The Telegram and Gazette's Letters from Idiots

I love reading the T&G's letters section online, because it is filled with choice, uninformed opinions that would be depressing if they weren't so genuinely stupid. Especially worth noting are the comments to news stories left by idiots. These folks all have in common a worldview that divides the world into good and bad (policies, presidents, teachers, students, people in general). It's as thought they must ascribe blame to someone, all the time.

A recent event at Wachusett High School spawned a long list of letters about kids involved in a beating. It was a nasty beating, and it was caught on video and put on Youtube for all to see. The opinions mostly fell into the category of "kids these days are spoiled rotten; punish them and they will improve."

Many of the comments on this story fell back on the "bad kid, bad family" explanation; others asserted that school choice was bringing bad Worcester kids in to mix with those really nice kids from Holden, who never get into trouble (I'd love to hear the vice principal of Wachusett address that one!).

One of the kids who was a perp in the beating is well known to me; I've watched him grow up. His folks are hard working, decent people. His father had him involved in all kinds of sports, at which the son usually excelled, because he's a gifted athlete. They sought out the best education for their son, which is why he was involved in school choice. In spite of this, their son is a mixed-up kid who has gotten involved with some serious trouble. He's under house arrest and has been expelled from school -- his parents did not attend the hearing (perhaps because they agreed he should be expelled for what he did; I don't know) -- and will certainly face legal consequences that might include jail time.

He's not a bad kid; his parents are not bad parents. People are not good or bad, unless you happen to view them that way. And if you do, you are at least half blind.

Worcester Jazz

My musical partner, Rich Falco, got a gig for us playing jazz every other week in Oxford, at a place called Oxford's Casual Dining. Rich indulges me, perhaps because bassists are in short supply, so I'm happy to do the gig with him, since I learn more by playing with him, and we make some pretty good music. Click http://www.gigmasters.com/hear_audio.asp?rowid=20202&sequenceID=1 and listen.

Playing regularly anwhere is difficult, because any slow night might mean that the owner could cut you loose. So I do like to promote these gigs, andI post on Craigslist and Socialweb and hope to gain the attention of the local press.

It's the latter that's proved difficult. We can't really advertise; we're too poor. Tyra Penn has included us on WICN's club updates, bless her. But the Worcester press, which in most other instances stresses the local angle, tends to pay the most attention to jazz acts from out of town. Articles and items featuring local rock acts are common, too, most of whom aren't even paid musicians. But not jazz. And not us.It seems odd that more attention is paid to amateur musicians in rock clubs than experienced professionals who ALREADY know how to play. Call it the American Idol phenomenon.

I don't want to sound bitter. Rich is already well-known in the area's jazz community, so I can understand that local press might feel that he doesn't need more press, and people might not be interested in finding out more about him. But look at the "jazz scene" in Worcester right now. Java Hut closed, so there's no jam session there. There is no club in Worcester that features jazz, nor any restaurant that hires jazz musicians to play regularly. Oxfords Casual Dining is pretty much it, from what I can tell. Yet OCD (not a pretty acronym, but I'll use it) is not even in club listings, even though jazz is a regular feature there, and it's the ONLY JAZZ IN TOWN! You'd think that alone would be news.

No-Ped in Worcester

Although I called it a moped, my Tomos is apparently a "no-ped" in that it has no pedals. I've been riding it to work and back when weather permits (we had a recent spate of good weather), which is 40 miles round trip. The bike runs great, but I have to say, the seat sucks. Not very comfortable after a mile or so, and very uncomfortable after ten miles.

In spite of this, I've put over 300 miles on the Tomos, which my wife has nicknamed "Zippy," apparently in reference to the pinhead that rides it, moi. A friend of mine, when he saw the Tomos, asked me, "So have any of your friends called you a crazy idiot yet?" I've gotten some odd looks, but drivers seem to assume that I'm on a motorcycle, which in traffic is a good thing -- they come up more slowly -- and I feel much safer than when I've ridden a bicycle in the same circumstances.

Now that I've put on over 250 miles, some maintenence needs to be done. I've got to change the oil and tighten the chain, for starters, so I'm not commuting on the Tomos until I've made sure I don't run out of oil or throw a chain. Throwing the chain would be VERY BAD. But I'm looking forward to spring, and A NEW SEAT.

