Dr. Arnold Weg Who Treated My Father in the 1990s is Fighting COVID-19

When my father, Irving Slutsky, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1995, his physician was Dr. Arnold Weg whose office was in the same building where my parents lived in Forest Hills.  We felt that Dr. Weg's expert care helped my father survive that dreaded disease for two years.

It was reported on Facebook and WPIX News that Dr. Weg is now in the ICU fighting COVID-19.  He caught the virus while he was treating a patient a few months ago.  Prayers for Dr. Weg as his expert medical care helped patients for many years.

Lyrics to Murder Most Foul

These lyrics were transcribed by Dylan scholar Anne Margaret Daniel.  Ss of now they have not been officially published.  Like any Dylan song, it is open to interpretation.

Most people today were not living when JFK was assassinated on November 22, 1963.  Perhaps younger Dylan fans will be inspired to research his presidency,

”Murder Most Foul”

by Bob Dylan



 ‘Twas a dark day in Dallas, November '63
A day that will live on in infamy
President Kennedy was aright, alive [a-ridin' high]
Good day to be livin' and a good day to die
Bein’ led to the slaughter like a sacrificial lamb
He said, “Wait a minute, boys, you know who I am?"
"Of course we do, we know who you are,"
Then they blew off his head while he was still in the car
Shot down like a dog in broad daylight
Was a matter of timing and the timing was right
You got unpaid debts, we've come to collect
We gonna kill you with hatred, without any respect
We'll mock you and shock you, and we'll grinnin’ [put it] in your face
We've already got someone here to take your place.
The day they blew out the brains of the king
Thousands were watching, no one saw a thing
It happened so quick there, so quick, by surprise
Right there in front of everyone's eyes

Greatest magic trick ever under the sun
Perfectly executed, skillfully done

Wolfman, o wolfman, o wolfman howl,
Rub-a-dub-dub, it's a murder most foul.

 Hush, little children, you'll understand

The Beatles are comin,’ they’re gonna hold your hand
Slide down the banister, go get your coat
Ferry ‘cross the Mersey and go for the throat
There’s three bums comin’ and they’re dressed in rags
Pick up the pieces and lower the flags
I'm goin' to Woodstock, it's the Aquarian age

Then I’ll go ta Altamont and sit near the stage
Put your head out the window, let the good times roll
There's a party going on behind the Grassy Knoll
Stack up the bricks, pour the cement
Don’t say Dallas don’t love you, Mr. President
Put your foot in the tank and then step on the gas
Try to make it to the triple underpass
Blackface singer, whiteface clown
Better not show your faces after the sun goes down
Up in the red light district, they got cop on the beat


Living in a nightmare on Elm Street
When you're down on Deep Elem, put your money in your shoe
Don't ask what your country can do for you
Cash on the ballot, money to burn
Dealey Plaza, make a left-hand turn
I'm going down to the crossroads, gonna flag a ride
The place where faith, hope, and charity died
Shoot him while he runs, boy, shoot him while you can
See if you can shoot the invisible man
Goodbye, Charlie, Goodbye Uncle Sam

Frankly, Miss Scarlett, I don’t give a damn

What is the truth, and where did it go

Ask Oswald and Ruby, they oughta know
"Shut your mouth," said a wise old owl
Business is business, and it's a murder most foul

Tommy can ya hear me, I’m the acid queen
I'm riding in a long, black Lincoln limousine
Ridin' in the backseat next to my wife
Headin’ straight on in to the afterlife
I'm leaning to the left, I got my head in her lap
Hold on, I've been led into some kind of a trap
Where we’ll ask no quarter, and no quarter do we give
We're right down the street from the street where you live
They mutilated his body and they took out his brain
What more could they do, they piled on the pain
But his soul was not there where it was supposed to be at
For the last fifty years they've been searchin' for that
Freedom oh freedom freedom over me
I hate to tell you mister but only dead men are free
Send me some lovin' tell me no lie
Throw the gun in the gutter and walk on by

