songbird's crazy world

Very nice display, and you can get music on your car radio to accompany the display.  

This article says it all.  Holistic or horrifying? Not everyone loves Weight Watchers’ new program. By Caitlin Gibson December 24 Healthier, happier, holistic: This is how Weight Watchers brightly describes its recently revamped weight-loss and fitness program. To which a vocal group of dieting devotees responds: “Hooey” and “horrifying” are more like it. Not to mention “humbug.” Just in time for December’s onslaught of decadent holiday parties, festive cookie platters and creamy cocktails, cultural oracle Oprah Winfrey and corporate diet titan Weight Watchers have rolled out the company’s redesigned and personalized “Beyond the Scale” program. Presenting itself as a “holistic” lifestyle plan rather than a straight-up diet, the new regimen puts a premium on exercise (note: You may no longer barter physical exertion for extra Doritos) and updates its points-for-food system, using “SmartPoints” to steer users away from sugar and saturated fats. “Everything is still on ...

Sorry, but this post is going to be very long. So, if you know me, or if you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know that I've been fighting the Battle of the Bulge for most of my adult life.  When you have a serious weight issue, it's not just a question of "what's on your plate", it's also a question of "what's in your head".  I've spent a long time trying to figure out what's in my head, and I think I've finally got a handle on that.  But that's a conversation for another day; today I want to talk about "what's on my plate", or rather, what programs do and do not work for me. The laws of physics are immutable -- for weight loss to occur, calories out must exceed calories in.  Good nutrition is equally important.  But I think an eating plan (I won't use the word "diet") has to be flexible, enjoyable, and sustainable.  If you do something to lose weight, but then cannot make it a lifesty...

Out to dinner with friends Christmas Eve.  I won't mention the name of the restaurant, because it's a place we love, but the experience was lacking that night.  Manager made it right, though, so we will definitely be back. Christmas morning we went to the movies.  Very different experience from the other night.  This theater has recliners, and assigned seating -- I much prefer that to the mad dash for seats in a more traditional theater.  We saw Sisters , a comedy with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.  They play sisters who return home because their parents are selling their childhood home.  Enjoyable, funny movie.  Although it's set in Orlando, Florida, many of the scenes (including the house) were filmed on Long Island -- we had fun trying to figure out where they shot certain scenes. Then it was out for Chinese buffet Christmas night, and home in time for the Dr. Who Christmas special.    And this geek girl is asking herself why she n...

Star Wars is the kind of movie you should see in IMAX 3D.  Of course, that means getting to the theater very, very early if you want to have a choice of seats.  Drew and I were first on line.  Yes, we are crazy.   And I almost killed him -- I didn't read any reviews, didn't want any spoilers, and he casually mentioned that Leia had become a general.  Coming attractions brought us trailers for Star Trek, Batman and Captain America -- sounds like we're going to have a few movies to see next summer. And then the lights went down, that familiar theme music began to play and the familiar words scrolled across the screen. The movie pays homage to the original in so many ways.  A secret hidden in a Droid, an orphan raised on a desert planet, a battle to destroy a planet-killing machine. Han Solo doesn't show up until almost an hour into the movie, Leia much later than that, and Luke... Instead, the initial focus is on a younger generation: Finn, the for...

A few more interesting houses. Did you see the hologram in the upstairs window?  An interesting visitor! And last but not least: Minions!

So yeah, the geek girl loved the 3 foot tall Dalek she saw in the store in Bryant Park.  They also had smaller models from various science fiction movies and TV shows, including one of The Millennium Falcon.  And joining C-3PO as a vocal cue on my phone ... my ringtone is now ...is now ... well, the phone sounds exactly like a Star Trek communicator. You're shocked, I can just tell.  You've been wondering why I haven't mentioned what I thought of The Force Awakens .  I don't have an opinion ... yet.  I haven't seen it.  It's been a royal pain avoiding spoilers.  But that problem will be remedied tonight. In real-science space news, two celestial happenings, an interesting bit of news, and a major achievement. Last night the skies lit up with strange light, which turned out to be space debris from a Russian rocket. Tonight we will see an asteroid pass thisclose to the Earth.  Asteroid 2003 SD220 is apparently shaped like a chic...

So then it was on to the Theater District. We got a cup of coffee and headed to Times Square.  They still have "2015" at One Times Square, I think they wait until after Chrsitmas to get the ball ready for New Year's. (Excuse the poor videography, it's a cheap camera and a poorly trained videographer.) Noises Off.   I'd seen it, several years ago, with my sisters and my daughters -- we were seated in the front row, and Peter Gallagher literally climbed over us to get onto the stage.  But Drew had never seen it. It's comedy, it's farce, it's very funny.  It uses the play-within-a-play format, engaging in lots of physical comedy, including lots of banging doors, and some witty lines.  Very enjoyable. And how do the Beatles fit into all of this? We finished off the evening at the Hard Rock Café.  Drew had a steak and I had a pulled pork sandwich.  And we were seated directly under this: Here are the links to our previous...

