Bob Dylan Sings Desolation Row with and without a Wrench

 The last stop on the 2024 Tour was at the Darien Lake Amphitheater near Buffalo, NY.  Desolation Row originally appeared on the Highway 61 Revisited album in 1965.  He surprised his fans during this performance by tapping his microphone with a wrench. I just don't understand his reason for doing this.

Below is the original studio version from 1965 recorded without tapping his microphone with a wrench.

Mr. Moonlight - A Relatively Unknown Beatles Song

 

Mr. Moonlight was written by Roy Lee Johnson and recorded by Dr. Feelgood and the Interns in 1962.  It appeared on the album Beatles 65 in the USA and Beatles for Sale in the UK.  I haven't heard it on the radio recently

Trump Has Crossed a Truly Unacceptable Line

 This is an opinion article in the New York Times written by Lydia Polgreen.

As a subscriber to the online version of the NY Times, I can gift up to 10 articles a month.  I suggest that anyone voting in the presidential election read it.  I cannot believe how Trump has duped millions of people into thinking he is qualified to be President of the United States.  January 6th was bad enough, but is this man rational?

WFUV Question of the Day - The Station Has Some Knowledgeable Listeners

 

I have listened to Corny O'Connell on WFUV in the morning for many years.  He features the "Question of the Day" when he asks listeners for songs that fit a theme set. When I first access the internet on my cell phone there are usually 50 or more suggestions for playing songs.  I guess these listeners are early birds and know music from the many genres played by WFUV.  At about 9:15 only four songs are played.  At the end of the set, Corny announces the names and locations of many of the listeners who made suggestions.  Since the station is available on the internet, many of the contributors are outside the NYC area. I sent a suggestion to the music director that this popular feature be continued later in the day, but he did not respond to me.

Today's theme was songs where the age of the singer is mentioned.  I thought of Leaves that Are Green by Simon and Garfunkel which I featured in this journal in September 2016.

I was twenty-one years when I wrote this song

I'm twenty-two now, but I won't be for long

Time hurries on

And the leaves that are green turn to brown

And they wither with the wind

And they crumble in your hand

Once my heart was filled with the love of a girl

I held her close, but she faded in the night

Like a poem I meant to write

And the leaves that are green turn to brown

And they wither with the wind

And they crumble in your hand

I threw a pebble in a brook

And watched the ripples run away

And they never made a sound

And the leaves that are green turn to brown

And they wither with the wind

And they crumble in your hand

Hello, hello, hello, hello

Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye, good-bye

That's all there is

And the leaves that are green turn to brown

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Paul Simon

It's Been a Tough Year for the 1969 New York Mets

Yesterday, we found out that Ed Kranepool passed away at age 79.  He actually appeared with the original Mets in 1962 when he was 17 years old.  Over the past year, three other 1969 Mets passed away.

• Jim McAndrew
• Jerry Grote
• Bud Harrelson

The Mets have honored Bud Harrelson, Jerry Grote, and Willie Mays by wearing patches with their uniform numbers.  I assume they will honor Ed Kranepool with a patch next season.

 

Reds 3 Mets 1 as Winning Streak Ends at 9

 

Today's game was #19 in our 20-game package for the season.  The Mets were on a roll as they won nine games in a row and had taken over the third and last wildcard position.  Luis Severino allowed just one run and five hits in 6 2/3 innings, but the hitting was flat.  The Mets only got one run and four hits off six pitchers. Santiago Espinadel hit a tie-breaking, two-run double in the ninth inning to lift the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-1 victory.  Since the Atlanta Braves defeated the Toronto Blue Jays today, the Mets and Braves are now tied for the final wildcard position.  The Mets will face the Braves for a crucial during the last week of the season.

Game Recap

The Fool on the Hill Sergio Mendes vs The Beatles

 Today we found out that Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes passed away at age 83.  I best remember him for covering the Beatles' The Fool on the Hill originally heard on The Magical Mystery Tour.  It was a terrible film, but the music was good.