Wake up little Susie, let’s go for a drive

Cross the Trinity River let’s keep hope alive
Turn the radio on, don't touch the dials

Parkland Hospital only six more miles

Ya got me dizzy Miss Lizzie ya filled me with lead
That magic bullet of yours has gone ta my head

I’m just a patsy like Patsy Cline
Never shot anyone from in front or behind
I've blood in my eye, got blood in my ear
I'm never gonna make it to the new frontier

Zapruder’s film I seen right [night] before

Seen it thirty-three times maybe more
It's vile and deceitful it's cruel and it's mean
Ugliest thing that you ever have seen
They killed him once and they killed him twice
Killed him like a human sacrifice
The day that they killed him someone said to me "Son,
The age of the Antichrist has just only begun."
Air Force One comin' in through the gate
Johnson sworn in at two thirty-eight
Lemme know when you decide to throw in the towel
It is what it is, and it's murder most foul

What’s new, pussycat, what’d I say,
I said the soul of a nation been torn away
And it's beginning to go into a slow decay
And that it's thirty-six hours past Judgment Day

Wolfman Jack he's speaking in tongues
He's going on and on at the top of his lungs
Play me a song, Mister Wolfman Jack
Play it for me in my long Cadillac
Play me that “Only the Good Die Young”
Take me to the place Tom Dooley was hung
Play "St. James Infirmary" and the court of King James
If you want ta remember, you better write down the names
Play Etta James too, play "I'd Rather Go Blind"
Play it for the man with the telepathic mind
Play John Lee Hooker, play "Scratch My Back"
Play it for that strip club owner named Jack
Guitar Slim, “Goin’ Down Slow”
Play it for me and for Marilyn Monroe.

Play "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"
Play it for the First Lady, she ain't feelin’ any good
Play Don Henley, play Glenn Frey

Take it to the limit and let it go by

Play it for Carl Wilson, too

Looking far, far away down Gower Avenue
Play tragedy, play "Twilight Time"
Take me back to Tulsa to the scene of the crime
Play another one and “Another One Bites the Dust”
Play "The Old Rugged Cross" and "In God We Trust"

Ride the pink horse down that long lonesome road
Stand there and wait for his head to explode
Play "Mystery Train" for Mr. Mystery
The man who fell down dead like a rootless tree
Play it for the reverend, play it for the pastor
Play it for the dog that got no master
Play Oscar Peterson, play Stan Getz
Play "Blue Sky," play Dickey Betts
Play Art Pepper, Thelonious Monk
Charlie Parker and all that junk
All that junk and all that jazz
Play something for the Birdman of Alcatraz
Play Buster Keaton, play Harold Lloyd
Play Bugsy Siegel, play Pretty Boy Floyd
Play the numbers, play the odds
Play "Cry Me A River" for the lord of the gods
Play number nine, play number six
Play it for Lindsey and Stevie Nicks
Play Nat King Cole, play "Nature Boy"
Play "Down In The Boondocks" for Terry Malloy
Play It Happened One Night and "One Night of Sin"
There's twelve million souls that are listening in
Play Merchant of Venice, play Merchants of Death
Play "Stella by Starlight" for Lady Macbeth
Don't worry Mr. President, help's on the way

Your brothers are comin,’ there’ll be hell to pay

Brothers, what brothers, what’s this about hell
Tell them we're waiting, keep coming, we'll get them as well

Love Field is where his plane touched down

But it never did get back up off the ground

Was a hard act to follow, second to none
They killed him on the altar of the rising sun

Play “Misty” for me and "That Old Devil Moon"
Play "Anything Goes" and "Memphis in June"
Play "Lonely At the Top" and "Lonely Are the Brave"
Play it for Houdini spinning around in his grave
Play Jelly Roll Morton, play "Lucille"
Play "Deep In a Dream", and play "Driving Wheel"
Play "Moonlight Sonata" in F-sharp
And "Key to the Highway" for the king of the harp
Play "Marching Through Georgia" and "Dumbarton's Drums"
Play darkness and death will come when it comes
Play "Love Me Or Leave Me" by the great Bud Powell
Play “The Blood-Stained Banner," play "Murder Most Foul."

