745. Kentucky's Fourth Congressional District, St. Louis, New Hampshire, and Iowa

Clearly, there is a thread of wanderlust in my postings - wandering through county highways and rural backroads, and the occasional longer trip to Washington, DC at 606 miles in 9 hours and 23 minutes, or to Kentucky's annual summer political event, Fancy Farm, which at 237 miles sometimes seems to be even farther and takes longer.  But my seven faithful readers know that most of journeys are within the borders of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, my native state, my resides state (to use an adjective mostly found in reference to where one normally attends classes in the Jefferson County Public Schools system).

There have been a few times in my life that I've thought about leaving Kentucky but I've always found a reason (or excuse) to stay, putting off dreams, short-changing new opportunities at the expense of a comfortable surrounding not too far away from Mom's house.  That isn't, however, the advice I offer to my friends, especially my younger friends.  My advice to them has always been to go and see and do things elsewhere, outside your comfort zone, and perhaps outside the comfort zone of others.  Outside of reading about new and different places in a book as a good education, the better one is to go experience those things for yourself firsthand.

Back in the winter months, a dear friend of mine did just that, charting for himself a political path that has taken him to New England, South Carolina, and Nevada in a presidential campaign thought by some to be quixotic; and then later in Texas and, notably, Kentucky's Fourth Congressional District not working for a campaign but rather for one of those SuperPACs we've all come to know and hate.  He began this journey just shy of his 23rd birthday with my strong encouragement.  And while I have not been pleased with the political ramifications of his work - we don't agree on politics - I am impressed with his ambition and happy for his future that he has undertaken such wandering.  He has also learned that notoriety, something you gain by doing and being different and especially if your doing and being is successful as his has been, works both ways, something they don't teach you in college.  I've been on him for some time to finish college, but I am acutely aware that he is getting a great education through his current travels.

Another friend, 23 earlier this year, has for the summer only, as he will be commencing law school next month, taken a similar jaunt, this one to Saint Louis - specifically Webster Groves, 270 miles almost due west of Louisville along I-64.  He, too, is engaged in political work, in this case for the reelection of the 44th President of the United States, an effort I strongly support.  Missouri, where he is working, was hoping to have a more active role in the 2012 presidential sweepstakes, a role it has played in the past but is doing less so this time around.  Saint Louis was one of the cities in the running for this year's Democratic National Convention but lost out to Charlotte, North Carolina, a city located in one of the nine infamous swing states, where most if not all of the remaining 2012 campaign for president will decided.  Similarly, Washington University in Saint Louis, which has been a national debate site for two decades, finds itself debate-less in this cycle.  Still, the work my friend is engaged in is far bigger than the 2012 presidential election.  It will gain for him an insight into life and work and friends and opportunities in a new place, as well as memories for a lifetime.  And, there has to be some satisfaction in being able to say "I was a staffer in the president's re-election campaign."  Very few political types, at any level, will ever be able to utter those words.

Yet another friend who just turned 32, someone I've known about eight years, a native of Spencer County and graduate of the University of Kentucky, has left the warm and stormy weather here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606 for the cooler and more comfortable climes of New Hampshire.  Unlike the previous two in this essay, I'm not too clear for whom or what he is working in the state and I had no role in his plan.  New Hampshire is an interesting state politically, although like Missouri, getting less so.  Geographically, the western and southwestern parts of the state lean Democratic and the northern and southeastern parts Republican.  It looks to be a Red State this November if present polling is correct.  Governor Romney's candidacy is bolstered by that of Ovide Lamontagne, the Republican candidate for governor, who is far better known to the electorate than others (in any party) seeking the governor's office.  Maybe my friend is there to address that - I really do not know.  He has worked in presidential and other federal campaigns all across the country over the years.  What I do know is that he is on his way to another adventure.

Finally, another friend, in his early 40s, is packing up an old Jeep van, one he just bought three days ago, and is preparing a drive to Ames, Iowa.  Ames, Iowa and Washington, DC are nearly the exact same distance from Louisville, but the similarity ends there.  Ames is dead center in the state, located about 30 miles north of the capital at Des Moines.  It is a college town, home to Iowa State University.  And it tends to be a swing-city politically, but unlike all the other places above, swings, if at all, just slightly to the Democrats.  Ames is also, since the 2010 Congressional redistricting, now in Iowa's 4th Congressional District.  Iowa lost a district in that process and the "new 4th" while drastically changed is still largely a safe Republican district.  Running for re-election to the Congress from that district is the current 5th District Congressman Steve King.  Chances are, if you are one of my regular readers, Congressman King has at one time or another, and in all likelihood on several different occasions, offended you.  Pick a subject, any subject, and he has made offensive remarks on the matter.  My friend is going there to work for a SuperPAC, one which seeks to end Congressman King's congressional career.  My best wishes to them and my friend on that assignment.  One person they might find as a friend in this campaign, maybe, is a name, maybe, familiar to readers of the Courtier-Journal and Louisville Times, Michael Gartner.  Mr. Gartner served as the first post-Bingham years editor of the Once Great Newspaper, but has since returned to his home state in his retirement years.  There he serves on the Iowa Board of Regents overseeing most of the state's higher educational institutions, is part-owner of a baseball team - always a good sign, and also operates an alternative weekly called Cityview, a la LEO, in Des Moines.  My guess is they don't like Steve King either.

The whole point of this post is not only to keep you informed on some of the movements of certain friends, but also to encourage my readers (and, hopefully me, too) to reach out, take chances, do and see and experience what you can while you can when you can.  For these four friends, the what, while, and when is now.

Happy Trails. 

744. Rest In Peace, Rob

Twenty-one years.

Rob Spears, 1973-1991.

May his soul and the souls of all who have passed from this life Rest In Peace.

743. A little more Louisville street trivia

This one may be too easy.  Curtis Morrison thought the last one was easy and quickly responded with an incorrect answer.

There are, to my knowledge, four answers to the following question.

Louisville is well known for streets which change names here and there.  We've previously written about such changes.  Most of the street name changes are at an intersection with some other street or, perhaps, a railroad.  Examples are Frankfort Avenue to Shelbyville Road (at Breckenridge Lane or Meridian Avenue), Breckenridge Lane to Chenoweth Lane (at Frankfort Avenue/Shelbyville Road), Baxter Avenue to Newburg Road (at Shady Lane) and Newburg Road to Buechel Bank Road (at Shepherdsville Road), Mt. Holly Road to West Manslick Road (at Fairdale Road), East Manslick Road to South Park Road (at Preston Highway), and Preston Street to Preston Highway (at Clark's Lane).  There are many others.  Some other of the name changes are the effects of road realignments.  Examples here include Saint Andrews Church Road to Greenwood Road (at Dixie Highway), 7th Street Road to Manslick Road and its companion, Berry Boulevard to 7th Street Road, Hill Street to Burnett Avenue (at Preston Street), and River Road to Bingham Way, technically an entirely new intersection that didn't exist before the realignment (and closure) of River Road from 1st Street to Preston Street.

Today's little quiz has four answers, or so I believe.  Here is the question:  Which streets change names in between intersections, that is in the course of the road after having intersected one street and before having intersected another?  the middle of a block, between two other street intersection, but not at an intersection.  One of these four sets of street names arguably doesn't fit because there should be a street where the name changes, it just doesn't exist.  Technically, the fourth one isn't really a name change.

So, what are the three (and arguably four) sets of names?  And, don't pull a Curtis and make a quick guess, unless you know you are right.  Although, to be fair, Curtis should get one of these right off the bat.

742. A little Louisville street trivia

There is only one answer to the question "which Louisville street intersects the following numbered streets in the following order - 4th, 5th, 9th, 7th?"  What is it?

P6. The sixth in a series of Prayers of the People

(The sixth in a series.  See entry #736 for an explanation)


*****

PRAYERS FOR THE SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY, FEBRUARY 20, 2011

O Holy God, we seek your guidance for ourselves and our world, praying Lord of all people, Hear Us!

We pray for the people of the whole world, and for their leaders.  We pray for those involved with the conflicts and resolutions of northern Africa and the Middle East.  We pray for our own government leaders, for our president Barack, and for the members of our legislatures in Washington, Frankfort, and downtown at City Hall.  Guide these women and men to whom is entrusted our health, our mutual covenants, our planned and unplanned futures, praying Lord of all people, Hear Us!

