I Am Switching from the MetroCard to the OMNY Card

 

Fare collection on the New York City Bus and Subway system has a history.  Obviously, the fare has gone up over the years.  Growing up I paid 15 cents to get on the subway, while today the full fare is $2.90.  As a senior citizen, I pay $1.45.  Back then, the subway token was used to pay the fare.  One could use coins to pay the fare on the bus.  Over the years the fare increased and the subway token was changed several times.  In the 1990s the MetroCard was introduced to allow for a free transfer between the bus and the subway.

A rider often had to swipe several times to get into the Subway.  This was likely a result of the failure to clean the slots that took the Metrocard.  That could create an inconvenience.  For that reason, I decided to switch over to the OMNY card where I can tap my credit card to get on a bus or train.  I have observed that most riders still use the MetroCard.  The MTA will eventually retire the MetroCard, but I don't know when.  

A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical

 

I cannot remember when I last saw a Broadway show, but it must have been at least five years ago.  Since I was always a fan of Neil Diamond, it would be good to see the show covering his life and career.

This was more than just a routine jukebox musical as the older Neil Diamond is shown in the play observing his works and accomplishments as a younger performer.  In the Playbill, Neil states that "Sitting in the theater and watching the show has itself been therapeutic; reliving some joyful and some of the painful parts of my life."

I recommend the show to all my friends who are oldies enthusiasts. Most of the audience were older adults who likely heard Neil back in the 1960s.  I read that Broadway has not completely recovered from the pandemic.  There were many empty seats in the theater.

Leader of the Laundromat - My Favorite Parody of an Oldie

I dedicate Leader of the Laundromat to John Davitt and Dean Meminger of NY1 who are concerned that their viewers don't get themselves or their laundry wet when they go out late at night.

 

A Dream About a Professional Meeting

 

From 2000 until I retired in 2017 I ran a special interest group for Science and Medical Librarians through the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO).  It was a great source of satisfaction for me as I held about 50 meetings and met many outstanding colleagues.  About a year before I retired I met with JC of CUNY for him to continue to run the group.  About two years later, I found out the group folded.  I am speculating that JC was frustrated since there were poor turnouts for the meetings he held.  I  was disappointed since I hoped that this METRO group would be my legacy to the profession.

Last night I had a dream where as I retiree I held a meeting trying to resurrect this METRO group.  I encountered many people I knew years ago.  Someone abruptly interrupted my meeting saying that everyone had to leave.  I agreed to have another meeting.  As I walked out I encountered SA who was my research collaborator.  I asked her about her twin sons.  Then, I woke up.

I my mind has played many tricks on me through my dreams.

Bob Dylan's Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour Extends into 2024

 

Here are the dates and locations from March 1 to March 18 from Bill Pagel's Bob Links Page.  There were some dates after March 18, but they were withdrawn from the page.  Perhaps they haven't been confirmed.

03/01/24 Fort Lauderdale, FL - Broward Center for the Performing Arts

03/02/24 Fort Lauderdale, FL - Broward Center for the Performing Arts

03/05/24 Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall

03/06/24 Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall

03/07/24 Fort Myers, FL - Suncoast Credit Union Arena

03/09/24 Orlando, FL - Walt Disney Theater

03/10/24 Orlando, FL - Walt Disney Theater

03/12/24 Jacksonville, FL - Moran Theater

03/14/24 Athens, GA - The Classic Center Theatre

03/15/24 Athens, GA - The Classic Center Theatre

03/17/24 Charlotte, NC - Belk Theater

03/18/24          Fayetteville, NC - Crown Theater

Who Wants to Ice Skate to I Can Help by Billy Swan?

In today's Question of the Day on WFUV, listeners were asked to name songs to ice skate by.  Some how I Can Help by Billy Swan was chosen.  Go figure!

 

Marquette 73 St. Johns 72 at Madison Square Garden

 

Lee and I ventured out in the cold to go to Madison Square Garden to see the Red Storm play the nationally-ranked Golden Eagles of Marquette.  The two teams traded baskets in the first 13 minutes of the game, but St. Johns built a 10-point lead with 1:28 left in the first half.  Marquette trimmed the deficit to 34-28 at halftime.

