Talking about Trump in Italy

I knew people would asked if I liked Trump. I was prepared to answer that with a resounding "NO!"

That was the easy part. Explaining why I don't like him, and how many other people don't like him, and how he ended up in power anyway was more difficult, partly for available vocabulary and partly because there's just too much to mention.

They don't really know how bad he is, and it makes sense that they don't.

There are noticeable similarities between Trump and former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, but even though I know Berlusconi came off as kind of a buffoon, I didn't know much else about him. There might have been things he did right.

As it turns out, Berlusconi served through four governments; it required that much reorganizing. Then he was banned and would have gone to jail, but the sentence was commuted because of his age. Italy is now on its fourth prime minister since Berlusconi. There was some corruption and tax fraud, so they do get that.

The other key difference is that when their government is falling apart and reforming, so far it has not been something that has affected pensions and health care. I am sure there are effects that matter. Job creation could be huge, because the job markets there are very tough now and economic expansion can be easier with a stable, effective government. Also there are issues with the declining birth rate that could probably be aided through immigration or finding ways of retraining. I'm sure a good leader could be very helpful, but by and large the instability of the government does not automatically lead to instability in daily life.

(Still, a lot of what was once safe in Britain has changed, so you can never rule that out.)

Logically, if the US press spent more time on Clinton's emails than Trump not releasing tax returns, cheating workers, sexual harassment, collusion with Russia, racist incitement, pretended charitable giving that tended to benefit him and may sometimes have involved money laundering, and everything else, well, it's hardly surprising if the Italian press didn't cover it.

Much of that shouldn't matter nearly as much to them as it does to us, but some of it does. If Russia used similar techniques to try and sway British and French elections - not just US elections - that is something every country should be looking at.

The day after the election, a friend of mine in Poland sent a message to her American friends that we could come live with her. I appreciated that, but I wasn't sure how safe Poland would be. I did try and tell a cousin about that, and he didn't think an invasion of Poland was likely, but I think now he might have thought I meant Trump invading.

No, I do not see Trump invading Poland. However, Putin's actions in Ukraine, and Trump's initial denial of it, were discouraging enough. That is before Trump weakened US relations with NATO in general and Germany specifically, items definitely on Putin's wish list. Then when you consider how long Russian sources have been funding Trump golf courses, and his being brought to Russia in the '80s with that relationship apparently still existent despite numerous administrative changes, and not only many members of Trump's inner circle having Russian connections, but also Jill Stein who should have been pretty opposite, well, you have to wonder how many angles Russia is playing and to what end.

So, yes, I worry about Europe.

The other frequent question was whether people regretted voting for him.

I was able to talk a little about how farmers are suffering first, with their traditional labor sources being afraid of getting deported, and how that also affects the businesses where the immigrants shopped, with those customers being absent. I had to answer honestly that a lot of people are not feeling it yet, and will not care until it hurts them personally. That there are some people who probably are already suffering but still in denial about it again exceeded my vocabulary.

That leads us more into tomorrow's post, but let me close today by saying that I frequently saw the need of creating a primer on Trump that could succinctly cover all of the issues, and then translating that primer into Italian.

It could still happen.

Band Review: Eduardo Slompo

Eduardo Slompo has a Youtube channel and is based in Sidney.

Offerings on the channel include live recording sessions, a cappella mash-ups, and one man band performances recorded separately and combined. With well over one hundred videos, he shows a fairly impressive ability with multiple instruments and styles. There is talent and skill.

At the same time, reviewing them all together gets a bit boring. I believe the preferred model would be to subscribe and then watch new videos as they go up.

I thought that the mash-ups might be a way of breaking out of the routine, creating interesting arrangements of songs you might not expect to go together. Instead, they tend to shove many opening lines into a small time frame. That was most obvious with the Beatles, but most disappointing on the Queen mash-up.

It could have made so much sense to instead do a one-man band version of "Bohemian Rhapsody", or maybe a focused mash-up of "Bohemian Rhapsody" with one or two others of their more dramatic songs: "I Want to Break Free"? There are so many ways you could go there.

I have previously criticized other bands for relying too much on covers without creating their own music. In a case like this, covers can make sense, but there should still be a place for personal creative vision, and the lack of that is felt here.

https://www.facebook.com/eduardoSlompoYouTubeChannel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC48cfYIFMl8du1R5kD-bcwg

https://twitter.com/eduardoslompo84

Band Review: Michael Zabrocki

Michael Zabrocki is a singer and songwriter from New York. Also serving as the Director of Music Ministries for Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church and Public Relations and Marketing Director for Christian Music Pioneer, that should be enough to keep three people busy. Despite multiple responsibilities, he still has a fair amount of music output.