We pray for the entirety of your creation, for those who believe and those who wonder.  We pray for your church and its leaders and ministers, its people and its programs.  In the Anglican Communion, we pray for The Church of Wales.  In the Diocese of Kentucky, we pray for Christ Church, Bowling Green.  In the Highland Community Ministries, we pray for Douglass Boulevard Church of Christ.  For the inter- and intra- connectiveness of these ministers and their missions, we seek the understanding and ability for their successes; praying Lord of all people, Hear Us!

We pray for the people of Advent Parish, for our rector Tim, our deacon Eva, our musicians and choir and their leader Bryan, and for all involved in the outreach and other programs of our church.  We pray for our neighbors along Baxter Avenue and Broadway, and for those we know and those who pass by, and especially for those we'll never know.  Understanding that one measure of the health and wealth of a community is the efforts, achievements, and successes of the least of its people, we ask your leading hand upon all these in our midst, praying Lord of all people, Hear Us!

We pray for all those in need: for the unemployed and underemployed, for the unrepresented, the unheard, and the unbelievers.  We also pray for those in need of healing, of comfort, of peace.  We pray especially for those who appear on our prayer-list, for [names go here].  Here we may add aloud or in silence our ouwn needs and prayers.  Praying Lord of all people, Hear Us!

Finally we pray for those who have died and those they've left behind, including [Advent deceased names go here], knowing that while their physical bodies are no longer with us, that their successes and failings and family and friends remain as part of their mark on this earth, and that together with them we will one day live in eternity, praying Lord of all people, Hear Us!

Celebrant:  O God of Grace and Mercy, you have created for us the foundation by which to make our lives good and great.  Be with this congregation as we work to fulfill your commandments to go the extra mile, offer alms to the beggar, and to be charitable in every way with all those around us, in order to be perfect as your Son was perfect.  Amen.

741. My Local Lunch Post which originally appeared at www.louisvilleky.com

My friend Cindy Lamb writes for various media around town including LouisvilleKY.com.  A few days ago she asked if I would write a column for her Friday post, called TGIF Local Lunch Post.  I did and she printed it.  I've reprinted it below.

TGIF Local Lunch Post – Dining Guest Jeff Noble Reflects and Recommends

July 6, 2012

By Cindy Lamb

My friend Jeff Noble steps up to the plate this week to offer some dining suggestions as well as taking us on a nostalgic tour of Louisville establishments gone by.
While still buoyant with the spirit of Independence Day, I thought it would be fitting to invite someone who is passionate about the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the city of Louisville. Jeff is known as a tireless volunteer and serves his community and local government with both traditional and progressive values.

He works as a legislative aide to Metro Councilman Brent Ackerson (D-26) and serves as a political advisor to many local Democratic campaigns, most recently Fischer for Mayor and, since 2006, Yarmuth for Congress. His blog, “Ohio River, Left Bank, MP 606″ is  subtitled  "Musings of a political, social, cultural, religious and/or historical nature…" and is worth a visit. Jeff lives in Butchertown and is known for taking a fine cigar out for a long walk.
I asked him to recall some of his culinary memories of Louisville as well as current  favorite hangs for the midday meal. Enjoy this stroll! I’m sure many readers will find they have a lot in common with our guest.

“As someone who doesn’t cook at all – except an occasional pot of chili – I do a lot of eating out.  Growing up in the 60s and 70s, I learned the pleasures of bar food from my grandfather, Dan Hockensmith.  He believed the best food in any town could be had at the local VFW or American Legion.  We often ate chili at the Okolona or Frankfort VFW halls.  Today, my favorite bowl of chili comes from The Rush Inn, a little tavern at the corner of Brownsboro Road and Mellwood Avenue.  The bar is locally owned and operated by Jeff, although I do not know his last name.  The chili is a little peppery with the distinction of being made with pasta instead of noodles.  I don’t like noodles in my chili, but I do love the peppery pasta-chili at The Rush Inn, usually with a grilled cheese sandwich and a can of sarsaparilla.

Another thing we did was visit the few ethnic restaurants that dotted the landscape.  There weren’t many that I remember.  Codispoti’s was an Italian eatery on Preston Highway, just south of Fern Valley Road, back when both roads were two lanes wide.  The Lotus, an Oriental place, was on Dixie Highway around Nobel Place north of Shively.  The building is still there, a concrete block structure on the west side of the road.  Today’s map is covered with the tastes of the world.  While I am partial to Middle Eastern and Indian foods, my newest favorite non-American cuisine is found at the Vietnam Kitchen on S. 3rd Street, in what could be described as Louisville’s Vietnamese neighborhood.  I’m partial to curries of any kind and they have one, #F9 on the menu, a chicken curry with potatoes, onions, green beans, and broccoli that is out of this world.

Typically when out with friends, my menu choices turn to seafood.  Back in the old days, good seafood was to be had at the now defunct Cape Codder on St. Rita Drive in Okolona, or maybe Kingfish, downtown on 4th or out Upper River Road in a location which I have lost in my memory.  Both locations have been gone for decades, the downtown one moving from 4th over to 6th only to be torn down again to make way for the Ali Center.  The Upper River Road location has moved across the street and closer to town next to the Water Tower.  My favorite fish sandwich until recently was at Third Avenue Café.  This neat little place, with Elvis at the door, closed last year without notice.  I’m still looking for Louisville’s best fish sandwich.

Finally, sweets.  My other grandfather, U. G. Noble, operated bakeries in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, one on Colorado Avenue and the other on Poplar Level Road.  The last Noble’s Bakery closed in 1972.  Back then there were lots of family ran bakeries with old-fashioned doughnuts.  Patterson’s in Highview, Okolona, Plehn’s in St. Matthews, Heitzman’s in Schnitzelburg, Kraus’ downtown on 4th, and others including Klein’s on Preston at Lynn Street.  Old Mrs. Klein died in 2004 and the bakery is now called Nord’s, and features all the same old-fashioned baked goods I knew growing up.  It is my favorite local bakery and with a Sunergos Coffee shop immediately next door, the duo make for a ‘fine dining’ experience.”

*****

Thanks for joining us on this Noble  journey and kudos to you all for feeding the local economy! Visit TGIF Local Lunch Post on Facebook to share restaurant news or recipes. Take care, stay cool, and have a great weekend!

Thanks, Cindy.


 

740. Facebook exchange on Socialism

I posted this cartoon to my Facebook page earlier today which prompted a question from Mrs. Risner, known to my seven faithful readers as one of my favorite and most influential teachers in high school.   Mrs. Risner and I did not agree politically when I had her in 10th and 12th grades and nothing has changed.  She was the first real Republican I ever knew, other than my father.  She was a Reagan supporter in 1976 when he challenged the appointed incumbent Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination for president.

Below is her question and my response:

Brenda Risner Okay, Jeff, how do you and the cartoonist define socialism? While you're at it, give me the left's definition of facism and of communism. I really do want to know.

Jeff Noble

Mrs. Risner, first, I cannot speak for the cartoonist. Now, let's face it - the sign on the left is correct - "Obamacare is Socialism." Socialism, in some form, has formed the basis for what had been the most successful years of our Republic, often called the Greatest Century, although it was really only about 70 years. From the mid 1930s to about fifteen years ago, through various forms of socialism, America became the light shining on the hill to which Ronald Reagan famously referred. Because of high employment and high taxes - broad participation on the income side, America could afford Medicare and Social Security to seniors; Medicaid, Unemployment, and food stamps to the poor; farm subsidies and electrification to rural communities; and community block development grants and revenue sharing (both programs introduced by Nixon) to urban areas - broad participation on the outgo side. This is the best of Socialism if such a thing exists. Then, starting with California's Proposition 13 in 1978 and followed by Reagan's edict that government was not the solution but the problem, we began to turn our backs on our fellow Americans in favor of rugged individualism and entrepreneurship. We evolved away from "We, the People," certainly a socialist idea, into one of greed and me-ism, of government and control by the rich and the few, a form, ironically (a word I learned in your class), of communism. Corporations in search for profits moved their operations out of the country, taking away jobs and tax revenues. Simultaneously, we began undoing our tax system with lower and lower taxes to where today we are at our lowest overall tax levels since before the Great Depression. The result is we no longer are and no longer can be Reagan's light shining on the hill because we aren't interested in paying for it. We've traded a form of socialism - economic participation by and for the many - in for communism - economic participation by and for the few. If one were to align the political parties along side forms of socialism and communism, my party would (and has) fallen into the former category while your party has, since Reagan, fallen into the latter. Reagan, of course, provides another irony. As the hero of the right, his borrow-and-spend policies have largely been forgotten. Admittedly his borrowing-and-spending led to the downfall of communism in Europe and Asia, but it also has led to a different kind here in the states. He wasn't worried about those borrow-and-spend policies since in his mind the end justified the means, and perhaps it did. But rather than delve into an exercise of "rugged individualism" to correct his deficit worries, he left that to Tip O'Neil and the Democratic congress while he was in office as well as to "Read My Lips"" Bush, who ultimately paid the political price for Reagan's failed economic policies. My side of the aisle can accept its role in the successful use of socialism in this country as it worked from Roosevelt to about 1992. Can your side of the aisle accept the greed and centralization of capital it has fostered, a form of communism, power over the many by the few, in the same manner?