Murder Most Foul A New Recording by Bob Dylan

This announcement was made on BobDylan.com :

“Greetings to my fans and followers with gratitude for all your support and loyalty across the years,” Dylan tweeted. He continued: “This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting. Stay safe, stay observant and may God be with you.”

He makes reference to the JFK assassination, but also includes references to other events and cultural figures of the 1960s and 1970s.  He states he recorded it a while back so we don't know the date of the recording.  I am glad that he thanks his fans for their support and loyalty.

Keeping Busy During the Coronavirus Crisis

Everything is closed as the Governor and Mayor tell everyone to stay home to minimize the spread of the Coronavirus.  The problem is nobody knows how long this situation will last.  There is no way this will end by Easter Sunday as stated by "You Know Who".  Here are some of the things that I am doing to keep busy:

• Fact-checking essays for the SABR Games Project
• Indexing articles for The Baseball Index
• Taking walks in the neighborhood or local parks.  This is permissible as long as I maintain my distance from people.  Hopefully, the Mayor won't close the parks
• Going to fast-food restaurants to take out food
• Watching TV.  Jeopardy is on at 7 PM
• Listening to the radio.

I must feel for people who are ill from this dreaded virus and for those who lost their job as a result of business closures.

Random Thoughts As I Stay at Home

It was a crappy rainy day today so it is just as well that I had to stay at home.  I just went out for a short time to get some hamburgers at the McDonalds in the neighborhood.

Since the weather is supposed to be nicer tomorrow, Karen and I will go to a grocery store that sells only Passover food.  It is "kosher" (pun intended) to go out to buy food.  I assume that synagogues will not be allowed to have large seder gatherings.

I started to read this book today

I know the author through our activity in SABR.  Some baseball players have very unusual names.

Significant Quote by Caitlyn Jenner

I have seen numerous movies over the years but rarely write about it in this Journal.  I do note them on Facebook and have likely viewed hundreds in recent years. Sadly, movie theaters are closed during this COVID-19 situation.  I have a subscription to HBO and at times peruse the listing of on-demand titles.  Very often it is difficult to ascertain the quality of the film from the short description on the TV screen.

I selected a documentary called About Buzz about a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and celebrated author Buzz Bissinger.  Much of the film considered Buzz's role in helping Caitlyn write her autobiography.  Caitlyn was born Bruce Jenner and won the decathlon in the 1976 Olympics.  He became a celebrity in the years that followed.  Bruce always had an issue with gender dysphoria as he felt he was a woman trapped in a man's body.

The book published in 2017 is

She was very forthcoming as she discussed her difficulties in making the transition from a man to a woman.  There is much prejudice toward transgendered people.  The following statement quoted directly hit close to home although for me had nothing to do with LGBTQ issues:

"Please, I am begging you don't ever let your life succumb to what others think.  Do not give in to fear as I did for so many years.  Do what is in your heart and soul and never regret it."

I think back to a former boss (RTS) who pigeonholed me and never gave me a chance to spread my wings professionally.  I saw him as a roadblock, but couldn't let him stifle me.  He was very much an intimidator and I did fear him.  I always did what was best for the people who needed my services in spite of what he thought of me.  In many situations at different employers, I prospered in spite of managers, not because of them.

Don't Stand So Close To Me by The Police - Appropriate 1980's Hit

I just can't sit in the apartment all day.  Whenever I go outside I try to stand at least 6 feet away from people.

Random Thoughts of the Day

It seems that Mayor DiBlasio and Governor Cuomo are antagonizing each other as the Mayor says that within 48 hours he may impose a shelter in place order amid the coronavirus outbreak.  The Governor opposes that proposed lockdown.  I agree with the Governor as a lockdown will only minimize the spread of the virus and create unhappiness among the population.  Nobody wants to be confined to their homes indefinitely.  Will the police be used to give a summons to people who don't comply?