Last week we rode into the city with the Santacon people, we  saw Something Rotten and had dinner in Chinatown.  This week, we had tickets for Noise Off, and decided we'd do our annual Christmas windows viewing before the show.  As always, we started with Macy's.  The 34th Street windows, as usual, featured Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus . The Herald Square windows featured a salute to A Charlie Brown Christmas. Lord and  Taylor had a "sweet shop" theme. And an all-white clock. Grabbed a hot dog from a street vendor, then on to the library and Bryant Park. Saw some interesting shops in the park. This little item was so cute: Yes, a 3 foot tall Dalek. Yours for only $8,000.  We also stopped by No Chewing Allowed -- they sell French truffles so smooth that you can just let it melt in your mouth. Then it was on to Saks. Their theme this year involved winterized versions of the wonders of the world -- the Sphin...

Had lunch here with some coworkers to celebrate the holidays.  The restaurant is set up as a very large, single room, with the bar off to one side of the hostess station.  Lots of dark wood and earth tones.  I loved the gas fireplace in the window, visible as you come towards the restaurant from the parking lot. Service was impeccable. The food?  Amazing. I loved the bread -- a very hearty loaf with dense crust, served with olive oil for dipping.  I started with a shrimp cocktail -- four large, very fresh shrimp with a slightly spicy but not overpowering cocktail sauce.  I almost regretted my choice, though, when I saw the sushi appetizer one of my colleagues ordered. Seafood and other entrees are accompanied by side  dishes, but steaks and chops are served a la carte.  You can order sides, such as vegetables, hash browns or macaroni and cheese -- the sides are large enough to share.  I ordered vea...

No, I didn't really need that sweater dress  But it looked so nice, and I was certain it would feel so cozy. With my coupon it was very reasonably priced, so I ordered it from the website. and yes, it lived up to expectations.  I wore the dress exactly one time. The second time I put it on, I planned to wear it to a holiday lunch.  But before I even left the house, I snagged it on something, and a section of it unraveled. I'm sure it's very fixable, if you know what you're doing. I don't. So it's off to the dry cleaners I go, they advertise that they fix sweaters.... Sigh.

Marvin is in the hospital again.  He's going to be there a few days, but he'll be fine.  Overall he's been doing well at the nursing home.  Drew went shopping right after Thanksgiving, bought him some warm clothes.  Moving him out of Shelley's house was absolutely the right decision. Shelley is still not talking to either of us.  I think Drew kind of missed going to her union's holiday party this year.    From what I  hear from mutual friends, she hasn't had an easy time of things these last few months.  But she hasn't visited Marvin since June or July, I think.  It's so sad. A mutual friend posted on Shelley's Facebook, asking her to join all of s for New Year's Eve.  I know she won't.  Sigh.

I am at a loss today, no ideas whatsoever for this blog. The blank screen is taunting me.

Yes, I am enjoying the hype over Star Wars .  And no, I haven't lost my mind. Not yet, anyhow. Modern technology, the smart phone.  You hold in your hand a very small device more powerful than the computers aboard the Apollo 11 mission to the moon.  It's a communicator, a camera, a navigational device, an entertainment unit, a database of all the  knowledge of the universe...Makes me think of all those great devices you'd see on Star Trek ... when I program my GPS, I hear a voice in my head, Mr. Sulu confirming, "Course plotted and laid in, Captain." My favorite GPS program is Waze.  I have it on my phone and on my iPad.  It's very interactive, not only does it give you directions and show you traffic patterns, Waze members warn each other of traffic hazards such as traffic jams, accidents, police cars, red light cameras...A very useful tool. Well, like many other apps, Waze allows you to select the voice that will be your guide.  You can pick...

With all the hype lately about "Star Wars:The Force Awakens", opening this weekend, it's hard to remember a time before "Star Wars" existed. But in 1977, science fiction and fantasy was dying as a movie genre.  And then, that summer, science fiction was reborn.    A hero, dressed in white, all innocent and pure.  A princess in need of rescue.  A lovable scoundrel.  A mysterious mentor.  And a villain, all in black, representing pure evil.  Typical space opera, done on a grander scale, with special effects that were amazing, dazzling, magical. It spawned two sequels (arguably better than the original), three prequels (not my favorites), tv specials, cartoons, tons of merchandise, and one helluva parody -- Mel Brooks' "Space Balls".  It gave new life to the genre -- "Star Trek:The Motion Picture" was released two short years later. And it became a cultural phenomenon.  Can you imagine life without these phrases: "Help m...