 

*****

 

Your thoughts are appreciated in the Comments section below.

P5. The fifth in a series of Prayers of the People

(see entry 736 for an explanation)

PRAYERS FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Sunday, January 9, 2011

We begin this new season calling on the God who gives breath and spirit to the people, humbly responding to Light of the Nations, Grant us the blessing of Peace.

To the God who gives breath and spirit to the people and causes the waters to rush, the thunder to sound, the flames to split, and has created the trees, flowers, and meadows of the wilderness, and the streets, alleys, and buildings of our cities, we pray your blessings upon all of your church, the entire world of your people, the entire being of your creation, praying Light of the Nations, Grant us the blessing of Peace.

We pray in the Anglican Cycle for the Diocese of Leicester in Canterbury, England.  We pray in the Diocese of Kentucky for Saint Peters in Pleasure Ridge Park, and in our Highland Community Ministries, we pray for Calvary Lutheran Church.  To the God who gives them the leaders and members of these outreaches of your love, also give them the human and capital resources to fulfill your will, praying Light of the Nations, Grant us the blessing of Peace.

We pray for our own civil authorities.  We pray for our new mayor Greg and for those in his administration.  We pray for the Kentucky General Assembly as it convenes a new session in Frankfort.  We pray for the Congress in Washington, and we pray for our president Barack and all those in our governments.  We pray especially for the safety and safe-return home of the women and men in uniform wherever their service has stationed them.  We pray that all of these leaders work to bring justice to the people they serve, to bring healing to those afflicted, to bring freedom to those unjustly imprisoned, to bring comfort to those in want, to bring light to the darkness of many, praying Light of the Nations, Grant us the blessing of Peace.

We pray for our parish needs great and small, for our rector Tim, our deacon Eva, and all those in our ministries: of music, of food, of comfort, of hospitality.  We pray for those on Advent's prayer list, for [names go here].  To the God who shows no partiality to those who believe, we seek a guiding hand, a comforting word, a compassionate soul, and a healing heart, praying Light of the Nations, Grant us the blessing of Peace.

To the God who proclaimed Jesus his beloved Son, we pray for all the daughters and sons of God, sisters and brothers of Christ, especially those who have slipped the bonds of this temporal home and place, remembering [any deceased of Advent Parish] that they and all are accepted into the grace and mercy of your heavenly kingdom of eternity, praying Light of the Nations, Grant us the blessing of Peace.

Celebrant:  God of the stars of the night and the light of the day, our beacon and guide as we travel from season to season and year to year, hear these prayers of your people, as we come to you in imitation of the Magi, paying homage and seeking direction, asking that let your light shine upon the nations, your glory rise upon us, and that we be granted the blessing of Peace in abundance, now and forever.  Amen.

P4. The fourth in a series of Prayers, November 21, 2010

(See entry 736 for an explanation)

PRAYERS FOR THE LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, NOVEMBER 21, 2010

READER:  O God, we seek your guidance in bringing light to these closing times and shortened days, praying O Lord of Righteousness, Hear Our Prayer.

We pray for the worlwide church of your followers wherever they are in their life's journey.  We pray for the leaders of your church, of this church, these shepherds of the Lord who shall execute justice and seek righteousness.  In the Anglican Communion, we pray for The Church of Bermuda.  We pray for Saint Alban's Church, Fern Creek, in the Diocese of Kentucky.  We pray for Saint Therese Catholic Church in the Highland Community Ministries.  We seek successes and thanksgiving for all the children of God, praying O Lord of Righteousness, Hear Our Prayer.

Knowing it is you God who makes war to cease, spears to shatter, and bows to break, we pray now for our own Nation and all the nations of the world.  We seek peace, justice, humility, and reconciliation amongst ourselves and our neighbors.  We seek for our newly elected leaders the patience and resolve to deal wisely with the issues facing our country and our world, and that they will know that you are a very present help in times of trouble.  Grant to these leaders a sense of faith in their fellow Americans and a hope for our future generations, as we say O Lord of Righteousness, Hear Our Prayer.

We pray for all the people of the world, believers and non-believers, those who govern and those who are governed, and especially those in harm's way serving their countries in uniform in wars and missions throughout the world, asking O Lord of Righteousness, Hear Our Prayer.

We pray for our neighborhood, our city, and our state, as we approach Advent and the Christmas season, aware that many cannot share in the happiness of the times, and that we as a church community will open our hearts and minds and billfolds to those less fortunate, to those who seek help from our pantries, for those who seek help from our charitable giving, and for those whose lives we may never touch but who are nonetheless closeby and unseen, calling O Lord of Righteousness, Hear Our Prayer.

We pray for those in need of a healing touch, a warming hand, a consoling word, or a considerate heart.  We pray especially for those on Advent's prayer list [names go here], asking they may be granted a share in the light, a renewed spirit, and a strengthened soul, declaring O Lord of Righteousness, Hear Our Prayer.

We also pray for those who have left the present place and time for the holy habitation of the eternal saints.  We pray for the deceased of Advent Parish [names, if any, go here], for our friends and family no longer among us, and for all those who have died, hoping for them the Paradise of Heaven, saying O Lord of Righteousness, Hear Our Prayer.

CELEBRANT:  O Lord, our shepherd, our stronghold, and our strength, we pray you hear these prayers of your people seeking your intercession, desiring your mercy, and trusting in your righteousness, always and forever, AMEN. 

739. Jose Marti to be restored

Longtime readers might recall a few early entries on the blog concerning the former Cuban leader Jose Marti and his missing statue in Shively Park.

On February 27, 2007, I wrote the following: 

In my post written for Saint Valentine's Day, but posted a day later, I included a picture of some Cuban ex-pats at a Mass celebrated at Saint Helen's Church in Shively. The purpose of that celebration was the installation of a statue of Jose Marti, a leading figure in Cuban history from the 19th century. The international airport in Havana is named in his honor. Marti was also a poet and one of his poems was set to music in the 1960s in the popular song Guantanamera. The Mass took place in September, 1963. The statue was erected in the Shively City Park behind City Hall. It was dedicated to those Jefferson Countians who fought in Cuba in the the Battle of Cardenas (the Filibusters) on May 19, 1850. Sometime in 2003 or 2004, the City of Shively tore down the monument and its present whereabouts are not clear.

As I had in the past pointed the statue out to Cuban refugeess who have made their American home here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River at Milepost 606, I've been curious for some time as to the purpose of removing the monument, but have not made any serious inquiries. Why would you tear down a monument dedicated to Jefferson Countians? I need to ask this question of either my friend Jim Jenkins, the former mayor of Shively, or his successor, Sherry Connor, whom I met during last fall's Shively festival when she and her mother visited the campaign booth of John Yarmuth, at the time a candidate for Congress. There is a little known movement led by Antonio de la Cova to restore the monument.

That was followed on March 12, 2007, with this:

A while back I wrote about the Jose Marti statue which had disappeared from Shively Park. I had spoken to State Representative Joni Jenkins about it, since her father had been mayor of Shively when it was removed. She didn't have encouraging news. My friend Marty Meyer, who works for Congressman John Yarmuth, mentioned it at a luncheon he and I shared a few weeks ago with Stuart Perelmuter, Yarmuth's Washington based Press Secretary, at Otto's in the Seelbach. He had read about Jose here on the blog. Today Marty has called with news of Jose's whereabouts. According to Shively Mayor Sherry Connor, the remnants are at the Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort. How or why they are there I do not know, but this will be looked into further.

