121212 Relief Concert & the Power of Rock N' Roll

The cultural divide that exists between me and my Afghan counterparts is noticeable and other times it is hardly discernible.  Being here in Kandahar brings it into sharp focus on a regular basis.

Due to the Internet, they have a very worldly awareness of issues like when Hurricane Sandy devastated the NJ shore.  They were asking questions about the area and how people were doing as they are aware that my wife has family there.  The ability for any person to learn more via the Internet makes all this possible.  They also get to see a lot of western movies ( Rambo, Mr. Bean, etc. - ya know, all the classics)

This morning, the 121212 Relief Concert was on the SAT TV here ( Morning time for us, evening for those back home on the east coast)

So I was discussing that the most well known rock groups were performing to raise money for the people who needed relief.  I mentioned that the ROLLING STONES were there.

My Afghan staff looked at me and asked " The Rolling Stones??" - I looked at them and said, "Yeah, you know, Mick Jagger??  Jumping Jack Flash ?? "

One of my staff said, " Yes, I heard that those rolling stones can be dangerous especially when they hit homes..." - I had to restrain the urge to laugh out loud....

I went on, " You know. Like the Beatles - Paul McCartney and the guys - Ya know, The BEATLES????"  Again, the response was basic blank stares.

These guys are all in their late 20s and early 30s and the blank looks on their faces told me all I needed to know.  They had no idea who or what I was describing.  As young kids, they had grown up under 10 years of Taliban repression and that had limited how much music they had access to - The Taliban forbid all music, dancing and other forms of entertainment.

I played a few clips for them on my IPAD from YouTube and they liked what they heard...The divide between our countries can be wide but even with different cultures, some things like the universal appeal of Rock Music can bridge the widest gaps. One of the guys started to dance a little and it was interesting that he danced the exact same way those back home do when they hear the Beatles

I let my guys know that we will have to have a music day where I get to open their world to some of the great music of Rock N' Roll.  It has the power to heal (like the 121212 Concert) and the power to tear down that which separates us. 

I can't wait to have my guys singing " Hey you !!  Get off my Cloud !!"  and " Jumping Jack Flash "

Pink Floyd's pigs fly again

I have been a rock n' roll fan for many years and one of my favorite groups has always been Pink Floyd. They have always been on the cutting edge and made some awesome albums.

I worked security detail back when Pink Floyd toured in the 1990's and got to see their show twice in one weekend at the old Foxboro Stadium....quite a sight with the laser show and sound effects. The first show was on a foggy night which made things spooky and the 2nd show was on a crystal clear night...the lasers went up into the sky and were spectacular....The music was awesome and even saw the Police detail getting into the show....

Sad to see that like most of us, they are all getting a little "long in the tooth" but the music endures as it is "brilliant" as the Brits would say.

Shine on you crazy diamond.


Pigs do fly! Iconic porker floats above Battersea power station again to celebrate 35 years of Pink Floyd album
By Daily Mail Reporter
26th September 2011

Pink Floyd's iconic flying pig has made a comeback - 35 years after it caused chaos by escaping into the skies over London.

A new 30-foot, helium-filled balloon floated high above Battersea Power Station to mark the reissue of the band's 14 studio albums.

But unlike its famous predecessor, this pig remained firmly tethered to the ground.

The original balloon, Algie - designed by band founder Roger Waters - broke free from its moorings during a photo shoot for the cover of the hit album Animals in 1976.

Plans had been made to fly Algie over Battersea on the first day of the three-day shoot, with a marksman ready to blast it out of the sky if things went wrong, but the pig was not launched.

On the second day, organisers had forgotten to book the marksman - and Algie made its bid for freedom. A strong gust of wind snapped the tether and the pig shot skywards, drifting off south over London.

The pig disappeared from sight within five minutes and was soon spotted by startled airline pilots at 30,000 feet.

Flights to and from Heathrow Airport were cancelled as Algie flew through the path of passenger aircraft. The balloon headed out towards the coast before crash-landing at a farm in Kent that night.

The pig was recovered and repaired so the photo-shoot could resume. but by the time he was brought back to Battersea, the cloudless, blue sky was deemed too 'boring'. So what Floyd fans eventually got was a composite picture.

Record bosses had to commission a new version of Algie for today's shoot. The original - which had been kept in a workshop in Halesworth, Suffolk - was found to be leaky.
The new pig was created by inflatables specialist Air Artists, which has worked with members of the band for many years. It needed 12 gas canisters to fill it and, this time, was tied firmly to the ground.

A Pink Floyd spokeswoman said: 'Sadly, two weeks prior to the event, the original neoprene-glued pig was officially declared not airworthy and a brand new high-frequency welded PVC replica Pink Floyd pig has been made for the occasion.'

The band's 14 albums have been remastered and are now available on CD.

There will also be new versions of Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall. Fans can expect them within weeks.

The album Animals was inspired by Orwell's book Animal Farm, in which humans are characterised as pigs, sheep and dogs.

After its release in 1977 it became a massive hit, reaching Number Two in the UK album charts and Number Three in America's Billboard charts. It has since gone platinum four times.

