Before I Go

Before I go, I want to tell you about a great guy,
a great CD, and a great deal.

Who's the guy? That one - right there.
Mr. Dan Zanes. One my favorite musicians for kids, grown-ups, or anybody.

What's the CD? That one - right there.
Catch That Train. Songs from around the world, including my personal favorite, Welcome Table.

What's the Deal? This one - right here:

Dan Zane's grammy-winning cd is available for download for the low low price of $1.99 today June 13, 2009 only at amazon.com.

Why am I telling you about this and what does it have to do with English, writing, American culture or anything else I said I would talk about here?

1. I love Dan Zanes. Really, that's enough.

2. Singing, listening to other people sing, singing along with other people - best way in the world to learn English, Latvian, Chinese, or any other language.

3. Dan Zanes' stuff: lots of songs from all over the world and from all over the US. Listen to Dan Zanes' CDs and you'll learn about US history and US culture. You'll also have a good time.

4. Great deal. And if you know me, you know I'm all about the great deals. Great deal, is, in fact, my middle name.

5. I Don't Want Your Millions Mister. First, you had to hear my daughter sing that when she was little. Beautiful, just beautiful. Second, you have to love a song that is about the right to a fair wage and decent working conditions. This is not the first time in US history that people have struggled economically. In fact, it was much worse in the past - but people's memories are short and some have no memory at all. They never learned our history. They don't know to make connections between what came before and what happens today. Make the connection. Learn your history.

How? Okay, good point. I'll try to give some pointers about that soon.

Okay, now... I've really got to finish packing and ready us to get out of here.

Time management is not strength.

But the goal is: Finish packing so we can go here before we leave tomorrow for there.

Wish me luck!