A Happy and Healthy New Year to All

My best wishes for happy and healthy new year for all observing Rosh HaShanah.

Random Thoughts on Labor Day

We went out to breakfast down the street at Uncle Bill's Diner. We usually do that on Monday holidays. We went to my mother's old apartment in Forest Hills to clean out some stuff. We have until the end of September to get everything out. All of the small stuff is gone, but we will try to donate the furniture she doesn't need to a charitable organization. On the way we were listening to WFUV as they played Dylan's Labor Day song Maggies Farm.

After we finished in her apartment we drove to Westbury to see Mom in her new digs at The Bristal. She certainly appreciated our coming over. Joyce and Keith came by a little later and brought her some stuff she needed from the old apartment. The new place is certainly shaping up. It will still some time for her to adjust to the new living environment. I am sure that it is for the best.

On the way home I tuned in WCBS-FM to hear their Top 1001 listener countdown. As I turned on to the Northern State Parkway Dave Packer announced Like a Rolling Stone as the #21 song. It is still good to hear the Bob Dylan National Anthem on the radio after all these years. Knockin' on Heavens Door was the only other Dylan hit that charted with WCBS-FM's listeners at #370. Some what later, the countdown was posted on the station's web site. Rag Doll by the 4 Seasons was voted #1. I don't hate the song, but there were so many better 4 Seasons hits over the years. I have a feeling that someone may have stuffed the ballot box. In any event I have not been a big fan of countdowns in recent years.

When I got home I turned on the Met game. They lost to the lowly Washington Nationals 13-3. They even brought in Oliver Perez to mop up.

I went downstairs to read the Sunday New York Times. It was pretty boring since holiday weekends are usually slow news days. I opened up the book review section and saw an advertisement for:

Wilentz, Sean. Bob Dylan in America. New York: Doubleday, 2010. Print.

It is coming out on Tuesday. When I finish writing this entry, I will go to Amazon.com to order it. No need to run to the few bookstores which still exist. Maybe I'll buy a Kindle soon and just download it. Here are some comments from the advertisement:

"If you thought there was nothing new to say about Bob Dylan's impact on America, this book will make you think twice." --- Bill Flanagan

"Reading Sean Wilentz's Bob Dylan in America is as thrilling thrilling and suprising as listening to a great Dylan son" ----Martin Scorsese

Finally, readers of this journal know that I regular listen to Dennis Mitchell's Breakfast with the Beatles in the evening. This week the 1000th edition of the show was released. Congratulations to Dennis and his staff for producing such a fine radio program. I hope the show will be around for many years. to come.

I Wish I was at Wrigley Field Today

Mets 18 Chicago Cubs 5

"Ruben Tejada hit his first major league homer and drove in five runs, Ike Davis also connected and the Mets erupted for 21 hits and pounded the Chicago Cubs 18-5 Sunday to avoid a weekend sweep. "

Quoted from http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=300905116

I guess it's too little too late for this season.

Happy 91st Birthday Mom

Since Mom was born in Europe the exact date of her birth was not recorded. Since it was close to Rosh Ha Shana she always celebrated it on September 4th. I am very grateful that she has lived to a ripe old age and is in reasonably good health. This was a rough summer since the hot weather is especially tough on seniors. After living by herself for 13 years since my dad passed away, she decided to move to an assisted living facility in Westbury, Long Island. It was her decision. In this way she will always be surrounded by people. Today Karen, Lee, my sister Joyce and my brother-in-law Keith helped clean out her apartment in Forest Hills. You don't know how much stuff you have and don't need until you move. Since she lived in that apartment for 30 years there was plenty of stuff. She even had some junk back from our apartment in Rego Park.

Mom - "May you stay Forever Young." I must take one stanza out of context from this Bob Dylan classic which is actually song from a father to his son.

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

Copyright © 1973 by Ram's Horn Music; renewed 2001 by Ram’s Horn Music

Hurricane Earl kept away from NYC

I brought my umbrella to work, but it hardly rained in NYC today. There was not much wind either. The storm veered out to the east and lost intensity. I guess we lucked out this time, but after 25 years we are due to be hit by a hurricane.

Article in the New York Times

Remembering Hurricane Gloria September 1985

It is now 25 years since a hurricane hit the New York City area. We have gotten a few tropical storms and sometimes the outskirts of a hurricane brings rain to the area, but Gloria in 1985 made a direct hit on Nassau County. Back then I worked at the big New York Public Library at 5th Avenue and 42nd Street. I heard nothing about a cancellation when I left home. When I arrived at 9 AM, they announced that the library was closed. I got home by 10 AM as the rains and wind really were coming down.

Hurricane Earl is coming, but we never know the exact path of the storm until it actually arrives. The current projection is that it will veer east of NYC. Eastern Long Island and Southern New England may really got socked, but for now NYC will get some rain and winds up to 35 MPH. To quote a former history teacher of mine "We shall see what we shall see."

Faster by George Harrison

This is an example of a video conveyng the essence of a song.