Songs have a soothing feel with spiritual messages; more Christian easy listening than Christian rock, and it works. Vocal harmony is layered with the instruments, giving a sound that is full but not overpowering. At times it sounds like he is playing the harpsichord, which rather than making the music sound old makes it sound kind of timeless.

"Unless a Grain of Wheat" felt a little forced to me, as if it were trying to hard to incorporate scriptural passage into song. Other songs, in their simple expressions of joy and gratitude, were more effective. I especially liked "Welcome Sweet Morn".

https://www.zabrockimusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ZabrockiMusic

https://www.youtube.com/user/Zabrocki

https://www.reverbnation.com/michaelzabrocki

https://twitter.com/michaelzabrocki

What was that again?

I was better prepared to talk about death than politics, which ended up being even darker. However, I am going to put writing about that off into next week. Today I will just amuse you with some stories of misunderstandings.

My first trip to Italy was in 2006. I knew listening would be easier than talking, so I had thought of some questions to ask and let people talk. One of those was asking about their work.

In many ways this was a failure; Italians do not share our American tendency to self-define by career. The office is just something you do. However, one of the most interesting answers was also the one that lost me completely.

One couple worked a compressed work week, and they took advantage of the extra days off to show me around. They were not technically cousins, but the nephew (with his wife) of my aunt's husband.

I thought they said that they worked in a key factory. I did think it was odd that to explain it they mentioned key parties and sex, but when you are not sure someone is understanding, you may reach for examples.

Helpful vocabulary at the time would have been that fattoria means farm. "Factory" is fabbrica. I did hear "keys", because after she said tacchini, she said "turkeys" for clarification. It wasn't even that I didn't get that she was saying it in English, but I missed the first half. Also, I did hear "sex", because her job was telling the gender of the poults, which is a pretty specific skill.

That taught me on my very first trip that not only can you be very wrong, but you may not have any idea that you're wrong until something comes up later.

One helpful strategy can be asking different people the same question. That can be good even without the language barrier, because different people will emphasize different details, and you get a full picture.

For two particular misunderstandings on this recent trip, it wasn't that I asked anyone else or did any follow-up; we just talked more and things came out.

On my first day - when I am always less functional - I was asking one cousin how she had been. They had been pretty good, but had recently lost their bird, who had been like a child to them.

I thought.

I guess there were clues, in that I didn't remember them having a bird, and I usually know who has which pets.

In fact, I did not hear uccello, but Marcella. That was not a bird, but her mother-in-law. I had known they were taking care of her mother-in-law, so it really made more sense that way anyway; I just hadn't gotten it right. Mainly, I am grateful that I did not say anything specific to pets or birds.

The other thing happened with one aunt who talks a lot, so I go in assuming I will miss some things. She had expressed some concerns about her grandson's hair and tattoos (I think). He is not that extreme, but that seems very grandmotherly, so I wasn't worried.

Then it sounded like she was starting to complain about her daughter-in-law; something wasn't good.

She has never been that kind of mother-in-law, so I wasn't sure if I was getting it right. However, the grandson's mother does usually have colored streaks of some kind in her hair; maybe the grandmother was blaming the mother for the son's beautifully tousled hair. The conversation moved on, and I didn't worry about it too much.

The next time we were talking it came up again, except that time it was clear that it was more worry, and it started to sound like a health issue. Okay, my beloved aunt was a caring mother-in-law like I had thought, which was good, but now there was something else that worried me. That's when it was time to ask another source.

They are saying that it is just that work is really hard and tiring now. I still have some concerns there, because sometimes believing that work will not remain exhausting is merely wishful thinking. At least there is some clarity.

And sometimes it feels that any clarity I have is merely accidental.

The words I cannot say

We got home Wednesday afternoon, having left Tuesday morning. I am still in recovery from the trip.

For the first few days it was just that I kept finding myself drained of energy. It was like recharging a battery, but I had never charged quite long enough to get very far.

As that improved, yesterday I found emotions welling up all over the place, making me randomly weepy. It is still an upward trajectory.

Emotionally it was harder because of my mother's condition, my aunt's condition, and my mother's sorrow about my aunt's condition. Not everything enters memory for her, but that did.

Even when none of that is going on, and all that is going on are happy visits with people I love, there is a lot of mental effort for me in communicating in Italian.

