songbird's crazy world

Took a walk at Sunken Meadow the other day.  It's a lovely beach on Long isalnd Sound. Can you see Connecticut in the distance? #skywatchfriday

It's gray and rainy today.  Again.  I'm so sick of this wet weather. I need a pick-me-up.

Terr's questions this week: NATIONAL PAPERCLIP DAY National Paperclip Day is observed each year on May 29.  Yes, even the paperclip has its own day of honor. It is about that well-known piece of curved wire that keeps our papers together and helps keep us organized. While there are much earlier claims to the invention of the paperclip, according to the Early Office Museum, the first patent for a “bent wire paper clip” was presented to Samuel B. Fay in the United States in 1867.   The original intention of Fay’s clip was to attach tickets to fabric. However, U.S. patent 64,088 recognized that it could also be used to attach papers together. There were as many as 50 others that received patents for similar designs prior to 1899. One other notable name receiving a patent for his paperclip design in the United States was Erlman J. Wright in 1877.  At that time, his clip was advertised for use in fastening newspapers. The Gem paperclip, which was ...

A new establishment has opened at the site of the late, lamented  Empress Diner.  Grand Stage is the creation of  George and Nick Argyris, who previously managed the Stage Deli in NYC.   The decor is sleek and modern.  there's a mural on the back wall, a salute to the restaurant's origins in the Theater district.  I found the mural oddly  disturbing.  It portrays the waif from Les Miz in four other Broadway shows: Phantom, Hair, Wicked, and  Beauty and the Beast . the mural is backlit and hard to photograph, but I gave it a try: But you don't go to a diner to look at weird murals.  The menu is a thick book with many choices.   We stuck to the basics.  He got a bacon cheeseburger, and was delighted that he could add a fried egg on top.  He was thrilled to get tater tots instead of fries. I ordered the "Rocky Balboa" (yes, some of the dishes are named after actors or characters) -- ...

This week's theme: Songs about "Heaven or Hell"!  Let's start with some Zeppelin. And then we'll take another trip: You know the joke -- that there's a "Stairway to Heaven" and a "Highway to Hell" tells you about the expected traffic patterns for each. And just who lives in Hell? And if there is a devil,, there must also be an angel: And to close out the set:

This year the Tony Awards will be handed out on June 9.  There are just two nominees in the category "Best Revival of a Musical", and I've seen them both.  I've already told you about the Circle in the Square production of Oklahoma!, so now let me tell you about Kiss Me, Kate , currently playing at the Roundabout Theatre  Company's Studio 54. (Yes, THAT Studio 54.) Kiss Me, Kate was Cole Porter's first integrated musical.It tells the story of Fred Graham and his ex wife, film star Lilli Vanessi, who is appearing with him in a musical version of Shakepeare's Taming of the Shrew . It's based in part on the famed acting couple Alfred Lunt  and  Lynn Fontanne, who were known to have epic battles backstage. This  production is traditionally staged, with a full orchestra and chorus, beautiful costumes, etc.  There's been some tweaking to remove sexist references that were acceptable in 1948 but are no longer OK in 2019 (e.g., Fred no longer spanks L...

I am fascinated by astronomy.  I wish I'd taken better advantage of the planetarium at my high school -- I used to visit the planetarium with y class when I was in elementary school, but by the time I got to high school I was more interested in other things.  some day, when I have the time, I'd kike to study astronomy again. A friend of mine from high school is an amateur astronomer, and I am sure that tonight he'll have his telescope out.   You see, there's a very interesting phenomenon in the sky tonight. A mile-wide asteroid with its own moon is passing by the Earth.   The  European Space Agency  says it will be 3,219,961 miles (5,182,024 km) away -- more than 13 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon.   For an asteroid, that's pretty close. Sigh.  I need a telescope.

We had a little event here on Long Island last week.  Over in Bethpage, at the park.  Some sort of golf championship.  I think some guy named Tiger Woods was playing,  but he didn't do well.  I heard someone named Brooks Koepka won. golfers seem to have such funny names. Seriously, this must be the fourth or fifth time the PGA has chosen Bethpage Black for one of its tournaments.  The entire golf world descends upon Bethpage and Farmingdale for a week.  I don't live in either of those towns, but my train travels through Bethpage and Farmingdale.   Friday night, the train was in Bethpage when I caught these shots of the Goodyear Blimp. In this first one, you can actually see the motion of the train. This one makes it look like the blimp is caught in the overhead wires. On Saturday we went to Bethpage Ballpark (which is actually in Central Islip -- Bethpage Federal Credit Union has the naming rights) to see a baseba...

The golfers are gone, but now we have a new problem: track work.  It’s ruining my morning commute. My 7:11 to Brooklyn is now a 7:07.  And the 7:16 to Penn is now a 7:10.  I was barely making the train before the schedule changed ..... Last week there were troubles in New Hyde Park.  On Wednesday there was a 15 minute delay during the evening rush hour due to signal trouble.   On Friday night there was a 15 minute delay due to a broken crossing gate; some idiot hit the gate with his car.  Remember what I always say? Don’t play chicken with a train ... Well, hello Mr. Rat!  My, you’re a big one.  We’ll get along just fine so long as you stay on the track bed and I’m up here on the platform. don't you just hate it when your train is rerouted because "there's a stalled train up ahead"? And I know there’s been a lot of construction in Penn Station, but why is there a hard hat on the track bed? There are days when the commute really get...

