Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label Art Library authors Capote Truman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Art Library authors Capote Truman. Show all posts

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Thanksgiving in Color-Graphemic gustatory Synesthesia


“Color-Graphemic gustatory Synesthesia” by Kevin Dayhoff November 24, 2009

The Thanksgiving holiday is always a mixed-up mashed-up confusion of words, colors, music, and taste. It’s an arrhythmic cacophony chromaticism of atonal colors…

The holiday started several days early as I devoured each word in Hindi at an Indian restaurant. I savored each morsel until they exploded into an arrhythmic cacophony chromaticism of atonal colors.

Vivid colors follow me everywhere – especially at Thanksgiving. I often try to photograph them. They are relatively easy to find.

At times, I feel stalked by them with a hurtling relentlessness. A regular paparazzi, if you will. But the sonorities of colors are my friends. Often they will phase-shift back into words that splash forth into music.

However, loud noises reduce everything into jarring spikes of stark gray tones, white noise and irrational cymbals - and I become worried. “I want the friendly colors back,” I plead.

Then again, on any given day, I rather enjoy reading the cross-eyed cartoons of Pablo Picasso and listening to the random dribbles of Jackson Pollock that drift in and out of my daily consciousness.

It is always fun to see and explore the relationship between abstract art, the daily colors, and music.

Old notes reveal that “Wassily Kandinsky once attended a performance of the grandfather of abstract music, composer Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951,) in 1911.

Monsieur Kandinsky later wrote to Monsieur Schoenberg and said:

“Please excuse me for simply writing to you without having the pleasure of knowing you personally. I have just heard your concert here and it has given me real pleasure. You do not know me, of course - that is, my works - since I do not exhibit much in general, and have exhibited in Vienna only briefly once and that was years ago.

“However, what we are striving for and our whole manner of thought and feeling have so much in common that I feel completely justified in expressing my empathy. In your works, you have realized what I, albeit in uncertain form, have so greatly longed for in music.”

We’ll explore more on that at another time.

Meanwhile, several days later I found myself traveling in the country to attend a family Thanksgiving dinner; an event which is always told in a southern gothic manner; full of fascinating family stories that often involve aspects of unexplained historical events, enigmatic dialogue, and inexplicable characters.


On the way I find myself at Paper Mill Road, MD Route 145, bridge crossing over the Gunpowder Falls at Loch Raven Reservoir. (Click here for a larger image of the bridges at Paper Mill Road: http://twitpic.com/r74zx or here: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/259790373/paper-mill-rd-bridges-span-gunpowder-falls-loch http://tinyurl.com/yhhkb3n)

The new – December 2000 – steel arch bridge juxtaposed side-by-side with the historic old 1922 rare arch truss bridge is the perfect metaphor for the occasion, especially since a tragic family accident with a bridge in the mid-1940s, is part of the family folklore.

One published account relates that the 1922 bridge is “one of a limited number of examples of steel bridges modeled after the Hell’s Gate Arch in New York City…”

It always reminds me of forty years ago in the late summer of 1967 when we first learned from “Mama” that the nice young preacher, Brother Taylor “said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge. And she and Billy Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge.”

I first heard the song, “Ode to Billy Joe” by Bobbie Gentry on WCAO on the AM dial of the car radio. It was in this time period that I became firmly hooked on the existential - “Southern Gothic” genre of storytelling. To refresh your memory, the song can be found on the web at www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZt5Q-u4crc.

Of course you remember “Ode to Billy Joe.” Who can forget: It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day… And mama hollered at the back door "y'all remember to wipe your feet." And then she said she got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge. Today Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge.”

Yes, the Paper Mill Bridge is located in Baltimore County, MD. Ms. Gentry’s tale took place in “Carroll County.”

Ms. Gentry has to this day remained circumspect about the haunting and mysterious tale of Mr. MacAllister, but one thing we have learned is that the “Carroll County” she is referring to in the song is “Carroll County Mississippi.” Come to find out, there are approximately 13 places in the United States called “Carroll County.”

Thanksgiving always make me think of southern gothic storytelling – and Jimi Hendrix, who was born on November 27, 1942.

Other examples of authors of the Southern gothic genre of writing include William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, Eudora Welty, Truman Capote, and Harper Lee. Tennessee Williams is said to have described the genre as stories that reflect “an intuition of an underlying dreadfulness in modern experience.”

As for Thanksgiving itself; instead of reading a Thanksgiving story, you eat it and enjoy the colors.

Fortunately much of Thanksgiving is written by the American composer Aaron Copland (Nov. 14, 1900 – Dec. 2, 1990 and painted by Norman Rockwell (Feb. 3, 1894 —Nov. 8, 1978.)

It was Mr. Copeland who actually won a Pulitzer Prize in 1944 for Appalachian Spring. Nothing says Thanksgiving dinner better than Mr. Copeland’s ballets Billy the Kid (1938), Rodeo (1942) and Appalachian Spring (1944, Fanfare for the Common Man (1943) and the music for the films Our Town (1940.)

Over the years, I have become much more enamored with Southern gothic storytelling, which is frequently more creative – and often more disturbing in the manner it which it peels away the layers of a community or society; yet does not tell a reader what to think, but causes them to think.

More often than not, the tale is told by way of dialogue as with “Ode to Billy Joe” where the story in the song creates many more questions than answers and this invites a ‘participation’ on the part of listener. Moreover, often you never get a firm grasp on the primary narrator.

Just as with Thanksgiving stories, the song’s plot makes known several themes. The first of which is obvious in that just like many popular Thanksgiving holiday stories, it reveals a snapshot of life in a particular period in history.

But it is the other prominent theme that is particularly disturbing as it peels away the layers of indifference that contemporary society shows towards our fellow human beings – or in the case of “Ode to Billy Joe,” the loss of life.

It is at this point that the narrator of this story from “Ode to Billy Joe” says: “Child, what's happened to your appetite? I've been cookin' all morning and you haven't touched a single bite,” and changes your channel back to the reality of the Thanksgiving dinner table.

You smile knowingly without giving away any of the plot and in the words of Jamie Kelly, “spare a thought for the millions of sweet potatoes, cut down in their prime.”

Over the years Thanksgiving has become synonymous with color-graphemic gustatory synesthesia. This piece is best read with the colors orange and beige and accompanied by the music of pumpkin pie with a whipped cream topping.



*****
Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

Monday, September 07, 2009

An ebullient porch




September 5, 2009 by Kevin Dayhoff

It was the evening before the annual Sunday family get-together over the Labor Day weekend. The sun had gone down and a slight breeze cooled the broad expanses of the old wrap-around porch that so functionally adorned the centenarian three-story shingle-style merchants’ home.

Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/gvupg


Earlier the porch had the scene of kind and matronly aunts, sisters, and grandma scurrying about as they prepared with great anticipation.

They had all retired to the kitchen where they continued planning and preparing.

As I sat upon the porch my thoughts drifted about like the clouds. I’ve been told artists dream of castles in the clouds, writers live in them and psychologists are the landlords that charge rent.

At my advanced age, I’m comfortable with the concept that my cloud is my castle and I own it and I’m too tight to pay rent.

Although fall is just around the corner, the katydids and the crickets are still out in force in a cacophonous chorus of southern gothic musings and it is still hot enough to remind even the oblivious that Maryland still has one foot in the old south.

I thought of the title of the 1989 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, “The Remains of the Day.” The novel is about post-war Britain. The main character considers his past and is forced to come to terms with the gravity of the sacrifices he has made in the name of duty.

The plot, at the moment, is not why my mind wonders to the novel. It is the title, “The Remains of the Day,” which refers to a quiet evening when a person takes time to reflect the day's work.

It could also reflect pondering being older and looking back to take a tally of life work. In the novel, “The Remains of the Day” is also a metaphor for the last vestiges of England’s grand homes – and its waning position as a global power.

Although I was pre-occupied with the theme “porch,” my thoughts did not include the 1991 grunge tune, “Porch,” by Pearl Jam. I’m not sure I ever understood the song: “All the bills go by, and Initiatives are taken up, By the middle, there aint gonna be any middle any more, And the cross Im bearing home, Aint indicative of my place, Left the porch…”

Whatever.

It’s Labor Day weekend, a throwback to an ebullient era in the United States when one’s labor was the meaning of the person.

I am reminded that the porch – and the home – were built around 1910 at the end of what the local historian Chris Weeks called an “enthusiastic” period in Westminster, from about 1865 to 1910. He wrote in his 1978 architectural reference book, The Building of Westminster,” that it was an era when Westminster and “the entire nation was reveling in itself and its accomplishments…

“The city was beginning to attract heavy industry; there was a marked shift in population and economics…

“The citizens and their fathers had created a town in the middle of nowhere by using nothing but their own will and work…”

Mr. Weeks cites an excerpt of an address by Dr. J. W. Herring, at the Semi-centennial Rally in Carroll County on April 11, 1887:

“This ebullient era was neatly and succinctly summed up in an address by Dr. J. W. Herring… some of the Doctor's remarks are pertinent and valuable today:

‘Prominent, as we think, among the sources of the prosperity which followed [the settling of the county], and perhaps underlying them all, was the conservative disposition of the people…

‘Labor is not only honorable, but it is the legitimate and necessary law of our being… They [the early settlers] exhibited in large degree the virtue of self-reliance, without which no success can come, either to an individual or to a nation…

‘The prosperity which has marked our country's history and which we enjoy today is in great part due to the fact that our fathers depended upon themselves. They did not believe in the doctrine of 'delegated powers' as it represents one's own business.

‘And in this there is the suggestion of a valuable lesson… To produce, and not alone to consume, is the teaching which political economy would impress...’”

Whether our great nation still revels with pride in the values illuminated by Dr. Hering is for you to decide and the stuff of another musing for another time.

For now, as I sat on the porch in the dark, I daydreamed about my childhood days – - and the reclusive and enigmatic childhood friend of Truman Capote, Harper Lee.

Ms. Lee was born Nelle Harper Lee on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama.

She is best known for her one and only book, which just happened to be a Pulitzer Prize-winning best-seller, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” published in 1960, when she was 34 years old.

Earlier in the day, as I watched a cable news program, I kept wondering what Ms. Lee’s character, Charles Baker “Dill” Harris, would think of the caustic commentary about the breaking news momentary meaninglessness of today.

If you will recall “Dill,” who was based on Ms. Lee’s childhood neighbor, Truman Capote, was “Jem” and “Scout’s” summer friend, with an enormous imagination.

Dill - the porch - is my summer friend.

For those who have studied “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Dill represents the perspective of childhood innocence.

Some will argue that “Mockingbird,” like me, is an anachronism. I suggest that much of her commentary about the machinations of our contemporary society is just as relevant today – just different.

Nevertheless, for those of us who wallow in the loss of innocence five decades later, it is still a sin to kill a mockingbird.

In recent years, the summer months have almost been just as busy as the rest of year. Gone are the lazy southern Carroll County summers. However, growing up in Carroll County in the 1950s and 60s, lazy summer days were the opportunity to sit around and read and write all day.

From those long-gone lazy days, I usually associate “Mockingbird” with short stories like Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” “Rain” by William Somerset Maugham and “Portnoy’s Complaint” by Philip Roth – and why I’m still traumatized by the word spatula – except when Rachel Ray says it on her cooking show.

I think of the film “McCabe and Mrs. Miller,” by Robert Altman – of whom I was initially introduced to when he directed a number of episodes of “Bonanza.”

“McCabe” introduced me to Leonard Cohen – and later his song “Famous Blue Raincoat.” Remember: “It’s four in the morning, the end of December. I’m writing you now just to see if you’re better…”

I think of Carole King’s “It’s too late,” and Carly Simon’s “That’s The Way I Always Heard It Should Be” – “My father sits at night with no lights on. His cigarette glows in the dark…”

It was over forty years ago in the summer of 1967 that I first heard the song, “Ode to Billy Joe,” by Bobbie Gentry on WCAO on the AM dial of the car radio.

Remember, that was when we first learned from “Mama” that the nice young preacher, Brother Taylor “said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge. And she and Billy Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge.”

It was also in this time period that I became firmly hooked on the existential - “Southern Gothic” genre of storytelling.

Examples of authors of the Southern gothic genre of writing include William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, Eudora Welty, Truman Capote, and Harper Lee.

Tennessee Williams once described the genre as stories that reflect “an intuition of an underlying dreadfulness in modern experience.”

The stories these writers tell are fascinating as often they involve aspects of unexplained historical events, enigmatic dialogue, and inexplicable characters.

But it is the other prominent theme of the Southern gothic story that comes to mind these days in the cavalier manner in which folks today will often engage in character assassination in the pursuit of a particular agenda.

It is the particularly disturbing dynamic that much like contemporary commentary, the southern gothic tale peels away the layers of indifference that contemporary society shows towards our fellow human beings – or in the case of “Ode to Billy Joe,” the loss of life.

In the song the family of the narrator nonchalantly mentions the gentleman’s death: “Billy Joe never had a lick of sense/ pass the biscuits, please.”

Of course the narrator of the story cares: “Mama said to me, Child, what's happened to your appetite? I've been cookin’ all morning and you haven't touched a single bite.”

Other than that, they may as well been having a dinner conversation about the weather.

One wonders what it would be like to have the likes of a Margaret Mitchell breeze her way across the porch and strike up a conversation.