Mets 7 Red Sox 2

Our 20-game package included this Tuesday night game against the Red Sox.  Starting pitcher David Peterson was superb as he struck out a career-high 11 in six innings.  The game featured home runs by Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos, and Pete Alsonso as the Mets extended their winning streak to six.  The Mets record is a major-league best 53-31 since May 30.

Trip #22 of the Jay Buckley Baseball Tour was at the game.  I stopped by as we entered the ballpark, but Jay who escorted the tour was away.  Since 2006 the family took six of his tours.  They have always been a pleasure.

Game Recap

 

Random Oldie of the Day - Get Off My Cloud by the Rolling Stones

 

I picked this for no particular reason

I Returned to a Movie Theater (AMC Bay Terrace 6) to See Reagan

 

I have posted about the College Point Multiplex many times over the years. It closed permanently on May 7, 2024. It was nice to have a movie complex within walking distance of home. Since then, I have not gone to a movie. Most of them are suited for a younger audience. Too many times, I went to a movie and left disappointed because the film was just not for me.

Today I decided to take a 10-minute drive to the Bay Terrace 6 mini-complex to see the Ronald Reagan biopic. I didn't agree with many of his politics, but the movie is obviously aimed at older people who lived during his presidency.

The acting was excellent, especially since Dennis Quaid looked and talked like Reagan.  The film was historically accurate.  It did not consider the relationships of Ronald Reagan with his children.

I Donated to the Harris-Walz Campaign with Dylan Fans for Harris and Walz

 

I absolutely hate politics and have never donated to a candidate for office. I strongly feel that Donald Trump must never again become President of the United States. I don't have to repeat what he has said and done that should disqualify him from any elected office. His actions on January 6, 2021, alone should disqualify him from the presidency. Sadly, he duped millions of voters into thinking he is the greatest. I donated to show my support for Harris and Walz.  The concert includes covers of Dylan songs by various artists.  Below is the set list.

The Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa Comes to the New School with Rare Dylan Films

Steve Jenkins Director of the Dylan Center and Anne Margaret Daniel, a Dylan scholar with the New School, presented a one-hour program of short films and videos from the Bob Dylan Archive. The program featured rare and previously unreleased clips of Dylan on stage and in the studio. There is a detailed description of the event at https://event.newschool.edu/bobdylancenter.  My favorite clip was the performance of Maggie's Farm at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.

A gentleman sat next to me and asked if I was Bruce?  He said that he was a regular reader of this journal.  It is nice to know that someone is interested in my writing.  I am curious to know how many other regular readers there are since people like to be anonymous when they surf the web.  I also saw Danny, Walter, and Phil who are regular participants in the monthly Dylan video chat.

 

Random Thoughts of the Day - August 28, 2024

• Even though NJ Transit has free rides this week, I know of two major delays.  Yesterday morning, there were delays in trains in and out of Hoboken terminal.  In the evening delays were coming in out of Penn Station.  That would have affected me.
• I wish I didn't have such a good autobiographical memory.  I just remember too many bad experiences of the distant past.
• With that thought in mind, I sometimes have dreams about meeting people I haven't seen in years if not decades.
• I enjoy listening to oldies on internet radio stations, but some of my radio friends are too "gung ho" about countdowns.  If I enjoy a song, its number on a survey is not of interest to me.

 

I Will Still Not Ride on NJ Transit Even with Free Rides

To make up for all the poor service NJ Transit provided this month Governor Phil Murphy is offering free rides this week.  No, thank you.  That agency gave me much aggravation for the 25 years (1992-2017) that I commuted from NYC to Newark.  Many of these delays were documented in my companion blog.  If I had $1.00 for every hour I was delayed on NJ Transit in those 25 years, I would have obtained a small fortune.

I have not set foot in the state of New Jersey since I retired in December 2017.  I once had relatives in Bergen County, but they all relocated to the San Francisco area.  I have discussed in my journal that I do not want to visit my former employer in Newark.  I do not harbor any animosity toward the university or any individuals, but it is in my best interest not to revisit the past.  Moving on and letting go is important to me.

Even with free rides, there can be significant train delays.

