Another Line from a Bob Dylan song taken out of context

There is a line from I am a Lonesome Hobo from the John Wesley Harding album that applies to an incident yesterday.


I Am A Lonesome Hobo
I am a lonesome hoboWithout family or friends,
Where another man's life might begin,
That's exactly where mine ends.
I have tried my hand at bribery,Blackmail and deceit,
And I've served time for ev'rything'Cept beggin' on the street.

Well, once I was rather prosperous,
There was nothing I did lack.
I had fourteen-karat gold in my mouth
And silk upon my back.
But I did not trust my brother,
I carried him to blame,
Which led me to my fatal doom,
To wander off in shame.

Kind ladies and kind gentlemen,
Soon I will be gone,
But let me just warn you all,
Before I do pass on;
Stay free from petty jealousies,
Live by no man's code,
And hold your judgment for yourself
Lest you wind up on this road.

Copyright ©1968; renewed 1996 Dwarf Music

That guy on the upper east side seems to have some problems with me. I was willing to reach out to him, but he just has no dignity or class. I guess I should congratulate myself on my dissociation from him.

Theme Time Radio Hour - Street Maps

Lee was absolutely thrilled to hear that this week's theme of Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour is "Street Maps". He brings his mpasw whenever we leave the house. At yesterday's "Meet and Greet" he insisted that I take a photo of him with his map. Below is the set list from the show.

14th Street - Laura Cantrell (2005)
Straight Street - The Pilgrim Travelers (1955)
Streets of Gold - The Skatalites (excerpt)
King of the Road - Roger Miller (1965)
Lonely Avenue - Ray Charles (1956)
Hit the Road, Jack - Percy Mayfield (1961)
Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day (2004)
61 Highway - Mississippi Fred McDowell (1959)
Lost Highway - Hank Williams (1949)
Willin' - Little Feat (1971)
(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 - Nat King Cole (1942)
Route 90 - Clarence 'Bon Ton' Garlowe (1954)
The Dark End of the Street - Mud Boy & The Neutrons (1993)
Going Down the Road Feeling Bad - Woody Guthrie with Cisco Houston & Sonny Terry (1944)

Today's Oldies Meet and Greet in Manhattan

For the third year in a row there was a Meet and Greet of Oldies Radio Enthusiasts at Ben's Deli on West 38th Street in Manhattan. It was held on the third anniversary of Saturday Night Oldies, but we considered this a celebration of all oldies radio be it SNO, WCBS-FM, XM/Sirius or anything else. It was nice seeing people that you know only through e-mail and message boards. I have known some people for over 10 years and see them once a year. This year I came with Karen and Lee who met some of my radio enthusiast friends for the first time. There were about 50 people there which was a little less than last year. Perhaps some people did not want to travel. There have been radio personalities at each of this gatherings:

2006 - Mark Simone

2007 - Bobby Jay

This year there were 4 guests:

Big Jay Sorensen - best known for doing overnights at WNBC in the 1980s. He has also worked at NJ101.5 and WJRZ in Toms River, NJ

Anita Bonita - worked with big Jay at WJRZ and also a Z-100

Broadway Bill Lee - see him with yours truly in the photo above. Bill came to WCBS-FM when it returned on July 12, 2007, but he worked at WKTU and Hot 97

Pat St. John (see yours truly with him in the second photo) - He has done part-time work from WCBS-FM but is best known for many years at WPLJ and WNEW-FM.

Jeff Scheckner, the main organizer thanked Frank D'Agostino, myself and Alan Berman for helping to organize the event. Frank who documents every song on the show thanked me for helping him identify some instrumentals that Mark Simone played. He told everyone that I was a big fan of Bob Dylan. I would certainly say that this event was a great success.

Photos may that I took may be found at http://picasaweb.google.com/Bigtownman/OldiesMeetAndGreetAtBenSDeli# Many other attendees took photos, and I will post the links in this journal.

Here are some more links with pictures:

EILEEN - http://www.flickr.com/photos/eileeng/sets/72157610759863659/

PETE http://picasaweb.google.com/ragamuffin92/SNOOldiesMeetGreet120608#

LINDA http://picasaweb.google.com/Linda3587/BenSDeliSatDec0608?feat=email#

BILL http://www.bill1820.com/nyc-oldies08.htm

MARY http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=mopka09.bsr9v8yh&x=0&y=-rkcw68&localeid=en_US

Another Night of Jazz at Flushing Town Hall

Last night we saw the Hendrik Meurkens New York Samba Jazz Quartet. This group featured Henrik on harmonica with a bassist drummer, and pianist backing him up. Most of the time a harmonica accompanies a vocalist. Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan are prime examples. But the harmonica was the lead instrument in this quartet. He sounded great. I vaguely remember that years ago (1950s-60s) there was an instrumental group known as the Harmonicats.

Changing Demographics in Queens

Around the high holidays I wrote in this journal that an orthodox temple near us on Union Street and 33rd Avenue closed about 5 years ago and is now holding services in the community room of the adjacent nursing home. Today, as I passed by that location on my way to work there was a sign on the building saying that it was a Korean church. I don't know if they are renovating the old building or demolishing it and erecting a church on the same site.

Lee's Bar Mitzvah was held in 2001 at Temple Israel of Jamaica at 188th Street and the Grand Central Parkway. This congregation lost membership and merged with another reform temple in New Hyde Park. The building was sold to a Muslim organization who converted the building to a mosque.

It seems that younger Jews are not staying in Queens. They must be moving out to the suburbs. At least 2 synagogues have closed an sold their buildings to other religions.

Writer's Cramp Today

It's one of those days when I just don't want to write. Everyone in the family is fine. I think there will be a very long entry written on Saturday night.

Congratulations Judy Mermelstein

For the first time ever I saw a contestant on Jeopardy who I know. Judy Mermelstein nee Judy Goldberg was a classmate of mine at Forest Hills High School. I didn't know her well back in 1967, but we became reacquainted through Mike Seidman a few years ago. She was at a party held at Mikes house a few summers ago. Judy won $38,401 on Jeopardy today with the chance to win more tomorrow. When Alex Trebek interviewed her tongiht, she said she appeared on the old Jeopardy with Art Fleming in 1972.