step up to the mike...

"Impartiality is not neutrality. It is partiality for justice." - Stanisław Jerzy Lec (1909-1966)

 

Christmas Greetings

from

Cllr Mike Oborski, Konsul RP

and Cllr Mrs Fran Oborski

The picture ("Christmas Eve Underground) shows Polish Soldiers of Jozef Pilsudski's Legions celebrating the traditional Polish Christmas Eve 'Wigilia' in the trenches of the First World War.

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Why we place a Fairy on the top of our Christmas trees....

It was late on Christmas Eve morning when Father Christmas staggered out of bed with a blinding hangover from the party of the night before. It was only when he entered the kitchen and pleaded for coffee only to narrowly miss being hit on the head by the large and very heavy coffee pot thrown by Mother Christmas that he started to remember the events of the previous night - particularly having been caught by his wife while in a passionate embrace with a naked and voluptuous young elven girl - his hand having been precisely where it shouldn't have been.

The row that now followed in the kitchen that Christmas Eve morn with vicious, humiliating, protracted and - worst of all from Father Christmas's point of view - extremely noisy. He was saved only when a terrified Goblin rushed in in unannounced screaming "Father Christmas, Father Christmas, come quickly, come quickly, the presents, the presents!"

Father Christmas rushed over to the workshops. Unsupervised by the elves - who were mostly still collapsed in an alcoholic stupor in the staff canteen - the toy making machines had churned on uncontrolled making increasingly faulty and unlikely, not to mentioned unwanted, toys. Father Christmas staggered around a huge mountain of square footballs only to be confronted by a vast array - stretching as as far as the eye could see - of neatly packaged and stacked huge-breasted Action Men. He could not even bring himself to look at the equally vast output of apoparently trans-sexual Barbie Dolls about which the horror struck Goblin was now moaning. Luckily for his sanity it was only on Boxing Day that Father Christmas eventually discovered the hidden warehouse full of George W Bush dolls created due to the endeavours of a singularly malevolent computer attached to an automatic production facility!

Furiously Father Christmas (still unaware of the George W Bush Dolls) stormed off to the canteen to confront the elves. An hour later and the elves were happily esconsed around hastily assembed bonfires outside the gates of the complex exchanging bottles of near toxic alcohol left over from the events of the night before and singing filthy songs about the alleged sexual inadequacy of Father Christmas. They had declared a dispute and were happily awaiting the arrival of their national Union organisers.

With all the hectic events of the morning it was not until lunchtime that Father Christmas discovered the rude and ill spelt letter which had been left on his desk and which was signed by every single one of the middle management Goblins.

They were, they said, all resigning and had got better paid jobs at a Call Centre somewhere in Southern India. As the Goblins were by nature rude, insolent and barely able to understand let alone speak a word of English they would obviously be absolutely perfect for their new roles Father Christmas reflected grimly. It was only when he started phoning around trying to find temporary last minute labour that he discovered for himself exactly how rude, insolent, uncomprehending and incomprehensible a Call Centre Goblin can be!

It was only following this that Father Christmas realised that nobody had fed the reindeer! Father Christmas rushed off to their stable to feed them. It was too late. They had gone. After a protracted search Father Christmas found them. They had strayed into the Great Hall - the uncleared scene of the previous nights "Company Party". Clearly the reindeer had found the left over food and drink some long hours earlier. Rudolph was lying drunk on the floor snoring loudly - his head resting comfortably in a still warm pile of his own vomit. Indeed, only two of the reindeer were still standing. Donner and Blitzen had become fighting drunk and were were still staggering around, swearing loudly and exchanging badly aimed punches. The air were filled with reindeer curses and the floor was covered in pools of reindeer blood, vomit and droppings. Rudolph gurgled happily in his drunken stupor, rolled over and elegantly pissed down Father Christmas's left trouser leg.

It was by now late afternoon and for Father Christmas it had all been far too much. He staggered back to his house his head and heart both thumping, his senses numb and his eyes filled with tears.

