The South Carolina Libertarian Executive Committee has endorsed Gary Johnson for the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination in 2012.
The Resolution they passed was the following:
Whereas, the South Carolina Libertarian Party supports the libertarian principles demonstrated by Gary Johnson and appreciates the efforts the candidate has been making to bring the message of libertarian ideas of personal and financial freedom to the voting public.
Resolved, that the following South Carolina Libertarian Party Executive Committee members endorse Gary Johnson for his bid for the Libertarian Party’s nomination for the Office of President of the United States at the upcoming national convention in May of 2012 and we encourage our delegation to support him.
The Resolution was signed by:
SC National Delegate and Charleston County Committeeman, Stewart Flood
SC National Delegate and Anderson County Committeeman, Adrian Banks
SC National Delegate and State Chairman, Victor Kocher
SC National Delegate and State Vice-Chairman, Michael Carmany
SC National Delegate and Berkeley County Committeeman, Jeffrey Dimit
Richland County Committeewoman, Jennifer Schulz
Lexington County Committeeman, Dr. David Morris
York County Committeewoman, Marge Wakefield and her husband, Arch Wakefield
In commenting upon this action. South Carolina Libertarian Party State Chair Victor Kocher said:
The fact that Governor Johnson brings to the table his executive-level experience and a proven record of fiscal responsibility and that he left his term-limited post in New Mexico with a balanced budget and a $1 billion budget surplus, I believe that he would be the best candidate to represent the Libertarian Party on a national level.
The South Carolina Libertarian Executive Committee is the second Libertarian Party State Committee to endorse Gary Johnson for the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination. The first was the Nebraska Libertarian Party's Central Committee. The first Libertarian Party organization to endorse Gary Johnson was the Libertarian Party of Northampton County, Pennsylvania.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Sam Sloan Tied For The Lead After Two Rounds In The 2011 World Championship Of Chinese Chess Held At Hotel Borobudur In Jakarta, Indonesia
Sam Sloan, the runner-up for the New York Libertarian Party's Gubernatorial Nomination in 2010, participated in The World Championship Of Chinese Chess (Xiangqi), which was held from November 20-26, 2011 at Hotel Borobudur in Jakarta, Indonesia.
78 players from 24 member National Federations contested the World Championship. Each Federation was entitled to enter one (1) team leader, two (2) male players and one (1) female player. This quota did not apply to non-Chinese/Vietnamese players.
Sam Sloan was one of the players who received an invitation to represent the United States. Regarding his invitation, Mr. Sloan said:
I am easily the strongest known player of Chinese chess in the USA who is non-Chinese. Therefore, I was entitled to receive and did receive an invitation to participate in this tournament.
It is true that there are 50 million players of Chinese chess in China and only two are invited to this event. In fact there are two former World Champions who are here only as spectators. They are Liu Da Hua and Zhow Go Rong. They are easily stronger than all but a few of the players in this event...Nevertheless, this is a real World Championship, as the current champion and highest rated player in China and the world is here, as is the number two player in China.
After two rounds of play, there were 13 players tied for the lead with scores of 2-0. Sam Sloan was amongst them, having defeated Dmitry Rumyantsev of Russia in the first round and Chein Kyi of Myanmar (Burma) in the second round. .
The 13 players who tied for first were:
庄宏明 CHONG Heung Ming Philippines
阮明昭 JUAN Ming Chao Chinese Tiepei commonly known as Taiwan
李锦欢 LEI Kam Fun of Macao
邝伟德 Kon ISLAND of Hong Kong
梁达民 LEUNG Tat Man of Hong Kong
黄俊铭 NG Jun Ming of Singapore
蒋川 JIANG Chuan of China
庄力铭 CHENG Kah Siong of Brunai
吴宗翰 WOO Tsung Han of Singapore
许银川 XU YinChuan of China
武明一 VU Minh Ngat of Vietnam
李必炽 Michael LEE of USA West
斯隆 Sam Sloan of USA West
Xiangqi (Chinese: 象棋; pinyin: Xiàngqí), also known as Chinese chess, is a two-player Chinese board game. It is one of the most popular board games in China. The game represents a battle between two armies, with the object of capturing the enemy's general (king). Distinctive features of xiangqi include the cannon (pao), which must jump to capture; a rule prohibiting the generals from facing each other directly, and areas on the board called the river and palace, which restrict the movement of some pieces. Pieces are placed on the intersections of the lines on the board, rather than within the squares. The name xiangqi means "elephant game", a reference to the bishops.
Sam Sloan is the author of the book 'Chinese Chess For Beginners' and was the winner of the 1988 World Championship of Chinese Chess for Non-Chinese in Beijing, China. He has been recognized as a "Foreign Master" of Chinese Chess by the World Chinese Chess Federation. In 2006, he served on the Executive Board of the United States Chess Federation. Sam Sloan is currently an active member of the Libertarian Party of Queens County. He ran for an At-Large Representative position at the Libertarian Party National Convention held in St. Louis, Missouri in 2010.
78 players from 24 member National Federations contested the World Championship. Each Federation was entitled to enter one (1) team leader, two (2) male players and one (1) female player. This quota did not apply to non-Chinese/Vietnamese players.
Sam Sloan was one of the players who received an invitation to represent the United States. Regarding his invitation, Mr. Sloan said:
I am easily the strongest known player of Chinese chess in the USA who is non-Chinese. Therefore, I was entitled to receive and did receive an invitation to participate in this tournament.
It is true that there are 50 million players of Chinese chess in China and only two are invited to this event. In fact there are two former World Champions who are here only as spectators. They are Liu Da Hua and Zhow Go Rong. They are easily stronger than all but a few of the players in this event...Nevertheless, this is a real World Championship, as the current champion and highest rated player in China and the world is here, as is the number two player in China.
After two rounds of play, there were 13 players tied for the lead with scores of 2-0. Sam Sloan was amongst them, having defeated Dmitry Rumyantsev of Russia in the first round and Chein Kyi of Myanmar (Burma) in the second round. .
The 13 players who tied for first were:
庄宏明 CHONG Heung Ming Philippines
阮明昭 JUAN Ming Chao Chinese Tiepei commonly known as Taiwan
李锦欢 LEI Kam Fun of Macao
邝伟德 Kon ISLAND of Hong Kong
梁达民 LEUNG Tat Man of Hong Kong
黄俊铭 NG Jun Ming of Singapore
蒋川 JIANG Chuan of China
庄力铭 CHENG Kah Siong of Brunai
吴宗翰 WOO Tsung Han of Singapore
许银川 XU YinChuan of China
武明一 VU Minh Ngat of Vietnam
李必炽 Michael LEE of USA West
斯隆 Sam Sloan of USA West
Xiangqi (Chinese: 象棋; pinyin: Xiàngqí), also known as Chinese chess, is a two-player Chinese board game. It is one of the most popular board games in China. The game represents a battle between two armies, with the object of capturing the enemy's general (king). Distinctive features of xiangqi include the cannon (pao), which must jump to capture; a rule prohibiting the generals from facing each other directly, and areas on the board called the river and palace, which restrict the movement of some pieces. Pieces are placed on the intersections of the lines on the board, rather than within the squares. The name xiangqi means "elephant game", a reference to the bishops.
Sam Sloan is the author of the book 'Chinese Chess For Beginners' and was the winner of the 1988 World Championship of Chinese Chess for Non-Chinese in Beijing, China. He has been recognized as a "Foreign Master" of Chinese Chess by the World Chinese Chess Federation. In 2006, he served on the Executive Board of the United States Chess Federation. Sam Sloan is currently an active member of the Libertarian Party of Queens County. He ran for an At-Large Representative position at the Libertarian Party National Convention held in St. Louis, Missouri in 2010.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Tiffany Briscoe, Boston Tea Party's 2012 Presidential Nominee, Urges All Presidential Candidates To Focus On Serious Issues & Not On Efforts To Get Government To Promote Any Other Moral Value Except Peace
Tiffany Briscoe, the Presidential Nominee of the Boston Tea Party for 2012, has issued a statement urging all Presidential Candidates to focus on serious issues facing our nation and not on unconstitutional efforts to get government to regulate sexual relations, to protect Judeo-Christian values or to promote any other moral value except peace.
In a statement, Tiffany Briscoe wrote:
Millions of people are out of work. Millions of others are living under the level of poverty and are hit by inflation, high taxes, and social control on a daily basis. We are seeing Main Street ripped off by an alliance of Big Government and Big Business, while our children are being put in a failing educational system bound to hurt them more than anything else. Our federal government is growing larger every second, we're killing hundreds with a devastating foreign policy combining sanctions and embargoes against innocent people and military attacks against unsure enemies, and the Police State is being implemented without any sign of reaction from the media.
And we're talking about bestiality? Where in the Constitution does it say that the federal government has the power to regulate sexual relations? Some talk about morality, and the loss of Judeo-Christian values in America. This is the truth. Our governments should never promote any sort of moral values, besides peace.
We live in the greatest country in the world and we are facing one of the most challenging crises in our history. The future of humanity relies on the example that we shall set in this election cycle. We need to focus on the serious issues, and not be lost in the dangers of the small, irrelevant, and possibly unconstitutional pipes of social regulation.
I call on all candidates to focus on issues that really matter and that have nor risk to upset the principle of constitutionality.
John A. Dummett, Jr., a candidate for the Republican Party's Presidential Nomination in 2012, responded to Ms. Briscoe's with the following statement in support of governmental involvement in issues of morality:
It is a primary duty of any government to determine the laws by which we live. If this were not the case then slavery would still exist and women still would not have the vote. However there is a fine balance between liberty, freedom and total chaos. To say government has no place enforcing morality is ludicrous. Look around. The reason why we have such a huge crime rate has more to do with bleeding heart liberalism and social engineering than it does at all by Judeo/Christian meddling.
We must go back to running this nation as our founding fathers envisioned it would be ran and you can bet the bank that none of them would be happy to see the total divorcement of Christian morals and ethics from our everyday lives. The concept is freedom of religion not from religion and anyone who does not understand this truism is part of the problem and not the solution.
In a statement, Tiffany Briscoe wrote:
Millions of people are out of work. Millions of others are living under the level of poverty and are hit by inflation, high taxes, and social control on a daily basis. We are seeing Main Street ripped off by an alliance of Big Government and Big Business, while our children are being put in a failing educational system bound to hurt them more than anything else. Our federal government is growing larger every second, we're killing hundreds with a devastating foreign policy combining sanctions and embargoes against innocent people and military attacks against unsure enemies, and the Police State is being implemented without any sign of reaction from the media.
And we're talking about bestiality? Where in the Constitution does it say that the federal government has the power to regulate sexual relations? Some talk about morality, and the loss of Judeo-Christian values in America. This is the truth. Our governments should never promote any sort of moral values, besides peace.
We live in the greatest country in the world and we are facing one of the most challenging crises in our history. The future of humanity relies on the example that we shall set in this election cycle. We need to focus on the serious issues, and not be lost in the dangers of the small, irrelevant, and possibly unconstitutional pipes of social regulation.
I call on all candidates to focus on issues that really matter and that have nor risk to upset the principle of constitutionality.
John A. Dummett, Jr., a candidate for the Republican Party's Presidential Nomination in 2012, responded to Ms. Briscoe's with the following statement in support of governmental involvement in issues of morality:
It is a primary duty of any government to determine the laws by which we live. If this were not the case then slavery would still exist and women still would not have the vote. However there is a fine balance between liberty, freedom and total chaos. To say government has no place enforcing morality is ludicrous. Look around. The reason why we have such a huge crime rate has more to do with bleeding heart liberalism and social engineering than it does at all by Judeo/Christian meddling.
We must go back to running this nation as our founding fathers envisioned it would be ran and you can bet the bank that none of them would be happy to see the total divorcement of Christian morals and ethics from our everyday lives. The concept is freedom of religion not from religion and anyone who does not understand this truism is part of the problem and not the solution.
Presidential Candidates Mosheh Thezion (R), John A. Dummett, Jr. (R) & Don Cordell (I) Respond To Calls For The Decriminalization Of Bestiality
Three Presidential Hopefuls have shared their strongly held opinions after learning that Carl Person, a candidate for the Libertarian Party's 2012 Presidential Nomination, and Tiffany Briscoe, the Presidential Nominee of the Boston Tea Party, both came out for the repeal of laws criminalizing bestiality.
Their comments were the following:
I...DO NOT support bestiality - alive or dead. I do support laws to protect animals from being enslaved as sex slaves to wacko perverts who clearly have mental issues. I favor the restoration of the Common Law legal system. I favor the restoration of freedom. I would favor a constitutional amendment to make bestiality illegal. The criminal penalties should fit the circumstances of the offence. All offences would not be equal and so punishment should not be equal.
- Mosheh Thezion
Republican Candidate for U.S. President in 2012
http://mosheh.org/About-Mosheh.html
Morality in America has become a joke. The issue of whether bestiality is a victimless crime should not even be addressed because everyone with morals would find the act unthinkable and disgusting. It is an affront to man and to God, as many of the immoral acts that pass as normal behavior in this world now...bestiality is not only a crime against nature but it is also a crime against man. A first offense should be treated in a mental institution. Another offense jail time is appropriate.
- John A Dummett Jr.
Presidential Candidate 2012 (R)
http://www.johndummett.us/welcome.html
We've had presidents that have destroyed our finances, our security from invasion, and the downsizing of our educational system, our morals, taxing churches to end religion, and you worry about a little thing, like fucking anything alive or not, what are you a communist or something. Hey they are just trying (and winning) to destroy our nation, and NOW you're concerned? That's why I am actually running for President NOW. If we do not step up to the bat and retake control of this nation, we will return to slavery. We have world wide traitors that are doing everything they can to take control of every nation in the world under the One World Government plan. Yes Yes Yes, I believe bestiality should be against the law, and our government screwing the American citizens should be against the law. We are all being screwed, Congress and the Senate are the screwee's. It is time to replace all of them. I'm against teaching our little children starting in Kindergarten that GAY is OK. We used to have morals in this nation, and Congress has shown us, there are no morals left.
- Don Cordell
Presidential Candidate 2012 (I)
http://www.doncordellforpresident.com/
Their comments were the following:
I...DO NOT support bestiality - alive or dead. I do support laws to protect animals from being enslaved as sex slaves to wacko perverts who clearly have mental issues. I favor the restoration of the Common Law legal system. I favor the restoration of freedom. I would favor a constitutional amendment to make bestiality illegal. The criminal penalties should fit the circumstances of the offence. All offences would not be equal and so punishment should not be equal.
- Mosheh Thezion
Republican Candidate for U.S. President in 2012
http://mosheh.org/About-Mosheh.html
Morality in America has become a joke. The issue of whether bestiality is a victimless crime should not even be addressed because everyone with morals would find the act unthinkable and disgusting. It is an affront to man and to God, as many of the immoral acts that pass as normal behavior in this world now...bestiality is not only a crime against nature but it is also a crime against man. A first offense should be treated in a mental institution. Another offense jail time is appropriate.
- John A Dummett Jr.
Presidential Candidate 2012 (R)
http://www.johndummett.us/welcome.html
We've had presidents that have destroyed our finances, our security from invasion, and the downsizing of our educational system, our morals, taxing churches to end religion, and you worry about a little thing, like fucking anything alive or not, what are you a communist or something. Hey they are just trying (and winning) to destroy our nation, and NOW you're concerned? That's why I am actually running for President NOW. If we do not step up to the bat and retake control of this nation, we will return to slavery. We have world wide traitors that are doing everything they can to take control of every nation in the world under the One World Government plan. Yes Yes Yes, I believe bestiality should be against the law, and our government screwing the American citizens should be against the law. We are all being screwed, Congress and the Senate are the screwee's. It is time to replace all of them. I'm against teaching our little children starting in Kindergarten that GAY is OK. We used to have morals in this nation, and Congress has shown us, there are no morals left.
- Don Cordell
Presidential Candidate 2012 (I)
http://www.doncordellforpresident.com/
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Applause! Applause! Review of "Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology" at the Musical Theatre Works by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens
This review of "Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology" at Musical Theatre Works was written and published by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and appeared in Volume II, Issue 1 (March, 1998) of Applause! Applause!
"Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology"
Directed by Marc Malamed
Musical Theatre Works (440 Lafayette Street, NYC)
Reviewed 3/1/98 at 7:00 p.m.
