The performance will take place in front of an intimate studio audience of benefactors and select media. (See ticket info at bottom.)

The Bridge Session will mix different musical genres, political discussion and modern technology into one mind-expanding evening of entertainment. The aim is to “bridge the gaps” between people of various tastes and viewpoints. The name also references TRI Studios’ location 15 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge, and The National’s home base of Brooklyn and its equally famous bridge.

The National’s Scott and Bryan Devendorf (bass and drums, respectively) assembled a band from within Brooklyn’s independent music scene for this one-time-only performance. Their setlist will include original songs by The Grateful Dead and The National, as well as cover songs with subtle (and not-so-subtle) political messages.

Between sets, a roundtable discussion will focus on issues that potentially unify people of divergent ideological perspectives - specifically, getting money out of politics and protecting the First Amendment. Grateful Dead lyricist and activist John Perry Barlow, one of the first public figures to bring attention to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), will be among the panelists. Fans watching The Bridge Session at home can ask questions to Weir, Barlow and other special guests via Twitter.

Our founder Marc Brownstein, who will be playing with his band Conspirator later that night in San Francisco, will serve as the event’s emcee.

TICKET INFORMATION: This event is a fundraiser for HeadCount, and 40 tickets will be sold to benefactors wishing to make tax deductible donations of $1,000 or more. All proceeds will directly support HeadCount’s efforts to register and engage voters. To purchase tickets or for more information, please e-mail TheBridgeSession@HeadCount.org

Just minutes before the Virginia House of Delegates was expected to vote on a bill requiring women to undergo a physically invasive transvaginal ultrasound procedure before having an abortion, the state's Republican Governor Bob McDonnell pulled his support for the bill. The purpose of the legislation was ostensibly  to give women an idea about the progress of their unborn fetus’ life before they decided to abort. But the technique, which calls for inserting a probe literally inside the private parts of a woman, has been called medically unnecessary by its many critics.

McDonnell, considered a likely choice for nomination as Vice President should Mitt Romney win the primaries, has been a vocal foe of abortion and originally supported the legislation. Then, rather unexpectedly, he declared on Wednesday that “mandating an invasive procedure in order to give informed consent is not a proper role for the state.” He added, "No person should be directed to undergo an invasive procedure by the state, without their consent, as a precondition to another medical procedure." A victory for personal liberty? Well, sort of…

The growing chorus of harsh criticisms for the measure surely had something to do with McDonnell's about face.

Among the critics were  The Daily Show's Jon Stewart, who pointed out that McDonnell expressed dismay with TSA patdowns in airports as a violation of civil liberties. Stewart flashed a clip of the Governor opposing the practice, and then opined “'Women might consider this a TSA patdown inside their vagina.” Stewart conceded that women would not have to look at the ultrasound image, and proposed an optimistic alternative: “During the entire wand-forcibly-inserted-in-your-most-private-area experience, you still have complete and total control over what direction your head is turned," he said. "So just set your iPod to shuffle, flip through a copy of Vanity Fair and try to ignore the fact that you're being handled like a human popsicle."

Stewart's rants certainly put the issue into the public sphere. But sometimes, silence speaks louder than words. This was demonstrated by hundreds of silent women who stood outside the VA state capitol on Monday to protest the anti-abortion legislation. McDonnell, clearly overwhelmed by the local and national outrcy, acted quickly. He called for two amendments to the bill.

— No woman in Virginia will have to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound involuntarily.

— Only a transabdominal, or external, ultrasound will be required to satisfy the requirements to determine gestational age.

The amended version of the bill passed in the House of Delegates by a vote of 65 – 32, mostly along party lines. But now the Virginia Senate has to vote on the new version, and the bill's original sponsor says she'll oppose it, because of the changes the Governor made. Stay tuned.

Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan

The title of this impressive album is drawn from the fourth track on the 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan, which was released a year before the protests against the Vietnam War began in earnest. Chimes of Freedom was written shortly after the release of Dylan’s iconic The Times They Are a-Changin, which gave a voice to the Baby Boomers who were then coming of age. The title is also a reflection on the freedom fighting that Amnesty International has done over the years.

The diverse group of musicians spans a variety of genres, so the album is full of surprises. The fact that people from so many different backgrounds worked on the compilation speaks volumes of the support that Amnesty International has in the music community and the impact that Dylan’s music has had on today’s artists. It was very interesting to hear musicians that I usually don’t listen to, such as Gaslight Anthem, Queens of the Stone Age, My Chemical Romance and Miley Cyrus, as well as those that I know quite well, like Lenny Kravitz, Elvis Costello, Michael Franti and Steve Earle. This album is worth listening to from start to finish, whether you’re a fan of the artists or not. Overall, the songs are performed well and pay homage to Dylan while letting each musician incorporate their own style into the songs. There are very few covers that aren’t up to snuff, but given that the album is 75 tracks and over five hours in length, a full listen should be in order.