In the second half the Golden Eagles built up a 13-point lead at 71-58, but could not extend that lead.  St, Johns rallied but fell short as they lost 73-72.  St. Johns is now 12-7 overall and 4-4 in the Big East Conference.  There is still plenty of time in the season to improve their standing in the conference.

Game Recap

Random Thoughts of the Day - January 19, 2024

Whenever I watch TV news I feel discussed when most of the stories are about:

• Stabbings
• Gun violence
• Fires
• Natural disasters
• Corrupt politicians

Some human interest stories on TV are trivial and need to be newsworthy.  I saw a story where a man set up his cell phone to take a video of himself proposing to his girlfriend.  Their daughter knocked the phone down before he popped the question. I guess it is quite common these days for couples to his children before they are married.

I hate it when sports journalists write totally speculative stories.  Major League Baseball and The Athletic are always doing that.  How can onr predict who will be the Rookie of the Year when the season has not yet started?

I often see stories about train delays on New Jersey Transit and the MTA.  I count my blessings that I don't have to commute from Flushing to Newark.  Nothing has changed in six years. Now, I only take mass transit about once a week for recreational activities.

 

Marrakesh Express by Crosby, Stills, and Nash - Random Classic Rock Album Cut of The Day

 

 I have always enjoyed the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and sometimes Young.  Marrakesh Express is one of my favorite cuts from their first album.

Orlando Magic 98 Knicks 94 at MSG Followed by Dinner at Mr. Broadway

 

It is a yearly tradition for the Knicks to play at the Garden on King Day, so I got tickets at a reasonable price, so we went to see the game.  The Knicks were certainly at a disadvantage since Jalen Brunson was out with an injury.  Julius Randle and Isiah Hartenstein were less dominant than usual, so the Knicks seemed flat. The Magic trailed by 11 in the third quarter and didn't have much going offensively most of the day. But they took charge midway through the final period and grabbed the lead for good at 90-89.  The final was 98-94 in favor of the visitors.

Game Recap

Lee and I decided to walk up to 38th Street to eat dinner at Mr. Broadway who bought the Manhattan location of Ben's Deli.  Mr. Broadway is Glatt Kosher, meaning their meat must come from an animal with adhesion-free or smooth lungs.  For that reason, it is more expensive than a regular kosher restaurant.  The food and the service were very good.  The new owners renovated the restaurant as you can see from the photo seen below.

A Silly Parody of My Favorite Doo Wop Hit, I Only Have Eyes for You by the Flamingos

 

Back in the day when WCBS-FM played a listener-generated list of favorite oldies I Only Have Eyes for You by the Flamingos was consistently voted #1.  A poster on a Jewish singles group brought this silly parody to my attention.

The Life and Legacy of Bud Harrelson

  

This four-minute clip produced by the people at SNY is the best summary of Bud's career with the Mets and his ownership of the Long Island Ducks.  I hope that people don't remember him for the fight that he had with Pete Rose during the 1973 National League Championship Series.

My condolences to his family and friends.

SABR Biography of Bud Harrelson written by Eric Aron.

Bud Harrelson's MLB Statistics as compiled by Baseball-Reference.

The Art Appreciation Lecture at the Older Adult Center was not for Me

 

I always enjoy going to art museums to peruse the works of famous artists.  Pop art is my favorite genre.  When the Older Adult Center advertised an art appreciation lecture, I wanted to check it out.  The teacher, a specialist in art history and museum education, showed the participants an illustrated children's book from 1931.  She micro-analyzed the artwork and the associated text.  The audience members were interested and made many comments.  I was bored to death.

I was hoping there would be a discussion of the work of a renowned artist, but I was wrong.  I just have to say that this art appreciation is not for me.  The teacher said that she comes to the center once a month.  I will not go the next time since the class is just not for me.

