songbird's crazy world

And it's a "your choice" week. Several years ago I had the pleasure of seeing Neil Diamond perform at the Jones Beach Theater.   So today is "Neil Diamond Day" on Songbird's blog. So many good songs, it's hard to choose just a few.  But here goes. This next one resonates today.... This has got to be one of the best he's ever written, it was a big hit for the Monkees and for Smashmouth: And we close it out with what's probably his most famous...

Saw an interesting tweet on Twitter ... Those who have stayed inside, wore masks in public, and socially distanced during this entire pandemic are the same people who are used to doing the whole group project by themselves

Beautiful People Welcome to  Saturday 9 . What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme! Saturday 9: Beautiful People (2019) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here . 1) This song is about the fantasy of being one of the "beautiful people," but how hollow the reality can be. Do you often find yourself envying others for what they have? I think envy is only natural.    We all feel it at times.  It can become dangerous, though, if it becomes obsessive, if you lose appreciation for what you really have. 2) Ed Sheeran sings that he and his girl don't fit in well because the...

Let's face it, Long Island has a diversity problem.  Nassau County and western Suffolk County are suburbs that grew, in part, because of "white flight" out of New York City.  In Levittown, the quintessential suburb, property deeds have the (now unenforceable) restrictive covenant that the houses could not be sold to persons of color.  Other neighborhoods had similar restrictions.  Even today real estate agents try to steer customers into certain neighborhoods based on the buyer's racial or ethnic background.   Long Island is changing, but the change is way too slow. Drew lives in a typical Long Island neighborhood.  A neighborhood that was once segregated, but is now becoming more diverse. A quiet neighborhood, you wouldn't know that you're just a few short blocks from a major thoroughfare. Until yesterday. The protesters gathered in a supermarket parting lot, with their signs proclaiming "black lives matter".  They didn't march down the main str...

So two weeks ago my friend Kathy told me about a yoga/tai chi studio she had joined.  They've been offering live classes via Zoom since the pandemic started.   I used to take yoga, before I had trouble with my knees, and thought I'd like to try it again. Or maybe do tai chi.  Or both.   So I contacted the studio last week, and on Wednesday I took a tai chi class.  It was a lot of fun!  I signed up for a trial membership.   So all day yesterday I was looking forward to the tai chi class.  At the appointed time I signed into my zoom account....and spent the next 15 minutes trying to fix the technical issues of Zoom and my Wi Fi, before I gave up in frustration, sat down and cried.   And I'm still upset this morning. And I realize it's not just the tai chi class. We're three months into this pandemic, three months f having our entire world disrupted.  I am so weary. And it's the utter stupidity of some of my fellow citiz...

1. This time last year where were you? Working in Manhattan.  Loving the city, hating the commute and getting very bored with my job. 2. In honor of National Pink Day (June 23rd) tell us your favorite pink food or beverage. Was it on the menu at your house yesterday? Do you like to wear the color pink? If we came to visit would we find this color in your home decor? Blush-fuschia-salmon-raspberry-your favorite shade of pink? Of course I  like pink.  It's not my favorite color, but it's close.  I like to wear bright pink. But it's my daughter Jen who has claimed pink as "her" color. 3.  Stop and smell the roses, looking through rose colored glasses, a rose by any other name, not all moonlight and roses, no rose without a thorn... which rosy saying currently fits your life in some way? Explain. Stop and smell the roses.  Enforced rest has its advantages. 4. Are you a 'reader'? Do you tend to read lighter books in the summer months? Do you have a summer r...

My latest purchase from Etsy

 No baseball, no Broadway, no concerts, no renfaire, no road trips. So what have I been doing with my time?  Well, I read a book. Yes, I read The Hunger Games .  The first book in the series was published when Becca was in high school.  She loved it and thought I'd enjoy it.    She was right.  Futuristic dystopian fiction appeals to me.  I read the trilogy and then I saw all of the movies.  So of course I wanted to read the prequel.   It's not as good as the original series, but it was a fun, fast read. Next up on the nook.... You knew, of course, that sooner or later I"d mention Star Trek , right? And Drew and I streamed a movie on Disney + I'd never read the Artemis Fowl books.  They were marketed to teens who love Harry Potter.  Well, I love Harry Potter, but I am not a teen... So I had no expectations.  I did enjoy the movie, but to be honest, I'm glad we didn't pay for tickets to see it in a movie theater. And sp...