The album can be purchased at http://music.amnestyusa.org on four CDs for $24.99 or you can purchase individual tracks for $1.29 each.

Having spent five hours listening to the entire album, here are 10 of the best tracks among the 75, although if you dive in, you’ll surely find that these are just the tip of the iceberg.

Blind Willie McTell - Tom Morello, The Nightwatchman
Most of the Time - Betty Lavette
Love Sick – Mariachi el Bronx
Outlaw Blues – Queens of the Stone Age
Heart of Mine – Blake Mills
Lay Lady Lay – Angelique Kidjo
The Times They are a Changin’ – Flogging Molly
It’s All Over Now Baby Blue – Bad Religion
Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright – Kronos Quartet
Like a Rolling Stone - Seal with Jeff Beck

Honorable mention:
You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go – Miley Cyrus

The college town outside of Atlanta is home to the University of Georgia, as well as a small business district that thrives on the patronage of students, alumni and locals. The music video (featured below) highlights the areas that would be the most negatively affected by the proposed Wal-Mart and shopping center. The musicians, who recorded the song under the moniker “Patterson Hood and the Downtown 13”, hope that that the song will help bring the issue to the attention of the public.

“This Atlanta developer wants to clog our cultural heart and build a bunker the size of three city blocks next to the vibrant downtown scene,” said Hood in a press release “They hit the easy button: a big box store in our downtown district is clearly misguided and a somewhat ridiculous notion. Downtown Athens is a dynamic network of local businesses — Athens already has a meaningful brand and we are extremely protective of it.”

While the locals behind the cause are not opposed to any specific company, they are broadly opposed to developing the area, which they believe would detract from Athens’ vibrant downtown economy. "We don't need a big box retailer, the very definition of the past, to once again bring us back through that dark episode of closed down storefronts and empty parking lots" said Hood, "Protect Downtown Athens-- that's what this is all about."

Protect Downtown Athens is a website produced by concerned community members to disseminate information about the ongoing efforts. The site provides a wealth of information outlining why the development (as currently proposed) could negatively impact the community. A few reasons cited include the possible affect that the store could have on traffic (auto, bike and pedestrian), parking and overall congestion downtown. It's worth noting that the site provides recommendations for sustainable integration, should the city move forward with a major big box development so near downtown.

Community activist Tony Eubanks says, "This isn't so much an anti-Walmart issue as it is that we don't want a 94,000 square foot store as part of our downtown. The size of this development and it's lack of connectivity to downtown and other publicly funded amenities is our issue."

While anyone can look at Clinch’s work for free with a simple Google Image search, the “Discovery Inn” app allows you to hear narration for every photo from the photographer himself. The app is currently going for $2.99, which is a small price to pay if you’re a photography enthusiast who wants to look inside the mind of a master of the craft or a music enthusiast who is curious what working with these stars is like.

Paying for a few narrated photos isn’t for everyone, so if you don’t feel like dropping the $2.99, I'd still recommend checking out Clinch’s work in other ways. The guy has been doing good work for a long time – he started as an intern for Annie Leibowitz – and a lot of his portraits have become iconic.

• First up, longtime watchers of education policy will remember Rick Santorum as the senator who proposed the Santorum Amendment back in 2001, an attempt to require the teaching of creationism in schools while questioning the validity of the theory of evolution. He still strongly supports this movement.
• Mitt Romney has laid out an education policy position that stresses standardized testing and school choice, although he has not taken a position on vouchers (a system where families would receive government funding that could be put toward their choice of private schools). On the issue of college affordability and funding, he is not a supporter of direct government support for education costs. Instead, according to one of his campaign managers, “He wants to empower families to save for their children's education by making money earned on savings interest, capital gains and dividends tax-free for all middle class taxpayers. In this way, middle class families could save more money for education or a home.”
• Candidates Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul have both come out against government-supported college loan programs. At one debate, Gingrich called it an “absurdity” and said it “expands the ability of students to stay in college longer because they don't see the cost.” Where Paul and Gingrich disagree, though, is on the issue of vouchers. Paul has called them “another tax-funded welfare program establishing an entitlement to a private school education.” Gingrich, meanwhile, is “a vocal supporter” of the School Choice Movement, with vouchers at the center of that policy position.
• Another issue dividing these candidates: whether the federal Education Department should exist at all. The general theme, when education has been raised in the debates, is that the federal government should leave education to the states; some of the candidates have gone so far as to promise to eliminate the department altogether (Ron Paul and former candidate Rick Perry foremost among them). Romney is the odd one out in this field, having never been especially vocal about keeping education at the state level – he is the only candidate who had kind words for Obama's “Race to the Top” education program, for which he has taken heat in debates.
• Finally, let's look at some of the more unique stands brought out by the Republican field. Newt Gingrich has come up with the plan that's drawn the most attention: he believes that schools should cut budgets and support children of low-income families by firing their janitors and hiring the kids. This comes as part of his push to roll back child labor regulations, which he believes are limiting the ability of low-income kids to better themselves. Meanwhile, Rick Santorum has been railing against Obama for what he sees as elitist attempts to get all kids to go to college, saying he was “outraged” by it. In a later campaign appearance, he said left-leaning “indoctrination” occurs at colleges and universities and therefore "It's no wonder President Obama wants every kid to go to college.” Most of the other candidates have stated the need for widespread higher education as a way to get America's economy back on track.