Entering the hallway he ignored the envelope from his wife who had by now gone off to stay with her mother. He sank into his favourite and well worn arm chair in the freezing and uncleaned living room.

At that moment the front door bell rang. Mindlessly Father Christmas staggered to the door and opened it. He looked down. There, on the doorstep, stood the the most truly beautiful little fairy anyone has ever seen. Her face was radiant with the joys and warmth of Christmas. Beside her on the ground lay the most magnificent Christmas Tree you can possibly imagine.

The little fairy peered up at Father Christmas her whole face wreathed in smiles as she opened her beautiful little fairy mouth and said in her beautiful little tinkling fairy voice "Father Christmas dearest, I have brought you this wonderful and beautiful Christmas Tree. Where do you want me to put it?"

posted by: Oborski at 14:55 | link | comments |

Twenty three Polish miners dead...

 

posted by: Oborski at 17:36 | link | comments |

As the Democrats try to get to grips with things...

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MULTIPLE CHOICE OR MULTIPLE CHAOS?

There as an interesting story on the radio yesterday. A mathematical analyst had noticed that in many exams and tests for youngsters they are asked to match 4 answers against 4 questions. In other words to sort out which of "A", "B", "C" or "D" actually match "1", "2" "3" and "4".

His point was this. If a student gets three correct then he / she will automatically get the fourth one right - whether or not he knows it's right - because it is the only option left. So, a 75% student scores not as a 75% student but as a 100% student.

Conversely if he / she starts by getting one wrong then he / she is bound to get another one wrong even if he / shegets the final two right (think about it). He / she may know his / her  second wrong answer is wrong but he / she is trapped because he / she has got the first one wrong. So a 75% student emerges on that question as a 50% student.

Personally I can see the logic of the first half of the argument and yes 75% students can automatically be transformed into 100% students which negates the whole purpose of the test in trying to establish where candidates realy stand.

I don't accept the second half of the argument because when a bright (we are talking 75% scoring student here) student spots that his / her other answers doesn't fit he / she is going to look at them again - change them to get the three correct answers in place - and then of course automatically get right the fourh question to which he / she did not know the answer in the first place so going not to 50% but to 100%.!

Any comments? Have I got this right?

posted by: Oborski at 09:12 | link | comments |

The sadder aspect of Consular work...

FLAG AT HALF MAST

The Polish Flag is flying at half mast today at the Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Kidderminster following the news that six bodies have been recovered and another two located in the Halemba coal mine in the city of Ruda Slaska, southern Poland, after an explosion 1000 meters below ground Tuesday evening. 

Hopes are fading for another 15 miners who are still missing.

About 70 rescuers worked through the night to try to clear 500m (1,640ft) of rubble to reach the men trapped some 1,000m (3,300ft) underground.

Hopes of finding the men alive are fading due to the extreme conditions underground, mine officials say.

Anxious relatives have gathered at the pit head to await news. 

"The conditions down there are extreme. It is hell. It is impossible to breathe in the area of the explosion, the ventilation has been destroyed," said Zbigniew Madej, a spokesman for the state-owned coal company.

Rescuers are trying to pump air into the shaft - it is not known if the breathing apparatus for the trapped miners will hold out. 

Six bodies have been recovered. Another two have been located but could not be reached. 

The identities of the dead could not quickly be determined as their ID tags had been blown away in the blast. 

Ruda Slaska lies about 300km (190 miles) south-west of the capital Warsaw.

Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski flew to the site of the blast and has declared a period of national mourning for the dead miners.

Polish Consul for the West Midlands, Cllr Mike Oborski, described the disaster as "a national tragedy. Poles across the World, including here in Wyre Forest are deeply moved and are praying for the dead, their families and in the hope small as it is, that there will still be survivors".

