David Stearns - Please Come Through for the Older Met Fans

 

As you can see from the photo above, four popular Mets were also the longest-tenured members of the team and left within the last month.  Here are my comments:

• Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz should have been retained.  Steve Cohen could have exceeded the offers they received from the Orioles and Dodgers, respectively
• Marcus Semien improves the infield defense, but does not have the same power as Brandon Nimmo.  The latter was given an 8-year contract, then 3 years later they conceded he won' perform in the last years.
• The Jeff McNeil trade was a joke.  All they got in return was a 17-year-old prospect.  C'mon, David, you could have gotten more back for him.
• Today, a news conference was held to introduce Jorge Polanco.  He has been in the MLB for 10 years and can't communicate in English.  Doesn't he have enough money to hire a tutor to teach him the English language?

There are still several weeks left in the off-season.  Will David Stearns make a big splash by signing Cody Bellinger or obtaining a front-line pitcher?

I have been a Mets fan since day one in 1962.  I have survived many bad experiences, such as:

• The early years when the Mets lost over 100 games
• The Nolan Ryan trade
• The worst team that money could buy in the early 1990s
• The late-season collapses in 2007and 2008
• Steve Cohen promised us a world championship in 5 years after he purchased the team in 2020.  He has not come through for us.

If the Mets don't improve significantly over last season's 83-79 record, Steams should be fired.

Stay tuned.

Another Misadventure with a Dating App - Ghosted Again

 

A few months ago, I documented my bad experiences with dating apps.  At that time, I used a services limited to Jewish singles.  A friend said that if you do not eventually live with a woman or marry her, a difference in religion may not be important.  With that thought in mind, I signed up with a non-sectarian dating app. I encountered JA from Tennessee. I advised her that we are at a long distance from each other.  Here are some excerpts from our chat.  My answers are in italics:

 I have been single for three years now , lost my partner to cancer and ever since he passed, I haven’t been in any relationship just sick and tired of being alone that’s how I ended up on the dating site with the aim to meet a man who’s honest and ready for something in a long term

Do you think you could give this a try for the first time and see how it goes ?

Bruce - Do you really want to travel to NYC to meet a strange man?

I enjoy traveling and visiting New York would be a great time for me, once again distance doesn’t bother me when I find that special someone who’s gonna love and appreciate me

Bruce - Please don't make a trip to NYC just to meet me.  In any event, relationships take time to develop.  We don't know very much about each other.  It is my opinion that the difference in age will catch up to a couple sooner or later. I am 23 years older than you.

Remember I told you age and distance doesn’t bother me , I would like us to take it slow and get to know more about each other and see how compatible we both can be from time to time

Just to let you know, I’m not here for any games or fun

I haven't heard from her in 48 hours. GHOSTED.

No more dating apps for me.

Steve Somers Addresses The New York Giants Preservation Society at Finnerty's on 33rd Street in Manhattan

 

The New York Giants Preservation Society has been discussed several times in this journal.  For a few years, the group met at Finnerty's, a San Francisco-themed sports bar located at 2nd Avenue and 13th Street in Manhattan. During the COVID pandemic, the group had to meet online via Zoom.  The group thrived, but Finnerty's had to close.

Recently, Finnerty's reopened at 33rd Street, directly across from the Empire State Building.  Today, for the first time in 6 years, the group reconvened at Finnerty's with Steve Somers as the guest speaker.  He spoke about his recent book, Me Here, You There, which I reviewed a few weeks ago in this journal.  I bought the book on Amazon Kindle, but Steve was signing books for many of the 60 attendees.

A cake for the occasion 

The front of Finnerty's

..

Sometimes in Winter by Blood Sweat and Tears - Song of the Day

 

I've been thinking about this song since winter will be here in four days.  Steve Katz, formerly of The Blues Project, was the singer.

I Read the News Today Oy Vey!

 

Which one is worse?