Pleased With Music Again

Several things have conspired to get me excited about music again. First, I've been playing bass with some of Worcester's finest musicians. Paulo of Pueblo Nuevo, and wonderful singer, called to have me fill in for his bassist/guitarist at Bocado Tapas Bar on Winter Street. We had a quick rehearsal with Jonathan, his conga player and I had a ball accompanying Paulo on a bunch of Latin songs I didn't know before (I like a challenge). Then he asked me to put a group together to sub for Pueblo Nuevo the next Thursday, again at Bocado. Chet Williamson put me in contact with Miguel Almestica, a wonderful percussionist, who brought two other percussion players along just for fun, and guitarist and Berklee "cat" Mitch Seidman tore it up on guitar as we turned every jazz tune we could into a merengue, samba, salsa or bossa nova.

Another musical addition has been created by using http://www.gigmasters.com/jazz/richfalco to advertise for bookings. The site allows folks to hear the duo and lets them know how affordable we can be, plus how the group can expand to a trio or quartet. And I had a great time at a wedding in Rhode Island, right by Newport Bay, playing straight-ahead mainstream jazz as a quartet with Sonic Explorers Jerry Sabatini on trumpet and Mike Connors on drums, and Mitch Seidman filling in for Rich Falco on guitar . We've been filling up our calendar with private parties and getting some great feedback from customers.

Rich Falco, Jazz Guitarist, Jim Allard's Band

I saw a wonderful concert recently at the Joy of Music Program (Rich and Wendy Ardizzone's really cool music school) by Jim Allard's band. He's putting together a CD and featured a number of originals that will be featured. Not only were the tunes and arrangements good, but Jim and Rich were in fine form, and the incomparable Mike Connors demonstrated once again that there is no more musical or tasteful drummer on the planet.

I'd originally thought Joe D'Angelo would be playing bass, and wanted to hear him, but they had a sub (embarrassed to say I've forgotten his name) from Boston who teaches in Maine (there's a commute for you) who tore it up with bow and fingers. I wanted to steal his rosin so just a little of his playing would rub off on me, but instead went home and practiced!

Keep an eye out at www.jomp.org for upcoming faculty concerts in the fall.

The Telegram and Education

I think I've finally figured out the Worcester Telegram and Gazette's editorial stance on public education: Any policy that Worcester taxpayers don't have to fund is good. Any policy that costs Worcester taxpayers more is bad.

Pilot schools with money from the state? Good.
Compensating teachers with expensive health care benefits? Bad.
Increased state aid to reduce the number of high school dropouts? Good.

And so on. The next time you see an op-ed on local public education in the Telegram, apply the simple test above, and see how it works.

The Ploughman's Launch

Early this morning, long after the final flake of snow found its resting place, truckdrivers passed by my house on May Street with their blades down, plowing the air, doubtless contemplating their bottom lines. As the planet warms, what will these worthies do? Perhaps head toward the coast and plow the rising waters. I don't know. I do know that if they had kept their blades up, not only would they have plowed just as much snow, but I would have slept soundly enough never to have observed the pristine street swept repeatedly of invisible precipitation.

Worcester and Crime

I just had a look at the Worcester Police Department’s website, and was pleased to find that it had an easy-to-use, clickable map of the city showing crime statistics broken down by neighborhood and types of crimes. Looking at it, I couldn’t help remembering David Rushford’s observation that poor areas of Worcester, while they may look neglected, actually receive a far greater share of city services than well-off neighborhoods. There is a net transfer of wealth from the city’s upper-middle class to its poor because of this, something that the folks at In City Times might gag on, if they actually thought about it, which they probably won’t. It sucks to be poor anywhere, but it sucks less to be poor in Worcester than it would otherwise, chiefly because of the schools and other city services.

It was about five years ago I called asking the WPD if they had any crime statistics, and the officer that answered said no, that they lacked the time to assemble them. So I was pleased by the map, and especially the analysis that came with it, because it indicates that the Worcester police are getting more on the ball all the time. They appear to be doing much more than just responding to crime; the Worcester police are planning how to deal with it most effectively as it changes.

I also took the time to write the WPD an e-mail thanking them for their work, and I recommend you take time to do the same. I think the WPD are the main reason Worcester is so much safer than Springfield and Hartford.

I’m not wearing rose-colored glasses, because when you choose to live in a city, you live with the inevitability of urban crime. But it’s good to know that crime is not being ignored here in Worcester, and that competent people are working hard at dealing with it effectively.