According to a website devoted to the now-historic site where she lived on Peachtree Street in Atlanta Georgia, when she wrote the book, “Gone With the Wind,” Mitchell was born in Atlanta on November 8, 1900. Just like me, as a child, she was fascinated by Civil War stories.

The website biography explains that Mitchell was an “imaginative girl (who) wrote, produced, and directed plays, casting her friends, and inviting the neighborhood to the porch performances.”

It seems that Mitchell was a bit of a “free spirit,” who “scandalized Atlanta society by performing a provocative dance at a debutante ball. Two years later the headstrong flapper married Berrien “Red” Upshaw… a bootlegger…

“Financial pressures led her to begin writing for the Atlanta Journal Sunday Magazine where she earned $25 per week. Their stormy marriage ended in divorce in 1924. Within a year she married John Marsh… an editor at the paper.”

Perhaps it may have been fun to imagine her visit during her “free spirit” days. If I were allow myself a brief farbissiner aside; it would be so refreshing to see Westminster being scandalized in some manner that does not involve narcissistically utilizing the cracked mirror by which much of the town now views its navel, in the name of progress.

Tomorrow – Sunday - will remind me of the scene on the balcony, or porch, if you will, of the Maison Fournaise along the Seine River in Chatou, France as painted in the 1881 classic painting, “Le déjeuner des canotiers,” by Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

Of course, Caroline, Grammy and I once had a had a fête galante attending the “Luncheon of the Boating Party” with friends of Pierre Auguste Renoir on a balcony of the Maison Fournaise along the Seine River in Chatou, France in 1881.

http://twitpic.com/gxqc0

We went with Aline Charigot, a young seamstress, whom Mr. Renoir married in 1890. She is in the foreground of the above image playing with a small dog.

Behind Kevin in the yellow hat is Alphonse Fournaise Jr., who was responsible for the boat rentals. The woman leaning on the rail, wearing the yellow hat is Alphonsine Fournaise, the daughter of the proprietor.

She is talking with a gentleman, whom we cannot see, who is the former mayor of Saigon, Baron Raoul Barbier. Later he hit on Caroline. Not to worry, Caroline has had enough of mayors, she likes artists and writers.

Seated in the chair with the yellow hat in the right-foreground, is fellow artist and close friend Gustave Caillebotte who is talking with Angèle, an actress, in the blue dress, and Maggiolo, an Italian journalist.

I did talk with him some later. He also likes semi-colons. From right to left across the back is Jeanne Samary, an actress. She is wearing the blue dress and is behind Maggilo.

Hitting on Ms. Samary is the artist Paul Lhote and Eugène Pierre Lestringez, who is some sort of bureaucrat. All the way in the back, wearing the top hat is the editor of the Gazette des Beaux-Arts, Charles Ephrussi.

Editors are pretty cool and he was fun to talk with later. Here, he is talking with Jules Laforgue, wearing a brown coat and cap. He is a poet, critic, and Mr. Ephrussi’s personal secretary.

The dialogue tomorrow will be a collaboration of Tom Stoppard and Robert Altman and will, in part involve aspects of unexplained historical events, enigmatic dialogue, and inexplicable characters. The only thing missing will be the frilly – and manly – hats.

Maybe next year we could ask folks to wear hats… They go well with an ebullient porch. ( I also want to invite Anthony Bourdain – he won’t need an invite or a reservation.)

20090905 ked pubver An ebullient porch

Annual Labor Day, Art Artists Renoir, Babylon Family, Babylon Family Willis St, Dayhoff Daily Photoblog, Dayhoff photos, Dayhoff writing essays, Journalists Bourdain Anthony

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http://twitpic.com/gxqc0 Dec 11 2006 The family at “Le déjeuner des canotiers” Renoir 1881 http://tinyurl.com/kw3glb

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Annual Christmas, Art Artists Renoir, Babylon Family Christmas, Dayhoff photoshop
*****
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/) http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

*****

http://twitpic.com/gvupg An ebullient porch http://tinyurl.com/kw3glb

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1040426835 Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/ Blip.fm: http://blip.fm/kevindayhoff_soundtrack

Friday, June 05, 2009

Recent columns on The Tentacle by Kevin Dayhoff


Recent columns on The Tentacle by Kevin Dayhoff

June 3, 2009
Sotomayor – Break Her and You Die
Kevin E. Dayhoff
At 10:13 A.M. on May 26, President Barack Obama introduced to a breathless nation, a fawning audience, and a mesmerized press, his selection to replace retiring U. S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter – Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit of New York.

May 27, 2009
Obama’s flip-flops for combat boots
Kevin E. Dayhoff
When President Barack Obama took office, even the most politically unengaged citizen knew huge changes were afoot in the look and feel of the American presidency and our nation’s future. For those who voted according to a particular candidate’s national defense outlook, who knew that our new president would wear flip-flops for combat boots.

May 20, 2009
Pause to Remember and Honor
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Next Monday is Memorial Day. It is a day when we should come together as a community and take a break from the rancid political bickering in Washington, which passes as national leadership today, and reflect on the men and women in uniform who are serving our country in the darkest corners of the world.

May 13, 2009
Arlington National Cemetery – Firsts of the heart
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As Memorial Day approaches, it is significant to note that today, on May 13, in 1864; the first soldier was buried at Arlington House, also called the Custis-Lee Mansion. We now know the property as Arlington National Cemetery and it is now the revered final resting place of over 320,000 stories of the heart.

May 6, 2009
Planned obedience…or else
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As of last week it appears that a marriage between Chrysler and Fiat SpA may eventually happen; this in spite of the few reports that surfaced recently that the marriage was off once Fiat realized the extent that Chrysler’s labor contracts were, how shall we say politely, less than helpful. Gee…

April 29, 2009
The Mockingbird’s Song
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The reclusive and enigmatic childhood friend of Truman Capote, Harper Lee, celebrated a birthday yesterday. She was born Nelle Harper Lee on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama.

April 22, 2009
‘Smiling Faces…’
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On Monday a smiling President Barack Obama stopped by CIA headquarters for the first time since taking office. It was a charm offensive to give the agency a pep talk to help stave off low morale issues.

April 15, 2009
The First Summer
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As the first summer approaches following the departure from the White House of President George W. Bush, I am reminded of the story that in the first summer after President Harry Truman left office, he took a road trip with his family in which he visited Frederick.

April 8, 2009
Thanks, but no thanks
Kevin E. Dayhoff
An opinion piece appeared in The Wall Street Journal last Sunday, relatively unnoticed except by economics geeks, citing the growing trend among banks that accepted Troubled Asset Relief Program –TARP – money who are begging the government to take the money back.