1. At least 15 people have been killed, and 27 are in hospitals after a shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach yesterday. The attack, declared a terrorist incident, targeted Jewish Australians and is the country’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years.  Report in the New York Times
2. Two students were killed and nine were injured in a shooting at Brown University.  Police are still looking for the shooter as of 3 PM on December 15.
3. Rob Reiner and his wife were allegedly killed by their son. Latest from the New York Times. Chutzpah is when a person murders his parents and pleads for mercy on the grounds he is an orphan.  There are too many nuts with knives and guns out there. What really gets me is the statement made by Donald Trump, who attributed Hollywood director and progressive activist Rob Reiner’s death as the likely result of the “anger he caused others” through “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” Even some Republicans concurred that this was an insensitive and disrespectful remark about someone who died tragically.  Below is what Rob Reiner said about the tragic death of Charlie Kirk.

All of this qualifies for an "Oy Vey"

The Queens Baseball Convention Was Within Walking Distance of Home

 

For the third year in a row, Lee and I went to the Queens Baseball Convention at the Four Points by Sheraton, a 10-minute walk from home.  Today's gathering was significant after the recent losses of Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz, and Pete Alonso.

The first event of the evening was an interview with retired Met reliever Jesse Orosco, as seen below. He reminisced about his appearances with the 1986 World Champion Mets.

There were two panels, State of the Mets and Till Mets Do Us Part.  The losses of Diaz and Alonso and the trade of Nimmo were considered, as well as future moves that David Stearns should make.  The consensus was that the Mets must plan for the future and not give long-term contracts to players in their thirties.

Former Mets manager Terry Collins was honored with the Gil Hodges Award and discussed the incident in the video seen below.  Tom Hallion, the umpire who argued with Terry from that game in 2016 also appeared. Adam Hamari was the home plate umpire who tossed Terry while Tom Hallion was the crew chief.

There was a feature called Mets Make a Deal based on the game show with a similar name.  It was Lee's lucky day as he was called out for wearing a Mets hockey jersey.  He won a Mets Connect Jersey and a Home Run Apple hat.

The day concluded with Kelly Franco interviewing current Met Brett Baty.  She runs a podcast called Three Inning Fan.

Random Thoughts of the Day - December 12, 2025

 

• Like everyone else, I am disappointed by the loss of Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso, and Edwin Diaz.  As I read Facebook and other stories, there is plenty of bitching going on.  There is no sense in writing anything more about this.  I will hear plenty of it at the Queens Baseball Convention tomorrow.  I just hate rumors and speculations.
• My Bob Dylan friends are all excited about the tour resuming in the spring.  Some are willing to travel long distances to see him.  The longest I traveled to see Dylan was in April 1997 when I went to William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ.
• My excellent autobiographical memory hurts me more than it helps.  I have too many flashbacks to unpleasant experiences and disappointments of the distant past.  Too often, I second-guess myself.
• Does the media report the news or create it?  For example, so much attention is given to Luigi Mangione while there are thousands of murders in the USA each year.

The Mets Lost Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso - Who is to Blame?

 

Yesterday, the Mets lost Edwin Diaz to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who will be paying him $69 million over 3 years.  Today, they lost Pete Alonso to the Baltimore Orioles for $155 million over 5 years.  After trading Brandon Nimmo a few weeks ago, 3 fan favorites are gone.

I thought Steve Cohen had bottomless pockets and would at least match other teams' offers.  He promised us a World Series winner within 5 years of his becoming owner in 2020.  He obviously has not come through.  Is he holding back David Stearns?  Are they just afraid to give long-term contracts? Is Stearns afraid to make a counteroffer?

In any event, MLB salaries are absolutely outrageous.  Edwin Diaz pitched 66 innings for the Mets last season.  That would mean he gets about $350,000 an inning.

What are the Mets going to do?  They have already signed relief pitcher Devin Williams, who will be the closer, but they must shore up the bullpen.  Will they try to sign free agents or see if their farm system will come through?  How will the Mets replace Pete Alonso's 38 home runs and 126 RBIs? Will they sign Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker?  Will they move Mark Vientos to first base.

There is still plenty of time before spring training so obviously more moves wil be made.

Stay tuned.

The Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour Extends to 2026

 

My Bob Dylan friends are all excited that spring 2026 dates were announced for the Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour.  All the stops are at small cities except for Detroit, Cleveland, and Columbus, Ohio.  Sue already mapped out her trip and will buy her tickets as soon as they go on sale this Friday, December 12.  Unfortunately for me, there are no stops in or near NYC.

03/21/26 Omaha, Nebraska - Orpheum Theater

03/22/26 Sioux Falls, South Dakota - Mary W. Sommervold Hall

03/24/26 Rochester, Minnesota - Mayo Civic Center Arena

03/25/26 Iowa City, Iowa - Hancher Auditorium

03/27/26 La Crosse, Wisconsin - La Crosse Center

03/28/26 Rockford, Illinois - Coronado Theatre

03/30/26 Waukegan, Illinois - Genesee Theatre

03/31/26 Muncie, Indiana - Emens Auditorium

04/02/26 Grand Rapids, Michigan - De Vos Performance Hall

04/03/26 Saginaw, Michigan - Dow Events Center - The Theater

04/04/26 Detroit, Michigan - Masonic Temple Theatre

04/06/26 Louisville, Kentucky - The Louisville Palace

04/09/26 Columbus, Ohio - Palace Theatre details

04/10/26 Cleveland, Ohio - KeyBank State Theatre

04/12/26 Dayton, Ohio - Winsupply Theatre

04/14/26 Knoxville, Tennessee - Knoxville Civic Auditorium

04/16/26 Bowling Green, Kentucky - SKyPAC

04/17/26 Chattanooga, Tennessee - Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium

04/19/26 Asheville, North Carolina - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

04/20/26 Spartanburg, South Carolina - Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium

04/22/26 Macon, Georgia - Macon City Auditorium

04/23/26 Dothan, Alabama - Dothan Civic Center

04/25/26 Jackson, Mississippi - Thalia Mara Hall

04/27/26 Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Raising Cane's River Center

04/28/26 Shreveport, Louisiana - Shreveport Municipal Auditorium

04/29/26 Tyler, Texas - Cowan Center

05/01/26 Abilene, Texas - Abilene Auditorium

Colorado Avalanche 3 New York Ranger 2 in OT at MSG

 

The ticket prices for Knicks and Rangers Games are so high, but there was a discount for tickets bought on Cyber Monday, so I splurged and bought tickets for this afternoon's game. It was a very close game with excellent defense as Artemi Panarin scored a goal with 42 seconds to go in regulation to tie the score at 2.  Nathan Mackinnon scored at 2:46 of the overtime period to secure the victory for the Avalanche.

The majority of the fans in the stands were under 40 years old.  Numerous small children were shown on the video board. Fewer older adults attend sporting events.

Game Recap

Book Review: A Nice Jewish Boy from San Francisco Makes it Big as a Host on WFAN in New York

 

Since 1987, when WFAN launched, I listened irregularly, but I never called in to speak to any of their hosts.  I just never wanted to be put on hold for a long time.  Steve Somers started at the station at its launch and was a full-time host until 2021.

In this autobiography that I have on the Kindle, Steve Somers traces his career from his boyhood in San Francisco until he became famous as an overnight host known as Captain Midnight at WFAN, America's foremost sports talk station.  He worked in several small radio and TV markets until he realized his dream of being on the air in the Big Apple.  I am not a night owl, so I didn't listen to him on his overnight shift.  But there were times when he was on the air during the day, and I heard his show.

He had some celebrity callers, including Jerry Seinfeld.  He calls the Mets the Metropolitans (their full name) and the Islanders the Icelanders.  Much of the book is devoted to anecdotes.  He listed many of his regular callers on the overnight shift.  He insisted that regular callers did not have a special line to the station.

On Wednesday, December 3rd, he spoke about his book at a Zoom meeting of the New York Giants Preservation Society.  I attended the meeting and asked him if he preferred one host or two, also did he think that hosts should talk about non-sports related topics.  He felt that the one host who talks to the callers is a better option and the host should stick to sports.

I highly recommend this book to sports fans.