My Italian isn't that great. I had the equivalent of eight years of French study and six years of Spanish. I still get rusty when I am not using it, but the base is stronger. The Lao study I did was intensive, and the simple grammar structure helps a lot. I had one year of classroom experience with Italian, and then about four weeks of family time since then. That is not fluency. I know I threw in a lot of Spanish this time without meaning to.

This time was harder not just because of the emotional components, but also they were strange vocabularies with things we haven't talked about before.

Even if you know every word for talking about death, it's not a conversation that makes everyone comfortable. My aunt will be very content to die. She can say that, and if you try and talk to her about eating and getting stronger, she immediate is very tired. It still doesn't feel quite right to say, "Okay, have at it!"

Of course there are varying degrees of comfort with that. One cousin was talking about being caught between two planes and how it is the universal human struggle, and another responded, "Not if you are Highlander. Or make a deal with the Devil."  (Sometimes understanding is not enough to have a response for it.)

Then, even if you accept it, that doesn't make everything easy. I have had this romantic view in the past that death should simply be like passing from one room into another, but birth isn't like that; we come out screaming. With all of the functionality built in to keep your body living, it doesn't all expire at the same time. There are difficulties. They require patience, and reconciliation. They require some judgment. My aunt is 94, so it is easy to think this is a good time, but what if she were 84, or 74? People die younger than that, but they live past it too. Maybe then you do fight it, instead of accepting it.

It's hard for others as well. I am still at an age where one when of my peers dies it seems unfair. This is my mother's last surviving sibling. Of those gone, two spouses are left. For them, it looks different. There is a feeling of being cut off and left alone. They aren't truly, because there are children and nieces and nephews and grandchildren, but for their generation, it is. For the younger generation, they feel losing their elders.

Truly, we do not have to talk a lot about that to feel that, and to feel that we are in understanding with each other. There are other things that we do need to be able to say: "Are you comfortable?" "Do you want us to bring you anything?" "Is there something you want to do again?" On one visit my aunt mentioned polenta. It was seemingly random, and she wasn't really asking for it, but maybe she wants polenta. We should be able to manage that.

I was able to say the things I wanted to say. This came largely from having looked it up more than once, and being patient and listening to the things she kept repeating. I was able to tell her about that moment when I thought I saw Luciana and Paolo, and that I believed there were good people around. When she said she felt outside of the world (which she had been saying a few times), I was able to tell her that there were other worlds. It's not much, but it felt important to say.

That was our last day there, in the morning. We came back in the afternoon she was so out of it that if I had heard that she died while we were in flight I would not have been surprised. And that didn't happen, because death is not an easy and predictable thing, but it is universal. It is not unreasonable to spend some time learning how to deal with it.

Thoughts from a concert

This is now officially the sixth post about that night. Granted, some of the posts were pretty short, as were the performances they reviewed. It still feels like a lot, but there was a lot going on.

It started at the merch booth, when I saw Lily Pryor shirts.

I like keeping an eye on an artist's Twitter feed leading up to a show, so I had seen that Matt Pryor was posting pictures with his daughter Lily. I thought that meant he loved and was proud of her - which was awesome - but somehow I never got that she was on the tour. I asked the guy working the booth, "Lily's not here, is she?"

"Yeah."

"Is she playing?"

"Yeah. A few songs."

Okay then.

The Doug Fir Lounge is a small venue, and it was easy to be in front. There were four mikes, three guitars, and one ukulele. I was quite sure that the ukulele would be used for accompaniment, so that probably meant three acts, with one guitar each for Lily, Matt, and Dan. When I saw the other guy setting things up, I thought he was crew, but no, that was Chris Margolin, another act. Everything was set up pre-show, but there were enough instruments because there was some sharing of guitars.

There were team-ups. In addition to her own set, Lily came back and joined Matt for a few songs. Matt later came back and joined Dan for some songs. This was cool not just musically, but for the interplay that you got between the artists.

For the record, no, of course Matt Pryor's songs don't all sound alike, but there are some similarities where that worked as a sick burn. Point Lily, except he can ground you. I guess this is what happens when you take your daughter to work. For Matt's rebuttal to Dan that the reason he had not come back on stage yet was that Dan kept starting new songs -- yeah, Dan didn't admit it, but Matt was right.

Other thoughts I had were more about me as a writer, and specifically as a writer of musical things. For example, I realized looking at the stage that I don't know what you call it when you plug in an acoustic. Is it still acoustic? Apparently that is semi-acoustic. That's fine, but also, when you have a guitar that is shaped like an acoustic, including having a sound hole, but there is something filling that sound hole, then what is that? Having a sound hole and filling it instead of simply having a solid body must mean something.

