People Are Idiots and I Can Prove It by Larry Winget

Self-help and motivational books have their place.  There are people who lack clarity regarding their life.  They require some advice, pointers.  Larry Winget, a so-called guru in the personal development world, has written a book that endeavors to give out this advice – People Are Idiots and I Can Prove It.  He chose such a jarring title to get attention.  He wanted you to notice his book and read it, if for no other reason than to prove you aren’t an idiot.  Is the attention warranted?  Will you learn anything from Larry’s book that will improve your life?  Is it worth inclusion in your personal library?  Let’s see.

Road Work/Traffic Update for Airway Ave

I drove past the Airway/Andy Devine intersection at 10 am. There was no sign of the road crew. It’s like they were done. In about three hours. I am shocked.

Traffic on Airway Ave, Kingman AZ

I do not recommend travel on Airway Avenue this morning. At 7 am today there was a lot of work being done to it. I say “a lot” because I’m not sure exactly what was being done but there were numerous trucks and road equipment at the intersection of Airway and Andy Devine.

I know that road work is a fact of life, even in a small place like Kingman. What infuriates me, though, is the lack of clear direction the road crews give to commuters. I live approximately three blocks from the intersection. As I pulled out onto Airway there were orange cones and “Road Work Ahead” signs on both sides of the road. Additionally, travelers were warned to “Be Prepared To Stop.” There was no one working within these cordoned areas.

As you get to the train overpass, the cones disappear. At the intersection where the work is being done, there were no cones at all; no one directing traffic – nothing. Just a couple of water trucks driving back and forth over both sides of the road and two or three big pieces of equipment doing actual road work. It seemed that there workers and equipment on all four sides of the intersection.

I couldn’t believe the lack of direction. I had to turn right at the light. There were some trucks rolling about on that side of the road. No one was telling us if we could go that way or not. Once you got up to the light, it was like a free-for-all. Those of us who needed to turn veered that direction, making sure we didn’t slam into each other. The road crew, wandering about in bright vests, did nothing to help. In fact, the woman in front of me tried to be nice to one of the water trucks. He was on the left side of the road and needed to get to the right side. She left a gap for him and he just gruffly motioned her forward.

I’m glad I was warned that road work was going to be done, I just wished they’d put more thought into it. I don’t know if there were any warnings posted on any of the other roads. I feel sorry for everyone on the other side of Airway. There was no way they could have come across to our side.

These road crews need to put a lot more planning into their projects. Shut off just one side of a road, or maybe just one lane, instead of the entire road – especially on a Monday morning. Plus, they should show some more respect for the people traveling. Of course, that’s an issue that all of Kingman needs to work on.

So, today, avoid the Airway intersection. Who knows for how long. It’s not like they tell us.

Brian Woodruff – The Tarrier

Maybe it’s because he’s a drummer.  I can dig drummers.  They’re laid back, organized, with-it types; not reckless spotlight hogs.  The music on The Tarrier feels honest, not forced, not pretentious.   Some of the other jazz I’ve listened to of late has felt bogged down by overachieving geniuses.  I’m not saying Brian Woodruff isn’t accomplished, but it’s music I can identify with at last.

The Tarrier is Woodruff’s first time as a band leader, though he’s been playing for some time.  He effectively guides his ensemble, a sextet.  They all sound comfortable and his music feels simple.  The drumming is punctual, impeccable, crisp;  Matt Clohesy’s bass is beautifully entwined with the drums.  Those two really drive this CD.

“The Tarrier”, a song based on a friendly epithet derived from lingering chess moves.  It’s a blues shuffle and serves its purpose perfectly – it intrigues and introduces.  “Dijon Dance” and “Be Still (While I Remove the Wart)” are next, both inspired by not only the music but the names of a couple of Woodruff’s favorite drummers.   I appreciated his literary motif’s – anagrams, literature, poetry. 

It’s all … normal stuff.  That’s what I really appreciated about this music.  While it is well written, wonderfully performed, it’s all very human, too.   That sets his music apart.

An Interview With Vagabond Opera

Ever read an adulatory description of a band and then listened to their CD and discovered that the description wasn’t completely accurate?  I promise that Vagabond Opera is an exception.  They live up perfectly to the many descriptions and accounts I read about them.  They truly deliver “passionate offerings of Bohemian cabaret for young and old. Paris hot jazz, gut bucket swing, tangos, Ukrainian folk-punk ballads, klezmer and vigorous originals meet a world of riverboat gambling queens, Turkish belly dancers, and the enigmatic Marlene Dietrich.”  Sounds wild, right?  It is – and it’s completely enjoyable.

Their newest CD is The Zeitgeist Beckons, a beautifully produced, magically arranged, boisterously performed excursion into a bizarre musical world that is superbly incandescent and proprietary.  The group boasts an impressive vocabulary, both lyrically and musically.  None of the music is forced, as if they were trying to attain a certain number of tracks for their record.  Each song is its own unique speakeasy show.

Vagabond Opera is comprised of:  Eric Stern, the band’s frontman, lyricist, composer and arranger; Jason Flores, the bassist; Mark Burdon, drummer; Robin Jackson, who plays sax; and Skip vonKuske, the Opera’s cellist.  They were generous enough to answer a few of my questions.