This play consisted of 11 women and 2 men performing slices of life as characters from Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology. The two men played male characters and the 11 women played both male and female characters, with vocals by the extremely talented Marilyn O'Connell. This play needs to be re-excerpted and re-edited before it becomes the riveting emotional-rollercoaster-ride-through-the-tapestry-of-life it should be. The script for this current work should be buried "on the hill." However, most of the actors have tremendous talent. My favorite portrayals included Michael Vaccaro playing Howard Snively and Knowlt Hoheimer; Kristi Schultz playing Sarah Brown and Faith Matheny; Tonya Lester playing Dora Williams; Matt Lai playing Harry Wilmans; Amy Gile playing George Gray; and the entire Ensemble playing Jubilee Joe.
"Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology"
Directed by Marc Malamed
Musical Theatre Works (440 Lafayette Street, NYC)
Reviewed 3/1/98 at 7:00 p.m.
This play consisted of 11 women and 2 men performing slices of life as characters from Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology. The two men played male characters and the 11 women played both male and female characters, with vocals by the extremely talented Marilyn O'Connell. This play needs to be re-excerpted and re-edited before it becomes the riveting emotional-rollercoaster-ride-through-the-tapestry-of-life it should be. The script for this current work should be buried "on the hill." However, most of the actors have tremendous talent. My favorite portrayals included Michael Vaccaro playing Howard Snively and Knowlt Hoheimer; Kristi Schultz playing Sarah Brown and Faith Matheny; Tonya Lester playing Dora Williams; Matt Lai playing Harry Wilmans; Amy Gile playing George Gray; and the entire Ensemble playing Jubilee Joe.
Applause! Applause! Review of "Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs Of Leiber & Stoller" at the Virginia Theatre by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens
This review of "Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs Of Leiber & Stoller" at the Virginia Theatre was written and published by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and appeared in Volume II, Issue 1 (March, 1998) of Applause! Applause!
"Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs Of Leiber & Stoller"
Directed by Jerry Zaks
Virginia Theatre (245 West 52nd Street, NYC)
Reviewed 2/19/98 at 8:00 p.m.
All of the songs in "Smokey Joe's Cafe" were written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (alone or with others), except "Spanish Harlem" written by Phil Spector and Jerry Lieber. These numbers included such popular favorites as "Keep On Rollin'", "Fools Fall In Love", "On Broadway", "D.W. Washburn", "Saved", "Yakety Yak", "Charlie Brown", "Teach Me How To Shimmy", "Hound Dog", "Love Potion #9", "Jailhouse Rock", "I (Who Have Nothing)" and "Stand By Me".
Although the entire cast is extremely talented, my clear favorites were James Beeks, a true entertainer, and D'Atra Hicks, who has the looks, voice and talent to go all the way! I was also truly impressed by the near genius choreography of Joey McKneely. This musical, a pure tribute to the songs without the overlay of a fictitious story line, should not be missed!
"Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs Of Leiber & Stoller"
Directed by Jerry Zaks
Virginia Theatre (245 West 52nd Street, NYC)
Reviewed 2/19/98 at 8:00 p.m.
All of the songs in "Smokey Joe's Cafe" were written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (alone or with others), except "Spanish Harlem" written by Phil Spector and Jerry Lieber. These numbers included such popular favorites as "Keep On Rollin'", "Fools Fall In Love", "On Broadway", "D.W. Washburn", "Saved", "Yakety Yak", "Charlie Brown", "Teach Me How To Shimmy", "Hound Dog", "Love Potion #9", "Jailhouse Rock", "I (Who Have Nothing)" and "Stand By Me".
Although the entire cast is extremely talented, my clear favorites were James Beeks, a true entertainer, and D'Atra Hicks, who has the looks, voice and talent to go all the way! I was also truly impressed by the near genius choreography of Joey McKneely. This musical, a pure tribute to the songs without the overlay of a fictitious story line, should not be missed!
Applause! Applause! Review of "Tennessee Williams: An Evening Of Four One Act Plays" at Love Creek Productions by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens
This review of "Tennessee Williams: An Evening Of Four One Act Plays" at Love Creek Productions was written and published by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and appeared in Volume II, Issue 1 (March, 1998) of Applause! Applause!
"Tennessee Williams: An Evening Of Four One Act Plays"
Love Creek Productions (412 West 42nd Street, NYC)
Reviewed 3/13/98 at 8:00 p.m.
Love Creek Productions provides a great service to up-and-coming stars. Talented actors seeking experience both on the stage and off can audition and, if accepted, will be given the opportunity to be cast in a variety of productions, as well as obtaining other experience such as directing. The time commitment required by Love Creek is minimal thus allowing members to seek other work. Although the standards for acceptance into Love Creek are not high, I have been generally pleased with the quality of their productions. In addition, you cannot beat the value you get for your money, especially in light of the recent news that the price of an orchestra ticket to a Broadway show is once again rising. This particular evening, I paid only $12 for the opportunity to see four excellent plays, which boils down to $3 per play. Where in New York can you get a better deal?? The only negative experience I had all evening was when I went to purchase my ticket for the plays. The man who was selling the tickets on behalf of Love Creek had no personality and failed to handle his duties in a friendly and professional manner. This man should not be allowed to interact with the public until somebody properly trains him in social etiquette.
All four of the Tennessee Williams' one-act plays selected for this particular production were expertly directed and superbly acted. In my opinion, they were all well written, except for "Portrait of a Madonna" which is in dire need of a re-write. None of the plays have lost their relevance or emotional impact.
"Lord Byron's Love Letter", directed by Winni Troha, led off the evening. It is about an old woman and a spinster who show strangers a love letter written by Lord Byron in return for small donations which they rely upon to financially survive. The matron and her drunk husband come to hear the spinster read portions of her "grandmother's" diary recalling the feelings she had upon meeting Lord Byron. The couple leaves without making a donation and the kicker is the last line of the play when the old woman, commenting upon the fact that the spinster has dropped the letter, says "you dropped your grandfather's letter." Sue Glausen-Smith, the recipient of the 1997 Leonardo daVinci Award for Best Actress in a Play for "Makes You Want To Go Home And Take A Bath", played the old woman. Ms. Smith gave another brilliant performance, although she was on stage for only a few minutes. Most of the time, she was acting from behind a curtain which is not an easy task. Sue Glausen-Smith is ready to break through to higher ground and to obtaining national recognition for her talents. I don't know exactly how she will achieve this, but I do know that it will not happen by relying exclusively upon Love Creek Productions to feature her talent. Ms. Smith must use her recent award as a wedge to get her into auditions for the roles she deserves. Joanie Schumacher gave a superior performance as the Spinster and Winni Troha was excellent as the interested and amazed Matron. Tor Stave, played an adequate drunk, but the role did not permit him to exhibit any hidden talents he may have.
"Moony's Kid Don't Cry", directed by Cynthia Granville-Callahan, is a play about Moony, a restless man tired of the daily drudgery of working in a factory, and his wife Jane, with whom he recently had a baby. Moony is considering leaving his wife and new-born child in order to hop a freight train to a freer existence that would allow him to appreciate life and "look at the stars" without feeling restless and trapped. Just before leaving, his wife wraps up his main possession, the infant, and gives it to him saying that if he is leaving, she will have to go to work to survive and that she won't be able to be bothered with the child. The point is made and Moony decides to stay and fulfill his responsibilities to his family. Francis Callahan, who plays Moony, is a powerful actor with a great stage presence. Although not conventionally handsome, I found him quite attractive, especially given his piercing eyes and his rugged outdoors blue-collar boy-next-door body. Laura Shapanus, who played Jane, was dutifully homely and was very convincing in her role as the wife who cared more about her child than she did for herself.
"The Long Goodbye", directed by Artemis Preeshl, is about a writer named Joe, who is moving out of the apartment where he grew up with his sister, Myra, and his mother. As four movers take out the furniture and his friend, Silva, stands by, Joe experiences flashbacks to interactions he had with his sister and his mother in the apartment before his sister moved away and before his mother committed suicide to save her children from spending their inheritance on her medical bills. The play was so named because Joe, while reflecting, says to Silva "that's what life is -- just one long good-bye to one thing after another until one day, you say good-bye to yourself." I was brought to tears more than once during this performance. John Stanbury, who played Joe, has a great future as an actor. He is good-looking and talented which is not a bad combination. Joseph Arnone was superbly proficient as Joe's Italian buddy, Silva. Elysabeth Kleinhaus played the perfectly supportive, caring, loving mother which enabled me to tap into the feelings of love I have for my own mother, as well as the love she has shown me throughout my life. Laura Stevens, who played Myra, was perfectly cast for the role of the slightly slutty working class woman wishing to better her station in life. Christopher Noll portrayed Bill, Myra's sexually aggressive upper class preppy date. He was born to play that role and definitely should be cast in any future sequels to the movie "Metropolitan." The movers, Bob Handler, Greg Kalfayan and Frank Marzullo were all proficient in there roles, but Brant Spencer stood out as someone I would like to see again in a more substantive role.
"Portrait of a Madonna", directed by Whitney Chaiet, is about Lucretia Collins, a southern lady, who calls her landlord, Mr. Abrams, to tell him that a man has repeatedly broken into her apartment to "indulge his senses with me." Mr. Abrams, realizing that Ms. Collins has finally gone off her rocker, calls the doctor and a nurse to take her away to a mental institution. Meanwhile, he sends the Porter and the Elevator Boy up to her apartment to watch over her until they come. The Porter is respectful to the lady as she recalls aspects of her life and reveals that the man visiting her is an old flame who married someone else. The Elevator Boy is disrespectful to the old woman and makes fun of her. Eventually, Mr. Abrams comes with the doctor and a nurse to take her away. None of the characters written into this play have any depth to them and the boring monologues written for the main character, Lucretia Collins, are unnecessarily long. Despite these problems, Ginger Chapman did the very best she could with the character of Lucretia Collins. Ms. Chapman is an excellent actress and was totally on target in her portrayal of this pitiful southern lady. Peter Pecora was very believable as the sympathetic landlord, Mr. Abrams. Barbara Sauermann and Joel Steven Horwitz were proficient in their small roles as the Nurse and Doctor, respectively. The interactions between Daniel Brennan, as the Elevator Boy, and C. Richard Cranwell, Jr., as the Porter were unbelievable and did not come off well. C. Richard Cranwell, Jr., who I have seen and liked in other productions, was totally miscast in the role of the Porter. The Porter should have been someone much older whose age and experience would have caused him to have more patience with Lucretia Collins and more authority in dealing with the Elevator Boy, who at first wanted to take some records out of the apartment to play for his girlfriend. As relative contemporaries, it was not believable that the Elevator Boy would have listened to the Porter's instructions not to steal the records. Although Daniel Brennan may be a talented actor, better direction could have improved his performance by making him a bit more aggressive in his movements and actions throughout the apartment. I think it would have worked best had the Elevator Boy been more of a disrespectful, cocky out of control youth, and the Porter, an adult with the power to command respect. Despite these criticisms, the memorable performance of Ginger Chapman as Lucretia Collins made my watching this play well worth the time and effort.
"Tennessee Williams: An Evening Of Four One Act Plays"
Love Creek Productions (412 West 42nd Street, NYC)
Reviewed 3/13/98 at 8:00 p.m.
Love Creek Productions provides a great service to up-and-coming stars. Talented actors seeking experience both on the stage and off can audition and, if accepted, will be given the opportunity to be cast in a variety of productions, as well as obtaining other experience such as directing. The time commitment required by Love Creek is minimal thus allowing members to seek other work. Although the standards for acceptance into Love Creek are not high, I have been generally pleased with the quality of their productions. In addition, you cannot beat the value you get for your money, especially in light of the recent news that the price of an orchestra ticket to a Broadway show is once again rising. This particular evening, I paid only $12 for the opportunity to see four excellent plays, which boils down to $3 per play. Where in New York can you get a better deal?? The only negative experience I had all evening was when I went to purchase my ticket for the plays. The man who was selling the tickets on behalf of Love Creek had no personality and failed to handle his duties in a friendly and professional manner. This man should not be allowed to interact with the public until somebody properly trains him in social etiquette.
All four of the Tennessee Williams' one-act plays selected for this particular production were expertly directed and superbly acted. In my opinion, they were all well written, except for "Portrait of a Madonna" which is in dire need of a re-write. None of the plays have lost their relevance or emotional impact.
"Lord Byron's Love Letter", directed by Winni Troha, led off the evening. It is about an old woman and a spinster who show strangers a love letter written by Lord Byron in return for small donations which they rely upon to financially survive. The matron and her drunk husband come to hear the spinster read portions of her "grandmother's" diary recalling the feelings she had upon meeting Lord Byron. The couple leaves without making a donation and the kicker is the last line of the play when the old woman, commenting upon the fact that the spinster has dropped the letter, says "you dropped your grandfather's letter." Sue Glausen-Smith, the recipient of the 1997 Leonardo daVinci Award for Best Actress in a Play for "Makes You Want To Go Home And Take A Bath", played the old woman. Ms. Smith gave another brilliant performance, although she was on stage for only a few minutes. Most of the time, she was acting from behind a curtain which is not an easy task. Sue Glausen-Smith is ready to break through to higher ground and to obtaining national recognition for her talents. I don't know exactly how she will achieve this, but I do know that it will not happen by relying exclusively upon Love Creek Productions to feature her talent. Ms. Smith must use her recent award as a wedge to get her into auditions for the roles she deserves. Joanie Schumacher gave a superior performance as the Spinster and Winni Troha was excellent as the interested and amazed Matron. Tor Stave, played an adequate drunk, but the role did not permit him to exhibit any hidden talents he may have.
"Moony's Kid Don't Cry", directed by Cynthia Granville-Callahan, is a play about Moony, a restless man tired of the daily drudgery of working in a factory, and his wife Jane, with whom he recently had a baby. Moony is considering leaving his wife and new-born child in order to hop a freight train to a freer existence that would allow him to appreciate life and "look at the stars" without feeling restless and trapped. Just before leaving, his wife wraps up his main possession, the infant, and gives it to him saying that if he is leaving, she will have to go to work to survive and that she won't be able to be bothered with the child. The point is made and Moony decides to stay and fulfill his responsibilities to his family. Francis Callahan, who plays Moony, is a powerful actor with a great stage presence. Although not conventionally handsome, I found him quite attractive, especially given his piercing eyes and his rugged outdoors blue-collar boy-next-door body. Laura Shapanus, who played Jane, was dutifully homely and was very convincing in her role as the wife who cared more about her child than she did for herself.
"The Long Goodbye", directed by Artemis Preeshl, is about a writer named Joe, who is moving out of the apartment where he grew up with his sister, Myra, and his mother. As four movers take out the furniture and his friend, Silva, stands by, Joe experiences flashbacks to interactions he had with his sister and his mother in the apartment before his sister moved away and before his mother committed suicide to save her children from spending their inheritance on her medical bills. The play was so named because Joe, while reflecting, says to Silva "that's what life is -- just one long good-bye to one thing after another until one day, you say good-bye to yourself." I was brought to tears more than once during this performance. John Stanbury, who played Joe, has a great future as an actor. He is good-looking and talented which is not a bad combination. Joseph Arnone was superbly proficient as Joe's Italian buddy, Silva. Elysabeth Kleinhaus played the perfectly supportive, caring, loving mother which enabled me to tap into the feelings of love I have for my own mother, as well as the love she has shown me throughout my life. Laura Stevens, who played Myra, was perfectly cast for the role of the slightly slutty working class woman wishing to better her station in life. Christopher Noll portrayed Bill, Myra's sexually aggressive upper class preppy date. He was born to play that role and definitely should be cast in any future sequels to the movie "Metropolitan." The movers, Bob Handler, Greg Kalfayan and Frank Marzullo were all proficient in there roles, but Brant Spencer stood out as someone I would like to see again in a more substantive role.
