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Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - 09:37:00
The Whimsical World of Emily Kaitz
Yes, one of our Fayetteville mayoral candidates dropped out of the race this week, which is prompting many busy fingers across keyboards this morning. I’ll write something about that later. But today, let’s just have some fun. This is a piece I wrote about Ms. Emily Kaitz a few years ago that some may enjoy.
The Whimsical World of Emily Kaitz
Enjoying her work is important for Fayetteville Singer/Songwriter
Written by Richard S. Drake
The song writing process is different for each individual artist, and the whimsical Emily Kaitz sometimes feels that some of her friends suffer from a misapprehension as to how it is for her. She often hears, "Oh, I'll bet this has given you an idea for a song," or "I can see the wheels turning in Emily's head," but this is not necessarily the case.
Even though she has written (on an average) four songs a year since her teenage years, often months will go by without her putting a word on paper. She says that she seems most inspired when she is in her car, driving to and from various appearances. "I'll be pulling out my journal and writing. Not necessarily a whole song, but I'll write down a few notes. I'll have my journal on top of the steering wheel."
She admits, "It's a terribly dangerous thing to do, but that's when I seem to get most of my ideas." And it seems to be paying off, with a lifetime of fan favorites such as "A Stranger on my Own Home Page," "Shallow End of the Gene Pool," and a new song favored by many who fought the recent Kohl's development, "Just a Little Grove of Trees."
"Shallow End of the Gene Pool" was born in 1986 after she broke up with a boy friend, and he called her on the phone while angry. "He told me what a terrible person I was. I got off the phone thinking, "He's right. I'm from the ‘‘shallow end of the gene pool.'"
She didn't make up the phrase herself; a friend had heard it on the radio and recounted it to her, but she took it from there and made a song from it. After performing at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 1998, a live performance of the song was included on the Women of Kerrville, Volume III CD. Several years ago, the Austin Lounge Lizards (friends with whom she still occasionally performs) released their own version of the song on their album, Small Minds. Others who have recorded her music include Trout Fishing in America and Chet Atkins.
"I'm a known obscure quantity," she says of the music she releases on her own label. "I have a cult following."
Writing a song can take as long as a few days, though she has been known to write some in less than an hour. "I'm very lazy. An idea has to be strong enough to really force my brain to want to work with it."
While growing up in Virginia, Kaitz, at around the age of 14, was inspired by the Beatles. She began a singing career accompanying herself on her guitar which she has continued. She played various Beatles' hits - all with a pseudo-English accent. By her own admission, she was "terrible."
She says, "I was a lonely, introspective teenager, so I spent a lot of time in my room with my guitar." An 8th-grade talent show saw her first public performance, singing the Kink's "Tired of Waiting." Along the way to performing professionally, she also mastered the upright bass.
In 1981, after living in Austin for several years, she began performing in clubs, though her material at first consisted primarily of songs by other songwriters. Her first gig was at the popular Mother's Café, playing instrumentals while patrons ate.
Though Kaitz has only lived in Fayetteville since January, 1998 (after living in Austin for 21 years), she was hardly a stranger to the area. She already had several musician friends here, and had returned several times after attending Crow Johnson's wedding in the 1980s. Kaitz began to prefer the Fayetteville music scene to that of Austin, which seemed to have become
so large it was disjointed.
Emily Kaitz does not consider her voice particularly to be her strong point, "but I write these quirky songs that nobody else writes," and many have told her that her voice matches her music perfectly.
Though she has not written any poetry since she was a teenager, she felt honored when the Ozark Poets and Writers Collective invited her to be the featured poet at one of their monthly gatherings last year.
Kaitz genuinely loves performing, no matter what or where the venue. In addition to her own performances, she can often be found playing backup to a number of other local musicians, including Outside the Lines, Barton and Sweeney, and Effron White.
"I am really one of the most unambitious musicians that you will ever meet," she says with a smile. "I've already surpassed any dreams that I might have had, as far as where I would want to be in my career. Really, I'm in it to have a good time."
By maintaining her sense of fun, she is able to avoid burnout. "If I can keep playing music the rest of my life that would be great." Her greatest emotional survival technique, she laughs, "Is don't take yourself too seriously." In fact, she says, it is a mistake to take anything too seriously. It is very easy to become discouraged in the music business, she says. "I've had as much rejection as success, and you can't take it personally."