UPDATE 23/11/2006

Sadly all 23 miners are dead. First impression is that they all died instantly in the initial explosion but that is yet to be confirmed. Campaigning for the second round of Local Elections on Sundays has been abandoned as a mark of respect. The Polish President has declared a period of national mourning.

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MY MATE KENTON!

Last night my great friend Kenton Adler and a whole gang of guys played a Beatles tribute gig over in the States (see photo above). Kenton is a fabulous singer, songwriter and guitarist in his own right. Here he describes himself as looking like Dave Crosby dipped in mustard! Apparently it was a great gig. I just wish I'd been there. Can't wait for a CD of the gig!

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FROM THE LATEST HANDSOME FAMILY MAILING...

...not so much a band more a way of life!

THE MORNING GLORY!
IT HAS TAKEN THE WELL BUCKET
 I MUST SEEK WATER ELSEWHERE

-  Chiyo-ni, 1703-1775

           
BARN’S BURNT DOWN--
                    NOW
                    I CAN SEE THE MOON

 -  Masahide (1657-1732), Translated by Lucien Stryk

THE OLD POND

                A FROG JUMPS IN--
                SPLASH

                    -   Basho, 1684


WORLD?  MOONLIT

DROPS SHAKEN
FROM THE CRANE’S BILL

--Dogen

Meanwhile, let's start getting seasonal...

 

 

 

 

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HOW VERY, VERY KIND!

Just discovered the following from Tom Watson's blog. Tom is Labour MP for West Bromwich East but I have to forgive him as he is (a) actually a very good guy and (b) Kidderminster born and bred - in Offmore & Comberton of course. Here is a snippet from a June 2006 speech in the House of Commons. How extraordinary kind of him to mention me. I really am touched! 

Tom Watson (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Ministry of Defence) Hansard source

The hon. Gentleman has made that allegation twice and the Deputy Prime Minister is not here to defend himself —[ Interruption. ] He is not here to defend himself. Given that the hon. Gentleman is an Opposition deputy Chief Whip, I thought that the comments that he made on the Chiefs of the Defence Staff were frankly outrageous. I am sure that they do not reflect the view of Opposition Front-Bench Members.

The hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) spoke up for his constituents in his usual way. He spoke honestly and movingly about their views. He made a particular point about our Polish veterans and I was pleased that he did, because I come from Kidderminster, which is not too far away from his constituency and has a strong Polish community. Many members of that community served in the war and have a distinguished record. I am glad that he has given me the opportunity to get my thanks to them on the record. I am going to come out with a world first and praise a Liberal councillor, Mike Oborski, who has been a powerful advocate for Polish veterans over many decades. I glad that we can recognise the work that he does in Kidderminster and in England.

Daniel Kawczynski MP : He must be the only gentleman of Polish origin who is a Liberal Democrat.

Tom Watson MP : He is not actually a Liberal Democrat. He is a Liberal—just to reassure those on the Liberal Democrat Front Bench—who was formerly a Liberal Democrat.

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KEEP ON LEARNING...

If you'd asked me before it started I could never have imagined it!

Yup, serious Cancer brings you lots of pain and trouble.

But I've discovered something else.

It also brings out one Hell of a lot of love and friendship.

I guess there is always something new to discover!

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A Wedding to remember!

I just love being half English and half Polish and I make sure that I take absolutely total advantage of my two great cultural inheritances.

 

Of course there are some things that one side does better than the other!

 

The case in point is Weddings! English wedding catering tends these days to be either commercial caterers or do it yourself. Do it yourself seems to get more and more perfunctory with a predominance of second rate buffets lacking in character or style. With caterers you take your pick and get what you pay for from the ugly to the magnificent. Always however the end result is soulless – just another wedding another menu “A”, “B”, “C” or “D” for the caterers.

 

Polish weddings are different and the difference is almost inexplicable to our British friends.

