We’ve been hearing so much about tomorrow’s end of the world that we figured today is a good time to consider a fresh start–after the world ends tomorrow.  Funny, the Mayan’s don’t think the world will end tomorrow.  But that hasn’t stopped crazies around the world from fearing 12/21/12.  According to this article, the Mayans will “mark the new calendar with prayer and traditional ceremonies.”

So perhaps we should too.  After all, it is the winter solstice, a time when people of all traditions look to the return of the light — both physically (days will start getting longer on Saturday) and spiritually.  A good time to open Pandora’s box back up and grab the hope that still lies at the bottom.

Here’s a hopeful view of the world as sung by the great Louis Armstrong.

You wouldn’t think of this song as controversial, would you?  But it was when it was released in 1967, because of it’s subtle, anti-racist tone, mostly due to this stanza:
The colors of the rainbow
so pretty in the sky 
Are also on the faces
of people going by

ABC Records refused to promote it, so it sold fewer than 1000 copies in the U.S., while becoming a huge #1 hit in the U.K.  Of course, it’s a standard now and was performed beautifully by Gloucester’s youngest rock star, Snoop Maddie Mad this past June:

So much for the genius of record labels.

No major label artists in town this weekend, but who cares?  Check out Gloucester’s major talent (see complete live music schedule here) and get ready to party like it’s the end of the world!