"Portrait of a Madonna", directed by Whitney Chaiet, is about Lucretia Collins, a southern lady, who calls her landlord, Mr. Abrams, to tell him that a man has repeatedly broken into her apartment to "indulge his senses with me." Mr. Abrams, realizing that Ms. Collins has finally gone off her rocker, calls the doctor and a nurse to take her away to a mental institution. Meanwhile, he sends the Porter and the Elevator Boy up to her apartment to watch over her until they come. The Porter is respectful to the lady as she recalls aspects of her life and reveals that the man visiting her is an old flame who married someone else. The Elevator Boy is disrespectful to the old woman and makes fun of her. Eventually, Mr. Abrams comes with the doctor and a nurse to take her away. None of the characters written into this play have any depth to them and the boring monologues written for the main character, Lucretia Collins, are unnecessarily long. Despite these problems, Ginger Chapman did the very best she could with the character of Lucretia Collins. Ms. Chapman is an excellent actress and was totally on target in her portrayal of this pitiful southern lady. Peter Pecora was very believable as the sympathetic landlord, Mr. Abrams. Barbara Sauermann and Joel Steven Horwitz were proficient in their small roles as the Nurse and Doctor, respectively. The interactions between Daniel Brennan, as the Elevator Boy, and C. Richard Cranwell, Jr., as the Porter were unbelievable and did not come off well. C. Richard Cranwell, Jr., who I have seen and liked in other productions, was totally miscast in the role of the Porter. The Porter should have been someone much older whose age and experience would have caused him to have more patience with Lucretia Collins and more authority in dealing with the Elevator Boy, who at first wanted to take some records out of the apartment to play for his girlfriend. As relative contemporaries, it was not believable that the Elevator Boy would have listened to the Porter's instructions not to steal the records. Although Daniel Brennan may be a talented actor, better direction could have improved his performance by making him a bit more aggressive in his movements and actions throughout the apartment. I think it would have worked best had the Elevator Boy been more of a disrespectful, cocky out of control youth, and the Porter, an adult with the power to command respect. Despite these criticisms, the memorable performance of Ginger Chapman as Lucretia Collins made my watching this play well worth the time and effort.
Applause! Applause! Review of Judy Kreston & David Lahm's "My One And Only Love" by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens
This review of Judy Kreston & David Lahm in a show entitled "My One And Only Love" at Judys' was written and published by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and appeared in Volume II, Issue 1 (March, 1998) of Applause! Applause!
"My One And Only Love" - Judy Kreston & David Lahm
Judys' (49 West 44th Street, NYC)
Reviewed 3/14/98 at 9:00 p.m.
Judy Kreston and David Lahm, her accompanist, musical director and husband, are both superior performers who are more than deserving of their international reputations. Andre Sitov of TASS wrote, "Out from under the fingers of the guy with the beard, unrestrained life flies helter-skelter: melodies tenderly cheerful, elegantly melancholy. For the lady with the rose in her hand, it seems more natural to sing than to talk and she sings about everything in the world: about walking through the city, about love, about music." That review, written in 1990, could have been written about their current show, "My One And Only Love". David Lahm still has his beard and Judy Kreston still holds her rose, a pink one this time, and Judy is still singing about love and life. When Judy asks herself rhetorically, "What or who is "My One And Only Love?", she responds, "It's life. Simply life. It's all the things I'm passionate about in my own life. That means singing, people, cooking, sewing, decorating -- even household wiring, which I'm passionately studying now." Judy Kreston sings about all of these things in her show including the household wiring which is handled in a cute little number entitled "A Song For Judy" written by her husband, David Lahm.
Judy Kreston and David Lahm are so professional and talented that they would be successful performers anywhere in the world. You can catch them here in their home town at Judys', one of the most elegant, beautiful and intimate cabaret rooms in New York City; a hidden oasis of friendly, serious lovers of live entertainment amidst the hordes of often rude and boisterous tourists who generally do not have the same respect for performers that native New Yorkers have. The flower of this hidden oasis is Judy Kreston. In fact, I learned that Richard Hendrickson, the owner of Judys' who also directed Judy Kreston's current show, wanted to name his then newly purchased club "Judy's" (singular) in honor of Judy Kreston because he was such a great fan of hers over the years. When the modest Judy Kreston refused to allow her friend to do so, he decided instead to name his club "Judys'" (plural) as a tribute to all the singing Judy's including Judy Kreston. For all these reasons, catching Judy Kreston at Judys', her familiar stomping ground, is a unique experience that should not be missed!
"My One And Only Love", a virtual feast of songs, is a departure from last season's format where each of three shows focused on a single theme: "In The Center Ring", a collection of circus songs; "Cabaret a Trois", a look back at the 17-year collaboration of Judy Kreston, David Lahm and impresario Jan Wallman, who got Judy and David started in cabaret and who was present in the audience this evening; and "Newley Discovered", a pastiche of songs by the British composer Anthony Newley. I am truly sorry I missed those shows. But you don't have to miss this one, which contains unexpected treats and an almost perfect execution of some old and new favorites.
My favorite numbers from the show included "Life Is A Wonderful Thing" (Jay Kerr & Arthur Kirson, who was also in the audience this evening); "My Kind Of Town" (Sammy Cahn/Jimmy Van Heusen); "Here's That Rainy Day" (Johnny Burke/Jimmy Van Heusen); "Buyer Beware" (David Lahm/Dexter Gordon); "Angels Among Us" (Alabama); "What I Did For Love" (Ed Kleban/Marvin Hamlisch); and "That's Entertainment" (Howard Dietz/Arthur Schwartz). Ratzo Harris on bass and Eddie Caccavale on drums provided additional music, and given their proficiency and that of David Lahm, there were times I felt I was at a concert performance instead of in a cabaret room.
Judy Kreston won me over with her honest, powerful renditions as well as by her technical perfection. I urge you to catch their last remaining shows on Saturday, March 28, 1998 and Saturday, April 4, 1998 at 9:00 p.m. in the cabaret room at Judys'. There is a $15 music charge per person plus a $10 minimum purchase of food and/or drinks. Dinner is available in the cabaret room prior to the show beginning. Don't forget to call for reservations!!
"My One And Only Love" - Judy Kreston & David Lahm
Judys' (49 West 44th Street, NYC)
Reviewed 3/14/98 at 9:00 p.m.
Judy Kreston and David Lahm, her accompanist, musical director and husband, are both superior performers who are more than deserving of their international reputations. Andre Sitov of TASS wrote, "Out from under the fingers of the guy with the beard, unrestrained life flies helter-skelter: melodies tenderly cheerful, elegantly melancholy. For the lady with the rose in her hand, it seems more natural to sing than to talk and she sings about everything in the world: about walking through the city, about love, about music." That review, written in 1990, could have been written about their current show, "My One And Only Love". David Lahm still has his beard and Judy Kreston still holds her rose, a pink one this time, and Judy is still singing about love and life. When Judy asks herself rhetorically, "What or who is "My One And Only Love?", she responds, "It's life. Simply life. It's all the things I'm passionate about in my own life. That means singing, people, cooking, sewing, decorating -- even household wiring, which I'm passionately studying now." Judy Kreston sings about all of these things in her show including the household wiring which is handled in a cute little number entitled "A Song For Judy" written by her husband, David Lahm.
Judy Kreston and David Lahm are so professional and talented that they would be successful performers anywhere in the world. You can catch them here in their home town at Judys', one of the most elegant, beautiful and intimate cabaret rooms in New York City; a hidden oasis of friendly, serious lovers of live entertainment amidst the hordes of often rude and boisterous tourists who generally do not have the same respect for performers that native New Yorkers have. The flower of this hidden oasis is Judy Kreston. In fact, I learned that Richard Hendrickson, the owner of Judys' who also directed Judy Kreston's current show, wanted to name his then newly purchased club "Judy's" (singular) in honor of Judy Kreston because he was such a great fan of hers over the years. When the modest Judy Kreston refused to allow her friend to do so, he decided instead to name his club "Judys'" (plural) as a tribute to all the singing Judy's including Judy Kreston. For all these reasons, catching Judy Kreston at Judys', her familiar stomping ground, is a unique experience that should not be missed!
"My One And Only Love", a virtual feast of songs, is a departure from last season's format where each of three shows focused on a single theme: "In The Center Ring", a collection of circus songs; "Cabaret a Trois", a look back at the 17-year collaboration of Judy Kreston, David Lahm and impresario Jan Wallman, who got Judy and David started in cabaret and who was present in the audience this evening; and "Newley Discovered", a pastiche of songs by the British composer Anthony Newley. I am truly sorry I missed those shows. But you don't have to miss this one, which contains unexpected treats and an almost perfect execution of some old and new favorites.
My favorite numbers from the show included "Life Is A Wonderful Thing" (Jay Kerr & Arthur Kirson, who was also in the audience this evening); "My Kind Of Town" (Sammy Cahn/Jimmy Van Heusen); "Here's That Rainy Day" (Johnny Burke/Jimmy Van Heusen); "Buyer Beware" (David Lahm/Dexter Gordon); "Angels Among Us" (Alabama); "What I Did For Love" (Ed Kleban/Marvin Hamlisch); and "That's Entertainment" (Howard Dietz/Arthur Schwartz). Ratzo Harris on bass and Eddie Caccavale on drums provided additional music, and given their proficiency and that of David Lahm, there were times I felt I was at a concert performance instead of in a cabaret room.
Judy Kreston won me over with her honest, powerful renditions as well as by her technical perfection. I urge you to catch their last remaining shows on Saturday, March 28, 1998 and Saturday, April 4, 1998 at 9:00 p.m. in the cabaret room at Judys'. There is a $15 music charge per person plus a $10 minimum purchase of food and/or drinks. Dinner is available in the cabaret room prior to the show beginning. Don't forget to call for reservations!!
Applause! Applause! Review of Angela LaGreca & Mark Nadler at Eighty Eight's by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens
This review of Angela LaGreca & Mark Nadler at Eighty Eight's was written and published by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and appeared in Volume II, Issue 1 (March, 1998) of Applause! Applause!
Angela LaGreca & Mark Nadler
Eighty Eight's (228 West 10th Street, NYC)
Reviewed 3/16/98 at 8:00 p.m.
In case you missed the two-hour version of "Angela LaGreca & Mark Nadler" at the 1998 Brownville, Nebraska Concert Series this year, you can catch their one-hour version at Eighty Eight's and enjoy pure magic. Find yourself transported to Nebraska since Angela and Mark perform their show as if they were still in Nebraska. Julie Wilson look-a-likes and all!!
Angela LaGreca and Mark Nadler are two of the most talented performers in cabaret today! Their show is one of the finest and funniest I have ever seen. Fast-paced, hilarious and exhilarating are just a few of the adjectives that come to mind when I think of them. They make the perfect team, like Martin & Lewis, Abbott & Costello and Burns & Allen. They should seriously consider permanently packaging themselves as a comedy team and literally taking their show on the road. If they eliminate some of the cruder references from their repertoire, I see no reason why they cannot find themselves booked first in Atlantic City, then in Las Vegas, and finally on their own television show. They already have the costumes!! Beautiful matching white tie and tail tuxedos with white vests and shirts covered with jewels which Mark sewed on while flying out to Nebraska, which prompted one male homophobic passenger sitting next to him to finally comment "You all ain't from Omaha, are you!?" Things apparently got real hairy when Mark started to use his flotation device as a pin cushion!!
When LaGreca & Nadler are first introduced, the announcer states that "Angela & Mark are the two most successful performers in New York. They let them out in order to give other people a chance." While this was meant as a joke, I can only say that after seeing their show, they deserve to be the two most successful performers in New York, or anywhere else for that matter! Their opening and closing medleys are so brilliant they must be seen to be believed. In fact, every song, whether performed solo or together, work. Even though Angela has borrowed for the show some of her favorite numbers so often used during her successful Monday Night Madness shows, they seemed to take on new life when performed in the context of this show. The energy and patter between the new comedy team of LaGreca & Nadler never ceases to amaze and please.
I urge you to make every effort to get yourself down to Eighty Eight's on Monday, April 6, 1998 at 8:00 p.m. for their last show. Call for reservations first and remember that for only a $12 cover and a two drink minimum, you will be able to experience one of the most enjoyable evenings of entertainment you will ever have the pleasure to see!
Angela LaGreca & Mark Nadler
Eighty Eight's (228 West 10th Street, NYC)
Reviewed 3/16/98 at 8:00 p.m.
In case you missed the two-hour version of "Angela LaGreca & Mark Nadler" at the 1998 Brownville, Nebraska Concert Series this year, you can catch their one-hour version at Eighty Eight's and enjoy pure magic. Find yourself transported to Nebraska since Angela and Mark perform their show as if they were still in Nebraska. Julie Wilson look-a-likes and all!!
Angela LaGreca and Mark Nadler are two of the most talented performers in cabaret today! Their show is one of the finest and funniest I have ever seen. Fast-paced, hilarious and exhilarating are just a few of the adjectives that come to mind when I think of them. They make the perfect team, like Martin & Lewis, Abbott & Costello and Burns & Allen. They should seriously consider permanently packaging themselves as a comedy team and literally taking their show on the road. If they eliminate some of the cruder references from their repertoire, I see no reason why they cannot find themselves booked first in Atlantic City, then in Las Vegas, and finally on their own television show. They already have the costumes!! Beautiful matching white tie and tail tuxedos with white vests and shirts covered with jewels which Mark sewed on while flying out to Nebraska, which prompted one male homophobic passenger sitting next to him to finally comment "You all ain't from Omaha, are you!?" Things apparently got real hairy when Mark started to use his flotation device as a pin cushion!!
When LaGreca & Nadler are first introduced, the announcer states that "Angela & Mark are the two most successful performers in New York. They let them out in order to give other people a chance." While this was meant as a joke, I can only say that after seeing their show, they deserve to be the two most successful performers in New York, or anywhere else for that matter! Their opening and closing medleys are so brilliant they must be seen to be believed. In fact, every song, whether performed solo or together, work. Even though Angela has borrowed for the show some of her favorite numbers so often used during her successful Monday Night Madness shows, they seemed to take on new life when performed in the context of this show. The energy and patter between the new comedy team of LaGreca & Nadler never ceases to amaze and please.
I urge you to make every effort to get yourself down to Eighty Eight's on Monday, April 6, 1998 at 8:00 p.m. for their last show. Call for reservations first and remember that for only a $12 cover and a two drink minimum, you will be able to experience one of the most enjoyable evenings of entertainment you will ever have the pleasure to see!
Applause! Applause! Review of Sigrid Sunstedt's "Illusions: The Songs Of Marlene Dietrich" by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens
This review of Sigrid Sunstedt in a show entitled "Illusions: The Songs Of Marlene Dietrich" at Don't Tell Mama was written and published by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and appeared in Volume II, Issue 1 (March, 1998) of Applause! Applause!
Illusions: The Songs Of Marlene Dietrich - Sigrid Sunstedt
Don't Tell Mama (343 West 46th Street, NYC)
Reviewed 3/15/98 at 7:00 p.m.
Sigrid Sunstedt is a class act - from the large white boa she wears on stage, to the two dozen roses she tosses into the audience at the end of her show, to the absolutely perfect musical arrangements that have been written for every song she sings. During "Illusions", she successfully evokes the spirit of Marlene Dietrich in a more successful way than any mere impersonator could ever accomplish. Through the use of intelligent well-placed patter and historical notes both on the life of Marlene Dietrich as well as the history of many of the songs she sang, Sigrid Sunstedt uses her own grace, elegance and charm to pay high tribute to the lady she once had the privilege of meeting in Wiesbaden.
As Sigrid tells the story, Marlene Dietrich was doing a concert in Wiesbaden, when, in the middle of singing "One For My Baby" (Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer), Marlene walked toward the edge of the stage near the audience, tripped and fell into the footlights. Although this was obviously an accident which required the calling of an intermission, Sigrid likes to think that Marlene tripped because she was so in character with the woman in the song who is taking one drink "for my baby and one more for the road." After it was determined that Marlene Dietrich was not seriously injured, she returned to the stage and finished the song. "That night," Sigrid said, "she fell in love with her and went backstage to meet her idol." After greeting her, Sigrid asked Marlene Dietrich "When shall we meet again?" to which Ms. Dietrich responded, "Darling, one always meets again."
"Illusions" is more like a one-woman show than it is a cabaret act. Her very talented musical director, Paul Greenwood, backed up by Peter Compo on violin and Bill Conway on bass, actually offer up an overture at the beginning of the show. A black and white enlarged picture of Marlene Dietrich graces the stage, and while with an average performer or impersonator, such a prop would invite unwelcomed and uncomplimentary comparisons, in Sigrid's case it enhances the illusion she aims to create both because Sigrid and Marlene look very much alike and because they both present themselves as strong, independent, mysterious, sexual women that remain aloof and just beyond reach. In a very true sense, both Marlene Dietrich and Sigrid Sunstedt are vamps who offer men varying degrees of frustration.
While all the numbers you'd expect are here such as "Falling In Love Again", "Jonny", "Peter", "Illusions" (Friedrich Hollander); "The Boys In The Backroom" (Friedrich Hollander & Frank Loesser); "The Laziest Girl In Town" (Cole Porter); "Marie, Marie" (Gilbert Becaud); "Makin' Whoopee" (Gus Kahn & Walter Donaldson); and "One For My Baby" (Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer), Sigrid delights her audience by singing English lyrics she wrote herself to the songs "Alone In A Bigh City" and "Mein Blondes Baby" (Friedrich Hollander). My favorite song of the evening, however, was Sigrid's rendition of "Lili Marleen" (Norbert Schultze & Hans Leip) which she states was the song of Marlene Dietrich played by Radio Belgrade during the war at exactly 9:55 p.m. every evening just before they signed off the air. What an appropriate choice for Sigrid to make as her last selection of the evening!!