 

The key difference is the enormous passion and love that is poured by the family into the food. The food MUST be perfect and it must be served in exactly the right way in the perfect Polish style. Why, because we must show our guests that we are both up to the challenge and capable of delivering that all important hospitality directly to each and every guest so that they understand that we really care and our first priority is THEIR comfort and pleasure.

 

We went to the marriage of a young Polish couple at the local Registry Office yesterday. There will be an enormous Church Wedding with hundreds of guests in Poland later in the year. But yesterday the Wedding Party was just 15 of us and the Wedding feast as at their little but very comfortable little home.

 

We arrived to a massively overburdened table at Noon. We started with champagne and toasts.

 

Then the serious business started! Huge magnificent home cooked turkey cutlets accompanied by the great Polish national dish – bigos (“hunters stew”) and gnocchi (little potato dumplings) with sauce.

 

There are of course wines and the most beautiful, beautiful home made vodkas from Poland. I have never tasted a finer lemon flavoured vodka.

 

Then the plates are cleared and the table replenished with huge platters of magnificent Polish cold meats and sausages accompanied by an enormous range of herrings, mushrooms and so, so many magnificent salads.

 

The drinking continues. After that it is the most marvellous range of Polish Cakes and Polish cakes are truly special – plus of course the Wedding Cake!

 

It is now about 2.30pm and Fran and I have to go –but the rest of the guests are now being invited to relax, take it easy – and drink. They are also being told that there will be a proper full three course Dinner at 4.30pm! I believe them. I’ve been in the kitchen. I’ve seen the mountains of foods and fruits which are lying in store!

 

You leave such a Wedding Feast feeling that you were the star – the centre of attention – and that of course is what our host’s intended.

 

And where did our beautiful young newly weds spend their time? Sitting at the table being feted by the happy guests? No of course not! They spent most of their time cooking in the kitchen and serving their guests and constantly had to be dragged to the table just to get them to take a bite to eat!

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...the contribution of the Polish wartime generation!

Speech to mark Polish Independence Day delived by Cllr Mike Oborski at the Polish Ex-Servicemen's Club, Kidderminster on 12th November 206.

Read here in pdf format

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"This album has taken some 14 months o f writing. It's a collection o f moments around the theme o f One Life. In this album I revisited some very early musical roots and influences in my life as a young boy growing up in Johannesburg in the late 60's and 70's. Apart from traditional Zulu guitar music, the traditional male choir singing in the ISISHAMENI and UMZANSI war dance styles had a deep impact on me and these moments are reflected in a number o f songs on the album. I also used Zulu concertina and mouthbow. Then I wandered into new rhythmic landscapes using African, hip-hop, rock, and Latin beats to lay the music against. One life is also reflections on some o f the things that we land u p doing with the life we are given and all the songs are linked thru this journey ..." Johnny Clegg - June 2006

In 1976 Johnny and Sipho secured a major recording deal and had their first hit sing entitled, “Woza Friday”. A period of development followed, during which Johnny worked on the concept of bringing together English lyrics and Western melodies with Zulu musical structures. The formation of JULUKA, meaning “sweat” in Zulu, was in total contravention of the Cultural Segregation laws of the time, which emphasized the separation of language, race and culture. Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu launched their second album “African Litany” in early 1981. In 1982 and ’83, Juluka toured the USA, Canada, the UK, Germany and Scandinavia. In 1983 they released “Work for All” and in late 1984 they released “Musa Ukungilandela”. Juluka split in 1985. After the break up of JULUKA, Johnny put together another band and called it SAVUKA. Johnny went on to form another crossover band “SAVUKA” (we have risen), mixing African music with Celtic folk music and international tock sounds. Musically it had a slightly harder edge and was different to JULUKA in that instead of two guitars and a keyboard it was based around two keyboards and a guitar. The music was still very much cross over but reached much further than JULUKA in the musical influences it integrated. JULUKA tended to be more local Zulu and English folk rock orientated. Whereas SAVUKA relied on central and west African guitar styles, as well as many other international rock and pop styles. It was much eclectic and even integrated eastern influence like the sitar and dotar.