I am Still a Diehard Mets Fan Even Though I visited Yankee Stadium Today

 

Since I have a 20-ticket plan at Citi Field, I have been reluctant to trek to the Bronx to see the Yankees.  Lee convinced me to get tickets for one game.  This game was quite exciting.  In the seventh inning Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton hit back-to-back-to-back home runs.  Judge also hit a homer in the first inning and has 51 for the season.  Gleyber Torres hit another homer for the Yankees in the eighth inning giving the Bronx Bombers five dingers for the afternoon.

There was a freak accident as home plate umpire Nick Mahrley sustained a concussion and was carted off the field at Yankee Stadium on Sunday afternoon after being hit by the barrel of Giancarlo Stanton’s broken bat.  Let;s hope he will be OK.

Box score

Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkel ("The Graduate" Film Version) and Traditional Hit Version

 

It has been many years since I saw the movie

Mets 4 Orioles 3 in a Walkoff

 

For the first time since Citi Field opened in 2009, I sat in the 300 level instead of the 500 level.  Once a month I usually join other local SABR members and talk to early-onset Alzheimer's patients about baseball.  Instead of talking about it, we went to a game today. We met by Apple and went to our seats in the 300 level.

Starting pitcher Sean Manaea dominated the game by retiring the first 17 Orioles.  A hit batsman followed by a home run by Austin Slater tied the game at two.  The Orioles tied the game at 3 in the eighth inning while Jose Buto pitched.  Edwin Diaz pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth.  Manager Carlos Mendoza sent Jesse Winker as a pinch hitter who homered to win the game.  This was the second time in three games that a Met hit a walk-off home run off Orioles right-hander Seranthony Domínguez.  Francisco Alvarez did the honors on Monday night.  Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos homered earlier in the game for the Mets.

Box Score

Today is National Radio Day

 

Since today is National Radio Day.  I will list the terrestrial, satellite, and online radio stations I hear in a typical week.

• WBGO
• WFUV
• WABC
• WCBS-FM
• WFAN
• WEPN
• WINS
• Pop Gold Radio
• True Oldies Channel
• Rewound Radio
• 50s Gold
• 60s Gold
• Classic Vinyl
• Classic Folk
• Willie's Road House
• DeepTrack
• Soul Town
• Outlaw Country
• Elvis Radio
• Classic Rewind
• BB King's

Marlins 3 Mets 2

 

Since the game was carried on the Roku streaming service, the game started at 12 noon.  It was raining for most of the morning, but the weather cleared up by game time.

Poor baserunning by the Marlins did not prevent them from winning as three were picked off by the Mets.  Three walks by relief pitcher Reed Garrett in the 7th inning killed the Mets.  Derek Hill's RBI single in the 8th inning provided the margin of victory for the Marlins.  The Mets hitting just wasn't there today.

The Mets have played about .500 since the All-Star break.  They will have to pick it up if they want to get into the playoffs.

Game Recap

Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine) 1966 (studio version) and 1974 Concert Version with The Band

  

From the Album Blonde on Blonde 1966

Live at Madison Square Garden 1974

Mets 9 Athletics 1

 

Last night's game was part of our 20-game package.  The Mets were coming off a four-game losing streak and were involved in a tight race for a wild-card berth in the playoffs.  They performed well as Pete Alonso had four hits and David Peterson was again solid as his record improved to 7-1.  Francisco Lindor homered in the third inning for his 100th home run as a Met.

Game Recap

Random Thoughts of the Day - August 14, 2024

 

Everybody and his brother on Facebook or radio message boards has commented on the demise of  WCBS News Radio 880 as ESPN radio will take over that frequency.  I have nothing more to add.  It is quite sad that many radio professionals will lose their jobs.  Fewer people now rely on radio for news, so I guess only one all-news station (WINS) is enough.

According to Blogger, this journal has exceeded more than 2,000,000 hits.  I always wonder how many are by real people and by robots.

I have tickets for tonight's Met game against Oakland.  The Amazins have lost four games in a row.  How far will they go if they reach the postseason?  IMHO there have been too many roster moves.  The last time I checked I observed 57 players have been on the roster this season.

