Mississippi Hill Country Blues

I’ve been exploring a style of music called Mississippi Hill Country Blues. I’m a lifetime blues lover: listening, playing, and singing. While I love the Delta Blues 12-bar structure, at times it becomes routine. Mississippi Hill Country Blues is just as bluesy but it takes liberties with the traditional blues structure: adding an extra measure here, throwing in another lyric line there, and sometimes vamping on the same chord if that’s what feels right. Instead of tight riffs and fancy licks, it's all about the groove. The result is paradoxically energizing yet hypnotic, surprising yet familiar, loose yet tight - in the right hands of course. 

I’ve curated a few examples on YouTube which I offer with a WARNING: listening to this music can be addictive! I’m going to start with some recent interpretations of Mississippi Hill Country Blues with modern production value that is accessible to newcomers. Then I work my way back to the more primitive origins which might be an acquired taste.  I chose these selections for both audio and visual appeal. These songs have excellent versions by several artists you can check into. Songs get passed along in North Mississippi.

The Black Keys - Crawling Kingsnake - Junior Kimbrough Cover - I saw it performed live at Pilgrimage Festival

https://youtu.be/aVMa9TpRxk4

North Mississippi Allstars - Rollin ‘n Tumblin - Traditional Cover - first recorded in 1926

https://youtu.be/P0JsmXJoNcc

DuWayne Burnside (son of RL Burnside) - Meet Me in the City - Junior Kimbrough Cover 

https://youtu.be/RJTdhl-7ssw

RL Burnside - Let My Baby Ride - grandson Cedric Burnside on drums  - well well well!

https://youtu.be/7lzpDwaxGk4

Junior Kimbrough - Most Things Haven’t Worked Out - not much video out there on Junior

https://youtu.be/3KveTzy9sO0

Here I cover Daniel Norgren's Howling Around My Happy Home which I recorded while howling around my happy home

https://soundcloud.com/brian-charles-fleming/howling-around-my-happy-home

Quotes: My Collection

To be sincerely honest in my humble opinion without being sentimental of course without offending anyone who thinks differently from my point of view and without hiding any thought in my mind and without lies to the actual truth with my clear open mind and clear heart, expressing what ever is embedded inside me for a long time which I didn't say just because I was nervous. But today, by gathering all the courage and motivation, I just want to say that I actually feel and think that I have obviously nothing to say, thank you for your time and patience. 

        

Enjoy your weekend!                                 as texted by Matt Fleming 2022

 “The Arc of the Moral Universe Is Long, but It Bends Toward Justice”  ― Martin Luther King Jr. 

"A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence." - Hume

"That no testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such a kind that its falsehood would be more miraculous than the fact which it endeavors to establish." - Hume

I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand." - Spinoza

“Men became superstitious not because they had too much imagination, but because they were not aware that they had any” - Santayana

I have no quarrel with college football’s Bowl Championship Series. - Brian Fleming

Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.... Yoda

“Act quickly but do not hurry” - John Wooden

“Hurry every chance you get. If you don’t you might fall behind.” - Tommy Cecil

"Most of the important things that a human being ought to know cannot be comprehended in youth." -- Robert Hutchins, President, University of Chicago

“Sow a thought, and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character, and you reap a destiny” -- Charles Reade

« Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse. » Translation : I had no need for that assumption, when asked by Napolean why the mathemetician’s book about the universe made no mention of the Creator. Pierre-Simon de Laplace, circa 1805.

“Malo periculosam libertatem quam quietam servitutem.” Translation: I prefer dangerous liberty to quiet servitude. Thomas Jefferson, letter to James Madison (1787).

Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation

"Don't you call me a mindless philosopher you overweight glob of grease!"
C3PO--Star Wars: A New Hope

“Get used to it. With me, surprises are rarely unexpected.” -- Inspector Clouseau

"I have tired you by this time with disquisitions which you have already heard repeated by others, a thousand and a thousand times; and therefore, shall only add assurances of the esteem and attachment with which I have the honor to be, dear Sir, your affectionate friend and servant." – Thomas Jefferson

"Merchants and craftsmen make prosperity; chiefs, priests, and thieves fritter it away." Matt Ridley

"It is the long ascent of the past that gives the lie to our despair." HG Wells

"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future."