The Bob Dylan Steve Cropper Connection

 

Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, and Steve Cropper

at the 1992 Tribute Concert to Dylan at Madison Square Garden

Sadly, so many musicians of the 1960s have passed away.  Yesterday, we found out that Steve Cropper, best known as a member of Booker T and the MGs, died at age 84.  He appeared with Dylan and other musicians at the 30th Anniversary Concert for Bob Dylan.

Obituary in The New York Times

Giving Tuesday Created Email Overload

 

We had Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and now Giving Tuesday.  It was created in 2012 as a global generosity movement unleashing the power of radical generosity.  Over the years I have donated to several reputable charities in amounts up to $100.  These include cultural organizations, not-for-profit radio stations, universities, food banks, and medical institutions.  I trust that all of these entities minimize their administrative costs and overhead.

All of these organizations ask for home address, email address, and cell phone number.  It seems that it is easiest to make a pitch for a donation via email.  Thus, over the past few days, I have spent much time deleting emails.  I did donate to one medical organization yesterday.  Once you donate to one group, they constantly ask for more money.  I get many snail mails, text messages, and even phone calls asking for donations.

Fanatics or Just Fans of Bob Dylan

 

A fanatic is a person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal, especially for an extreme religious or political cause.  This can be applied to a hobby or a similar pursuit.

A fan shows a strong and enthusiastic liking for their chosen person, group, or thing.

I am aware of some Bob Dylan fanatics that I have encountered, mostly from social media.  To protect the innocent, I will not give names. “S” has attended 359 concerts since 1988 and 141 on the Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour.  She has certainly spent a lot of money chasing Dylan around the world. “Z” made a special trip from Germany to Washington state to see Dylan on his birthday.  “Y" traveled from Chicago to see a preview of the film A Complete Unknown a few weeks before its release.  Other people have seen the movie umpteen times.

There are also Bob Dylan scholars who have monetized their enthusiasm by writing books and teaching courses about him.  I consider them fanatics.  Others have Dylan-related podcasts.

I consider myself a fan since I only see one Dylan concert a year and would not travel outside the NYC area to see a concert.  I do have an extensive collection of records, tapes, CDs, and videos.

I doubt if Dylan appreciates the enthusiasm of his fans, scholars, and fanatics.  He never talks to the audience, nor does he give interviews.  When I saw him at Jones Beach, the video screens were off when he performed.  The point of going to a concert is to see the performer.  He wore a hoodie, partially hiding his face at other concerts.

Remembering George Harrison on the 24th Anniversary of His Passing

 

George Harrison has appeared in Bruce's Journal several times over the years.  When I looked back at these entries, I observed that many of the videos that I posted were later deleted by YouTube.  If I ever find the time, I should see if I can replace them.  I am posting Blow Away which was released in February 1979 on the album George Harrison.

UConn 74 Illinois 61 at Madison Square Garden

 

Since the ticket prices for Knicks and Rangers games were so high, we decided to take in a college basketball game at Madison Square Garden.  Obviously, most of the Garden was rooting for the UConn Huskies since geographically, Connecticut is closer to NYC than Illinois.  In 1977-78 I lived in New London, CT, which is about 40 miles from UConn's campus in Storrs.

UConn was able to maintain a comfortable lead throughout the game, but Illinois cut the lead from 21 to 7 at one point. UConn held on to win 74-61.

Game account from CT Insider

Yesterday's Radio Log

I haven't listed the radio stations that I accessed for a while in this journal.  Below is a list of FM, Satellite, and internet stations I listened to yesterday.

• WFUV - I heard Alice's Restaurant at 12 noon
• WBGO 
• Outlaw Country on Sirius/XM
• Q104.3 -  I caught part of the countdown of their 1,043 most popular songs
• Pop Gold Radio - I listened to part of Tom Natoli's tribute to Bob Shannon.  Tom should get an award for producing this show.
• Elvis Radio on Sirius/XM - Lee's favorite
• Beatles Channel on Sirius/XM
• 60s Gold on Sirius/XM
• Classic Rewind on Sirius/XM

 

Be Thankful For What You Got by William Devaughn - Appropriate Song for Today

 

I heard this on WFUV this morning.  I am thankful that everyone in my family is healthy.  I am also thankful when I go to the grocery store and have the funds to pay my bill.  Sadly, too many people rely on SNAP benefits to pay for their food.  I have donated to various food banks over the past few months.