Paul McCartney 1964 Eyes of the Storm - The Book Instead of the Museum Exhibit

 

There is an exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum that presents photographs that Paul McCartney took in late 1963 and early 1964.  I noticed that this exhibit is to close on August 18th.  Instead of traveling to Brooklyn this week, I thought I would buy the coffee table book with the photographs.  Whenever I see a book at a museum gift shop, I observe the price on Amazon.com is significantly less.

Paul actually took these photos using an inexpensive camera and preserved them for almost 60 years.  Few of them were seen beyond his immediate circle of family and friends.

I assume this exhibition will travel to other cities, but anyone can purchase the book and enjoy the photographs.

Rare photo of John Lennon with eyeglasses

The Jewish and Guggenheim Museums All in One Afternoon

 

Our original plan was to visit the Whitney Museum but when I checked its website this morning I found out that the second Sunday in the month is free and that visitors needed a reservation.  Since it was sold out, we decided to go to the Jewish Museum instead. We could visit the Whitney another time.

When we arrived we found out there was only one open exhibit on the ground floor and that the admission charge was lower. It was titled Overflow, Afterglow: New Work in Chromatic Figuration which featured New works by seven emerging artists who use supernatural color and uncanny luminescence to challenge the boundaries of traditional figuration. 

Since it didn't take much time to view that exhibit we walked over to the nearby Guggenheim Museum.

Jenny Holzer: Light Line was the main exhibition. Climbing all six ramps of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed rotunda to the building’s apex, the site-specific installation transforms the building with a display of scrolling texts, featuring selections from her iconic series, such as “Truisms” and “Inflammatory Essays”.

You Talk too Much by Joe Jones - A Little Less Conversation by Elvis Presley - Two Songs that Complement Each Other

 The Joe Jones song was just requested on the Cousin Bruce show.  It got me thinking how the Elvis Presley song complements it.  There are too many blabbermouths out there.

Stay - Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs - Four Seasons Versions

 This week we found out that Maurice Williams, the lead singer of the Zodiacs passed away at 86.  So many of the 1950s and 1960s recording artists are no longer with us.  The Zodiac's version in 1960 is the shortest record at 1:39 to reach #1 on the national charts.  The Four Seasons cover reached #15 in 1964.

Switch and Split Second - Game Shows that I Watch Over the Summer at 7 PM

 I watch Jeopardy at 7 PM for most of the year and Wheel of Fortune at 7:30 PM.  Since reruns are aired over the summer, I turn to GSN and watch Switch and Split Second which are also quiz shows.Below are episodes of each show.

Walking in the Rain by the Ronettes - It Didn't Happen for Me Since I Stayed Home

 

I was thinking about going to the Whitney Museum in the Meat Packing district of Lower Manhattan today.  I would have to take the A, C, or E train to 8th Avenue and 14th Street and then have to walk several blocks to the museum.  The weather forecast was for the chance of heavy showers with wind in the afternoon.  Since I feared being caught in the rain, I decided not to go.  At 4:15 PM there was a 1 hour and 49 minute rain delay at Yankee Stadium.  There was only a little rain in Flushing, Queens.  I don't know how much it rained in lower Manhattan.  I can go to the Whitney another time.

Meteorology is not an exact science.  I don't know if I would have been drenched in Manhattan or Queens had I gone.

Cousin Brucie Tribute on PIX-11 News from Two-Years Ago

 

I didn't know what to put on my journal today, so I searched YouTube for Cousin Brucie.  I found this piece from PIX-11 news about two years ago honoring him.  I don't remember seeing this.

