Isis is a Bob Dylan Song and the Name of a Fanzine

Isis as heard above is the name of a Bob Dylan song that appeared on the Desire album in 1976.  It is also the name of an Egyptian goddess.  Two Bob Dylan fans in the UK, Derek and Tracy Barker publish a magazine since 1985 called Isis which provides Dylan enthusiasts with a wide-ranging collection of writings on Bob Dylan.  In a message to the subscribers the publishers stated they will not change the name of the magazine as a terrorist organization also uses that name.  They said "if we change the name of this magazine, then evil has triumphed."

We all must go on with our lives and not let the terrorists win.  When I see National Guard troops in New York Penn Station it reminds me that there is a constant threat of terrorist activity which could happen anywhere.

New York Radio is Not the Same Without Bob Shannon

Bob Shannon has appeared several times in Bruce's Journal over the years.  I would like to take the opportunity to wish him a very happy 67th birthday.  He left WCBS-FM in December 2011 for health reasons and since then New York radio has not been the same.

Don Tandler reported on Facebook that he spoke to Bob's wife Connie who said that Bob was most appreciative of the good wishes he received from his listeners.

I started listening to Bob in the mid 1980s when he did the evening shift on WCBS-FM.  I remember playing Tuesday Night Trivia and rarely got through first since I had a rotary dial phone back then.  Bob certainly is a "walking encyclopedia" of oldies artists and music.  For most of his time at WCBS-FM he was on the air from 3 PM - 7 PM.

In June 2005 after the oldies format was replaced by the dreaded Jack format Bob really stood up for his listeners.  When WCBS-FM came back with a classic hits formats Bob was hired back.  For a while Bob and Connie did an oldies show on WLNG from eastern Long Island.

Best wishes for good health, Bob.  New York radio is just not the same without you.

Remembering Phil Pepe (1935-2015)

I found out this morning from Dan Taylor's Facebook page that sportswriter Phil Pepe passed away at age 80.  Phil was best known for writing over 50 books.  If you want to see them go to Worldcat and do a search on his name.  For many years he was a reporter for the New York Daily News.

I best remember him for being part of the morning team on Harry Harrison's show on WCBS-FM.  In the photo above you can see from left to right Phil, Harry, Mr. G. and Debra Wetzel.  Phil's sports reports were always concise and to the point.  At 6:30 PM on Bob Shannon's show he would make comments on his segment called the Pep Talk,

Phil was certainly an asset to his profession and will certainly be missed by his friend and colleagues.  His books will live on.  My condolences to his family.

Breaking the Saturday Night Internet Radio Habit Yesterday

I guess Cousin Brucie needs some time off so last night's show was an encore performance which is a euphemism for repeat.  When he returns he'll say he was on "special assignment" which is likely a vacation.  I decided to surf the radio web.  Here is a list of the sites that I visited for about 20 minutes each.

That Thing With Rich Appel on WOLD - Woodbridge, NJ  - I usually catch Rich's Show on Sunday Nights on Rewound Radio but last night I caught a segment that I missed.  I am glad to see that Rich's show has gained more affiliates.  WOLD is a low power station at 107.9 FM which has a playlist that reminds me of WCBS-FM in its hey day.

RadioXL - with Gary Brefini.  This radio station plays hit music from the 1980s to the present.

Cavalcade on WFUV with Paul Cavalconte  - I tuned my radio to 90.7 FM for this.  Paul has been on several radio stations in NYC over the years with different formats.  At the recent oldies Meet and Greet Ken Dashow spoke very highly of him.  I would describe it as a free form show.

Airchexx.com  - This web site provides historical radio air checks.  I listened to a recording of Max Kinkel on WCBS-FM from 1993.  He had a big following overnights during his years on 101.1 FM.  He spent a lot of time talking to listeners over the years.

FormatChange.com  - I listened to several NYC format changes such as  WNCN to WQIV in 1974, Mix 102.7 to Fresh 102.7 and WCAA to WQXR on 105.9

I Got a Bargain on StubHub Today

I usually go to the box office to buy tickets for sporting events but when I have to I'll go online and get the tickets from Ticketmaster with their high fees.  I have only purchased tickets from StubHub a few times.  I wanted to get tickets to see the NJIT Highlanders basketball team play the Red Storm of St, Johns on Sunday December 20 at the Carnesecca Arena.  I was hoping to buy tickets from the NJIT Athletics Department, but I was told today they didn't have any available.

I noticed there were seats available on Ticketmaster for $30 plus their excessive fees.  Just for the heck of it I went over to StubHub and saw there were tickets for the ridiculously low price of $6.  Over course I bought 3 tickets for a total cost of $28.50 including all fees.  I was able to print the tickets on my computer.   I am guessing that students got the tickets for free and sold them online to make a few bucks.  I am not complaining.

Hot Stove News From the Mets

The Mets traded left handed pitcher Jon Neise to the Pittsburgh Pirates for second baseman Neil Walker who seems to bring a good resume with him.  This solidifies Steven Matz's position as the lefty starter in the Mets rotation.  There is now speculation that Bartolo Colon will sign with the Mets and become the 5th starter until Zach Wheeler comes off the disabled list.  It is now virtually certain that Daniel Murphy will not come back to the Mets and will sign with another team.  The Mets will get a first round pick in the amateur free agent draft from the team the signs Murphy.  I am sure there will be more moves made to strengthen the team for the 2016 season.

Watching the Wheels - John Lennon Song of the Day

It is hard to believe that it is 35 years snce we lost John Lennon.  Watching the Wheels reflected the years that he stayed home as a house husband and cared for Sean while Yoko took care of his business affairs.  We never now what music he would have created had he lived.  He is still sorely missed after all these years.