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.

Sue - Another Bob Dylan Fan Extraordinaire

 

About two years ago, I wrote an entry about some extreme Bob Dylan enthusiasts.  I omitted one named Sue whom I follow on X with the handle @SueMyAssOff.  Above is a photo of the ticket stubs from Dylan concerts she has attended over the years.  This website lists the 359 Dylan concerts she attended since 1988. She attended 141concerts on the current Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour.  She lives in Canada and traveled around the world to see Dylan. Sue, I admire your great enthusiasm for Bob.  I think you should write a book about your travels.

Sue in Paris waiting for the concert to begin.

Happy 80th Birthday to Neil Young - We Are Both Old Men

 

At age 80 Neil Young is an old man and so am I at 76.

I Hate Politics

 

It is so sad that politics is a necessary evil in American society.  It has gotten from bad to worse.  The politicians do what is best for their party, not for the people who elected them.  There is a cold war between Democrats and Republicans.  The American public is the loser in this miserable war.  Let me make some comments:

• I cannot understand why 77 million people voted for a convicted felon who should have faced trial for trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election and for taking classified government documents to his home.
• This president is ignoring the concept of separation of powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of our government.
• He abused the power of the presidency to pardon criminals.  He pardoned about 1600 people who stormed the Capitol to try to prevent the certification of the 2020 election.  He commutes the sentence of the asshole George Santos, who should have rotted in prison for the entire 7 years of his sentence.
• The tariffs that he imposed have created higher prices for all consumers
• The president used the judicial system to get back at his enemies who did not commit a crime.
• The entire population of the United States are losers in the government shutdown caused by the war between Democrats and Republicans.  I feel sorry for:
• People who rely on SNAP benefits.  I regularly see lines of people waiting for food, and others who scrounge piles of garbage looking for bottles and cans to redeem.
• Those who lost their jobs as a result of the shutdown
• Travelers who have been delayed because of a shortage of air traffic controllers.Commun
• Zohran Mandani fairly won the election for Mayor of New York City.  Let us not evaluate him until he takes office and succeeds or fails on his campaign promises.  It is unfair for the Republicans to label him as a Communist. The President should not deny funds to NYC since he disaaproves of the Mayor.

Alabama 103 St. John's 96 at Madison Square Garden

 

I got "sticker shock" when I saw that Knicks and Rangers tickets were over $200 for seats in the 200 level. Someone has to pay for the multi-million dollar salaries that the players make.  We decided to get tickets for the St. John's Red Storm, who were nationally ranked last season.

It was a close game, but the Crimson Tide of Alabama held on for a 103-96 victory.

Game Recap

For Joni Mitchell's 82nd Birthday - Big Yellow Taxi

 

Bob Dylan is Awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of Music - Concert to Honor Him

 

This is not bad for someone who dropped out of the University of Minnesota.  Right now, he is in Europe so he can not come right now to accept his award.  I doubt if he will do so in the future since he did not attend the December 2016 Nobel Prize ceremony.  Dylan joins a distinguished roster of Berklee honorary doctorate recipients that includes Duke Ellington (the first, in 1971), Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones ’51, Joni Mitchell, B.B. King, Ringo Starr, Tito Puente, Roberta Flack, Juan Luis Guerra ’82, A. R. Rahman, and Loretta Lynn, among others.

There will be a concert tonight at 8 PM honoring Dylan featuring guest artists Tim O'Brien, Lucy Kaplansky, Tony Trischka, Annie Raines, Matt Rollings, Bruce Molsky, Farayi Malek, Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin, Larry Watson, Berklee Faculty Big Band led by Peter Kenagy, Tom Piazza, and more.

It can be accessed at https://vimeo.com/showcase/bpc?event=5497499&video=1133543724

It will likely be archived at https://vimeo.com/showcase/bpc

Voice Your Choice by the Radiants - Perfect Oldie for Election Day

 

Voice Your Choice by the Radiants only reached #51 on the Billboard chart in early 1965.  I vaguely remember hearing Murray the K playing it on WOR-FM when he asked listeners to vote for their favorite record.

