the soil. It looks good. I have 3 onions that popped up out of nowhere and other gardeners have some fall vegetables like cabbage, Brussels sprouts and such trying to revive. Leeks are on my plot for this year, along with eggplant, Italian beans and the usual peppers. Maybe a squash or two and some pole beans. I will let the community part provide the tomatoes and such.

4) And now.... sperm.

Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Rigoletto

The Friday night audience for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City's production of Rigoletto was a buzz with glowing reports about the incredible performance of Mary Dunleavy as Gilda, the tragic daughter of the court jester Rigoletto. Dunleavy's, according to the Kansas City Star review, "rippling arias seem to flow so effortlessly, [and]sends the theatergoer home with indelible images—and sounds—in his head." Those who had attended earlier performances of the opera echoed the praise with shouts of "magnificent!" "Best I have ever heard" and "wonderful".

But, unfortunately I did not get to hear that on Saturday. A serious respiratory infection claimed Ms Dunleavy's voice and she was forced to withdraw.

Luckily, a wonderful Gilda was available in the form of Angela Gilbert, a South African native who has performed internationally and knew the role.

Gilbert was sensational, and those who were able to compare felt she was at least an equal to Dunleavy in her passionate, solid performance. Surely one could not tell she had arrived that afternoon in KC, spent a few hours rehearsing the staging and resting a bit before hitting the stage. She and Richard Fink (Rigoletto) and David Pomeroy (Duke of Mantua) acted and sang as if they had been together for weeks. Fink's declaration of vengeance "Si Vendetta" was as chilling and foreboding as I have ever heard it. Pomeroy with his rich tenor and excellent diction laughed and pranced through the famous "La Donna é mobile" with swagger and just that touch of evil that makes this aria more than just a trifle.

This was a fine, traditional retelling of the Victor Hugo tale as adapted by Verdi. Although the plot is as convoluted and absurd as any bel canto opera (you know.. secret affairs, doomed lives, palace intrigue, revenge and murder), Verdi's dramatically lyrical writing transcends the obvious problems and delivers a masterpiece. The sets, dark and foreboding yet never heavy handed, contributed to the air of impending tragedy. Ward Holmquist and the orchestra handled the orchestral parts with aplomb and forward tempo, never rushed but allowing Verdi's rich score to sing when needed.

While I would have loved to have heard Dunleavy's acclaimed Gilda, I certainly did not feel cheated with this performance. One of the most overall satisfying I have heard here in several strong seasons.

Hairless

Living without hair on one's head may be as big a pain in my patoot as was my short attempt at living without a car. One would think ridding oneself of something would reduce maintenance. Not so with hair. Instead of a daily wash and rinse (no drying needed) I now have to run a razor over the whole orb every single day. If I miss a day, it looks and feels like I have been wrapped with 400 grit sand paper. Whenever I remove my hat (obligatory in sunny weather to keep from burning and in cool weather to keep drafts down) I get this disconcerting scrape-y, scratchy feeling that perhaps I will get used to someday... except when I feel it on my pillow at night.

Since I made a mess of my poor head when I first did the deed (the nasty cut is still visible), I feel the need to avoid over shaving. So since I am staying tonight, the old head has gotten a rest from harvesting of follicles. Anyone need some wood smoothed out?

Benefits? Well, yes. I think it makes me look a bit younger, ridding myself of the gray-ass bit of fluff I had. I don't feel much lighter, but the amount lost was negligible anyway. Do I get attention? Yes and no. Some of the regulars at 303 have never seemed to notice. A few have. At least the comments have been favorable. Only Tom has rubbed my head yet, but that doesn't count as he was smashed drunk.

So, as with living without a car, the benefits have a lot of baggage tagging along with them. I am not sure if I am going to keep doing it. Maybe after the newness wears off (and the shock I still have that I actually did it) I will let it all grow back.

Meanwhile stock in Gillette has likely went up; band aids too.

End of An Era

The worst thing to happen to Kansas City since Mayor Funkhouser was announced today. The 102 year old Folger's Coffee plant in downtown is being phased out as of 2012.

Fucking shame.

