The Hauskatz will be performing on the Main Stage of the Putnam County Fair, from 7-10pm on Thursday, July 23.

Map

Details, as they emerge.

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This audio is posted to a neutral web server.

( Quoted for truth behind the cut... The original KRXQ radio segment, and this morning's response... )

From GLAADBlog:

For those just now learning about this issue, please go here to read more about this evolving controversy.

At 11:45am EST, Cindi Creager, GLAAD’s Director of National News, and I spoke with the station manager at KRXQ.  GLAAD successfully made the case for a transgender person and a parent of a transgender child to appear on the Rob, Arnie and Dawn show. We are right now in the process of securing Trans Youth Family Allies Executive Director Kim Pearson and Pam’s House Blend contributor and transgender advocate Autumn Sandeen for the broadcast.

More at the link...

From GLAAD:

UPDATED JUNE 7TH, 2009, 11:50AM

TO OUR LOYAL ROB, ARNIE AND DAWN FOLLOWERS,

WE HAVE FAILED YOU. AS A SHOW, AS PEOPLE, AS BROADCASTERS, WE HAVE SIMPLY FAILED ON ALMOST EVERY LEVEL.

WE PRESENTED OUR OPINIONS ON A VERY SENSITIVE SUBJECT IN A HATEFUL, CHILDISH AND CRUDE FASHION; AND THEN, GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETRACT THOSE REMARKS, WE DEFENDED THEM.

SINCE THEN, YOU, OUR LOYAL LISTENERS, HAVE MADE IT CLEAR TO US THAT WE WENT TOO FAR. THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING. NONE OF YOU SAID THAT WE COULDN’T HAVE OPINIONS, YET SO MANY OF YOU SAID THAT THE WAY WE GAVE THEM CROSSED THE LINE. FURTHER, YOU SAID THAT OUR ATTEMPT TO MASK OUR COMMENTS AS “JOKES THAT WOULD BE UNDERSTOOD BY OUR AUDIENCE,” WAS UNACCEPTABLE. I WOULD SAY NOW THAT IT WAS WORSE THAN THAT, IT WAS COWARDLY. YOU HAVE MADE THAT CLEAR.

WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO VARIOUS GROUPS AND ASKED FOR A CHANCE TO MAKE THIS RIGHT; TO RESPOND, WITH THEIR PARTICIPATION, TO THE EDUCATION THAT OUR AUDIENCE HAS PROVIDED US. THAT OPPORTUNITY HAS BEEN GRACIOUSLY GRANTED THIS THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE 11TH. AT 7:30 A.M.

THE WORD APOLOGY APPEARS NO WHERE IN THIS LETTER FOR A REASON. WE ALREADY HID FROM DOING THE RIGHT THING ONCE AND WE’RE NOT GOING TO MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN. APOLOGIZING IN A WRITTEN, POSTED STATEMENT IS A FORM OF COWARDICE. WE WILL SAY WHAT NEEDS TO BE SAID THIS THURSDAY.

ON A FINAL, PERSONAL NOTE, AS THE LEADER AND OWNER OF THE SHOW, I HAVE MADE THE DECISION THAT WE NEED TO REFRAIN FROM BROADCASTING NEW EPISODES UNTIL WE CAN ADDRESS THIS ON THURSDAY .  WE WILL RETURN TO THE AIR AT 7:30 A.M. JUNE 11TH.

ROB WILLIAMS
ROB, ARNIE AND DAWN

Dear Mr. States,

On your May 28th radio show, you said, "If my son, God forbid, if my son put on a pair of high heels, I would probably hit him with one of my shoes. I would throw a shoe at him."

Then you claimed that it was just a joke, and that you would never encourage parental violence against their children.

---

Mr. States, this is a picture of Ronnie Paris. Ronnie isn't laughing at your joke today, because he is dead. He is dead because his father frequently beat his child, out of fear that the three year old was becoming too "soft" and a "sissy."

Sir, parents do beat their male-bodied children when they exhibit feminine behavior. So when you say that you'd do it too, it's no laughing matter. It's a matter of life and death.

---

Mr. States, this is a picture of Cameron McWilliams. Cameron isn't laughing today either, because he is dead. He hanged himself when his mother forbade him to wear makeup on his face. According to the child's mother, "It was apparent he was unhappy and said he wanted to be a girl."

Sir, there are children in the world we share, who need their parents' love, understanding and compassion... not the heel of your shoe.

---

Mr. States, this is a picture of Lawrence King. You probably know why he isn't laughing at your joke today. Lawrence is dead because a classmate put a bullet in his head in their 8th grade classroom. The shooter was upset at his classmate, because Lawrence, who frequently came to class wearing high heels and makeup, had asked the shooter to be his valentine.

Sir, our children learn from our example. If grownups show intolerance and joke, as you did, about violence against those who are different, the children will follow our lead: children like the one who currently awaits trial.. as an adult.

---

Mr. States, your jokes have consequences... deadly consequences.

Tomorrow, Weds June 3 features the DePauw Woodwind Quartet:


The concert is in the sanctuary at Gobin Methodist Church on campus at 7:30pm. Admission is free.

