Gene Clark - The Byrd Who Flew Alone

Gene Clark has certainly appeared in Bruce's Journal before as I have been a fan of his as a member of the Byrds and as a solo artist since the 1960s.  I got hold of the video called The Byrd Who Flew Alone.  It was a good biography of him showing how his career developed before, after, and during his time with The Byrds.  It is really a shame that he never got the recognition that he deserved.  I checked my collection and found one record and two CDs with him as a solo artist.  After watching the video, I bought another CD of his playing with the Gosdin Brothers.

If Not For You by Glen Campbell

Today we received the sad news that Glen Campbell passed away at age 81 from complications of Alzheimer's Disease.  He certainly left us some musical legacy.  Above he is singing Dylan's If Not For You which I first heard on Dylan Country, a compilation of Dylan covers by country stars.  RIP Glen, and thanks for all the good music.

My First Visit to the Cooper Hewitt Museum - The Radio Exhibit

I have been to many museums in and out of New York, but I never visited the Cooper Hewitt Museum on 5th Avenue and 91st Street.  An exhibit on radios that was mentioned on Facebook attracted me there.  This display was not about radio programming, but about the radio as a device as it has progressed over the years.  Believe I have owned many, many radios in my life.  I still have the GE Superradio and Bose Wave radio that I bought in the 1990s.  At this museum, the patrons were given a code and a wand.  When you see an object you like, you press the wand on a bar code which stores the image.  At home, you can retrieve the images and download them.  Below, are the images of some of the radios I viewed.

The major exhibit was called The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s.  It is a multi-media experience of more than 400 examples of interior design, industrial design, decorative art, jewelry, fashion, and architecture, as well as related music and film.

This radio looks like a record player

Remember these little transistor radios

Dodger 6 Mets 0 in a A Really Boring Game

We hadn't been to a Met game in about a month, but maybe we should have stayed away even further after last night's game.  We wanted to go to one Friday night game to get a free shirt.  They were giving Jacob de Grom jerseys as he started the game against Yu Darvish who was recently acquired at the trade deadline from the Texas Rangers.

Chris Taylor, the leadoff batter, hit a home run which essentially ended the game as the Mets could only muster 4 hits.  Yasiel Piug and Chase Utley also homered for the Dodgers.  Utley is still roundly booed by Mets fans who remember his slide into Reuben Tejada in the 2015 Division Series.

Before the game, as I walked on the Shea Bridge I encountered Jay Buckley who was obviously there with his tour group.  We chatted for a few minutes.

Game recap

Forest Hills HS 1967 Class Reunion Sunday October 8th 2 - 4 PM

Yes, there will be a 50^th reunion for the Forest Hills High School Class of 1967.  Here are the details:

Date: Sunday October 8, 2017, 2PM – 4 PM

Location:  Ben’s Deli 209 West 38^th Street, New York, NY – this is a kosher restaurant

The organizers, Bruce Slutsky and Mike Seidman, want this to be simple and without frills.  It is not necessary to pay in advance. The cost will be $17.00 which includes, a choice of sandwich, fries, and a soft drink. You will just pay your waiter at the end of the event.  There will be a fixed price so there will be no bickering about splitting the check.  I have worked with this restaurant before and have been quite pleased with the food and the service.  This Ben’s Deli (http://www.bensdeli.net) is not affiliated with the Ben’s Best on Queens Blvd. in Rego Park.  People are certainly welcome to go to a bar or other place after 4 PM.  We are publicizing through the Facebook Group, Forest Hills Alumni, 1960-75, but ask that only 1967 graduates attend as the space in this restaurant is limited.  Please extend the invitation to 1967 graduates who are not on Facebook. We are asking someone to publicize this on Classmates.  Please respond either on the Facebook page for this event or through a private e-mail so we can get a count for the restaurant.  We have no idea how many people will come.

For further information or to register you may contact:

Bruce Slutsky (bruces8852@aol.com) or

Mike Seidman (Ms808386@gmail.com)

A splendid time is guaranteed for all

Will Play the Jeopardy Card Game for the Next 6 Weeks

As I mentioned a few days ago Jeopardy is on hiatus for 6 weeks as they are airing reruns of tournaments played during the last season.  I found out that there was a Jeopardy card game that was available from Amazon.com.  I just had to buy it to fill in the craving for my favorite game show for the next 6 weeks.  There used to be an online Jeopardy game on Facebook, but it was taken away a few years ago.

The MLB Trading Deadline Has Passed

Let's talk about the Mets first.  Lucas Duda was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays, but top prospect Dominic Smith has not yet been recalled.  However, shortstop Amed Rosario will make his major league debut against the Colorado Rockies tonight.  Asrubel Cabrera was not traded at the deadline so there will be a crowded infield situation for the time being. Reliever Addison Reed was traded to the Red Sox, while A.J. Ramos was acquired from the Marlins.  Will Jeurys Familia be back by the end of the season?  Neither Curtis Granderson or Jay Bruce were traded.  I am guessing the high salary demands of both made them undesirable to other teams.  I hope the Mets will re-sign Jay Bruce, but I think Granderson's best days are behind them.  It is obvious that the Mets gave up on this season.

The Yankees acquired starting pitchers Sonny Gray and Jaime Garcia is trades involving minor leaguers.  In recent years starting pitching has been their weakness, so these moves help to solve a deficiency.  They also improved their bullpen by adding David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle.  It will be a tight race in the AL East between the Yankees and Red Sox.