Here Comes the Sun!

I think this Beatles song is quite appropriate for today. I decided to post the Richie Havens version of it. Facebook friends can see and hear it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8HBHWYd6ug

Rain causes sadness

For the second day in a row it has rained. I took two vacation days for Passover, but was stuck in the apartment :( . Too much rain creates sadness. Maybe you can call it seasonal affective disorder or cabin fever. It is supposed to end tomorrow.

Million Dollar Quartet - one last time

Below is a clip of the Chicago cast of Million Dollar Quartet singing Blue Suede Shoes. Facebook friends can see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuaN5hSM1k0

Million Dollar Quartet - My Review

Over the past several years I have seen the following "jukebox musicals" :

• Smokey Joe's Cafe
• All Shook Up
• The Times They Are A Changin'
• Ring of Fire
• Jersey Boys
• Million Dollar Quartet

I enjoyed all of the above, but I am not the typical viewer of Broadway shows. Only Smokey Joe's Cafe and Jersey Boys were commercial successes. Certainly Elvis Presley has universal appeal, but All Shook Up closed after 33 previews and 213 performances. The weakness of this type of show is the lack of an in depth plot. Million Dollar Quartet relates how these 4 superstars performed a jam session on December 4, 1956. If you love the oldies, this show is for you. Most of the audience were people older that I. There were many empty seats in the theater, but the show is still in previews. The show is only 1 hour and 40 minutes, but I only paid $19.56 per ticket (this was a special deal advertised on WCBS-FM). I had to shell out $100/ticket for Jersey Boys two years ago.

I can not accurately predict how the professional critics will evaluate this show. It was successful in Chicago, but that is not Broadway. I would recommend that my oldies enthusiast friends see this before it closes. I hope it succeeds, but I am not optimisic. I loved the The Times They Are A Changin but it closed after 28 previews and 35 previews.

I suggest my readers see the Youtube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjbCpXhTS00

Happy Birthday - Lee

It is hard to believe that my son Lee is now 22 years old. Where did all these years go? It seems like it was just yesterday when he was born. I found a pciture of him with his Mets t-shirt standing next to a wax figure of his idol Johnny Cash. Today he'll see an actor playing Johnny as we see Million Dollar Quartet later today.

Oldies Concert at the Flushing Library

Tonight we walked over to the Flushing Library to see an Aesthetic Realism Theater Company performance of Rock 'n' Roll, the Oppposites & Our Greatest Hopes, A Celebration. The company sang 13 oldies but also gave an explanation of the significance of each song. For example one of the songs was You're So Vain as originally done by Carly Simon. They explain how the singer was complaining about her relationship with a man. We enjoyed this performance right in our neighborhood.

Facebook Friends

Dictionary.com defines friend as a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard. The expression "personal regard" is open to interpretation. The concept of friendship has been corrupted in this "Facebook world." When one opens a Facebook account there is a temptation to build up a large list of friends. I friended many Slutskys who were not related to me. I also tried to friend NJIT students in an attempt to promote my services as a librarian to them. I have friended people from my past, NJIT colleagues, people with similar interests and friends of friends.

Some months ago I de-friended several people whom I just didn't know. This morning I de-friended 38 people for that same reason. As I perused my list, I did give many people the benefit of the doubt, but my list is at 380 which is still too high. Facebook does not inform a member when someone unfriends him, so I am certain that many people have done the same to me for whatever reason.

This entire Facebook thing is getting silly. I suppose it is a fad that will eventually decline in popularity. I have noticed that many people start a profile and then abandon it or delete it in a short period of time. I have had positive and negative experiences with it.

Have a nice day everybody.