Happy, Healthy, and Safe New Year to Readers of Bruce's Journal

 

I may as well end the year by wishing everybody well for the new year.  Jackie Robinson made this famous quote that I see when I enter the rotunda at Citi Field.

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

Likewise, a publication is not important except in the impact is has on other lives.

I have published over 5000 journal entries over 19+ years.  When people surf the web they want to be anonymous.  I am aware of a few of my Facebook friends who read it regularly.  I am certain there are others who don't want to reveal their identities.  It is a vanity press for me, but does it have an impact on anyone else?  Most of my entries are related to music and sports.  I am careful not to get too personal since many issues should remain private.

I will continue to write in 2025.

Bob Dylan and Jimmy Carter Talk About Each Other

 

Jimmy Carter smiled when the recording of Mr. Tambourine Man started.

I hope that Bob will come to Jimmy Carter's funeral on January 9.

Radio Log - Sunday December 29, 2024

I haven't done this in a while, but here goes.  I won't list the time of day:

• 1010 WINS on 92.3 FM - I just want to hear the basic news stories and weather forecast
• WCBS-FM - I just listen once a week for "old time sake" . No radio personality on Sunday mornings.  I don't care for the music mix
• Pirate Radio Key West - I like the syndicated show "The Acoustic Storm". I like to catch part of the show each week.  I think it would be a good fit at Q-104.3, but NYC stations usually don't air syndicated shows.
• Rewound Radio - I wanted to hear some of the listeners' choice for their favorite hits. Hey Jude was #1 while Like a Rolling Stone cam in at #23.  Thanks to Mike Riccio, Allan Sniffen and others who make it possible every year at this time.
• Beatles Channel on SiriusXM in the car on the way to Cunningham Park
• Elvis Radio on SiriusXM in the car on the way home.  This is Lee's favorite.
• Classic AT 40 with Casey Kasem on iHeart Radio.  He was playing the top hits of 1970
• Sunday Supper with John Platt on WFUV
• Pop Gold Radio - I caught the end of Tom Natoli's hits of 1974 and the beginning of That Thing With Rich Appel.
• 60s 70s show with Bob Radil.  I listened to part of Friday night's show that I missed.

 

Do These News Stories Really Affect Me?

 

Here are some of them:

• Luigi Mangione murdered the CEO of United Health Care
• The Guatemalan illegal immigrant set a homeless woman on fire
• Daniel Penny was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide
• The Menendez Brothers are back in the news again.
• After 28 years we still don't know who killed Jon Benet Ramsey
• There is always something new about the British royal family

People talk about these stories, but do our conversations change anything?  Are they just silly conversation pieces?

I'd rather write about Bob Dylan or baseball.

There But For Fortune by Joan Baez - Featured in A Complete Unknown

Joan Baez played by Monica Barbaro in A Complete Unknown was a significant person in Bob Dylan's life in the early 1960s.  There But For Fortune was played in the movie.  Phil Ochs also covered that song.

 

We Saw A Complete Unknown at the AMC Empire 25 in Times Square

This journal entry will be my comments on the film.  I will refer my readers to the review in the New York Times.  Here goes:

• A documentary must be completely factual, but in a biopic the filmmakers have the right to change the story around.  They can add or omit details to spice up the story.
• Andy Greene of Rolling Stone Magazine provided a fact-check and revealed 27 inaccuracies.  Likely there are more.
• The acting was excellent. Timothee Chalomet as Dylan and Edward Norton as Pete Seeger should get Academy Award nominations.
• I was glad to see that Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield were portrayed.
• Certainly, not every event in the 1961-65 period could be covered.  There should have been a mention of the Spring 1965 tour in the UK and his appearances at Carnegie Hall in 1963 and 1964.
• His girlfriend was named Sylvie Russo in the film since Dylan wanted to protect Suze Rotolo's privacy. in the film she appeared at Newport in 1965, but I am certain that their relationship was over by then.
• The film ends with Dylan riding a motorcycle and then the screen goes black and starts the credits.  This chapter of Dylan's career ended with his motorcycle accident in July 1966.

The theater was quite crowded and included mostly younger people.  Could they become new Dylan fans and buy his albums?  I am aware of many "Dylan Immigrants" who became his fans later in his career and "backtracked."

The Times Square area was very crowded.  We wanted to go to the Hard Rock, but the line to get in was very long.  We were able to get into Applebees, but that restaurant was also crowded.  I thought that people who observe Christmas stay at home and have a gathering and a dinner with their extended families.  Many just don't.

I Found Out There are Still Jewish Dances After I Thought They Were Long Gone

 

If you read some of my autobiographical journal entries there were mentions of Jewish singles dances in the 60s and 70s.  In NYC, there were Cometogether and Tempo dances.  A former friend of mine met his wife at a dance in 1972.  When I lived in northern New Jersey in the mid 1970s there were dances run by an organization call the Dunhams.