I did enjoy having the upfront view, because I could get a really good look at the set up. For this show, I have never seen so much use of tuning clamps. Mainly I noticed that no one had the Swollen Pickle (might not make sense for such a scaled-down show), but two of them had Orange amps boxes. (Those are the two I can easily recognize.)

That started me thinking about pedal array optimization. I have no idea where you would start, but the idea is intriguing. For now it will be a throwaway line in the next Family book (Family Trip, or maybe Family Vacation) and then it might be something Mark does more with later. I don't know; I plan to finish the series in three more books, and there's a lot of vampires to kill and relationships to resolve before we get there, so there might not be time for everything.

Actually, I may know were to start, because there was one point where Lily needed to change a setting and the stand was getting in the way: Step 1, make sure that the mike stand doesn't get in the way!

Ultimately, I learn more at small shows. I will be at a big show Saturday night, and I expect that to be great too, but it started me thinking about venues.

I was at a show a month ago that I haven't written about. I really only went for the opening act, about whom I have already written a lot, so it seemed reasonable to let it go. That was at Revolution Hall, which after one show I hated. I still mostly hate the setup, but I have to admit the event staff is great, and it is in front of a field where a lot of people walk their dogs, so pre-show you see a lot of dogs, which I enjoy.

Anyway, I started thinking about how perhaps I should try some different things, like watching a band I don't really care for at a venue I really like, or vice versa, and see if I can get more of a perspective on how the venue affects things. It might be impossible to fully account for all of the other variables, but it's something to think about.

Just one more thing that was annoying. Dan said many times that we rocked. While the audience in general was responsive, I was kind of feeling it was not true, because right next to me was a group of girls who would just not shut up. It was annoying when they kept bumping into me, but more annoying that they kept talking. I believe the situation was that there was one fan who brought her friends along, and the friends could not have cared less about the acts or the rest of the audience.

I thought about saying something, but felt like I would come off as an old sourpuss who was just being a jerk. Then, someone else did say something, along the lines of how they had the best places at the show (right up front) and lots of other people would like to be in their spot and they weren't even appreciating it.

They did a little better after that. I still maintain that it is better to go to a show by yourself than drag along people who aren't interested, but I also know that by being there alone I am a freak. Still, the time I did drag someone along it was a terrible show and I always felt guilty about it, no matter how much she said she enjoyed her conversation with the bartender. And I keep going to shows that I would not otherwise go to with a different friend and it works out, so maybe I am not the best judge.

Concert Review: Dan Andriano In The Emergency Room

Two things were very clear from Dan Andriano's set, and one is that Portland loves Dan Andriano.

The Doug Fir Lounge may be a small venue, but it was packed with people who knew his every song, recognizing each intro and knowing the words. They were there for him.

It was also hard to miss that he is intense.

The first I ever saw of him was the Alkaline Trio video for "Mercy Me". I believe it combines stop-frame animation techniques with video, giving kind of an uncanny valley feeling overall. In it, Andriano's hands move really fast. I thought it was just an effect of the video; now I am not so sure. Regardless, there is a vortex of energy within and surrounding Dan Andriano that is far clearer when watching him in person than either listening to him or seeing him in videos. I just want that noted.

While I feel comfortable saying there isn't anyone else like Dan Andriano, it did occur to me earlier that fans of Elvis Costello should check him out. I think they will be pleasantly surprised.

https://www.danandrianointheemergencyroom.com/

https://www.facebook.com/danandrianointheemergencyroom

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvah50edf3WiMVgBvX8pLcw

https://twitter.com/danielandriano

Concert Review: Matt Pryor

In case it is not already obvious, there was a lot going on that Friday night, inside and outside. I believe that even after I complete the individual artist reviews tomorrow, I will need to write one more piece on Monday to wrap everything up. Because of that, there are some things that relate to Matt Pryor's performance that seem like they would go better there, pertaining more to the overall show.

There is one thing that relates to two of the other artists that I need to mention now. Both Lily Pryor and Chris Margolin mentioned having a hard time talking and tuning a guitar at the same time. At a show where no one was switching out guitars, that has a big impact on flow.

Here's the thing. Not only was Matt Pryor's flow uninterrupted by tuning, it was also only barely interrupted but the strap detaching during one song. He did not play while reattaching it - that would have required multiple arms - but he got it back on quickly and restarted with no loss of composure.

Therefore, I have to say that Matt Pryor is an amazing performer.