Terri's questions this week: NATIONAL ROAD TRIP DAY The Friday before Memorial Day is declared National Road Trip Day and serves as the official kickoff of the summer road trip season. With two-thirds of leisure travelers (64 percent)* planning to take vacations this summer, it’s clear that the open road calls when long weekends and Fridays roll around. We pack up, fuel up, stock up and then crank up the tunes. In fact, 63 percent** of road trippers say that having good music, audiobooks and/or podcasts to listen to are the most important parts of a successful road trip. Additionally, three in five road trippers (59 percent) say that having good snacks and drinks for the road, finding great places to eat on the way and finding clean bathrooms to use while traveling are their most important parts of a successful road trip. Whether we’re seeking adventure, visiting family and friends or making a business connection, road trips are often a rite of passage. Sometimes we e...

When you exit a NYC subway station, most of the time you'll take the stairs directly to the street. But sometimes there are stairways that lead you directly into a building. For example, if you take the #2 or #3 train (the 7th Avenue IRT) to the Wall Street station, you can  walk directly from the train station into 28 Liberty Street a/k/a One Chase Manhattan Plaza (still the home of J.P. Morgan/Chase), or you can take the escalator into the lobby/atrium at 60 Wall Street (current home of Deutsche Bank). I take the escalator to the atrium, then exit onto Pine Street and walk to my office. I noticed her back in September.  A hawker, she was handing out copies of the free newspaper, AMNewYork .  I'd see her every morning as I was leaving the subway station; her post was in  the hallway in front of the escalator. A few weeks ago I overheard a conversation between a mom and a very young daughter.  the daughter was excited to "give the card to Theresa".  S...

This week we can choose our own theme. I decided to revisit 1987. Here are my favorites from that year: Everyone was doing the moves to this song: This one has been on my mind lately (darn commercial....) </ifr<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lDK9QqIzhwk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen> ame> You have to have a bit of Bon Jovi: Madonna ruled the 80's: And to close it out:

So tonight is the last, the very last episode of Game of Thrones .for 8 seasons, we have watched the trials and tribulations of the 7 kingdoms, and tonight it will all be resolved...we think.  and tomorrow, it will be the only thing people will talk about as they gather around the office water cooler... Last Sunday (Mother's Day) I sent Becca home in an Uber so that she could watch the show on her phone...she was afraid that someone in her office would spoil it for her.... Today is also the final day of the PGA tournament in Bethpage.  I'm not a golf fan, I'm not excited about the tournament.  But I've had to deal with ...well, golf fans have been directed to the Farmingdale train station, where they catch a shuttle bus to the golf course.  So I get to ride home with tired golf fans... So that guitarist I mentioned, the one I see in Penn Station?  I said that I was beginning to believe that the only song he knows is "Hallelujah".  Well, the other da...

So the other night, Drew and I had tickets to see Oklahoma! The quintessential American musical, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! has been a staple of community theaters, school groups, etc.  I have a special fondness for this show; I played Aunt Eller in our 10th grade production. The production currently playing at circle in the square is ...different.  Intimate, dark, erotic, edgy. Let's start with Circle in the Square.  It's a small theater, seating capacity 840.  It' what's known as "thrust theater" where the audience sits on three sides of the stage.  Here's a link to the seating chart , that should give you an idea of what the stage looks like. There are 12 cast members (no chorus) and instead of a full orchestra, a six musician band that sits directly on the stage.  Instead of period costumes, the cast wears modern western dress -- lots of denim and cowboy boots.  Instead of churning butter, Aunt Eller opens many packages of Jiffy C...

I work in the Financial District, near Wall Street.  the skies above the East River are fascinating. This flew past our windows on Tuesday: It landed at the Heliport, of course: Military helicopters are so very noisy. I have no idea who was inside.... #skywatchfriday

So, as I mentioned, last week I went to a professional conference to earn some continuing education credits. And the keynote speaker at lunchtime  did not talk about law or insurance or any topic related to the attendees' business.   Instead, she talked about ...the science of happiness. Her name is Catherine A. Sanderson  and she is a Professor of Psychology at Amherst.   She spoke for almost an hour.  Her talk was interesting and humorous and engaging.   Here are the ten tips she offers:   Change your behavior: Get enough sleep, exercise, spend time outside, meditate. Find your match: personally & professionally. In our job and our marriage. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs Read a book you love Keep a gratitude journal  (Don’t go to sleep at night until you have written down 3-4 things you are thankful for right now.) Make a gratitude visit. (Find a person that ch...

Terri's  questions this week.... NATIONAL NYLON STOCKING DAY National Nylon Stocking Day is observed across the country each year on May 15. Many may not remember ever hearing the term “nylon stockings.” Varying in color, design, and transparency, a nylon stocking (also known as hose) is a close-fitting, variously elastic garment worn the same as socks or tights. Stockings worn before the 1890s were made of woven cloth such as cotton, linen, wool or silk.   Before the 1920s, women’s stockings were worn for warmth.  As hemlines of women’s dresses rose in the 1920s, women began to wear stockings over their exposed legs.  These 1920s stockings were sheer, made first of silk or rayon, followed by nylon after 1940. Chemical company DuPont’s introduction of nylon in 1939 began a high demand for stockings in the United States.  As nylon stockings were inexpensive, durable and shear, up to 4 million pairs would be purchased each day...