bob dylan – still out there doing it

Bob Dylan, American singer-songwriter and poet, was born 70 years ago today. His early songs such as “Blowin’ in the Wind” became anthems for the US civil rights and anti-war movements.  That particular song was widely recorded and became an international hit for Peter, Paul and Mary:

Dylan’s website offers up a series of comments in tribute to the artist:

MAYA ANGELOU
The truth is, Bob Dylan is a great American artist.  He supported the human being, the spirit of being an American — of knowing that the mountains and the rivulets and the voting booths belong to all of us, all the time.

HARRY BELAFONTE
Bob Dylan has lifted the spirits of millions of people in the world. He has inspired great numbers of artists, and has made those of us who have met him come to be rewarded by the encounter.

SENATOR BILL BRADLEY
I’ve been a fan of Bob’s since the mid-’60s. His lyrics had an appealing complexity to them that spoke on many levels and allowed one’s imagination to flow, in addition to the music and his distinctive voice.   I think Bob’s always been who he is. He’s still out there doing it and that means that his public, in this case me, will never be deprived of hearing where he’s coming from at a particular time in their lives.

 All I would add is thank you for your music…and happy birthday Mr. Dylan!

the web is what you make of it

A few weeks ago I attended the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s Spring Luncheon and had the opportunity to hear syndicated columnist and author Dan Savage speak again about the “It Gets Better” Project that he and his partner Terry launched last fall.  Beginning with one inspiring video, Dan used the web to create a movement that has generated thousands of uplifting videos that give hope to LGBT teens.  Earlier this month, Google Chrome began running a prime time ad highlighting the project:

This video and others like it from parents, celebrities, politicians, companies, college students, etc. attempt to show young LGBT people the levels of happiness, potential, and positivity their lives will reach — if they can just get through their teen years.  Last week, the San Francisco Giants announced their plans to become the first sports team to create a video (full story here).  As of this morning, the project’s YouTube channel has over 10,000 user-created videos and over 30 million views.

As the Google Chrome ad reminds us, this amazing effort demonstrates the power of social media and ”the web is what you make of it”.