The Deals that the Mets Made Do Not Excite Me

 

I obtained this list from The Athletic:

Trades:

• Acquired LF Jesse Winker from Nationals for RHP Tyler Stuart

• Acquired RHP Paul Blackburn from A’s for RHP Kade Morris

• Acquired RHP Ryne Stanek from Mariners for OF Rhylan Thomas

• Acquired LHP Nicolas Carreno from Pirates for LHP Josh Walker

• Acquired RHP Tyler Zuber from Rays for RHP Paul Gervase

• Acquired RHP Huascar Brazoban from Marlins for SS Wilfredo Lara

• Acquired RHP Phil Maton from Rays for cash

• Acquired C Luis Torrens from Yankees for cash

• Acquired LHP Matt Gage from Dodgers for cash

• Acquired 3B Pablo Reyes from Red Sox for cash

• Traded Cole Sulser to Rays for cash

• Traded  C Andriel Lantigua to the Rockies for cash

The best acquisition was Luis Torrens as the backup catcher.  I am surprised the Yankees made a deal with the Mets.  I sense that David Stearns likes to make trades just for the sake of making them.  It will take time to see how the deadline acquisitions will work out, but I am not overly optimistic.

Main Street and Roosevelt Ave in Flushing - My Choice for the Most Crowded Sidewalk in Queens

 

I just read this New York Times article Think N.Y.C.’s Roads Are Crowded? Good Luck on the Sidewalks.  It made me think about the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street in downtown Flushing.  Since the #7 subway line ends there with connections to numerous bus lines, that area is so crowded with pedestrians.  A few years ago the sidewalks were widened, but street vendors took over that space.  The police chased them away, but some came back.  You never know when there are bicycle riders on the sidewalk.  I read that the police confiscated some e-bikes on the sidewalk, but they can't get every bike.

This is a consequence of city life.

Braves 4 Mets 0

 

We went to a Saturday game at Citi Field for a change, but it was pretty boring.  The Mets could only get four hits off three Braves pitchers and gave up home runs by:

• Marcell Ozuna
• Matt Olsen
• Eddie Rosario

Game Recap

The Mets got some bad news as they found out that Kodai Senga will likely miss the rest of the regular season due to a calf strain.

The Bill Nowlin Bob Dylan Connection

 

I became acquainted with Bill Nowlin when I joined the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) about eight years ago.  I have fact-checked many of his contributions to the Games Project.  He must be SABR's most prolific writer with over 1000 publications with most of them concerning the Boston Red Sox and their players. Bill has written biographies of even the most obscure players for the Red Sox.  Some are in the SABR Bio project while others are complete books.

Bill was also one of the founders of Rounder Records.  I have a journal entry reviewing Vinyl Ventures My Fifty Years at Rounder Records.

He has just published a new book Bitten By the Red Sox Bug a Fan's Lifelong Passion.  I just started to read it today,  While I had to read up to page 958 in Barbra Streisand's to find a connection to Bob Dylan, but I only had to read to page 48 to find a Bob Dylan connection in Bill's book.  In 1963 he saw Bob Dylan at Cafe Yana next door to Fenway Park.  I used my expert research skills to find documentation of this concert.  There is also a reference to this concert in the April 19, 2023 edition of the Boston Globe that can be accessed through Newspapers.com.

It is a shame that Bill didn't sign Mr. Dillon to Rounder Records.

A Complete Unknown - a Bob Dylan Biopic will be Released in December

 

A Complete Unknown is an upcoming American biographical drama film directed by James Mangold and written by Mangold and Jay Cocks, based on the 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald.  Timothy Chalomet plays the young Dylan during the controversy when he gave up acoustic folk music.

The trailer was just released.  Since my local multiplex recently closed, I must travel somewhere to see the film.

If I Were a Carpenter - Versions by the Four Tops and Bobby Darin

 

A few days ago we discovered that Duke Fakir, the Four Tops' last surviving member, passed away at age 88.  This cover of a Tim Hardin song hit #20 on the Billboard Chart in 1968.  Bobby Darin had the bigger hit reaching #8 on Billboard in 1966.

An Atlas of Es Devlin at the Cooper-Hewett Museum

 

Instead of watching a ball game on TV, we decided to go to a museum on a Sunday afternoon.  Our last museum trip was last November at MOMA .  Our last visit to Cooper Hewitt was in August 2021.

The entire third floor was devoted to "An Atlas of Es Devlin,  an English artist and stage designer who works in a range of media, often mapping light and projected film onto kinetic sculptural forms. She has received several accolades including a Tony Award and two Olivier Awards. 

