Family Blogging Quiz

The challenge this week is to tell me where the above picture of Mom was taken. Put your guesses in comments, along with any pertinent side-notes that may occur to you. I'll ask Mom to refrain from responding until others have a chance to guess (unless you want to offer up some hints).

As for last week's quiz, we're going to figure the results a little differently than usual-- see the next post for details.

More Family Blogging

Here are a couple of recent pictures taken while I've been visiting back east that I hope you'll like. First, here are Emma and Helen making typical kid-use of a big box:

That's Nicky at the top of the tubular slide, slightly obscured by Emma's blowing hair. When we go to the playground, the little dickens is intent on climbing up the slide from the bottom (and she only started walking only two weeks ago!).

Helen betrays all the signs of eventually becoming an athlete. She already knows how to wear a ball cap:

Belated Family Blogging

Because I was mourning the loss of my bike yesterday, I didn't really feel much like posting, so I'm going to make up some of the usual Friday stuff today. Last week, I put up a bunch of photos of my maternal uncles, so today, here are some images featuring their sister, my Aunt Patty:

This is a pretty typical picture of Aunt Patty, who almost always seems to have a smile on her face.

This one goes back a few years. That's Aunt patty holding my cousin Kevin, with Gramma and Aunt Clare (Uncle Chuck's wife and Kevin's mom) to the right and Great Aunt Helen to the left. I's identify the gentleman standing beside Aunt Helen, but let's see if anyone wants to take a guess as to his identity.

And here's one that goes back even further (evidently before the smile became a Aunt Patty's signature feature). That's her in the foreground and Mom and Uncle Frank behind. Maybe Mom can provide more detail on the setting in comments?

Saturday's Quotation

When my brother Nick was stationed in Spain, he lived right around the corner from the house of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in Alcala de Henares. Of course, Cervantes himself was long gone by then. Anyway, I like his take on my profession:

"... for historians ought to be precise, faithful and
unprejudiced and neither interest nor fear, hatred
nor affection, should make them swerve from the
way of truth, whose mother is history, the rival of
time, the depository of great actions, the witness
of the past, example of the present, and monitor
of the future."

Friday Family Blogging

I found this artifact among Mom's collection of photos. That's Eileen, Raechelle and brother Nick making like Bonnie and Clyde and I guess Baby Face Nelson (or the female equivalent). Anyone know the story behind this photo?

Soup Diary 090619

I had a real quandary at the library coffee shop today, as they were offering one kind of soup which I've had before and really liked (Chicken Tortilla) and one that I had never tried but was curious about. The question was whether I should forego the sure thing, which I eventually did. The result was well worth the gamble. The soup I ordered was Spinach Gorgonzola, and it was very, very good. I was worried at first that the spinach flavor might be a little powerful, as it sometimes is in certain dishes, but not to worry-- the gorgonzola (or some other mystery ingredient) tempered the spinach flavor nicely and it was a very satisfying bowl of soup. Now the quandary next time those same two are on teh menu will be deciding which I liked better-- a nice problem to have (maybe I'll have to just get a cup od each!).

Thought for a Friday

I generally try to think well of everyone, but this morning someone stole my bicycle, so I'm not in a very generous mood. This quote from noted novelist James Fenimore Cooper kind of reflects what I'm thinking today:

"They who have reasoned ignorantly, or who
have aimed at effecting their personal ends
by flattering the popular feeling, have boldly
affirmed that "one man is as good as another";
a maxim that is true in neither nature,
revealed morals, nor political theory."

The Last Concert I Saw

Last night I went to see Ted Leo & the Pharmacists at the Tralf in downtown Buffalo-- what a great show! I've liked the group's last several records, but this was the first time I got to see them live and they were pretty incredible. Leo comes across as not only a fine guitarist and bandleader, but pretty smart and funny as well, bantering with the audience and ripping through an amazing 90 minute set (one highlight was a cover of the great Saints song "(I'm) Stranded"). I know I'm just gushing here, but sometimes the fanboy within escapes. Here's a clip of them performing one of the songs they did last night but from another gig-- it looks a lot like the scene last night at the Tralf:

The Last Book I Read

I first came across Matt Taibbi's writing in an alternative newspaper he helped found in Buffalo some years back called The Beast. His writing there (and in fact that of the other contributors as well) served as a wonderful antidote to the mainstream media's general lack of spirit in covering the Bush administration and the devolving political discourse (from all sides) that it seemed to engender. Eventually Taibbi moved on to Rolling Stone, where he has been the primary political correspondent for the past few years. His move to RS (which these days is closer to the rest of the mainstream than they'd probably admit, and in some respects worlds away from The Beast) luckily didn't dampen his perspective or style, which remains cooly analytical, hypersensitive to institutional hypocrisy, and leavened with just enough biting humor-- often at his own expense-- to avoid the the pitfall of self-righteousness. His book, The Great Derangement exhibits those characteristics as well. It chronicles Taibbi's efforts to come to grips with the broad social disconnects that mark so much of our current politics, whether from the right (notably through the evangelical megachurches whose pastors use Jesus as cover for their own naked power grabs) or the left (represented here mainly by the 9/11 Truthers and their allies in the peace movement), and occasioned by the almost complete abrogation of civic responsibility on the part of Congress in particular. Taibbi recognizes that the success of these "deranged" groups in becoming the primary faces for certain positions in the national debate belies their inherent silliness. But at the same time, he recognizes that their appeal to followers, who are deeply troubled by all manner of problems, is perhaps inevitable-- any port in a storm, so to speak-- and he demonstrates some real sympathy for those caught up in wanting to believe that there are answers for seemingly insurmountable questions, both public and private, that confound so many Americans. I was impressed that Taibbi was able to balance his analysis of the problem while remaining conscious of the human scale of its effects. Here's a quote that more-or-less summarizes that perspective: "All along I couldn't help but see the [9/11] Truther movement as a symptom of a society whose political institutions had simply stopped addressing the needs of its citizens. When people can't trust the media, and don't have any real political choices, and are denies access to the decision-making process, and can't even be sure that their votes are being counted--when even their activist advocates are lunching with the Man in fancy restaurants in Georgetown-- they will eventuall act out on their own. And when they do, who can blame them if the cause they choose to pursue is a little bit crazy?" It's a sad commentary on our body politic (and that word "sad" comes up often in Taibbi's narrative) that we've been reduced to this situation, and one can only hope it isn't to late to turn things in a more constructive direction.

Thursday's Quotation

Roger Williams (1603-1683) got booted out of the Massachusetts colony for essentially suggesting the community's religious leaders (who were also the primary civil authorities) were not living up to the morals they professed to hold (in part because they didn't hesitate to steal land from the Indians). Williams moved further south and purchased some land from the natives there to found the Rhode Island colony. As an early American example of someone sticking to principle over political expediency, and for offering pointed dissent against the abuse of power, he should be remembered. This quote suggests something of his perspective in matters like those that led to his exile:

"No one tenet that either London, England, or the
world doth harbor is so heretical, blasphemous,
seditious, and dangerous to the corporal, to the
spiritual, to the present, to the eternal good of
all men, as the bloody tenet (however washed
or whited) I say, as is the bloody tenet of
persecution for the cause of conscience."

Historical Comment

According to legend, back in the late 1950s a radio station owner named Todd Storz was struck by the jukebox playing habits of a bunch of teenagers in a diner some place in Omaha. Noticing that the kids dropped their nickels on the same songs over and over again, he was inspired to invent what came to be known as the Top 40 format for his station, in which his deejays did the same thing those kids did: they played the same big hits over and over again throughout their shifts, and built up hugely loyal listeners among those same youngsters who patronized the jukeboxes. Other radio programmers (notably Gordon McClendon and Bill Drake) would fine-tune the format, which eventually reached a point where some stations didn't even play the whole song, making more time for commercials, jingles, and other bits of business. Within the tightly controlled structure of Top 40, the disc jockeys themselves had to cram a lot of personality into just a few seconds of banter between records and ads, and the best at it became legends (guys like Dick Biondi, Jackson Armstrong, the Real Don Steele-- actually the list is pretty long, with favorites representing every part fo the country). A lot of baby boomers (a group to which I belong) have fond memories of Top 40, but I suspect that is due to the fact that it's rise corresponded to the maturation of rock and roll in the 1960s, so there was a lot of great music that could not be ignored. But most probably don't remember that the format also created hits out of a lot of nondescript bubblegum groups and acts that were promoted as much for their looks as their sound-- that is, music aimed at kids.