So it's mid December, time for the annual New Year's Eve argument discussion. When I heard Jimmy Buffett was planning a show at the Barclay Center, I gave serious thought to buying tickets. Because planning New Year's Eve with our friends...not fun. Drew decided that this year he cannot host the party, setting up and cleaning up would be too much of a pain.  So we have to find a restaurant that is having a party, that is reasonably priced, that serves food we all like...and we have to be sensitive to someone with an allergy to tomatoes.  Drew has a list of local restaurants, the newspaper published a guide to New Year's Eve last week. So let the planning and the bickering begin. Maybe I'll get lucky, and we'll win ticket's to Jimmy's concert.

The Maccabeats take current popular songs and rewrite the lyrics to honor Jewish holidays and other Jewish occasions. This is their 2015 Hanukkah offering.  

Occasionally Drew visits a website that runs charitable auctions. You can bid on merchandise, theater tickets, sports tickets, whatever has been donated. Thursday night he told me he placed a bid on tickets for the Saturday matinee of "Something Rotten", a show we both wanted to see. And Friday night, we found out that his was the winning bid. So Saturday morning we headed to our neighborhood Long Island Rail Road station to board a train into the city. And immediately realized that it was no ordinary Saturday. It was Santacon. Santacon is a huge pub crawl. It has a charitable purpose, but tends to attract a very young, very loud crowd. Participants dress as Santa Claus, elves, etc. I wish I'd been able to take some decent photos, some of the costumes were outrageous. I saw people dressed as Christmas presents, Christmas trees, reindeer, even a snowman. The noise level on our train ... Drew and I wound up texting each other, it was easier than trying to talk...

this song is in Ladino, also known as Judeo-Spanish. It is the langugae of Sephardic Jews.

I keep hearing on the weather report that it's an El Nino year, that we might not get a lot of snow this year,  I think I can live with that. I guess we can call Jen our resident "El Nino expert".  One of her writing assignments in second grade involved El Nino.  She asked why there was no snow that winter, and the teacher asked her to find the answer and write about it.  One of my work friends sent me a news clipping about a former coworker.  Very juicy gossip.  He was arrested because he was growing marijuana in his basement.  He didn't seem the type... Don't you just hate it when you get to work and realize you left something important at home?  The other morning I had to run into the 7-11 because I forgot my hand cream, a real necessity this time of year. Don't you just love it when the phone rings at midnight, and it's the doorman from your daughter's building, thinking he's calling her cell phone, to let her know the intercom system ...

Yes, there are a few pop artists who have recorded Hanukkah songs.  

I took this picture a few years ago, I had time to kill and took a ride on the Staten Island Ferry. Considering the xenophobic, racist insanity I've heard in our recent political debates, I'm wondering if this lovely lady will be headed back to France soon.

Despite Adam Sandler's lament, there are, indeed, a few Hanukkah songs that have made their way into pop culture, and a few Hanukkah songs and recordings by celebrities. Here's one of my favorites.  Written by Peter Yarrow, honoring his Jewish heritage.

As if we didn't have enough to worry about with the human members of the family ... Now we have the health problems of an aging cat. Mr. Kitty turned 14 in September. Poor baby wasn't feeling well, he stopped eating (that cat turn down food?)  and had to pay a visit to the (dare I say the word?) V-E-T.  He'll be there another few days. I'm sure he'll be OK for now. But my sisters take it very hard when one of our animals crosses the rainbow bridge.  And with the grief we are dealing with over other losses .... So if you can manage a few good thoughts for the cat...?

This year's update: Put on your yarmulke, here comes Chanukah So much fun-ukah to celebrate Chanukah Chanukkah is the Festival of Lights, Instead of one day of presents, we have eight crazy nights. When you feel like the only kid in town without a Christmas tree, Here’s the fourth list of people who are Jewish, just like Jesus, Olaf, Punky Brewster, Scott Rudin, and me! Joseph Gordon-Levitt enjoys eating kugel So does Stan Lee, Jake Gylleenhaal, and the two guys who founded Google Adam Levine wears a Jewish star So does Drake and Seth Rogen Goldberg has a gold yarmulke to match the belt he won from Hulk Hogan We got Scarlett Johansson, talk about a Kosher crush And if you need a higher voice to turn you on, how about Geddy Lee from Rush? We may not have a cartoon with a reindeer that can talk But we also don’t have polio, thanks to Dr. Jonas Salk (smart Jew!) Put on your yarmulke, it’s time for Chanukah Harry Potter and his magic wand-ukah, celebrate...

