Ann Griggs

[Barack Obama @BarackObama]

As I usually do during this time of year, I wanted to share my favorite books, movies, and music of 2023.

First up, here are the books I've enjoyed reading. If you’re looking for a new book over the holidays, give one of them a try. And if you can, shop at an independent bookstore or check them out at your local library.

What were some of your favorite books this year?

[Dr. Tom Frieden @DrTomFrieden]

The evidence is clear: Masks can reduce the risk of spreading Covid and of being infected with it. In a new review, my colleagues and I examined 40 studies on masks with seven different methodologies. Here’s what we found.

Masks play two roles—protecting the wearer and protecting the people around the wearer. If someone wearing a mask is sick, the mask can drastically reduce the amount of virus they spread to others. For personal protection, a high-quality mask such as an N95 or KN95 can protect the wearer, particularly if it fits well and is worn consistently in crowded indoor spaces where exposure to Covid often occurs.

Although masks work, they’re not perfect. Factors such as how intensely the virus is spreading, in which settings it’s spreading (such as indoors with poor ventilation), what proportion of people are wearing masks and how consistently they’re being worn add complexity to the question of how much protection masks provide and when.

Read our review in @JAMANetworkOpen: https://t.co/MRE5T3PmZS

[Gillian Fritzsche @fritchbeetle]

I’m so glad I’m on the same planet, at the same time, as her. ❤️

[Ann Griggs @vagriggs]

@rwintin7 Hey cousin! If you have a chance search out Mean Mandy’s food truck! Great food!

[TheaterMania @theatermania]

Seth Numrich, Mary Wiseman, and more have been cast in TRANSLATIONS at @IrishRep

https://t.co/EZPTEVlun0

[The New York Times @nytimes]

A mysterious neighbor brushed off Frank Sinatra, snubbed Joe DiMaggio and married one of the top stars of 1960s TV. Would an eviction notice force her out of her Manhattan home of 40 years? https://t.co/XKE07WBSJx

[The New York Times @nytimes]

"Delicious, easy appetizer, that is both nostalgic and modern."

A decidedly Southern spread, pimento cheese can be found on sandwiches or served as a spread for crackers. https://t.co/EUjc9n4D9N

[The New York Times @nytimes]

If you’re convinced that red wine should be reserved for the colder months, consider the tinto de verano. It’s to summer in Spain what a chilled bottle of rosé is to l’été in Provence. https://t.co/KElgG4bv8D

[Leopoldstadt Play @Leopoldstadtbwy]

Let's rewind time and cherish the unforgettable moments that made Leopoldstadt on Broadway the Tony Award-winning BEST PLAY.

📸: Jenny Anderson

[Ann Griggs @vagriggs]

@audible_com Seth Numrich - only slight bias!

[CALL TO ACTIVISM @CalltoActivism]

"I was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing I noticed was the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for me.
He handed me a laminated card and said, 'I'm Wasu, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk, I'd like you to read my mission statement.'

Taken aback, I read the card. It said, 'Wasu's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest, and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.'

This blew me away. Especially when I noticed the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wasu said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.'

I said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.'

Wasu smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, lassi, water, and orange juice.'

Almost stuttering, I said, 'I'll take a lassi since I’ve never had one before.'

Handing me my drink, Wasu said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have Good Housekeeping magazine, Reader’s Digest, The Bible, and a Travel + Leisure magazine.'

As we were pulling away, Wasu handed me another laminated card, 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'
And as if that weren't enough, Wasu told me he had the heater on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for me.

Then he advised me of the best route to my destination for that time of day. He also let me know he'd be happy to chat and tell me about some of the sights or, if I preferred, to leave me with my own thoughts.

'Tell me, Wasu,' I was amazed and asked him, 'have you always served customers like this?'

Wasu smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard about power of choice one day.'

'Power of choice is that you can be a duck or an eagle. If you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. Stop complaining! Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'

'That hit me right,' said Wasu. He continued and said, 'It is about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'

'I take it that has paid off for you,' I said.

'It sure has,' Wasu replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year, I'll probably quadruple it. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on it.'

Wasu made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles. I hope we all decide to soar like an eagle and not quack like a duck."

Credit: Summer Grace Vanni

[The New York Times @nytimes]

The New York Times is changing the source of its data for its ongoing Covid trackers. For more than three years, we have compiled our own U.S. county-level data, but we will now use information from the CDC.

Here’s why: https://t.co/AIR75tUgzI

[Chris Turnbull @EnemyInAState]

OK, so now even National Institute of Health are saying it directly:

'Taken together, the investigators write, these findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection damages the CD8+ T cell response, an effect akin to that observed in earlier studies showing long-term..

[TODAY @TODAYshow]

Members of the cast of the new powerful Broadway play “Leopoldstadt” @Leopoldstadtbwy sat down with @HarrySmith to talk about the impact the show is having on audiences and beyond.

[Leopoldstadt Play @Leopoldstadtbwy]

#LeopoldstadtBwy's David Krumholtz recently sat down with 76 West: A Podcast from @MM_JCCManhattan to discuss the extreme timeliness of Tom Stoppard's play and the importance of continued storytelling. https://t.co/C4S6wwpfGM

[Jessica Clark @Bubbles2828]

Words From the Wings: Jenna Augen of LEOPOLDSTADT Shares Backstage Must-Haves, Favorite Moments, and More! https://t.co/WlGZqehcEp @Leopoldstadtbwy

[Ann Griggs @vagriggs]

@Leopoldstadtbwy

[PBS News @NewsHour]

In a new Broadway play, one writer grapples with his own hidden past and its implications for our time.

@JeffreyBrown has this report. https://t.co/x2wbLMySWm

[PBS News @NewsHour]

In a new Broadway play, one writer grapples with his own hidden past and its implications for our time.

@JeffreyBrown has this report. https://t.co/x2wbLMySWm