I just searched on Amazon's MP3 site for The Matrix soundtrack. Is it irony that the soundtrack is only available on CD media, not for download? Unless, of course, it's controlled by the Apple store. That's even more poetic, as it's DRM-ridden.

The music is caught in The Matrix.

I'd never heard of her before a few days ago, and now I want to get some of her recordings. The Peruvian Songbird, who died recently, had over a four octave range (NPR said five octaves, which would be just insane). Most people can barely manage three, and it isn't something you can get better at through hard work. She had a freak voice box.

But I'll let you read more about her. At this site, there's also a recording clip.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7708522.stm

And this is the NPR spot. Lots of recording clips.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... d=96536505

I love words, and love finding out how wrong I've been about them (sometimes). For example, I always thought it was "bell weather," and tonight wondered what kind of weather was good for bells.

Alas, it's bellwether, but which is equally interesting. According to Wikipedia, and confirmed in the dictionary,

The term is derived from the Middle English bellewether and refers to the practice of placing a bell around the neck of a castrated ram (a wether) leading its flock of sheep. The movements of the flock could be perceived by hearing the bell before the flock was in sight.

I suppose it could also have been "belle weather," when the lovely ladies lead their men to desired ends.