Marlene Dietrich died on May 6, 1992. Were she alive and able to see Sigrid Sunstedt's affectionate tribute to her at Don't Tell Mama, I think she would have been honored. I encourage you to get yourself down to see Sigrid's last show which will be held on Sunday, March 29, 1998 at 7:00 p.m.. You will not be disappointed!!
Illusions: The Songs Of Marlene Dietrich - Sigrid Sunstedt
Don't Tell Mama (343 West 46th Street, NYC)
Reviewed 3/15/98 at 7:00 p.m.
Sigrid Sunstedt is a class act - from the large white boa she wears on stage, to the two dozen roses she tosses into the audience at the end of her show, to the absolutely perfect musical arrangements that have been written for every song she sings. During "Illusions", she successfully evokes the spirit of Marlene Dietrich in a more successful way than any mere impersonator could ever accomplish. Through the use of intelligent well-placed patter and historical notes both on the life of Marlene Dietrich as well as the history of many of the songs she sang, Sigrid Sunstedt uses her own grace, elegance and charm to pay high tribute to the lady she once had the privilege of meeting in Wiesbaden.
As Sigrid tells the story, Marlene Dietrich was doing a concert in Wiesbaden, when, in the middle of singing "One For My Baby" (Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer), Marlene walked toward the edge of the stage near the audience, tripped and fell into the footlights. Although this was obviously an accident which required the calling of an intermission, Sigrid likes to think that Marlene tripped because she was so in character with the woman in the song who is taking one drink "for my baby and one more for the road." After it was determined that Marlene Dietrich was not seriously injured, she returned to the stage and finished the song. "That night," Sigrid said, "she fell in love with her and went backstage to meet her idol." After greeting her, Sigrid asked Marlene Dietrich "When shall we meet again?" to which Ms. Dietrich responded, "Darling, one always meets again."
"Illusions" is more like a one-woman show than it is a cabaret act. Her very talented musical director, Paul Greenwood, backed up by Peter Compo on violin and Bill Conway on bass, actually offer up an overture at the beginning of the show. A black and white enlarged picture of Marlene Dietrich graces the stage, and while with an average performer or impersonator, such a prop would invite unwelcomed and uncomplimentary comparisons, in Sigrid's case it enhances the illusion she aims to create both because Sigrid and Marlene look very much alike and because they both present themselves as strong, independent, mysterious, sexual women that remain aloof and just beyond reach. In a very true sense, both Marlene Dietrich and Sigrid Sunstedt are vamps who offer men varying degrees of frustration.
While all the numbers you'd expect are here such as "Falling In Love Again", "Jonny", "Peter", "Illusions" (Friedrich Hollander); "The Boys In The Backroom" (Friedrich Hollander & Frank Loesser); "The Laziest Girl In Town" (Cole Porter); "Marie, Marie" (Gilbert Becaud); "Makin' Whoopee" (Gus Kahn & Walter Donaldson); and "One For My Baby" (Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer), Sigrid delights her audience by singing English lyrics she wrote herself to the songs "Alone In A Bigh City" and "Mein Blondes Baby" (Friedrich Hollander). My favorite song of the evening, however, was Sigrid's rendition of "Lili Marleen" (Norbert Schultze & Hans Leip) which she states was the song of Marlene Dietrich played by Radio Belgrade during the war at exactly 9:55 p.m. every evening just before they signed off the air. What an appropriate choice for Sigrid to make as her last selection of the evening!!
Marlene Dietrich died on May 6, 1992. Were she alive and able to see Sigrid Sunstedt's affectionate tribute to her at Don't Tell Mama, I think she would have been honored. I encourage you to get yourself down to see Sigrid's last show which will be held on Sunday, March 29, 1998 at 7:00 p.m.. You will not be disappointed!!
Applause! Applause! Review of Brian Gens at Don't Tell Mama by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens
This review of Brian Gens at Don't Tell Mama was written and published by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and appeared in Volume II, Issue 1 (March, 1998) of Applause! Applause!
Brian Gens
Don't Tell Mama (343 West 46th Street, NYC)
Reviewed 3/22/98 at 2:00 p.m.
Brian Gens is a major talent who is one of the most underrated cabaret performers on the eastern circuit. I was mesmerized by his honest, emotional, sensual portrayal of the songs he selected for his current show. I was swept away by his style, especially by his perfect hand gestures, body movements and tonal delivery. His powerful, pleasing voice and youthful yuppie look combine to create an experience you should not miss!!
There were no bad numbers in this show and although some numbers stood out such as "Catch A Falling Star" (Words and Music by Paul Vance and Dean Pockriss); "Make Me A Kite" (Words by Michele Brourman, Music by Amanda McBroom); "Singin' In The Rain" (Words by Arthur Freed, Music by Nacio Herb Brown); "A House Is Not A Home" (Words by Hal David, Music by Burt Bacharach); "Museums" (Words and Music by Steven Lutvak); and a Big Time Medley of songs which included "Broadway Baby" from Follies, "Don't Rain On My Parade" from Funny Girl, "Tomorrow" from Annie, and "Everything's Coming Up Roses" from Gypsy, I would be hard pressed to suggest the possible exclusion of any of the remaining numbers since they were all so well delivered.
Steven Wing, Brian's musical director, was a great asset to the show both as a pianist and a back-up vocalist. While I have not yet seen Steven Wing's new individual cabaret show, I am extremely pleased to see that they have abandoned, at least for the time being, their former joint shows which were entitled "Steven Wing and Brian Gens". Those shows did not allow each of these very talented men to feature their individual styles and abilities. The joint shows, quite simply, did not work.
While I feel the patter could have been more insightful and revealing, the show better themed and the performer warmer, friendlier and more engaging in his public personality, there is nevertheless enough magic and talent here for me to highly recommend that you catch this "boy singer" at his last show which will take place on Sunday, April 19, 1998 at 2:00 p.m..
Brian Gens
Don't Tell Mama (343 West 46th Street, NYC)
Reviewed 3/22/98 at 2:00 p.m.
Brian Gens is a major talent who is one of the most underrated cabaret performers on the eastern circuit. I was mesmerized by his honest, emotional, sensual portrayal of the songs he selected for his current show. I was swept away by his style, especially by his perfect hand gestures, body movements and tonal delivery. His powerful, pleasing voice and youthful yuppie look combine to create an experience you should not miss!!
There were no bad numbers in this show and although some numbers stood out such as "Catch A Falling Star" (Words and Music by Paul Vance and Dean Pockriss); "Make Me A Kite" (Words by Michele Brourman, Music by Amanda McBroom); "Singin' In The Rain" (Words by Arthur Freed, Music by Nacio Herb Brown); "A House Is Not A Home" (Words by Hal David, Music by Burt Bacharach); "Museums" (Words and Music by Steven Lutvak); and a Big Time Medley of songs which included "Broadway Baby" from Follies, "Don't Rain On My Parade" from Funny Girl, "Tomorrow" from Annie, and "Everything's Coming Up Roses" from Gypsy, I would be hard pressed to suggest the possible exclusion of any of the remaining numbers since they were all so well delivered.
Steven Wing, Brian's musical director, was a great asset to the show both as a pianist and a back-up vocalist. While I have not yet seen Steven Wing's new individual cabaret show, I am extremely pleased to see that they have abandoned, at least for the time being, their former joint shows which were entitled "Steven Wing and Brian Gens". Those shows did not allow each of these very talented men to feature their individual styles and abilities. The joint shows, quite simply, did not work.
While I feel the patter could have been more insightful and revealing, the show better themed and the performer warmer, friendlier and more engaging in his public personality, there is nevertheless enough magic and talent here for me to highly recommend that you catch this "boy singer" at his last show which will take place on Sunday, April 19, 1998 at 2:00 p.m..
Applause! Applause! Review of Janis Siegel at The D Lounge by Andrew Martin
This review of Janis Siegel at The D Lounge was written by Andrew Martin and appeared in Volume II, Issue 1 (March, 1998) of Applause! Applause! published by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens.
Janis Siegel
The D Lounge (Delmonico Hotel; 502 Park Avenue, NYC)
Reviewed 3/15/98 at 7:00 p.m.
The show got off to such a casual start, you almost couldn't believe you were there to see Janis Siegel, best known as lead vocalist for The Manhattan Transfer ("The Boy From New York City", "Here In The Twilight", "Ray's Rockhouse", etc.). But from the moment the thrush's silky voice descended over the tiny crowd of die-hard jazz enthusiasts, fans of the group were falling hook, line and sinker, and with good reason -- Siegel and the new space at the Delmonico Hotel are as perfectly matched as Mabel Mercer and Upstairs at the Downstairs in cabaret days gone by.
The Manhattan Transfer, arguably the most in-demand vocal group in pop music since the Ink Spots, have managed to remain at the very top of their pinnacle since their earliest origins. Comprised of Cheryl Bentyne, Tim Hauser and Alan Paul in addition to Siegel, the group has done everything from Diet Coke endorsements to songs that have now become pop classics. Their latest album, "Swing" (on the Atlantic label) cements the group's success as top jazz artists, and an upcoming concert appearance at the Westbury Music Fair is merely gravy for the foursome's devotees.
Janis Siegel, however, who has knocked around cabaret as a solo act for the last several seasons (including SRO appearances at Rainbow & Stars with pianist Fred Hersch), comes up swinging with an Ella Fitzgerald tribute at the Delmonico. A re-creation of "A Tisket A Tasket" is masterfully performed, and without the Transfer as recorded on the aforementioned "Swing". Her treatment of composer Billy Strayhorn is particularly sensitive, as evidenced on "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", "Lotus Blossom", "I Want Something To Live For", and "Love Has Passed Me By Again".
As if that wasn't enough, the legendary Jon Hendricks came out of the audience to join the lady on "Lady Be Good"! And Kenny Werner on the ivories plus Drew Gress on bass only serve to heighten what is already musical genius on the part of the lady.
Janis Siegel
The D Lounge (Delmonico Hotel; 502 Park Avenue, NYC)
Reviewed 3/15/98 at 7:00 p.m.
The show got off to such a casual start, you almost couldn't believe you were there to see Janis Siegel, best known as lead vocalist for The Manhattan Transfer ("The Boy From New York City", "Here In The Twilight", "Ray's Rockhouse", etc.). But from the moment the thrush's silky voice descended over the tiny crowd of die-hard jazz enthusiasts, fans of the group were falling hook, line and sinker, and with good reason -- Siegel and the new space at the Delmonico Hotel are as perfectly matched as Mabel Mercer and Upstairs at the Downstairs in cabaret days gone by.
The Manhattan Transfer, arguably the most in-demand vocal group in pop music since the Ink Spots, have managed to remain at the very top of their pinnacle since their earliest origins. Comprised of Cheryl Bentyne, Tim Hauser and Alan Paul in addition to Siegel, the group has done everything from Diet Coke endorsements to songs that have now become pop classics. Their latest album, "Swing" (on the Atlantic label) cements the group's success as top jazz artists, and an upcoming concert appearance at the Westbury Music Fair is merely gravy for the foursome's devotees.
Janis Siegel, however, who has knocked around cabaret as a solo act for the last several seasons (including SRO appearances at Rainbow & Stars with pianist Fred Hersch), comes up swinging with an Ella Fitzgerald tribute at the Delmonico. A re-creation of "A Tisket A Tasket" is masterfully performed, and without the Transfer as recorded on the aforementioned "Swing". Her treatment of composer Billy Strayhorn is particularly sensitive, as evidenced on "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", "Lotus Blossom", "I Want Something To Live For", and "Love Has Passed Me By Again".
As if that wasn't enough, the legendary Jon Hendricks came out of the audience to join the lady on "Lady Be Good"! And Kenny Werner on the ivories plus Drew Gress on bass only serve to heighten what is already musical genius on the part of the lady.
Applause! Applause! Review of Phillip Officer's "Yip & Gersh" by Rita Sola
This review of Phillip Officer's "Yip & Gersh" at the FireBird Cafe was written by Rita Sola and appeared Volume II, Issue 1 (March, 1998) of Applause! Applause! published by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens.
"Yip & Gersh" - Phillip Officer
FireBird Cafe (363 West 46th Street, NYC)
Reviewed 2/24/98 at 9:00 p.m.
An old Hollywood legend has it that when Yip Harburg first heard Harold Arlen play "Over The Rainbow" on the piano, he said, "That's not for little Dorothy. That's for Nelson Eddy." It is a tribute to the song that regardless of the type of voice possessed, a gifted singer can make it his or her own. As he proved at his recent engagement at the FireBird, Phillip Officer is one of these singers.
Essentially a singing actor (and his acting credits are considerable), Phillip Officer is a master interpreter of song. When he sings of "cows jumping over," you can hear those cows jump. Phrases are often spoken rather than sung and always appropriately and effectively. His range is extensive, from the wistfulness of "Over The Rainbow" to the playfulness of "Let's Take A Walk Around The Block". Phillip's delight with Harburg's rhymes, particularly in the latter, is infectious: "...Vladivostok where Bolsheviks flock..." and "...in Caracas on a jackass...".
Many years ago, screenwriter Charles MacArthur overheard two young women discussing a film that he had co-authored and which had just been released. But all their praise was for the star, Robert Montgomery, and Montgomery's clever dialogue. After his initial dismay, MacArthur realized that this was as it should be: the lines should sound like the character's own. It is this spontaneity that one finds in Phillip Officer's singing of "It's Only A Paper Moon" which he punctuates with interpolated rests as if he were searching for the right word. "Say it's only a (rest) canvas sky hanging over a (rest) muslin tree..." Yip would have been very pleased.
Some singers, particularly in opera, use their voices to make beautiful sounds that become part of the musical whole. The listener hears only the music, for the voice becomes another orchestral instrument, like a cello or a trumpet. This can be a pleasing aesthetic experience but it is not a dramatic one and, after a while, not a very interesting one. Phillip Officer's art is diametrically opposite. His voice is always at the service of the words; it commands you to pay attention to the words. It is understandable why his shows have so often had as their themes the works of particular lyricists rather than composers. On this occasion, there were two lucky lyricists: Yip Harburg and Ira Gershwin.
Although recognized as one of the most prolific writers on the American musical scene, Ira Gershwin once complained to his brother that he couldn't possibly write lyrics to a melody that George had just completed. "Still," said Ira, "it is a fascinating rhythm." With this, we can see a light bulb flash over his head. Although in 1924, many considered "Fascinatin' Rhythm", which was the biggest hit in their show "Lady Be Good", to represent the hallucination of a drug addict, Phillip sings it with a respect and concentration that reflect his genuine fascination with the rhythm.
Besides this piece and other standards, such as "A Foggy Day in London Town", and "Nice Work If You Can Get It", both from the Fred Astaire film "Damsel In Distress", and "They Can't Take That Away From Me" from "The Barkleys of Broadway", the last Astaire-Rogers film, it was a pleasure to hear such rarities as "It Happens Every Time", written with Burton Lane, and "One Life To Live", written with Kurt Weill.
Unfortunately, circumstances on the evening covered by this review were less than inspiring. Albeit a lovely venue, the FireBird's cabaret room is separated from the dessert kitchen by a very thin partition so that those seated at the north end were subjected to distracting noises. Moreover, there were problems with the sound system as the speaker in the northwest corner of the room periodically fell into a coma. Worse still, the audience that evening seemed, in large part, to consist of diners from the restaurant who had decided to have their Nesselrode with a little music on the side. Phillip handled their rudeness with remarkable good humor, commenting, after his opening numbers ("If This Isn't Love" and "Swonderful" sung back to back) that he hoped the coffee and the chit chat were out of the way. They were. Thanks to his charm and way of communicating a song, the audience sat entranced for the rest of the evening. For when Phillip Officer tells you he's got a secret, he's got a little secret, not only do you believe it, but you are convinced that you are the only person who's going to hear it.
"Yip & Gersh" - Phillip Officer
FireBird Cafe (363 West 46th Street, NYC)
Reviewed 2/24/98 at 9:00 p.m.
An old Hollywood legend has it that when Yip Harburg first heard Harold Arlen play "Over The Rainbow" on the piano, he said, "That's not for little Dorothy. That's for Nelson Eddy." It is a tribute to the song that regardless of the type of voice possessed, a gifted singer can make it his or her own. As he proved at his recent engagement at the FireBird, Phillip Officer is one of these singers.
