Sending Out An S.O.S.

The Interweb is such a strange and wonderful thing.

I have three Google News Alerts: Bono, Mister Rogers, and myself. I suppose the company in which I keep myself says something, but that’s not my point here.

“Bono” Google News Alerts tend to return two types of information: articles on my much admired musical, philosophical and philanthropic hero, as well as free lawyering ads.

“Mister Rogers” Google News Alerts return all sorts of information: articles about his legacy and forthcoming 80th birthday celebration, episodic and airtime information, and blog entries from his many admirers.

“Benjamin Wagner” Google News Alerts tend to return content I’ve created on this blog, my “Making ‘Mister Rogers & Me'” blog, or MTV News. Occassionally — and we’re talking very, very rarely here — someone writes something about me, my music, or my documentary-in-progress.

This morning, my Google News Alert returned the following cryptic description:

Gio’s Message In A Bottle Benjamin Wagner (BLYTHE)
By Pligg Beta 9 / Published News / Seattle
Opening scenes: Bainbridge Island, Washington Sunsets Hawaii: Kauai 2004 All photographs and art by Sandra Riffero Original music “Message In A Bottle” written by Sting and covered by Benjamin Wagner.

So I followed said cryptic link, found this, and clicked…

It’s kind of perfect, isn’t it?

I originally recorded “Message In A Bottle” for a cassette-only EP, “Seven Songs,” in 1994. I re-released it on my two-CD “Besides” compilation last summer. As one of my most-downloaded recordings, it’s no doubt making its rounds on The Interwebs. And here it pops up again like a bottle on a digital shore.

It’s really all one can ask for one’s songs, isn’t it?

Meanwhile, the mystery remains: Who’s Exoticat? Who’s Gio? Who’s Riffy? And what does it all mean?

Stay tuned…