Now, to be honest, between then and now I've done very little to locate Marti's missing bust.  Nor have I heard anyone else mention it.  So, I was surprised and pleased, very pleased, when reading over the City of Shively Council minutes from April 2, 2012 - more than five years after my blog entry and nearly eight years since the statue's disappeance - to see the following exchange between Shively city officials:   

Mr. Dummitt asked what was Muldoon Memorials?
Mitzi Kasitz, City Clerk said it was approved to have Jose’ Marti brought back.
Mayor Conner said it is the bust that has been in Shively Park for years.
Mr. Dummitt then said I guess since it’s been approved, didn’t he support Fidel Castro?
Mr. Cato, City Attorney said he preceded Fidel Castro.
Mr. Dummitt said I misunderstood and if he did support Fidel Castro, then he was for
communism but that’s not what this is.
Mr. Wathen asked where is it going?
Mayor Conner said it’s going in the park at the triangle where the walking path goes all
the way around.

Apparently someone knew where the  bust was and/or located it in the ensuing five years.  However the return of the bust was achieved, I am very happy to see its restoration in Shively Park.  Good work, Mayor Sherry Conner and the City of Shively.

P3. The third in a series of prayers - October 3, 2010

PRAYERS FOR THE NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

OCTOBER 3, 2010

READER:  O Father, we know you are always ready to hear us.  We cry to you for help, seeking a right spirit, responding to God of Mercy, Grace, and Abundance, Increase Our Faith.

1)  We pray this morning for all the people of the world, of different races and nationalities, faiths and concerns, for believers and non-believers.  We pray for leaders of governments, for laborers of fields and factories, for planners and thinkers in offices and universities, and for the youngest of children who will one day serve as leaders of their church, college, community, or country, praying God of Mercy, Grace, and Abundance, Increase Our Faith.

 

2)  We pray for the family of Christ’s followers in our time.  In the Anglican Communion, we pray for the Church of Wales.  In the Diocese of Kentucky, we pray for Saint Mary’s Church, Madisonville and their rector, the Reverend Candyce Loescher.  In the Highland Community Ministries, we pray for Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, for those from Saint Andrew’s who have joined us in worship this morning, and for their commitment to the new Academy at Saint Andrew’s, praying God of Mercy, Grace, and Abundance, Increase Our Faith.

3)  We pray for the unmet needs of the people in our community – those whose lives are sometimes lived entirely in our streets, vacant buildings, highway underpasses, and other places unseen by most.  For those who seek shelter and food from strangers and others, and for those who come through the doors of our churches in need, we seek your vision in addressing their concerns, knowing we may never fully understand their plight but that they like us are sisters and brothers, a part of your family, praying God of Mercy, Grace, and Abundance, Increase Our Faith.

4)  We pray for the sick and needy of Saint Andrew’s and Advent, asking your help and healing touch for these women and men here entrusted to you, for [names go here], seeking to restore their souls, spirits, and health, praying God of Mercy, Grace, and Abundance, Increase Our Faith.

  

5)  We pray for those friends and family, and others known only to you, who’ve passed from this life and world into the eternity we know has been prepared for all of us, for the deceased of Saint Andrew’s and Advent, especially [names go here, if any].  We may add now our own prayers, in silence or aloud.  [Time goes here].  Praying God of Mercy, Grace, and Abundance, Increase Our Faith.

CELEBRANT:  O God, we put our trust in you, committing to your ways, seeking your righteousness to be made as clear as the light, knowing that grace, mercy, peace, and abundance comes from you our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.
 

738. Futura, by Theatre [502] - and some discussion therewith

Theatre [502] is in the middle of their production of Jordan Harrison's play Futura at Actors Theatre in downtown Louisville.  It is directed by Theatre [502]'s Co-Artistic Director Amy Attaway.  Migael and I took in the performance last night in the Victor Jory Theater in the Actor's complex.  The setting is identified as taking place in a university lecture hall in the "near future."  As the play is performed in one Act, with scene changes executed by a darkening of the theater, the presumption, though odd, is that the entire play takes place somewhere on that same college campus.  The adjective "dystopian" has been used in all of the media hype for the play.  Dystopian is, I suppose, the opposite of utopian.  If you learned language as I did based on Latin, Greek, and other word-roots, you will recognise the "dys" which is bad, as opposed to "u" which is good.  The other root is "topia," from "topis" for place.  We get the word topography from the latter. So, if utopia is a good place, dystopia isn't.

Let's start at the end of the play, an uncomfortably small library in a secret room, with a teacher and a student beginning the process of learning to write all over.  "Put your name up in the right-hand corner of the paper" the teacher tells the student.  That's how we all learned, first to print, and later at the end of second grade, to cursively write on those ubiquitous writing tablets from kindergarten through fourth grade.  A chilling, indeed dystopian, place to end a play.  It is a great lament of the day that young students no longer learn to cursively write.  In fact, they typically learn to type, or, euphemistically - and there's that "u" for good spelled slightly differently - kids do not learn to type at all; they learn to use the keyboard.

Today's keyboard has all kinds of characters on it besides the 26 letters and 10 numbers of the Latin-based alphabet we use in the United States.  A few strokes away are symbols for Spanish, Portuguese, and other languages as well as signs for "libra" or "pound," a unit of money and weight in British-speaking places, or other signs not normally used in our Americised English.  And with the help of our computers, word-processors, iPads, and telephones, we can change the size and font of what we read and what we "write."  And all of this is safely stored away in some computer world, the "Cloud" perhaps, understood by some, but for most of us just "accepted" as being the way things are.

This play deals with the notion that all written forms and the means to create them have been put away - hidden away under the control of some "1984"-type business or entity or, perhaps, a college.  We never really know.

The play starts with that same teacher, a widowed college professor, giving a somewhat tortured lecture about type fonts.  Yes, type fonts.  Probably not the most exciting lecture for most, although I was totally involved.  As a reader and writer and student of words, languages, thoughts, and ideas, I found the subject totally engrossing.  To my surprise, Migael did too.  Anyone who has taken the time to read about the invention of the printing press, or the politics and intrigue which gave us the King James Version of the Bible, or any other histories of the beginning of the printed word, will find this part of the play familiar. 

The play takes a violent unexpected turn with the professor's kidnapping and the rest of the story revolves around her eventual escape, if one could call it that.  Three people are integral to the kidnapping - a bully, a character who first appears to be a street-thug, and - without giving too much away - another professor.  And at first it is difficult to know exactly what separates the protagonists from the antagonists, if one judges those roles by who comes out doing what is best for humanity.

The bully, whose use of variant forms of the "f" word is simply gratuitous - most modern plays have adopted this gratuity for some unexplained reason (there was some discussion of this by three of the patrons on the Main Street sidewalk after the play) - is quickly offed in another unexpected scene, lending credence to the street-thug's character.  And, as with all "bad" plots, there is the weak spot, in this case the same street-thug who, as it turns out, not only has a soft spot for the type-font lecturing professor - he was one of her former students we learn - but also for the written word itself, the anathema of the play, as he attempts to smuggle a book of poems for his own use.

The middle of the play is occupied by a great deal of dialogue between the two professors - and quite a bit of it went unheard by me, in part because because I do not hear well and in part because the acoustics for the play weren't the best.  On several occasions my date relayed some lines to me recognising that I did not hear them.  But the one I did hear during the professorial dialogue was paramount in understanding the play - a war between the format or platform for retaining information - whether electronically or in hard copy form.  I will return to this thought at the end of this essay because it remained on my mind through the course of the play and indeed well into the night.  But, I digress.

Let me speak here about the acting itself.  I hesitate to say I wasn't as impressed as I was expected to be but maybe that was appropriate given the subject matter.  The players seemed disconnected and distant.  One of the "hallmarks" of modern communication is the distance and disconnectedness [a new word, perhaps] of we the speakers.  We speak via chat boxes, email, text messaging, tweeting, and updating our Facebook statuses as if that is communication, as opposed to what they really are, simple electronic comments for which we may or may not receive a response, comments typically unadorned by accent, emphasis, or even bolding or italics; nor do we experience any body language or kinetics in these brief typwritten exchanges, the psychokinesiology involved in person-to-person communications.  So it is possible the acting was intentionally disconnected and distant.  I certainly felt that vibe.