The education field could be an important one in this primary, as it seems to be one area where the candidates are willing to show their differences. For now, as primary season continues: enjoy the fireworks.

What was your mission in playing at Occupy events?

Mostly to bring attention and awareness to the fact that it was happening. I generally do free, spontaneous outdoor shows (I call them "ninja gigs") everywhere I go, and since I had a tour coinciding with the start of the movement, it made sense to gather people at Occupy instead of a random local park. I like connecting the dots. A lot of my fans hadn't been to their city's Occupy site, and this was a good excuse to get them there to experience the site in person instead of just seeing footage on CNN. On top of that, I liked the idea that I could bring some random joy to the actual occupiers... like a traveling minstrel. I played music that was both geared towards the movement and played music that was totally irrelevant and simply entertaining... but that's not actually irrelevant, is it?

The Occupy movement has exploded all over the world. Since your travels to many of the occupation sites, what do you think is really at the heart of this movement?

People are discontent and this was a chance, an outlet, a platform from which to express their discontent. And yes, I think the Occupy movement has had an effect. It brought people together, it tightened communities, and it reminded a whole generation that democracy requires participation to function. If it only leaves a small wave in the ocean, that wave will hopefully grow to a tsunami when today's teenagers grow into tomorrow's leaders and recall the images of people trying to speaks their minds.

How did you see music play a role or place in the Occupy movement? 

I think music and protest are perfect bedfellows. Music can often get to to the emotional heart of a matter much more quickly than speaking, that's why songs are so powerful. Can you imagine the Vietnam War protests without the soundtrack provided by the generation of music-makers? Way more boring.

Do you think music has the power to cause real change?

What kind of change? I think music often changes people more than anything. Even if it's just for a moment. It's funny, I've been thinking lately what the world would look and feel like if music were suddenly removed from political TV ads, from commercials, from films? Imagine this clip about Occupy (my favorite) without the soundtrack. Music provides a bridge into the deeper parts of our emotional beings.

In your blog posts about your travels to the Occupy sites, you mentioned that “what was bizarre was how INCREDIBLY similar the feel of every occupation was; yet how different the energy was depending on the city.” Could you give an example of how the energy was different from place to place?

Oi vey. Sure. The energy at Occupy LA was slightly off-putting... Everywhere I turned people were getting pissed at each other. The main square was pumping techno and people were hula-hooping and playing soccer, but the vibe wasn't very...inclusive? I mean, in a way it was sort of cheerful, but it also just seemed like Burning Man had taken over a city block and people were just psyched for the party. Then again, my experience in all these places was based on an hour or so of walking around. Oakland had incredibly hard-working, peaceful energy around it. The energy in Boston was also very Boston-y, super-intellectual and slightly grumpy. The energy in Vancouver was stark ... A death by overdose had taken place there two days before.

What was single the most interesting thing you saw at Occupy?

i was definitely impressed by the vision of someone at Occupy Oakland providing ice cream en masse for the occupiers and the general public...  and for good measure, here's some beautiful graffiti at Occupy Vancouver: 

Some people think the movement is fading. What are your thoughts on that?  What do you think is (should be?) next for the movement, and the young activists involved?

My thoughts are that the movement will evolve. If it's fading, then it's fading and it's served whatever purpose it was supposed to serve. The real question is whether people will keep voicing their opinions without the romance and the drama of the tents and encampment. One of the best things I think could come of this is the opening of people's eyes to how they can take democracy into their OWN hands. On their own street. Maybe some barriers have been broken down and people will feel less reservations about helping their neighbors. I'd hope that's the case. If we're going to turn this system around, we have to go deep, to the root, and it means letting go of fear. Fear of helping each other. We're so disconnected from each other, and we've been convinced into it. We've all been raised by a culture that lead us to believe that to get ahead, we've got to step on the head of the person beneath us. And that's not really working, is it ...for anybody.