April 1, 2009
And Atlas Wept
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In a move that has given many pause, last Sunday the administration of President Barack Obama ventured boldly into the latest worrisome intrusion into the nation’s private sector by firing Rick Wagoner, General Motors’ chief executive officer.

March 25, 2009
Spellbound by Salvador Dali
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last month I enjoyed a bit of respite from Maryland’s winter by visiting Florida. Finding myself within reasonable driving distance of St. Petersburg, I jumped at the chance to visit the Salvador Dali Museum.

March 18, 2009
Think Globally, Bank Locally
Kevin E. Dayhoff
If you are banking with any of the ginormous intergalactic financial institutions that are at the center of the current financial crisis, then you are part of the problem.

March 11, 2009
The Dangerous Diplomacy of Pandering
Kevin E. Dayhoff
I recently had the delightful opportunity to go to Washington and have lunch with a member of the Estonian Parliament, Tõnis Kõiv.

March 4, 2009
The Great Man Theory of History
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Even before his election to the office of the president last November, many in the liberal chattering class were already using hype and hyperbole that then-Senator Barack Obama was destined to be one of our country’s greatest presidents.

February 25, 2009
Pulling The Plug
Kevin E. Dayhoff
One of the key talking points of the new Obama Administration is its commitment to lead our nation by maximizing technology. Yet within a few scant weeks, the new kids in the Oval Office have endured their fair share of glitches, error boxes and system crashes.

February 18, 2009
Repackaged Isn’t Change
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In the end, the economic stimulus legislation signed yesterday by President Barack Obama, only garnered a total of three Republican votes from all of Congress, and, while traveling the yellow brick road on the way to Oz, the legislation lost the vast majority of public support.

February 11, 2009
Political Heresy and Unvarnished Truth
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Yesterday, in 1899, the future 31st president of the United States, Herbert Clark Hoover, married Lou Henry in Monterey, CA. Happy anniversary, Mr. President.

February 4, 2009
When Stimulus Ain’t
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed its $819 billion version of the economic stimulus package by a vote of 244 to 188. Not a single Republican voted for the measure – for good reason.

January 28, 2009
The 2009 Intergenerational Theft Act
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As you read this column Congress is attempting to put the finishing touches on an $825 billion economic stimulus package – otherwise known as the 2009 Intergenerational Theft Act.

January 21, 2009
A Tale of Two Inaugurations
Kevin E. Dayhoff
By the time you read this column our nation will have witnessed the inauguration of our nation's 44th president. Today is the first day for President Barack Obama and it marks the merciful end of the 78-day transition period.


January 14, 2009
Barack Rhymes With Tupac
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Noticeable, yet relatively underreported in the scandal-filled rhetoric that passes for meaningful political commentary these days, is the passing of an historic era that will occur when President George W. Bush takes off in the presidential helicopter after President-elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office next week.

January 7, 2009
Pallywood – When Pictures Lie
Kevin E. Dayhoff
After Hamas, the terrorist organization that has controlled the Gaza Strip since June 2007, unilaterally broke a cease-fire on December 19 and resumed shelling southern Israel, Israeli warplanes sprang to Israel’s defense December 27 by attacking Hamas throughout Gaza. Hamas responded immediately with “Pallywood.”

20090603 SDOSM Recent columns on The Tentacle by Kevin Dayhoff


Thursday, May 07, 2009

This week in The Tentacle


This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Planned obedience…or else
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As of last week it appears that a marriage between Chrysler and Fiat SpA may eventually happen; this in spite of the few reports that surfaced recently that the marriage was off once Fiat realized the extent that Chrysler’s labor contracts were, how shall we say politely, less than helpful. Gee…

Swine Flu – Protection and Precautions
Michael Kurtianyk
As of this writing there are over one thousand confirmed cases of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus, commonly known as Swine Flu (more on this gentle misnomer later). The majority of the cases are in Mexico and the United States.

Alfred Wallace and Me – Part 1
Tom McLaughlin
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia – The monsoon season had settled in and my exploring the nearby rain forest had come to a halt. Blinding 24-four hour rains and muddy, slippery paths drove me indoors searching for activities. It was time to pursue my interest in Alfred Russell Wallace.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009
My Kind of Chief
Roy Meachum
Kim Dine was a stranger until ex-Mayor Jennifer Dougherty hired him to run the Frederick Police Department. We did not rush into each other's arms. I was a noted critic of his new boss. After experiencing predecessor "Ray" Raffensberger's need to manipulate, I took a wait and see stance.

'...and awaaaaaay we go!"
Farrell Keough
"I guess there is nothing that will get your mind off everything like golf will. I have never been depressed enough to take up the game, but they say you can get so sore at yourself that you forget to hate your enemies." - Will Rogers

Monday, May 4, 2009
Rebranding the Grand Old Party
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
Last week, Eric Cantor (R., VA) the Republican Whip in the U.S. House of Representative, spoke to the Republican faithful in Frederick. Congressman Cantor, arguably the fastest GOP rising star in the House, laid out a cogent argument for sticking to the core principles of the party and denying the clamor for fundamental, structural change.

If TheTentacle.com were Facebook
Steven R. Berryman
Not being in the mood to write, blog post, or comment, I started to consider some plausible excuses for skipping my Monday Tentacle column for this week.

Friday, May 1, 2009
Sunrise Without Lennie?
Roy Meachum
Former colleague Katherine Heerbrandt hit John "Lennie" Thompson a mighty whack in her Wednesday News-Post column. At the same moment she was feeding the county commissioner's constituency their favorite dish: Publicity.

Specter Defector
Joe Charlebois
Growing up just north of Pittsburgh, I had the opportunity to have Sen. Arlen Specter as my senator from the time I could vote until 1992 when I left the Commonwealth.

Thursday, April 30, 2009
Health Care Reform – Part 2
Patricia A. Kelly
While campaigning for the presidency, President Barack Obama came up with a health care reform plan, a public private partnership that he believes will help to clean up the present mess and provide closer to universal coverage in the United States. He has now asked Congress to work out the details, but his plan included the following elements:

And to the victor…
Michael Kurtianyk
As a member of the Fredericktowne Rotary, I am proud of the work our international organization has done since its inception in 1905. Its mission is to provide service to others, to promote high ethical standards, and to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The Mockingbird’s Song
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The reclusive and enigmatic childhood friend of Truman Capote, Harper Lee, celebrated a birthday yesterday. She was born Nelle Harper Lee on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama.

Malaysian Wedding – Part 3
Tom McLaughlin
Seremban, Malaysia – I returned to the groom’s home after a refreshing sleep. To my surprise, a ceremony was in progress. I thought I had it down about Malay weddings, but this part was not in my file.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Overwhelming Majority
Roy Meachum
At the end of his first 100 days on the job, a significant poll indicates President Barack Obama receives approval from an overwhelming majority of his fellow Americans. Sixty-three percent voted in his favor, 36 percent did not, in a survey paid for by The Washington Post and ABC-TV.