Of the four actors, I have previously seen the work of three.  The rather stoic and emotionless type-font lecturing professor was well-portrayed by Laurene Scalf, a veteran of local theater.  Another veteran actor with many years to his credits was Tad Chitwood who is the other professor and boss, Edward Wexler, to the bully and street-thug characters.  I was back-and-forth on whether he was a good-guy or a bad-guy, but more on that later.  The unknown to me was the bully, acted by Betsy Huggins, a Marylander-turned-Louisvillian.  She has recently acted and performed at a variety of Louisville venues including Actors and the Walden Theatre's Young Playwrights Festival.  The final character, the street-thug - and in the final scene a student once again - was portrayed by Drew Cash, who I've seen here and there in various performances.  I'm intrigued that the playbook mentions he'll be performing later this year for a two month national tour of King Arthur and Hamlet.  As the seven regular readers of the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606 are aware, things Arthurian and things Shakespearean are leit-motifs of my favored reading lists.  I hope to learn more about Drew's upcoming plans.

But, back to the play.  Another gunshot, this time from the stoic professor as aggressor and the boss-professor as victim effectively take the latter character out of the action of the play.  The street-thug turns in favor to his former professor and they make their escape arriving at the "zero-drive" destination, an unknown and underground bunker, a small dark room of books and writing accoutrements, things our escaping professor, and perhaps her reprised student, believe are keys for the future.  Eerily uncomfortable and dystopian indeed.

Let me return to the middle of the play and the discussion between the two professors, some lines of which went unheard.  I wrote above, Laurene, the type-font lecturer, makes the argument, in so many words, that books and libraries, the traditional repositories of the written word and the information relayed by those words, are necessary for the future, for future generations to know and understand all that has been written before them.  Professor Wexler argues, in turn, that much of what is recorded in books and then retained on library bookshelves is, for the most part, inaccessible to the great masses, and that the panacea for such is making all that is available in the electronic avenues which serve as the new and updated repositories of information.  And the argument is hinted that such a reliquary as a library has limited use, its "books gathering dust," whereas modern electronic media is more widely acquired and used by far greater numbers of people. 

"But the one I did hear during the professorial dialogue was paramount in understanding the play - a war between the format or platform for retaining information - whether electronically or in hard copy form." 

It was at this point I decided that Professor Wexler was not an antagonist but a protagonist, ultimately the only one in the play.  He is right - the wider accessibility of electronic media is better than all the libraries of the world sitting in quiet and staid possession of all the books on their shelves.  This is not easy for me to write or admit to - it is, in fact, quite a revelation, perhaps an epiphany for me.

In my house are many, many books.  I've estimated there are about 3000 books somewhere and perhaps another 1000 in the boxes of my garage.  I am a hoarder of books.  Most are political, historical, or theological in nature, as are the entries of this blog.  But there are also most of the texts I purchased in high school or college.  There are dozens of Bibles and interpretations of Bibles.  There are so many Penguin and Folder editions of Shakespeare's works such that I could probably provide every actor in a performance of As You Like It with their own copy of the play.  At the auction of my great-grandfather's possessions in 1979, I purchased all of his library materials.  When my high school was closed in 1981 and a number of books marked to be discarded, I salvaged them from the dump and allotted them an eternal home in my library.  There is presently the one overdue library book, an autobiography of Gore Vidal, part of the public treasury of the Louisville Free Public Library.  There are probably  six or eight books belonging to other others.  I know for a fact I presently have books belonging to Tony McAdam, Bobby Simpson, Ken Herndon, and one belonging to the late Ed Prichard.  And there are a number of books taken from the shelves of libraries due to changes in accepted language, books which may use words no longer deemed acceptaable by many.  While the word "fuck" is regularly acceptable, the words "colored" and "negro" are, for the most part, not.  This is an entirely different discussion so let's let that go for the moment.  Ironically, there is one book missing from my library, borrowed in 2005, and the culprit of its absence was Migael Dickerson, my date for the night.  If anyone comes across an errant copy of "Getting Life in Perspective" please reclaim it for me.  It was written in 1991 by Toby Johnson and is a very intersting read - almost utopian.  But, again, I digress.

Of all these books in my personal library, few if any have ever been perused by anyone other than me - the notable exception being the missing Getting Life in Perspective.  Professor Wexler's character points out the error of this misfortune.  Books aren't meant to be hoarded, or if so, such a hoard should be made available to anyone and everyone by the most efficient means possible.  His answer for that is an electronic-media warehouse of some sort.  Of course, that isn't possible with my collection of mostly non-fiction hardbound writngs.  I must endeavor to make my library more accessible, something that has never occurred to me before.  And, while a morbid thought, I think I need to specify in my Will some more specific disposition of this most valued part of my estate.  That, too, has never crossed my mind.

Thus, even if the acting wasn't up to my expectations and the acoustics less than desirable, the play's message was heard loud and clear.  For that I am grateful.

The play's run continues this weekend.

737 - the answers to 734's trivia

I've rarely posted a trivia game that didn't draw answers from at least two regular readers here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606.  But the game offered at the end of post #734 had only one contestant, so, despite not fully answering all of the questions, and skipping the bonus in its entirety, the winner of the quiz is Michael Garton, known in some circles as Eli.

Here is the quiz, followed by his answers, followed by my answers -

1.  I mentioned "Fourth Street" above.  Where was that?  What was the name of the building where "Fourth Street" was housed? Michael offered the answer of Democratic HQ, then amended his answer with the Brennan Building, formerly the Vienna Restaurant, which is a correct answer.  Brennan was the name of a family of donors to the local Democratic Party in the early to mid 20th century.  Read up on the Vienna Restaurant, one of Louisville's finest dining establishments at one time.  The building was leveled to make way for the Cowger Garage at 4th and Market.  Also leveled in that project was The Decanter Lounge, around the corner from HQ, and a longtime local watering hole for local pols. 

2.  The 45th District, once in Jefferson County, is now in Fayette County.  Who was the last Jefferson County Democrat to serve as 45th District State Representative? Michael correctly answered Dottie Priddy, whose life and death are memorialized in an entry on the day of her death, June 30, 2008.  See http://ohioriver606.blogspot.com/2008/06/352-rest-in-peace-dottie-priddy.html

3.  I mentioned Fibber McGee's Tavern in Okolona.  For whom was it named and why does the answer have anything to do with the answer to Question #3? Michael's answer was incorrect.  Bill "Fibber" McGee was a tavern owner and politician in Okolona in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.  His last race for State Representative was against Dottie Priddy, which he lost.  He successfully ran for the State Senate, representing the 19th District, in the early 1980s.  See http://ohioriver606.blogspot.com/2007/03/58-precinct-conventions-ld-elections.html

4.  I mentioned Governor Brown and Lieutenant Governor Stovall, who were opponents in the 1979 race.  Who was Governor Brown's lieutenant governor running mate in 1979 and, as a bonus, what do the two of them - Brown and his running mate - have in common as far as subsequent races in Kentucky for lieutenant governor? Michael correctly identified Martha Layne Collins as Brown's running mate.  But he skipped the bonus question about Brown, Collins, and subsequent races for lieutenant governor.  The bonus answer is each of their sons unsuccessfully sought the office of lieutenant governor, Steve Collins in 1991 and John Y. Brown III in 2003.

5.  I mentioned that Governor Brown's Republican opponent was Louie B. Nunn.  Who was the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor that year?   As a note, while this person lost that race, they presently serve in one of the most powerful positions of anyone in Kentucky. Michael's answer of Kentucky Congressman Harold "Hal" Rogers, Republican of the 5th District, is correct.  After losing the race in 1979, the next year Rogers won the congressional seat, and has held it ever since, running unopposed in six of his elections.  He is the longest serving Kentucky Republican elected to a federal office and is currently chair of the House Appropriations Committee, one of the most powerful positions in the federal government.

5.  This year's convention will be held at the State Fairgrounds, a name eschewed by state government officials.  What is the official name, according to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, for this Louisville venue?  Michael's answer is correct - the Kentucky Exposition Center.  It is a PR move to get away from the provincial sounding "Fairgrounds."  I spent the day today at the "Fairgrounds" and typically refer to the venue as the "Fairgrounds" because it is where we hold the Kentucky State Fair, which this year will be held August 16 through August 26.

P2. The second in a series of Prayers - September 5, 2010

PRAYERS FOR THE FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 

SEPTEMBER 5, 2010

Reader:  We call upon Heaven in thanksgiving for what we have and with humility for what we seek, praying God of Grace, Hear Us.

