Johnny Cash's Birthday

If you look in the archives of this blog for November 2005, you will see that my son Lee is a big fan of the Man in Black who would have been 75 years old today had he lived.  At 6 PM we put on a CD of his music from the Sun years (1950s)

I felt a little dizzy this morning since I had a cold over the weekend.  I decided to take a sick day and stayed home.  I'll be OK for tomorrow.  I just hate sitting around the apartment.

 

Finally Heard Niki Hoeky by PJ Proby

About two years ago I sent an e-mail to Brian Matthew requesting Niki Hoeky by PJ Proby who was an American singer who was more popular in the UK than in the USA.  Back in 1967 Niki Hoeky made the charts on WMCA.  Anyway, back in 2005 I didn't listen to the entire two hour show.  Reg Tomkins of the Chemical Engineering Department at NJIT who is British listened to the show when he visited England on vacation and heard my name and request.  Since the show is not archived, I missed it.  Finally today Brian Matthew played it. I heard it for the first time in 40 years.

CW Post Basketball today

This is the last weekend of college basketball before the postseason tournaments begin.  We drove out to Brookville, Long Island to see CW Post play the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT).  During the timeouts the cheerleaders through teeshirts into the crowd.  Both Lee and I caught CW Post teeshirts.  We had previously caught teeshirts at Hofstra and St. Johns games.  Post won the gaem 70-60.  From there we went to Ben's Deli in Greenvale for dinner.  On the way home we caught about 30 minutes of Saturday Night Oldies with Mark Simone.  Tonights show ended at 7:45 since WABC was broadcasting a Seton Hall basketball game.  We heard Mark interview Petula Clark.  Someone always downloads the show so I'll hear the part that I missed.

Senior Moment forgetting birthdays

My sister and brother in law on Long Island have two sons and a dog named Sasha.  Lee is just crazy about the dog.  We both remembered that the dog's birthday was November 11th, but forgot Keith's birthday (tomorrow) and Adam's on January 20th.  I sent them birthday cards via e-mail belatedly.  I guess I'm getting older.

McDonalds, Wendys and Ghost Rider

Although today is Presidents Day, NJIT was open as usual.  Instead of coping with trains on a holiday schedule, I decided to take a vacation day.  This morning I went to McDonalds for breakfast.  It seems that instead of raising the prices they decreased the size of the portions.  Since I still felt hungry, we decided to go to the nearby Wendys for lunch.  There is no Burger King in the immediate neighborhood.  Before going to the movies I stoped by the Radio Shack.  I again was able to resist the temptation to get a Sirius radio.  When I got home I read that Sirius and XM will be merging.  Maybe when the merger is consummated I will get a satellite radio.  Anyway, we went to the movies to see Ghost Rider.  It was for kids.  So what else is new.

Music and Lyrics

There was still snow on the ground.  After a few days the snow looks pretty crutty.  Anyway we went to the local multiplex and saw Music and Lyrics featuring High Grant and Drew Barrymore.  There was actually some conversation about Bob Dylan in the movie since the High Grant character, Alex Fletcher, was a songwriter.  Nothing much new.

Lee Picked the Basketball Game

Hofstra was at home today playing Holy Cross.  Since we shut out the last time we wnet there I phoned the ticket office yesterday to ask if there were tickets left for today's game.  Since they said there were only a few left, I didn't want to drive out there so I gave Lee a choice of two games.  We could see the St. Johns Women against Cincinnati at 2 PM or Concordia against Queens College at 7:30.  Lee picked the womens game.  True, the quality of womens basketball is not as good as mens but the Carnesecca Arena (Alumni Hall) is a much nicer facility than the Fitzgerald Gym at Queens College.  Also, this way I am able to listen to the entire Saturday Night Oldies radio show.

Valentines Day with Elvis Presley

It's nighttime in the big city on Valentine's Day.  It snowed a couple of inches, but the sleet and freezing rain made it worse.  About half of the students, faculty, and staff at NJIT did not show up today.  The boss (el jefe sin pelo por la cabeza) let me leave about 3 PM.  I gave Karen a tin of candy with pictures of Elvis Presley.  At 6 PM Lee and I went to the rack of CDs and picked the obvious - A Valentine's Gift For You by Elvis Presley.  That CD includes a cover of Bob Dylan's Tommorow is Long Time.  I only wish the King had done an entire CD of Dylan covers.  We also played the Elvis version of Don't Think Twice It's Alright.

Brian Matthew Returns

Regular readers of this blog may have observed when I make an entry on a Sunday evening I am usually listening to Sounds of the Sixties on BBC2.  Brian Matthew, the regular host has been out sick for about six months now.  I am pleased to report that Brian returned to the airwaves this weekend.  Yours truly really admires radio personalities who the music of the golden oldies.  A biography of Brian may be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Matthew .  It says that Brian has worked in radio for over 40 years.  Back in those days, there was no Internet radio so I couldn' listen to him back then.  I am glad he is back and wish him the best of health in the future.  A link to the show may be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/sounds60s/

Prayers for Sayed and his family

My colleague Sayed at the NJIT library has 8 year old twins, a boy and a girl.  The boy has been very sick and it seems that the doctors can not diagnose his condition.  We found out today that his condition has deteriorated and was taken from a hosptal near his home to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  Another colleague Lucy just had a large benign tumor removed.   The daughter of another colleague Jackie R is chronically sick since she always has seizures.  My prayers and best wishes go out to all of them.

2000 Hits

From October 15, 2005 until today this blog has gotten 2000 hits.  I am sure that a high percentage of these hits were mine.  Most of the other hits were likely from the NJIT people who seem to like to read about what I do on weekends when I am not staring out at computer lab.  Some of my radio friends also have checked out this blog.  Thanks for visiting.

Superbowl Sunday

It was very cold out today.  We went over to the Samuel Field Y since Lee's afterschool group had a familty day.  I was never a big football fan.  I never had a preference beween the Jets and the Giants.  I have only been to one regular season Football game.  It was back in the early 1980s when the Jets played at Shea Stadium.  I went to a few preseason games years ago at Giants Stadium.  I really don't have a preference between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears as to who wins tonight.  It seems that Superbowl Sunday is an American ritual.  I wonder if Galen, the biggest football fan of the NJIT library staff, will close the place so he can watch the game.

Applebees instead of Hofstra Basketball

For many years we have gone to Hofstra to see their basketball team. (See blog entry for Januray 20th).  Today we arrrived at 3 PM about 1 hour before game time and found out the game vs Northeastern was sold out.  This was the first time this happened to us.  Their time is playing very well and classes are now in session.  We went back to the student center and looked around for about an hour.  We drove back to Queens and dinner at Applebees in Bayside.  Well, the day was not a total loss.