Gary Kanter   Songwriter, Humorist, Irritant!

Yes, it has been awhile since last I graced these pages.

Perhaps it was the two shoulder surgeries that kept me musically sidelined for the better part of a year.

Perhaps it was the emotional belly drop of ongoing T-Rump regime…and the decades of damage that will be difficult to undo…if possible.

Perhaps it was life in general…and the hours spent with my now four-year-old grandson….

But it’s time to get back to this record of my misadventures.

The past year or so hasn’t been bereft of activity…it has merely gone undocumented here.  Like most folks my age, and perhaps most folks in general, I have sought immediate gratification in the form of Facebook.  Immediate posts followed by immediate comments, replies, likes, emojis, or silence.

So, it’s time to catch up.

As my reconstructed shoulders have allowed, I have produced/performed at a variety of political/labor events throughout Western Washington.  In addition, I have fairly regularly performed my duty as a regular host on “We Do The Work”…currently airing at 5:00 pm  (Pacific) Tues. and rebroadcast 7:00 pm on Sundays.  (streamed live at http://www.ksvr.org).

My radio and music buddy, Mike Dumovich, and I created a regular feature on the show called “Songs of Progress”, highlighting the music of  those who contributed to the advancement of social and economic justice.   Our first three shows featured the works of Woody Guthrie, Utah Phillips, and Joe Hill.  Planned upcoming shows will feature Hazel Dickens, Ani DeFranco, and a rebroadcast of my earlier interview with Anne Feeney.

SCOTUS delivered another severe blow to working families with the Janus Decision…which enables freeloaders to enjoy the benefits of union representation without having to pay an administrative fee for their share of the cost.

Mark Janus, an Illinois state employee was the plaintiff, funded by various Koch-related anti-worker groups.  After a brief interval, Janus quit the “job I love” for a sinecure with a large right-wing think tank.  Now he can focus on sticking it to his former co-workers full-time. The Greek god, Janus, was always represented by two faces…coincidence?  I think not.

So, onward into the future.

Hopefully, there is still time to save the country from encroaching fascism…and the planet/humanity from environmental malfeasance.

Stand up!

Be counted!