Top 40 was based on repetition, sometimes to the point that the audience became sick of some of the songs that they heard endlessly for a few weeks on their favorite station (I'm thinking, for example, of songs liek Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun"). But more often, if the station did it right, they created an atmosphere so familiar, nonthreatening, and comfortable, that you almost couldn't help going back day after day.

I think this was a lesson learned and followed by the producers and programmers of talk radio. Back in this post, I mentioned hearing the same things said over and over again by right-wing radio hosts as I drove across the country earlier this summer. It hadn't occurred to me before that this is just a variation on the Top 40 idea, just done with politics instead of music. Part of what led me to this revelation is that here in Buffalo, there is a station that airs "progressive" talk all day, and it is, for the most part, just as obnoxious and repetitious as the right-wing stuff one hears elsewhere on the dial. Obviously, the perspective is different, but the manner, or format, is practically indistinguishable from the more ubiquitous conservative talk. Even though I tend to agree with them more, the progressive talkers are ultimately no more creative or interesting (especially over the course of more than say an hour) than their more famous counterparts on the right. The big exception, to my ears, is Stephanie Miller, who seems to realize the whole thing is a "show," and treats everything with a healthy dose of humor (ironically, the least offensive right wing host to me is Dennis Miller-- for much the same reason). Stephanie Miller's father was Barry Goldwater's running mate back in 1964, and I suspect that she's seen the inside of the political arena close-up and knows that ideology and principles are hardly at the top of any politician's agenda, and therefore can keep from getting too rapped up in the minutiae of the ideological battleground. Compare her to Randi Rhodes, who I find practically as unlistenable as Michael Savage or Rush Limbaugh for all her hectoring and endless belaboring of points. This format (talk radio, of any stripe), like Top 40, is ultimately designed for the adolescent mind, regardless of how old one actually is. I'd like to think that those who have passed the driving age would seek out and demand something more substantial as a news source, but then maybe most of us have a soft spot for clinging to something simple and unchallenging from our radios, just like in the good old days of boss jocks.

Battle of the Bands, Northwest Bracket

Moby Grape

Here are the last set of matchups that will air as part of the season long Battle of the Bands segment on my radio show starting this fall (limited to American groups between 1954 and 1974 for this first go-around). You can see the other brackets at these links: Northeast, Midwest, Southwest. The first round will unfold through the autumn, with subsequent rounds completed in the spring, with results duly posted to this blog. The hope is, if this turns out to be a popular feature, then we will redefine the criteria (different time-frame, genre, nationality, etc.) and do it again in subsequent seasons. As always, comments are welcome.

Country Joe & the Fish

Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Fortunate Son" vs The Sonics, "Psycho"
Paul Revere & the Raiders, "Kicks" vs The Standells, "Dirty Water"
Jefferson Airplane, "Somebody to Love" vs Quicksilver Messenger Service, "Fresh Air"
Santana, "Evil Ways" vs Country Joe & the Fish, "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine"
Grateful Dead, "Truckin'" vs Electric Prunes, "I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night"
Steppenwolf, "Magic Carpet Ride" vs Moby Grape, "Omaha"
The Kingsmen, "Louie Louie" vs Canned Heat, "Goin' Up the Country"
Beau Brummels, "Laugh Laugh" vs Big Brother & the Holding Co., "Piece of My Heart"

Thought for a Wednesday

In an era where we often hear that people don't read anymore, and all kinds of ills are neatly (if not always accurately) laid at the feet of other forms of mass communication, I think it's worth keeping this idea from historian Barbara Tuchman alive:

"Books are the carriers of civilization. Without
books, history is silent, literature dumb, science
crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill.
Without books, the development of civilization
would have been impossible. They are the engines
of change, windows on the world, "Lighthouses"
(as a poet said) "erected in the sea of time."
They are companions, teachers, magicians,
bankers of the treasures of the mind.
Books are humanity in print."