Inflatable pigs were one of the staple props of Pink Floyd's live shows. The first was a sow, but a very obviously male pig appeared in the 1980s.

Boston Radio Station WAAF 107.3 supports Task Force Yankee in Afghanistan

WAAF 107.3 is one of the radio mainstays in Boston. They used to be classic rock but have leaned more towards the metal/new rock edge. Times change and musical tastes change but Rock & Roll is here to stay...

WAAF has sent one of their DJs, "Mistress Carrie" to Afghanistan to support the troops. WAAF's homepage is here -


http://www.waaf.com/


Here is a few of here observations as she spends time at FOB PHOENIX in Kabul, one of my old stomping grounds. Pretty funny as some of her observations are spot on.

Things I've learned in Afghanistan so far
By Mistress Carrie

I’ve been spending a lot of time over the last few days, just hanging with the guys here in Afghanistan… It’s amazing the conversations that you can have, while you are sitting at a picnic table praying to the internet gods! It takes so long to load pics, audio, and video that you have nothing better to do, than ask questions of anyone that comes your way. There is such a cross section of people here, it’s amazing. There are over 15 countries involved in the allied forces in Afghanistan. The number of private contractors is amazing, and I cannot believe the number of locals that are walking around on base. Local Afghan civilians cook on base, they clean on base, and the build everything on base. Obviously they are supervised, but I NEVER had this kind of access to the local Iraqi’s 5 years ago. It’s culture shock times 10! Here are some of my observations so far.

1. Burning tires and poop is bad for your sense of smell, and your lungs.

2. The sound of a Blackhawk hovering over your bedroom is something that you get used to, and amazingly makes you feel relaxed.

3. People with purple hair (especially women) in Afghanistan get stared at constantly. It’s actually quite funny now!

4. There is such a thing as a ‘brass magnet’ and I am that person! It’s UNREAL! The guys in my unit think it’s out of control. They can never relax, you never know when a General is going to pop out and surprise us!

5. There is no other place that a dedicated soldier wants to be, than with ‘his guys’. No matter the injury or illness, they just want to get back to work. I’ve never seen dedication like I have seen here.

6. Bureaucracy is everywhere, even in a war zone.

7. There are certain things that our troops cannot live without… video games, movies, music, and Skype. Skype is the greatest for these guys. I’m watching a few soldiers Skype with their kids right now, and it makes me want to cry.

8. If you are tired enough, you can fall asleep anywhere!

9. DO NOT leave your Facebook page open in a room full of soldiers! BAD things can happen!

10. Ball busting is he same in any language!

11. You could make a fortune selling frozen margaritas here. I would pay $1000 for one right now!

12. Army coffee and hot chocolate is a great way to start the day… waking up at 0500 to drink it is NOT a great way to start the day.

13. It is possible that the biggest and toughest looking guy in Kabul, is an accountant. I’m not kidding, his name is Donald, and he is HUGE!!!

14. Anything can become normal, even people carrying automatic weapons into the cafeteria to eat breakfast!

15. Having a private security detail and up armored vehicles drive you everywhere makes you feel like the President!

16. Jello is awesome

17. It’s a small world. We keep bumping into people that we grew up with! My producer Mike is going to run from Mayor of Camp Phoenix soon, he knows everyone!

18. Grown men, no matter how tough, LOVE to make ice cream sundaes!

Attracting Sharks on the ocean by playing Rock N' Roll....AC/DC to be specific

Looks like a Shark Tour Operator has come up with a unique way to attract the BIG FISHIES to his tour boat....By pumping out AC/DC! Looks like the Sharks enjoy Angus Young & the boys doing their thing.

For those about to become " Shark Bait", we salute you !!


I attract great white sharks with music from AC/D-Sea
by Reporter, Sunday Mirror - New Zealand

A SHARK tour operator has found a new way to attract the monsters of the deep – playing AC/DC rock songs.

Matt Waller found out by chance that pumping out the band’s music on underwater speakers brought Great Whites to his boat.

Matt, 35, whose firm Down Under runs cage-diving trips off the Neptune Islands, South Australia, said: “I plugged my iPod into the speaker and AC/DC were first up. We started playing Back in Black and a big shark came right up to the boat.”

The sharks – particular fans of ­appropriately named live album If You Want Blood You’ve Got It – seem to like the low ­frequencies.

Matt added: “I’ve seen the sharks rub their faces on the cage where the music’s ­coming from to feel it.”

Bullitt and Pink Floyd.....Combined

Two Icons of the 1960s together....The car chase scene from the movie " Bullitt " (starring the coolest of cool guys Steve McQueen) and music from Pink Floyd specifically the song, " One of these days"......awesome. This works well.....

Time to Rock Out....U2 performs " ONE " live from Chicago

Weekend is here....Been a significant week with events and issues that make you glad to have all that you are blessed with in this life......This song has a great message....kick back and take a listen...

Figured it is a good time to rock out...A righteous version of a great U2 song...ONE live from Chicago....Take it away lads....