Music moment: Kansas' invisible era

I was reminded in conversation with a friend last night that a lot of people who like Kansas' music have no idea that the band put out several two good albums in the late '80s and early '90s. In the Spirit of Things and Freaks of Nature should be better known. So here's my two bits on the subject:

"Stand Beside Me", which instantly leaped onto my list of favorite romantic ballads:

"One Big Sky", not the best quality live recording there ever was, but very serviceable, and with some very distinctively Kansas lines and riffs:

Feeling very fake today

This morning I had a great walk, took a few pictures (at least one of which I plan to share), thought a lot about my upcoming transition and what has to be done first, felt mellow...and then discovered another flare-up of ignorant bias in my beloved sf world. And yes, it is beloved - I have friendships and enthusiasm there covering decades. But...

I've been active in some parts of the sprawling debate that Naraht is covering, and I don't think I've been so intensely aware that some people on the other side are listening to me because I am a known white male presence. I haven't been saying anything beyond what people of color, of various genders, have already been saying, but when I repackage it, it gets an extra hearing. I'm bugged, to put it mildly.

I'm not prepared to come out to that crowd. But when I do, I already know what I'll hear, having seen it said to others: "Gee,  you used to be a lot of fun and now you're all uptight about trivial things," for starters, and "Yeah, but you've lost perspective. Understandable because of the extreme nature of your situation, but now you're just too biased." I'll be one of them. Even if I'll be an "oh, I didn't mean you" them.

But...yeesh, I'm writing "but" a lot in this. I feel fake. That was my unearned privilege speaking. Privilege I hope to shed, that's still following me around.

By the way, this is more than enough info for some folks to indentify my birth name, but please, if you have a guess and want a confirmation, use a private message or e-mail. Thanks.