Whatcha doin' this weekend?

Today, I'm out in Central Park, where I always am on a Saturday afternoon. Lookin' forward to just hangin' out with my guitar and you.

Tomorrow... I'll be in the same place.

These are such strange times.

I've been biting my lip all week. There's so much to say. There is a place deep down in my heart where I'm angered and sad about so many things that have happened in this country and the world over the last few years, especially about the people in Washington DC. No excuses anymore. No B.S. anymore. No debate anymore. It's disgraceful. But, this is not a time to tap that anger or sadness. There will be a time for that.

This is a time for human kindness, compassion and action. It's time to be together.

Seems to me the most powerful acts of kindness and genuine compassion nearly always comes from the common people in the world. The extraordinary acts of real heroism and kindness come from the most ordinary people. I'm gonna be sharing an afternoon with the coolest people in the greatest city on the planet today, and I'll be sharing a few ideas with you about how we all might be able to make a real difference for the better in this world... and feel really Good doing it.

Okay?

I'm even gonna get kinda specific with some of you, okay?

Hope I see you out there.

And then... tomorrow, of course is September 11.

For me it's not a day for morbidity. Not a day for anger. It's a day to honor our individual deep sadness and anger, but at the same time share our commonality, our hearts, our smiles and be together.

So, I will be at "The Hill" in Central Park like I was on September 16th, 2001.

Action... what we can do.

Well, couple of things today. If you're thinking of picking up an extra copy of one of my CDs, until further notice, every time you buy a copy of "Common Ground" or "Crazy on the Same Day" or the single "JesusLand"... from this company, CD BABY... EVERY NICKEL of my profits goes to the relief effort on the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans. The ordinary people like you and me whose lives were devastated by Katrina need every bit of help they can get.

I also wanna talk to you this weekend about an extraordinary chance for you to do some real Good in this world. A project my friends and I embarked on a couple of months ago.

I'm talking about the VOICES TOGETHER CONCERT

Click on this logo and visit the new website...

...and, find out how you can be a real part of the VOICES TOGETHER concert. Really make a difference for the better in this world. A very real and direct difference.

We need to raise $50,000 in the next week or so.

Can you help?

(Actually, one person with the whole 50 grand would do it! Or, 10 of you donating 5,000 each!!!)

Seriously.... we need you.

And, every dollar of your donation is tax-deductible.

I know. I know. Hurricane Katrina victims need you, too. It's a very difficult time all over the world. I will be doing a benefit concert this coming Tuesday at Chelsea Pier. (See the thread in the "Forum" over there.) But, my good friends abnd I started this effort to help the children in Iraq a couple of months ago, and we're committed to seeing it through.

If you don't know what I'm talking about... this concert is part of a sincere effort to get as much help as we possibly can directly to the innocent civilian families, especially the children, who are living through the war in Iraq.Voices Together website as a concert "producer". Because that's exactly what you are!

This is gonna be a very special night, sometime in January here in New York City. And, like I said, you are welcome to be a real part of it. Help us produce this concert so that we can help some very special people who are doing some very remarkable work in that part of the world, okay?

And, it'll feel good to help. And... it'll actually be fun.

Okay... see you in the park.

Oh yeah. If you're new here, or reading this in another part of the country or another part of the world, you can take a minute or two to browse through the "Archives" over there today. Even stop in the "Forum" (message board) if you feel like it and say "Hi". You can also email me personally through the "Contact" button.

Thanks again.