Yesterday was a sad anniversary. I'm too young to remember when the Beatles arrived in the USA in 1964. I've never lived in a world without their music.  Their songs were a part of my childhood, their individual careers woven throughout my teen years. I can't believe it's been 35 years.  I was in college then.  When I heard the news, I cried. A few years ago, Drew and I decided to spend an afternoon in Central Park.  And I realized that there was something in the park I'd never seen ...

Third version. The Hanukkah Song Lyrics – Part III (2002) Put on your yarmulke It's time for Hanukkah Once again it's onaka The miracle of Hanukkah Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights One day of presents? Hell, no, we get Eight Crazy Nights But if you feel like the only kid in town without a Christmas tree I guess my first two songs didn't do it for you So here comes number three Ross and Pheobe from friends say the Hanukkah blessing So does Lenny's pall Squiggy and Will and Grace's Debra Messing Melissa Gilbert and Michael London never mix meat with dairy Maybe they shoulda called that show Little Kosher House on the Prairie? We’ve got Jerry Lewis, Ben Stiller and Jack Black Tom Arnold converted to Judaism but you guys can have him back We may not get to kiss underneath the mistletoe But we can do it all night long with Deuce Bigelow I'm Jewish Put on your yarmulke, here comes Hanukkah The guy in Willie Nelson's band who plays har...

You know I like a good diner.  And this one is a good diner. I ordered a Greek salad with chicken, dressing on the side.  Salad was huge, fresh, and was delivered with a bottle of dressing, so I could add as much as I chose. My friend was a bit disappointed with her sandwich.  The sandwich tasted good, but she felt the description in the menu didn't match up with the food that was served. Service was friendly and efficient. My chief complaint is parking.  Like most of the businesses on that strip of Route 110, the diner has a lot that is far too small to accommodate lunchtime traffic.  Fortunately, a diner employee is on duty to help direct parking lot traffic and direct customers to street parking when necessary.

The second version of the Sandler song. The Hanukkah Song Lyrics – Part II (1999) Put on your Yarmulka Its time for Hanukkah So much funnaka To celebrate Hanukkah Hanukkah is the festival of lights Instead of one day of presents We get eight crazy nights When you feel like the only kid in town Without a Christmas tree Here's a new list of people who are Jewish Just like you and me Winona Ryder, Drinks Manischewitz wine Then spins a dreidel with Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein Guess who gives and receives Loads of Hanukkah toys The girls from Veruca Salt and all three Beastie Boys Lenny Kravitz is half Jewish, Courtney Love is half too Put them together What a funky bad ass Jew We got Harvey Keitel And flash dancer Jennifer Beals Yasmine Bleeth from Baywatch is Jewish And yes her boobs are real Put on that yarmulka Its time for Hanukkah Two-time Oscar winning Dustin Hoffmanaka Celebrates Hanukkah O.J. Simpson Still not a Jew But guess who is, The guy who does the voice fo...

So last night was the first night of Hanukkah, and my family made it very festive.  Flowers and candles on the table, dreidels and Hanukah gelt in evidence, dinner that included chicken soup with matzo balls and a ton of potato latkes, lots of sweets for dessert.    We were all together for the first night of the holiday, even Becca took the train from the city to come home for dinner.  (I had to run out and buy her an electric menorah for the apartment, the one I bought her in college seems to have gotten broken somewhere along the way.) It was important to make this a festive holiday, more so than usual.  We never had a Rosh Hashanah this year, my father was in the hospital through the High Holy Days.  So Hanukkah, coming on the heels of Thanksgiving... I knew it would be a difficult day. Al day long, the voice in my head  wasn't my own...it was my father, singing the blessings that are made as the menorah is lit. Even last year, when he w...

Presented for your amusement, Adam Sandler's original "Hanukkah Song". The Hanukkah Song Lyrics – Part I (Original 1994 Version) Intro: There's a lot of Christmas songs out there, but not too many about Hanukkah, so I wrote a song for all those nice little Jewish kids who don't get to hear any Hanukkah songs. Here we go… Put on your yarmulka, it's time for Hanukkah Its so much fun-akkah to celebrate Hanukkah, Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights, Instead of one day of presents, we have eight crazy nights. But when you're the only kid in town without a Christmas tree, here’s a list of people who are Jewish, just like you and me: David Lee Roth lights the menorah, So do James Caan, Kirk Douglas, and the late Dinah Shore-ah   Guess who eats together at the Carnegie Deli, Bowzer from Sha-na-na, and Arthur Fonzerrelli. Paul Newman's half Jewish; Goldie Hawn's half too, Put them together--what a fine lookin’ Jew! You don’t need...

I like to walk in Drew's neighborhood.  I'm always finding interesting houses to look at.  the one I found the other day, though... ,/br>