I Love Jake Shimabukuro
No, I don’t mean it romantically. I mean it as a deep, deep sense of approval and appreciation, for and of all I know of the man.
He came to town to play for us, Friday night. The concert was originally scheduled for a beautiful outdoor stage, but rainstorms affiliated with Tropical Storm Andrea (most of which went well to our east) made that inadvisable. So it was held indoors, and probably resulted in him having a much larger audience, as well as better sound quality.
I first encountered him on YouTube. He got his first big break there, with one of the first truly viral videos, his cover of George Harrison’s ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps.’
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I did not see that video, originally. I saw him playing his fine cover of Bohemian Rhapsody that I included in my diary of such covers in February.
As he says in the TED video ...
Today I’m going to try to convince you that what the world needs now is ukelele. ... I’ve always believed that you know it’s the instrument of peace. Because if everyone played the ukelele, this world would be a much happier place!
You make a powerful argument for that, Jake!
I remember many years ago, when I first found James Herriot’s great All Creatures series of books about his life as a veterinarian. I smiled many times reading the series, so clear it was to me that he was a person who had found his place in life, his calling. And that he was doing exactly what he wanted to do, what he was supposed to do.
I smile for the same reason with Jake Shimabukuro. He is doing what he wants. And above all, he lives his creativity.
I have written many times about my sig line, from Jonathan Larson. I believe in his words very deeply, and Jake Shimabukuro helps me realize the deep truth once again.
The opposite of war isn’t peace, it’s creation!
As Jake says, the ukelele is the instrument of peace. (I believe there are many more!) And it realizes that destiny most completely in creative explosions like Jake's.
He has a number of fine videos on YouTube. I am not going to embed any more of them, but I encourage you to check them out at your leisure. And sometime, when you have an hour, if you are interested in getting a clearer sense of this fine man, check out the great video Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings, posted at PBS.
For those of you who watch that, I won’t have to do any more selling of tonight’s thesis. (Be sure to stay tuned long enough for his rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, with the children in tsunami-ravaged Japan. Wow.)
Thank you for reading! On to tonight's comments, graciously compiled and formatted (except for my 'finds') by brillig!
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not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down.
From Turbonerd:
In on the cusp's diary, greenbird's comment includes the best way I have ever encountered of remembering a loved one who has passed on.
From Clem Yeobright:
Its the Supreme Court Stupid extends the legend of poblano.
From voracious:
After all of the anger about "fu#%ing idiots" today I was scrolling through OPOL's diary and this comment by slinkerwink took all of the outraged wind out of my sails. Sometimes you just need a baby to calm you down.
From BeninSC:
Flagged by helpImdrowning, this comment by Nulwee applauds Brian Schatz and talks about comprehensive party reform, in poopdogcomedy's diary on Schatz.
Flagged by Diana in NoVa, this comment by anotherdemocrat featured a fun little video by Ann Richards. I know she lives on in our hearts.
Top Mojo for yesterday,June 9th, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you
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1) Greenwald and MacAskill asked Snowden about it by Simplify — 146
2) Wonderful Diary by SilverWillow — 137
3) Well, people don't like assertiveness. by TexMex — 116
4) That our government thinks of OWS as by One Pissed Off Liberal — 98
5) i'll stick with by Laurence Lewis — 95
6) Haha you guys are funny. by maxschell — 83
7) horrible by Laurence Lewis — 79
8) A true hero! n/t by Ray Pensador — 78
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10) It's accepted in most of the Press by ZappoDave — 76
11) He revealed both. The fact that you choose to by Ray Pensador — 75
12) What exactly makes this a "terror attack" by corvo — 75
13) That was the mindset in Argentina in the 70s by Shockwave — 74
14) The real threat is to your freedom by gulfgal98 — 74
15) I think what didn't get addressed by Denise Oliver Velez — 74
16) Zimmerman's lies are coming apart (nt) by slippytoad — 72
17) Gov't signed-off on total info awareness 3/12... by bobswern — 69
18) vast majority of material classified doesn't need by teacherken — 68
19) Is it not possible to think by raina — 67
20) Love this diary. by edwardssl — 66
21) Me too. This diary is far too naive and apologetic by Kombema — 66
22) Oh Hai Whoknu! And Our Advice Makes All The: by leonard145b — 65
23) MIy Daughter Stole A Pitbull by bernardpliers — 64
24) Article states that these metadata by Dallasdoc — 63
25) Actually, those denials don't mean by Code Monkey — 63
26) Anything else to say... by Mets102 — 62
27) breaking the law is often the highest moral action by teacherken — 62
28) This is the time when those who care about freedom by Simplify — 60
29) I think that by KibbutzAmiad — 59
30) And yet it's somehow patriotic by corvo — 58
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