Hey, if you came out to Central Park yesterday... Thanks!

What a great day. It felt really good to run a few of those new songs and let them get on their feet out there. And, pulling up some of my own songs I haven't played out there in a while, like "Relax It's Only Life", "This Hill is Filled with Children" and others... yeah, good day.

I also had a blast with Springsteen's "Thunder Road" and Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive". Man!! Those songs are fun to crank up and really let go.

The film crew that's doing the documentary said they had a really successful shoot yesterday. (They are all really cool people.) But, when the director got the idea of asking you guys about your experience on "The Hill, or what brings you out there.... shesaid she didn't have enough time to talk to all the people they wanted to talk to. So, they're gonna try to come out there again, maybe this coming weekend to interview to more of you. (I've always thought that someone should do a documentrtary film or something just about you guys. There is a story for every single person I've ever met out there in Central Park.)

Hey... for today, I'm gonna repeat the information I posted here yesterday about the concert we wanna pull off sometime this fall. If you haven't yet, please take a moment and read the rest of this page, and then jump into the "Forum" (message board) and add your two cents if you feel like it.

Thanks again

*****

I wrote briefly about an idea I'm kickin' around with some of these friends about a benefit concert that we'd like to put together for sometime in September or October. Today, I'm gonna speak with some more great people... ordinary people like you and me... who might wanna help.

I got an email from a well-meaning person who suggested I do a concert with the USO for our troops. The problem I see with that is simply this... at least THERE IS A USO. Y'know? While Bob Hope was entertaining American troops in Viet Nam, and the VA was taking care of our soldiers, who was taking care of the civilians being caught in the crossfire? Maybe this has always been a problem. But, in America today, I'm appalled by the lack of attention ordinary Americans are paying to a war WE started in Iraq, and the countless innocent people who are being killed and horribly wounded every day. WE are all responsible for them. (Especially if you voted for George Bush and supported this war.) Y'see... I've found that personally, as an artist and as a man, it's not enough for me to write songs and write articles in the "Forum" (message board) about the women and children who's lives are being destroyed everday in this nightmare of a war we started in Iraq... this historically ignorant, unAmerican, humanly indecent nightmare. I need to do more. I need to do... something. Well, what can I do? I'm a singer/songwriter. Hmmmm... a concert to raise money to go directly to helping these injured ordinary people. EVERY day, civilian fathers and sons, mothers and children... children... are not only being killed and horribly hurt, but they are all but being completely ignored by the U.S. military, the Bush administration, the "news" media, and therefore, the American public. (The DOD isn't even counting the Iraqi civilian casualties.)

Here's the thing... I'm gonna need a lot of help from other ordinary people if we wanna do anything significant.

So, that's the idea..."Ordinary People... Helping Ordinary People"

Now, remember Gordon? I re-introduced you all to Gordon yesterday.

Quickly, again... he's a fascinating young man who, (Um... yeah... he's the one with the light hair.) ...even though he vehemently opposed the war and the false reasons we were given for prosecuting it, went to Iraq anyway and spent a year there helping ordinary people. He also spent time in Aghanistan to help the ordinary people with their election process. He and his girlfriend, Consuelo, have lived extraordinary lives in the past few years. They still have many friends and collegues who are still there with Mercy Corps, when nearly everyone else pulled out.(That kind of commitment always touches something in me.) I was introduced to Gordon last year over the internet by his Mom who comes out to Central Park to hang out on "The Hill". Gordon and I started emailing back and forth a little, and he became our unofficial correspondent in that part of the world for a while. (Gordon's also got a brother, Lee, who is in the Marines right now.)

Anyway, Gordon's back in the states now.

In my life, I guess there's been a kind of convergence. Y'see, getting to know of him, even just a little (we still have never met in person!) combined with the recent news last month about Marla Ruzicka...

...and the work that her group CIVIC, and groups like Mercy Corps are doing in that war-torn country also touched my spirit in a very powerful way, as well.

Past update about Marla Ruzicka

(Please take a minute to click on and read the entire update above)

Anyway, so I thought...

...hey, I'm an ordinary person.

Okay... let's help. Let's do something!

.

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Let's do something.

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Listen, I know that it takes time to catch your breath after you've been punched in the stomach. Many people all over this country felt like they were punched in the stomach in September, 2001 and again in November, 2004. I understand that completely. But, it's time to catch our breath and do something... and, feel good about it. It's entirely possible to have fun while you're doing something good. Y'know why?

Because you're doing something Good.

So... I'm gonna need your help.

As this thing develops, I'm gonna be asking ordinary people to help in extraordinary ways... to do some good, okay?

"Ordinary People". Helping Ordinary People.

I'll be back with more. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Thanks for everything.