Marlins 5 Mets 1 As the Mets Lose 3 out of 4 in the Series

Go figure.  The Mets sweep the division-leading Phillies, but lose 3 out of 4 to the lowly Miami Marlins.  In the past, the Marlins have played spoilers to the Mets in the stretch drive.  As of this writing, the Mets are 6.5 games behind the NL East-leading Phillies, but still lead the Reds by 4 games for the last wild card berth.

In today's game, Kodai Senga allowed 5 runs and 7 hits in 4 2/3 innings, continuing to struggle with his effectiveness. Relief pitcher Brandon Waddell kept the Mets in the game by allowing no runs and 3 hits in 4 1/3 innings.  His reward will likely be a trip back to Syracuse, orchestrated by David Stearns who must hold the record for roster moves in a season.  As of today, the Mets have used 44 pitchers.

A "lowlight" of the game was a base-clearing brawl after Mark Vientos was hit by a pitch by Sandy Alcantara.

 

Game Recap

Enjoy Yourself by the Jacksons - Random Oldie of the Day

 

Enjoy Yourself was charted in late 1976.  Since the Jackson 5 left Motown for Epic Records they had to rebrand as the Jacksons.

Mets 6 Phillies 0 as Nolan McLean Shines for his Third Start in a Row

 

We saw a good game last night, as it was included in our 20-game package.   Nolan McLean became the first New York Mets pitcher to win his first three major league starts, tossing eight magnificent innings.  David Stearns made the right decision in bringing him up from the minors to be among over 40 pitchers for the Mets this season.  Mark Vientos homered and drove in three runs for the Mets.

Since they swept the Phillies, the Mets trail them by 4 games in the NL East.  They now lead the Cincinnati Reds for the third and final wild card.  Hopefully, the Mets can stay hot for the final 29 games in the regular season.  They play three more games in Philadelphia.  I still have memories of 2007 and 2008 when the Mets choked during the stretch drive.  Let's hope for the best.

Game recap

Do I Need More Remasters, Alternative Takes and Outtakes from the Beatles?

 

55 years after the Beatles disbanded, Apple Corps is releasing "new" material.  In 1995, I purchased The Beatles Anthology, Volumes 1, 2, and 3, on 6 CDs.  Those 3 volumes are being released and remastered this November. Volume 4 includes new mixes of The Beatles’ Anthology-associated hit singles. The GRAMMY-winning Free As A Bird and Real Love have been given new life by their original producer, Jeff Lynne, using de-mixed John Lennon vocals.  Do I really need all this?  The remastered versions are not very different from the originals.  Volume 4 will include rare recordings, but I can't buy just that volume.  There will be a video series coming to Disney+  in the Fall.  I will likely watch that.  I think I spent enough money on the Beatles over the years.

Return Visit to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)

 

Lee Next to the Campbells Soup Cans Drawn by Andy Warhol

For three Sundays in a row, Lee and I have visited museums in Manhattan:

• August 10 - Morgan Library and Museum
• August 17  - New York Historical Society
• August 24 - Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)

Since we hadn't visited MOMA since last January, I thought it was time was a return visit.  The patrons at MOMA were much younger than those at the Morgan and New Yor Historical Society.  I guess middle-aged and older adults prefer more traditional art. MOMA contains 200,000 works of architecture and design, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, prints, illustrated and artist's books, film, as well as electronic media.

A Picasso at MOMA

,

Oldie of the Day - Another Day by Paul McCartney

 

This was a single release by Paul after the Beatles broke up.

The CD Player Finally Died - I Replaced it with a Boombox

 

In February 2016, I reported in this journal that I purchased a Sony CD player capable of playing 5 CDs consecutively.  Over the 9 1/2 years that I owned it, I used it quite often.  On most evenings, I listened to music while I ate dinner. It must have played hundreds if not thousands, of CDs over the years.  Finally, it just conked out.  No product, especially one with moving parts, lasts forever.

I saw used Sony CD players for sale on eBay, but I decided not to buy one.  You never know how long a used product will last.  Since I rarely play more than one CD at a time, I decided to purchase a boombox instead.

This Phillips boombox also has a cassette tape player.  I saw on the TV news that cassettes are making a comeback.  Maybe I should play some of the radio tapes that I made decades ago.

Random Thoughts of the Day August 18, 2025

Does the media report the news or create it?  Here are two instances;

1. NBC News reports Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are planning to move their family into a new home on the Windsor Estate in search of a "fresh start" after a trying few years.  Who cares?  Why does the news media brainwash the American public into thinking the doings of the British Royal Family are important?
2. The news media are still following the story of Bryan Kohberger, the murderer of the 4 Idaho college students. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole.  What more do we need to know about him?  Let him rot in prison.

ESPN's coverage of the MLB Little League Classic was terrible. Talking to players on the field does not enhance the game's coverage.  Likewise, the interviews during the game distracted viewers.

Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred in his interview, said that after expansion, there will be realignment of the divisions based on geography.  This would mean the end of the National and American Leagues as we've known them for over 100 years.  In my opinion, some realignment would be acceptable, but I would prefer to preserve the National and American Leagues.