We call upon Heaven seeking peace, desiring good and great things for all the people of the world and for the world itself, and asking for God’s blessing upon his church, and especial guidance for our new Bishop Terry White, praying God of Grace, Hear Us.

We call upon Heaven to address the needs of The Episcopal Church of the Sudan within our Anglican Communion, and the Department of Justice and Jubilee Ministries within the Diocese of Kentucky, and for Bardstown Road Presbyterian Church within the Highland Community Ministries, knowing the labor of these women and men of God are just and good, praying God of Grace, Hear Us.

We call upon Heaven giving thanks for our nation and its leaders.  We pray for President Obama and for all in positions of power, that you will grant to them wise counsel and adherence to your will, praying God of Grace, Hear Us.

We call upon Heaven to celebrate our national holiday, Labor Day, a day of rest for all who labor and work to fulfill the Kingdom of God here in our temporal home.  We also pray for that same day of rest for our world, the Earth.  We seek the understanding of the limits of resources our Earth can deliver, and acknowledge that we must give back, caring for this place as we would care for ourselves, praying God of Grace, Hear Us.  

We call upon Heaven for deliverance from all affliction, strife, and need.  We seek to feed the hungry, house the homeless, and provide for the needy, wherever and whoever they may be.  We pray for those travelling this holiday weekend that their journeys be safe and happy.  We pray for those in prisons and hospitals, and especially for our Armed Services throughout the world.  We pray for our Parish, our Rector Tim, our Deacon Eva, our Vestry, and all who labor for the needs of Advent Church.  We ask also for your healing hand upon [Advent names go here], praying God of Grace, Hear Us.

We call upon Heaven to accept into your Kingdom all those who have died, all Children of God, especially [Advent names go here], that in this final home we may all joyfully celebrate our fellowship as your Daughters and Sons forever, praying God of Grace, Hear Us.

Celebrant:  God of mercy and grace, hear these prayers of your people, judging them with reason and thoughtfulness, and grant to us our needs to better serve you and one another.  Amen.

P1. The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, July 19, 2009

PRAYERS FOR THE SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, JULY 19, 2009


As God has called us to be his daughters and sons, we now call upon him with our needs and concerns, responding, By Your Grace, Hear Our Prayer.

1) We pray for our Advent Church family, for Bishop Ted, for Fr. Tim, for the Vestry, for the ministries for ourselves and those in need, seeking to answer God’s call to be his children; we pray for his guidance when we are deciding who it is we will serve, why it is we believe, and how it is that others know we are children of God; By Your Grace, Hear Our Prayer.

2) We pray for the church of all believers in the risen Christ, praying for and with our fellow Anglicans in the Church of Pakistan, our Episcopal family at Grace Church Hopkinsville, and our neighbors in the Highland Community Ministries at Highland Baptist Church; asking God to lead each of these bodies to the realization that whoever we are, in whatever place whether of power or poverty, we have all been called children of God; By Your Grace, Hear Our Prayer.

3) We pray for the leaders of the world, especially our president Barack, and all persons in positions of authority. We pray that through you, these leaders will be resolute in their duties of meeting the basic human needs of all people, of addressing abuses against the less-fortunate, of restoring and creating human and civil rights, and of ending despair wherever it is found, knowing they are called to serve all the children of God; By Your Grace, Hear Our Prayer.

4) We pray for our own families, our own trials, our own needs; we pray for our sisters and brothers, mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, wives and husbands and partners and friends, acknowledging your role as parent and provider and our role as worker and child. We pray for sustained health, clarity of mind, and determination of soul. We pray for your help in all these parts and parcels of our lives as children of God; By Your Grace, Hear Our Prayer.

5) We give praise and thanksgiving, for where we live, for who we know, for our forms of employment, retirement, entertainment, worship, and rest. We give thanks for the gifts of hospitality, education, comfort, and companionship. In our abundance, we also pray for those
in need, the sick of Advent Church, for [names go here], and for those other concerns we now address by word or in silence, [time goes here]; we pray as a family for a fulfillment of their health and needs; By Your Grace, Hear Our Prayer.

6) We also give thanks and offer prayers for those no longer among us, with whom we have shared our lives and hopes in this temporal place, especially remembering [Advent names go here], and all those, whoever they might be, whether by name or in silence, [time goes here]; we pray that all may one day be together as children of God; By Your Grace, Hear Our Prayer.

Conclusion of Prayers by Celebrant.
O God we pray with the innocence of our childhood, the knowledge of our present being, and the great hope of our future, that as a shepherd you guide us beside still waters, as a parent you protect us from harm and hurt, and by your goodness and mercy bring us together as one to share with Christ your son our eternity forever, Amen.

736. Prayers of the People

I've been reading prayers at church for many years.  I did so at my former church, Holy Family, and began doing so at my current church even before I was technically a member.  However, at Holy Family I was reading prayers prepared by others.  On a few occasions, I balked at what I was asked to read and took the liberty of emending the prayers from the lectern.  That is not the case at Advent, where I am reading prayers I have written.

Because this blog tends to be a repository of some of my writing I thought it would be appropriate to re-post the prayers over here.

In the Episcopal Church, the Prayers of the People are read each Sunday.  The Book of Common Prayer offers several "forms" to follow but also allows for some diversion away from these forms.  At Advent, there is a rotation of several prayer writers and readers.  We all follow the forms to a point but add our own writing talents and styles to the petitions.

It is my intention to post here on the blog all of the Prayers I have written over time.  They will be numbered with the letter P followed by a number.  I do not know how many I've written.  I'm still gathering them up.  Following this entry will be the first set, written for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, 2009.  As a note, tomorrow, or technically today since it is after midnight, is the Day of Pentecost for 2012.

735. Pandora Productions's Bare - a review

One line of Pandora Productions's mission is to "ignite and celebrate the unfailing hope and triumph of the human spirit."  That it does.

Tonight my friend Michael and I attended the closing performance of the rock-opera Bare, staged in the Bingham Theatre at Actors Theatre of Louisville on West Main Street.  The show's run began May 10th.  It was first performed at the Hudson Mainstage Theater in Hollywood, California on October 14, 2000.  Pandora's Producing Artistic Director, Michael Drury, brought the production to Louisville under the sponsorship of CaolSpa Rejuventation Center and Calobrace Plastic Surgery Center, and overall sponsorship from Michael Taggart Photography.

Let me get down some thoughts before I forget them, something which happens much more often that I usually admit.

First, I've never been to a Pandora play where a few tears were not shed.  This one was no exception.

Second, this was a musical and there were more than a few really great performances, all accompanied by a really great set of musicians.  (I will be adding more about the musicians later - when I get the info).

Third, an ensemble cast appeals to me, where several cast members have several important performances simultaneously.  You see the "simul" in simultaneously and the "sembl" in ensemble are etymological cousins meaning "together."  An ensemble cast acts several differing parts together.  Okay, I'm getting too technical.  Just let me say, I was in a high school play performed by an ensemble cast - a play which involved a group of high school seniors trying to find their place in the world.  That play was "Here and Now."  This play had some borrowings from that one.

Fourth, as a Shakespeare aficionado, I enjoyed the parallels between this play and the play within the play, Romeo and Juliet, from star-crossed lovers to the deaths of best friends at a young age.  It is a wonderful technique and the play made full use of the inventory.

Finally, poignantly, one scene in particular reminded me of my friend Rob and his single alliance with a particular young lady which led to her pregnancy, with the child born of that alliance delivered one week to the day after Rob's untimely death. 

I think I've covered the outline.  Let me go into a little detail.  The play concerns seniors at a Catholic boarding school in their final days as students together.  Keeping straight - no pun intended - who was in love with whom required a short-form score card, but once you understood, it all made sense.

There was the star, Peter - who in one reversal of roles, denies Christ, in the person of the priest/headmaster, instead of the other way around as presented in the Gospels concerning Jesus's last days before the Crucifixion.  Peter was played by Robbie Lewis in his fifth Pandora performance.  Robbie sings throughout the play and his singing ability is first-rate, top-shelf.  I told him as much in the rope-line following the performance.

Peter's love interest in the play is Jason, played by Jason Button, who is torn between feelings for Peter as well as another student, a female.  I feel bad here, because I am not sure who the woman was in that role.  I believe her to be Katie Nuss, but I could be wrong - it could have been Valerie Hopkins.  Again, my apologies.  Whichever it was, she was quite a singer.  In the play, while being chased by another boy, Matt, she was betrayed by Jason, but not before he left her pregnant with his child.  Jason loses his life to a drug overdose toward the very end of the play, leaving the cast mournful on their graduation day.  How many of us went through high school only to lose a friend to drugs, alcohol, or a car wreck on prom night?

