I found another Bob Dylan Internet Radio Station

I just have a knack for finding things on the internet by accident.  Regular readers of Bruce's Journal know that I just bought an iPhone and just love the Tune In radio app which includes thousands of internet and terrestrial radio stations.  I was updating my favorites list and was looking for Pete Freckelton's Dylanradio.com which has been discussed in this journal.  I have listened to it for at least 4 years and appreciate Pete's efforts in producing this station.

By accident while I was seeking Dylanradio.com, I found Bob Dylan Tracks which is run by Dan Murphy of Hollis, NH.  It is on Live 365 and is is described at http://www.live365.com/profiles/dylantracks?play=2  .  To be honest, I just haven't had the time to listen to it, but it is on the agenda for tomorrow morning.  The playlist on the web site indicates that it plays more mainstream Dylan and cover versions.

Wishing Kate Palmer a Speedy Recovery

I heard that oldies enthusiast extraordinaire Kate Palmer recently had a hip replacement operation.  I certainly wish her a speedy recovery.  Hopefully hearing Bob Radil's 60s 70s show on Friday nights will cheer her up.  Maybe Kate can come up to Citifield next season to join us when the Mets play her beloved Phillies.

Oh No! Not Another Bob Dylan Cover CD!

There was a story in the recent Bob Dylan Fanzine Isis called Diggin' on Dylan by Denny Freeman.

Of course, I had to get it.  Briefly, it instrumental versions of Dylan classics.  There is a short review in the Austin Chronicle.

Jimi Hendrix Sings Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

It was really an odd track out played on Dennis Mitchell's Breakfast with the Beatles.

Eventful Thanksgiving Weekend

1.  I got a haircut.  I was lucky on Wednesday since as soon as I walked into the shop, the barber was able to take me.
2. The Bob Dylan concert at Barclay's Center - see earlier entry.
3.  Thanksgiving Dinner at Joyce's house in Dix Hills.  Mom seems to be feeling better, but arthritis at age 93 is rough.
4. The movie Skyfall with Daniel Craig.  It was good, but I prefer the earlier Bond movies with Sean Connery as 007.
5.  I received the Rolling Stones Greatest Hits CD set called Grr.  I have several of the early Rolling Stones albums on vinyl.
6.  I received two Bob Dylan Magazines:
-Isis - a British Fanzine
-Montague Street - a Dylan literary magazine edited by Brooklynite Nina Goss.
7.  I saw the movie Lincoln starring Daniel Day-Lewis.  It was excellent
8.  I got an iPhone5.  I had an iPhone 3 GS for about three years so it was time for an upgrade.  I spent sometime this afternoon learning how to using the IOS 6 operating system and downloading apps that I used for the older model..  There will be a learning curve on using the new model.  When will the iPhone 6 come out?

Bob Dylan - The Never Ending Narrative 1990-2006

I guess people could talk and write about Bob Dylan indefinitely.  So much has been said in many forms of the media about Dylan in the 1960s and 1970s.  Certainly over time interpretations change.  However, there is very little written or said about the later Dylan.  Quite by accident I found the video listed above.  It features interviews with Dylan experts Johnny Rogan, Derek Barker, Clinton Heylin and Nigel Williamson.  It shows how Dylan recovered from a career slump in the early 1990s.  It is quite rare for anyone to be active in show business for over 50 years.  With the Tempest CD and the Never Ending Tour continuing there will have to be a future video covering 2007- .  Let's hope that Bob Dylan will stay Forever Young and never retire.  I highly recommend this video for all Dylan fans.

Bob Dylan at Barclay's Center

Brooklyn, New York Barclays CenterNovember 21, 2012

1.	You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
2.	Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (with Mark Knopfler on guitar)
3.	Things Have Changed (with Mark Knopfler on guitar)
4.	Tangled Up In Blue (with Mark Knopfler on guitar)
5.	Early Roman Kings
6.	Chimes Of Freedom
7.	The Levee's Gonna Break
8.	Visions Of Johanna
9.	Highway 61 Revisited
10.	Soon After Midnight
11.	Thunder On The Mountain
12.	Forgetful Heart
13.	Ballad Of A Thin Man
14.	Like A Rolling Stone
15.	All Along The Watchtower
	(encore)
16.	Blowin' In The Wind

The set list above was taken from Bill Pagel's Boblinks page and was online less than one hour after the concert ended.

It's nighttime in the big city as the big city was Brooklyn this time.  We made our first trip to the Barclay's center which recently opened.  Mark Knopfler did the opening set and as you can see from the set list he played with Dylan on three numbers.