Not only for the jobs, the empty building and further loss of tax revenue, we will also lose something that made downtown Kansas City so unique; it will no longer smell like fresh roasted coffee. One could tell when the big old roasters were in full bore as the rich aroma wrapped around the old buildings on the north edge of downtown. Crossing the river from the north on Broadway brought you right by the plant. Many who were not aware of the existence of the place were undoubtedly perplexed by the strong aroma of coffee, thinking a coffee festival was in town or Mrs. Olsen had just passed by. It was easy to miss the place; the plant did not have a huge sign, just elegant bronze letters reading "The Folger Coffee Company" above the door and was not an obvious industrial site. It looked just like the old office buildings and lofts that surrounded it.

So another institution has been lost to efficiency, stakeholders and greed. At least the plant's operations are staying in the US, they and another plant are going to New Orleans.

As for me, just as a token protest to our loss, I am no longer buying any Folger's coffee. We have Roasterie and Parsi locally made to satisfy our need. I guess I'll have to go by their plants to get my coffee aroma fix.

But it was fun having a downtown that smelled like a fresh brewed cup. Few places could best that.

And These People want to Rule America?

As seen in the KC Star. Further proof that Republicans have have lost their mind.

A new national Louis Harris poll finds that a majority of Republicans believe that President Obama is a Muslim, while 45 percent agree with the so-called "Birthers" that the president was "not born in the United States."

The poll of 2,230 Americans, taken during last weekend's health care showdown in the House of Representatives, shows how successful Obama's opponents have been in demonizing the 44th president.

Full results are expected tomorrow, but preliminary findings were released in The Daily Beast by John Avlon, whose book "Wingnuts" details the hyper-partisanship that has swept America since 2008.

According to the poll, 57 percent of Republicans, and 32 percent of Americans overall, believe that Barack Obama is a Muslim. The opinion comes despite Obama's description in his bestseller, "The Audacity of Hope", of his adoption of the Christian faith.

The poll found that 45 percent of Republicans, and 25 percent in the overall survey, agree with Birthers that Obama was "not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president."Even Fox News pundits, notably Bill O'Reilly, have dismissed the Birthers' claims. The state of Hawaii produced Obama's birth certificate during the 2008 campaign.

Another eye-opening finding: 38 percent of Republicans, and 20 percent of Americans overall, agree that Obama is "doing many things Hitler did."

And 24 percent of Republicans, and 14 percent overall, agree that Obama "may be the antiChrist."

The poll found that voters lacking a college education are much more likely to agree with more extreme myths and rumors about the 44th president.

In a more conventional opinion - echoing charges from some House Republicans during the health care reform debate - 67 percent of Republicans believe Obama is a socialist, an opinion held by 40 percent of those surveyed.

Enough Already

I thought these were a hoot. This is a bust on one of the balconies of the Palace after our 8in of March snow yesterday. He seemed to be expressing what we all feel; enough already!

But never fear, being spring now (we think) the temps are supposed to be in the 50s for the rest of the week and hopefully this is the last of the white stuff for a while.

Looks a bit like a Conehead with a snow boa.

On Top of Mt. Baldy

Once upon a time, I said (I remember it well) that I would shoot myself if I ever went bald. I was probably 18-20 years old at the time and had a head of incorrigible dark brown hair that tinged with blond in the summer sun. It went everywhere; Afro-picks were used to untangle it and it had to be washed and dried daily. My crop sprouted cowlicks by the dozens, O'Cedar Mop Company wanted me as a model and ladies wished they had as thick and shiny hair as I did.

Get the picture?

I also remember a fateful day in the bathroom in my apt in Jefferson City circa 1993. I had the door partly closed exposing the full length mirror on the back while I was mopping the floor. I raised up and noticed the reflection of the back of my head and a big thin spot. There were screams, the mop was put away and I contemplated an early death.

The piles of hair in the shower and sink grew; Drain-o sent me a thank-you note for increasing its sales by 67%. I was too far gone for any over the counter remedy, and Hair Club for Men was out of my price range. I had to face the fact that like many men, I was going bald in my 30s.

Compounding the whole mess was the also not so gradual turn to a mousy grey-white color. I was too lazy to keep up with the Miss Clarol treatments that lasted only a couple weeks, and it fooled no one.

A couple weeks ago at one of our regular 303 nights, I mentioned to the boys that I was considering shaving the whole damn thing off. "Do it!", cried Rich. "You have the head shape for it, it would be fabulous." Rich, frankly, has never steered me wrong, so I thought about it. If I hated it I have plenty of hats and it would eventually grow back.

