The Buffalodown, Vol. 2, Issue 10
Stories & Events for Social Connection
By Seamus Gallivan
- RIP Greg Olma
- Musings on Music: new album from My Morning Jacket
- Featured Events: 20 is the new norm, submissions welcome!
- Listening Links: my favorite podcaster publishes a new book
- Reading Rundown: local-national-global
Welcome to the Buffalodown, thank you for your attention!
Always welcoming submissions.
Hold each other dear, y’all, leading this week with another in memoriam for the passing of former Erie County Legislator and East Side champion Greg Olma, whose legacy will live largely in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood where he’ll be celebrated this Friday and perpetually.
Greg was a practical radical – he worked the system to change it, and encouraged anyone interested to learn the political process. And what a lifelong learner he was – as Geoff Kelly noted in his brilliant weekly email through Investigative Post, “Olma was whip-smart, erudite, and a polymath. The breadth of his knowledge was astonishing. So was his memory. He could, at the drop of a hat, dial up and deliver a treatise on American railroads, Eastern European history, or the virtues and mechanics of coal-fired boilers.
“These lectures required no prompt from whomever was on the other end of the phone or the next barstool. Olma was generous that way.”
Love Geoff’s humor in that way – surely he smirked in writing those last lines, as Greg could bend an ear with the best of ‘em, truly as long as he had anyone’s attention.
Sadly, I was due for such an occasion, had intended to lend him my ear over beers but that chance is gone now – with that wisdom brewing, I’ll join what’ll surely be a spirited toast to Greg this Friday starting at 8:30 at his beloved Adam Mickiewicz Library & Dramatic Circle aka Mickie’s, 612 Fillmore Avenue – this and more about his life is here in his obituary.
Photo from Adam Mickiewicz Library & Dramatic Circle, video from WGRZ-TV
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Musings on Music
My Morning Jacket is all about social connection
While I usually keep it local in this space, this week marks the release of the 10th and latest studio album from my favorite band, My Morning Jacket (MMJ), who’ve long led with social connection as central to their essence.
Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, MMJ have established themselves worldwide as an epic live act for their big sound and searing solos, while all along balancing both rockin’ and mellowin’, speaking from the heart and seeking understanding between each other and the universe. Much of the musings from frontman and main songwriter Jim James have always aligned with mine, amazingly so as we’ve grown at the same age and time through the 20+ years I’ve been a big fan. Here’s a glimpse of here Jim and the band are at in an NPR interview ahead of the release of Is:
“I feel like there’s so much fear in the world right now, and there’s so much clouding of the water. And I was trying to think of, like, how can I clear things up for myself? And I just kept thinking about this concept of, like, OK, like, that’s something I can do for myself that also would benefit the world, if I can find a way to love myself and act out of love rather than fear, you know, and kind of start with myself ’cause I think a lot of us miss that step – you know, myself included, until recently. I’ve been trying to work on it. And I think we could do a lot more positive work if we started with that love for ourselves.”
Below are the first three songs released, before the entire album hits this Friday. Sadly, there are no current plans for them to return to Western New York this year, though I’ll be hitting the road to see them somewhere at some point. If you’re a fan or become one through reading this, please let me know!
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Events in the Week Ahead
Thanks to all who’ve submitted their events! Welcoming submissions with a flyer and link to seamus@reconnecter.org.
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Listening Links
Here’s another spotlight on some of the latest episodes that seem to predict future headlines from my go-to podcaster Ezra Klein, who just released his latest book, Abundance, co-authored by Derek Thompson and hailed as, “a once-in-a-generation, paradigm-shifting call to renew a politics of plenty, face up to the failures of liberal governance, and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life.”
What Elon Musk Wants – “How did a guy who cared about climate change and going to Mars, whose companies were buoyed by government largess, become Donald Trump’s most unapologetic soldier? What does he hope to do with all this power? ”
What if Trump Just Ignores the Courts? – “We are moving into the next phase of Donald Trump’s presidency. Phase 1 was the blitz of executive actions. Now comes the response from the other parts of the government — namely, the courts.”
A Theory of Media That Explains 15 Years of Politics – “In 2016, when Donald Trump won the first time, a little-known book became an unexpected phenomenon. It was “The Revolt of the Public,” self-published two years earlier by a former C.I.A. media analyst, Martin Gurri”
In the Flamingo Lounge with Rockabilly Greg, episode 150: Seamus Gallivan – who wants to listen to a whole hour of me rambling?! Seriously grateful for Greg and this historical document of Buffalo’s music scene, now 150 episodes of open-ended stories behind the scenes – hopefully you’ll find this episode enjoyable, especially if you’ve bothered to subscribe to Reconnecter and read this far into it.
Reading Rundown
Always welcoming links to read and share at seamus@reconnecter.org.
How the pandemic transformed office work – The Buffalo News – “You can’t replace eye contact and understanding somebody’s body language, all these additional cues in communication and how you have to relate to each other, both from a team perspective but a client perspective, as well,” said 19 Ideas CEO and Reconnecter supporter Katie Krawczyk.
Buffalo Bills urged to be more transparent about community investments – The Buffalo News – “If people understand the process and there’s clarity and transparency, that helps to build and strengthen our relationships in the community,” said Member Franchelle Parker, executive director of Open Buffalo.
Changes could be coming to the U.S. Postal Service and rural residents will be most affected – Harvest Public Media – “It’s just mind-boggling.”
‘I am a political prisoner’: Mahmoud Khalil says he’s being targeted for political beliefs – The Guardian – “Palestinian activist and green card holder speaks out from Louisiana immigration detention for first time.”
Trump’s further descent into dictatorship – Robert Reich – “This morning, he issued a bellicose post against a federal judge who’s trying to constrain him. It’s part of an increasing attempt by Trump and Musk to threaten judges with violence.”
Thank YOU for reading this far and being part of it all – extra thanks to everyone supporting this work with a membership at www.reconnecter.org!
Please share with friends to sign up for next Tuesday’s Buffalodown, and reach out with any feedback, all ideas welcome!
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