JWDailies 06-08-2021

Song of the day: “On Top of the World” by bluegrass fiddle virtuoso Mark O’Connor, from his 2021 release Markology II. Here is the original version from his first guitar album, Markology, released in 1978. Poem of the day: “Six O’Clock Flight to the Interment” by Philip White. Fact of the day: The action-packed story … Read more

JWDailies 06-04-2021

Song of the day: “Woodstock” was written by Joni Mitchell who famously skipped that event for a previously scheduled appearance on the Dick Cavett Show. But she made up for it by writing the definitive song about the gentle, peace-loving, utopian, laid-back, free-flowing hippie spirit of that moment in time. The earliest live version of … Read more

JWDailies 06-03-2021

Song of the day: “Irene” by Ian Noe. Poem of the day: “Altars” by Austin Rodenbiker. Fact of the day: Informative discussion about what the Apple iPhone ecosystem doesn’t allow you to do. Leaned one thing today: An interesting reflection on the ways in which the shape of a painting influences our understanding of its … Read more

JWDailies 06-01-2021

Song of the day: “Fountain of Sorrow” by Jackson Browne. Poem of the day: “Astrobleme” by Elizabeth Lindsey Rogers. Fact of the day: The number of Master’s and Doctoral degree holders in the U.S. has doubled since the turn of the century. Learned one thing today: There is a difference between price volatility and inflation. … Read more

JWDailies 05-31-2021

Song of the day: “One Way Ticket (Because I Can)” by LeAnn Rimes. Poem of the day: “Tender Buttons: Objects—Food—Rooms” by Gertrude Stein. This is the entire book of Cubism-influenced ‘verbal still lifes’ that are more about the juxtaposition and sounds of words than any literal meaning per se. Beautiful stuff if you approach it … Read more

JWDailies 05-27-2021

Song of the day: “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” by Solid Air. Great cover. This song brings back freshman year memories of that Basement Tapes bootleg I bought that had this song. My roomie (harp maestro Bill Newton) would sing this tune all day long … Tie yourself to a tree with roots. Poem of the … Read more

JWDailies 05-26-2021

Song of the day: “Searching for a Heart” by Warren Zevon. Poem of the day: “This Is Not a Small Voice” by Sonia Sanchez. Fact of the day: Tracking global “uncertainty.” Learned one thing today: How the pandemic changed people’s view of wealth. Visual of the day: A 1978 Dylan portrait drawn by Ralph Steadman … Read more

JWDailies 05-25-2021

Song of the day: “Long Wide Open Road” by Darrell Scott. Poem of the day: “Stove” by Philip Booth. Fact of the day: In economics, a culture of “debate through tweets” has replaced “debate through books.” I think this is true in everything, and it’s not a good thing. Learned on thing today: We want … Read more

JWDailies 05-21-2021

Song of the day: “Build Me Up Buttercup” by The Foundations. Poem of the day: “The Storm-torn Edge of Heaven” by Mark Cox. Fact of the day: A history of the past 100 years through the lens of New York Times headlines. Learned one thing today: Interesting speculation that, perhaps, God is a liberal. Visual … Read more

JWDailies 05-20-2021

Song of the day: “Tonight the Streets are Ours” by Richard Hawley. Poem of the day: “Muted Music” by Robert Penn Warren. Fact of the day: The good news is that there are 50 billion wild birds in the world today. The sad news is that 10 percent of species are down to 5,000 individuals … Read more