So today we've been asked to honor World Music Day with music from around the world. Let's start with Canada and a little Gordon Lightfoot. Moving across the pond, here's Sir Paul: And since he was singing in French, let’s add an unlikely hit from France: Representing Spain, it's Julio Iglesias (duet with Willy Nelson) Dean Martin salutes his Italian heritage Nena in the original German On to Sweden Israel A bit of Sukiyaki South Africa Australia  Brazil Mexico And the United States

1. If you could spend a day in someone else’s shoes who would it be and why? Not a particular person, but I'd like to be a man .  I'd like to know what they really think and do when women are not around. 2. Which celebrity gets on your nerves the most, and why? Drew loves Dr. Phil, watches him every day.  I can't stand him.  I don't know why, but he just grates on my nerves. 3. If you were going to bury a time capsule, what would you put in it? Representative of the year 2020, I'd include a face mask, a bottle of hand sanitizer and a roll of Charmin. 4. What is your saddest memory? Oh , there are lots.  I think it was when my father's sister Sonia died.  I was 14, and had never lost a close relative before. 5. Would you rather be in your pajamas or a suit all day? I seldom wear suits, my office is business casual.  Though since March my "office' has been the den, and my wardrobe has gotten super casual.  I do make the effort to put on clothes...

Daddy, Don't You Walk So Fast Welcome to  Saturday: 9 . What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme! Saturday 9: Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast (1972) ... Because it's Father's Day weekend. Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here . 1) This song is about a little girl who runs after her daddy. When is the last time you ran? Were you trying to get somewhere in a hurry, or playing a sport? It's been awhile.  I was probably trying to catch a train. 2) This song was a top ten hit for Wayne Newton. Mr. Newton is better known for his TV work, having made more than 150 ap...

  Yes, that’s from Jones Beach.  One of my favorite places.  And it was taken on June 12, just a week ago.  Drew and I needed to get out of the house, and figured a late afternoon walk on the boardwalk would be perfect.  This photo was taken from a vantage point between the East Bathhouse and Central Mall.  You can see the water tower in the distance.  In the foreground is a play/activity area, currently closed because of Covid 19. Yes, social distancing is still very much with us, and was very much evident at the beach.  Long Island is currently in phase 2 of reopening ...     A lot of the rules were not being observed or enforced. Drew and I were wearing masks, but we were clearly in the minority. Restrooms were open, but shower facilities were closed, and none of the public water fountains were working.  Refreshment stands and restaurants remain closed.  Why are there traffic cones on the car? New parking rules, the cars are...

So Drew and I have a new tradition:  Taco Tuesday.  We are still in phase 2 of reopening, so the restaurants around here are allowed to have outdoor dining only;  most people are still limited to take out.  The Mexican restaurant is running a special, $3 margaritas on Tuesday.   I'm not ready for  outdoor dining, so we get tacos, or fajitas, or enchiladas, to go, and enjoy our margaritas in plastic cups.   Sometimes our friend Kathy joins us, and we have a socially distanced visit while enjoying our drinks and food. I think Kathy is going to come to Jones Beach with us on Friday.  Another late afternoon walk on the boardwalk sounds like fun.  We're planning to have Chinese take out after our walk. Kathy found a studio that does tai chi, yoga and meditation classes.  The studio is about 10 minutes from Drew's house.  Right now they're not permitted to have classes in the studio, but they're doing classes on line via Zoom....

1. Saturday marks the first official day of summer! Whoohoo! Your favorite thing about the season? Warm weather, spending time at the beach,,, 2. Love it!, labor of love, not for love or money, no love lost, love handles, love does, love-hate relationship, misery loves company, tough love, love will find a way...pick one and tell us how it applies to your life right now. Love-hate relationship with working from home.  I miss the social aspects of being in an office.  But I really can't complain about the commute. 3. What's one thing currently causing you to seethe? One thing currently making you smile? Seethe?  Politics.  Need I say more? Smile?  Drew played a voice mail message Jen left for him...she sounds so much like her father sometimes. 4. Of the following to-dos found on a  summer checklist (here)  which three would definitely make your personal list of summer want-to-dos? roast marshmallows over a fire, go berry or peach picking, dangle you...

Seen just outside the kitchen window: I don't think he's fully grown....

It;s another "your choice" week. My head is still in the 1980's, so.... Dire Straits Bon Jovi Whitney Houston: Journey: And a-ha:

The Rain, the Park and Other Things Welcome to  Saturday 9 . What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme! Saturday 9: The Rain, The Park, and Other Things (1967) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here .

 

1) The Cowsills were a family band who had three hit singles. Can you name another group of popular singing siblings? 2) This was their first hit, and it reached #2 on the Billboard charts. It was kept out of the #1 slot by the Monkees and "Daydream Believer." What's your favorite Monkees song? 
3) After seeing the Cowsill brothers perform with their mother and si...