For her own enjoyment, she listens to a lot of music made by personal friends, some of which she admits is obscure, and may be hard to find. In addition, she enjoys bluegrass and jazz. While she is not particularly fond of reggae, she does enjoy rock and roll. She has a tendency to favor acoustically oriented music.
She says that she does not often have music playing in the background at home, as so many others do.
Kaitz seems a woman who is pretty happy with her life and her career. "Most of the success I have had has come to me. I really haven't gone looking." Those who have not yet made the acquaintance of Emily Kaitz, however, could do a lot worse than actively seeking out her music.
Ozark Gazette - December 11, 2000
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - 10:42:18
KFSM and the Riverboat Gamblers
Yes, I know they really aren't gambling on a riverboat - I just love the title.
One of the silliest stories in 2008 - the year is still young - that hKFSM has covered was on Sunday night, when their Junior Varsity news crew ran a piece on how folks are still finding ways to gamble during economic tough times.
The “news” team interviewed one woman who claimed that she “rationed” herself when she went to gamble, and with another who says that even though she is challenged to take care of her family, she still gambles at a nearby casino, citing the $5 coupons they send her in the mail.
She claims that she cashes out, so the money goes toward her kids.
"Money is more important for my kids, than for me," said Aeron Campbell.
To sort of balance things out, a “psychologist” is interviewed - the odd thing is, the only reference I could find to this “psychologist” is online, touting some sort of religious Boot Camp for Married and Divorced Folk and she isn't sporting a Ph.D anywhere near her name. www.divorcerecoveryseminar.com/divorce_counseling_experts.php
She is a social worker, though.
Maybe KFSM’s Junior Varsity just gets confused with all them fancy initials and such.
The end of the article just sort of goes into a sort of plug for Cherokee Casinos:
The Cherokee Casino has seen a spike in business, despite an economic down-turn. "We're doing very well actually," said Cherokee Casino Spokes-woman, Kelli Bruer. The Cherokee Casino, in Siloam Springs is expanding, and will likely hire around 500 people to fill positions later this year.
The story is also on KFSM’s website.
http://www.kfsm.com/Global/story.asp?S=8235276
******
Embedded in America
When I was a Junior in High School, I was Humor Editor on the school paper, which may well have been the high point of my writing career. It may also have been the most satisfying, since I am never happier than when I am writing something humorous.
I especially enjoy humor which pokes fun at the sacred cows of society. And which lumbering sacred cow needs the most puncturing of its pretension-filled udders?
The great American newspaper. That which we read over our morning eggs and coffee, bringing yesterday's events into our homes today. Of course, what we read over our breakfast may depend upon exactly where our interests lie.
Some like to immerse themselves in the embrace of a major news daily, while some enjoy the charms - such as they are - of small town papers, many of which only come out once a week, whether anything happened in town that week or not. And still others like the world of The National Enquirer, or the late crap-fest, The Weekly World News.
For all of those folks, there is the Onion, one of the greatest satirical riffs on newspapers ever to come down the pike, which is available at most bookstores across the country. Full of sheer nonsense, the Onion parodies all of the above styles of newspapers brilliantly.
The most recent Onion compilation I have read, "Embedded in America," joins the long list of other collections of Onion papers. Set in the style of a six page tabloid, the Onion takes the tiniest
bit of sanity and carries it to lunatic extremes. Beginning with page one:
"Schwarzenegger Elected First Horseman Of The Apocalypse" - "Ashcroft Chases Down, Loses CIA Suspect In Alley behind White House" - "Lieberman Pledges To Gloss Over Boring Issues" - and not to mention, "Girlfriend Playing Virtua Fighter With Some Other Guy Now."
My personal favorite story comes later in the collection - "Energy Secretary Assumed Cabinet Knew He Did Porn Films in the ‘‘80s."
This book is too much fun not to pick up. Who can read the Onion, and say that there is no hope for America? And like the late The Weekly World News, I like to think that there are
simple souls out there who pick up the Onion and actually take it at face value.
Saturday, April 26, 2008 - 10:02:07
Well, what have you done for Fayetteville lately?
The poll undertaken by a current Fayetteville mayoral candidate to see how much name recognition he has may be a little off the mark; maybe the question should be a variant of “What have you done for me lately?”
It’s only April, and we have no reason to suspect that even more people might not throw their hats into the ring for the mayor’s race - this is actually a pretty light field, compared to some years.
But we aren’t just light on the number of candidates, or name recognition. We are light on something else, too - public service to Fayetteville.
