Shawn Phillips has a beautiful song from the mid-’60s called Coming Down Soft and Easy. A line from the song pops into my head now and then: “Psychosomatic delusions of euphoria”. It makes me think, “it’s okay be be happy for while – try not to overthink it!” Psychosomatic delusions of euphoriaBetter dig it nowBefore […]
From Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrows) by John Prine For a heart stained in anger grows weak and grows bitter You’ll become your own prisoner as you watch yourself sit there Wrapped up in a trap of your very own Chain of sorrow My heart’s in the ice house, come hill or come valley Like […]
The book Ministry of the Future is still rattling around in our collective WLBOTT heads. How can people not see the undeniable? Author Kim Stanley had to place himself in a very dark place to understand the “burn it all down” attitude. He understands Our Republican Friends’ response to climate change: “The Götterdämmerung Syndrome, as […]
I just realized – The Queen of the Night Aria probably represents the most universal of human experiences: a teenage girl has her mom down to her very last nerve. [watch on YouTube] Elena Moșuc Soprano Elena Moșuc plays the queen. How ’bout this for keeping the dream alive! Ms. Moșuc sings at the Zurich […]
So this morning I was looking for cover versions of Lady Gaga’s Poker Face (part of the WLBOTT creative process… let’s not get into it too much), and one of the top Spotify suggestions was by Wing (Wing Han Tsang / 曾咏韓 / Zēng Yǒnghán). Through many twists and turns, I learned that that Wing […]
Hello, World! The following is certified to raise your mood by a minimum of 3.1415% The Story Dramatis personae Lisette Oropesa: the acclaimed operatic soprano UC#1a and UC#4 noticed that her name can make an anagram of the word “Opera”. Here’s what we came up with: Liu Jianwei: a student at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Nicolini […]
Stay A Little Longer You ought to see my blue eyed Sally She lives a way down on Shinbone Alley The number on the gate is the number on the door And the next house over is the grocery store You can’t go home if you’re going by the mill ‘Cause the bridge washed out […]
We celebrate Mexican singer/songwriter Lila Downs! Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps – Lila Downs (based on the song by Joe Davis / Oswaldo Farres) You won’t admit you love me And so, how am I ever, to know, You always tell me: Perhaps, perhaps, quizás Así pasan los días Y yo desesperada Y tú, tú contestando […]
We were saddened to recently learn of the passing of Jerrold Laurence Samuels (May 3, 1938 – March 10, 2023), better known as Napoleon XIV Jerrold was probably best known for his 1966 top-40 hit “They’re Coming to Take Me Away Ha Haaa!” “Half a million copies in five days.” = 500,000 / (5 * […]
Ladies and gents, We are in the final phases of beta-testing the WLBOTT time machine. Although we are in the zetta-joule range, we have enough power to send back in time: So, the question is: what historical figures do we reach out to, and what will be on the playlist? So, send me your suggestions. […]