While I was in the museum I looked at my phone and found out about Biden's dropping of the race for President.

Both the Mets and Yankees lost this afternoon so we picked the right Sunday to go to a museum

There is a Barbra Streisand - Bob Dylan Connection

 

I finally finished the 966-page memoir of Barbra Streisand.  It was an excellent book, but I think she could have cut it down.  There was no mention of Bob Dylan until page 958 seen below.

You may have to download the JPG and enlarge it to read it.  In the 1970s Dylan sent her flowers and a note asking her to sing with him. It never happened but  I don't think that would have worked out since their voices would have clashed.  In 1983 when the film Yentl was released Dylan sent Barbra a letter saying there are songs on that album (I assume Infidels) that he thought she would like to do,  Which one? Jokerman? License to Kill? Union Sundown?  In any event, it never happened.

In 2020 a transcript of an unpublished interview from 1971 Dylan said "Lay Lady, Lay" was written for Barbra Streisand.

Thoughts on Writing 5000 Posts for Bruce's Journal

It is hard to believe that I have reached 5000 journal entries since I started writing on October 15, 2005.  I made one entry and kept going.  I guess I express myself better in writing than I do verbally.  Back then AOL supported blogs, but later on I transitioned the journal to Blogger a service of Google, and got the domain bruceslutsky.com .  The entries range from the ridiculous to the sublime.  I don’t know the real number of how many people have read an entry.  The stats provided by Blogger indicate there were about 1,700,000 hits, but most of those must have come from robots.  The statistics also state that many hits are from China where I am a complete unknown.

I have written on topics including (in no particular order):

• ·        New York Mets
• ·        Baseball
• ·        Bob Dylan
• ·        Other Music – very often I post a song from YouTube.  Many of those videos have been deleted. I should try to replace them.
• ·        Jeopardy
• ·        Random Thoughts of the Day

According to Blogger, my most popular entries were

·        TGIF

• ·        The Tale of the Two-Dollar Bill
• ·        Jeopardy and the Two-Dollar Bill
• ·        Congratulations to the Beach Boys on their 50^th Anniversary
• ·        Jason Keller – Jeopardy Superstar
• ·        Mumbles was my Favorite Dick Tracy Villain

Those are certainly not my most distinguished posts.

My best posts IMHO were these two that were very personal

Remembering Alan Berman

Bruce and Karen (October 16, 1983 - February 16, 2021) Remembering the Good Times - Her Memory is a Blessing

Many posts were autobiographical.  The best way to find those is to go to the search box in the upper left corner and search for:

• ·        Rego Park
• ·        Forest Hills
• ·        City College
• ·        Rhode Island
• ·        New Brunswick

 

Readers can post comments on Blogger, but most of the comments I receive are on Facebook.

I got into “trouble” once when a pompous professor objected to something I wrote about.  This actually made it to the New York Times.  I challenge my readers to find the article.  Since that time I have been more careful about what I write.  I often use initials instead of a full name since people can Google themselves.

I wonder how much time I have spent over the years writing journal entries.  I don’t have to be concerned with editors or fact-checkers.

Thanks for reading.

 

Reading Barbara Streisand's 966 Page Memoir

 

I regularly peruse the stacks of my small public library and usually don't find books of interest.  I looked at Barbra Streisand's big memoir and was reluctant to take it out, but eventually, I did.  It was very heavy and difficult to schlep.

As of this writing, I have 100 pages to go.  I can't remember reading a book so large.  She had a phenomenal career as a singer, actress, director, and producer.  Over the years she kept a journal and used her notes to write the memoir.  She said that she viewed some of her films again while writing the book which must have taken years to do.  It was very detailed.  I should finish it in a few days.

