Rainy day...

Y'know, I've decided I'm gonna head out to "The Hill" tomorrow afternoon. Yeah, yeah... I know I'm supposed to be there on Saturday afternoons this year. But, I haven't received any of the Special Event permits in the mail, yet. And, I don't think it will be a problem.

Besides, for personal reasons that I won't go into, I think tomorrow, May 1st, is the day I'm supposed to begin the season this year.

Listen, I know there are people reading this all around the country and all over the world. But, if you live here in town, and you're not doing anything tomorrow... check in here and make sure I'm gonna be there. Like I said, I've written several new songs over the winter and I'm spending part of today editting my reference list of tunes for the summer. (I mean, besides the fact that I make it up as I go along, I just wanna inject a whole new energy into the music this year.)

Today... I wanna invite anyone who's new to this website to go back and read through the "Archives". Yesterday I listed some of the titles of the new songs, and some of the cover tunes I'm working on. Last Monday, I did a piece on Marla Ruzicka. (Who? Yeah, I know... go read it and find out.)

And, while you're at it... look, it's a lazy, rainy Saturday... jump into the "Forum" (message board) and read through some of the threads in there. Register and say "Hi" if you feel like it. There are some good things happening in there all the time.

We're gonna have alot of fun this summer here in New York City. I can't wait to get my guitar on my shoulder, and feel the energy of all the Good people who hang out with me on that grassy little hill.

This summer, I'm looking forward to singing so many of my own songs about Love and commonality... y'know... like "Crazy on the Same Day" and "A lot of Lonely People" ...and, a bunch of cover tunes by female artists. And, I'm bringing some newer songs like, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Look What You've Done". I hope alot of you keep making song suggestions in the "Forum". And, if you feel like it, you can even make suggestions about songs that you wish someone would write... y'know... just ideas for songs.

But, I also wanna thank those people who are taking the time to read, and who care enough to contribute to, the News from Iraq in the "Forum". I made a commitment to myself, as an artist, an American singer/songwriter, and as a man, not to drop the ball like so many people in this country who would rather ignore this nightmare that the conservative right wing of this country had perpetrated on the world. (This is not your father's Republican party, that's for sure!) Too many people are just too stubborn, or shallow, to admit that they were misled, manipulated... or just plain mistaken. The human cost of this war has been, and continues to be, catastrophic... intentionally glosssed over by the administration in this country, but catastrophic. And, the disgraceful entities that still call themselves the mainstream news media are, for the most part, ignoring it as well. (Although, to be fair, CNN and MSNBC did run an important story today, almost exclusively from 10am til noon, about that Wilbanks woman who got nervous about her wedding. And, I did hear Michael Jackson's ex-wife thinks he's... um... y'know... a little odd.) But, that shouldn't keep the rest of us from keeping the Truth on the front burner.

In my small way, I would like to help to keep awareness alive... through music... sometimes through humor... but often, simply through the written word on the internet.

Life on life's terms. It's all Good.

I love making music. Let's start another eason tomorrow, okay? We're gonna have a lot of smiles, a lot of laughs, and a lot of that Good, warm feeling being together out there this year. This will begin the 14th summer at "The Hill"!

Whew!

I'm a lucky man, and I know it!

Thanks for everything.