Did you watch the Oscars?  I watched some, frankly, dozing in and out.  

My Dad loved to sing. And he had a beautiful voice.    He grew up on the lower east side in an Orthodox Jewish community. He often told us that his parents urged him to become a Cantor. But he had no interest in that.  

Caught my first live show of 2025 last week: "John Lodge Celebrating 58 Years of Days of Future Passed with special Guest Jon Davision of Yes."  The concert was at Flagstar at Westbury Music Fair.  My fave Moodie is Justin Hayward.  I was not sure what to expect when I decided to go.  I found a few YouTube clips of some prior shows with Davison singing lead on songs that Justin sang lead on the originals like "Tuesday Afternoon" and "Nights in White Satin" and "The Voice.

Another unbelievably true story.   No one was injured, but many potatoes were lost when a tractor-trailer hauling a load of curly fries caught fire on a Maine highway last Wednesday.   The firefighters used about 6,000 gallons of water to extinguish the flames, but the tractor-trailer and its spud snack cargo "were a total loss," firefighters wrote.   Although, it did attract a lot of hungry people who were looking for a bottle of ketchup.  

When I was a boy I was made aware of the "Red Scare" (fear of the spread of Communism). It was an abounding tsunami of hate and recrimination abroad in the land. For instance, people were called before congressional committees, found in contempt and jailed for refusing to name names of alleged communists or "fellow travelers."

From Aruba. The ordeal of standing in line at the Palapa Hut in the late afternoon heat to reserve a palapa was a time-honored tradition. Now that tradition is replaced by an app. All reservations are by app.

My father has a saying "take the good with the bad". As a child, that was not an easy phrase to accept. Why would I accept bad with good things? As an adult, I have learned a deeper understanding for it. With all good things, there will be moments that follow or precede it that are not so great. It still isn't any easier to accept, but my view point has changed. It's about embracing the highs because there will be lows...they go hand-in-hand. A constant reminder to cherish our best moments and prepare ourselves for the next time we face a challenge!  

I’ve been under the weather for a few days, not unlike many others around me.  I’ve had three meetings cancelled in the last week alone because someone else was under the weather. I suppose it was my turn.