This coronavirus situation is different from 9/11 or Hurricane Sandy since we can not see the virus.  Most people who have the virus are asymptomatic.  Others may just have mild symptoms.  Many who have died from the virus had pre-existing conditions.  I feel sorry for those who have lost their jobs over this situation.  How much will a $1000 payout from the government help?

We'll take this one day at a time.

What's Next and for How Long?

Today, I had a dentist's appointment in my old neighborhood of Rego Park.  Since the parking situation is so bad, I take the subway there.  The trains were much less crowded than usual.  I was careful to keep my distance from people and not to touch any surfaces.  The dentist instructed me to wash my hands as I came into her office.  I did not observe a message board or an internet radio station on the premises.  She had to replace an old filling.

After I arrived home, I decided to go to a fast-food restaurant for lunch.  Starting tomorrow restaurants and bars across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut need to close to anything but take-out and delivery business.  I could go to a fast-food place and bring the stuff home.  The problem is that the fast-food places are about a 10-minute walk from home.  In that time, the food would get cold.

So far:

• No sporting events
• No museums
• No libraries
• No movies
• No restaurants

So What's Next?

I certainly hope the city's parks won't be closed.

Reflections on Bruce's Journal as it Approaches 4000 Entries Since October 2005

I am approaching entry #4000 of a blog that started on October 15, 2005 and just kept on going.  That article was a very short description about a football game at Hofstra University.  Most of my entries have been much longer than that.  I guess if an article is too long some people may not read it.  I can’t give a reason for keeping on writing it.  I am never certain of the impact that to made on people over 14+ years.  I am aware of a few regular readers, but it has gotten close to 600,000 hits worldwide. Perhaps some people look at an entry and think that I am a nut. Medical issues and very personal topics are never included.  Anyone can read what I put on the Internet, so I need to be careful.  Once I got in trouble when a pompous professor from Texas objected to something I wrote. I usually write two entries in three days.  I had two companion blogs that I stopped after I retired in December 2017.

• Commuting Blog
• Professional Blog

I can categorize my entries as follows:

• New York Mets
• Baseball (general)
• Sporting events that I attended
• Radio Broadcasting
• Bob Dylan
• Oldies music including Youtube videos of songs
• Museum visits
• Movies (I only critique a few movies that saw)
• Family activities including vacations
• Autobiographical entries
• Random Comments of the Day

I thought that I should look back at some of the significant entries that I have written over the years.

• Remembering Alan Berman  - I was friends with him from 2006 until his tragic death in June 2013.  This entry traced many of the events of our 7-year friendship.
• Remembering Lou Mintz of NYPL  - His son Gary found this entry and contacted me.  I joined his New York Giants (Baseball) Preservation Society
• Bruce the Mets Fan From Day 1 – and the rest is history
• Bruce, the Bob Dylan Fan – this was written in 2006.  Much has happened since then
• I’m Not There and Don’ Look Back – Two Dylan Movies with significance for me  - why I didn’t return to my former employer.
• Final Thought as a Retire and Leave the Profession of Librarianship – this was the final entry of my companion professional blog.
• It seems that out of sight out of mind supersedes keeping in touch  - My frustration with my inability to keep in touch with former colleagues
• Trying to Remember the Early Days Growing Up in Rego Park
• Reminiscing about my New Brunswick Days – Part 1
• Reminiscing about my New Brunswick Days – Part 2
• My 44-Year Journey Ends on My Terms

Bruce’s Journal is run on a platform called Blogger provided by Google.  It provides me with the list of the postings with the most hits.  Here are the top ten, many of which I don’t understand why they got so many hits:

