Hey there!

Jubal and I have just returned from our first short tour to the Atlanta area, and it was not only great fun, I feel that it was a beneficial trip. We made some great contacts, and played in some sweet venues, and made lots of new friends.

We are very busy for the next month in this area, and then we head up north. I hope you can make it out to some of our upcoming gigs. Here are the ones for this weekend. We are going to be helping out with a couple very worthwhile benefits in April, one is this Sunday for the Orange County Rape Crisis Center, and on April 20th, we will be performing in Durham to help the NC Million Mom March. Check out my website for more info on these and other  

Friday, 3/30 - Kim Solo Performance

Border's Books & Music (Central Raleigh)

404 -101 East Six Forks Rd

Raleigh  NC

919.755.9424

8 - 10 pm

Saturday 3/31 - Mad Hatter

2200 W. Main Street,

Durham, NC

919.286.1987

8-10 pm

Sunday, 4/1 - Orange County Rape Crisis Benefit 

Frank Porter Graham Student Union

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Doors will open at 11:45am,

Show will start at 12:00 noon, 

(I am scheduled to play around 2:20)

$2.00 donation

Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc. Will host its third annual benefit concert, SHEREHE, All proceeds will go to the Orange County Rape Crisis Center. SHEREHE, which means "celebration" in Swahili, aims to bring together the campus and community to stop sexual violence. This event was made possible by The Residence Hall Association, Sangam, The Black Student Movement, and the Office of the Dean of Students. 

Free food, dancing and, and entertainment will be provided. Various artists from the campus and community will perform dances, songs, steps, and even spoken word. There will be door prizes and a DJ. T-shirts will be on sale for 10.00. All profits from the shirts will also go to the OCRCC.

We are going to be helping out with a couple very worthwhile benefits in April, This one for the Orange County Rape Crisis Center, and on April 20th, we will be performing in Durham to help the NC Million Mom March. Check out my website for more info or go to www.ncmillionmimmarch.org.

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As you know I like to forward on interesting tidbits, and here is one
I thought we could all benefit from. Just another reason to B+ (be
positive)

Forgiving others may do a body good
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - "Forgive and forget" may be more than a
nice sentiment. New research suggests it is also good health advice.
While some people may feel they have a right to hold grudges against
those who hurt them, this unforgiving stance might take a toll on the
body over time, according to a report in the March issue of
Psychological Science. On the other hand, researchers say, granting
forgiveness might help shield the body from certain harms.


Simply put, harboring a grudge is stressful. The body has "sub-
systems" designed to deal with stressors, but constantly putting them
to the test can inflict some "wear-and-tear," Dr. Charlotte vanOyen
Witvliet of Hope College in Holland, Michigan, explained in an
interview.

Indeed, some research has linked habitual anger, hostility and
anxiety to a higher risk of heart problems. On the other hand, one
recent study suggested that laughter boosts heart health.

Theoretically, Witvliet said, people who routinely ruminate over past
wrongs may "chip away" at their physical health.

To measure the short-term effects of forgiveness and grudge-holding,
Witvliet and her colleagues studied 71 men and women who described an
experience in which a friend, family member or partner hurt them.
They then had to follow scripts that simulated two conditions. In
the "grudge condition," participants were prompted to "rehearse the
hurt" and think about how the offenders should suffer for their
transgressions. The "forgiveness condition" prompted participants to
empathize with the offender and acknowledge that they, too, have hurt
others.

Throughout both conditions, Witvliet's team measured participants'
blood pressure, heart rate and other physiological responses.

The researchers found that when participants harbored grudges they
reported more negative feelings, anger, sadness and a lack of
control. What's more, their heart rates and blood pressure rose, and
they showed greater nervous system activity.

What these short-term responses mean to long-term health is unclear,
but Witvliet said that making grudges a habit might harm
cardiovascular health over time. In addition, she noted, stress has
been found to impair the immune system. A compromised immune system
may have a host of health consequences, including greater
vulnerability to infection.

While forgiveness was linked to better physical functioning in this
study, Witvliet stressed that it is important for people to know what
true forgiveness is.

The study participants were not asked to excuse or ignore the
behavior of those who hurt them, but instead take a "merciful stance"
toward them, she explained.

"It is certainly not about being a doormat," she said.

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Spring is in the air today. . . .  Take some time to enjoy it!