making a positive difference

no time to write* but two definite recommendations:

received the very lovely latest mailing from the very awesome Over The Rhine with news of their next album, which they are looking for help with. see here for all the details. i think, if a person knew that someone they loved, (like really loved, as in 'i want to spend every day of the rest of my life with you' really,) was a fan of this band and knew or even guessed at how much joy said really loved one would get from listening to this as yet unrecorded -- but quite possibly masterpiece -- album, well i think that that person could do a lot worse than going to and making a donation. not only would it help good artists make a real genuine living from their art, independent of big corporations, but pre-ordering the album means the resulting CD could then be saved as a surprise gift for some future date. it's good to be prepared. you know like for a birthday, or an anniversary, or your wedding day, even Christmas day. or what about Valentine's day, or even a plain ol' rainy day when the world needs to seem a little brighter and you want to encapsulate your affection with a small token of same? anyway, thought i'd mention it. just as a suggestion like. not looking at anyone in particular. nope. not all. the new OTR album. not yet recorded. a mere snip of a thing, starting at only $15. i'm sure the result will be well worth a listen. it's not gonna change the whole world, but it'll make someone's world better. maybe quite a few someones. and that ain't nothing. and of course, being prepared could save a person a whole lot of stress in this busy world we live in. just saying. ;)

and speaking of making this world a little better, awesome friend mistertumnus has just created a brand new site: Flowers for Rifles. and what a good idea it is. such a lovely concept. i'm looking forward to contributing to it myself. you should too. really. this is something positive to be a part of. and you can pull it out on a rainy day and bask in it's warmth and be reminded of the good things folks are doing in the world, big and small. go on... lend a hand. tell your stories, share the good things you see making a difference... combat the pessimism that we're all doomed to hell in a handbasket. today you get to see a very funny snippet of one of Peterson's marvellous plays. details of how to contribute content are on the About page.

*a dear college buddy arrives in from Chicago in the morning. 4 days and nights of chat to ensue. one for every year since we last saw each other. much to be done before bed. ie. tidying up my mess.
(she's bringing little debbie's snack cakes (for me) and an iPad (hers). now which will i lick first, i wonder? still the former will make for useful salve to my all-but-guaranteed jealousy over the latter.)

shoot. this was meant to be two lines.

enjoy the weekend.
LB