Advice from The Voice of Experience – Part 3
Nick Diaz
Alas, my third installment on buying a used motorcycle, one of my favorite activities. Buying a used motorcycle, as I’ve mentioned before, is much more fun than selling one.

Monday, April 27, 2009
General Assembly Journal 2009 – Volume 12-Part 2
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
Last week, we started a review of the fallout from the just completed General Assembly session. Let's pick up where we left off.

While you were out…
Steven R. Berryman
If you blinked at the wrong moment over the last few weeks, and rely solely on one part of the media paradigm for your news, you may have missed any of these following items. Not necessarily because of media-bias, but simply because we only have so much time and tolerance for added information in our lives:


20090506 SDOSM This week in The Tentacle

Monday, May 04, 2009

On the phone with VL-WAB


On the phone with VL-WAB
May 4, 2009


HEY VL–WAB,

Thanks for the time on the phone…

Music that came up in my April 29, 2009 The Tentacle column, “The Mockingbird’s Song”: http://tinyurl.com/dblfwb

Can be found on Soundtrack http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ here: http://tinyurl.com/dblfwb http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/05/music-that-came-up-in-my-april-29-2009.html

Music that came up in my April 29, 2009 The Tentacle column, “The Mockingbird’s Song”: http://tinyurl.com/de9vh7
http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=3134

Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/The Mockingbird’s Song” -

The reclusive and enigmatic childhood friend of Truman Capote, Harper Lee, celebrated a birthday yesterday. She was born Nelle Harper Lee on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama…

She is best known for her one and only book, which just happened to be a Pulitzer Prize-winning best-seller, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” published in (July 11,) 1960, when she was 34 years old.

Ms. Lee and “Mockingbird” come to mind for a number of reasons which I thoroughly do not understand; and that’s just fine with me.

I’ve been told artists dream of castles in the clouds, writers live in them and psychologists are the landlords that charge rent.

At my advanced age, I’m comfortable with the concept that my cloud is my castle, and I own it and I’m too tight to pay rent.


*****

20090428 Current media issues discussed at Towson University
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4d7QIhV_WA

*****
20080607 C'est un jour parfait à donner des sédatifs http://tinyurl.com/dmjb86
http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/06/20080607-cest-un-jour-parfait-donner.htmlay

*****

David Ettlin’s “The Real Muck” piece, “The Sun Massacre” On
On http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ here: http://tinyurl.com/dzpn5r
http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/05/david-ettlins-real-muck-piece-sun.html

David Ettlin’s “The Real Muck” piece, “The Sun Massacre” … is well written about a very sad subject. It may be found here: http://tinyurl.com/cnoy83

*****

Saturday, May 02, 2009
Cutting the 'Horse Train Stop' of Sykesville out of Howard County
Can be found on Soundtrack here: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/05/cutting-horse-train-stop-of-sykesville.html
Eagle Archive By Kevin Dayhoff Posted 4/26/09 (431 words)
It was back on April 17, 1931, that the General Assembly approved legislation entitled "Chap 279 Unincorporate Sykesville in Howard Co."
The early beginnings of the "Horse Train Stop" as it was first called — the area we now know as Sykesville — trace back to the 1820s...


*****

Getting the Community Media Center out of the closet By Kevin Dayhoff
Dayhoff: Getting the Community Media Center out of the closet By Kevin Dayhoff, Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ 4/21/09
Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending the rededication ceremony for the Carroll County Community Media Center....

*****

Recent Kevin Dayhoff columns in Explore Carroll com
Recent Kevin Dayhoff columns in Explore Carroll com

DAYHOFF: Cutting a ribbon on history at the Westminster Water Treatment Plant Published April 29, 2009 by Westminster Eagle

Cutting the 'Horse Train Stop' of Sykesville out of Howard County Published April 26, 2009 by Carroll Eagle

Dayhoff: Getting the Community Media Center out of the closetPublished April 21, 2009 by Westminster Eagle


Thoughts turn to baseball and Jackie RobinsonPublished April 17, 2009 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle

Dayhoff: Recalling Jackie Robinson, the great American experiment
Published April 15, 2009 by Westminster Eagle

20090504 SDOSM phone call with VL-WAB

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

Friday, May 01, 2009

Music that came up in my April 29, 2009 The Tentacle column, “The Mockingbird’s Song”:





For VL-WAB

The reclusive and enigmatic childhood friend of Truman Capote, Harper Lee, celebrated a birthday yesterday. She was born Nelle Harper Lee on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama…

She is best known for her one and only book, which just happened to be a Pulitzer Prize-winning best-seller, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” published in (July 11,) 1960, when she was 34 years old.

Ms. Lee and “Mockingbird” come to mind for a number of reasons which I thoroughly do not understand; and that’s just fine with me.

I’ve been told artists dream of castles in the clouds, writers live in them and psychologists are the landlords that charge rent.

At my advanced age, I’m comfortable with the concept that my cloud is my castle, and I own it and I’m too tight to pay rent.

[…]

From those long-gone lazy days, I usually associate “Mockingbird” with short stories like Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” “Rain” by W. Somerset Maugham and “Portnoy’s Complaint” by Philip Roth – and why I’m still traumatized by the word spatula – except when Rachel Ray says it on her cooking show.

I think of the film “McCabe and Mrs. Miller,” by Robert Altman. I was initially introduced to him when he directed a number of episodes of “Bonanza.”

“McCabe” introduced me to Leonard Cohen – and later his song “Famous Blue Raincoat.” Remember: “It’s four in the morning, the end of December. I’m writing you now just to see if you’re better…”

(An outtake: “Many of the “summer anthems” also come to mind when I recall those childhood summers. Who can forget “Summer in the City” by the “Lovin’ Spoonful,”In the Summertime” by Mungo Jerry, “Summertime Blues” by “The Who,” or one of my favorites, “Red Rubber Ball” by “The Cyrkle.”)

I think of Carole King’s “It’s too late,” and Carly Simon’s “That’s The Way I Always Heard It Should Be” – “My father sits at night with no lights on. His cigarette glows in the dark…”

It was over 40 years ago in the summer of 1967 that I first heard the song, “Ode to Billy Joe,” by Bobbie Gentry on WCAO on the AM dial of the car radio.