It's not that I haven't listened to a lot of music with him and enjoyed it. It's not that he wasn't a key part of one of the best overall concerts I have ever been to. I knew all of that, but seeing him in a different situation (a difficult situation) gives me a new appreciation. I would never wish it on anyone, but remembering how a broken guitar string disrupted a Lemonheads set, I can't help but wonder how Pryor would handle that, and think I would be impressed.

The set contained an enjoyable mix of The Get Up Kids and The New Amsterdams material with Pryor's solo work. From very low-key songs to more high energy ones, Pryor filled the intimate space with the appropriate vibes and connected with the audience.

Then again, Matt Pryor is an amazing performer.

https://www.facebook.com/mattpryorsongs/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0ghcz1AddaMAY6YOyBn4Dg

https://mattpryor.bandcamp.com/

https://twitter.com/mattpryorsongs

Almost made it

I really try to be consistent with my internet presence. For the blog, doing so means that I can consistently produce content, which I hope will matter to my writing, and I am usually going through something specific with the songs.

That means that when I am going on the road I think about the blog posts and the daily songs. When I was doing the Throwback Thursdays, I downloaded the Thursday picture onto my laptop before leaving. When I was dong daily selfies, I downloaded a few pictures from the hotel room, though attempts to do similar this time did not work out.

There is probably not very much that indicates how un-hip and nerdy I am as my methods, like choosing the songs and pasting them into a draft email in AOL, but no one is following me for the cutting edge technology.

I had to peak into the next chapter of emo songs, but I got them all selected and ready to go, with every day's worth of "Song of the day", the song and band name, and the link. I write out the whole thing in advance, because the copying and pasting is slow, but it gets done.

I wrote ahead multiple blog drafts, getting me through the Sunday. Some of them were short, but all six got written. That still left two days. I wasn't sure what would happen after that.

I ended up having ideas that gave me Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday I had some ideas, even if not as fully formed. But as I try to write them, I am nearly asleep and the day is almost over.

I am good at consistently producing content, but not that good apparently. At least not with the tools that I have.

There will be other days, but for now I sleep.

Memories at home

The trip has had a lot of nostalgia, but before we left there were different memories coming back. Many of them settled around the Friday night before, when I went to a concert. I will try and write more about the concert tomorrow.

A friend recently said to me that history doesn't repeat, but it rhymes a lot. That feels pretty true.

On the way to the show I was remembering a night not long before our last trip, four years ago. I was joining up with some friends for dinner and then hopping across town for my volunteer orientation for Stumptown Comic Fest. Because of those things - which were good - I was not there when my family first picked up Maeve from PetSmart, via the Cat Adoption Team.

Passing by similar locations (and cramming a lot into a small amount of time) was part of what felt familiar, but also I remember how Mom worried about the new cat coming while we would be gone. Through a string of small but important coincidences, there is a kitten who needs a home and will be making it with us. She does not come until after we get back this time. However, the new cat from then, our Mavis, is the one who has been acting a little brattier in our absence (hard to tell with cats sometimes) and who rubbed against the phone when it was on speaker and she heard my voice.

Of course now Stumptown no longer has a convention, but I have since given Rose City Comic Con a chance, and it will do, though I am still not up to volunteering for them.

That also reminds me that at that Stumptown I found out that year's International Comic Arts Forum would be held in Portland, starting the day after we got back. I could go to that! And I did. I missed the first day, because I was tired and they lost my luggage so I did not initially have any clothes, but there were more days. The panels were interesting, and I picked up some free books, but the most wonderful thing was talking to other people about comics.

This year's ICAF is in Seattle. It isn't quite as close, and doesn't cut the time as close, but maybe if I am a good girl and come up with a new source of income, that can be my next getaway.

One of the memories was a hard one. Last Friday was my second time at the Doug Fir Lounge. The first time was to see Frank Iero. It was a really early show (the doors opened at 4:30), which I found strange but intriguing. That was the night Mom got lost.

It was my fault, and don't think I wasn't aware of it. She had moments of disorientation before, but she was still driving to familiar places. She dropped me off at El Monica, which should have been fine, but I had a weird feeling. As I kept calling to make sure she had made it home, she kept not answering.

Why hadn't I just taken the bus?

My family was looking for her. They didn't expect me to leave the concert, but I kept jumping in case that was the phone, and I was afraid I wouldn't hear. Mainly I was just afraid. I gave up after about three songs by the opening act.

