Not only does Jimmy Buffett personally try to improve the lives of soldiers by performing for them and raising money for the wounded, he also does so in a way he may not even be aware of.

A Fox News article published on Monday describes slang terms used by soldiers in Iraq to try to take the edge off:

The Department of Veterans Affairs has published a list detailing the vocabulary of Operation Iraqi Freedom — a list that contains such entries as “death blossom,” a term originating in the 1984 science-fiction film “The Last Starfighter.” It is used by servicemen to describe fire sprayed indiscriminately in all directions. The list also includes the terms “Mortaritaville” and “Bombaconda,” both referring to LSA Anaconda, a base near Balad, Iraq, that is frequently the target of mortar attacks.

“Soldiers use these terms because they try to make the best they can of their situation and give things kind of a humorous angle,” said Lt. Col. Charles Kohler of the Maryland National Guard.

The term “Mortaritaville,” a reference to the Jimmy Buffett song “Margaritaville,” is only one of many terms soldiers use to take the edge off an environment that is potentially frightening and often beyond their control, said Indiana University linguist Michael Adams.

“It’s making a really terrifying experience manageable by attempting to make it familiar,” Adams said.

Read the full article here.

(hat tip to Tim for passing this along)

Jimmy and Jane Buffett recently hosted a kickoff celebration for the Child Study Center Foundation at their home:

As far we know, no one was searchin’ for [their] lost shaker of salt at Jimmy Buffett’s home during the kickoff celebration for the Child Study Center Foundation.

That was probably a positive, as this isn’t really margarita season, and it also enabled guests such as Ronald Perelman, Jon Corzine, Linda Carter and Claude Wasserstein to discuss the charity more coherently. The author and musician and his wife, longtime supporters of the organization, looked every bit as casual as they would, say, at the beach.

Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band performed Saturday at Neil Young’s annual Bridge School Benefit in Mountain View, California. The San Jose Mercury News has a review of the show:

After all that, Sheryl Crow was perfectly positioned to deliver a fan-friendly set, yet she disappointed by only dishing out a handful of hits. It would be up to Jimmy Buffett, the mayor of “Margaritaville,” to really get the party started.

The 62-year-old singer-songwriter, in his long-overdue Bridge debut, accomplished that task in fine fashion as he and his seven-piece Coral Reefer Band rolled out tender versions of “A Pirate Looks at Forty” and “Come Monday” as well as the tropical anthems “Volcano” and “Margaritaville.” They also played a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias” – which the most-famous Deadhead in attendance, basketball great Bill Walton, dubbed as “excellent.” (Buffett performed only on Saturday, while comedian Adam Sandler filled that time slot on Sunday.)

Jimmy Buffett is lending his hand to Marine Stadium, a Miami landmark that has been in disrepair since Hurricane Andrew damaged it in 1992. Originally built for hydroplane racing, the venue hosted several Jimmy Buffett concerts, including the 1985 show that was taped for the Live By The Bay VHS.

Jimmy has cut a video in support of the stadium:

Visit miamistadium.org for more information.

Jimmy Buffett will perform at the 23rd annual Bridge School Benefit on Saturday, October 24th. The event is held at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA (suburb of San Francisco).

The lineup for the 23rd annual Bridge School Benefit concerts was unveiled today, bringing another star-studded lineup to Shoreline Amphitheatre including acoustic performances by Neil Young, No Doubt, Jimmy Buffett (performing Saturday only), Chris Martin of Coldplay, Adam Sandler (performing Sunday only), Sheryl Crow, Fleet Foxes, Monsters of Folk (featuring Conor Oberst, Yim Yames, M. Ward and Mike Mogis), Wolfmother and Gavin Rossdale.

These iconic annual concerts hosted by Neil and Pegi Young benefit The Bridge School, a program for the communicative and educational development of children with severe speech and physical impairments.

Tickets for the Bridge School Benefit Concerts go on sale Sunday, September 20th at 10am at Livenation.com or charge by phone at (877) 598-6659.

Tickets may be purchased at the Shoreline Amphitheatre Box Office between 10am to 2pm on Sundays with no service charge.

Advance tickets are $150.00 and $75.00 for reserved seating and $39.50 for general admission plus applicable service charges. Four packs of general admission tickets may be purchased for $99.00. There is a 4 ticket limit for reserved seats and 8 ticket limit on the lawn for these shows.