I hope my "cause of the day" doesn't imply that caring about said cause should only last for one day, but rather that there is a TON of great work being done here in our community, and worldwide for that matter, in pursuit of productive ideas, rather than those confounding and/or frustrating ones that seem to be in the news all the time. I know a lot of people (including me) seem to be frustrated these days, whether it's with politics, the economy, or even how to relate to each other in this digital age. And of course, frustration is not unique to this decade. For some the frustration goes back multiple decades, for others centuries. I always try to keep things in perspective, which hopefully prevents getting too emotionally high or too low. But I hate the part of "perspective" that discourages action because you see what a long, hard road understanding and/or justice can truly be. The curse of being a history major, perhaps? But I figure there's already enough negativity out there (for which this here blogosphere certainly serves a semi-useful purpose), so why not try to add something to the positive side of the equation? Maybe one day the positivity will outweigh the negativity...cue the Matisyahu "One Day" chorus :) I'll admit to a love/hate relationship with the blogosphere in general...it's so easy (and sometimes theraputic) to be snarky...perhaps that's just human nature (or just me) to veer towards the negative and/or easy solution. So with that in mind, bear with me while I try to stay positive.
As I mentioned yesterday, I had a great time judging the Charlottesville's Got Talent contest (which was a benefit for Charlottesville Health Access) at The Haven this past Saturday. It was a great turnout, and among me and the other 2 judges at the table, we gave singer/songwriter Gina Sobel the highest score. The salsa dancing team of Angela Oh Park and the Rodrigo Y Gabriela-like guitar wizardry of Wade Glazer tied for a close 2nd, and kudos to Matt Knisley for nailing every lyric of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" without a stumble! Breeze Keys did a great job covering Colbie Caillat's "Bubbly," and NBC 29's own Kasey Hott not only was reporting on the event, but did an impressive job on the classic "At Last." I hope they post the story on their website at some point, since I missed it on TV later that night! And bonus points go to Point Judith for giving a shout out to The Corner at the end of their unique rendition of Tim Armstrong's "Into Action." Oh, and if there had been a "biggest cheer of the night" award, that would've gone to Helen Sneed, who proved with her comedy routine that laughter is timeless, and a sense of humor is important at any age. I was glad to be a part of such a great event for a great cause! Thanks to all the performers and all those behind the scenes that put so much work into the event...
More causes, musical and otherwise, tomorrow! Cheers!