[…]

*****

“Ode to Billy Joe,” by Bobbie Gentry
http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/2007/11/20071101-today-billy-joe-macallister.html

Famous Blue Raincoat Leonard Cohen
http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/2009/03/famous-blue-raincoat-by-leonard-cohen.html

Carole King “It’s Too Late” released April 1971
http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/2009/04/carole-king-its-too-late-released-april.html

McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) Directed by Robert Altman
http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/2009/04/mccabe-and-mrs-miller-1971.html

Carly Simon’s “That’s The Way I Always Heard It Should Be”
http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/2009/04/carly-simon-live-in-grand-central.html

20090429 Music that came up in my Apr 29 2009 Tentacle column





Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/)


Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

This week in The Tentacle for Wednesday April 29 2009


This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The Mockingbird’s Song
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The reclusive and enigmatic childhood friend of Truman Capote, Harper Lee, celebrated a birthday yesterday. She was born Nelle Harper Lee on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama.

Malaysian Wedding – Part 3
Tom McLaughlin
Seremban, Malaysia – I returned to the groom’s home after a refreshing sleep. To my surprise, a ceremony was in progress. I thought I had it down about Malay weddings, but this part was not in my file.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Overwhelming Majority
Roy Meachum
At the end of his first 100 days on the job, a significant poll indicates President Barack Obama receives approval from an overwhelming majority of his fellow Americans. Sixty-three percent voted in his favor, 36 percent did not, in a survey paid for by The Washington Post and ABC-TV.

Advice from The Voice of Experience – Part 3
Nick Diaz
Alas, my third installment on buying a used motorcycle, one of my favorite activities. Buying a used motorcycle, as I’ve mentioned before, is much more fun than selling one.

Monday, April 27, 2009
General Assembly Journal 2009 – Volume 12-Part 2
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
Last week, we started a review of the fallout from the just completed General Assembly session. Let's pick up where we left off.

While you were out…
Steven R. Berryman
If you blinked at the wrong moment over the last few weeks, and rely solely on one part of the media paradigm for your news, you may have missed any of these following items. Not necessarily because of media-bias, but simply because we only have so much time and tolerance for added information in our lives:

Friday, April 24, 2009
"Turtle" Jennifer
Roy Meachum
Aside from her declaration on City Hall steps, ex-mayor Jennifer Dougherty seems to have disappeared. What a difference from her recent campaigns!

If you ain’t the lead dog…
Joe Charlebois
President George W. Bush led. President William Jefferson Clinton led. Presidents George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan led. No matter what your opinion of our last four presidents in regard to their policies, they were leaders.

Thursday, April 23, 2009
George Santayana was correct…
Chris Cavey
Maryland’s political landscape is showing the pre-revolutionary signs of change. Just over a week ago, thousands of voting citizens took to the streets in the cold damp April rain to show their disgust in government’s rampant spending and to exercise their right to assemble in protest.

You’ve Found Your Voice. Use it!
Joan McIntyre
I’m guessing that by the time this article makes it to print there will others already out there about the Tea Party. I also suspect there will be as many different angles to that day as there will be stories.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009
‘Smiling Faces…’
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On Monday a smiling President Barack Obama stopped by CIA headquarters for the first time since taking office. It was a charm offensive to give the agency a pep talk to help stave off low morale issues.

In the Face of Tragedy…
Michael Kurtianyk
On Sunday morning, I heard the church bells ring as I went to get the morning papers. I wanted to make sure that I picked them up before my 7-year-old daughters got to them. I knew what the headlines were going to be, and I didn’t want daughters to read the headlines before my wife and I had a chance to talk and prepare for that conversation.

A Malay Wedding – Part Two
Tom McLaughlin
Seremban, Malaysia – It’s the day before the celebration. Nazir’s son picked me up at the airport and I feigned I knew him, faking it most of the way. The marble finally dropped into the correct location in the brain and I realized who he was and could participate in the conversation instead of stupidly nodding my head.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Selling Newspapers?
Roy Meachum
"State of Play" opened this weekend; the film will be discussed with Bob Miller on his WFMD "Morning Express" Friday. Its’ message about modern newspapering burns in my mind and cannot wait another three days.

A Call to Arms…
Farrell Keough
I had the privilege of attending the Frederick County Tea Party. While neither man will accept the credit, great thanks goes out to Blaine Young and Bob Miller of WFMD radio, 930 A.M. That attendance on such an awful day to be outside was remarkable!

Monday, April 20, 2009
General Assembly Journal 2009 – Volume 12
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
The General Assembly Department of Legislative Services produces a document each year summarizing the legislative session. This year, I thought I’d produce my own right here on The Tentacle.

Because Hope is not a Method
Steven R. Berryman
My name is Steve, and I’m a “right-wing extremist.” That’s how I would start an “AA” meeting if those letters stood for “activists anonymous!”

20090429 This week in The Tentacle

Journalists Berryman Steve, Journalists Keough Farrell, People Cavey-Chris, Journalists Charlebois Joe, Journalists McLaughlin Tom, Journalists Meachum Roy, Journalists Diaz Nick, People Weldon-Richard, Journalists McIntyre Joan, Journalists Kurtianyk Michael,

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Carole King “It’s Too Late” released April 1971


Carole King “It’s Too Late” released April 1971

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPeVbEg1DHE



This version here is from the 1971 album… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q8884GxUIU

The song came up in my April 29, 2009 The Tentacle column, “The Mockingbird’s Song

The reclusive and enigmatic childhood friend of Truman Capote, Harper Lee, celebrated a birthday yesterday. She was born Nelle Harper Lee on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama…


Carole King

Album: Tapestry

Song's name: It's Too Late

Song info: Lyrics and Music: Toni Stern and Carole King feat. Dina Carroll

Lyrics:

Stayed in bed all morning just to pass the time
There's something wrong here
There can be no denying
One of us is changing
Or maybe we've just stopped trying

And it's too late baby, now it's too late
Though we really did try to make it
Something inside has died and I can't hide
And I just can't fake it

It used to be so easy living here with you
You were light and breezy
And I knew just what to do
Now you look so unhappy
And I feel like a fool

And it's too late baby, now it's too late
Though we really did try to make it
Something inside has died
and I can't hide it
And I just can't fake it

There'll be good times again for me and you
But we just can't stay together
Don't you feel it too
Still I'm glad for what we had
And how I once loved you

But it's too late baby, now it's too late
Though we really did try to make it
Something inside has died and I can't hide
And I just can't fake it

Don't you know that I...
I just can't fake it
Oh it's too late my baby
Too late my baby
You know
It's too late my baby

http://www.loglar.com/song.php?id=3

19710400 Carole King Its Too Late released April 1971


SDOSM 20090429

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

20071128 Westminster Eagle columns September 19 through November 28 2007


Westminster Eagle columns September 19 through November 28 2007

Kevin E. Dayhoff

Posted Tuesday, December 11

Singing with one voice for a worthy cause

11/28/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

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On Nov. 17, members of our community packed St. John Catholic Church to hear the talented and beautiful voices of artists who came together and donated their time for our community -- and for a worthy cause.