The HeadCount blog is a forum for our community where we welcome all opinions and perspectives. The following does not necessarily represent the views of the HeadCount organization. We welcome anyone with an opposing viewpoint to become a contributor to our blog. Please email editor@headcount.org for more information.

In hockey, a “Goalie Controversy” usually refers to differing opinions of who should be a starter. This week it took on new meaning when the Stanley Cup-winning Bruins visited President Obama at the White House, and starting goaltender Tim Thomas  - the only American player on the Bruins with his name on the trophy - wasn’t there with them.

He took to Facebook to explain why:

I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People.

This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government.

Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.

He's not the first athlete to publicly diss Obama and an invitation to the White House, but his decision did not go over well with many Bostonions, with the teams’ front office or with the media. Dave Hodge, a veteran commentator on ESPN’s Canadian sister network, tweeted an observation that “Tim Thomas has three children named Kiley, Kelsey and Keegan,” implying the goaltender supported the KKK.

The Boston Globe ran a story that quoted an anonymous team official calling Thomas “[Expletive] selfish [expletive].”

And now there are reports that Thomas, who twice won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender, will probably get traded.

We are die-hard sports fans in Boston and we love and worship our stars more than other fans could ever conceive. However, that doesn't mean we wish to hear their opinions off the playing field. Boston is a true-blue Liberal city and we're willing to suffer through a good 'ol boy GOP member on our teams as long they stay off their high horse about it. Kurt Schilling of the Red Sox is a perfect example of that. Thomas - in feeling the need to turn what should have been a proud moment in hockey and making it an ugly political debate - made a bad error in judgement.

Even if he feels strongly about Obama's policies, he should have attended the meeting in order to support his team and the tradition of American hockey. When discussing this with my sister she had a good point: during the Bush presidency countless Canadians had to come down and shake George W.'s hand and take pictures with him despite the fact that the far-more liberal Canucks (who's "conservative" party is more like a "libertarian" at best) probably hated Bush just as much as the rest of their country did. Tim Thomas would be wise to remember that - in the end - his Canadian and eastern European counterparts actually wound up looking like better Americans than Thomas that day.

Now, I should acknowledge that not everyone agrees with me on this. HeadCount Executive Director Andy Bernstein, with whom I share a love of hockey, sent me this response when I submitted the first draft of this blog.

I would argue that what he did was distinctly and proudly American, and stands exactly with the values of HeadCount... he made his voice heard. He used the bully pulpit he has to make a statement, just like we encourage musicians to do. You make the point that Canadian players "had" to meet G. W. Bush. But they didn't. That's the whole point. It's a free country. And this was an opportunity for him to exercise his right to free speech.

My response was that, OK they didn't have to - they did it out of respect. I thought what he did was disrespectful to his team and to the President. He had a right to think and say whatever he wants, but now that whole experience is going to be tarnished for the rest of the team. To me it shows a more dismal future for any bipartisanship in the future.

Andy had more to say on that:

But you can make that argument any time someone speaks out when everyone else is silent. In fact, people do. Any time someone takes a strong stand in a way that gets noticed, someone publicly denounces them for it. Tim Thomas, clearly believes that there is an oppressive force hurting America, and he had an opportunity to call attention to that. How can we argue that "respect" should trump someone's right and desire to promote change they believe in?

Since Andy is ostensibly in charge of this blog, I guess I should give him the last word. But just remember this Tim Thomas: backup Tuuka Rask has a better Goals Against Average than you this season. You made the choice to diss the team and the President. Boston and the Bruins may just diss you back.

It was great to see Bobby in his newly finished TRI Studios in Marin last night. TRI Studios is a perfect setting for a band to rehearse, record and broadcast. Given it is Bobby's place, it was only fitting that Ratdog do a broadcast there.

There was lots of love in the room between the band members and the small group of friends and invitees in attendance. It's an intimate setting for everyone, which I think was even felt by the countless others watching via the live HD stream into cyberspace. The studio even has a Twitter and Facebook stream along side of the live feed for people to share their experiences while watching from all over the globe. The tweet and Facebook deck is nice because it allows you to feel connected to people all over the country and the globe sharing the same experience.

Growing up on the Grateful Dead, living in the Bay Area and having a parent that's a hardcore Deadhead all add up to having a great appreciation for the sound, style and scene the Dead created.

It appears Bobby was right when he said there were no instructions or guidance for doing this live studio stream. However he may be on to something. After talking to a few friends who watched, there is a business here for sure. An "entrance fee" for the live stream is small price to pay for the entertainment provided. I imagine that Bobby's onto something before its time... "All good things, in all good time" as the story of the Dead continues today.

A special thank you goes to Bobby and Ratdog for making the whole event special and I would personally like to give a shout out to HeadCount for extending the invitation to me and my date to attend. Hope to do it again sometime soon.