Again, the female love interest (who I can't identify) had another would-be suitor in Matt, protrayed by Amos Dreisbach, who is a Theater Arts senior at the University of Louisville.  Amos is great in the role of the unrequited lover.  Amos, too, has a suitor in whom he has no interest (if I followed the story line correctly).  That was Nadia, played by Kate Holland.  Kate is a U of L graduate in Theater Arts.  She plays a forlorn and overweight girl who feels rejection at every turn.  Every one of these turns is played out in some stunning singing performances by Kate, the best of the cast.

I've covered the main "relationship" roles and their intracacies, but there were others in the play worth mentioning.  The play's "badboy" is Lucas, played by Neill Robertson.  One of my seven faithful readers may recall that I've previously identified Neill as the best "Jack Worthing" I've ever seen performed.  In this role, rather than the dapper and meticulous "Uncle Jack" Neill is a ne'er-do-well, a goth perhaps, and the local provider of drugs and alcohol, but one who is often seen in the play as off to the side and by himself.  In his featured role, he does a fantastic rap number from atop a picnic table, launching himself at the end into the stage below.  It was very good.

Two other women are important in the play, that of Peter's mother Claire - as a note, the older woman in my high school play "Here and Now" was Claire - in this play emphatically performed by Susan Lynch, although while performed emphatically, the role itself was a good definition of a lack of empathy.  Susan's appearance from a balcony off stage added to the Juliet leit-motif of the the play.  Finally, and importantly, there was the performance of Chantelle and Mary - yes, that Mary, Jesus's mother.  In one scene, Peter reports to Jason of a dream in which Mary, the ever-virgin mother of God, appears as a full-bodied black woman in a playboy bunny outfit of sorts accompanied by similarly attired angels-in-waiting.  Mary's message is simple - God loves you as you are.  In other words, also heard in the play, "God don't make no junk."  The Mary character is supremely played by Tymika Prince in her debut performance with Pandora.  Appropriately, Tymika dedicated this performance to her own mother.  A note here - as a Catholic kid (although I wasn't officially one until I was 18 and gave up that role at the age of 49), I have a strong love of and affection for Mary.  Mary is represented in every good woman, indeed in every woman and Tymika made a great representation of her tonight.  That may be hard for some to accept, but in the end, every boy loves his mom, and the one mom we all share is Mary, the mother of Jesus.  She is Everywoman.

I've overlooked a few characters - the priest and a few other kids in the school.  They had their parts and were well-performed.  Of particular, and perhaps where I should have began this review, is at the beginning.  The play begins during a mass for the Feast of the Epiphany.  The whole play is epiphanical in its message.  Beginning at Epiphany was a great foreshadowing, another leit-motif.

In closing, let me say a word about the closing.  It happened before I knew it had happened.  The entire story had, indeed, been told by that point - the epiphany revealed and experienced.  I just didn't know it was going to happen and be over with.  That, however, is what happens once an epiphany is made.  More often that not, the build-up to such a moment is far greater than whatever happens once the event has occurred.  Post-event is truly anti-climatic.  Life gets easier.

I had a really good time with this play - the performances mixed but mostly above average with a few of the singers, as noted, par excellence.  Congratulations to Mr. Drury and the cast and staff of Pandora Productions.  

734. State Democratic Party elections - an announcement and a trivia contest

As many of you know - probably all of you - I am involved with the Democratic Party not just as a registered voter but also as an internal Party official.  My involvement with the Democratic Party, other than as a voter, began in April 1980, when I announced my candidacy for Legislative District Vice Chair of the 45th District, which, at the time, covered areas from Jefferson Hill and Keys Ferry roads on the west, eastward over to McNeely Lake Park and Pennsylvania Run on the east, all generally south of the old Louisville City Limits line starting around Strawberry Lane and Southside Drive eastward over to the Outer Loop and what we used to call Old Shep, now known as Shepherdsville Road, and extending southward to the Jefferson-Bullitt County line.  I ran that year on a ticket with Carolyn Beauchamp, an advertising and public relations lady from Okolona.  We opposed the incumbent LD Chair Ed Louden and his Vice Chair candidate Betty Jo Monroe, who were also from Okolona, which was, generally, the center of the district.  At the time, I was 19 years old.

When LD Election Day arrived, we were hopeful for victory.  As the incumbent, Mr. Louden had chosen as the site for the LD election the old Fibber McGee's Tavern, which had just a few years earlier relocated from a block west of Preston on Pinecroft Drive to its still-current location at the corner of Preston and Pinecroft.  With the votes tallied, Carolyn and I were declared the winners and proceeded downtown to "Fourth Street" where the county-wide races were held for County Chair and Vice Chair.  In those days, we did not have an At-Large person for each LD as we do now. Back then, there were seven or eight At-Large positions.  Quite frankly, they were, by an unspoken agreement, somewhat reserved for some special interests which supported the Party apparatus with both personnel and greenbacks.  The At-Large folks were nominated at the meeting and chosen a month later.

Thus began what has been a life-long involvement for me with the inner workings of the Democratic Party at both the county and state level.  Later that summer, I attended the State Democratic Convention, held that year at the Capitol Plaza, a downtown Frankfort development built in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  As I have done at every State Democratic Convention then and since, I got myself nominated for a seat on the State Central Executive Committee.  That year I ran for the "Person Under 30" position - it is now the "Person Under 35" position - from the Fourth Congressional District where I was a resident.  As a note, my mother still lives in that residence, but her representative district in Congress has gone from the 4th to the 2nd and this year, finally, to the 3rd.  As a second note, she is proudly displaying a yardsign for my favorite member of Congress, John Yarmuth, who has come to be known, thanks to a creative writer ironically from Lexington, as Congressman Awesome.  But, I digress.

I lost that race to someone named Neil - who he was I don't really know.  What I did know was that he was supported by higher-ups than me, most especially the governor, at the time, John Young Brown, Jr.  Brown had been elected the previous year in a race where, in the Primary, I supported then-Lt. Governor Thelma Stovall, the first of the two female lieutenant governors, who served successive terms, from the Commonwealth.  Governor Brown's November opponent was former Governor Louie B. Nunn, who, while a Republican, always seemed to be very well-respected in my family's home.  I voted for Brown in the Fall race.

That loss at the state convention was the first of many I would go on to lose.  Every four years, I'd get myself nominated, either at the Congressional Caucus level in the morning sessions or at the State At-Large levels in the afternoon.  For two conventions in a row, Tom Barrow and I made our way to the microphone together, he to nominate me and me him.  Neither of us were ever elected.

My continued success at losing state races was not mirrored at the local level.  Due to a relocation, I found myself living in the 35th District, then generally a compact area from Broadway south to the Watterson and from the L&N RR east to Newburg Road.  In that district, over time I served in the appointed position of Secretary as well as the elected positions of At-Large and, eventually in 2000, Legislative District Chair.  That position is currently held by Colleen Younger.  In 2001, then-Party Chair Larry Clark appointed me as the Jefferson County Party's By-Laws chair and a group of us proceeded to rewrite and codify the local By-Laws, passing them by the committee in late 2001.  I held the By-Laws chair position for many years, even after my term on the Executive Committee expired in 2004, although I am no longer there.

It was 2004 when I finally won a seat on the State Committee at a convention held in Lexington.  With the help and encouragement of Aaron Horner, his former wife Mary Ellen Weiderwohl, and Dr. Ted Shlechter, a South Louisville political activist, and others, including Jerry Lundergan and Dale Emmons, I unseated one of the two sitting "committeemen" and took my own seat as Third Congressional District Committeeman, alongside the late Leonard Gray, a friend and mentor who lived in the Chickasaw neighborhood of Louisville's West End.

In 2008, after a contested race, I was seated as a State At-Large member on the State Central Committee.  I've enjoyed attending County Executive Committee meetings across the state, although generally not far from here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606.  I've been to meetings in Jefferson, Bullitt, Shelby, Franklin, Oldham, Trimble, Grayson, Powell, Mason, Caldwell, and Fulton counties, among others.  My term as a State At-Large member comes to an end at the end of this month.