Dylan appeared at 9:30 and started out with a country version of You Ain't Going Nowhere.  The highlight had to be Lee's favorite Tangled Up in Blue that featured a harmonica solo.  One song that has not been heard recently is The Levee's Gonna Break which is about flooding.

Last night's show ends this leg of the Never Ending Tour which usually takes a break around Thanksgiving.  Hopefully there will be a short appearance at the presidential inauguration in January.  May the tour return to NYC in 2013.

Below is a video of Blowin' in the Wind from the Concert

Cry for a Shadow - A Beatles Rarity

Dennis Mitchell just played it on Breakfast with the Beatles. It is an instrumental written by John Lennon and George Harrison.

More Random Thoughts

It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here.  We were so engrossed in Hurricane Sandy, so the holiday is only 3 days away.

There is a rumor on the radio message boards that 94.7 FM will become a country radio station after it is purchased by Cumulus.  I hope this happens since until 1996 WYNY, NYC's last country station, was a favorite of mine.

We are getting ready to see Bob Dylan at the new Barclay's Center in Brooklyn.  We are keeping an eye on the set lists.

Claudia Marshall, formerly the morning DJ, moved to Vermont and has a weekly two hour radio gig.  Sometimes I wish I could leave the rat race of NYC and move to a rural area.

That's about it for now.  I guess I have a little writer's cramp.

Random Thoughts for the Weekend

We went to see Mom at the Bristal in Westbury yesterday.  She seems to be doing better.

We went to a pre-Thanksgiving dinner at the Samuel Field Y in Little Neck today.

I am listening to Cool Bobby B's Doo Wop show on SiriusXM 50s on 5.  Radio personalities should know that when they come to an oldies meet and greet their listenership goes up.

Right now Karen is thinking up her 7 favorite oldies to vote in Mike Riccio and Tom Natoli's yearly poll.

Getting ready for the Bob Dylan concert on Wednesday.

Remembering the Prodigy Radio Message Boards

When I got my first computer in late 1994 the Internet was in its infancy.  I signed up for an online service called Prodigy.  Back in those days we had to use a 1200 baud phone modem to go online.  There were several radio message boards on Prodigy.  The gentleman in the photo above with me is Jonathan Binstock whom I met back then on Prodigy.  Since that time I have met him when I have traveled to the Washington, DC area where he lives.  He is a lawyer who has a convention in NYC the second weekend in November.  Luckily, he was free on Saturday afternoon and came to the famous oldies radio meet and greet.

I also met Walter Parker on the Prodigy radio boards.  In addition to being an oldies radio enthusiast Walt is big into horse racing.  I have met him a number of times in NYC and in Philadelphia where he lives.  Even though Walt has not lived in NYC for many years Walt is still interested in New York radio.  When Prodigy faded away Walt transitioned over to AOL where he started the WCBS-FM folder where I first encountered Mary Shaw, Linda Cohen and Al Gordon.  In June 2006 Walt came to the Meet and Greet we had at Ellen's Stardust Diner.

Another big radio enthusiast whom I met on Prodigy is Victor Monachelli.  In July 1995 I visited him at his pet store in Yonkers.  He was such as enthusiast of WCBS-FM that he would close his store to go into Manhattan to see concerts sponsored by the station.  He moved to Florida and is very active on Facebook.

Two other people on the Prodigy boards are Famous Amos (Russ Dibello) and Anita Bonita who are regulars to our gatherings.

You Grew Up! The Life and Career of Paul Reed

About 5 years ago in this journal I wrote how I have been a big fan of Car 54 Where are You since the show was first on the air in 1961.  In fact I sang the theme song when I phoned into a now defunct radio show.  I won’t get into the details about that here.  The major stars of Car 54 were Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynne who played Officers Gunther Toody and Francis Muldoon, respectively.  One of the other characters on the show was Captain Block played by Paul Reed.

A few days ago I found on the Car 54 page of Facebook reference to the following biography of Paul Reed:

Teed, Paul. You Grew Up!: The Life and Career of Paul Reed. Albany, Ga: BearManor Media, 2010. Print.

Of course, I just had to get the book so I ordered it through Amazon.com to find out more about Mr. Reed.  It turns out that the book was written by Paul Reed Jr. , his son

It turns out the Paul Reed was born Sydney Kahn, but changed his name when he got into show business.  He appeared in many Broadway shows including:

Guys and Dolls
The Music Man
How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying
Here’s Love - Fred Gwynne also appeared in this show.
Promises Promises

An interesting tidbit was that Paul appeared in scenes in Car 54 in the morning and acted in How to Succeed in the evening.