For some reason, today was the day. The first day of Spring seemed to be auspicious enough, even though I am watching it snow. I read a bit about it, figured my hair was short enough without a trip to the barber and waddled in the snow to Walgreen's to get some shaving gel and baby oil, two things experts said were required for a smooth job.

Part way over to Walgreen's I almost chickened out. But the "what the fuck" part of me pressed on. With my purchases in hand, I resolved to do it.

Washed my hair, said good bye and lathered it up with the gel and a dose of baby oil. Scrape, scrape, scrape, there was more there than I thought. But it did come off easy, usually in big wads. I dried off and used the handy-dandy Norelco electric's clipper blade to smooth off. Another application of the gel-oil mix and some more fancy blade work removed more. Unfortunately, a bit of red-tinged gel told me I had nicked my scalp... big time. So some first-aid and a break for lunch as the bleeding stopped. I guess just one nick for a first timer isn't so bad. (Ok so I found two other small ones, I am not known for my fancy blade work anyway.)

The back of my head had the most hair left, and of course that was the hardest part to reach. A brutal, who cares whack-job with the scissors got the thicker part cut down to size and it soon joined the rest in the sink. A go over with the rotary blades of the Norelco smoothed the plains and got the occasional stand of hair that was missed.

Outside of the noticeable nick, it really looks pretty good. Frankly, it makes me look younger. Getting rid of the old man gray-white crap took a couple years off. It is not baby butt smooth, but it is closer. A few more gleanings with the Norelco should do it.

I'll do a picture sometime, but not today, there is a band-aid on my head.

My Hair 1957(?)- 2010

RIP

Coupl'a Things XXXII

1) I have been listening to the wonderful, jazzy, neo-classical, Stravinskian Symphonies and Sinfoniettas of the French-Polish-American composer Alexandre Tansman (1897-1986). I and most others hear lots of influences of Roussel, the neo-classic Stravinsky (think Symphony in C and Symphony in Three Movements)and jazz (Milhaud is an influence too). Some find the works too derivative, and second rate, but I find them fun, colorful, energetic and far from just Stravinsky-Lite. But there is no denying the connection to Stravinsky yet Tansman's own voice shines through, more lyrical and less angularly dry than some of Stravinsky's oeuvre. Chandos has all the Symphonies and orchestral works in a fine set. Well worth exploring for the adventurous 20th century fans. Available from my mail order friends listed in the links section.

2) Just when I took a few minutes last evening to enjoy a warmish sunset, greeted our lawn care man supervising the first application of fertilizer and weed control and spent most of the day outside cleaning out some old junk in our junk pile, we awake to a winter storm watch with 6-8 inches of snow predicted for the weekend. Now these predictions have a way of being a bit inaccurate and the weather people around here tend to catastrophize but it looks as if we are going to get something starting this evening. So, while it is a balmy 50 before sunrise, we will watch the temps and precipitation drop. Now... where did I put the snow shovel??

3) Another harbinger of spring is the annual silliness of Daylight Savings time. I always forget if this is standard time or DST, but regardless, it annoys me. Although I do enjoy the fact that we get a few more hours of light in the evening. My usual 5AM wake up was shifted to past 6AM and even as late as 7 as I struggled to adjust. I do not have a clock in my bedroom (just one less thing to shove the # 13 in my face) so I rely on my usually good internal clock. Finally, today things seem to be back to normal, but only to be screwed up again when they futz with it in the fall.

4) Holy Amnesia, I like that term. Fascinating report showing the Bible is more violent and pro-genocide than the Quran:

HOLY AMNESIA

This will send Glenn Beck's and Pat Robertson's heads spinning!

Hypocrisy In Action

In the hypocrisy award for the month, former Alaska Governor, quitter and current media clown Sarah Palin admitted that she used to get her treatment in Canada's single-payer system.

"We used to hustle over the border for health care we received in Canada, and I think now, isn't that ironic?" CBS news link.

Ironic in that she has compared the attempt to reform the US healthcare system as a socialist, Orwellian program that would force people to stand in front of "death panels".

Hypocritical bitch.