Yesterday I posted on a Facebook group Jewish Singles 65+ that back in the day there was always a Jewish Singles Dance on Christmas Eve or Night.  I thought that those miserable dances were gone for decades but a poster stated that there is a singles dance every year at this time called MatzoBall.  In any event this dance is not for me since the stated age range is 21-49.

Since I became a widower I have been very reluctant to get involved in dating again,

Chanukah Song by Adam Sandler - My Seasonal Song

 

 I am obviously not listening to LITE-FM at this time.  You may want to read my journal entry from December 2013, Being Jewish at Christmas.

Why Do the Notorious Get So Much Media Attention While Heroes and Good Samaritans Don't?

 

The tragic murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson has been covered extensively in the media.  Ever since Luigi Mangione was identified as the alleged murderer, so much has been revealed about his background.  ABC TV did a one-hour special about him.  Sadly, a former student at a prestigious university is now accused of a heinous murder.

I only saw a photograph of Brian Thompson.  Very little about his background was reported in the media.  I am certain that he was a decent person who didn't deserve to die. There are problems in the health insurance business, but killing an executive won't change anything.

A customer and an employee at a McDonald's in Altoona, PA, reported to the local police that someone in the restaurant matched the description of the fugitive.  Who are they?  They deserved to be recognized and applauded for their good deed.  I hope they received the reward offered by the FBI.

That is the way it is.  Writing a blog entry is not going to change anything.

Random Thoughts of the Day - December 18, 2024

• Oh those crazy dreams.  Last night I had a dream about doing the laundry that nobody enjoys doing.  It is bad enough that I have to do it twice a week, but why is my subconscious mind punishing me?
• I have written about abolishing the electoral college several times in this journal since 2017.  Today Governor Kathy Hochul stated the she is in favor of abolishing it.  It is just not going to happen.
• I am getting sick and tired of reading more speculative articles in reliable publications about trades and free agency signing.  I don't believe anything I read on those topics in Facebook postings.
• The Queens Bus Design report just came out.  To speed up buses many stops including the one at 28th Avenue and Union Street will be eliminated.  Thus I will have to walk a little further to get on a local bus.  The Q34 will be eliminated.  The good thing about this is that when bus stops for that route are eliminated, more parking spots for people in my neighborhood will be created.  There is a parking problem in my neighborhood, but since I have a garage in my Co-op, I don't have to worry about looking for a spot when I drive home.

 

Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan at Newport 1965

 

Dylan is joined by pianist Barry Goldberg and of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, guitarist Mike Bloomfield, bassist Jerome Arnold and drummer Sam Lay, and with Al Kooper playing organ.

Henry Bernstein - Facebook Friend of the Day and Bob Dylan Fan Extraordinaire

 

It has been a very long time since I featured a Facebook Friend of the Day in Bruce's Journal. As you can see from his photo Henry Bernstein rooted for the 2024 Chicago White Sox who lost 121 games.  I actually rooted for the 1962 Mets who lost 120 games.  I met Henry at the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa in July 2022 when I observed he was wearing a t-shirt he got from Laura Tenschert.  Somehow a nice Jewish boy from New York had to go to Tulsa to meet a nice Jewish boy from Chicago.  At 75 years old, can I call myself a boy?

Here are some examples of Henry's great enthusiasm for Bob Dylan:

• He recently initiated a Bob Dylan podcast called Songs of Experience where he and his guests examine one Dylan song at a time.
• He was interviewed by Erin Callahan on a podcast called Dylantantes
• He appeared on a podcast called Dylan Pod
• He traveled from Chicago to Memphis to see a Dylan concert.  I am certain that he has made other road trips to see Dylan
• He traveled from Chicago to Orlando, Florida to see an early screening of A Complete Unknown.  He just couldn't wait to the official opening on Christmas Day.

Henry - if you read this I will buy a ticket to see a Met game at Citi Field if you come to NYC during baseball season.

Congratulations to David Wright

 

Anthony DiComo confirms that David Wright will be inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame and have his #5 retired on Saturday July 19.  This honor is well deserved as we look at his statistics from Baseball-Reference.  Sadly, his career was cut short by injuries and likely will not be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.  I have a Sunday plan for 2025, so I'll have to watch the ceremony on TV.

Random Oldie of the Day - Niki Hoeky by PJ Proby

 

Niki Hoeky by PJ Proby only reached #23 on the chart in 1967.  I believe it was a bigger hit in England.  There is a biography of him in the Wikipedia.

My Thoughts on the Mets Signing of Juan Soto

 

I am certain that the Met fans at the Queens Baseball Convention are all jumping for joy as the Mets are signing Juan Soto for a record breaking $765 Million over 15 years.  He certainly will improve the team, but here are some of my thoughts on the entire issue.