Musical groups including the McDaniel College Madigal Singers, Old Line Statesmen Barber Shop Chorus (under the direction of Jeff Liebknecht), the Children's Chorus of Carroll County, New Life for Girls Choir, Masterworks Chorale, Westminster Trombone Choir and the Coram Deo performed a benefit concert for Carroll County Domestic Violence Safe House.

Connie Sgarlata, director of the Office of Family and Children's Services, said both the audience and the performers were moved by "the solidarity that the music and words created in our effort to address domestic violence."

Sgarlata's comments were echoed by McDaniel College professor of music Dr. Margie Boudreaux and Diane Jones, the Children's Chorus of Carroll County artistic director. Both noted that the music was wonderful -- the message was clear.

[Read full story]


Visiting the CIA for an Iron Chef Thanksgiving

11/20/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

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Happy Thanksgiving. We have so much for which to be thankful, and of course friends, family -- and food -- come to mind.

Over the recent Veterans Day weekend, Miss Caroline and I ventured to Hyde Park, N.Y., for a two-day conference on "The Presidency and the Supreme Court."

The conference took place at The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and examined the relationship between past presidents and the Supreme Court, the political process of Supreme Court nominations and the court's influence on social issues, civil rights and governmental power in times of war and crisis.

The conference was fascinating. We had the opportunity to meet and chat with a number of published historians and presidential and Supreme Court scholars.

We also met folks like former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, former White House counsels John W. Dean, C. Boyden Gray and Beth Nolan, former U.S. Senator from Maryland Paul Sarbanes and National Public Radio Senior Correspondent Juan Williams.

Legal Affairs Correspondent for National Public Radio Nina Totenberg was the moderator for the event.

However, I must say the highlight of the weekend was catching up with Rudy Speckamp

[Read full story]


One more helping of grits, with a Dr. Pepper and a side of fruitcake

11/15/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

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Most people who know me know that I like to eat.

And regular readers of this column know that one of my favorite foods is grits.

After the Aug. 1 column in The Eagle, "Song of the South: No grits, no glory," I heard from many folks who also like grits.

Mike Shaw of Shaw Farms wrote that he "j...

[Read full story]


Jerry Barnes: county state's attorney and veteran

11/07/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

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As Veterans Day fast approaches -- it's this Sunday, Nov. 11 -- it's appropriate to remember that service to our country is a cherished tradition in Carroll County.

And so it was that in May 1968, Jerry F. Barnes joined the U.S. Army.

Today, we know Mr. Barnes as Carroll County State's Attorney.

But it was back then that the Westminster High School graduate, class of 1966, received his draft notice.

According to a biographical sketch written by Carmen Amedori, Mr. Barnes joined draftees from Carroll County "on a school bus at the (Westminster) Post Office downtown," and headed for Fort Holabird in Baltimore -- and then promptly to Fort Bragg, N.C.

Mr. Barnes noted that fellow Carroll countians Mark Main, Eddie Sensabaugh and Sam Greenholtz were at Fort Bragg at the same time.

Mr. Barnes eschewed being drafted for two years and, instead, enlisted for three years. At first he wanted to be a helicopter pilot, but after a series of events he signed up for Special Forces -- the Green Berets.

Barnes' Vietnam experience is one of a number of profiles by Ms. Amedori appearing in a new publication from the Historical Society of Carroll County, "Tours of Duty: Carroll County and the Vietnam War," by Gary D. Jestes and Jay A. Graybeal. (The book will be released this Sunday at a book signing, 1 to 3 p.m. at the Historical Society, 210 E. Main St., Westminster.)

[Read full story]


Billy Bob threw something off the Route 140 bridge

10/31/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

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It was 40 years ago, the late summer of 1967 that we first learned from "Mama" that the nice young preacher, Brother Taylor "said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge. And she and Billy Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge."

I first heard that song, "Ode to Billy Joe," by Bobbie Gentry that summer on WCAO on the AM dial of the car radio.

It was also in this time period that I became firmly hooked on the existential "Southern Gothic" genre of storytelling. (To refresh your memory, the song can be found on the Web at www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZt5Q-u4crc.)

Other examples of authors of the Southern gothic genre of writing include William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, Eudora Welty, Truman Capote and Harper Lee.

Tennessee Williams once described the genre as stories that reflect "an intuition of an underlying dreadfulness in modern experience."

Who can forget: It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day. And mama hollered at the back door "y'all remember to wipe your feet."

[Read full story]


More Headlines

OK, so who was Herb Ruby?

09/26/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

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That's the question we posed last week when we talked about the placement of the Ruby Field sign at Westminster High's football field.

Let's begin this way -- when was the last time you attended a Friday night local high school football game?

We all know that local sports teams are one of the strongest glues that bind our community together. For hot dogs, pizza, entertainment and getting together outside in the fresh air with your family, friends and neighbors, there is hardly anything better than Friday night high school football games.

Well, we have Coach Ruby to thank for our Friday night high school football traditions in Carroll County.

Yep, it all started in 1947 when he became the first high school football coach in Carroll County.

After Coach Ruby graduated from Bridgewater College in 1941, he actually played semi-professional baseball for the Staunton Presidents of the Virginia Baseball League.

Read the entire story here: OK, so who was Herb Ruby?

Resetting a local gem to mark Ruby Field

09/19/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

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I had the pleasure of attending the "rededication" of the Ruby Field sign under the scoreboard at the Westminster High School football field right before the Westminster v. Francis Scott Key football game on Friday evening, Sept. 7.

A gathering of friends and family of the late Coach Herb Ruby was in attendance.

In the tradition of Coach Ruby himself, it appears the sign rededication was the result of folks working together as a team to benefit the community as a whole.

It got downright humorous as everyone gave the credit for the effort to someone else. This, too, is fitting as a tribute to the late Coach Ruby -- he was known for putting athletes, the team and the community above himself. He abhorred having attention drawn to him individually.

The little ceremony wasn't a splashy affair. It was essentially a small group of folks gathered to pay their respects. A few stories were traded back and forth -- in somewhat hushed tones. A photo was taken and everyone quickly went about their business.

Coach Ruby would have approved.

Over the roar of opening night, the pre-game excitement from the large crowd, football players warming-up and cheerleaders and the band practicing, my conversation with Carroll County Superintendent Dr. Chuck Ecker and Jim Head (my high school football coach, by the way) turned to the history of Ruby Field.

When "new" Westminster High School opened in fall 1971, the sign did not accompany the move from the school's former football field on Longwell Avenue, the "old" Westminster High grounds where the school operated from 1936 to 1971.