Essentially a singing actor (and his acting credits are considerable), Phillip Officer is a master interpreter of song. When he sings of "cows jumping over," you can hear those cows jump. Phrases are often spoken rather than sung and always appropriately and effectively. His range is extensive, from the wistfulness of "Over The Rainbow" to the playfulness of "Let's Take A Walk Around The Block". Phillip's delight with Harburg's rhymes, particularly in the latter, is infectious: "...Vladivostok where Bolsheviks flock..." and "...in Caracas on a jackass...".
Many years ago, screenwriter Charles MacArthur overheard two young women discussing a film that he had co-authored and which had just been released. But all their praise was for the star, Robert Montgomery, and Montgomery's clever dialogue. After his initial dismay, MacArthur realized that this was as it should be: the lines should sound like the character's own. It is this spontaneity that one finds in Phillip Officer's singing of "It's Only A Paper Moon" which he punctuates with interpolated rests as if he were searching for the right word. "Say it's only a (rest) canvas sky hanging over a (rest) muslin tree..." Yip would have been very pleased.
Some singers, particularly in opera, use their voices to make beautiful sounds that become part of the musical whole. The listener hears only the music, for the voice becomes another orchestral instrument, like a cello or a trumpet. This can be a pleasing aesthetic experience but it is not a dramatic one and, after a while, not a very interesting one. Phillip Officer's art is diametrically opposite. His voice is always at the service of the words; it commands you to pay attention to the words. It is understandable why his shows have so often had as their themes the works of particular lyricists rather than composers. On this occasion, there were two lucky lyricists: Yip Harburg and Ira Gershwin.
Although recognized as one of the most prolific writers on the American musical scene, Ira Gershwin once complained to his brother that he couldn't possibly write lyrics to a melody that George had just completed. "Still," said Ira, "it is a fascinating rhythm." With this, we can see a light bulb flash over his head. Although in 1924, many considered "Fascinatin' Rhythm", which was the biggest hit in their show "Lady Be Good", to represent the hallucination of a drug addict, Phillip sings it with a respect and concentration that reflect his genuine fascination with the rhythm.
Besides this piece and other standards, such as "A Foggy Day in London Town", and "Nice Work If You Can Get It", both from the Fred Astaire film "Damsel In Distress", and "They Can't Take That Away From Me" from "The Barkleys of Broadway", the last Astaire-Rogers film, it was a pleasure to hear such rarities as "It Happens Every Time", written with Burton Lane, and "One Life To Live", written with Kurt Weill.
Unfortunately, circumstances on the evening covered by this review were less than inspiring. Albeit a lovely venue, the FireBird's cabaret room is separated from the dessert kitchen by a very thin partition so that those seated at the north end were subjected to distracting noises. Moreover, there were problems with the sound system as the speaker in the northwest corner of the room periodically fell into a coma. Worse still, the audience that evening seemed, in large part, to consist of diners from the restaurant who had decided to have their Nesselrode with a little music on the side. Phillip handled their rudeness with remarkable good humor, commenting, after his opening numbers ("If This Isn't Love" and "Swonderful" sung back to back) that he hoped the coffee and the chit chat were out of the way. They were. Thanks to his charm and way of communicating a song, the audience sat entranced for the rest of the evening. For when Phillip Officer tells you he's got a secret, he's got a little secret, not only do you believe it, but you are convinced that you are the only person who's going to hear it.
Applause! Applause! Review of Tommy Femia's "I Will Come Back" by Rita Sola
This review of Tommy Femia's "I Will Come Back" at The Players Theatre was written by Rita Sola and appeared Volume II, Issue 1 (March, 1998) of Applause! Applause! published by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens.
"I Will Come Back" - Tommy Femia
The Players Theatre (115 MacDougal Street, NYC)
Reviewed 2/28/98 at 8:00 p.m.
Many years ago, on a television talk show, Liza Minnelli told the story of her mom's appearance at a night club where the performers had to share the lavatory facilities with the patrons. One evening, while Judy was doing so, a woman in the next stall gushed, "Oh, Miss Garland, you even tinkle beautifully." Judy replied, "Thank you, but stars should twinkle, not tinkle."
Apart from the pain and the heartaches that informed her life from childhood, Judy Garland is remembered by those who knew her off-stage as a very funny lady. "You know, behind every cloud there's another little cloud waiting to break through," she once told Jack Paar. It is this Judy that Tommy Femia with his impeccable comic timing captures so wonderfully in "I Will Come Back."
In it, he narrates what has become arguably the show business legend of the century, the life and career of Judy Garland. But it is a skeletal narration; the flesh is made up of some very droll commentary and it never ceases to amuse. Most of the script is original although some of the anecdotes may be apocryphal. For instance, Tommy as Judy tells how Louis B. Mayer chose her over Deanna Durbin (they had appeared together in a short feature which was really a screen test) by instructing his minions to "get rid of the fat one." Later, he met Judy on the studio grounds and, in vociferous dismay, declared that by the "fat one" he had meant her. According to other versions, Mayer did want Judy but he wanted Deanna. too, and was furious to hear she had been let go while he was in Europe. Whichever story is true, the one in "I Will Come Back" is funnier. Throughout the evening, you somehow feel this is just what Judy would have said and how she would have said it if she were still with us. This is not surprising since the show was written by Timothy Gray who, himself, worked with Judy as far back as 1952 when she appeared at the Palace.
Punctuating the narrative are the songs with which she is so closely associated including "The Trolley Song", "The Boy Next Door", "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby", plus four originals by Gray and Hugh Martin, who wrote the music for Meet Me In St. Louis. A happy highlight of the evening is the appearance of talented cabaret artist Kristine Zbornik (a very funny lady in her own right) as a FOB (Friend of Barbra, that is). She and Tommy recreate the famous Garland-Streisand coupling of "Get Happy" and "Happy Days Are Here Again" first done on Judy's TV show in 1963.
The staging, also by Timothy Gray, is witty, particularly a bit with a boa that would make Julie Wilson envious. Another number features a short staircase, the steps of which light up as Judy ascends and descends them. Needless to say, the cues go awry forcing her to scurry about as she sings, a metaphor for the constant calamities she had to deal with throughout her life.
The only flaw in the show is the opening. The house lights go down, and you hear a voice, sounding very much like Judy's, but you are aware, acutely aware, that this is not Judy. Tommy in his impersonation of Judy Garland captures her body language to such perfection that when watching his performance, you believe you are hearing the unique Garland voice. Unfortunately, this doesn't work in the dark.
What does work is the ending. It is Judy's traditional ending: "Over the Rainbow", sung while sitting at the edge of the stage, and all her magic and vulnerability are there.
Other performers have done excellent impersonations of Judy Garland, notably Richard Skipper (famed for his Carol Channing). But whereas Richard's Judy is like a John Singer Sargent portrait, Tommy's is comparable to an Al Hirschfeld caricature. This is not faint praise. Edward Albee once said of Hirschfeld's drawing of Colleen Dewhurst in Eugene O' Neill's "A Moon For The Misbegotten" that looking at it, he could see in his mind's eye every facet of her performance. For those who never saw Judy in person, as well as for those of us who did, "I Will Come Back" is a feast for the mind's eye.
"I Will Come Back" - Tommy Femia
The Players Theatre (115 MacDougal Street, NYC)
Reviewed 2/28/98 at 8:00 p.m.
Many years ago, on a television talk show, Liza Minnelli told the story of her mom's appearance at a night club where the performers had to share the lavatory facilities with the patrons. One evening, while Judy was doing so, a woman in the next stall gushed, "Oh, Miss Garland, you even tinkle beautifully." Judy replied, "Thank you, but stars should twinkle, not tinkle."
Apart from the pain and the heartaches that informed her life from childhood, Judy Garland is remembered by those who knew her off-stage as a very funny lady. "You know, behind every cloud there's another little cloud waiting to break through," she once told Jack Paar. It is this Judy that Tommy Femia with his impeccable comic timing captures so wonderfully in "I Will Come Back."
In it, he narrates what has become arguably the show business legend of the century, the life and career of Judy Garland. But it is a skeletal narration; the flesh is made up of some very droll commentary and it never ceases to amuse. Most of the script is original although some of the anecdotes may be apocryphal. For instance, Tommy as Judy tells how Louis B. Mayer chose her over Deanna Durbin (they had appeared together in a short feature which was really a screen test) by instructing his minions to "get rid of the fat one." Later, he met Judy on the studio grounds and, in vociferous dismay, declared that by the "fat one" he had meant her. According to other versions, Mayer did want Judy but he wanted Deanna. too, and was furious to hear she had been let go while he was in Europe. Whichever story is true, the one in "I Will Come Back" is funnier. Throughout the evening, you somehow feel this is just what Judy would have said and how she would have said it if she were still with us. This is not surprising since the show was written by Timothy Gray who, himself, worked with Judy as far back as 1952 when she appeared at the Palace.
Punctuating the narrative are the songs with which she is so closely associated including "The Trolley Song", "The Boy Next Door", "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby", plus four originals by Gray and Hugh Martin, who wrote the music for Meet Me In St. Louis. A happy highlight of the evening is the appearance of talented cabaret artist Kristine Zbornik (a very funny lady in her own right) as a FOB (Friend of Barbra, that is). She and Tommy recreate the famous Garland-Streisand coupling of "Get Happy" and "Happy Days Are Here Again" first done on Judy's TV show in 1963.
The staging, also by Timothy Gray, is witty, particularly a bit with a boa that would make Julie Wilson envious. Another number features a short staircase, the steps of which light up as Judy ascends and descends them. Needless to say, the cues go awry forcing her to scurry about as she sings, a metaphor for the constant calamities she had to deal with throughout her life.
The only flaw in the show is the opening. The house lights go down, and you hear a voice, sounding very much like Judy's, but you are aware, acutely aware, that this is not Judy. Tommy in his impersonation of Judy Garland captures her body language to such perfection that when watching his performance, you believe you are hearing the unique Garland voice. Unfortunately, this doesn't work in the dark.
What does work is the ending. It is Judy's traditional ending: "Over the Rainbow", sung while sitting at the edge of the stage, and all her magic and vulnerability are there.
Other performers have done excellent impersonations of Judy Garland, notably Richard Skipper (famed for his Carol Channing). But whereas Richard's Judy is like a John Singer Sargent portrait, Tommy's is comparable to an Al Hirschfeld caricature. This is not faint praise. Edward Albee once said of Hirschfeld's drawing of Colleen Dewhurst in Eugene O' Neill's "A Moon For The Misbegotten" that looking at it, he could see in his mind's eye every facet of her performance. For those who never saw Judy in person, as well as for those of us who did, "I Will Come Back" is a feast for the mind's eye.
Applause! Applause! Review of the CD "George Bettinger's Mom & Pop Variety Shop" by Marle Becker
This review of the CD entitled "George Bettinger's Mom & Pop Variety Shop" was written by Marle Becker and appeared in Volume II, Issue 1 (March, 1998) of Applause! Applause! published by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens.
"George Bettinger's Mom & Pop Variety Shop" - George Bettinger, Lizette Amado & Ron Dyszler
(Original Cast Records, OC-9803)
In what's very often referred to as the "Golden Age Of Comedy", in order to get a good laugh, great comedians never relied on performances showered with obscenities or tasteless material intentionally offensive to some parts of a population already predisposed to differential treatment. Laughgetters back then often included a roll of the eyes, the twirl of a Havana cigar, the fluttering of a pair of out-of-control eyebrows, or the perfect delivery of just one word, such as Jack Benny's long, drawn out "Weeeellll". Coupled with strong material and split-second timing, it was more than enough to elate audiences and keep them coming back for more.
Curious as to how great comics of yore might react to modern day situations? Wonder no more! Here's where impressionist George Bettinger comes into the picture. The result is "George Bettinger's Mom & Pop Variety Shop" and, thanks to Bettinger's talent and know-how, it works like a charm. Other impressionists are probably popping their fists against their foreheads in bewilderment wondering why they hadn't thought of the idea first!
With the variety shop as the common denominator and young Bettinger as the soda jerk/proprietor cum jack-of-all-trades, the impressionist's alter egos romp through a series of clever routines complete with sound effects and appropriate musical backgrounds. We find W.C. Fields relating to health food, Curly of the Stooges involved with gourmet coffee, and Laurel and Hardy not only facing down a gang in the Bronx, but also questioning what a CD might be. Favorite cuts are bound to be the whole gang getting into a rousing rendition of "Jeepers Creepers" and his almost perfect guest spot on the Joe Franklin Show with the infamous blue ribbon panel consisting of George Jessel, Jack Benny, and Jackie Mason.
While some of the characters come off better than others, he's pretty consistent and most of his pals are right on target. Where Jerry Lewis and George Burns perhaps could use a little fine tuning, his W.C. Fields, Jack Benny, Ed Wynne, Jackie Mason, and Joe Franklin are right on the money; we even get a few bars of Groucho doing "Lydia The Tatooed Lady" to unqualified perfection by this impressive impressionist.
While Bettinger is deftly supported by Ron Dyszler as Action Hero Arnold Ham'n Egger and Lizette Amado in the female parts, it is clearly Bettinger's show and steal it he does! It's unclear just how popular comedy CD's are these days, but one thing is certain - particularly if they're good - they deserve a life of their own. Better than chicken soup, "George Bettinger's Mom & Pop Variety Shop" is good for what ails you. No one who enjoys a good laugh should be without this one.
"George Bettinger's Mom & Pop Variety Shop" - George Bettinger, Lizette Amado & Ron Dyszler
(Original Cast Records, OC-9803)
In what's very often referred to as the "Golden Age Of Comedy", in order to get a good laugh, great comedians never relied on performances showered with obscenities or tasteless material intentionally offensive to some parts of a population already predisposed to differential treatment. Laughgetters back then often included a roll of the eyes, the twirl of a Havana cigar, the fluttering of a pair of out-of-control eyebrows, or the perfect delivery of just one word, such as Jack Benny's long, drawn out "Weeeellll". Coupled with strong material and split-second timing, it was more than enough to elate audiences and keep them coming back for more.
Curious as to how great comics of yore might react to modern day situations? Wonder no more! Here's where impressionist George Bettinger comes into the picture. The result is "George Bettinger's Mom & Pop Variety Shop" and, thanks to Bettinger's talent and know-how, it works like a charm. Other impressionists are probably popping their fists against their foreheads in bewilderment wondering why they hadn't thought of the idea first!
With the variety shop as the common denominator and young Bettinger as the soda jerk/proprietor cum jack-of-all-trades, the impressionist's alter egos romp through a series of clever routines complete with sound effects and appropriate musical backgrounds. We find W.C. Fields relating to health food, Curly of the Stooges involved with gourmet coffee, and Laurel and Hardy not only facing down a gang in the Bronx, but also questioning what a CD might be. Favorite cuts are bound to be the whole gang getting into a rousing rendition of "Jeepers Creepers" and his almost perfect guest spot on the Joe Franklin Show with the infamous blue ribbon panel consisting of George Jessel, Jack Benny, and Jackie Mason.
While some of the characters come off better than others, he's pretty consistent and most of his pals are right on target. Where Jerry Lewis and George Burns perhaps could use a little fine tuning, his W.C. Fields, Jack Benny, Ed Wynne, Jackie Mason, and Joe Franklin are right on the money; we even get a few bars of Groucho doing "Lydia The Tatooed Lady" to unqualified perfection by this impressive impressionist.
While Bettinger is deftly supported by Ron Dyszler as Action Hero Arnold Ham'n Egger and Lizette Amado in the female parts, it is clearly Bettinger's show and steal it he does! It's unclear just how popular comedy CD's are these days, but one thing is certain - particularly if they're good - they deserve a life of their own. Better than chicken soup, "George Bettinger's Mom & Pop Variety Shop" is good for what ails you. No one who enjoys a good laugh should be without this one.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Sam Sloan, Runner-Up For The New York Libertarian Party's Gubernatorial Nomination In 2010, Wins Silver Medal In World Memory Championships In Guangzhou, China
The 2011 World Memory Championships, sponsored by the World Memory Sports Council, were contested in Guangzhou China on December 7-10, 2011. Sam Sloan, who was the runner-up in the contest for the New York Libertarian Party's Gubernatorial Nomination in 2010, won the Silver Medal (Second Prize) in the Senior Division of the World Memory Championships losing to 73-year-old grandmother, Kuang Liqun (who goes by the name "Lily"). In coming in second, Sam Sloan, aged 67, earned 306 Championship Points while Kuang Liqun, accumulated 634 Championship Points. Two of Ms. Liqun's grandsons won the Grandmaster Title and one of them won the World Junior Memory Championship.
