Yeah... welcome. All of you from around the country. If you're new here, take a look around... look through the "Archives", say something in the "Forum", hang out... my name is David, and I approved this message...

"It's just us."

Anyway, hmmmm... today.

Well, I've got a good friend named Frank Beacham... a great guy and a brilliant writer. (Google him. Get his books.) Anyway, Frank just told me that another one of his stories got greenlighted to be made into a movie. I think he pitched it to Charles Dutton and it got picked up. Very cool. Congratulations, Frank. But, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Man, I'm all over the place today!

Frank has been on me to get involved with something callled Podcasting. You guys heard of it?

It sounds exactly like something that our webmaster, James Marino, had me doing two years ago, only this time the world has caught up with James' vision (idea-wise, James is always miles ahead of everybody else.) ...and, Podcasting is creating a little bit of a buzz.

My question to you today is this...

Do YOU own an ipod, or any one of those digital download music players?

Because if a lot of you hit the "Contact" button or show up in the "Forum" and tell me you do, I may just go ahead and incorporate next week's concert into a Podcast, as well as pitching it to Satellite radio.

By the way... if you come to the concert next Friday night, you will be a part of the show, no matter what we do with it!

So, gimme a shout and let me know if you own one of those things, okay?

Also, gimme a shout and let me know your reaction to the newest single, "JesusLand". (It's... um... satire. Shouldn't hafta tell you that, but... there you are.)

MP3 of Jesusland! Click to download or play.

It's FREE. I want the whole country to have it. Even if you're one of the people who gets pissed off at it, I wanna hear from you. It's gotten some national radio play already, but you guys should be sending this free link around the internet to all your friends.

So...

.

.

Do you guys remember Gordon from last year?

Gordon is that remarkable young man who, even though he was vehemently opposed to the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the twisted policies of George W. Bush's administration, followed his inner "calling" and went there anyway, to help the people of that country. He spent time in Afghanistan, helping them organize in the ramp up to their elections, and as a civilian, did everything he could to help the people of Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan. Last year, Gordon sent us some emails and pictures from that part of the world, kind of as our correspondent, which I posted here on the website. And, his mom shows up once in a while in our Forum.

I'm happy to report that Gordon is alive... but, worn. And, Gordon's not coming home. He is another man who realizes that he must follow his "calling"... that one true Voice that I talk about once in a while, that I've written about in song, the one even I hafta follow. (Even though I may have driven a stake through the heart of my career, alienating a part of the audience I used to enjoy so much.)

That calling is real. We all have it. And, the people who are of the mindset that can't understand that... "Oh David! Why do you hafta write about the things you do! Why can't you just shut up! You and Jon Stewart, man! It's gettin' old and boring!"

Well, I suspect some people never will understand.

That's cool, I guess.

I guess, it's gotta be. That's life.

Here are some of Gordon's words in that regard:

"Calling. Mine is faintly but consistently telling me that I 1) don't need to feel attached to a UN paycheck; 2) need to get out of war-zones both real and perceived; 3) have the ability to bring people together in positive environments and can provide a creative spark to those who gather.

At various times I have been convinced that I only prolong my stagnation when I ignore my calling. Still, I frequently relegate that Voice to the back of my mind out of convenience or fear. e.g. "can't leave mid-contract" my rational mind argues. Well, I am about to take the advice of that Voice, and with my girlfriend Consuelo, who I met here back in April, will embark on a whole new journey. Our plan is to open a b&b/retreat/creative workshop space for like-minded friends from around the world, more an extension of our home than business per se. We would love to see you there as one of our guests. It will take some time to get up and running: first we'll go to the Canary Islands, Spain (off the coast of western sahara) to find the land with a house, then we'll come to NYC to sort out last u.s. details, then get on with the creation of our vision as it unfolds.

I've spoken to my mom about my decision not to live in the U.S. right now, echoing obvious frustrations with us foreign and social policy. But, as I think about it, I understand clearly that this decision is not a 'protest'. I am tired of protesting. I know now that I must Live only according to calling. Not that these last years, those winter marches before the war (when I so naively felt the administration would listen), and the protests after the bombing began, are wasted effort. But I see, in how I've aged, in my (now waning) obsession with all the misdeeds of GWB et al., that in many ways I've given these years more to underscore their idiocy than to explore my own genius (the same genius that resides within us all). So from here on my friend, I have to write my own story, not reinforce the tragedies and errors of others.

(a side note: I was in Spain recently, and not hearing the constant clanging untruths and justifications (as Iraq is no longer a subject for the national conscience, since Zapatero followed through on his promise to withdraw) was undeniably a comfort and motive in my decision...)

Next week, I'm gonna start telling Gordon's story, by posting his words and those of his Mom.

To me, it's a comfort to know that there are peoople like Gordon in the world.

Whew! If you've actually taken the time to read all this, I'm glad there are people in the world like you, too.

Hope I see you next Friday at CAMI Hall. We're gonna have some FUN! Maybe I'll see you in the "Forum" later!

Thanks for everything.