Read the entire story here: Resetting a local gem to mark Ruby Field

####

And please report dead links…

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

www.kevindayhoff.net

E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org or kevindayhoff AT gmail.com

His columns and articles appear in The Tentacle - www.thetentacle.com; Westminster Eagle Opinion; www.thewestminstereagle.com, Winchester Report and The Sunday Carroll Eagle – in the Sunday Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun. Get Westminster Eagle RSS Feed

Friday, November 02, 2007

20071101 Today Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge


Today Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge

November 1, 2007

My October 31, 2007 – Wednesday Westminster Eagle column is up on the Westminster Eagle web site and it pertains to one of my favorite forms of literature, Southern Gothic storytelling and one of my favorite songs from my teenage years, “Ode to Billie Joe” by Bobbie Gentry.

I lost most the following paragraphs to my word limit…

Ms. Gentry was born Roberta Streeter in nearby Chickasaw County, Mississippi, on July 27, 1944, where she grew up in severe poverty on her grandparents’ farm. Her grandmother facilitated her exploration of writing and music when she traded a family cow for a piano. At the age of seven, Ms. Streeter – Gentry wrote her first song, “My Dog Sergeant Is a Good Dog.”

When Ms. Gentry first released the song, it was the “B” side of a debut “forty-five” which featured a song, “Mississippi Delta.” Disk jockeys became more intrigued with “Ode to Billy Joe” and started giving it considerable airtime – and it crossed over from country music stations to “Top 40.” It topped the charts for four weeks in August 1967, sold three million copies, and won her three Grammy awards.

The narrator of the story is not identified in Ms. Gentry’s haunting and mysterious tale of a young man who commits suicide. The song comes to mind as Halloween is upon us and thoughts wonder to trick or treating or the community Halloween Parade - and ghost stories. Carroll County is awash in ghost stories for your enjoyment. That is of course, if you believe in ghosts. Do you believe in ghosts?

The column started out as an “evergreen,” an obligatory column for a particular seasonal event in the year.

Many of my colleagues who write for newspapers abhor “evergreens,” however I have always seen them as a challenge to come up with a different angle on a perennial topic, in this case, a piece on Halloween.

The piece started out very differently as when I neared deadline I jettisoned the customary tome on ghost stories in Carroll County with the standard fare on the origins of Halloween.

I got off on a tangent with a variation on the old “Crybaby Bridge” standard and quickly left quite a bit of work on the cutting room floor. To wit, most of the following, along with an additional 400 words were killed off:

As with many of our customs, observances and holidays, Halloween evolved over many centuries as a combination of several non-Christian ancient harvest celebrations and rituals combined with religious celebrations. The roots of Halloween go back as far as the 5th century BC in Celtic Ireland, when October 31 was celebrated as “Samhain,” the Celtic New Year.

For the economic historian, it is widely accepted that Halloween came to America along with the significant Irish wave of immigrants as a result of the economic hardships brought on by the Irish potato famine from 1845 to 1851.

Halloween is upon and thoughts wonder to trick or treating or the community Halloween Parade.

And ghost stories. Carroll County is awash in ghost stories for your enjoyment. That is of course, if you believe in ghosts.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Among some of the old favorites in Carroll County are the Ghost of Furnace Hills; the Civil War soldier that roams around in Cockey’s Tavern; the ghost of the old Rebecca at the old jail, which now houses Junction, a drug abuse treatment center; and the headless apparition of Marshall Buell at the old Odd Fellows Hall in Westminster.

[…]

_____

Let’s go watch Billy Bob throw a public official off the Rt. 140 Bridge

October 31, 2007 by Kevin Dayhoff (706 words)

It was forty years ago in the late summer of 1967 that we first learned from “Mama” that the nice young preacher, Brother Taylor “said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge. And she and Billy Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge.

I first heard the song, “Ode to Billy Joe,” by Bobbie Gentry that summer on WCAO on the AM dial of the car radio. It was also in this time period that I became firmly hooked on the existential - “Southern Gothic” genre of storytelling.

To refresh your memory, the song can be found on the web at www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZt5Q-u4crc.

Other examples of authors of the Southern gothic genre of writing include William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, Eudora Welty, Truman Capote, and Harper Lee. Tennessee Williams once described the genre as stories that reflect “an intuition of an underlying dreadfulness in modern experience.”

Who can forget: It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day… And mama hollered at the back door "y'all remember to wipe your feet." And then she said she got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge. Today Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge.”

Of course another intriguing feature of the story is that it takes place in Carroll County: “And brother said he recollected when he and Tom and Billy Joe put a frog down my back at the Carroll County picture show.

Ms. Gentry has to this day remained circumspect about the haunting and mysterious tale of Mr. MacAllister, but one thing we do know is that the “Carroll County” she is referring to in the song is “Carroll County Mississippi.” Come to find out, there are approximately 13 places in the United States called “Carroll County.”

The song comes to mind as Halloween is upon us and thoughts wonder to ghost stories. Carroll County is awash in ghost stories for your enjoyment.

Halloween ghost stories are fascinating as often they involve aspects of unexplained historical events, enigmatic dialogue, and inexplicable characters. However, over the years, I have become much more enamored with Southern gothic storytelling, which is frequently more creative – and often more disturbing in the manner it which it peels away the layers of a community or society; yet does not tell a reader ‘what to think,’ but nevertheless causes the reader ‘to think.’

Just like Halloween stories, the song’s plot makes known several themes. The first of which is obvious in that just like many popular Carroll County Halloween stories, it reveals a snapshot of life in a particular period in history.

But it is the other prominent theme that is particularly disturbing as it peels away the layers of indifference that contemporary society shows towards our fellow human beings – or in the case of “Ode to Billy Joe,” the loss of life.

In present day Carroll County, every other public hearing is “Halloween” as this theme often manifests itself in the cavalier manner in which folks will often engage in character assassination in the pursuit of a particular agenda.

In the song the family of the narrator nonchalantly mentions the gentleman’s death: “Billy Joe never had a lick of sense/ pass the biscuits, please. Of course the narrator of the story cares: “Mama said to me "Child, what's happened to your appetite? I've been cookin' all morning and you haven't touched a single bite. Other than that, they may as well been having a dinner conversation about the weather.

Happy Halloween. By all means, please enjoy some of the old favorites in Carroll County like the Ghost of Furnace Hills; the Civil War soldier that roams around in Cockey’s Tavern; the ghost of the old Rebecca at the old jail, and the headless apparition of Marshall Buell at the old Odd Fellows Hall in Westminster.

Better yet, the next chance you get, go to the Carroll County Public Library and re-read Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” or Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood.”

Or, of course, you can attend a good ole’ Carroll County public hearing and really see a modern day horror story unfold in real time - “and watch she and Billy Bob throwing public officials off the Rt. 140 Bridge.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr AT org

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