At the top of the stairs I ran into Frank. He was very nice, but I was not really there. My mind was roaming places where my mother could have ended up. I remembered that at the lounge this time, and on the way to the bus stop and at the bus stop. I remember waiting for the bus and trying not to fall apart. That may have only been possible due to some jerk on his cell phone explaining to his girlfriend that he wasn't the one fighting; he was being perfectly reasonable. And I remember on the bus finding out that she was home, and being too sapped to feel much relief. Maybe that was just guilt.

We survived. It is the least triumphant of the stories. I still have a weird curse around seeing Frank Iero play, and Mom still has dementia. We don't let her drive at all now.

But somehow, we are still here and managing. It's the battle cry of those just getting by.

Still here.

http://www.internationalcomicartsforum.org/

http://catadoptionteam.org/

http://sporkful.blogspot.it/2015/07/band-review-homeless-gospel-choir.html

Memories abroad

Here with my family, having lost most of a generation and knowing we are close to losing one more member, it's inevitable that there is some sadness. There is also a lot of love.

I am remembering the ones who are gone. Actually, I got a jolt on my very first day.

We went straight from the airport to the rehabilitation home to visit my aunt. As we got out of the car I heard a greeting and for a moment I thought I saw the first aunt and uncle who had died.

There was this unsettling moment of if I could have been wrong about losing them, or had we crossed over somewhere; having just spent 22 hours or so traveling, I could have been in a more impressionable state. It was only a moment and I realized they were two of my cousins. One, the daughter of my aunt, does look a lot like her. Her brother (the other) does not really look that much like our uncle, and yet there are moments when he does. My heart.

It would not surprise me too much if there is family nearby on both sides. There has been a lot of love and helping of each other all along. Since communication is primarily with those on this side, that is where I have to focus, and a lot of it is reminiscing. I feel how much we love each other now, but a lot of it is felt in memories that I have, and that we can share.

I remember that last night when we walked to the train station. It was so perfect.

I remember how before she would only eat pizza margherita.

Sometimes they remember too, but sometimes they didn't know, but now they will remember hearing it.

They are not always my memories. I tell them things my sisters remember, or things I heard from my mother.

I also give them new memories. Staying in a hotel is new, but it gives me regular internet connectivity. Every night I write to my brothers and sisters and tell them whom we saw and what we did (and what we ate). I think it makes my younger sisters miss them more, but sometimes that is the price of love.

I don't know that it bonds us, because we are already bonded, but there is a strengthening, I see these good things about you. The times I have with you are important to me.

I just wouldn't want there to be any doubt.

Related posts:

http://sporkful.blogspot.it/2013/06/amore.html

Concert Review: Chris Margolin

Chris Margolin is a Portland musician who performs both as a solo artist and as a part of various bands. Although one band, the Dead Bird Collective, will be releasing new music soon, I saw him by himself, and can only evaluate in that way.

If Lily Pryor's voice reminded me of a bell, Chris Margolin's reminded me of wood, warm and rich.

That could have been suggested by the environment, as the Doug Fir Lounge is decorated in a very woodsy way, but that was my impression nonetheless. One of the most impressive things was how he and his voice filled the space.

He will be playing the Doug Fir Lounge again with his current project, the Dead Bird Collective, on September 8th, and that should be a good opportunity to check him out.

https://www.facebook.com/chrismargolinmusic/

https://chrismargolin.bandcamp.com/

https://twitter.com/MargolinMusic

Concert Review: Lily Pryor

Lily Pryor is the daughter of Matt Pryor, and touring with him for school credit. (#lilypryor)

Her voice is clear like a bell, singing with an age-appropriate sweetness. Between numbers you could see some nervousness as she prepared for each next song, but the delivery of the songs was consistently well-done, performing a mix of original material and covers.

I am not sure how the grading works - whether you do reports on geography or business or psychology - but vocally she should be safe for an A.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfACZZ-SE9VMWYX_GRYymw

https://twitter.com/lilypryorsongs?lang=en

They're sorry

One thing I have always been very good at is drawing unwanted attention. Somehow I seem approachable, even though I always have books to read and thoughts to think. Then I remember that this is a human being, and give them my attention, even though my initial response was a more curdled humanity.

That is generally what gets me ashamed, is finding that this is a good and often beaten down person, and they should be meeting far more kindness in the world than they are.

The thing I noticed most recently is how apologetic they tend to be. In my most recent encounter, she kept prefacing each question with a mumbled "I'm sorry." The averted eyes and downcast head were already a hint that she did not expect to be valued.