I enjoyed the  numerous photographs that the author provides and the list of his appearances in various shows, movies and TV appearances.   Paul was also a very good singer.  I was very disappointed that very little was said about his two years in Car 54.  I was hoping to read many anecdotes about the many episodes where Captain Block was a major character.  There was no bibliography, so the author relied on his memory, and interviews with his  family and with some entertainers listed in the acknowledgement section.  He did interview Joe E. Ross, Fred Gwynne, Nipsey Russell, Al Lewis, and Hank Garrett of the Car 54 cast, but so little about this show was in the book.  I vaguely remember that Paul Reed appeared in several TV commercials during the 1980s.

Paul Reed lived to the ripe old age of 97.  I thank his son for writing this biography of his father which provided me much information about the man I didn’t know.  It must be difficult to write a biography of your father so I commend him for doing that.

Below is a clip from a Car 54 show featuring Captain Block

No Milk Today - Song for the Meet and Greet

Today's Radio Log

Here is what I listened to on the radio today:

WINS - News
WCBS-FM - Sue O'Neil
Pop Gold Radio
American Top 40 with Casey Kasem on WLS-FM Chicago
Breakfast with the Beatles on Q-104.3
Sounds of the 60s with Brian Matthew on BBC2
Cousin Brucie on SiriusXM 60s on 6
Jim Kerr on SirusXM 50s on 5
Cool Bobby B on SiriusXM 50s on 5

The 2012 Oldies Radio Meet and Greet was the Best

I must say that the 7th Annual Meet and Greet of Oldies Radio enthusiasts had to be the best.  About 60 people came to share their enthusiasm for the “soundtrack of our lives.”  I took that expression from Soundtrack of the 60s that was heard on WYNY from 1981-84.  There were several  radio personalities including:

• Carol Miller 
• Jim Kerr
• Cool Bobby B
• Bob Radil
• Rich Appel
• Don Tandler
• Alan Seltzer

The two highlights of the day:

Louise Murray, formerly of the Jaynettes, singing her version of My Guy which recorded by Mary Wells.

Pete Ritzert singing the Kinks hit Sunny Afternoon.

The most important thing was to get together with people who share a passion for oldies radio.  You really don’t “know a person” through Facebook or message.  You must meet and greet them face to face.  It was also nice to keep our mind off the terrible aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

You may find 154 pictures taken by Bob Gilmore at http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AaN3LRu1bNWjsQ

My Misadventure on the Gasoline Line this morning

This was a very trying week for with commuting to work.  New Jersey Transit was on a reduced schedule while I confronted two major commuting delays not related to the storms.  Since I have an even numbered plate, I felt I should try to fill up my gas tank.  I consulted the Gas Buddy web site which indicated a station at 17th rd had gas with waiting less than 30 minutes.  I drove over there and discovered they had no gas.  Gas Buddy indicated that a station near my home at 20th Avenue and Parsons Blvd. was open.  I used that station several times for repairs and was happy with their service.  When I passed by there they appeared to be open.  I got on line at 8:15, but after 15 minutes there was absolutely no movement.  I really didn't need the aggravation of waiting indefinitely, so I decided to leave the line and drove home.  If I needed my car for business, I likely would have waited it out.  My gas gauge now read 1/4 tank left, so I most have about 4 gallons left.  It is a shame that one must use gasoline to find gasoline.

At about 10:30, I rechecked Gas Buddy which stated that this station didn't start pumping gas until 8:45 with about a 90 minute wait.  I feel that I made the right decision since I did not want to risk missing the Oldies Meet and Greet or go there aggravated about my search for gas.  Hopefully in the days to come this situation will alleviate itself with deliveries to more stations.  I did search Twitter using the tag #queensgas. It seems that in other parts of Queens there were short lines for gas.

I still must count my blessings that my inconveniences from Hurricane Sandy were minimal.  Sadly many lost power for several days while others lost their homes.

Odd even gasoline rationing begins tomorrow

I still have about 5 gallons left in my tank.  The mayor just announced an odd even gas rationing system in NYC. Since my license plate ends in a 6, I will have to go hunting for gas on Saturday morning.  There is a web site http://www.gasbuddy.com/Sandy which reports the availability of gas.  There are so few gas stations in Queens that are open.  Hopefully the rationing system will help alleviate the problem.  I thought that by now the situation would have been resolved.  I also suggest people be forbidden to get gas if their tank is more than 1/2 full.

More Adventures in Commuting

New Jersey Transit is still running on a greatly reduced schedule on the Northeast Corrider.  On the positive side the Newark Light Rail resumed service running every 15 minutes instead of every 6 minutes.  At least I didn't have to walk a mile in this snowy weather.

