Dear Reader
There was a fly-by in New York yesterday, of the Navy's Blue Angels and the Air Force's Thunderbirds — "a collaborative salute" to honor those at the frontlines battling the COVID-19 pandemic. I went to the top of the roof and joined in with other New Yorkers who were on their roofs and standing on balconies too, to see it. And it was quite spectacular. Around the same time I got a text from a friend about the Pentagon releasing images of UFOs, and then read the backlash against the fly-by, which seemed an obnoxious show in the face of medical staff who don’t have enough protective gear and a city that is in dire need of financial assistance.
Suffice to say, it was just another day in this new abnormal (to quote The Strokes), where everyday is an extreme ride of emotions. Everything is so charged. It’s exhausting. I am hoping to find some small relief in this day. I hope you are too.
Here is today’s selection of online entertainment options:
1. John Grisham and Stephen King will be chatting it up about their new books, Camino Winds and If It Bleeds, respectively. 4-5pm PST/7-8pm EST, broadcast live on King’s YouTube channel.
2. The story of Australia’s Tones and I is one of those inspiring busker-turned-Billboard-topping artist tales and I’m all for it. The Dance Monkey singer will be performing on YouTube later this evening, 7pm PST/10pm EST.
3. Cardi B’s IG rants have been prime quarantine content. Hubby Offset is playing his part by teaming up with Young Thug, Rich the Kid and SAINt JHN for the Offset and Friends live stream benefiting the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB). This experience will be on Facebook Live via Offset’s page, 4-6pm PST/7-9pm EST.
4. Writer, producer and star of Better Things Pamela Adlon will be in Conversation with Mario Cantone (he’ll always be Sex and the City’s Anthony to me), ahead of Season 4, at the 92Y, as part of their online offering. 2pm PST/ 5pm EST. Mario’s also going to be hosting the Lucille Lortel Awards this weekend.
5. The Museum of the City of New York (truly among my top 3 favourite museums here in NYC) has created an interactive map that allows you to see what parts of New York’s public landscape used to look like, placing images of the past alongside the present.
Thank you for reading. As ever, I welcome any suggestions you have for online events that are taking place during this time.
I’ll leave you with something that put a big smile on my face at the beginning of the week - a Goonies reunion, thanks to Josh Gad! Sean Astin reciting the line about it being “our time down here” was enough to draw tears from my eyes, remembering how much I loved that movie, growing up. And still do!
Stay safe, stay sane
Your neighbour
Nadia