Mr. Sloan competed in nine categories of memory, including the ability to remember random numbers, random words, binary digits, abstract images, names and faces, dates of events and decks of cards. The formal category names were the following: 30 Minute Binary Numbers, 15 Minute Abstract Images, 15 Minute Names & Faces, 15 Minute Random Words, 5 Minute Historic Dates, 5 Minute Speed Numbers, Hour Cards, Hour Numbers & Spoken Numbers.
Sam Sloan reported:
There was wide variation among the abilities of the contestants to perform various memory tasks. For example, 16-year-old Sri Vyshnavi Yarlagadda of Hydrabad, India won the "Names and Faces" contest by a wide margin by being able to remember 92 names and faces in five minutes, but she finished near the bottom in the test of speed cards by being able to remember only five playing cards in five minutes.
Girls tended to do better in Names and Faces and dates and historic events whereas men did better in remembering random numbers.
To win the grandmaster title one needs to be able to memorize a complete deck of cards in less than 60 seconds and to memorize 200 random numbers in 15 minutes, among other tasks.
The event was organized by Chess Grandmaster Raymond Keene and Tony Buzon. Jennifer Goddard did all the work especially in calculating the prize winners.
Sam Sloan is currently an active member of the Libertarian Party of Queens County. He ran for an At-Large Representative position at the Libertarian Party National Convention held in St. Louis, Missouri in 2010.
Mr. Sloan competed in nine categories of memory, including the ability to remember random numbers, random words, binary digits, abstract images, names and faces, dates of events and decks of cards. The formal category names were the following: 30 Minute Binary Numbers, 15 Minute Abstract Images, 15 Minute Names & Faces, 15 Minute Random Words, 5 Minute Historic Dates, 5 Minute Speed Numbers, Hour Cards, Hour Numbers & Spoken Numbers.
Sam Sloan reported:
There was wide variation among the abilities of the contestants to perform various memory tasks. For example, 16-year-old Sri Vyshnavi Yarlagadda of Hydrabad, India won the "Names and Faces" contest by a wide margin by being able to remember 92 names and faces in five minutes, but she finished near the bottom in the test of speed cards by being able to remember only five playing cards in five minutes.
Girls tended to do better in Names and Faces and dates and historic events whereas men did better in remembering random numbers.
To win the grandmaster title one needs to be able to memorize a complete deck of cards in less than 60 seconds and to memorize 200 random numbers in 15 minutes, among other tasks.
The event was organized by Chess Grandmaster Raymond Keene and Tony Buzon. Jennifer Goddard did all the work especially in calculating the prize winners.
Sam Sloan is currently an active member of the Libertarian Party of Queens County. He ran for an At-Large Representative position at the Libertarian Party National Convention held in St. Louis, Missouri in 2010.
Nebraska Libertarian Party Central Committee Endorses Gary Johnson For President
The Nebraska Libertarian Party's Central Committee has endorsed Gary Johnson for the Libertarian Party's 2012 Presidential Nomination becoming the first State Party to do so. The first Libertarian Party organization in the nation to endorse Gary Johnson was the Libertarian Party of Northampton County, Pennsylvania.
http://drtomstevens.blogspot.com/2011/12/libertarian-party-of-northampton-county.html
Gene Siadek, Nebraska Libertarian Party Chairman, issued the following statement on January 1, 2012:
After Governor Johnson’s December 28th announcement that he was going to seek the Libertarian Party’s nomination for President of the United States, I called a meeting of the State Central Committee in accordance with our Party bylaws to discuss and vote on endorsing his candidacy.
I am happy to announce today, the Libertarian Party of Nebraska’s Central Committee has voted to endorse Governor Johnson as the Libertarian candidate for President of the United States. I believe we are the first state committee to do so and we are happy to announce our endorsement on Governor Johnson’s birthday.
Governor Johnson brings to the table two-terms of executive-level experience in New Mexico and a proven record of fiscal responsibility and social tolerance. In 2002, Governor Johnson left his term-limited post with New Mexico being one of only four states in the country with a balanced budget. He vetoed 750 bills during his time in office; more than the other 49 Governors combined. He also cut over 1,200 government jobs without firing anyone and cut taxes 14 times while never raising them.
While America suffers under a “government knows best” administration that has utterly failed on its promises of both hope and change, and while our neighbors in Iowa prepare to caucus on big-government Republicans, (minus one non-GOP-supported candidate), we are encouraged to have a strong Libertarian running under the Libertarian banner.
We feel that the red-Republicans and blue-Democrats have essentially become one Purple Party that no longer represents the vast majority of Americans. Further, we agree with Governor Johnson’s statement, “Sadly, neither the Republicans nor Democrats will offer this agenda [of fiscal conservatism and social tolerance] to the American people. The Republicans talk about cutting spending and taxes but insist on government regulating our personal lives. The Democrats support more liberal social policies but they will tax and spend and borrow us into bankruptcy. America needs a third way."
We are hopeful that Nebraska Libertarian Party membership and all minimum government, maximum freedom Nebraskans will come out in droves for Governor Johnson’s campaign. We feel he is the only alternative to the Purple Party status quo of wars, inept fiscal stewardship and infringements on individual rights.
Note: The State Central Committee of Nebraska’s vote had one abstention: Mr. Randy Eshelman, Vice Chairman of the Nebraska Libertarian Party abstained due to his position on the Libertarian National Committee.
The Libertarian Party of Nebraska’s chartered purpose is to maintain a representative government that protects the inalienable rights of individuals. You can find out more at www.lpne.org. Visit Gary Johnson website http://www.garyjohnson2012.com
http://drtomstevens.blogspot.com/2011/12/libertarian-party-of-northampton-county.html
Gene Siadek, Nebraska Libertarian Party Chairman, issued the following statement on January 1, 2012:
After Governor Johnson’s December 28th announcement that he was going to seek the Libertarian Party’s nomination for President of the United States, I called a meeting of the State Central Committee in accordance with our Party bylaws to discuss and vote on endorsing his candidacy.
I am happy to announce today, the Libertarian Party of Nebraska’s Central Committee has voted to endorse Governor Johnson as the Libertarian candidate for President of the United States. I believe we are the first state committee to do so and we are happy to announce our endorsement on Governor Johnson’s birthday.
Governor Johnson brings to the table two-terms of executive-level experience in New Mexico and a proven record of fiscal responsibility and social tolerance. In 2002, Governor Johnson left his term-limited post with New Mexico being one of only four states in the country with a balanced budget. He vetoed 750 bills during his time in office; more than the other 49 Governors combined. He also cut over 1,200 government jobs without firing anyone and cut taxes 14 times while never raising them.
While America suffers under a “government knows best” administration that has utterly failed on its promises of both hope and change, and while our neighbors in Iowa prepare to caucus on big-government Republicans, (minus one non-GOP-supported candidate), we are encouraged to have a strong Libertarian running under the Libertarian banner.
We feel that the red-Republicans and blue-Democrats have essentially become one Purple Party that no longer represents the vast majority of Americans. Further, we agree with Governor Johnson’s statement, “Sadly, neither the Republicans nor Democrats will offer this agenda [of fiscal conservatism and social tolerance] to the American people. The Republicans talk about cutting spending and taxes but insist on government regulating our personal lives. The Democrats support more liberal social policies but they will tax and spend and borrow us into bankruptcy. America needs a third way."
We are hopeful that Nebraska Libertarian Party membership and all minimum government, maximum freedom Nebraskans will come out in droves for Governor Johnson’s campaign. We feel he is the only alternative to the Purple Party status quo of wars, inept fiscal stewardship and infringements on individual rights.
Note: The State Central Committee of Nebraska’s vote had one abstention: Mr. Randy Eshelman, Vice Chairman of the Nebraska Libertarian Party abstained due to his position on the Libertarian National Committee.
The Libertarian Party of Nebraska’s chartered purpose is to maintain a representative government that protects the inalienable rights of individuals. You can find out more at www.lpne.org. Visit Gary Johnson website http://www.garyjohnson2012.com
Tiffany Briscoe, Boston Tea Party's 2012 Presidential Nominee, Condemns All Anti-Bestiality Laws & Blasts The Libertarian Party For Showing A Loss Of Freedom-Based Principles
Tiffany Briscoe is the Boston Tea Party's Presidential Nominee for 2012. She has weighed in on the "bestiality is a victimless crime" debate by sharing her views on the subject:
Let me be clear. I strongly believe bestiality is anti-natural. But if an individual wants to engage him or herself into such an activity, it is entirely up to this individual. I condemn all anti-bestiality laws, just like I condemn bestiality itself. But this should be a decision taken by the person involved, rather than the government.
The issue of whether bestiality is a victimless crime became an issue when Carl Person, a candidate for the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination, wrote the following on or about November 8, 2011:
The victimless crimes are prostitution, bestiality, sodomy, drugs, abortion, and the principles are that we shouldn't be regulating what people do to themselves, and the cost of the regulation should be saved and returned to taxpayers, to reduce taxes, and enable the economy to grow with commerce instead of with prisoners, private jails and private jail guards...Bestiality as a victimless crime would center on two elements: 1. "property rights" - limiting the practice to one's own animals or with wild animals (not owned by anyone) and 2. "consent" and/or "non-injury" - if the animal is willing and is not injured in the process. If the animal is already dead, the victimless crime would become a variant of necromancy, and have to be analyzed in a similar fashion. I'm not a practitioner or advocate of bestiality and am only trying to apply Libertarian principles to a seldom discussed victimless crime.
Tiffany Briscoe criticized Carl Person for raising this issue in a campaign for the office of President of the United States and says it reflects "the loss of freedom-based principles" by the Libertarian Party. Specifically, she said:
Strictly on a philosophical standpoint, bestiality is probably consistent with the reasonable theory that rights apply only to humans and not animals or plants. But this should not be an issue to be discussed on the federal level. The federal government has no business in making such decisions and the fact that a big-L Libertarian presidential candidate is mentioning this shows the loss of freedom-based principles by the Libertarian Party.
Tiffany Renee Briscoe received the Boston Tea Party's nomination for President on December 23, 2011 through the party's online nominating convention. Ms. Briscoe is an American businesswoman who owns Tiffany of Elegance, a retail store specializing in apparel, handbags, and perfume. She was recognized by Cambridge Who's Who in 2011 for "demonstrating dedication, leadership and excellence in retail." Ms. Briscoe resides in Laurel, Maryland and earned an Associates Degree in General Studies from Howard Community College. Ms. Briscoe's website is at http://tiffanybriscoe2012.weebly.com/
The Boston Tea Party was founded in 2006 and has the following one sentence platform: “The Boston Tea Party supports reducing the size, scope and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and opposes increasing the size, scope and power of government at any level, for any purpose.”
Let me be clear. I strongly believe bestiality is anti-natural. But if an individual wants to engage him or herself into such an activity, it is entirely up to this individual. I condemn all anti-bestiality laws, just like I condemn bestiality itself. But this should be a decision taken by the person involved, rather than the government.
The issue of whether bestiality is a victimless crime became an issue when Carl Person, a candidate for the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination, wrote the following on or about November 8, 2011:
The victimless crimes are prostitution, bestiality, sodomy, drugs, abortion, and the principles are that we shouldn't be regulating what people do to themselves, and the cost of the regulation should be saved and returned to taxpayers, to reduce taxes, and enable the economy to grow with commerce instead of with prisoners, private jails and private jail guards...Bestiality as a victimless crime would center on two elements: 1. "property rights" - limiting the practice to one's own animals or with wild animals (not owned by anyone) and 2. "consent" and/or "non-injury" - if the animal is willing and is not injured in the process. If the animal is already dead, the victimless crime would become a variant of necromancy, and have to be analyzed in a similar fashion. I'm not a practitioner or advocate of bestiality and am only trying to apply Libertarian principles to a seldom discussed victimless crime.
Tiffany Briscoe criticized Carl Person for raising this issue in a campaign for the office of President of the United States and says it reflects "the loss of freedom-based principles" by the Libertarian Party. Specifically, she said:
Strictly on a philosophical standpoint, bestiality is probably consistent with the reasonable theory that rights apply only to humans and not animals or plants. But this should not be an issue to be discussed on the federal level. The federal government has no business in making such decisions and the fact that a big-L Libertarian presidential candidate is mentioning this shows the loss of freedom-based principles by the Libertarian Party.
Tiffany Renee Briscoe received the Boston Tea Party's nomination for President on December 23, 2011 through the party's online nominating convention. Ms. Briscoe is an American businesswoman who owns Tiffany of Elegance, a retail store specializing in apparel, handbags, and perfume. She was recognized by Cambridge Who's Who in 2011 for "demonstrating dedication, leadership and excellence in retail." Ms. Briscoe resides in Laurel, Maryland and earned an Associates Degree in General Studies from Howard Community College. Ms. Briscoe's website is at http://tiffanybriscoe2012.weebly.com/
The Boston Tea Party was founded in 2006 and has the following one sentence platform: “The Boston Tea Party supports reducing the size, scope and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and opposes increasing the size, scope and power of government at any level, for any purpose.”
Monday, January 2, 2012
Libertarian Party Of Queens County Becomes First LP Group In New York State To Endorse Gary Johnson For President In 2012
The Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Queens County (LPQC), the largest and most active chapter chartered by the New York Libertarian Party, voted on December 29, 2011 to endorse Gary Johnson for the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination thus becoming the first Libertarian Party organization in New York State to get on board in support of his campaign. This endorsement is particularly significant since the Libertarian Party of Queens County is the home base of Carl Person, who is also seeking the Presidential Nomination of the Libertarian Party in 2012.
John Clifton, LPQC Chair, made this statement regarding the endorsement:
Queens Libertarians lament the savage media suppression of Governor Johnson from Republican Presidential primary coverage, and his exclusion from most of the debates. That they would treat such a credible figure who recently held a senior elected office in such a way is a saddening reminder of how alternative candidates and parties are structurally suppressed in this country. This fate clearly could have also befallen Ron Paul, had he not established a broad grassroots base of support beforehand. Johnson displays a generally excellent libertarian grasp of the issues and commitment to them. The LPQC applauds his decision to seek the LP nomination for President, and encourages him to pursue it by our endorsing his candidacy.
Dallwyn Merck, LPQC Secretary, provided the following background information:
Although Carl Person lives in Manhattan and has been a member of both the Manhattan Libertarian Party and the Libertarian Party of Queens County, his home base over the years has been the Queens LP, having once been appointed to serve as its State Representative. When he announced his intention to seek the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination on June 5, 2011, a few club members were favorably disposed to support him. John Procida, LPQC Vice-Chair, endorsed his candidacy and I decided to wear his campaign button at the Occupy Wall Street Protests in Zuccotti Park. Other officers and members remained uncommitted.
Dr. Tom Stevens, LPQC Political Director who served as Carl Person's Campaign Manager, did everything within his power to convince Carl Person to run on issues solidly based upon libertarian principles. However, Mr. Person ignored all his advice and continued to put out press releases so Socialist, Leftist and Green in ideological perspective that Dr. Stevens told Carl he would resign whenever a replacement could be found but would stay on in an advisory role until that point.
Carl Person lost my support as well as the support of most club members because of his socialist tendencies and the statist solutions he was offering with respect to the country's problems. The Libertarian Party of Queens County also refused to endorse Carl Person's candidacy. Tension continued to increase between Dr. Tom Stevens and Carl Person. A little known fact is Dr. Stevens, although serving as Carl Person's Campaign Manager, refused to endorse his candidacy.
When Gary Johnson announced on December 28, 2011 his intention to seek the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination, a motion was made to put the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Queens County on record in support of his efforts. By December 29, 2011, all Executive Committee members' votes were tallied and the result was the unanimous endorsement of Gary Johnson's candidacy.
The Libertarian Party of Queens County was founded on October 6, 1994.
John Clifton, LPQC Chair, made this statement regarding the endorsement:
Queens Libertarians lament the savage media suppression of Governor Johnson from Republican Presidential primary coverage, and his exclusion from most of the debates. That they would treat such a credible figure who recently held a senior elected office in such a way is a saddening reminder of how alternative candidates and parties are structurally suppressed in this country. This fate clearly could have also befallen Ron Paul, had he not established a broad grassroots base of support beforehand. Johnson displays a generally excellent libertarian grasp of the issues and commitment to them. The LPQC applauds his decision to seek the LP nomination for President, and encourages him to pursue it by our endorsing his candidacy.
