One of my favorites of all time ("How Deep Is Your Love?" by the Bee Gees) has been covered in very recent years by some musicians who truly get the beauty and underlying sorrow of the song.

The bird and the bee featured "How Deep is Your Love?" on their Please Clap Your Hands EP back in 2007. It is one of the few bird and the bee songs that sounds so vulnerable, heartfelt and honest. It's not that their other material isn't beautiful or that it's full of falsehoods...just that this song is completely free of their (almost) trademark teasing sound (where you're not quite sure if Inara George is mocking you or not.)

The Bad Plus (featuring the amazing voice of Wendy Lewis!!) is completely unconventional, meshing contemporary wayward jazz sounds with the vocalist's lovely, lovely voice. When their cover opens everything is a bit jarring, but soon the song settles into its odd rhythm and gets to the heart of the matter.

Though I will always love the original version the most, both covers got me to listen to the lyrics, not just hear them (Barry Gibb is amazing and I adore him, but he's not the easiest singer to understand.) Taking in the covers slowly I thought for the first time that this song applies to any couple who has ever faced outside pressures...especially from people (i.e. society) who don't think they belong together.


We belong to you and me  (a line from "How Deep") pretty much sums up all that matters when two people are in love with each other...nothing else matters, no one else has the right to judge them.

(Of course, this is my just two cents, but it's how I feel...)

The past two weeks of "Lost" have sent chills down my spine. April 6th's Desmond-centric episode and last night's Hugo-centric shared a soulmate theme that I was just a sucker for...especially when Libby sought out Hugo in the restaurant because she has started remembering their time together in the alternate time line, or rather the original time line (writing about this can be very confusing!).

The look on poor Hugo's face when he discovers she's actually slipped away from her doctor who has taken a group of psychiatric patients out for lunch is sweet and touching and just one of the many reason why everybody loves Hugo. That look says "well, that explains it!"..."that" meaning (to him) the only reason a woman like Libby would like him.

If you don't watch the show or haven't tuned in lately, then none of this makes sense to you...of course, even regular "Lost" fans often have trouble making sense of the show. But for those of us who haven't abandoned the show we continue to watch not just for the character development and "Twin Peaks"-like plot but because of the endearing appeal of the idea that love knows no boundaries.

During a scene last night where Hugo visits Libby at the hospital (her doctor insists it's not a good idea until Hugo offers him a generous donation) I found myself talking to the tv screen as I sometimes do when I witness two shy people not sure whether to share their feelings with each other.

I like the idea that (on tv shows and in movies, at least) a girl as pretty and special as Libby is (played so well by Cynthia Watros) could like a "big" guy like Hugo who has a wonderful heart and personality.

And I absolutely (!) loved it when Hugo's mom told him she'd set him up on a blind date and the first thing he asked wasn't "what's she look like?" but "what's she like?" (...because while Hollywood seems to embrace the 'looks don't matter' theme when it comes to how women see men, very rarely is that concept reversed...see shows like "King of Queens" for reference point!)

The Avalanches' Since I Left You is awesome, awesome stuff!! Released in the early 00s, it's a bit like something Girltalk would do, but magical and more dreamy-sounding than the exercise friendy and high energy albums by Girltalk.

Part of the fun in listening to both artists is trying to see if you can hear (and identify!) the hundreds and hundreds of sampled songs they seamlessly fit into their songs....

See what just one of the many glowing reviews for Avalanches' album says:

by MacKenzie Wilson

Taken from the band's critical beauty of the same name, "Since I Left You" leaves listeners spellbound and in a summer dreamscape of lushness and simplicity. The Avalanches mix carefree soul inside breezy electronic breaks for the savvy first single. The B-sides are equally charming. "Everyday" tinkers with Latin tinges molded over robotic vocals, but, again, the spiritual freedom of the music itself is what's so great. "Thank You Caroline" doesn't fall short of that either. Waltzing along with delicate music-box-like ambience, the Avalanches are chic and ahead of themselves by incorporating hip-hop synth beats. They're masterminds. Electronica is a bit garish, but classic cool thanks to their own wizardry. The Since I Left You single is a delectable piece of ear candy and is certainly shimmery and pretty enough to clue in on what's next from the band.

I couldn't sleep last night so I ended up watching "Vanilla Sky," which was airing on Bravo. I'm not crazy about watching feature films on commercial television so that right there is a huge problem. A film as complex and convoluted as VS needs to be viewed carefully, especially when you're gripped by the premise and the plot (is there really one?) but don't care at all for the lead (Tom Cruise plays obnoxious--and so well, too!--through so much of "Vanilla" that it's hard to feel any real sympathy for his character when his world goes rock bottom.)

It's been almost eight years since I first saw the movie and I think I liked it much better then. Today at my library I checked out the Spanish movie it's based on ("Abre Los Ojos" or "Open Your Eyes.") From what I've heard it's far superior...can't wait to watch it and compare notes...

 It sort of looks like weed, but it's actually an herb called mugwort.

Ever since I was a kid I've had the most intense dreams and nightmares. The very first nightmare I ever had (which, strangely, I can still can recall all these years later) involved a giant-sized spider opening the door to our family room (basement) and crawling down the stairs, its huge eyes staring at me and freezing me in my tracks.

I don't have too many "monster" dreams these days, but I have had some personal history somehow show up in my dreams despite how much I don't want it to...I've tried lucid dreaming, thinking peaceful thoughts before I fell asleep...nothing.

So since I can't really control the content of my dreams I've tried my best to try and have some good dreams to go along with the bad ones. Just like spicy foods before bedtime can cause horrific nightmares, there are some other foods and some herbs that can cause pleasant ones...

And that's where mugwort comes in. Mugwort is VERY hard to find in health food stores or any other offline place. But  online it's a breeze. Mugwort has been known (though it's pretty much impossible to scientifically prove) to increase the quality and intensity of dreams.

I haven't bought mugwort in pure form yet, but I did buy this product (which has 15 mg of mugwort):


And it really works! The other night I had one of the most vivid dreams I've ever had. Kava Kava, by the way, also can alter our dreams...

(more later!)