Great Sonic Youth Song

Sometime back, I posted a clip from the Hal Hartley movie Simple Men, with the song providing the soundtrack. Here's the full song and band video (which I may have thought about because of the mention of the NY underground in the previous post-- that's meant to somewhat foreshadow what to expect):

Continuing My Exploration of Art in WNY

One of the true gems of downtown Buffalo is the CEPA Gallery, celebrating the art of photography. Last week I saw two exhibits there, including the Writing With Light show advertised in the above picture. This is a series launched last year in which local school kids are given a camera and a theme and asked to come up with not only a picture but also a poem related to the theme (this year it was "respect"). Some of the results are pretty good (no tthe least the photo seen above). This exhibit will be up for awhile if you are in the area and want to check it out. Unfortunatley the other exhibit I saw has closed. It was a group show of night photography (if you've been reading this blog over the past couple of weeks, you can imagine why that had some appeal to me) done by some local artists, and again, much of it was quite spectacular. One memorable sequence was of lonely ice machines outside of gas stations and convenience stores around the city (shot at night); another followed the nocturnal wanderings of a "sprite of light" who seemed to be haunting Delaware park and environs; a third were impressionistic images after those produced by artistic photographers of the early twentieth century, like Edward Steichen. I had a nice chat with one of the CEPA staff, who seemed really happy that I stopped by (the gallery was otherwise empty-- I hope that wasn't true through the exhibit, lest it become harder to mount similar shows in the future). All of the work was interesting and made me want to get out and make some pictures myself.

Then today, I stopped by the Queen City Gallery (housed in the Market Arcade Building where CEPA is also located), and got to see an exhibit of photos by Paul Zone documenting the New York Undergorund Scene, 1972-1977 (here's a link to the exhibit when it was on display last year in Los Angeles-- Buffalo is it's second stop). Most all of the images featured musical performers like Lou Reed, Debbie Harry, and various members of the Ramones. The proprietor at the Queeen City Gallery told me that Zone is working on putting together a book, so if you like the examples at that link (or get a chance to see the show itself), they may be avaialble in a published edition sometime in the near future.

Soup Diary 090616

I was at the Buffalo & Erie County Library earlier today and tried another soup that I don't recall ever having before. It was chilled cucumber dill and looked more or less like the picture above. It was tasty enough, but nothing really special. I think that as cold soup goes, gazpacho-- which is tangier and crunchier-- has it all over the cucumber variety. I'm glad I tried it, but doubt I'd order it again.

Public Service Announcement

If you should ever find yourself parched on or near the University of Buffalo's Main Street (South) Campus, let me recommend what I am certain must be the world's best water fountain, pictured above. It is located in the first floor hallway of Hayes Hall, and I have been partaking of its sweet fluid for more than thirty years. Even though my visits are often separated by months or even years, it has never failed to be ice cold and to flow in a nice, high even stream with the mere push of a button. And, once you've slaked your thirst, there's almost always an interesting display of architectural models or charts nearby to peruse (Hayes Hall being home to the University's Architecture Program). I won't go so far as to say the fountain alone is worth a special trip to the campus, but if you're nearby anyway, give yourself a treat and stop by.

Thought for Tuesday

Sir Herbert Read (1893-1968) wrote a lot about art and aesthetics in addition to producing several volumes of poetry. I think this quote reflects each of those pursuits:

"All moral impulses, all feelings of goodness,
all grace and truth, are but shadows cast
from the dance of life; shadows cast, as
Shelley said in his great poem, by the
light of intellectual beauty."

The Return of W.C. Fields

It's been awhile since I posted something from the great Mr. Fields. Here's a brief scene in which he portrays Larson E. Whipsnade ("Break it up, break it up") from You Can't Cheat an Honest Man:

The Last Movie I Saw

I'm not sure this movie really deserves much attention from me or anyone else. It's taut, slick, well-acted and sharply edited, all in the service of nothing I can decipher beyond cynical market manipulation (and I mean of the audience, not the glaringly obvious subplot that the movie pretends is some big revelation three quarters of the way through). I'm guessing director Tony Scott's reputation is such that he can attract talented actors like Denzel Washington and John Turturro to be in his films, but one look at his resume reveals nothing more than a lot of noisy nonsense, and this one fits right in. I've not seen the original version of this movie from the seventies, but I've got to believe that it was more suspenseful and less dehumanizing than this overblown waste of time.