"The decline in domestic jobs is the result of technology and globalization, both of which have enhanced prosperity." Zachary Karabell

 “Exceptional claims demand exceptional evidence” – Christopher Hitchens

“...the absence of evidence is the evidence of absence.” – Christopher Hitchens

“Cowards die a thousand deaths. The valiant taste of death but once. “   - William Shakespeare 

Quedo a tus ordenes para cualquier aclaración. I am at your service for any clarification.

“Chance favors the prepared mind” - Louis Pasteur

“Is what you are about to say really worth what I’m about to say back?” from And So It Goes

“Some people don’t recognize opportunity because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work” 

“Truth carries within itself an element of coercion.” – Hannah Arendt, Truth and Politics, 1967.

She goes on: “Seen from the viewpoint of politics, truth has a despotic character. It is therefore hated by tyrants, who rightly fear the competition of a coercive force they cannot monopolize, and it enjoys a rather precarious status in the eyes of governments that rest on consent and abhor coercion. Facts are beyond agreement and consent, and all talk about them – all exchanges of opinion based on correct information – will contribute nothing to their establishment. Unwelcome opinion can be argued with, rejected, or compromised upon, but unwelcome facts possess an infuriating stubbornness that nothing can move except plain lies. The trouble is that factual truth, like all other truth, peremptorily claims to be acknowledged and precludes debate, and debate constitutes the very essence of political life.”

And: “Political thought is representative. I form an opinion by considering a given issue from different viewpoints, by making present to my mind the standpoints of those who are absent; that is, I represent them. This process of representation does not blindly adopt the actual views of those who stand somewhere else, and hence look upon the world from a different perspective; this is a question neither of empathy, as though I tried to be or to feel like somebody else, nor of counting noses and joining a majority but of being and thinking in my own identity where actually I am not. The more people’s standpoints I have present in my mind while I am pondering a given issue, and the better I can imagine how I would feel and think if I were in their place, the stronger will be my capacity for representative thinking and the more valid my final conclusions, my opinion.”

“The most radical revolutionary will become conservative the day after the revolution.” – Hannah Arendt

“Science is a method for deciding whether what we choose to believe has a basis in the laws of nature or not.” -- Marcia McNutt, Editor of Science

“Homo Evolutis: Hominds that take direct and deliberate control over the evolution of their species and others.”  – Juan Enriquez

“It's not binary. You can be decent and gifted at the same time.” – Steve Wozniak’s character in Steve Jobs movie

Vitam Impendere Vero - To devote one's life to truth.

The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz

1. Be impeccable with your word. 2. Don't take anything personally. 3. Don't make assumptions. 4. Always do your best.

The Fifth Agreement - Don Jose Ruiz

5. Be skeptical, but learn to listen.

If you open your mouth say something beautiful. If you open your door keep it open for anyone. – Greg Holden

You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you cant control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.  -- Marcus Aurelius

“Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.” – Kurt Vonnegut

“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. “— Frederick Douglass, The Significance of Emancipation in the West Indies

“Instead of trying to crush those of a different persuasion, we can affirm our own values by clinging to them tenaciously as the right ones for us.” – John Lachs

“We could never be the individuals we are if other people were not delightfully, resolutely, and in some cases radically different.” – John Lachs

Freedom and responsibility are two sides of the same coin. As free we do what we want and as responsible we bear the consequences. We learn to adjust and limit our freedom based on the outcomes of previous acts. – John Lachs, paraphrased

"I don't believe all music is good. I believe some music is bad for people to listen to. I think it makes their taste worse. I think it makes their lives worse. I think it makes them worse people. - Jason Isbell

 “Rock and roll music, if you like it, if you feel it, you can't help but move to it. That's what happens to me. I can't help it.” -- Elvis Presley

