It's A Barbie World....................

I live in a modest 3/2 condo with my husband and godchild.  We have one van, an old truck, and a jon boat.  We live simply, but well, considering the dire economic situation. Yet within the confines of our humble abode dwell scores of impossibly coiffed, voluptuous uber consumers that never seem to be satisfied with what they have.

These creatures are called BARBIES.

Our Barbies have an SUV, a camper equipped with a full bath, a new sports car, bicycles, a townhouse, elegant furnishings, flat screen TVs, cell phones, and the latest fashions.  Yet with every new day, they seem to want more.  And more.  They are truly insatiable.

It's not that I have anything against Barbie herself.  I had one of my own, in the long ago and faraway days when there was just one of her.  My parents fashioned furniture for her, and even created homespun attire.  I have fond memories of those days.

But TODAY!  These Barbie clones are never-ending.  In every store, there is yet another sitting on the shelf, begging to be bought.

They are frightening.

Perhaps we should take a momentary eye away from the world's ever increasing problems and focus upon the enemy within our own homes.

War on Barbies.

Think about it.

Zaba Grace

"Be who you say you are/let your actions speak for you/not your mouth/no not your mouth/'cause I believe your actions before your words..." Sorry, Charlie from My Own Skin

Don't let the package fool you. Despite her waif-like appearance, Zaba Grace is not a Disney band-in-a-box replica spewing lyrical teen angst. The music is real, and sometimes raw, and rather than plucking a few heart strings, it rips the organ out whole.

At times an adult lamentation and others a discarnate reverie, the debut album My Own Skin runs the gamut of human emotion. From the plaintive cries of hold me, hold me, hold me/let me cry, let me be how I need to be in How I Feel to the in-your-face indignation of god to the hopeful strains of Free, My Own Skin delivers a musical tapestry of what it means to be mortal, and resonates across genre boundaries.

The album is dedicated to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. Please note the word survivor. In a society where victimization is the cause du jour, Zaba Grace emerges triumphant as a survivor, the proverbial phoenix from the ashes. May her flight be long and successful! (Catch Zaba Grace at her debut performance in the Upstate at the Battle of the Bands Sunday, January 10, at The Gathering Place in downtown Greenville, SC. Contact the venue for ticket information.)

-MSG