Category Archives: 2014

Jesse Winchester – The courage to do what’s right

Posted on April 7, 2014 by | 12 comments

Hi readers:

Probably most of you don’t remember Jesse Winchester.  He was a somewhat obscure singer and guitar picker who had the courage, savvy and ethical commitment to go to Canada when he got called to be drafted instead of serving in a war he knew was wrong.

The Learn to Love It album was the best he ever did and it came at a time when neanderthals were waving flags and banners saying, America – Love it or Leave it!

Jesse never whined about the consequences of his patriotism.

He’s dead from cancer of the goozle today.

Thank you for your service, Jesse.

Jack

12 Comments

Posted in 2014, Adventure, America

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Typical Kansans outside the KC metro area

Posted on April 6, 2014 by | 8 comments

Hi readers.  A lot of you have been asking me to describe my impression of Kansans from a newcomer, outsider-looking-in perspective.

My general impression is that outside the KC metro area they’re not much different from typical, or average Texans.  Stereotype from the movie Trains, Planes and Automobiles seems to cover it as accurately as you’re likely to find anywhere.

Old Jules

8 Comments

Posted in 2014, Adventure, America, Human Behavior

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Mysterious Kansas Parrot Fetish Revisited

Posted on April 6, 2014 by | 2 comments

 

The feet definitely look more like robin feet than parrot feet. But the hooked beak is more parrot-like in my expert opinion.

The feet definitely look more like robin feet than parrot feet. But the hooked beak is more parrot-like in my expert opinion.

Hi readers.

The mysterious Kansas parrot fetish post left most of you on the edges of your chairs most likely in hopes I’d follow it up with clarifications, and maybe more music explaining just what the hell that parrot is doing to get itself venerated by Kansans.

I believe the purplish design on the right side of the thing is a stylized version of the parrot-head. A sort of modern-Kansas equivalent of an ancient Egyptian Eye of Horus. But what the hell do I know?

I believe the purplish design on the right side of the thing is a stylized version of the parrot-head. A sort of modern-Kansas equivalent of an ancient Egyptian Eye of Horus. But what the hell do I know?

I’ve seen a lot of these in a wide range of contexts since I posted the ‘mysterious Kansas Parrot fetish’ post.  I wish I could report to you with confidence it isn’t just a robin walkin’ walkin’ walkin’ to Missouri, but I can’t.

I think there’s still a strong case to be made that it’s a cryptic protest about the absurdly higher gasoline prices on the Kansas City, KS, side of the state line than on the Kansas City, MO, side of the boundary.

Fact is the whole thing was a lot nearer the public consciousness in verbal terms during the late 1940s and early 1950s than it is today.  Nowadays it’s just out there as flags and whatnot.

I wash my hands of the whole matter.

Old Jules

 

 

2 Comments

Posted in 2014, Adventure, Animals

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Mormon Gay Marriages

Posted on April 6, 2014 by | 6 comments

Hi readers.  Thanks for coming by for a read this morning.  I like to think I can’t bring myself to object if the Mormon Tabernacle Choir all want to marry one another in one fell swoop.  I almost got sucked into reading the Yahoo News article about it anyway, though.

Yahoo news headed things up with a photo of the male members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir all dressed up in suits, evidently having intended to get married to one-another and having been refused by the LDS Church permission-givers.  At least I assume so.  The pic and the headline, Mormon Leader Outlines Opposition To Gay Marriage [http://news.yahoo.com/mormon-leader-outlines-opposition-gay-marriage-173205476.html]

So what the hell am I supposed to care what the Mormon leaders think about the Choir engaging in holy matrimony with itself?  Brigham Young had more damned wives than anyone those days could count and history doesn’t even mention whether he could sing a note, nor whether they could.

I’ve never been offended by whether Brigham Young’s wives were women or men in drag.  Never even asked myself a question about it.  But I’m betting if they could sing, even if they were women, it would be the only thing non-dramatic about having that many women in a household.

Anyway, I didn’t read the article, but I hope the damned choir goes ahead and marries one another if they want to, no matter what the LDS leadership thinks about it.  Maybe all get on bicycles and scoot off to Alabama and find a judge there to tie the knot.

Old Jules

6 Comments

Posted in 2000's, 2014, Adventure, America

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