“Solos come and go. A riff lasts forever.”- Keith Richards

“May your winning streak, may it never end”  – Glen Hansard

“May all your favorite bands stay together” – Dawes

Sexual Shame & Purity Culture - Panel Discussion Review

At the recent NaNoCon atheist conference, I attended a panel discussion on Recovering from Sexual Shame and Purity Culture led by Gayle Jordan, Alice Greczyn, and Seth Andrews. During Q&A after hearing only negative remarks about religion, I took to the microphone and started with “By your account religion’s approach to sexuality is only for power and control…” Seth Andrews interrupted “We didn’t say only power and control…” I went on, “Well that’s the only thing you mentioned. But religion’s interest in sexual morality is also based, historically, on the need to control disease and to promote intact families where the father sticks around to help raise the children.” The panel struggled to respond and I lost focus too. I wish I had then asked, “how do the recommendations you made today address those factors?” Their recommendations were to leave your controlling religion and purity culture behind so you can more freely enjoy your sexuality. They gave various personal examples like posing topless, open marriages, and mothers giving their daughters vibrators as birthday gifts. Their portrayal of religion was single-faceted - only for power and control - whereas the reality is multivariate to include many cultural aspects. Had they addressed points like I raised, their recommendations could have included more of the responsibilities that come with sexual freedom. Instead, with their new freedoms, it seems the panelists' pendulums swing too far into "Let's Get Naked!" rather than a more sustainable middle path. 

All three panelists were delightful: funny, attractive, and articulate. I know Gayle Jordan quite well as I volunteered for 5 years at Recovering from Religion where she is Executive Director. I’ve told her and it's true: she is among the best leaders I have ever “worked” for.  My comments at the Q&A harken back to a conversation I had during the height of the pandemic with Recovering from Religion founder Dr. Darrel Ray. Darrel is an open polyamorist so I asked him about polyamory during a pandemic when we are all masked and isolating at home.  As I recall the conversation did not go well -- I failed to make my point. My point is that religion evolves as part of a greater culture to meet certain needs. Societies are more successful that practice means to control disease, including STDs, and that encourage intact families where both parents invest in their children’s upbringing. Religion evolved to codify and enforce successful behaviors like these. Where religion goes wrong, of course, is when it carries these ideas too far. The reasoning behind the morals are lost, the morality becomes the goal in itself, and scrupulosity sets in. Also religion has a tendency to fall behind the times, especially when technology changes the game. Here I am thinking of things like birth control, abortion, porn, and disease prevention and treatment. 

As religion begins to fail many of us, we are left only with our good judgement on these matters. Our judgement is informed by reason, science, experience, and advice. Some include their religion in this mix. Others don’t. And that’s OK provided the resulting behaviors lead to human flourishing.

In Defense of Western Liberal Enlightenment Values

I hold Western Liberal Enlightenment Values in high regard. Now don’t get up in arms about my use of the term “liberal” here — I’m thinking of it in the classical liberal sense from the Age of Enlightenment in the 1700s when liberals proposed democracy and capitalism while conservatives upheld monarchies and the church. I strengthened my regard for these values at Vanderbilt’s MLAS program - that’s Masters of Liberal Arts & Science. These values cannot be taken for granted and are always under threat from all sides. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. 

I devised the following list with enlightenment values down the center and arranged the threats on the left and right. I have not perfected the vertical ordering so please bear with me. I realize few people on the left or right will see themselves this way as the list is full of pejoratives. But I don't know how else to say it. I welcome your thoughts and suggestions

Left Flank Threats	Enlightenment Values	Right Flank Threats
Group Identity Deconstruction Lived Experience Ways of Knowing Decolonization Postmodernism Relativism Subjectivism Quotas Scrupulosity Whiteness as Original Sin Cancel Culture Offense-taking Science Denial Critical Theory Marxism Communism Socialism Anti-white Racism Anti-male Sexism Anti-rich Classism Border Insecurity Defunding Police Spirituality	Reason Evidence Science Peer Review Marketplace of Ideas Objective Truth Freedom of Speech Freedom of Belief Freedom of Movement Viewpoint Diversity Individuality Universal Human Rights Property Rights Separation of Powers Church-State Separation Consent of the Governed Democracy Capitalism International Trade Modernity Meritocracy Presumption of Innocence Pluralism Secularism	Misinformation Fake News Conspiracy Theories Voter Suppression Gerrymandering Disenfranchisement Populism Xenophobia Cronyism Nepotism Trolling Censorship Offence-giving Science Denial Military Industrial Complex Monarchy Greed Fascism Racism Sexism Classism Nationalism Patriotism Fundamentalist Religion

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi died this week at the age of 87. He was an intellectual hero of mine. I've read five of his books - Flow, Finding Flow, The Evolving Self, Good Business, and Creativity. I have a hobby of contacting authors and semi-famous people. Here is my email exchange with Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi.

