Leave Them Singing...

This is my last post for a couple of weeks. I thought of writing up this sad story from Baghdad, "Six Gay Men Shot Dead By Tribe Members," but I just couldn't do it. It is a brief article, if you want to read it, and sad, needless to say, especially since the men were murdered after a tribal meeting. Sigh.

But that's not how I want to leave you for two weeks. Rather, I would like to leave you with a smile on your face, and a song in your heart.

First for the smile, this very funny piece by Andy Borowitz (which might put a song in your heart, too): White House Replaces ‘War on Terror' With Symbol, Acquires Cryptic Icon From Funk Rocker Prince

The White House today announced today that it would no longer use the phrase "war on terror" and would instead replace it with a cryptic symbol once used by the funk rocker known as Prince.

The new symbol made its first appearance today at a White House press conference in which spokesman Robert Gibbs answered a question about the war on terror by holding up a picture of the newly acquired icon.

Mr. Gibbs said that the White House had decided to replace the phrase with the symbol after determining that its first-choice euphemism, "overseas contingency operations," was too much of a mouthful.

"In the years that Prince used the symbol, it was totally confusing and no one knew what it meant," he said. "It should work perfectly for us."

To acquire the rights to the symbol, however, the White House had to outbid an unlikely suitor, the insurance giant AIG.

The embattled company, which recently stripped its corporate headquarters of its logo in the hopes of throwing protesters off its scent, had intended to replace it with the mysterious icon coveted by the White House.

It was hoping to rebrand itself as "The Insurance Giant Formerly Known as AIG," a company spokesman said.

AIG Chairman Edward Liddy was philosophical about being outbid by the White House for Prince's symbol: "All of our efforts were a total and abject failure, but on the plus side, that means we're entitled to a bonus."

I realize this would be funnier if it weren't so plausible. Ahem. But it is pretty funny, I think.

And now for a few tunes from some of my favorite singers. First up is Dar Williams. I just love this song:



It was a circuitous route that led us to this Swedish singer, but wow, what a song from Titiyo:



For a real toe-tapper, here is Moanin' Michelle Malone, and "Tighten Up The Springs":



And last, but certainly not least, one of my all-time favorite groups, the Indigo Girls and "One Perfect World":



There are so many more artists I would love to share with you, but this will do for now.

Before I go, thank you all again for coming here, for your comments, for caring (especially about my beautiful puppies, Jordan, and other pets), and for your generosity of time. It is much appreciated.

Stay well and safe. See you in a couple of weeks!