There are three specific people that I am thinking of. They were all times when I had meant to be reading, but then they were kind and often interesting people. Spiritually they are my siblings. Maybe there are ways we could help each other.

It goes along with the other things that we have been posting this week. We are not valuing people enough. It's worse if you are old and poor, even if you have served your country and your health still suffers from it, or you have worked all of your life, or you have tried really hard to be a good person and stand up for fairness.

I think of it for them, because in those moments on Tri-Met I have seen their worth and cared about them, but I also think about my mother. Is it obvious how fiercely protective I am of her? But I can't protect her from everything. It would be good to believe there were fewer threats.

And I think about it for me. I am on track to be old and alone. This current state of being childless and also without nieces and nephews is likely to continue. I will continue to age, and remaining poor seems more probable than not. Will my goodness matter then? Will there be respect for my age? I don't know; I just want to see a kinder world.

That being said, you are lucky if you get to talk to me. I both speak and listen well. Pure delight.

Out in the open

Building on yesterday's post, there are trends in society that bother me, and that we should reverse.

is possible that if I am worried about abusive TSA agents or trouble in customs that it was stupid of me to post about it. The probability of drawing attention is low, but it does still exist. It might make sense to hold my breath and wait, but I am not that kind of smart. If I am thinking something, it's not really that I blurt it (usually), but I will keep thinking it and churning it over until it comes out.

I am sick of separate groups. I have been added to so many lately.

It's not that I don't see the point. I have made a few connections that I really like through some of them, and I have learned some interesting stories. There can be value in connecting. After I left the one Mormon liberal group because they were racist, I was still getting frustrated with the other one because they were so Sanders-blind. That made the pro-Hillary group for Mormons a breath of fresh air.

(I do worry a little about mentioning them at all, but there are so many others that I don't think I am actually revealing anything.)

That is one of the problems. The points of agreement may not be unifying enough. Like with one group just focused on good government (also Mormon), one admin admonished someone for commenting "spoiled jerks" on an article about Trump, because we are not partisan so there shouldn't be any name-calling. While that particular epithet was pretty mild, if it had been directed at a poster I would have agreed. If we can't admit that Trump is spoiled and a jerk at the very least, I'm not sure how effectively you are going to be able to advocate for good government.

They aren't all related to my religion. Some are local, and because of people I know. In all cases I get why they do it. They post the things they feel and they get rain of abuse and stupidity that makes them want to curl up in a ball or delete the internet (or both). The group serves a purpose for them.

But for me, I get online and I see 9 notifications, which I check carefully because I don't want to miss an interaction. I check, and none of them are interactions; just people posting. Then I turn off notifications, and then I might as well not be in the group because I see nothing.

If I needed the outlet, it would matter more to me, but I do say what I want. Granted, that has meant standing up to a lot of insults and researching and digging my teeth and feet in like the most tenacious bulldog ever. That was not fun. It seemed to work, because most people seem to have given up arguing with me, but then perhaps I have created an even more isolating echo chamber than those in the secret groups.

(And so many of the group members are related to their persecutors that they may not find it practical to go into bulldog mode with them.)

I don't worry about that as much as I could, because the truth is I use Twitter a lot more, which I find much better for information and even for connecting in some ways.

Twitter works for me, but a lot of people aren't on it. For them to arrange Facebook in a way that is somewhat gratifying and comforting makes sense, except this shouldn't be necessary.

They should be able to say the things they feel without other people rushing in to tell them how stupid and wrong and un-American they are. Why do we think it's okay to stamp out any dissenting opinions? Why do we think it's okay to make others afraid to speak? Doesn't that sound un-American?

It's just one more thing we get wrong.

Related posts:

http://sporkful.blogspot.com/2016/06/borders-and-boundaries.html

Worried about this trip, part 2

The first part of my worries were specific to our family and health situation, but it is worse because of the world.

I am not thrilled that pat-downs are getting more invasive or that it seems like TSA agents might be getting more abusive:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-03/u-s-airport-pat-downs-are-about-to-get-more-invasive

https://www.rt.com/usa/387885-homeland-security-rape-table-newark-airport/

Questions about passwords don't seem great either:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/02/give-us-your-passwords/516315/

Of course the laptop ban does look at what country you are coming from (which doesn't make it better), so would be unlikely to affect us, but you know, airlines tell you not to check small electronics and that they won't replace them if they are lost or damaged. It's a horrible policy.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/16/opinions/extension-laptop-ban-opinion-schneier/

However, it may be easier to get to the root of my concerns by looking at the things that have been happening on the planes, after the TSA.

http://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com/2017/04/22/aa-stroller-incident/

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-family-kicked-delta-flight-threatened-jail-refusing-give-toddler-n755141
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2017/03/26/two-girls-barred-from-united-flight-for-wearing-leggings/?utm_term=.f572668722da

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/10/travel/passenger-removed-united-flight-trnd/

The most interesting discussions were about the United incident, so let's go there.