Dallwyn Merck, LPQC Secretary, provided the following background information:
Although Carl Person lives in Manhattan and has been a member of both the Manhattan Libertarian Party and the Libertarian Party of Queens County, his home base over the years has been the Queens LP, having once been appointed to serve as its State Representative. When he announced his intention to seek the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination on June 5, 2011, a few club members were favorably disposed to support him. John Procida, LPQC Vice-Chair, endorsed his candidacy and I decided to wear his campaign button at the Occupy Wall Street Protests in Zuccotti Park. Other officers and members remained uncommitted.
Dr. Tom Stevens, LPQC Political Director who served as Carl Person's Campaign Manager, did everything within his power to convince Carl Person to run on issues solidly based upon libertarian principles. However, Mr. Person ignored all his advice and continued to put out press releases so Socialist, Leftist and Green in ideological perspective that Dr. Stevens told Carl he would resign whenever a replacement could be found but would stay on in an advisory role until that point.
Carl Person lost my support as well as the support of most club members because of his socialist tendencies and the statist solutions he was offering with respect to the country's problems. The Libertarian Party of Queens County also refused to endorse Carl Person's candidacy. Tension continued to increase between Dr. Tom Stevens and Carl Person. A little known fact is Dr. Stevens, although serving as Carl Person's Campaign Manager, refused to endorse his candidacy.
When Gary Johnson announced on December 28, 2011 his intention to seek the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination, a motion was made to put the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Queens County on record in support of his efforts. By December 29, 2011, all Executive Committee members' votes were tallied and the result was the unanimous endorsement of Gary Johnson's candidacy.
The Libertarian Party of Queens County was founded on October 6, 1994.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thomas Granger Day Organized By Zoosexual Rights Advocates Who Credit Carl Person For Sparking The Modern Zoosexual Rights Movement
On December 30, 2011, Zoosexual Rights Advocates organized Thomas Granger Day to be celebrated on September 8th of each year to remember Thomas Granger and to seek the reclassification of bestiality as a victimless crime. These advocates credit Carl Person, a candidate for the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination, for making comments that sparked the modern Zoosexual Rights Movement.
The description on a Facebook Page for Thomas Granger Day is the following:
"Thomas Granger, a teenager living in Plymouth Colony and charged with bestiality, was executed by hanging on September 8, 1642 — in accordance with the law of the Pentateuch. On September 8th of each year, we mourn his death and recommit ourselves to the repeal of all laws criminalizing bestiality.
The account of Thomas Granger as related by William Bradford was as follows:
And after the time of the writing of these things befell a very sad accident of the like foul nature in this government, this very year, which I shall now relate. There was a youth whose name was Thomas Granger. He was servant to an honest man of Duxbury [note: Love Brewster, son of Pilgrim William Brewster], being about 16 or 17 years of age. (His father and mother lived at the same time at Scituate.) He was this year detected of buggery, and indicted for the same, with a mare, a cow, two goats, five sheep, two calves and a turkey. Horrible it is to mention, but the truth of the history requires it. He was first discovered by one that accidentally saw his lewd practice towards the mare. (I forbear particulars.) Being upon it examined and committed, in the end he not only confessed the fact with that beast at that time, but sundry times before and at several times with all the rest of the forenamed in his indictment. And this his free confession was not only in private to the magistrates (though at first he strived to deny it) but to sundry, both ministers and others; and afterwards, upon his indictment, to the whole Court and jury; and confirmed it at his execution.
And whereas some of the sheep could not so well be known by his description of them, others with them were brought before him and he declared which were they and which were not. And accordingly he was cast by the jury and condemned, and after executed about the 8th of September, 1642. A very sad spectacle it was. For first the mare and then the cow and the rest of the lesser cattle were killed before his face, according to the law, Leviticus xx.15; and then he himself was executed. The cattle were all cast into a great and large pit that was digged of purpose for them, and no use made of any part of them.
While we question whether his confession was “free” (especially with respect to having sex with a “turkey”), there is little question Thomas Granger was observed in the process of having sexual contact with a mare and was executed for it.
The modern Zoosexual Rights movement was sparked by a comment made by Carl Person, a candidate for the Libertarian Party’s Presidential Nomination, who on November 8, 2011 said the following:
The victimless crimes are prostitution, bestiality, sodomy, drugs, abortion, and the principles are that we shouldn't be regulating what people do to themselves, and the cost of the regulation should be saved and returned to taxpayers, to reduce taxes, and enable the economy to grow with commerce instead of with prisoners, private jails and private jail guards.
When questioned with respect to this position, Carl Person issued the following statement:
When I mentioned "bestiality" I was referring to animals, not humans (Note: some statutes prohibiting bestiality include children within the definition.) Bestiality as a victimless crime would center on two elements: 1. "property rights" - limiting the practice to one's own animals or with wild animals (not owned by anyone) and 2. "consent" and/or "non-injury" - if the animal is willing and is not injured in the process. If the animal is already dead, the victimless crime would become a variant of necromancy, and have to be analyzed in a similar fashion. I'm not a practitioner or advocate of bestiality and am only trying to apply Libertarian principles to a seldom discussed victimless crime.
When his position started receiving too much attention, Carl Person apologized for the “detour” his campaign had taken but did not explicitly retract his statement, but even if he did so, you can’t unring a bell or unlight a fire. Advocates for Zoosexual Rights are now speaking up and we have Carl Person to thank.
Help us to decriminalize bestiality!"
The Facebook Page for Thomas Granger Day is located at:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Thomas-Granger-Day/152233754886162
Carl Person's campaign for the Presidential Nomination of the Libertarian Party has been endorsed by Lexxi Stray. On November 17, 2011, Lexxi Stray, a proud Zoosexual, endorsed Carl Person for President of the United States and encouraged others to do so as well.
On her blog, she wrote:
"There’s a political candidate running in the coming elections who has definitely got my favor - one Carl Person. He is in favor of focusing our national resources on REAL issues - and not squandering them chasing ‘criminals’ who aren’t hurting anyone else or interfering with other people. He plans to do this by focusing funds on creating jobs as well as by having the police force working to keep people safe, which they cannot do when they are spread thin chasing after people involved in victimless crimes...He is completely right. We spend millions of dollars trying to stop people from bending over for their dog or taking a puff of weed while men beating their wives or people drinking themselves into comas hardly get a second glance. It’s time to focus on making change that helps people, not waste more tax money trying to stop people from engaging in actions that don’t harm anyone else.
Finally, for the first time in far too long politics are openly discussing the reality of bestiality - that if the animal is ready and willing there is no harm done by allowing them to satisfy their urges. While the Libertarian Party may be much smaller than either Democrats or Republicans, you can bet those groups keep their eyes on the support levels of different candidates so they know what policies to implement in order to get more support for themselves.
One thing you can do to support bestiality and bring the positive views to light is simply support Carl Person and his fellows either online or in person and, if you plan on voting, vote for some of them come election time. Every vote they get is another sign that bestiality is slowly coming into the minds of the mainstream in a more realistic way - the illogical prejudices of the past are slowly being stripped away so that things may be looked at objectively, and this is one change I am proud to say I will be a part of.
Remember, exercise your right to vote!"
The description on a Facebook Page for Thomas Granger Day is the following:
"Thomas Granger, a teenager living in Plymouth Colony and charged with bestiality, was executed by hanging on September 8, 1642 — in accordance with the law of the Pentateuch. On September 8th of each year, we mourn his death and recommit ourselves to the repeal of all laws criminalizing bestiality.
The account of Thomas Granger as related by William Bradford was as follows:
And after the time of the writing of these things befell a very sad accident of the like foul nature in this government, this very year, which I shall now relate. There was a youth whose name was Thomas Granger. He was servant to an honest man of Duxbury [note: Love Brewster, son of Pilgrim William Brewster], being about 16 or 17 years of age. (His father and mother lived at the same time at Scituate.) He was this year detected of buggery, and indicted for the same, with a mare, a cow, two goats, five sheep, two calves and a turkey. Horrible it is to mention, but the truth of the history requires it. He was first discovered by one that accidentally saw his lewd practice towards the mare. (I forbear particulars.) Being upon it examined and committed, in the end he not only confessed the fact with that beast at that time, but sundry times before and at several times with all the rest of the forenamed in his indictment. And this his free confession was not only in private to the magistrates (though at first he strived to deny it) but to sundry, both ministers and others; and afterwards, upon his indictment, to the whole Court and jury; and confirmed it at his execution.
And whereas some of the sheep could not so well be known by his description of them, others with them were brought before him and he declared which were they and which were not. And accordingly he was cast by the jury and condemned, and after executed about the 8th of September, 1642. A very sad spectacle it was. For first the mare and then the cow and the rest of the lesser cattle were killed before his face, according to the law, Leviticus xx.15; and then he himself was executed. The cattle were all cast into a great and large pit that was digged of purpose for them, and no use made of any part of them.
While we question whether his confession was “free” (especially with respect to having sex with a “turkey”), there is little question Thomas Granger was observed in the process of having sexual contact with a mare and was executed for it.
The modern Zoosexual Rights movement was sparked by a comment made by Carl Person, a candidate for the Libertarian Party’s Presidential Nomination, who on November 8, 2011 said the following:
The victimless crimes are prostitution, bestiality, sodomy, drugs, abortion, and the principles are that we shouldn't be regulating what people do to themselves, and the cost of the regulation should be saved and returned to taxpayers, to reduce taxes, and enable the economy to grow with commerce instead of with prisoners, private jails and private jail guards.
When questioned with respect to this position, Carl Person issued the following statement:
When I mentioned "bestiality" I was referring to animals, not humans (Note: some statutes prohibiting bestiality include children within the definition.) Bestiality as a victimless crime would center on two elements: 1. "property rights" - limiting the practice to one's own animals or with wild animals (not owned by anyone) and 2. "consent" and/or "non-injury" - if the animal is willing and is not injured in the process. If the animal is already dead, the victimless crime would become a variant of necromancy, and have to be analyzed in a similar fashion. I'm not a practitioner or advocate of bestiality and am only trying to apply Libertarian principles to a seldom discussed victimless crime.
When his position started receiving too much attention, Carl Person apologized for the “detour” his campaign had taken but did not explicitly retract his statement, but even if he did so, you can’t unring a bell or unlight a fire. Advocates for Zoosexual Rights are now speaking up and we have Carl Person to thank.
Help us to decriminalize bestiality!"
The Facebook Page for Thomas Granger Day is located at:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Thomas-Granger-Day/152233754886162
Carl Person's campaign for the Presidential Nomination of the Libertarian Party has been endorsed by Lexxi Stray. On November 17, 2011, Lexxi Stray, a proud Zoosexual, endorsed Carl Person for President of the United States and encouraged others to do so as well.
On her blog, she wrote:
"There’s a political candidate running in the coming elections who has definitely got my favor - one Carl Person. He is in favor of focusing our national resources on REAL issues - and not squandering them chasing ‘criminals’ who aren’t hurting anyone else or interfering with other people. He plans to do this by focusing funds on creating jobs as well as by having the police force working to keep people safe, which they cannot do when they are spread thin chasing after people involved in victimless crimes...He is completely right. We spend millions of dollars trying to stop people from bending over for their dog or taking a puff of weed while men beating their wives or people drinking themselves into comas hardly get a second glance. It’s time to focus on making change that helps people, not waste more tax money trying to stop people from engaging in actions that don’t harm anyone else.
Finally, for the first time in far too long politics are openly discussing the reality of bestiality - that if the animal is ready and willing there is no harm done by allowing them to satisfy their urges. While the Libertarian Party may be much smaller than either Democrats or Republicans, you can bet those groups keep their eyes on the support levels of different candidates so they know what policies to implement in order to get more support for themselves.
One thing you can do to support bestiality and bring the positive views to light is simply support Carl Person and his fellows either online or in person and, if you plan on voting, vote for some of them come election time. Every vote they get is another sign that bestiality is slowly coming into the minds of the mainstream in a more realistic way - the illogical prejudices of the past are slowly being stripped away so that things may be looked at objectively, and this is one change I am proud to say I will be a part of.
Remember, exercise your right to vote!"
Libertarian Party Of Northampton County, Pennsylvania Becomes The First Group To Endorse Gary Johnson For The Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination In 2012
Seconds after former two-term New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson announced he is seeking the Presidential Nomination of the Libertarian Party in 2012, the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County, Pennsylvania voted unanimously to endorse him, becoming the first Libertarian Party group in the nation to do so.
Gary Johnson held a news conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico on December 28, 2011 during which he formally joined the Libertarian Party and announced he "is seeking the Libertarian Nomination for President of the United States". He described himself as "a successful two-term governor, elected and re-elected as a Republican in a Democratic state, who vetoed 750 spending bills to shrink government - while refusing to play the special interest game or impose a social agenda on people who prefer to make their own judgments about values".
Some quotations from Gary Johnson's announcement follow:
I am a Libertarian - that is, someone who is fiscally very conservative but holds freedom-based positions on many social issues.
I think America's government should be smaller and less intrusive...let people make decisions for themselves.
I'm a Libertarian in belief. I successfully governed as a Libertarian in everything but the name, and I am running for president as a Libertarian.
A credible Libertarian candidate for president is the real path to liberty, opportunity, and a government that is put into its proper and limited role.
This election needs a libertarian voice. While Ron Paul is a good man and a libertarian who I proudly endorsed for president in 2008, there is no guarantee he'll be the Republican nominee.
Patrick R. Killy, First Vice-Chair of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County, speaking on behalf of the group, made the following comment with respect to the endorsement:
The Libertarian Party is very lucky to have a successful two-term Governor as its potential nominee for President of the United States in 2012. We thought it important to endorse him right after his announcement to show him that many Libertarian Party members and organizations are enthusiastic about his candidacy and ability to promote libertarian principles to Americans eager for an alternative to the two existing, statist, big government political parties.
Executive Committee members were generally pleased with the following points in Gary Johnson's announced Agenda for America:
- I want to end deficit spending and cut federal spending by 43%.
- I want to end the manipulation of our money by the Federal Reserve.
- I support the Second Amendment and oppose gun control.
- I want to enact the Fair Tax to stimulate real economic growth and jobs.
- I oppose expensive foreign wars in places like Libya and Afghanistan.
- I support a woman's right to choose.
- I support marriage equality for gay Americans as required by the Constitution.
- I support legalization of marijuana, which will save us billions and do no harm.
- I support returning strict adherence to Constitutional principles to our government.
Some opposition was voiced regarding Gary Johnson's support for a Fair Tax and the usual disagreements were present with respect to abortion and the need for national defense but, overall, there was unanimous support for the Libertarian Party of Northampton County going on record in support of Gary Johnson's candidacy for the Presidential Nomination of the Libertarian Party.
The Libertarian Party of Northampton County, Pennsylvania was formally organized on September 21, 2011. On October 3, 2011, Vernon Etzel, LPPA Secretary, reported the following: "It appears that a quorum was met and, lacking any dissenting votes, the motion is passed. Northampton County will be seated at the next board meeting...the intentions of the board are clear, and the recognition of the Northampton County chapter is settled." On November 12, 2011, the Board of Directors of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania confirmed the status of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County as a recognized "County Committee".
Gary Johnson held a news conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico on December 28, 2011 during which he formally joined the Libertarian Party and announced he "is seeking the Libertarian Nomination for President of the United States". He described himself as "a successful two-term governor, elected and re-elected as a Republican in a Democratic state, who vetoed 750 spending bills to shrink government - while refusing to play the special interest game or impose a social agenda on people who prefer to make their own judgments about values".
Some quotations from Gary Johnson's announcement follow:
I am a Libertarian - that is, someone who is fiscally very conservative but holds freedom-based positions on many social issues.
I think America's government should be smaller and less intrusive...let people make decisions for themselves.
I'm a Libertarian in belief. I successfully governed as a Libertarian in everything but the name, and I am running for president as a Libertarian.
A credible Libertarian candidate for president is the real path to liberty, opportunity, and a government that is put into its proper and limited role.
This election needs a libertarian voice. While Ron Paul is a good man and a libertarian who I proudly endorsed for president in 2008, there is no guarantee he'll be the Republican nominee.
Patrick R. Killy, First Vice-Chair of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County, speaking on behalf of the group, made the following comment with respect to the endorsement:
The Libertarian Party is very lucky to have a successful two-term Governor as its potential nominee for President of the United States in 2012. We thought it important to endorse him right after his announcement to show him that many Libertarian Party members and organizations are enthusiastic about his candidacy and ability to promote libertarian principles to Americans eager for an alternative to the two existing, statist, big government political parties.