• 26 players comprise the roster of a Major League team.  Juan Soto is just one of them.  The other 25 must contribute for a team to be a winner.
• Including the DH, the lineup consists of 9 batters plus the pitcher.  One batter can not do everything.
• The Mets still must improve the team.  I think they should sign Pete Alonso.
• Two former Yankees, Clay Holmes and now Soto, have signed with the Mets this offseason.  Will Yankees be spiteful and sign Alonso?  They need a first basemen. I think Steve Cohen will exceed any offer the Yankees will make to Alonso.
• Now $765 Million is the highest contract given to a professional athlete.  In the years to come another superstar will get more money.
• When Steve Cohen bought the Mets in 2020 he promised a World Series win in 5 years.  2025 will mark 5 years since he bought the team.
• You never know when injuries will come to a star player.  Look what happened with Jacob de Grom and Steven Strasberg.  15 years is a long time.

Seattle Kraken 7 New York Rangers 5 at Madison Square Garden

 

I was able to get tickets in section 209 for this game and was one of the oldest fans in the arena.  Jonathan Quick was the goalie for the Blueshirts substituting for Igor Shesterkin.  The Rangers had a 3-1 lead but the Kraken scored five unanswered goals to take a 6-3 lead.  The Rangers scored two goals to make it close but the visitors scored an empty-net goal with less that two minutes to play to put the game  out of reach.

The Rangers are in a slump as they have allowed six or more goals in the third time in their last eight home games.  They have lost seven out of their last nine games.

Game Recap

Queens Baseball Convention 2024 - For Fans of the New York Mets

 

For the third year in a row Lee and I went to the Queens Baseball Convention   at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel within walking distance of my apartment in Flushing.  This year there were interviews of the following Met alumni:

• Turk Wendell
• Greg Jeffries
• Ray Knight
• Jose Reyes

They all talked about their experiences playing with the Mets.  None of them played their entire career with the Mets.

There were also panel discussion:

• SNY Baseball Night in NY
• State of the Mets
• Til the Mets Do Us Part Podcast

All of them speculated on roster moves that the Mets may make during the off-season.  The "elephant in the room" was Juan Soto.  As of today, he had not signed with any team.  Everyone wants him to sign with the Mets.

Some Photos:

Interview of Gregg Jeffries

Interview of Jose Reyes by

Lori Rubinson of WFAN

Ray Knight interviewed by

Roger Clark of NY1

SNY Panel Featuring

Former Met Manager Terry Collins

State of the Mets panel featuring

Kelley Franco

 

I Got an Amazon Kindle Fire HD-10

 

I bought Amazon Kindle Fire tablets in 2012 and 2017.  Since my last tablet wasn't performing well lately, I decided to by a new one.  No product lasts forever.  I intend to use it mostly for reading books that I purchased or borrowed from the Queens Library or NYPL.  I have no room anymore in my apartment to shelve print books, so it is best that I buy more e-books.  The local branch of Queens Library is very small and has a limited collection.  I can borrow e-books from two large library systems.  As a member of SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) I can get free e-books on the Kindle.

I can use many resources such as Facebook, X, and YouTube on the Kindle as I do with my iPhone and laptop.

Pop Culture Jeopardy is Not For Me

I have been a fan of Jeopardy since it began in 1964 with Art Fleming as the host.  I also watched Rock n Roll Jeopardy and Sports Jeopardy which were short-term spinoffs.  Today Pop Culture Jeopardy hosted by Colin Jost premiered on Amazon Prime Video.  I watched the first episode and concluded that it is not for me.  I only answered 5 out of the 61 questions correctly.

The questions were obviously based on current popular culture which I don't follow.  I would be an expert in the pop culture of the 1960s and 1970s, but the show is aimed at a young audience.  Instead of three single contestant there were three teams of three that competed.  All of the contestants were under 40 years old.  There was a feature called Triple Play where the team that picked that square could answer 3 questions and get more points.

Colin Jost did a good job as host, but perhaps the producers should have given that role to James Holzhauer.

Oh well.

Giving Tuesday - I Could Only Pick One Organization

 

Over the course of the year I donate small amounts to several organizations including cultural institutions, medical organizations, and food providers.  They are all worthy organizations.  I hope that they all minimize their overhead so that the funds they receive go to the people who need their help.  It is a tough decision that was somewhat impulsive; today a gave a donation to No Kid Hungry.  They report nearly 4 in 5 households said it had become harder to afford groceries over the past 12 months—the highest percentage tracked yet in their annual poll. My donation today will be matched.

Next month I will donate to another worthy organization.

Orlando Magic 100 Brooklyn Nets 92 at Barclays Center

 

I usually root for the New York Knicks, but the ticket prices at Madison Square Garden are outrageous.  Should I pay hundreds of dollars for 2 1/2 hours of entertainment?  Since the tickets at Barclays Center are much more reasonable, we took a long subway ride to Brooklyn.

The first half was evenly matched, but Orlando pulled ahead in the third quarter.  It got close for a while, but they held on to win by 8 points.  The Magic have now beaten the Nets twice in the last 3 days.  We ate diner at Applebees after the game.