New years eve has always been a time for jokes about balls dropping, etc.  I don't know if they are doing that in New York this year, but my guess is that they aren't.  

I often encourage my friends to be better listeners to one another, and to show more empathy and emotional intelligence.  You never know what the people around you are going through or what kind of day they are having until you ask that magical question "how are you"?....etc.  

2020 Favorites

By request from my brother: An (expanded) list of artists who made albums I like this year....keep in mind this is albums I like, not "best albums."

 

Also an expanded list for 2020 songs: 

Unusual fact about me: I've always had this secret fear that the blades on ceiling fans are going to come off as they spin and slice me.  

In the news today: 190,000 ceiling fans recalled from King Of Fans, a company in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, because the blades can detach. 

So maybe some fears are not so irrational....

I got an EKG done this week, and several more tests coming up.  Looking to get better and come back stronger than ever.  There have to be good things ahead in 2021. 

So, "Chanooka" is over, but it is almost Christmas time.  Anyway, I forgive the real Smokey Robinson for his pronunciation of Hanukkah.  The sad thing is that I have friends who are kind of like that, who basically just found out that there are such thing as Jews in this world or that we don't have horns like someone told them or something.  

This is a cover of that song by the Corrs from the year 2000.  So I am left breathless after certain days at work and not in a good way, because some people at my job only staff their employees based on "business needs" and not based on sense.  

Scary moments for me at work, but thankfully Human Resources seemed to be on my side with this one.

  

Breathing deeper seems to help a lot.  Maybe not so much for the physical problems that come from my job, but more-so the mental symptoms of being thrown on only the most physically difficult stuff for your entire work week.  

Really bad week at work, with loss of a co-worker in my department to covid.

 Got tested for covid, and waiting to hear back my results.  

I think I've blogged about favorite albums of the year enough, so how about some songs from this year that I enjoyed?  Keep in mind, not "best" songs because that is like comparing apples to oranges to pears to peaches(all things that are fruits but quite different and awesome in their own way), but some that I liked.  And for anyone who might say that I don't include enough black artists, I've got Shamir on there, and would gladly create a list with more black artists on there....

Update: My covid test came back negative. 

Addendum to this post: a couple of albums I liked this year.

                                                                    

                                                                    

                                                                        

Hamilton star Daveed Diggs is Jewish and created a new Hanukkah song!

Also, I am happy that my favorite new NBA player Deni Avdija will be on the receiving end of assists from Russell Westbrook, and not throwing gang signs with John Wall.