"Superpower" by Adam Lambert

What a fun, effective mix of 70s rock and funk--via a 2019 filter--in this new song, "Superpower" by Adam Lambert.

http://www.adamofficial.com/

All The Love

The first time I died
Was in the arms of good friends of mine.
They kiss me with their tears.
They hadn't been near me for years.
Say, why do it now
When I won't be around, I'm going out?

"We needed you
To love us too.
We wait for your move."

Only tragedy allows the release
Of love and grief never normally seen.
I didn't want to let them see me weep,
I didn't want to let them see me weak,
But I know I have shown
That I stand at the gates alone.

"I needed you
To love me too.
I wait for your move."

All the love, all the love,
All the love you should have given.
All the love, all the love,
All the love we could have given.
All the love, all the love,
All the love

The next time I dedicate
My life's work to the friends I make,
I give them what they want to hear.
They think I'm up to something weird
And up rears the head of fear in me.
So now when they ring
I get my machine to let them in.

"I needed you
To love me too.
I wait for your move."

All the love, all the love,
All the love you should have given.
All the love, all the love,
All the love we could have given.
All the love, all the love,
All the love

"Take care, tootle-ooh."
"Bye."
"Bye for now then."
"Bye!"
"Later."
"Bye!"
"Cheerio."
"Bye!"
"Bye bye."
"Bye."
"Stay healthy."
"Bye-ee!"
"Bye."
"Bye."
"Cheers."
"See ya, love."
"Bye!"
"Good bye."
"I'll see ya soon."
"Good night."
"We needed you
To love us too.
We wait for your move."

http://www.katebush.com/home

BEAUTY: Painting--Hrvoje Majer

The portraiture work of Hrvoje Majer is a homoerotic love letter to the beauty of men's faces and bodies.

Top to bottom: Afternoon In Berlin; Equinox Encounter; Grandfather's Coat; He Just Couldn't Deal With It; He Was Good With His Hands; He Was Good With His Hands II; Holiday; Letting It Go; Looking At The Freud; Past Hurts...Until You Let It Go; Skater's Morning; The Great Gardener

https://www.instagram.com/hrvoje.majer/

"Lanarka" by Sébastien Léger

I am being elevated by this euphoric, ecstatic track, "Lanarka" by French producer and DJ Sébastien Léger.

https://soundcloud.com/sebastienleger

BEAUTY: Painting--Jiří Hauschka

The enigmatic, colorful work of Jiří Hauschka made me gasp when I first saw it. Mysterious landscapes present concepts and narratives I want to step into, to see it all closer. These places seem to be full of magic and things beyond the physical world.

Top to bottom: A Lot of Things in the Garden; Bath; Bird Lake; Bird Song; Birds; Elastic World; I Am In Love With Your Brother; I Should Go There; Thickets; This Must Be The Place; untitled; White River

http://jirihauschka.com/

Seize This Very Minute!

“Lose the day loitering, 'twill be the same story

To-morrow, and the next more dilatory,

For indecision brings its own delays,

And days are lost lamenting o'er lost days.

Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute!

What you can do, or think you can, begin it!

Only engage, and then the mind grows heated;

Begin it, and the work will be completed.”

― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Pete For President 2020!

https://peteforamerica.com/

Happy Autumnal Equinox 2019!

Today is the official start of autumn, when our planet begins to tilt the other direction, tipping the northern hemisphere away from the sun. The days grow shorter, nights grow longer, as we move indoors and into ourselves for hibernation and introspection. Autumn is a time of harvest as the earth moves into hibernation as well. It is a beautiful time, a spiritual transition, a doorway between summer and winter.

HAPPY AUTUMNAL EQUINOX 2019!

(And for our friends Down Under, Happy Spring!)

Happy Birthday "Oh, By The Way" 2019!

Congratulations "Oh, By The Way," you are TEN years old today! A whole decade!