First of all, overbooked is the wrong word for that. They needed space for employees that needed to get to another city, but that is not the same as having sold too many tickets. One interesting discussion point was that there is a good chance that the airline does not have enough employees to cover a few call ins. That's certainly possible, knowing how everyone is trying to cut costs.

That leads to the other thing. Rather than random selections, they were picking the passengers who'd paid the least. When they selected Dr. Dao, they already had three people, but they chose someone traveling with his wife, bumping two people. They went with someone who had considered volunteering, but because it would delay him overnight (keeping him from scheduled appointments with his patients), chose not to. Those both seem like good reasons to leave him alone, but he had paid less for his ticket.

I always search for lower fares. I have to. We can't afford to travel if I don't do that. Is it weird that I think if they are willing to sell me the ticket at that price that I should be able to go? It no longer gets me a meal or a free checked bag, but still, it should give me that trip. I guess in a world where the rich have a private lounge and cameras for gloating at the less fortunate, there is no more logical line of division:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/12/lax-private-terminal-rich-people-celebrities

There are two other interesting things about that. One is that the airline should have been able to arrange ground transportation for the crew, or offered limos to the bumped passengers. That wouldn't be a possibility with all routes, but in this case it was doable.

The other things is that even though the airline was clearly out of line - probably due to poor planning - it is the doctor who had his past dragged over. None of that affected his actions or the airline's actions, but there always has to be a reason why the abuser is allowed to abuse. Too many of our patterns involve upholding the already powerful.

So I worry about navigating this. Worrying about making connections in an unfamiliar airport with my mother's bad knees is not new. Worrying about her getting a little disoriented because of the dementia is newer, but still something that I have dealt with and can. Worrying that someone will judge her for her accent, or that someone in a low level authority position will be abusive because they are underpaid and overworked and the only thing that satisfies them is making someone else suffer, that is new.

So I have added the phone numbers for both senators, our representative, and the ACLU into my phone. I probably won't have to use them, but I wish I didn't have to worry about it.

Don't we all have enough worries already?

Band Review: The Slants

As I wrap up my first attempt at commemorating Asian Pacific American Heritage month, I realize that I have been doing it wrong, locating musicians from Asia but not Asian-American musicians. (Except for Lampano Alley, they have all been Japanese.)

That is something to think about for next year. One difficulty is that there aren't a lot of Asian-American bands. In fact, today's band, The Slants, are commonly considered to be the first and only all-Asian American dance-rock band. At least I am getting them in today.

It was always going to happen, sooner or later. They are a Portland band, and have been on my radar since the Oregonian ran an article about their difficulties in trademarking their name. The case was resolved in early 2015, and I think the article I read happened just prior to final arguments. I can't find it now, but here is an interesting short video on the topic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_yNnmsrLkc

Of course I would want to check them out. Subverting the language of the oppressor is a thing that I often see the value of, and would like to defend, but I don't have good words for expressing it because I have never had to do it. They put it in a song! They have a song about their court case and it is fantastic!

I admit I was expecting them to be more punk, based on the case alone. They are more dance-rock. There are times when they remind me of Depeche Mode, but there are also echoes of that time when Interpol was big and The Killers put out Hot Fuss. You may especially notice this on the enticing "Love Within My Sins".

A great introduction to the band would be their 2017 EP, The Band Who Must Not Be Named.

It starts out with "From the Heart". That's the song about the court case and I love it - not just for the message but also musically. The third track is my second favorite, "Endlessly Falling".

"Level Up" is a nice tribute to their fandom. The Slants are popular with cosplayers and convention goers and geeks. (This also comes up in some videos.) "Fight Back" could be an anthem for any of the put upon, including geeks, but the keyboards kind of give some video game shout-outs as well.

Finally, "Sutures" is deeply personal and thoughtful. The acoustic version here (it has been performed with Dez Cadena of Black Flag, so that's another way of doing it) shows another side of the band.

I think after going through the EP, there is good reason to continue checking out other music, and find additional treats there. They are very much worth checking out.

http://www.theslants.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theslants

https://www.youtube.com/user/SlantsVideos

https://twitter.com/theslants