Admittedly, Lioneld Jordan has been seen as a player for time now, being involved in a number of issues - both as an alderman, and as a Union Man. But Steve Clark? Well, state service aside, there seems to be no real emotional connection to Fayetteville here.
Grandkids aside, what else is there? Because all he is offering up so far are cliches.
Jeff Koenig has been around for a while, and does have some name recognition, for his financial work behind the scenes, for people who have been paying attention. That was a while ago, and moving into town so you can legally run just raises eyebrows.
Besides, this whole “name recognition” poll makes him sound like a candidate for one of those old American Express commercials back in the 1980s. “Do you know me?”
And as for Walt “The Funkster” Eiler, well, well, again, what connection do you have?
In the recent past, we had candidates like Dan Coody (remember him?) and Cyrus Young, who had served on the city Council - or in Coody’s case, the City Board of Directors.
We had Paula Marinoni, a noted preservationist.
Robert Reus, who helped spearhead the drive to change Fayetteville’s form of government in 1992 from City Manager to Mayor/Council. Or business people who had been prominently involved in the community before deciding to run for mayor.
I’d feel a lot better about this race if we had more people of their caliber running, instead of just one man with real experience and three other men who can’t quite tell us who they are or what they really have to offer.
Except for the Funkster, who is gonna make us all funksters . . .
******
On the Air - Free Tibet
On March 10, 1998, the Fayetteville City Council joined communities across the globe by declaring solidarity with the people of Tibet, who have lived under the cruel yoke of Chinese domination for decades. The resolution -“Fayetteville Tibetan Independence Day - was introduced by Alderman Randy Zurcher, at the behest of Students for a Free Tibet, a local group concerned about conditions in that country.
Later that month Frank Parigi, of Students for a Free Tibet, appeared on “On the Air,” and we are showing the program again this week.
Show times:
Monday - 7pm
Tuesday - noon
Saturday - 6pm
As always, C.A.T. can be seen on Channel 18 on the COX line-up in Fayetteville. Copies of the program can be gotten by calling C.A.T. at 479-444-3433.
Friday, April 25, 2008 - 10:27:12
A greater crime than war profiteering?
TWe’re all well aware of how speculators have helped to destroy the home sales market. Now they are doing the same for food. When did you ever think you’d see a headline like this?
Financial speculators reap profits from global hunger
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/apr2008/hedg-a24.shtml
It just seems to me that this is grotesquely immoral, that these grinning loons are shown on the news every day, waving their arms around, bidding like crazy for commodities, while there are food riots on almost every continent in the world.
This is on an equal level with - if not a greater crime - than war profiteering.
In Haiti, cookies made of dirt, salt and vegetable shortening have become a regular meal for many families.
And smug men and women around the world are making a nice profit from this.
What to do? Oh, I know - let’s have a Congressional Hearing - that’ll solve everything.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 - 10:02:28
Primary coverage: Deja Vu on the Campaign Trail
As I watched the various pundits and talking heads through a prescription-drug haze, the feeling dawned on me that none of them were really saying anything that they hadn’t said weeks and months ago, and in two weeks time, would probably be saying the same things yet again.
******
Quote of the Day
The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.- Tom Clancy
Monday, April 21, 2008 - 08:34:23
Fayetteville - ECO City?
Just imagine this project in Fayetteville! Over 150 children, on behalf of The Liverpool Architectural Society and The Liverpool Children's Parliament worked on this project.
From:
http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/NewsUpdate/index_93552.htm
Children design new environmentally-aware city
The Parliament aims to give children the opportunity to have their say on the future of their city and for this event they were split into teams and asked to design a futuristic, environmentally-aware Liverpool.
ECO City was devised to encourage the children to think about the effects that global warming and rising sea levels will have on cities of the future. Working with architects and designers, they had just a few hours to bring their brand new 'Liverpool Island' to life. Architecture and design students from LJMU and Liverpool University were also on hand to help them build their models.
The Leader of Liverpool city council, Councillor Warren Bradley, welcomed the children to the event at the Town Hall, saying: "It's important we ask young people to think about the long-term effects global warming will have on our planet in the future... encouraging them to design their own futuristic city is a great way of achieving this."
It is hoped that an exhibition of the ECO City models will be staged at the RENEW Gallery, Wood Street, Liverpool in May 2008.
******
Quote of the Day
"Fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science fiction is the improbable made possible."
- Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone).