Greater success lay waiting in the phenomenal record sales that began to consolidate in 1988. By the end of 1989, SAVUKA had sold over 1 million records of their debut album and their second album was reaching 700,000 units. In an incredible moment on the album and singles charts, SAVUKA held the #1 and #2 position on the album charts with the 1st and second album at the same time.

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A newcomer to the musical progression and legacy of the Byrds could hardly expect to find a better crash course than this: four discs with 99 songs, a DVD of ten previously unissued television performances, extensive annotation. Yet longtime fans of the band might wonder what the point is. Any riches buried in the vaults have long ago been mined--first in 1990's definitive four-disc Byrds box, then on Columbia's series of extended editions of every Byrds album in the catalog, replete with previously unreleased bonus tracks. By this late date, all possible revelations have been revealed, with the five previously unissued performances here of interest mainly to completists. The familiar music is glorious, of course--the chiming guitars and soaring harmonies that brought Bob Dylan and folk-rock to the top of the charts and then soared into the stratosphere with "Eight Miles High" and all but invented country-rock with Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Yet except for the DVD, anyone who wants this much Byrds probably already has most of it. --Don McLeese

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Trainwreck Riders' debut album offers 11 almost traditional-sounding tunes, played with the ragged edge, crashing chords and bleeding battery-acid lead guitar of a great garage-rock band. Lonely Road Revival suggests an old-time Appalachian porch hootenanny gone electric. As the alt-country movement of the 1990s becomes just another prêt-à-porter style, this San Francisco quartet rekindle the punk-rock belly fire the genre had in the hands of its progenitors, Uncle Tupelo: the vocalist hollers; somebody blows a harmonica over clattering percussion and Andrew Kerwin's skinny guitars. Trainwreck Riders are taking faltering steps towards greatness. (rating=3 stars). - Stewart Lee / The Sunday Times - UK _____________________________

"Lonely Road Revival" is a terrific distillation of Trainwreck's idiosyncratic vision and the chemistry forged during the band's high school years together, when brothers Andrew (lead guitar) and Steve Kerwin (drums) met the budding singer Frauenfelder (...) The three bounded over a mutual love for West Coast music, ranging from the weird acid-punk of the Meat Puppets to the swampy, roughhewn rock 'n' soul of Creedence Clearwater Revival. They also devoured the traditional country, blues, and folk they had discovered in the extensive record collection amassed by the Kerwin brothers' dad, Rob, who contributes fiddle to 'Lonely Road Revival'. - Jonathan Perry / The Boston Globe _____________________________

Just how is it that San Francisco has become such a major player in the roots rock scene? As improbable as it was that the Bay Area would produce the ramshackle, blistery blues rock of Two Gallants, another band from the Bay, the Trainwreck Riders, have stepped onto the scene and have transformed American roots rock, once again. On their Alive Records debut, Lonely Road Revival, the Trainwreck Riders, meld twang, folk, the guitar heroics of Neil Young or J Mascis, and hints modern indie bands like Modest Mouse or Built To Spill, in order to craft their distinct, yet comfortingly familiar sound. It's hard to highlight a few tracks when there's just so much to like on Lonely Road Revival. "In and Out of Love" combines the shuffling rhythm of an old time country song with rock and roll guitar pushed out front in the mix. Add in a little steel guitar, and the right amount of twang, and you've got one helluva rocker. "Christmas Time Blues" is a bar room tear jerker in the traditional sense. "Wine Stains" is a good ole country rocker that makes me want to get all liquored up and stomp my feet as my drink sloshes over its glass. Finally, consider "Find Your Way Home" and "Alemony Wildlife Refuge, " two fine slabs of cowboy punk with the down home fiddle track, "Rocks At Your Window" sandwiched in the middle. It takes some skills to pull that sequence off flawlessly. Sh*t, it takes serious musical skills to pull of this album, and those Trainwreck Rider boys sure damn have it. - I Rock Cleveland _____________________________