Playing Catch Up

1) This week just flew by, which can be good or bad, depending on how you feel about life in general. As for me, it seems to just be careening forward. I mean really, here it is almost 15th of March, St Patrick's day is almost here, Daylight Savings Time ends this weekend, the snow is all melted (even the big bank of snow in the church parking lot next door, gone over night earlier this week) and green is starting to peek out of the cold, brown ground. Since the weather is a tad warmer and rain has replaced the snow, I have been out and about, as have many of my colleagues and thus I have been derelict in my blogging duties. Allow me to do a bit of catch up.

Monday found me at my usual haunt of Bistro 303 enjoying the wonderful $5 hamburgers and the usual crowd of regulars. Steve, Amy, John and I enjoyed gossiping, greeting our friends, harassing the owners and drinking a lot of vodka. Tuesday, Bruce and I ventured to the new Hamburger Mary's for $1 tacos and cheap margaritas. We downed several of the above while musing on life's foibles and mishaps.

I was staying in Wednesday, but a call brought me out and I met a friend for "a drink". 5 Martinis later, I made it home somehow.

Thursday found me back at Hamburger Mary's for AIDS Walk KC charity bingo. I actually won a game and got some fabulous prizes. Of course I won the first game so my prizes were less than those that followed, but I was certainly happy as I never seem to win at much. It was all for a good cause and Amy and I had a lot of fun, good food (you know... I have been to Hamburger Mary's 3 times and I have never had a hamburger there yet) and drinks. We know most, if not all the staff there, so it is like a 3rd home.

Tonight? I am done in. Sort of like my old travel days when I had go out to eat and drink every night and then stay home all weekend and do laundry and vegetate. That is the plan.

2) I neglected, distracted by all my revelry, to do a review of last weekend's Kansas City Symphony concert. Michael Stern was in town to conduct George Crumb's "A Haunted Landscape", in my opinion his most successful orchestral work, Beethoven Piano Concerto #1 with Robert Levin, Piano and ending with the Copland Symphony # 3. Crumb's soundscape was indeed haunting and quite well played by the symphony and the huge percussion array. As Crumb writes, "A Haunted Landscape is not programmatic in any sense. The title reflects my feeling that certain places on planet Earth are imbued with an aura of mystery... Places can inspire feelings of reverence or of brooding menace (like the deserted battlefields of ancient wars)." Ghostly sounds intermingled with haunting wisps of melody, battle calls, ancient rhythms and chants. Quite evocative and well received by the audience.

Robert Levin gave a robust and brisk performance of the sunny Beethoven 1st. Levin tore into the extended cadenzas with gusto. Not even a ringing cell phone could mar the brilliant first movement. Although Levin paused to comment "if you would please, at least, use a tune that fits the cadenza."

The Copland 3rd is not one of my favorites and I, along with my friend Megan, find it interesting that the gay, communist Copland is always the grand old man and father figure of the "Great American Symphony." That accolade belongs alternately to the Harris 3rd or the Mennin 3rd, depending on my mood. Quite a fine performance, but I was not persuaded that it is all that great.

We have a symphony break for a while, with the orchestra occupied with "Rigoletto" and some pops things.

3) The "Coffee Party" is taking off. A challenge to the screaming, anti tax and ultra right wing "Tea Party', the Coffee P Party has a commendable goal: The Coffee Party Movement gives voice to Americans who want to see cooperation in government. We recognize that the federal government is not the enemy of the people, but the expression of our collective will, and that we must participate in the democratic process in order to address the challenges that we face as Americans. As voters and grassroots volunteers, we will support leaders who work toward positive solutions, and hold accountable those who obstruct them."

Join with me.

4) The Washington Post has a great article from a journalist, calling out FUX News for its shameful lack of journalistic standards and blatant lies propagated by this Fake News channel:

Howard Raines: Why don't honest journalists take on Fox News?

5) Finally, RIP to a great lady, Miss Belle, Bruce's 17 year old black Persian cat. Belle went to the great Rainbow Bridge on Thursday.

From Our Local Rag II

Shawnee police want to talk to a man with a Mohawk haircut who scared a little girl on Monday, they said today. A 4-year-old girl told police that a white man with the haircut stopped his blue and red pickup truck and looked at her while she was on the street in the 11500 block of 68th Terrace. It happened at about 4:30 in the afternoon. The frightened girl went to her house and the man drove away, police said. They regard the incident as suspicious and would like to talk to the man. Anyone with information is asked to call Shawnee police

Charge: Aggravated staring at a minor and possession of an unregistered mohawk.