I will go to the polls a  little later today to voice my choice for mayor and other city officials.  I will not discuss my choices here as I hate politics.

Now The Hot Stove League Begins

I watched the World Series as a neutral observer.  Now that it is over, the "Hot Stove League" begins in earnest.  For readers who are not baseball fans, this is rumors and speculations about player moves in the offseason.

There is "preseason" as publications such as The Athletic and numerous websites have already speculated on player moves.  This includes professional journalists and ordinary fans.  The questions are:

• Will top free agents sign with their current teams or elsewhere?  What will be their salaries and the length of the contract?  I am especially concerned about Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz.
• What will happen to players who are eligible for arbitration?
• What players will be non-tendered and become free agents?
• What trades will be made?  Will each team benefit by the trade or will the transaction be a salary dump?

Also, awards such as the Most Valuable Player and Cy Young will be announced in the weeks to come.

Stay tuned.

 

Treat from Amazon - Bob Dylan - Through the Open Window - The Bootleg Series Vol. 18 1956-1963

 

Back in the day, I would run to the nearest record store to buy the Bob Dylan album on the day of its release.  Now I just have to wait for the Amazon deliveryman.  My package arrived about 12 noon before any of the trick-or-treaters. They will come after school.

This 8-CD set provides never-before-released recordings from Dylan's formative years.  It includes concert performances, uncirculated studio outtakes, and rarities of Dylan's performances in friends' apartments.

It also includes a book with photographs and text detailing Dylan's early recordings.

Instead of giving a long journal entry about this, I will refer my readers to Dylan scholar Ray Padgett's track-by-track guide to the set.

I received this on Halloween, but for me, it would have been more appropriate to receive it on Chanukkah, since I could listen to one CD per day for the 8 days of the festival.

For Halloween - The Monster Mash by Bobby "Boris" Pickett

 

Last Halloween, only one group of kids came to my door.  I bought a package of candy for them.  If the kids don't come, Lee and I will have to eat the candy.

I Value Medical Privacy on Social Media

 

Medical privacy involves the protection of an individual's health information, primarily through the federal HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), which establishes national standards to safeguard protected health information (PHI).

I want to mention some indiscretions in social media regarding medical privacy.  Some people will detail their medical problems on Facebook and even show photos of themselves or close relatives in hospital beds.  I certainly would never do that.  I don't want to read about medical issues of Facebook friends whom I only "know" online. Thankfully, I am in good health

Sports Equinox Today

 Today marks the Sports Equinox, as MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL teams are in action.

Comments on Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere from a Bob Dylan Fan

 

Today we saw Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.  Over the years, I was so involved in my enthusiasm for Bob Dylan, Donovan, The Byrds, Simon and Garfunkel, and similar artists that I only developed a cursory interest in Bruce Springsteen.  I am familiar with his major hits but cannot identify his deep tracks.

I will compare it to recent Bob Dylan film A Complete Unknown.  Both films only cover a short part of the artist’s respective career.  The Dylan movie covers 1961-65, while the Springsteen film covers only 1981-82.  The latter emphasizes how Springsteen came to conceive and record the album Nebraska, while the former covers Dylan’s time in NYC and his transition from folk to rock music.

Deliver Me from Nowhere features flashbacks to Bruce’s growing up in Freehold, NJ.  It would have been interesting to see accounts of Dylan’s growing up in Hibbing, MN., but the writers chose to exclude that.

Both films were partially fictionalized.  For example, Faye Springsteen’s girlfriend in the movie did not exist.  Likewise, Sylvie Russo was a fake name for the real Suze Rotolo.

Inaccuracies in A Complete Unknown

Inaccuracies in Springsteen:Deliver Me from Nowhere

Movie Review from the New York Times

I recommend seeing it, especially since there are so few movies out today suited for older adults.

Hey Joe Revisited

 A Google search revealed there are over 1800 versions of Hey Joe written by folk musician Billy Roberts in the 1950s.  Below are versions from Jimi Hendrix, The Leaves, The Byrds, Tim Rose, and Johnny Rivers.