Executive Committee members were generally pleased with the following points in Gary Johnson's announced Agenda for America:
- I want to end deficit spending and cut federal spending by 43%.
- I want to end the manipulation of our money by the Federal Reserve.
- I support the Second Amendment and oppose gun control.
- I want to enact the Fair Tax to stimulate real economic growth and jobs.
- I oppose expensive foreign wars in places like Libya and Afghanistan.
- I support a woman's right to choose.
- I support marriage equality for gay Americans as required by the Constitution.
- I support legalization of marijuana, which will save us billions and do no harm.
- I support returning strict adherence to Constitutional principles to our government.
Some opposition was voiced regarding Gary Johnson's support for a Fair Tax and the usual disagreements were present with respect to abortion and the need for national defense but, overall, there was unanimous support for the Libertarian Party of Northampton County going on record in support of Gary Johnson's candidacy for the Presidential Nomination of the Libertarian Party.
The Libertarian Party of Northampton County, Pennsylvania was formally organized on September 21, 2011. On October 3, 2011, Vernon Etzel, LPPA Secretary, reported the following: "It appears that a quorum was met and, lacking any dissenting votes, the motion is passed. Northampton County will be seated at the next board meeting...the intentions of the board are clear, and the recognition of the Northampton County chapter is settled." On November 12, 2011, the Board of Directors of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania confirmed the status of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County as a recognized "County Committee".
Friday, December 30, 2011
John H. Lewis II, Michigan Libertarian Party Chair, Reviews Carl Person's Blog & Concludes He Is Not A Valid Candidate & Has Zero Understanding Of Libertarian Principles
In his formal capacity as Chair of the Michigan Libertarian Party, James H. Lewis II made an "official recommendation" on December 24, 2011 suggesting "all concerned" take Carl Person's "lack of understanding of the party ideas and principles into account before any nominations" are made for the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination in 2012.
His full statement on the matter was the following:
After reading Carl's blog, I too would concur with the good Dr.s assessment. He is not a valid candidate or at least has zero understanding of the Libertarian principles. I would highly suggest the party seriously take his lack of understanding of the party ideas and principles into account before any nominations.
This is my official recommendation as Chair of the State of Michigan.
On December 26, 2011, Ken Mosher, former Secretary of the State Central Committee of the Libertarian Party of Connecticut, drew a similar conclusion, when he wrote:
His "brand" of libertarianism is like Stalin's brand of compassion! Carl Person shouldn't even be let into the convention hall. Libertarians don't traffic with collectivists.
Despite the negative reactions to many of Carl Person's campaign issues, he nevertheless remains a candidate for the Presidential Nomination of the Libertarian Party in 2012.
His full statement on the matter was the following:
After reading Carl's blog, I too would concur with the good Dr.s assessment. He is not a valid candidate or at least has zero understanding of the Libertarian principles. I would highly suggest the party seriously take his lack of understanding of the party ideas and principles into account before any nominations.
This is my official recommendation as Chair of the State of Michigan.
On December 26, 2011, Ken Mosher, former Secretary of the State Central Committee of the Libertarian Party of Connecticut, drew a similar conclusion, when he wrote:
His "brand" of libertarianism is like Stalin's brand of compassion! Carl Person shouldn't even be let into the convention hall. Libertarians don't traffic with collectivists.
Despite the negative reactions to many of Carl Person's campaign issues, he nevertheless remains a candidate for the Presidential Nomination of the Libertarian Party in 2012.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Carl Person Renegs On Offer To Pay The Airfare Of All Delegates Pledged To Support Him At The Libertarian Party's National Convention In Las Vegas, Nevada
On December 19, 2011, an article was posted entitled "Carl Person To Offer Free Airfare To All Delegates Attending LP National Convention Who Have Pledged To Support His Candidacy" that contained the following information:
Carl Person, a candidate for the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination, has offered to pay the airfare of any delegate attending the Libertarian Party's National Convention in 2012 who has pledged in advance to support his candidacy for the Presidential Nomination. The first two delegates to accept this offer were Alden Link and his wife. Both have been elected as New York State delegates to the Libertarian Party National Convention, which is to be held May 4-6, 2012 at the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada and both have pledged to support the candidacy of Carl Person for President.
On December 20, 2011, one day after the above referenced article was posted, Karl Dickey, a writer for the West Palm Beach Libertarian Examiner, spoke to Carl Person personally, who confirmed the offer was on the table. Karl Dickey wrote:
Carl Person, a Presidential Candidate for the Libertarian Party's nomination for President of the United States has said he has been permitted by the Federal Elections Commission to pay low-cost airfare for his supporters to get to the national convention.
The Libertarian Party's national convention is in Las Vegas in May of 2012 and apparently many will be flying in on Person's dime. I spoke with Mr. Person this afternoon and confirmed the rumor. In fact two people have already taken him up on the offer.
Dr. Tom Stevens, who previously served as Campaign Manager for Carl Person, reported the following:
While serving as Campaign Manager for Carl Person's Presidential Campaign, I had first hand knowledge of Carl's offer to pay for the airfare of all delegates committed to support his candidacy. This expense was cleared with the Federal Election Commission. The money was never intended to purchase support for Carl Person's campaign but merely to enable previously committed Carl Person delegates to be able to afford to attend the Libertarian Party's National Convention. I, for example, although serving as Carl Person's Campaign Manager, did not request the financial assistance he was offering. Neither did I personally endorse him for the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination.
It has now come to my attention that Carl Person is telling people he made no such offer. I suspect he is doing so because some have criticized him for making the offer just as he tried to distance himself from his position in support of reclassifying bestiality as a victimless crime after being criticized by some at the Libertarian Party's 40th Anniversary Barbecue Bash held in the Veranda Room of the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 10, 2011.
Carl Person is now saying the offer was "only intended for a close circle of friends living in New York" who were "already predisposed" to support his candidacy, that "the offer to pay for their airfare on a budget airline was not tied to their support", was "non-binding" and was "only offered to make up for their geographic disadvantage in attending a convention in Nevada all the way from New York".
An individual living in Pennsylvania, who supported Carl Person's candidacy but who could not afford the airfare to attend the upcoming Libertarian Party's National Convention, was told by Carl Person on December 29, 2011 that the offer was now off the table.
It has been learned that Carl Person is now offering, as an alternative, to travel to Libertarian Party State Affiliates to host fundraisers to help pay for the airfare of delegates who cannot afford to pay for it themselves. So far, there are no takers.
Carl Person, a candidate for the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination, has offered to pay the airfare of any delegate attending the Libertarian Party's National Convention in 2012 who has pledged in advance to support his candidacy for the Presidential Nomination. The first two delegates to accept this offer were Alden Link and his wife. Both have been elected as New York State delegates to the Libertarian Party National Convention, which is to be held May 4-6, 2012 at the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada and both have pledged to support the candidacy of Carl Person for President.
On December 20, 2011, one day after the above referenced article was posted, Karl Dickey, a writer for the West Palm Beach Libertarian Examiner, spoke to Carl Person personally, who confirmed the offer was on the table. Karl Dickey wrote:
Carl Person, a Presidential Candidate for the Libertarian Party's nomination for President of the United States has said he has been permitted by the Federal Elections Commission to pay low-cost airfare for his supporters to get to the national convention.
The Libertarian Party's national convention is in Las Vegas in May of 2012 and apparently many will be flying in on Person's dime. I spoke with Mr. Person this afternoon and confirmed the rumor. In fact two people have already taken him up on the offer.
Dr. Tom Stevens, who previously served as Campaign Manager for Carl Person, reported the following:
While serving as Campaign Manager for Carl Person's Presidential Campaign, I had first hand knowledge of Carl's offer to pay for the airfare of all delegates committed to support his candidacy. This expense was cleared with the Federal Election Commission. The money was never intended to purchase support for Carl Person's campaign but merely to enable previously committed Carl Person delegates to be able to afford to attend the Libertarian Party's National Convention. I, for example, although serving as Carl Person's Campaign Manager, did not request the financial assistance he was offering. Neither did I personally endorse him for the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nomination.
It has now come to my attention that Carl Person is telling people he made no such offer. I suspect he is doing so because some have criticized him for making the offer just as he tried to distance himself from his position in support of reclassifying bestiality as a victimless crime after being criticized by some at the Libertarian Party's 40th Anniversary Barbecue Bash held in the Veranda Room of the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 10, 2011.
Carl Person is now saying the offer was "only intended for a close circle of friends living in New York" who were "already predisposed" to support his candidacy, that "the offer to pay for their airfare on a budget airline was not tied to their support", was "non-binding" and was "only offered to make up for their geographic disadvantage in attending a convention in Nevada all the way from New York".
An individual living in Pennsylvania, who supported Carl Person's candidacy but who could not afford the airfare to attend the upcoming Libertarian Party's National Convention, was told by Carl Person on December 29, 2011 that the offer was now off the table.
It has been learned that Carl Person is now offering, as an alternative, to travel to Libertarian Party State Affiliates to host fundraisers to help pay for the airfare of delegates who cannot afford to pay for it themselves. So far, there are no takers.
Stonewall Libertarians Members Encouraged Gary Johnson To Come Out In Favor Of Gay Marriage
Gary Johnson, the former two-term Governor of New Mexico, has long argued for Civil Unions for gay couples but on December 2, 2011, he came out in favor of Gay Marriage. His statement on the issue was the following:
As a believer in individual freedom and keeping government out of personal lives, I simply cannot find a legitimate justification for federal laws, such as the Defense of Marriage Act, which ‘define’ marriage. That definition should be left to religions and individuals – not government. Government’s role when it comes to marriage is one of granting benefits and rights to couples who choose to enter into a marriage ‘contract’. As I have examined this issue, consulted with folks on all sides, and viewed it through the lens of individual freedom and equal rights, it has become clear to me that denying those rights and benefits to gay couples is discrimination, plain and simple.
Certainly, religions and people of various faiths have the right to view marriage as they wish, and sanction marriage according to those beliefs. Just as government shouldn’t interfere with individual rights, government should not interfere with how marriage is treated as a ceremony, a sacrament or a privilege within a set of religious beliefs. However, when it comes to the rights of individuals and couples under the law, government’s promise should be to insure equal access to those rights to all Americans, gay or straight.
For a very long time, society has viewed gay marriage as a moral and, yes, religious issue. Today, I believe we have arrived at a point in history where more and more Americans are viewing it as a question of liberty and freedom. That evolution is important, and the time has come for us to align our marriage laws with the notion that every individual should be treated equally.
Dallwyn Merck, who has served as President of Stonewall Libertarians New York since July 27, 2009, commented as follows:
Stonewall Libertarians had a few weeks advance notice that Gary Johnson was considering leaving the Republican Party to seek the Presidential Nomination of the Libertarian Party in 2012. A number of our members told him his candidacy would be a non-starter for us unless he came out full-throttle in support of gay marriage. We told him that while our ultimate goal was to get the government out of the marriage business, if the government was going to continue to grant licenses to heterosexual couples, then to deny such a certificate to gay couples was discrimination and a violation of the 14th Amendment's guarantee of "equal protection" under the law.
We are pleased Gary Johnson responded to our concerns and we wish him well in his quest to become the Presidential Nominee of the Libertarian Party in 2012.
Stonewall Libertarians is an independent organization of libertarians that promotes smaller government, lower taxes and more individual freedom. They welcome all libertarians who are perceived to deviate from the norms of society and work to promote tolerance and equality in the Libertarian Party and in society at large.
As a believer in individual freedom and keeping government out of personal lives, I simply cannot find a legitimate justification for federal laws, such as the Defense of Marriage Act, which ‘define’ marriage. That definition should be left to religions and individuals – not government. Government’s role when it comes to marriage is one of granting benefits and rights to couples who choose to enter into a marriage ‘contract’. As I have examined this issue, consulted with folks on all sides, and viewed it through the lens of individual freedom and equal rights, it has become clear to me that denying those rights and benefits to gay couples is discrimination, plain and simple.
Certainly, religions and people of various faiths have the right to view marriage as they wish, and sanction marriage according to those beliefs. Just as government shouldn’t interfere with individual rights, government should not interfere with how marriage is treated as a ceremony, a sacrament or a privilege within a set of religious beliefs. However, when it comes to the rights of individuals and couples under the law, government’s promise should be to insure equal access to those rights to all Americans, gay or straight.
For a very long time, society has viewed gay marriage as a moral and, yes, religious issue. Today, I believe we have arrived at a point in history where more and more Americans are viewing it as a question of liberty and freedom. That evolution is important, and the time has come for us to align our marriage laws with the notion that every individual should be treated equally.
Dallwyn Merck, who has served as President of Stonewall Libertarians New York since July 27, 2009, commented as follows:
Stonewall Libertarians had a few weeks advance notice that Gary Johnson was considering leaving the Republican Party to seek the Presidential Nomination of the Libertarian Party in 2012. A number of our members told him his candidacy would be a non-starter for us unless he came out full-throttle in support of gay marriage. We told him that while our ultimate goal was to get the government out of the marriage business, if the government was going to continue to grant licenses to heterosexual couples, then to deny such a certificate to gay couples was discrimination and a violation of the 14th Amendment's guarantee of "equal protection" under the law.
We are pleased Gary Johnson responded to our concerns and we wish him well in his quest to become the Presidential Nominee of the Libertarian Party in 2012.
Stonewall Libertarians is an independent organization of libertarians that promotes smaller government, lower taxes and more individual freedom. They welcome all libertarians who are perceived to deviate from the norms of society and work to promote tolerance and equality in the Libertarian Party and in society at large.
Chris Edes, Immediate Past Chair Of The New York Libertarian Party, Endorses Carl Person's Brand Of Libertarianism Which Holds That The Power Of Banks & Large Corporations Is Too Great & Must Be Restrained
Chris Edes, the Immediate Past Chair of the New York Libertarian Party, has argued that Carl Person's positions regarding Banks & Large Corporations are consistent with free market & libertarian principles. The contents of his statement are, in part, as follows:
I'll be supporting Gary Johnson and/or Ron Paul, but I have to admit, you changed my mind about Carl Person. I thought he was just an empty suit, but he really thinks about things and tries to find creative solutions.
Banks have not been part of the free market in this country since 1913. I'm not certain whether it's more accurate to say that government has taken over the banks, or vice-versa, but it has been almost a century since banks were private enterprises operating solely on the basis of free market economics. For that matter a corporate charter is an instrument of the state, not a natural feature of the free market; as opposed to a simple partnership or like form of business, which can be bound by private contract.
Carl Person would go further than I would, but when you look at the situation we're in, where many feel forced to reward failure, because the perceived alternative is failure of the entire system, a system that is supposed to be based on rewarding success and punishing failure -- you can see we're already off course, and it's because the power of the banks and large corporations is too great. Or to put it another way, the State-sponsored entities called banks and corporations have corrupted the free market, and must be restrained to save the free market.
When did Libertarians start believing groups have rights? It in no way infringes the natural rights of human beings to regulate what exists solely due to privileges granted by the State. You don't have to incorporate; if it's a devil's bargain, don't take it!
So, I don't think Carl's proposals are inherently against libertarian principles.
Chris Edes currently serves as a voting member of the State Committee of the New York Libertarian Party. In 2011, he ran for a position as Monroe County Legislator (24th District) on the Green Party line.
I'll be supporting Gary Johnson and/or Ron Paul, but I have to admit, you changed my mind about Carl Person. I thought he was just an empty suit, but he really thinks about things and tries to find creative solutions.
Banks have not been part of the free market in this country since 1913. I'm not certain whether it's more accurate to say that government has taken over the banks, or vice-versa, but it has been almost a century since banks were private enterprises operating solely on the basis of free market economics. For that matter a corporate charter is an instrument of the state, not a natural feature of the free market; as opposed to a simple partnership or like form of business, which can be bound by private contract.
Carl Person would go further than I would, but when you look at the situation we're in, where many feel forced to reward failure, because the perceived alternative is failure of the entire system, a system that is supposed to be based on rewarding success and punishing failure -- you can see we're already off course, and it's because the power of the banks and large corporations is too great. Or to put it another way, the State-sponsored entities called banks and corporations have corrupted the free market, and must be restrained to save the free market.
When did Libertarians start believing groups have rights? It in no way infringes the natural rights of human beings to regulate what exists solely due to privileges granted by the State. You don't have to incorporate; if it's a devil's bargain, don't take it!
So, I don't think Carl's proposals are inherently against libertarian principles.
Chris Edes currently serves as a voting member of the State Committee of the New York Libertarian Party. In 2011, he ran for a position as Monroe County Legislator (24th District) on the Green Party line.
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