concerts with the kid, apropos of nothing

Linkin Park
Hoobastank
Simon and Garfunkel
Elton John
Willie Nelson
BB King
Coldplay
Steve Winwood
Tom Petty
Counting Crowes
Michael Franti
Bob Dylan

the last two yet to come -- never saw Dylan or Franti -- her leanings eclectic.
I never went to any concert with my mother, never even crossed my mind. Not him either. So I think it's kind of neat this kid who hates me half the time, refuses to talk to me thirty percent of the time, sees and knows my stupidity well over half the time ... this pretty smart and good in spite of it all kid would want to go to a concert with me. All of them all her idea, even preservation hall in NOLA.
But she's still mad I didn't "force her" to go to David Bowie -- he's old she said. But M, Willie's and BB are dead this year or next, Petty was so loaded he had a nurse on stage to help him light one up, Steve Winwood is just as old; let's not even think about how long Simon and Garfunkel and Elton John are hanging on. But whatever ... I guess she'll be gone more or less for good in less than 2 months, empty nest again, but at least this is closer than Poland and easier, faster, cheaper to go from here to there. And it's warmer too.
So i guess we'll see Franti, and then to Dylan, and one more to Willie -- hope it's not an end -- then off she goes, driven to the sunrise for another new beginning.
I wish I'd done better, been better, given her more, let her be more
I wish I knew now the things I didn't know then, so I could do it right, so she had every advantage -- not material or money stuff (though money for college is always a good thing) -- but the stuff that matters - all the personal strenghts, resources, knowledge, things no one can take, to let her know she's ready, that she can do it all no matter ...
Off she goes, on her way ... nothing to do; I could pray I guess but right now that seems a pretty pointless, helpless thing to do -- just as well I wish I did it right to begin with.

"Bomb the World"

you can't have love in your heart
without peace in your soul.

We can bomb the world to pieces
but we can't bomb it into peace.

"Please tell me the reason
Behind the colors that you fly
Love just one nation
And the whole world we divide
You say you're 'sorry'
Say, 'there's no other choice'
But God bless the people them
Who cannot raise their voice

"We can chase down all our enemies
Bring them to their knees
We can bomb the world to pieces
But we can't bomb it into peace
Whoa we may even find a solution
To hunger and disease
We can bomb the world to pieces
But we can't bomb the world to peace

"Violence brings one thing
More more of the same
Military madness
The smell of flesh and burning pain
So I sing out to the masses
Stand up if you're still sane!
To all of us gone crazy
I sing this one refrain

"We can chase down all our enemies
Bring them to their knees
We can bomb the world to pieces
But we can't bomb it into peace
Whoa we may even find a solution
To hunger and disease
We can bomb the world to pieces
But we can't bomb the world to peace

"And I sing power to the peaceful
Love to the people y'all
Power to the peaceful
Love to the people y'all

Michael Franti and Spearhead, "Bomb the World" from "Everyone Deserves Music"

and ain't that the truth?
Not swuft enough to find and link the article to here, where you're reading, this blog, but anyway, story in the paper [such as is the paper anymore in the 4th largest metro area] -- there is a palestinian youth choir which aims to seek peace internal or to some extent outside iteself as well. There are many holocaust survivors in Israel [proper and what their fears led them to steal --- sound familiar?] -- so no one was told exactly what the deal was -- the palestinian youth lines up on one side and the jews - mostly survivors - facing them from the other side. Then the palestinian youth launched into beautiful music for the sole purpose of being heard by these survivors. None of the participants knew anything about the folks on the other side. The survivors were touched to learn the palestinians wanted to sign and share, wanted to do something other than threaten and kill, wanted to provide a beautiful respite... and the palestinians were shocked to learn of the holocaust, to hear there was such a thing as the holocaust or that Hitler or anyone else could have killed anyone -- much less so many -- just because they were Jewish. Did the palestinians never really know? Were the Jews really led to believe that the palestinians knew without caring or believing? What sort of a screwed up place is this? The Jewish/Palestian issue is one thing - yes, a major and deadly one -- but these situations are all over the world -- are they really going to resolve themselves with mutual ignorance?
What can I do?
What can we do?
Why do so few bother to allow it in their consciousness?

Close your eyes ...

cause the video isn't really but the music really is ...



Fljotavik from Medsudieyrum vid spilum endalaust.