A Virtual Group of Bob Dylan Enthusiasts Meets in Person for the First Time in Four Years

 

Three of the Seven People Who Met Last Night

A group of Bob Dylan enthusiasts met at NYU in November 2019 and February 2020.  Shortly after that those meeting the pandemic hit and we had to meet virtually.  For the last four years we met virtually using either Zoom and Google Meet and had some lively discussions about our favorite singer songwriter.

Last night we met at a bar in Greenwich Village called The Spaniard.  It was nice to finally meet again in person.  Hopefully, in the future we can meet both online and in person.

Portland Trailblazers 134 Brooklyn Nets 127 in OT at Barclay's Center

The last time we were at Barclay's Center was in February 2020 when we saw the Vancouver Canucks beat the Islanders.  Since that time the Islanders moved to the UBS Arena on Long Island while the Nets stayed at Barclay's Center.  Since tickets for the Knicks are so expensive we decided to take a longer subway ride to Brooklyn.

The Nets led for the first three quarters, but could not hold that lead.  The game was tied at 115 at the end of regulation, but Malcolm Brogdon scored eight of his 18 points during Portland’s nearly flawless overtime.  The Nets are now 16-21 and have lost 11 out of their last 14 games.

Game Recap

 

The Demise of Movie Theaters in Queens Comes to This Generation

 

When I was growing up in Rego Park in the 1960s there were several movie theaters within walking distance or a short bus ride.  Back in those days, there were no multiplexes.  The following theaters have closed over the years:

• Elmwood
• Trylon 
• Drake
• Forest Hills
• Continental (changed its name to Brandon)

Only the Midway stands today.  It now has 9 screens.

In the 1980s after I was married I moved to northern Queens where the following movie theaters eventually closed:

• RKO Keiths
• Prospect
• Quartet
• Bayside (at Bell Blvd. and 39th Avenue)
• Whitestone

The AMC Bay Terrace with six screens still stands

In 1999 the College Point Multiplex with 12 screens was built at the intersections of the Whitestone Expressway and Linden Place.  It was nice to have a movie theater within walking distance for all these years. 

The Bayside Times reports today that the College Point Multiplex will likely close since the Jamaica Multiplex Cinemas will shut down in June.  The parent company closed several theaters in the past year.  I must have seen hundreds of movies in that multiplex since it opened in 1999.  It was always nice to have a movie theater in the neighborhood.  Sadly, movie theaters have become dinosaurs as people would prefer to stay home and watch movies on streaming services such as Netflix.

Nothing in this world stays the same.  I guess movie theaters are going the way of the landline telephone.

Roster Moves by the New York Mets This Off-Season

 

Obviously, this list is subject to change.  I am disappointed that the Mets non-tendered Luis Guillorme as he was a good backup infielder.  The Atlanta Braves just signed him to a one-year contract.  Adam Ottavino was an effective relief pitcher who is still a free agent.  The two major acquisitions are former Yankees Harrison Bader and Luis Severino.  We hope they can bounce back after disappointing 2023 seasons.  We can only hope for the best for the 2024 season, but at this point I am not overly optimistic.

What Will Bob Dylan Do in 2024?

 

According to this "announcement," the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour will continue into 2024.  In recent years the Neverending Tour takes a break in winter and resumes in the spring.  The uncertainty is where he will tour this year.

It is always very easy to spread rumors on the internet.  There is a rumor that he will release a new album this year.  On X, Dylan author Ray Padgett states there is a rumor the album will be titled Triplicate 2.  Could this mean more adult standards?

I am quoting from a website called MediaMass:

Has Bob Dylan been working on a new album? While representatives are keeping tight-lipped, reports have been circulating on the Internet. There have been strong rumors that the singer is finally returning to the recording studio working on a what might be a back-to-roots album.

Can back-to-roots mean acoustic folk?

All we can do is wait and see.

Jimi Hendrix Plays Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band with Comments by Paul McCartney

 

New Beginning by Tracy Chapman - First Post of the New Year

I never like to post the same song twice in this journal.  I first thought of New Morning by Bob Dylan or Just Like Starting Over by John Lennon, but both have appeared in Bruce's Journal.  Instead I chose New Beginning by Tracy Chapman which expresses the same sentiment.