 

Return Visit to the New York Historical Society

 

Several of my visits to the New York Historical Society were documented in this journal.  All museums have permanent and temporary exhibits, so it was time to see what is new.

The biggest exhibit was Blacklisted: An American Story.  It explores the intersection of politics, art, culture, and social dynamics during Hollywood’s Red Scare (1947-1960) through photographs, objects, and film.  Many entertainers of that era were blackballed and could not find work.

Another ongoing exhibit is "Turn Every Page": Inside the Robert A. Caro Archive. It includes never-before-seen highlights from the archive—which New-York Historical acquired in 2019—that provide an intimate view of how Caro started his career and how he worked as a reporter.  Caro wrote a detailed biography of Robert Moses and a multi-volume evaluation of the career of Lyndon B. Johnson.

A special permanent gallery on the 4th floor features a detailed re-creation of the White House Oval Office, where presidents have exercised their powers, duties, and responsibilities since 1909.

Lee is sitting at the desk in the recreated Oval Office

 

Two #1 Songs of the 80s About Dreams and My Dreams Last Night

 

First of all, I don't consider hits of the 80s as oldies.  This morning, I was listening to Classic American Top 40 on the iHeart app where Casey Kasem was playing the hits of 1986.  I heard These Dreams by Heart which hit #1 in 1986.  It made me think about Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) which hit #1 in 1983 by the Eurythmics.

I usually forget the dreams that I had the night before as I awaken each morning.  Last night I had two  miserable dreams about the past:

1. I was stuck in a miserable train delay.  Believe me, I suffered through enough of them for 25 years.
2. I was at a computer terminal standing next to a former colleague as we printed out spreadsheets.  My late boss at a university library generated numerous spreadsheets over the years.  He was a bean counter.

Why must my dreams bring up bad experiences?  I wish my dreams were sweet.

I Wasn't at Citi Field to See the Mets Worst Loss of the Season

 

Last night's game against the Atlanta Braves was part of my 20-game package.  I was planning to go, but at 5 PM, light rain started.  We watched SNY, which reported at 6:30 that the game had been delayed due to weather.  Just after 7 PM, it started to pour.  At that point, I decided not to go since I didn't want to sit in a wet ballpark during a rain delay.  Finally, the game began at 8:45.  I watched the game until 10 PM as the Mets were ahead 6-0.  I watched the news and went to sleep.  When I woke up I found out that the Mets lost 11-6.  David Peterson, the Mets' most reliable pitcher, gave up 6 runs while the bullpen gave up the remaining 5.

Box Score

The game ended at about midnight.  I wouldn't have arrived home until 1 AM, so it was just as well that I didn't go to the game.  On TV, the stands were pretty full, so I guess people came and waited out the rain delay.  Now the Mets have lost 12 out of their last 14 games and are continuing to sink.  I blame David Stearns, President of Baseball Operations, for poor free agent signings and umpteen unnecessary roster moves.

The worst Met game I ever attended was a 21-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves in 2023.

Purple Haze - Dion and Jimi Hendrix - Two Distinctive Versions

 

I don't think the Dion version got much radio airplay.

Happy Birthday Bobby Jay - Radio Personality Extraordinaire

 

Bobby Jay's claim to fame was his role on WCBS-FM during its heyday as an oldies station.  Previously, he appeared on WWRL, which was a premier R&B station back in the day.  He was a singer in a group called the Laddins and an actor in the off-Broadway show Leader of the Pack.  He currently does shows on various internet radio stations.  He came to a few of the oldies meet-and-greets that we held over the years.  Below is a photo of Bobby and me at the event on December 1, 2007.

Return Visit to the Morgan Library and Museum

 

According to records kept in this journal, my last visit to the Morgan Library and Museum was in March 2022.  Every museum has permanent and temporary exhibits.  The library, featuring a Gutenberg Bible, was unchanged.

The major exhibit was A Lively Mind: Jane Austen at 250.  The manuscripts, artwork, books, and artifacts present compelling new perspectives on Austen’s literary achievement, her personal style, and her global legacy.  Austen is best known for her novel Pride and Prejudice.

A second exhibit was Lisa Yukavage: Drawings.  She is a contemporary American artist.  The exhibition features a wide range of her explorations with various materials, including work in graphite, pen, Conte, pastel, charcoal, distemper, monotype, gouache, watercolor, acrylic, and ink on paper. 

The second floor featured A Celebration: Acquisitions in Honor of the Morgan's Centennial.  It was a "mixed bag" of artworks from the museum's collection.

Under My Thumb by the Rolling Stones - Oldie of the Day

 

"Under My Thumb" was originally released on the "Aftermath" album in 1966.

My Misadventure in Phone Dating - AI Really Failed

 

After Karen passed away in 2021, I didn't want to think about dating again for at least a year.  Since then, I have dabbled in looking for a female friend.   I always thought that it would be nice to have a female friend, but it was not essential.. Recently, my Facebook feed has presented me with several dating apps for older singles.  I discussed one misadventure in a journal entry in May.

I will change all names here.