1. TGIF  - this is a very short posting done on March 26, 2010.  I just can’t understand why it got so many hits.
2. The Tale of the Two-Dollar Bill – April 14, 2011 – I received a two-dollar bill and donated it to the local public library
3. Jeopardy and the Two-Dollar Bill -  November 22, 2011 – there was an answer on Jeopardy that required knowing that a president was on a two-dollar bill.  I thought there were better posts about Jeopardy that deserved more hits.
4. Congratulations to the Beach Boys on their 50^th anniversary – December 31, 2011
5. Jason Keller, Jeopardy Superstar- December 27, 2011
6. Mark Simone leaves WABC for WOR – January 3, 2013  Mark Simone became persona non grata as far as I’m concerned.
7. Bob Dylan – Forever Young – 50 Years of Song -Life Magazine  - February 23, 2012 – I think there are more significant posts about Dylan that should have received more hits.
8. Another Afternoon at CW Post – November 7, 2009 – About a football game there.  I don’t understand why it got so many hits.
9. WABC Rewound is Gone -  April 29 2010 – At this point WABC Rewound was no longer heard on 770 AM.  It is still heard yearly on Memorial Day on internet radio.
10. More Tsuris for the Mets – March 18, 2011 – Tsuris means aggravation.  This post discusses problems the Mets’ owners faced as a result of Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.

In general, I don’t understand why the above 10 entries got so many hits.  There were more articles that were more significant to me.

I will keep writing for Bruce’s Journal as I average about 240 entries a year, so in another 4 years when I reach 5000 entries, another analysis.

Everything is Closed - There is not much to do

The national emergency with the coronavirus has effectively closed almost all recreational activities.  I was hoping to visit either the Museum of the City of New York or the New York Historical Society Museum this weekend but they are closed.  When you enter any public building, you never know if you encounter someone who is infected.  Likewise, all professional and college sports are shut down so we can't watch events on TV.  I bought tickets for the Mets on Sunday, March 29, but it will be canceled.  I assume I will be able to exchange them for another game.  We were looking forward to seeing the Tina Turner musical for Lee's birthday on March 28, but all Broadway shows are canceled until at least April 12.

I really feel sorry for people who have been sickened by this virus.  I also feel for people who are out of work as a result of these closures.

How Long? (will this have to go on) - Modifying the subtitle of a 1975 hit by Ace

Some very sad announcements have been made in the last 24 hours:

• Major League Baseball is suspended
• The National Basketball Association has suspended play
• The National Hockey League has suspended play
• There will be no NCAA Basketball Tournament
• Broadway shows are closed.
• Large gatherings are forbidden

The number of cases of Corona Virus infection is growing every day.  It spreads more rapidly than seasonal flu.  The rate of fatalities is also higher.  Drastic actions are necessary to protect the health and well-being of the public.

I have tickets to see the Tina Turner show on March 28th and the New York Mets on March 29.  It is obvious that those events will be canceled.

The big questions is how long will these restrictions be in effect?  Obviously, nobody knows.  I hope that the number of reported infections will go down dramatically so things will be normalized.

Reading About Mel Allen on the Way to Yankee Stadium

Even though I am a big Mets fan I like to go to a few Yankee games every season.  It is very convenient to buy tickets online, but there is usually a service charge of up to 25% per ticket.  Very often it is impossible to avoid that, but since I am retired I have time to take a subway trip to Yankee Stadium to save money.  I bought tickets for two games and saved about $40.

One of my retirement projects is to index articles for the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).  I encountered an article about the late Mel Allen known as The Voice of the Yankees.  The bibliography listed:

Borelli, Stephen. How About That! The Life of Mel Allen. Champaign, IL: Sports Publishing, 2005.

I was able to get a copy from Queens Library and started reading it a few days ago.  I had about 30 pages to finish it and thought I would read it on my subway ride to Yankee Stadium.  Mel was certainly a remarkable man.  He grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and was proud of his Jewish heritage.  The biggest mistake the Yankees ever made was letting Mel go after the 1964 season.  I refuse to use the term "fired".

