songbird's crazy world

 If you like the Marvel universe, you will love Spider-Man:No Way Home.  Fun, fun movie. When last we saw Spider-Man, his secret identity had been revealed to the entire world. The current film begins with Peter Parker lamenting his fate, and requesting that Dr. Strange do something to correct the situation. Spoiler alert! Stop reading now if you don’t want me to spoil the movie, Before you see the current movie starring Tom Holland as Spider-Man, you really should revisit the Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield Spider-Man series.   Because … you guessed it … Dr. Stranger’s magic goes awry, opening up portals to the multiverse.  Villains looking for Spider-Man start popping up — but they’re not looking for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man… The Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus and Sandman are looking for Toby Maguire’s Spider-Man.  The Lizard and Electro are looking for Garfield’s Amazing Spider-Man. Eventually all three versions of our hero meet, and must unite to save the world.  Yes, three different v

 Our annual visit to the Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights.  Last year we had to be masked  both indoors and outdoors, everywhere in the zoo. This year we were required to be vaccinated and masked while indoors, but we didn't need to wear our masks outside.   We arrived during daylight, so we were able to see some of the zoo exhibits. American Bison: Sea lions: We got there at feeding time... The Madagascar exhibit: As the zoo was closing down, we grabbed some hot cocoa in a souvenir mug. . And then it got dark, and the lights came on. We saw a couple of cranes walk by You'll see Christmas trees and performers  in the Zoo center. As always, we had a wonderful evening.

 So going back to my COVID rant … Dr. Sabin, who also developed a polio vaccine, got his start by inventing a vaccine for Japanese encephalitis.  The vaccine must be repeated every three years to maintain immunity.  My friend is ignorant of science and history. We went out to eat and to the movies, and I expected to mask up.  At the Bronx Zoo, we also had to show proof of vaccination in order to enter the indoor exhibits. Went to the drugstore to pick up my prescription, and there was a huge sign explaining that they were out of COVID testing kits. More Broadway cancelations, sports teams are having difficulty. The airlines have been canceling flights, and at least three cruise ships have had minor outbreaks. We have a cruise planned for December 2022, and I’m hoping … Sigh.

 and for the last Monday of the year, it's time for the annual New Year's Eve music party. Bing Crosby is always a joy. A little ABBA    Some Johnny Mathis   Of course we include Barry Manilow    You  really need some Pentatonix    A real Scotsman to sing  "Auld Lange Syne"    So let's count it down....      

 Earlier this week I saw a TV special, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett at Radio City Music Hall.  Bennett is 95 years old and suffers from Alzheimer’s, but he came alive on that stage.  Gaga said it was Bennett’s farewell performance.   Drew and I saw Bennett in concert in  2013 .  Becca won tickets from a radio station and thought we would appreciate the show more than she would. My remarks that night: Tony Bennett is 86 now, and still able to perform a show.  He sang for a little over an hour.  Sorry to say, he's not as good as he used to be.  Very charismatic, but the voice....he's getting by on magnetism and memories.  Still very entertaining.   Though I was very impressed when, at the end of the show, he turned off his microphone and sang "Fly Me To The Moon", and could be heard in every seat in the house. Who knew he’d still be singing 8 years later? I know I’m going to cry when he’s no longer among us. And then, on Wednesday, the Kennedy Center Honors.  Bette Midler

Rant, part 2.  Move on if COVID politics aren’t your thing, I have a friend, an intelligent and seemingly well-educated man, who is just a walking blob of ignorance when it comes to the science and history of vaccines. I’m tired or arguing with him, I’m venting here where he will never see what I’ve said … He is frustrated because the COVID vaccines do not prevent COVID, but rather, reduce the severity of the disease.  He is frustrated because he was led to believe that the shots he got months ago would be sufficient, that we’d never need a booster shot, and he feels we’ve been lied to about the vaccines’ efficacy.  He feels cheated. I understand his frustration.  We all feel frustrated.  We all have COVID fatigue.   But still … He told me that the COVID shots aren’t a “vaccine”, they are an “inoculation”.  Aren’t they the same thing?  He explained that a “vaccine” prevents illness (e.g., polio) but an inoculation only prevents the severity of an illness.   And after I stopped shaking

  “There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” ―  Issac Asimov Today’s post is political, and it’s about COVID,  so take that as a warning … move in if you don’t want to hear my rant … I am so tired of ignorance and misinformation.  So very, very tired of it.  Especially from people I consider to be intelligent and educated.   Some of the things I have heard just truly amaze me. Let’s start with “a mandate is not a law, and it’s unconstitutional”.  That one has me rolling my eyes.   Vaccine mandates have been part of American law for a long, long time.  George Washington vaccinated his troops against smallpox, even against their will.  In 1905 the United States Supreme Court, in the landmark case of Jacobson v. Massachusetts , u

 Some of the highlights from our annual visit to the Jones Beach holiday lights. It's a drive-through display, with a small village where you can get hot cocoa, make s'mores and pose with Santa. The trees are the best part.

 So after the Darlene Love concert Saturday night, Drew and I headed over to Times Square for a bite to eat. We wound up at  Bubba Gump .  What I like about this location is the view of the street below. I looked out the window and was able to see this: Yes, that’s One Times Square, and the ball that dropped to welcome 2021. They’ll update the display later this week in anticipation of New Year’s Eve. Whether the crowds will be in Times Square to greet the new year is anyone’s guess.  Right now the celebration is set to go, but COVID …

 And we are requested to play holiday tunes this month. A week ago Becca, my daughter-who-lives-in-Manhattan, tweeted that she wished people would stop romanticizing Christmas in NYC. She works on West 49th, right near Rockefeller Center, and has three weeks of horrific crowds to deal with.  According to her, Christmas in NYC isn’t magical … The other day her tone changed.  Covid is surging, shows are shutting down, and New Yorkers are valiantly trying to maintain the magic of Christmas. She wished for normalcy to return, crowds and all. I am trying to keep my spirits up. So today I play songs about Christmas in NYC.   "Silver Bells" was introduced in a movie called The Lemon Drop Kid , based on a Damon Runyan story.  It's a comedy, a tale about the gamblers who inhabited NYC.  (Yes, Runyon is also responsible for the characters who inhabit Guys and Dolls .) And Bob Hope was the person chosen to sing the song. You have to include the Rockettes, of course. NYC without the

  Please Come Home for Christmas 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 to  answer the questions, however, and here is today's questions! Saturday 9: Please Come Home for Christmas (1992) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here . 1) In this video, Jon Bon Jovi recalls decorating the tree with Cindy Crawford. They took turns wearing a Santa hat. Will anyone in your household be donning a Santa hat this season? No.   2) He sings of the salutations he's received from friends and relatives. Have you received many holiday cards this year?  No, just a handful from close friends.   3) Will you

So another variant, and here we go again...the Covid rate in NYC doubled in a matter of three days. Four Broadway shows had to shut down, the Rockettes had to cancel performances, and three NFL games have been postponed.  Locally, two school districts have so many students in quarantine that they have returned to remote learning for the time being.  Christmas break starts on the 24th, so the schools plan to return to normal in January. Our governor has enacted a mask mandate, but several counties say they won't enforce it. I live in one of those counties.  Deja vu. I read an article today that seems to say Covid is going to be with us forever.  The article is  about the upcoming   endemic , meaning that Covid surges will become an annual event, like the flu, and that we will have to get vaccinated every year.   Covid will become an endemic disease as early as 2024, Pfizer executives said Friday, meaning the virus will transition from a global emergency to a constant presence causin

 

From last summer … Drew, Jen and Becca.