Sunday, April 20, 2008 - 09:02:33
Steve Clark - blah, blah, blah
As almost everyone in the universe suspected, Steve Clark used his time in the Town Center to throw his hat in the ring, adding his name to the list of Fayetteville mayoral hopefuls. What a pity that all he had to offer were the usual round of the newest cliches.
Smart Growth!
Sustainability!
Green-space!
All of these years in politics, and looks as though he just prepped for the press conference over breakfast with Dan Coody.
I’m not putting down the new by-words we all strive to live by - I’d hate to have Code Compliance pay another visit to my house - but tax revenues are down, jobs are vanishing, and a some of our citizens are being evicted to make room for some of this “smart-growth.”
And hey, Nancy Allen and Lioneld Jordan are still the only folks in Fayetteville who have spoken out publicly concerning these hell-holes that charge families by the week to live in sqaullid conditions.
******
Coody a Clark Man?
I started hearing rumors that Comrade Coody was supporting Clark last week, though I had my suspicions a few weeks earlier, when I made a joke about Clark, and Comrade Dan seemed terribly defensive about it.
If Coody does publicly come out in favor in Clark, expect the word “redemption” to be used.
*****
Matthew Petty - Are you like, crazy?
http://matthewpetty.org/content/campaign-announcement
I’m sure Matthew Petty is a nice man, and kind to small animals, but he needs to understand that folks in Fayetteville have been a little bit spoiled by people who can speak about important matters in a down to earth fashion. I read the everything on his website, and I wasn’t sure if I was reading campaign material or a term paper.
But here is the crazy part:
Petty is running against a woman who not only speaks in a way that folks will immediately be able to grasp what she is saying, but she is a true progressive - as opposed to folks to say they are before the election, but think it’s a dirty word after they are sworn in. So why run against her, Comrade Petty?
Oh, wait a minute. Even though Coody (our mayor that Allen is an an occasional critic of) won’t be on the council any more, would someone like Petty be a better “fit” on the council should Clark actually succeed in his race for mayor?
Like Clark, Petty addresses no working class issues on his website.
I ain’t holdin’ my breath in either case.
****
Send in the Clones
There has been a great moral outcry lately concerning the possibility of cloning human beings. Science fiction horrors have been dished up, using the scenario of using laboratory produced creatures for use in factories, wars, mines, and serving in Congress.
Well, good. Bring 'em on. Maybe it will take some of the strain off those already in those positions.
Seriously, cloning for research and medical purposes may be one thing, but there is hardly a need to mass produce human beings on a massive scale, when we are already creating an entire generation of poorly educated men and women fit only for dray work or cannon fodder.
The future promises to be no better, as we face draconian cuts in public housing, health care, education and environmental protections, and two political parties which are lusting after the almighty campaign contribution, rather than the future of the American citizen. The working
poor still occasionally get described by some in the “liberal” camp as "trailer park trash."
In our own community, we have the hellish conditions - are you listening, Matthew Petty and Steve Clark? - where families pay a majority of their pay checks to live in roach-infested trailers and apartments, unregulated and unobserved unless someone actually files a complaint with the city.
Why do we allow such things in our community?
And who lives there? Our very own half-creatures, golems, humans whose lives we are legislating into refuse, the individuals it has become chic to overlook, patronize, and condemn to further poverty.
It is, after all, cheaper than cloning.
***
The Miracle Worker
Some years ago, I saw an excellent production of William Gibson's powerful play "The Miracle Worker," as put on by Springdale's Arts Center of the Ozarks. I have just reread the play, and I recommend it heartily for anyone who doubts the potential for bravery and ingenuity in the human soul. The story of Helen Keller, blind and deaf, is one of the most inspiring stories I have ever read.
Totally riveting and brilliantly written, it is an excellent story for anyone of any age.
I finally got a chance to see the original movie some time ago on TCM.
Did anyone ever see the TV remake a few years ago with that annoying little girl from the Coke (or was it Pepsi) commercials playing Keller?
**
Quote of the Day
Unknowingly, we plow the dust of stars, blown about us by the wind, and drink the universe in a glass of rain. - Ihab Hassan
And then I have some land to sell you . . .
My Great Diabetes Adventure
Jury Duty: Put me in, Coach!
Iraq: Maybe now we can admit the truth?
Why don't you come up and Google me sometime?
Fayetteville: A little less Square than there was before?
What are you trying to say, Adella Gray?
No news isn't really good news
Fayetteville Square - Celebrating the New, Honoring the Past
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