For several reasons, I've considered not running again in the committeeman position - at either the congressional level or the state level.  I've encouraged a few others to make the race and I am confident several will.  Among those who I think would make a good addition to the State Party are Charles Booker and Shawn Reilly, both of whom could run as either a committeeman or a committeeyouth.  I've also told Abby Woehrle she would be a good addition.  I know that my friends Allison Amon and Queenie Averette will seek re-election as committeewomen, so I am hopeful that should Abby run, she does so in the youth position.  My options to run are limited to two - either as a committeeman at the congressional level or in an At-Large position at the statewide level, something I've really enjoyed these last four years.

Much of my enjoyment has been as a member of the By-Laws Committee on the State Party.  I had served on this committee from 2004-2008 but was not reappointed until 2011 by the current Party Chair Dan Logsdon.  Our committee has been in the process of a meticulous study of the By-Laws, article-by-article, under the direction of By-Laws Chair George Mills, who has done a wonderful job of keeping interest alive in a process which is tedious for many.  I'm not one of those - I completely enjoy the work.

For that reason, I've decided to run again at the convention in two weeks.  I will be seeking my old post of Third Congressional District Committeeman, the post I held from 2004 to 2008.  To those of you who are eligible to vote in the Third Congressional District caucus on the morning of June 2nd, I am humbly asking for your support and vote.  While I am not confident of a win, I am confident that I could serve well, especially in the completion of the task of rewriting those sections of the State Party By-Laws in need of amendment.  If I lose, I may run in the afternoon session since it has been a tradition for me since 1980, 32 years ago.

Thanks for reading and let me know how you feel about my candidacy.

*****

Some political trivia for you.

1.  I mentioned "Fourth Street" above.  Where was that?  What was the name of the building where "Fourth Street" was housed?

2.  The 45th District, once in Jefferson County, is now in Fayette County.  Who was the last Jefferson County Democrat to serve as 45th District State Representative?

3.  I mentioned Fibber McGee's Tavern in Okolona.  For whom was it named and why does the answer have anything to do with the answer to Question #3?

4.  I mentioned Governor Brown and Lieutenant Governor Stovall, who were opponents in the 1979 race.  Who was Governor Brown's lieutenant governor running mate in 1979 and, as a bonus, what do the two of them - Brown and his running mate - have in common as far as subsequent races in Kentucky for lieutenant governor?

5.  I mentioned that Governor Brown's Republican opponent was Louie B. Nunn.  Who was the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor that year?   As a note, while this person lost that race, they presently serve in one of the most powerful positions of anyone in Kentucky.

5.  This year's convention will be held at the State Fairgrounds, a name eschewed by state government officials.  What is the official name, according to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, for this Louisville venue? 

Post your answers in the Comments section below.

733 addendum - How did I do?

Not very well.  None of my Exacta Bets would have been cashed.  I did get half of the entry here and there, but not enough to write about.  Although, that is exactly what I am doing - writing about it, because that's what I do.


So, below will be my prediction and the actual winners.  My choices, if in the money, will be bolded.

Race 1 - My choices - Point Taken and Politicallycorrect.  The winning Exacta ticket was Atigun and Politicallycorrect.

Race 2 - My choices - Easy Vice and Hamiltonian.  The winning Exacta ticket was Big Ring and Vasten.

Race 3 - My choices - Windsurfer and Skyking.  The winning Exacta ticket was Skyking and Golden Ticket.

Race 4 - My choices - Southern Anthem and Vertiformer.  The winning Exacta ticket was Night Party and The Program.

Race 5 - My choices - Mile High Magic and Adena's Choice. The winning Exacta ticket was Macho Macho and Thelmal Cat.

Race 6 - My choices - Bridgetown and Great Mills.  The winning Exacta ticket was Great Attack and Bridgetown.

Race 7 - My choices - Shackleford and Will's Wildcat.  The winning Exacta ticket was Shackleford and Amazombie.

Race 8 - My choices - Annabel Lee and Marketing Mix.  The winning Exacta ticket was Hungry Island and Tapitsfly.

Race 9 - My choices - Musical Romance and Salty Strike.  The winning Exacta ticket was Groupie's Doll and Musical Romance.

Race 10 - My choices - Get Stormy and Slim Shadey.  The winning Exacta ticket was Little Mike and Slim Shadey.

Race 11 - My choices - (I offered two sets) - Union Rags and Creative Cause - and - I'll Have Another and El Padrino.  The winning Exacta ticket was I'll Have Another and Bodemeister.

Race 12 - My choices - Enclosure and Da Price.  The winning Exacta ticket was Bet The Power and Shrill.

Race 13 - My choices - the entry of Dynamical and Moon Traveler with Grand Contender.  The winning Exacta ticket was Mr. Ticket and Dynamical.

So, to recap, of the 29 horses I expected to be in the money, 8 of them were.  In baseball, I'd be batting .276, not all that shabby in my book.  And, this was my book.

Happy Derby and congratulations to I'll Have Another with jockey Mario Gutierrez aboard, pictured at the top, on their win in the 138th Kentucky Derby.

733. The 138th Kentucky Derby and twelve other races

Being a born-and-raised Kentuckian, I, like all Kentuckians - and especially those from Louisville and Lexington - have become something of an expert of horse racing, an affliction which happens every year around the First Saturday in May, a High Holy Day in Louisville, wherein will take place the 138th Kentucky Derby, the eleventh race on a card of thirteen.

Tomorrow - weather permitting - we've had some hellacious weather the last few days - 150,000 or so patrons of the Sport of Kings will descend upon Churchill Downs for an afternoon of fun, frolic, and figuring out a racing sheet. That's where this entry comes in. I've made my predictions - bets which I may make in each of tomorrow's races. My bet of choice is the Exacta Box, where you pick two horses, either one of which will finish first and the other one second. There are many other "exotic" type bets but this is my favorite. So, if you haven't decided on your bets tomorrow, print this post and carry it with you to the track. You just might come home winner. Or, maybe you won't - remember the people at Churchill Downs are capitalists and the idea is for you to leave with them having taken possessions of your money. I'm offering you a chance to at least have a few bucks for a tank of gas to get you back on the interstates and out of Louisville by sun-up on Sunday.

Race 1 - 1 1/16 miles for 3 year olds - #1 Point Taken and #5 Politicallycorrect.

Race 2 - 6 furlongs for 3 year olds and older - #5 Easy Vice and #6 Hamiltonian.

Race 3 - 1 1/16 miles for 3 year olds - #10 Windsurfer and #1 Skyking.

Race 4 - 1 1/16 miles for 3 year olds and up on the Turf - #1 Southern Anthem and #5 Vertiformer.

Race 5 - 7 furlongs for 3 year olds - #3 Mile High Magic and #13 Adena's Choice. There will no doubt be a number of Exacta Boxes honoring the Kentucky Wildcat Basketball 2012 NCAA Champions, boxing #5 Big Blue Nation with #7 Devoted Wildcat.

Race 6 - The Twin Spires Turf Sprint - 5 furlongs for 4 year olds and up - #4 Bridgetown and #10 Great Mills.

Race 7 - 7 furlongs for 4 year olds and up - #4 Shackleford and #8 Will's Wildcat.

Race 8 - The Churchill Distaff Turf - 1 mile for 4 year olds and up - this is one you can make some money on - #6 (and the longshot) Annabel Lee and #3 Marketing Mix.

Race 9 - 7 furlongs for 4 year olds and up - #8 Musical Romance and #4 Salty Strike.

Race 10 - 1 1/8 miles for 4 year olds and up on the Turf - #4 Get Stormy and #5 Slim Shadey.

Race 11 - The 138th Kentucky Derby, ran continously on the track at Churchill Downs every year since 1875 - I'm offering two bets here, the first for the conservative better (me) and the second for the less-conservative better - #4 Union Rags and #8 Creative Cause. This is a bet I've already made. The exotic for this race is #19 I'll Have Another and #16 El Padrino. I've made this one as well.

Race 12 - 6 1/2 furlongs - 3 year olds and up - #11 Enclosure and #5 Da Price

Race 13 - 1 mile for 3 year olds and up - there is an entry in this race where two horses are paired up and bet under one number. I always bet entries, so #1 and #1A Dynamical and Moon Traveler and #3 Grand Contender.

*****

I'll be out of town for the race and may end up at Keeneland in Fayette County, something I did last year. We'll check back on Sunday and see who took my advice and was a winner.

Happy Derby!

By the way, what is the name of the horse in the picture? This should be easy.