Sunday Music: Everybody's Talkin', Harry Nilsson

Album Title: Everybody's Talkin'

Why I Bought It: For "Coconut". (While grazing on the satellite dish, I hit the segment of "The Witches" where they sing that song, and felt a sudden lack....)

What I Like (Silly): "Coconut". What is there to say? A Caribbean-flavored song about an unfortunate woman and her grumpy doctor, full of flair and fun.

What I Like (Desolate): "Without You". I like the low-pitched chorus, in particular. I also have the original, by Badfinger, but much prefer this one. (Mariah Carey's version, which I don't have, isn't bad, but this one is better IMO; her voice can't quite handle the low parts.)

What I Like (Soft): "All I Think About Is You". Gentle, tuneful, and deeply loving.

What Puzzles Me (Luddite?): "Spaceman". This is one of two songs I have about being an astronaut - the other is Elton's "Rocket Man" - and both of them are pretty negative about it. Are there any pop songs by pro-space geeks? (No, Queen's "Flash" doesn't count.)

Overall: I like this album moderately well. "Me and My Arrow" is kind of saccharine, but "One", the title track, "The Moonbeam Song", and "Daybreak" are pretty good. I could do without the metroparochiality of "I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City", though.

Ow

To the best of my recall, I managed to get through my entire childhood without once being stung by a bee or wasp. (I was badly bitten by an ant once, but I deserved it, given that I was digging up the anthill with a spoon at the time.)

Any hope that I would extend that streak to my entire life ended today. I was putting out the garbage and recyclables when I noticed something clinging to my left arm. I shook my arm gently, then less gently, then with great vigor as it penetrated just what was clinging to my left arm, and what else was circling around the garbage bin.... I spilled the recyclables as I backed off to assess the situation. Eventually it became clear that the wasps' attention was highly localized, and I was able to maneuver around them and dump the recyclables into their bin.

I was definitely stung, but seem to have gotten off lightly; the pain has faded (but I really should restock on topical steroids), and there doesn't seem to be an embedded stinger. A very tiny welt....