Harrison Whitaker - First Jeopardy Superstar of This Season

 

Harrison Whitaker won his 10th game yesterday, qualifying him to be a Jeopardy Superstar according to my "guidelines".  Here are his statistics to date as compiled by The Jeopardy Fan.

292 correct, 31 incorrect

19/20 on rebound attempts (on 40 rebound opportunities)

47.37% in first on buzzer (270/570)

13/23 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $12,800)

7/10 in Final Jeopardy

He now ranks #17 in all-time winnings during regular play.  He must wait until next year to play in the Tournament of Champions.

There is a detailed article about him in the TV Insider.

You never know how far he will go.  He could lose tonight or he could beat Ken Jennings' all-time record of 74 victories.  Stay tuned.

Confronting Strangers on the Subway or the Street Can Be Dangerous

 

• A New York City subway rider was stabbed after asking another man to lower the volume of his voice.
• The man allegedly punched the victim in the face several times before stabbing him in the abdomen
• Police were called to the Jamaica Center/Parsons and Archer subway station in Queens at around 11 a.m. on Nov. 22

There are more details about this incident in:

• The New York Daily News
• The New York Post

I have read reports about people killed after fighting over parking spots.

There are too many nuts out there with knives and guns.  I am careful not to confront strangers.  I am tempted to do it when I see people riding bicycles on the sidewalk, but just don't do it.

I Bought Beatles Anthology 4 After All

 

In an August journal entry  I stated that I was not going to buy Anthology Volume 4 since I didn't need to hear more outtakes or alternative versions.  Back then, it was announced that you had to buy volumes 1-4 just to get 4.  Since I had volumes 1-3, I didn't want to buy them again.  It seems that the marketing people at Apple Records changed their mind and allowed people to purchase Volume 4 alone.  It adds to my collection of Beatles records and CDs.  Amazon delivered it at 7 AM today

There is an entry in Wikipedia that gives the track listings.  .

The Sports Talk Discussion Group at the Older Adult Center Struck Out With Me

 

Several weeks ago, the Older Adult Center announced a sports talk group on Tuesday mornings.  I thought I would go on Tuesdays when the trivia group does not meet in the afternoon.  At my first meeting, the topic changed every 30 seconds or so.  At the second meeting, a few participants monopolized the conversation, as was done in other discussion groups I attended.  Some of the topics considered were:

• Sports Betting
• The Pine Tar Game in 1983
• Poor performance of the Jets and Giants
• Salaries of sports superstars

It is very frustrating when I just can't get a word in when a few are dominating the conversation.  I try to enjoy myself, but just can't.

I wish the people who run these groups would get training on how to properly moderate a discussion group.  I don't sense any malicious intent, but I guess some motormouths just like to hear themselves talk.

An Entry From Bruce's Journal That Never Happened - Bob Dylan Never Recorded with Paul McCartney

 I looked back at a journal entry from May 26, 2009 stating that Bob Dylan will record with Paul McCartney.  That never happened.  However, Dylan has great respect for McCartney as seen in this brief video.

Dylan actually covered McCartney's The Things We Said Today in an album of McCartney covers.

Below is the Beatles' version of " Things We Said Today" which was released on the British Hard Day's Night and on the North American Album Something New.

Footnote to my Rego Park Story

From Long Island Newsday, February 21, 1972

Over the 20 years of Bruce's Journal, there have been several entries about growing up in Rego Park.  I just remembered that in February 1972, there was a big fire on 63rd Drive that wiped out the local branch of the Queens Library and other stores on that block.  Back in the day, when I was a student at nearby P.S. 139, I was a regular patron of that library.

A few years later, a new library was constructed across the street, as seen below.

Back in 1972, there was a Shell station at that site where I first put gasoline into my new Chevy Nova that my parents purchased for me.

I just found out that this library, constructed in the 1970s, will soon close and be demolished.  A new state-of-the-art Rego Park branch will be constructed on that site, double the size of the current branch.  It will look like the photo below.

 

Happy 93rd Birthday to Petula Clark

 

Her birthday was yesterday.  In 2017, Karen, Lee, and I saw her perform at BB King's.  I dedicated I Couldn't Live Without Your Love to Karen twice.

• On Sounds of the Sixties with Brian Matthew on BBC2
• On Jack Sullivan's oldies show on WESU.