I found a website called Ophelia Connects. The service looks for someone close in age and interests—someone also looking for good conversation.  I decided to sign up since the introduction is free and payment is not required unless the two parties agree to extend the connection.

All text messages and phone calls from this service were generated by AI.  I was given instructions to be on my phone at 6 PM on Saturday.  That is a bad time since I am usually preparing dinner or eating.  I spoke to Jane, who lives close to me, for 10 minutes.  It is very hard to determine compatibility in a short phone call, but we found out:

• She is Catholic, while I am Jewish.  A difference in religion is an incompatibility
• She is divorced, while I am widowed.  I think a widowed-widower combination is more likely to be a match

We amicably decided not to pursue a connection.  This is fair game.

I then got a phone call from an AI-generated voice called Ophelia.  I said it didn't work out, but she would try again for someone else.

She arranged another phone date for Tuesday at 6 PM.  I had to reschedule my dinner.  I got on the phone and heard from Jane again.  AI did not work.  I was laughing at technology's failure.  I mentioned to the voice that 6 PM was a bad time.

Ophelia arranged a third phone date for Thursday at 7 PM.  For the third time, it was Jane.  I laughed really hard.

Is this any way to run a business?  The match was made only on proximity.

This qualifies for an Oy Vey.  I have been frustrated in my attempts to resume dating.

Crazy by Willie Nelson - Country Hit of the Day

 

Willie Nelson performed at the Outlaw Festival just after Bob Dylan.  He performed Crazy, one of his classic country hits there.

I Question Many of the Roster Moves Made by Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns

Fans of the Mets should look at the following websites:

• Baseball-Reference List of 2025 Mets - this includes 42 pitchers and 20 position players
• List of Player Transactions by the Mets in 2025 from ESPN

The latest roster move was when Austin Warren was sent down to Syracuse after just one game, while Dom Hamel was recalled.  Warren pitched 4 scoreless innings in yesterday's game, which at least kept the Mets in the game.  He is then rewarded by being demoted.  This has happened several times when a relief pitcher is demoted so a fresh arm can be brought up.  In essence, Stearns is using this ploy to expand the roster.  Going back to yesterday's game, Ryne Stanek was brought in to pitch the 9th inning and allowed 5 runs while only getting 2 men out.  A position player had to finish the game.  Stanek has an ERA over 5 for the season and should be the one dumped.

Stearns gave Frankie Montas a two-year contract worth $34 million.  He missed half the first season for an injury and has an ERA of 6.68 in his 7 starts.

If the Mets don't make the playoffs or are eliminated very early, I think Uncle Steve should designate David Stearns for assignment.

 

It Was Not a Nice Afternoon at Citi Field as the Mets Lost to the Giants 12 - 4

 

The only highlights of the game for the Mets were a first-inning home run by Francisco Lindor and 4 scoreless innings by reliever Austin Warren, who is one of the 41 pitchers the Mets have used this season.  It seems that every day players are designated for assignment, optioned to the minors, or recalled temporarily.  I think there should be a rule requiring a certain number of days that a recalled player must stay on the major league roster.

Frankie Montas, who received a 2-year contract for $34 million, was terrible as he allowed 7 runs in 4 innings.  After missing the first half of the season for injuries has a 6.68 ERA after 7 starts.  It was 7-2 after 8 innings, but Ryne Stanek allowed 5 runs in the top of the 9th and had to be replaced by catcher Luis Torrens to get the last out.

Box Score

Bob Dylan at Jones Beach but not on the Video Screens

 

The concert, part of the Outlaw Festival, began at 4 PM, but we left home at 4 PM and didn't care about the opening acts.  We arrived in time to see Wilco.  Bob Dylan and his band took the stage at 

about 8 PM.  There are always video screens at large concert venues.  They were turned on for Wilco and Willie Nelson, but not during Dylan's set.  During the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, when Dylan was the only act, concert goers were required to place their cell phones in Yondr Pouches so they could not take photos or make recordings.  Since Dylan doesn't want photos taken, he instructed the venue to turn off the video screens during his set.

Two concert reviews.

Wantagh, New York Northwell at Jones Beach Theater August 1, 2025

1.	Gotta Serve Somebody (Bob on piano)
2.	I Can Tell (Bob on piano) (song by Samuel Smith)
3.	Forgetful Heart (Bob on piano)
4.	Axe and the Wind (Bob on piano) (song by George "Wild Child" Butler)
5.	To Ramona (Bob on piano and harp)
6.	Early Roman Kings (Bob on piano)
7.	Under The Red Sky (Bob on piano and harp)
8.	I'll Make It All Up To You (Bob on piano) (song by Charlie Rich)
9.	All Along The Watchtower (Bob on piano)
10.	'Til I Fell In Love With You (Bob on piano)
11.	Desolation Row (Bob on piano and harp)
12.	Love Sick (Bob on piano)
13.	Share Your Love With Me (Bob on piano) (song by Alfred Braggs and Deadric Malone)
14.	Blind Willie McTell (Bob on piano)
15.	Highway 61 Revisited (Bob on piano)
16.	Searching for A Soldier's Grave (Bob on piano) (song by Jim Anglin)
17.	Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (Bob on piano and harp)