Next Wednesday, same time/place: Internationally-renowned violinist Federico Agostini is joined by cellist Eric Edberg and pianist Nariaki Sugiura in chamber works by Haydn, Ravel, and Mendelssohn

It's a tour, if you consider that we have to lug our own gear across Greencastle...

June 6	9pm	Cavern Club
June 27	9pm	Cavern Club
August 8	9pm	Cavern Club
August 22	9pm	Swizzle Stick Lounge

Click the little play button above, if you've never heard us before.

Here are maps to: Cavern Club and Swizzle Stick. All these Saturday gigs run 9-12; all venues in Greencastle are smoke-free. Weather permitting, Cavern Club gigs will be in their outdoor beer garden. None of these gigs have a cover-charge.

I'm more than happy to offer friends a place to sleep after gigs. My home is walking distance from these venues.

Also:

Sunday Aug 30 @ 2:30pm -  the Sixth Annual Greencastle Jazz Festival @ Family Youth and Community Development Center (map)

This is a benefit gig to help sustain the Family Youth and Community Development Program, which provides after school activities and tutoring services to underprivileged youth, as well as assistance to seniors.

This outdoor event draws a large crowd every year, and features both regionally and internationally recognized jazz acts. We are quite honored to be among the lineup for the first time this year. Volunteers for the FYCDP serve up tasty barbeque and other picnic food. This is a smoke-free, alcohol-free, family-friendly event, with activities for kids. There will be a Silent Auction including rare memorabilia, art donated by local artists, gift certificates and much, much more. Bring your own lawn chairs.

Adults are $10; Students are $7; Kids 12 and Under are free.

Among the sponsors of this event, are the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Women's Center, and LGBT Services/Student Services at DePauw University.

If you have any questions about any of the above gigs, please don't hesitate to ask.

Google Wave is coming "later this year."

It will eat your old email and IM alive.... nom nom nom.

This is pretty awesome; the Linz Ars Electronica museum in Austria, and its massive LED facade:

From the artists:

You'll likely find this to be pretty funny. The people portrayed within are such hyperbolic caricatures of rock musicians..


BTW... WANT.

I love this guy...

More Target-Women love... Tough Love:

Warning: Triggery.



There is no real justice that can be done. But the right thing has been done.

Via twitter from the courtroom floor, Angie Zapata's killer has been convicted of 1st degree murder, convicted of hate-crime-bias, guilty of vehicle theft, and guilty of identity theft.

Later this evening, he will be sentenced to mandatory life without parole.

Last night's show was sold out, even with Jane Pauley giving a free lecture in the adjacent auditorium, and major festivities going on (read: partying) associated with DePauw's Little Five bike race.

The first act had a couple minor technical glitches that most people probably didn't notice, but overall the performance was another high-energy non-stop rockfest. As our drama director put it, "this ain't no fucking Pippin; the audience's ears should hurt by the end of this."

For the band, this rock opera has more in common with Richard Wagner's German-opera concept of Gesamtkunstwerk (total art work) than Rogers/.Hammerstein's great American musicals.... particularly because we are constantly playing for two hours. There are about three lines of dialogue that exist between musical numbers; other than that, it's non-stop performance for us.  This can be mentally taxing, since there's an intensity of focus that we must constantly maintain. It requires a total-investment of mind, body and soul. I enjoy these kinds of intellectual challenges. :)

I'm so happy to have my boys with me this weekend. After I came home last night, we hung out until I passed out from exhaustion on the couch.

....is here!

It was so very nice to open up the windows yesterday and let the fresh spring breezes  sweep out the stale winter air from my house. It felt rather cathartic.

I worked from home yesterday, which let me get the laundry and dishes done, and to get the clutter out of tami's way.

The forecast today is for clear skies and 70 degrees.

Here's a little spring color, courtesy of the tulips on the sunny side of my house.

This evening's performance went off without a hitch. Our theatre seats 400, and the house was about 7/8ths sold-out there there 375 in attendance. The energy was amazing, and everyone hit their cues, All the little things that weren't going right from time to time in rehearsals, went just fine tonight.

The best part of the evening, though, was coming back to the beautiful home that tami cleaned so amazingly well today.

Tomorrow, Jane Pauley is giving a lecture in the same building, at the same time as our show. I feel rather confident that we'll draw more audience.. :)

I'm looking forward to my kids getting down here tomorrow, and to sharing this group's hard work with friends on Saturday and Sunday.

Now, to bed. Time to sleep.

Act One, the first hour, is now online:

So my car has a bent wheel. It's the steel wheel from the manufacturer, rather than some spiffy alloy wheel.

The tire people in this town suggested I call the local salvage yard for a used one. They said they found one they can get shipped here for $150.

You've got to be kidding me.

So I called Tire Rack up in South Bend, since I'll be up that way on Monday, and I once got a whole set of four steel wheels for my old Volvo for $160 there. Alas, they don't sell them for my little suzuki.

Called the dealer in Lafayette, since I'll be there next week... $126 for one new wheel. Hmmm.

So I went online at Discount Tire's site, since they've got a store in Plainfield. $55 for a brand new aftermarket steel wheel.

Guess who's getting my business? ;)

ETA: They replaced two bent wheels with new steel ones, for less than I'd have payed for one used one from the junkyard.