On the way home I had problems with the MTA.  When I got to Times Square there was a smoky condition on the #7 line so I had to walk underground to 8th Avenue to pick up the E train.  I changed to the #7 at 74th Street.  There was a delay as we approached the Main Street station.  At least I was not on the LIRR tonight as the entire system came to a standstill.

On a day like today I wish I was a consultant who works at home.

Random Thoughts of the Day

Another bad commute today on the New Jersey side.  The only slight improvement was that Rutgers offered a van from Newark Penn Station to their campus which is across the street from NJIT.

I voted at 6:50 AM, but Karen told me the polling place was very crowded when she came about 12 noon.

Right now I am listening to Breakfast with the Beatles featuring rarities.

Jeopardy was pre-empted on Channel 7 since they started their election coverage at 7 PM.  Only 3 states closed their polls by 7 PM.  I think the presidential elections of the 1960s and 70s were much more exciting.

My First Day Back At Work

The public transportation was good on the New York side of the Hudson, but when I arrived at Penn Station I saw that New Jersey Transit was operating on a greatly reduced schedule.  I usually get on the 7:36 or 7:44 train, but I had to wait until 8:14 to depart.  When I arrived at Newark Penn Station I saw that the Newark Light Rail was not operating.  In the past substitute bus service was provided, but not today.  Thus, I had to walk a mile to NJIT in the University Heights section.

Many of my library colleagues still did not have power at home.  I really am lucky to have weathered the storm with minimal inconvenience.  Tomorrow is another day.

Trying to get back to normal after the storm

Tomorrow will be my first day back to work after superstorm Sandy.  After seeing the devastation on television, I must still count my blessings that my inconveniences over the past week were minimal.  This has to be the worst natural disaster to hit New York City in my lifetime.

My normal commute is tough enough as it is.  Let me try to predict what will happen tomorrow.

1. Bus from home to Main Street - should be normal
2. #7 Train to Times Square - full service on the #7 line resumed yesterday.  I am guessing there will be only local service available.
3.  #1, #2, or #3 to 34th Street Penn Station - Should be normal
4. New Jersey Transit from New York Penn to Newark Penn - Service has resumed on the Northeast Corrider line.  I am guessing that certain trains will be cancelled, so it may take a little longer.
5. Newark Light Rail to NJIT - As of now there is no service.  In the past when the light rail was down substitute bus service was implemented.  There has not been an announcement about this yet.  If I have to I can walk 1 mile from Newark Penn to NJIT.

We all must take this ordeal one day at a time.

Keith Whitener - A Chemist is a 7 Time Winner on Jeopardy

I think I should finally change the subject and move away from Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath.  There have been many librarians on Jeopardy who were big winners on Jeopardy.  Vijay Balse was a chemical engineer who was a big winner on the show, but until now I can not remember any research chemists who won big on my favorite TV show.  Keith Whitener from Charlotte, NC introduced as a research chemist won 7 times with about $148,000 in winnings.  In a tough match tonight, he didn't make it to victory #8.  I congratulate him will be rooting for him when he returns for the Tournament of Champions.

I used my librarian skills and found 3 publications of his in Scopus.  There are likely more in Scifinder Scholar, but I was just lazy :)  He published in some prestigious journals.

Whitener Jr., K. E., Cross, R. J., Saunders, M., Iwamatsu, S. -., Murata, S., Mizorogi, N., & Nagase, S. (2009). Methane in an open-cage [60]fullerene. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 131(18), 6338-6339. Retrieved from www.scopus.com

Whitener Jr., K. E., Frunze, M., Iwamatsu, S. -., Murata, S., Cross, R. J., & Saunders, M. (2008). Putting ammonia into a chemically opened fullerene. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 130(42), 13996-13999. Retrieved from www.scopus.com

Whitener, K. E. (2010). Theoretical studies of CH4 inside an open-cage fullerene: Translation - rotation coupling and thermodynamic effects. Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 114(45), 12075-12082. Retrieved from www.scopus.com

I Cry When I See the Storm Stories

I am so lucky that I faced minimal inconveniences during and after Hurricane Sandy.  The devastation in Staten Island is just tragic.  There are still thousands of people who have not regained power.  Mass transit is coming back albeit slowly.  As of today the #7 line is running only from Main Street to 74th Street.  Service on New Jersey Transit is minimal.  I really don't have to be concerned about this until Monday.  There are lines for gasoline that are reminiscent of the 1970s.

This too shall pass.  Normalcy is a relative term as some people will have to completely rebuild their lives after losing their homes.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this storm.