Flying and Soaring and Other Stuff

Let's talk about The Beatles. You've heard of them, right? They broke up as a group in 1970...46 years ago. With that introduction, the reason for mentioning them today is that, 100 days ago, they released their catalog to the streaming site, Spotify. How popular do you think they were on the site? The company revealed that, in just over three months, people around the world have played 2,793 years worth of Beatles tunes, over 24,000,000 hours, over 250,000,000 plays. How did you do? OK, next question, how many of the listeners were under 35? Teacher Daughter and I both guessed 1/3. Actually, 67% were under 35. Did you guess correctly? As the article states, this is both shocking and not so, as while The Beatles were at their height of popularity decades ago, streaming users are typically younger, and thus there are simply more people under 35 to listen (and, who doesn’t know The Beatles?).

Wait, two more facts before we move on. A quick look at the most-played albums and songs by the group on Spotify shows how all those millions of streams add up. Of the 27 tracks featured on their greatest hits collection, 1, the least popular still has over three and a half million plays, while the most highly trafficked have over 15 million (and counting). When it’s all added up, the total streams for just that one album are easily above 100 million. The most popular tracks by the legendary rock group are “Here Comes The Sun,” “Come Together,” “Let It Be” and “Yesterday,” all songs that have truly stood the test of time. The most-streamed albums are 1 (of course), Abbey Road, The Beatles and then Let It Be.

Check out this store name:

Sign from a Seattle Gas Station:

The view of Times Square from the corner in front of our hotel. It is smaller than it appears on TV.

A short walk from Times Square leads you to this building. Do you recognize it? Would it help if I gave you a hint that SNL films there? The Tonight Show? Right! It's 30 Rock, or more formally, 30 Rockefeller Center.

And here's our crew standing above the ice rink in 30 Rock Plaza. I'll share the ice skating photos another day.

Today's Stupidest Things Ever Said calendar entry. It might make your eyes soar just reading it.
Morning! Went for a run. Now I have to get my day going. My legs are so soar from yesterday . . . I kind of love being soar. I know it worked.
- tweet by reality TV star Khloe Kardashian

From the Books of the Bible Knock Knock file:
Knock, knock!
Who's there?
Isaiah.
Isaiah who?
Isaiah nothing until you open this door.

Check out this video of a test flight of an actual 'flyboard', a personal flying device. Read the article, too, because it is not without risks (especially above 300 ft). Still, would you try it? I think I would not. I haven't tried the water jets, either, and they would be safer.

I finally filed my taxes yesterday. If you have not done so, remember that you only have one week left. I file mine electronically nowadays. Do you email or snail mail your return?

Check out this next photo. Is it really interesting or a little weird? I really like it. A photographer uses a drone with attached LED lights to illuminate a landscape scene for a photo. I also like that he placed a person in the foreground to give some sense of scale.

Against MBH's wishes, I am sharing this image of how innocent coloring book pages can be filled in to create disturbing scenes. I do have to wonder, though, about the type of person that would have imagined taking the page from the cute truck on the left to the zombie-filled landscape on the right.

A friend of mine gave his notice last week, and his last day is Friday. I certainly wish him good luck. That does not make him immune to a Clarity of Vision send-off.

And another workweek (actually, number 15 of this year) is breaking out all around me. I suppose I will join it since I have become accustomed to working in exchange for payment. Oh, the step-father of daughter-in-love is still in the hospital, so continue to pray. And her maternal grandfather told me that he is no longer on any medicines (except pain) and his doctor gives him just a few more weeks before he joins his wife in Paradise. He is so at peace about it. He has been a family friend for almost 30 years and I know I will be so sad when he passes. Please be in prayer that the family will be ready (or as ready as you can be). He told me I can pray that, and that his pain will be manageable, but not for any recovery or life extension.

OK, Monday awaits. Let's not keep it waiting any longer.