Remembering Roy Herschaft - New York Culture Has Lost a Friend

 

Roy at a Forest Hills High School Reunion in 2017

Roy at My 60th Birthday Dinner in 2009

Roy Herschaft passed away on Saturday, October 18 after being in failing health for a long time.  I was friends with him since our Forest Hills High School Days in the 1960s.

My first memory of him was walking to school talking about the WABC and WMCA music surveys.  He was a big fan of the Supremes while I was a fan of Bob Dylan.  I’ll never forget in October 1966 he came out of his building beaming when You Keep Me Hanging on by the Supremes hit #1 on the WMCA survey.  In high school we were in a program that emphasized the sciences.

After high school our paths diverged as Roy went to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, to study architecture, while I studied chemistry at the City College of New York.  We stayed connected through letters and phone calls.

After college Roy worked for the Peace Corps for a while and lived in San Francisco for about a year.  After he returned to NYC, he worked for the Department of City Planning where he stayed until he retired.  For about 50 years, he lived in an apartment in Brooklyn Heights.

Roy should be best remembered for his devotion to culture in New York City.  He was most passionate about ballet.  For many years he attended ballet class and, for a short time, aspired to be a professional dancer.

He just loved movies.  He would go to a multiplex and stay all day seeing 3 or more films on one admission.

He regularly went to museums and knew when the specific institution offered free admission.  Roy was also a big fan of opera and collected artwork.

In later years Roy’s musical interests changed toward classical music.  I remember going to the record department with him at J&R in lower Manhattan.  Earlier in this essay I mentioned my enthusiasm for Bob Dylan.  Roy came with me to three Dylan concerts at Madison Square Garden, the Beacon Theatre, and Forest Hills Stadium.  I bought a 2-LP set of the Supremes Greatest Hits which he signed for me.

Roy was a very big enthusiast of the theater.  He went to almost every Broadway show that was out and always could find a bargain for tickets.  He would stand in line for hours to get tickets for Shakespeare in the Park.

Roy was an avid viewer of PBS programming and left money in his will to WNET-TV

I was always a big sports fan, while Roy was completely indifferent.  I once had an extra ticket for a Mets game, and he joined me at Shea Stadium.  He appeared to be uninterested.

In recent years, I would always speak to Roy on the phone on Sunday mornings.  We would always discuss our cultural activities of the past week. He always said that I watched terrible movies. Since he just passed away, Sundays will just never be the same, so I will conclude by posting hit by Spanky and Our Gang.  I will certainly miss Roy.

Whitney Museum - October 2025 Visit

 

It was time for a return visit to the Whitney Museum.  The main attraction today was Sixties Surreal, an ambitious, scholarly reappraisal of American art from 1958 to 1972, encompassing the work of more than 100 artists. It recontextualizes some of the decade’s best-known figures alongside those only recently rediscovered..  Below are two of the many works we saw today.

RIP Gary Fishbein New York Mets and Oldies Fan Extraordinaire

 

Gary Fishbein at the 2012 Oldies Meet and Greet

He is wearing a WMCA Good Guy Sweatshirt and

a Brooklyn Cyclones Cap

I always saw Gary at the annual Meet and Greets that we held in Manhattan.  We had many phone calls over the years discussing the Mets, the Brooklyn Cyclones, oldies artists, and radio personalities from WMCA, WABC, and WCBS-FM.  A few weeks ago the phone calls stopped.  Today, when I reached his cell phone, I got a message saying the phone was disconnected.  I accessed his Facebook page and read the following message from his Cousin:

This is Gary's cousin, Michele. I am sorry to let everyone know that Gary passed away in his home on August 17, most likely due to a heart attack or something similar. Thank you for being his friend. Gary was a man of few words, but when he spoke, it was usually about the Mets.Hopefully, he can watch the games where he is. We had a private funeral last weekend, but if you want to share any memories you have of Gary, please do so on this page. Thanks.

RIP Gary. There will be an empty seat at Citi Field and Maimonides Park.

I will make a donation to the Amazin' Mets Foundation in his memory.