good talk

In 1917 a Munitions Ship blew up in the Harbor of Halifax, Nova Scotia killing 2000 people mostly residents on land. The first city to come to the aid of Halifax, and in a big way, was Boston. Every year since Halifax has sent Boston a Giant Fir Tree to be the City of Boston's Official Christmas Tree. I've often taken trips around the Country and Canada on Greyhound, my last 5 years ago when I bought a 45-day "AmeriPass" good for unlimited travel on Greyhound and all the other bus lines and you could even go up to 4 places in Canada on it; Vancouver, Winipeg, Toronto and Montreal. I got a hundred dollar discount for some jive reason and the AmeriPass which was good for 45 consecutive days only cost me $345. That wasn't a whole lot more than nothing. And about half the time I didn't have to get a Motel Room because I was going somewhere at night on the Bus, the entire trip was dirtcheap, the Way we like it. About half of the Greyhound Drivers were Black, the Greyhound would be floating down the Interstate at 3 A.M. and everybody would be asleep except for the Driver----the Grey Knights of the Road. On that particular trip I went to Kansas City, Missouri (went to Kansas City, Kansas also which doesn't amount to too much). I was asking where this famous Kansas City Barbecue was but got no answers suprisingly. And yes, I went to 12th Street and Vine, I asked a City Bus Driver where it was and he laughed. I stayed in a Motel in a somewhat seemy part of town, I often do that as it's cheaper, I have no car to vandalize or steal, What are they going to do, gnaw my elbows? I went to the Fine Building that was in its 2nd year housing both the"American Jazz Museum" and the "Negro Leagues Hall of Fame." All of the Jazz Musicians they showed were Black, they could have added one more, Benny Goodman was the only White who was considered to be the Best (clarinet) on a Jazz Instrument, quite fine all considering that Jazz is not indigenous to Whites. During Prohibition Jazz thrived in Kansas City as there were hundreds of 24-Hour Clubs in this domain of the local Democratic Party Leader, Tom Pendergast, "Boss" Pendergast. Notoriously Corrupt, Boss Pendergast ruled Kansas City with an Iron Hand with Shootouts and Beatings commonplace on Election Days. Interestingly, Harry Truman who was scrupulously honest was a Product of the corrupt Pendergast Machine, I went to his Presidential Museum in Independence outside of K.C. Charley Parker, nicknamed "Yardbird" or "Bird," grew up 2 blocks from the Jazz Museum and was a Heroin Addict from the age of "17." A very good movie about Charley Parker, directed by Clint Eastwood who had seen him in Concert, from 20 years ago was "Bird." Forrest Whitaker played the title role and well. When Charley Parker went into cardiac arrest from a heroin overdose supposedly the attending paramedics thought the dying man was about "65," Charley Parker was "35." "Bird" said, "If you don't live the life it's not coming out of your horn." I went across to the other side of the Building and saw the "Negro Leagues Hall of Fame." I felt very honored to be there as the Negro Leagues produced many of the best players of that era. Banned from the Major Leagues due to their race, the White Major League Players would often play against the Negro Players and knew how good many of them were. Josh Gibson seemed to be the one that wowed everybody who saw him play, was a great defensive Catcher and a powerful Slugger. Towards the end of his Career and Life, Josh Gibson was beset by physical and mental illness and would spend the week in St.Elizabeth's in D.C. where they keep Hinkley, and be let out on the weekend to play in games. Josh Gibson also died at "35." As I left Buck O'Neil walked in still Tall and Spry in his late 80's.