Ten years ago, I had a dream in which I started a blog called “Oh, By The Way.” When I woke up that morning, I went to the computer and promptly started a blog called “Oh, By The Way.” Seriously--it was the first thing I did that morning, and yes, I often act out in waking life things I have dreamt.

"Oh, By The Way" is my digital scrap book of things I like, things I would share with a close friend and say: “Oh, by the way, do you know of this artist/ clothing or interior designer/ model/ singer/ actor/ gorgeous man… or, have you seen this video/ photo/ film... or heard (or do you remember) this song/ band... or, read this book/ poem/ inspiring quote... or, visited this place/ restaurant/ famous building... or, have you heard of this amazing new scientific discovery?”

And what have people responded to the most over the last ten years? Here are the Top Five posts ranked by individual pageviews:

1) Our returning champion is a post about Nick Wooster at 57,784 hits

2) My essay about Kate Bush's awe-inspiring, profound musical song cycle "The Ninth Wave" is at 33,096 views

3) A post featuring men in interesting, artistic make-up is holding strong at 20,348

4) 12,432 people have ogled the lovely Aaron Taylor-Johnson

5) And a post on the beauty of mature men was celebrated by 6,667

Huh. Who knew?

Followers and regular readers: thank you so much! I hope you find this blog fascinating, beautiful, interesting, moving, inspiring, informative, and uplifting. Welcome to the birthday party. This year I am serving one of talented cake-illusionist Leslie Vigil's cakes which look like succulents (all made from buttercream frosting) in a terra cotta pot. Help yourself to a virtual slice and a digital cup of herbal tea.

HAPPY TENTH BIRTHDAY, OBTW!

Algae Brings Hope!

Hypergiant Industries bills themselves as the AI industrial complex for leading global enterprises and governments, helping major institutions innovate with breakthrough machine intelligence-driven technology. In fact, their motto is "Tomorrowing today."

And they seem to be earning their reputation with this amazing invention, an algae-based bioreactor that can suck as much carbon dioxide from the air as an acre of forest. The working prototype 3’x3’x7′ structure is intended for use in urban environments where it can fit within office buildings, connecting with an HVAC system to reduce CO2 levels inside and release cleaner air. Algae thrive on carbon dioxide emissions making it one of nature’s most efficient tools for carbon capture and sequestration. It could play a critical role in the sustainability of human life in our ecosystem.

It's inspiring to see such solutions being not only proposed but created and implemented. This along with the much-talked of process of driving CO2 into the ground makes me think that the human race might have a chance after all.

https://www.hypergiant.com/

"We Never Had A Chance" by The Brian Jonestown Massacre

I am spacing out to this incredible psychedelic dream of a song, "We Never Had A Chance" by Anton Newcombe's band The Brian Jonestown Massacre. From the eponymous album released this year, 2019. I love this sound.

http://www.brianjonestownmassacre.com/

BEAUTY: Interiors--Powder Rooms

As an interior designer, one of my favorite spaces to design is a powder room. It is the perfect opportunity for something bold, colorful, graphic, even crazy. Take a look at these marvelous examples...

R.I.P. Ric Ocasek

R.I.P. Ric Ocasek.

The Cars tunes were catchy and fun but "Jimmy Jimmy" was a great, meaningful song that didn't get much attention.

http://www.ricocasek.com/

Pete For President 2020!

If you watched the Democratic debate this last week, I hope you will agree that whenever Pete Buttigieg speaks, it is as though someone turned the lights on in a dim room: suddenly things are clear and visible and make sense. And if you are an "Oh, By The Way" reader in the States, I urge you to look at Mayor Pete and to support his campaign. He has chosen not to accept any donations or support from federal lobbyists, corporate PACs, or the fossil fuel industry. He is depending on a ground swell of support from people who support progress, saving our societies, and saving our world from Climate Catastrophe.

Get your sticker and support Pete's campaign by visiting his website below.

https://peteforamerica.com/