Trainwreck Riders feature in Mesh - PDF file. _____________________________

Trainwreck Riders play twisted Americana, with a hint of madness and lots of goodtime energy, that ensures the songs rock along with vigour and purpose. Highlights include the wonderful "Your Sisters And Your Sisters Friends" filled with great guitar, the Johnny Cash stomp of "Wine Stains" or the violin soaked ballad "To The Grave". Fans of The Band Or Buffalo Springfield should check this album out. - Simon Lewis / Terrascope Rumbles _____________________________

I am a Britpop kid. One of my favorite bands is Radiohead, and I read the NME religiously. No doubt I like the melodic guitars and the soft vocal wailing and the piano and all that jazz - sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively. Yet, every so often there is a band that comes my way that challenges me to think outside my box and surprises me by hooking my ears into infectious tunes. Trainwreck Riders is one of the those bands. They are both obnoxious and rhythmic, abrasive and slow, but never letting an ounce of skill and talent spill out unnecessarily. On their full length LP Lonely Road Revival, the guys in Trainwreck crank up the dual guitars for a country twang inspired folk anthem and succeed at making you tap your toes as well. "Wine Stains" offers a simple but powerful guitar hook, an anthem well suited for Saturday afternoons and chilling with a beer in one hand, while "Find Your Way Home" is a raucous song needed to be fully experienced at high volume levels for maximum appreciation. Trainwreck can also compose the background music for a stroll through your local park, such as "Christmas Time Blues," which pulls some harmonica and acoustic guitar action. My favorite track, "In & Out Of Love," delivers a softer sound to the listener, with singers Peter Frauenfelder and Andrew Kerwin harmonizing together about the concept and pitfalls of relationships and girls. - Jenn Hernandez / The Tripwire _____________________________

The Trainwreck Riders' music may be pure rootsy fire and stomp, but their harmonies have all the sweet glide of The Byrds at their most melodic. That being said, the momentum on their sophomore album Lonely Road Revival relies on the juxtaposition of the rough and the smooth and the results are decidedly winning. With a satchel that runs deep with twangy versatility, here you'll find everything from jangling rockers ("Through unto the End") to melancholy ballads ("To the Grave") to bluegrass-tinged toe-tappers ("Rocks at Your Window"). But as good as it all is, the highlights here, like the furiously paced "Find Your Way Home," which benefits from a wicked battle march backbeat, or the Uncle Tupelo thrash of "In The Wake Of It All," both warrant gushing praise. But who are we kidding? It's all good. The fact of the matter is this San Francisco band's secret weapon is the interplay between singer/guitarists Pete Frauenfelder and Andrew Kerwin, who, in the midst of a song, not only harmonize beautifully, but have an almost preternatural sense of the where the other one is. Not much ground is broken here in terms of content, as trains and broken hearts and the bluesy stupor of leaving home are typical faire of alternative country, but the Trainwreck Riders give the genre a welcome and traditional shot in the arm. - Alex Green / Amplifier _____________________________

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Recorded live at the Telluride Festival in 1994, Crucial Country captures live an incredible band of stars in one of their greatest moments. From bluegrass standard “The Walls of Time”, co-written with Bill Monroe, to “Panama Red”, one of Rowan’s signature classics, and an inspirational version of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry”, this record makes country crucial.

Tracklist
Deal With the Devil
Howlin’ at the Moon
The Walls of Time
Tumbleweed
Panama Red
Rainmaker
Wings of Horses
No Woman No Cry
Land of the Navajo
Ancient Tones
Musicians:

Peter Rowan – lead vocal and guitar

Jerry Douglas- dobro, harmonies

Larry Atamanuik – drum kit

Sam Bush – mandolin, fiddle, harmonies

Viktor Krauss – acoustic upright bass

Kester Smith – congas, percussion

posted by: Oborski at 01:52 | link | comments |