Random Thoughts of the Day -July 17, 2024

 

• I just read that NJ Transit is predicting more heat-related delays for the next 2-3 days.  I count my blessings knowing my years of riding their trains are over.  I am not returning to Newark for a visit.
• I didn't pay much attention to the MLB All-Star game as the AL won 5-3.  I just hate those uniforms.
• There should be a flurry of trades before the deadline on July 30.  I just hate reading speculative articles in online baseball publications suggesting trades.
• I follow a few diehard baseball fans on X (formerly Twitter).  These guys attend games every day.  I was wondering what they would do during the All-Star break.  They saw the Staten Island Ferry Hawks.
• After a short hiatus Bob Dylan will continue to perform at the Outlaw Festival Tour on July 29.  This tour will conclude on September 20.  The Rough and Rowdy Ways tour will resume in Europe in October.  I am sure that some of my diehard Dylan friends will travel long distances to see him.

Remembering Dr. Ruth Westheimer

 

In the early 1980s, I listened to Dr. Ruth when she had a radio talk show on Sunday nights at 10 PM.  WYNY, primarily a music station, broke format to air her show.  She talked about contraception, physical aspects of sex, and relationship issues.  Several years ago at the Kew Gardens Cinema, I saw her biopic Ask Dr. Ruth where she described in detail how she escaped the holocaust.  Sadly, she just passed away at age 96 after a long and wonderful life.

Obituary in the New York Times

She was featured on Sunday Morning on CBS about 20 years ago

Rockies 8 Mets 5 in Last Game Before the All-Star Break

 

This was not Coors Field but the Colorado Rockies' six home runs, including three by Michael Toglia, two by Ezequiel Tovar, and one by Brenton Doyle.  Pete Alonso hit one for the Mets, but it wasn't enough.  The Mets could not take advantage of several scoring opportunities, leaving 12 men on base.  Pete will head to Texas as the Mets' lone participant in the All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby.

The Mets enter the break with a 49-46 record.  They are in contention for a wild card berth in the playoffs so they will likely be buyers at the trade deadline.  They need more reliable pitchers in the bullpen.  There will be 67 games to play in the regular season.

Box Score

Happy 82nd Birthday Roger McGuinn

 

I have followed Roger McGuinn since 1965 when Mr. Tambourne Man by the Byrds was a big hit.  He stayed with the Byrds after many personnel changes.  Eventually, he recorded as a solo artist.  I have seen him in concert several times over the years.  I last saw him in 2019 when he appeared at the World of Dylan conference in Tulsa in 2019.

Happy Birthday Roger

Mets 6 Nationals 2

 

The Mets have thrived since Julio Iglesias was recalled on May 31.  Last night he had three more hits, including a two-run single that snapped a sixth-inning tie.  Brandon Nimmo homered for a career-best third-straight game as the Mets won 6-2.  When starting pitcher Luis Severino was taken out in the seventh inning, I held my breath hoping that the bullpen would not falter.  Jake Diekman, Danny Young, and Jose Butto slammed the door on the Nationals preserving the victory.

This Wednesday night game was on my 20-game Sunday plan  I was sitting behind a group of college students who seemed disinterested in the game.  I guess it was a group outing for them.

Game Recap

Another 27 Bob Dylan CDs will Enter My Music Collection

In 1974 Bob Dylan reunited with the Band and toured the United States.  It was Dylan's first tour since the motorcycle accident in July 1966.  A boxed set will include all or part of 27 Dylan performances from the tour, spread across that many CDs. It comes out via Columbia/Legacy on Sept. 20.

Like the "Dylan nut" that I am I pre-ordered it on Amazon.  Likely, I will listen to one CD a week for about six months.  How many times must I hear Forever Young?  The cost will be about $140 including sales tax which is reasonable for 27 discs.

Announcement in Variety

 

July Marks the 60th Anniversary of A Hard Day's Night, the Beatles First Movie

 

I remember seeing the movie at the Continental Theater in Forest Hills in July 1964.  It has appeared from time to time on Turner Classic Movies.  I have it saved to my DVR.  The record above is the soundtrack album released on UA Records back then. It includes instrumentals from George Martin's film score including This Boy and And I Love Her.  I still have my copy. but it is badly scratched.

This record, now available on CD includes the vocals from the movie and other Beatles recordings from that time including Anytime at All and The Things We Said Today.

The video below compares the two releases.