Pink Panther 2

I just searched the archives of this journal and realized that it was almost three years ago to the day that we saw the first Pink Panther movie with Steve Martin. It seems that it is very hard to find new ideas for Broadway shows and musicals, so older themes are rehashed. There were many Pink Panther movies dating back to the 1960s with Peter Sellers, so today's movie producers want to recreate the character Inspector Clouseau with a different actor. If you read my previous entry you will realize that I enjoy those movies for the music. Most of movie goers leave as soon as the credits start to role. Karen insisted that we stay until the famous Pink Panther theme ended as the credits rolled.

Yesterday, Yesterday's and Hofstra Basketball

On the way home from work yesterday I stopped at the Borders in Penn Station. I bought Bruce Springsteen's new CD and Joe Torre's new book The Yankee Years. I had time to start on in today and read until page 80. Back in 1996, the baseball world didn't think highly of Joe since he had a losing record as a manager for the Mets, Braves, and Cardinals. I don't want to write a critique here, so see the Los Angeles Times for a book review.

This morning Karen, Lee and I drove to New Hyde Park and met radio enthusiast Cara Sieden for breakfast at a diner called Yesterday's. There was a mural on the wall with pictures of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, James, Dean, Humphrey Bogart, and retired WCBS-FM personality Don K. Reed. Cara said that Don K. lives nearby and eats at that diner regularly. On the way there as we listened to WCBS-FM, Sue O'Neill announced that Andrea from Brooklyn keeps sending her text messages and photos of her doing the laundry. Oy Vey!

From there we drove out to Hofstra to see their basketball team beat Towson State 71-68.

Lucky to be on the late shift tonight

Once a week (usually on Thursday) I work from 1:00 PM until 8:00 PM at the NJIT library. I would not have to leave home until 11:00 AM. On all other days I leave home at 6:40 and if there are no delays arrive shortly after 8:00. I heard on the radio that this morning there are substantial delays on trains leaving Penn Station due to overhead wire problems. Link from WCBS-TV.

Writer's block today

It's one of those days when I just don't know what to write for this journal. Tomorrow is another day, so I'm sure I'll have something to say.

Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Richie Valens

Today is the 50th anniversary of the terrible plane crash the claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, J.P Richardson (The Big Bopper) and Richie Valens. Please see this article from CNN.com if you are not familiar with the event. Certainly much has been said and written about this tragedy over the airwaves and in print. I was a little short of my 10th birthday at that time and did not yet follow popular music. I do not remember directly how people reacted 50 years ago. We have heard the cliche "The Day the Music Died." which may have been first said at the time the plane crash but was popularized by the 1971 hit American Pie by Don McClean. Earlier in this decade WCBS-FM played it to death.

Buddy Holly was certainly a major artist at the time of his death at age 22. He with the Crickets had many hits including That'll Be the Day, Peggy Sue, Oh Boy, Rave On and others. People of all ages are familiar with his music. J. P. Richardson only had one hit with Chantilly Lace. Richie Valens had the two sided hit Donna/La Bamba. We never will know what music these three artists would have produced had they lived. Likewise we don't know what other recording artists who died before their time would have done. Their work influenced many other artists in the 1960s. The Beatles and the Hollies would have chosen other names.

I do think that the expression "The Day the Music Died" has been overused over the years. It was even used to described the hijacking of WCBS-FM on June 3, 2005. I hope that rock journalists will stop using it in the future.

Bob Dylan at the Superbowl and the Morning After

Oh well, Bob Dylan has sold out. There was a commerical on the Superbowl for Pepsi with Bob Dylan and Will.I.Am. Dylan fans will see that the Bob Dylan in the commercial is from 1966 while the song Forever Young was released in 1974 on the Planet Waves album. I would have to rank it one of my 10 favorite Dylan songs. The Joan Baez cover version was played at Lee's Bar Mitzvah reception in 2001. It was also covered by The Band and Diana Ross and many others. Does this mean I will buy Pepsi all the time. No. Karen does all the grocery shopping and buys soda from Coke and Pepsi. However, if I want to buy a drink at work, I have to buy a Pepsi product since NJIT has an exclusive contract with them.



Of course, Bruce Springsteen performed at half time at the Superbowl. Below is a video of the boss and Dylan singing Forever Young together.



For years I have had the clock radio on WFUV or WCBS-FM set for 6:10 AM. You never know whether a song, commercial, DJ talk or the weather report will come on when the alarm goes off. Today Like A Rolling Stone came on as the alarm went off. The day started out on the right note.

Shea Stadium is almost gone

There was an article in today's New York Times about a group of diehard Met fans who came to view the remains of Shea Stadium as its deconstruction nears completion. I can not put that photo in my journal, so if you are interested, click on the link. As I pass the site of Shea Stadium as I go to work on the #7 train, I just can not look it at since I spent so many wonderful times there since 1964. Nothing in this world is absolutely permanent. Shea Stadium lasted longer than stadia such as Veterans Stadium, Three Rivers Stadium, the Kingdome, and the RCA Dome among others. Citifield opens April 13 with our first game Saturday April 18th.