After I bought the tickets I took a short walk across the street to the site of the original Yankee Stadium and took the photo seen below.

Bob Dylan Returns to Forest Hills on July 8

Poster from the July 2016 Concert at Forest Hills

It was nice to start the week by finding out that the Never Ending Tour will return to Forest Hills on July 8th.  I read that the April tour dates in Japan were canceled over the issues with the Coronavirus, but I assume things will return to normal by July.  There was a famous concert there in August 1965 when folk music enthusiasts booed Dylan when he went electric.  We were at the July 2016 concert when Mavis Staples was the opening act.  Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, The Hot Club of Cowtown will be the opening act this year.  I have never heard of them.

And the beat goes on.

Carolina Hurricanes 3 New York Islanders 2 in OT at Nassau Coliseum

Advertising on the internet worked as the Islanders stated there were no Ticketmaster fees on tickets purchased by March 9.  I took advantage of that offer and bought tickets for today's afternoon game at Nassau Coliseum.  When I worked in Newark, I bought tickets for the Devils while Karen and Lee would join me after work.  Since I retired we only have gone to Islanders' games at Barclays Center since Ranger tickets at Madison Square Garden are so expensive. This season the Islanders split their home games between Barclays Center and the Nassau Coliseum.  Today was the first time in several years that I attended a hockey game at the Coliseum.

It was a game dominated by the defense as it was tied at 2-2 at the end of regulation play.   Vincent Trocheck scored a power-play goal at 1:36 of overtime to give the Hurricanes a 3-2 victory that tightens the race for a wild card slot in the playoffs.

Game recap

Is Bob Dylan Working on a New Album?

And Gershon, 57, was given a little bit preview of some new materials Dylan had been engaged on: “He learn me some lyrics he was writing and he was all excited…,” she recalled. “I used to be pondering, ‘Oh my God, that is so cool.’ You possibly can see why he nonetheless loves doing what he does and he is excited…”

This paragraph was copied from this article https://www.upnewsinfo.com/2020/03/04/gina-gershon-i-hit-bob-dylan-in-the-face-during-our-first-meeting/

I thank Laura Tenschert for posting it on Twitter allowing Dylan fans to read it.  There has not been an album of new Dylan songs since The Tempest in 2012.

Random Thoughts about Daylight Savings Time

If you are interested, you may hear a minor hit recorded by Keith (real name James Keefer) in 1967.  It only reached #79 on Billboard so only real oldies enthusiasts know about it.  In the song, he says that daylight savings time (DST) gives him more time to spend with his baby.

Anyway, you may read about the background and history of DST if you are interested in all the details.  This Sunday at 2:00 AM we will turn the clocks ahead and observe DST until early November.  While growing up DST was 6 months from the end of April to the end of October.  Over the years the U.S. Congress has increased DST so now it is almost 8 months.  Whenever the clocks change there are arguments for staying on DST year-round or keeping standard time all year.  There are more automobile accidents on the day after the clocks changes.  More heart attacks are reported that day as well.

Arizona and Hawaii keep standard time year-round.  If New York did that sunrise would be about 4:30 AM during May, June, and July.  If we went to DST year-round sunrise would be around 8:30 in November, December, and January creating hazardous conditions for students on the way to school. 

My opinion is that early March is not the right time for DST as sunrise will not be until 7:20 AM.  If I had my way I would move it to the end of March.  However, it would take an act of Congress to do that.

Countryside the Future at the Guggenheim Museum

A new exhibit called Countryside The Future opened last month at the Guggenheim Museum.  Since I hadn't been there since last May, I thought it was time for a return visit.  There is much art that considers the urban environment, but 98% of the earth's surface is not occupied by cities.  Countryside is defined as rural remote and wild territories in all parts of the earth.  The exhibition considers urgent environmental, political, and socioeconomic issues.  There are video displays throughout the museum that enhance the experience for patrons.

I recommend this exhibit for my readers.