On Monday, March 28, 2005, at 08:43 PM, Brian Fleming wrote:

Dear Dr. Csikszentmihalyi,

I hope you have a moment to consider a few points about creativity and respond to a question about complexity.

Popular music is a domain not covered in the sample set for your book, Creativity. As an amateur guitarist who lives near Nashville, I have a view of the country music industry that I thought of repeatedly while reading Creativity. The country music industry (its telling that its called an industry) has developed into a community with a high degree of specialization within its members. Behind the famous and attractive singing stars are an army of studio musicians, audio engineers, music business people, songwriters, and a city full of other folks who haven’t quite made it. Nashville lore (and its still true today) depicts those who come to town with nothing more than a song and a dream. The trick is to sell your song or your sound to the country music industry field. All the traits described in your Creativity book are required to make it big in Nashville. Unfortunately, due to the industrialization in the country music business, the songs that get radio airplay sound mass-produced and the lyrics are filled with cliche. Integrated but not very differentiated, I suppose!

Which leads to my question about complexity. You promote the merits of complexity, yet when it comes to popular music it seems the simple songs are the best. A few examples: Silent Night, Your Cheatin Heart, Over the Rainbow, Edelweiss, and Amazing Grace. Likewise, the most elegant solution to a complicated problem is often the simplest one. Consider the law of parsimony — Occam’s razor.

So my question becomes: If complexity is so desirable, why is simplicity so beautiful?

I look forward to your response!

Brian Fleming

Franklin, TN

**************************************

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi <miska@cgu.edu>

Tue 3/29/2005 1:08 PM

To: Brian Fleming

It does sound like country music is a nice example of the systems view of creativity!

My answer to the complexity issue may not be convincing, but I would argue that the simple songs you mention are actually quite complex -- i.e. differentiated and (especially) integrated. The problem is that complex and complicated appear to refer to the same organization, whereas they are often 180 degrees apart. A complex wine has hints of many flavors, but they are blended so well that the taste is so obvious and natural that it seems simple. 

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Director | Quality of Life Research Center

C. S. and D. J. Davidson Professor

Peter F. Drucker School of Management

Claremont Graduate University

1021 N. Dartmouth Avenue

Claremont, CA 91711

We Must Cultivate Our Garden

Pangloss sometimes would say to Candide: “All events are linked together in this the best of all possible worlds; for, after all, had you not been kicked out of a fine castle for the love of Miss Cunegonde; had you not been put into the Inquisition; had you not traveled across America on foot; had you not stabbed the Baron through the body with your sword; and had you not lost all your sheep which you brought from the good country of El Dorado; -- you would not be here eating preserved citrons and pistachio nuts.” 

“Excellently observed,” answered Candide; “we must cultivate our garden.” 

                                                               -- Candide by Voltaire 1793

Simplicity

Simplicity by Bob Seger 

Simplicity it works for me

It keeps me running hard and sharp and true

I focus on the basic stuff

And pretty soon I'm coming up on you

So much clutter clouds our way

Fundamentals win the day

I break you down size you up

I see a path and then I bust a move

Before you know what hit you babe

I finish and I'm on to something new

Complex theories have their place

I like throw downs in your face

It's clear when its really really near

And it's everything you need

Rise and be worthy of the prize

Get exactly what your need

Simplicity in everything

In every single thing you say and do

Don't get lost in foggy stuff

Stay on track and let it come to you

Keep your focus on your goal

Use that iron hard control

Use your power and your speed

Get exactly what you need