Things Have Changed - A CD of Bob Dylan Covers by Bettye Lavette

I am really glad that Gary Walker, the morning DJ at WBGO is a fan of Bob Dylan covers.  Several years ago he introduced me to Highway 61 Revisited by Ben Sidran.  Today he mentioned Things Have Changed by Bettye Lavette.  I found the recording of the title song on Youtube and it is out of this world.  The review in Rolling Stone is very positive as it says" Half of its 12 tracks restore life to songs that were dead-on-arrival on Dylan albums from 1979 to 1989; the rest reshapes more essential parts of the legend."  Very often covers of Dylan songs are better known than the original  All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix is a prime example.

Another Visit to the Guggenheim Museum

I last visited the Guggenheim Museum in August 2017 so this new retiree decided to go again since the exhibits change over time.  The major exhibit was Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away which will be there until May 9.  He was an artist born in Vietnam near the end of that miserable war and emigrated with his family to Denmark.  It was an eclectic exhibition with artworks of various formats.  I also stopped by the permanent exhibits offered by the museum.

Hey Mr. President Don't You Care That Someone Died in Your Building?

Yesterday, there was a fire at Trump Tower.  The New York Fire Department was able to put out the flames as the damage was limited to one apartment where sadly a man perished.  This is all that our beloved president could say on Twitter:

"Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!"

He brags about how well built Trump Tower is, but did he send condolences to the family of the deceased?  Does he care?  At least he thanked the Firemen (and women).

Happy 95th Birthday Uncle Sy

Mom and Uncle Sy August 2014

My Uncle Sy Wagman seen in the photo above is celebrating is 95th birthday.  He is sitting with my Mom in this picture taken about 6 months before she passed away in February 2015.  My best wishes for many more healthy years to Uncle Sy who was the youngest of 3 siblings.  All of them including my Uncle Abe lived into their 90s.

Watching the Mets and the Yankees at the Same Time

It is unusual when the Mets and Yankees are home on the same day.  It is more unusual when both teams schedule a day game at the same time.  Both teams were supposed to start at 1 PM, but rain showers in the New York area delayed the start of both games till about 2:45 PM.

For the first time, the Met game was not on PIX-11 or SNY.  It was actually carried online on Facebook.  The Yankee game was telecast on the YES Network as usual.  Today I took my Amazon Kindle into the living room and watched the Mets while watching the Yankees on TV.  It was a successful afternoon as the Yankees beat Tampa Bay 7-2 and the Mets beat Philadelphia 4-2.

Mets Recap

Yankees Recap

Catching Up on Reading Magazines

Since the weather was somewhat dreary today, I thought it would be a good time to catch up on reading magazines.  When I commuted from Flushing to Newark I was able to read magazines or newspapers on the train.  Years ago one could see numerous commuters reading newspapers, but today almost everyone is looking at their smartphones.  Here is a list of my magazine subscriptions:

• Chemical & Engineering News
• Discover
• Scientific American
• Rolling Stone
• New York
• Sports Illustrated
• Goldmine
• AARP Magazine

Am I the only person who subscribes to the AARP Magazine and Rolling Stone?  The later has many articles about recording artists who were popular in the 60s and 70s.

Snow in April! Enough Already!

It is snowing rather steadily as I am writing this journal entry.  The forecast calls for up to 3 inches in NYC this morning which is scheduled to end about 11 AM.  At least the snow should melt very quickly.  This article in AMNY lists the April snowstorms in NYC.  I remember the one on April 6, 1982, when the home opener at Yankee Stadium was postponed.  The Yankees are scheduled to play at 1 PM today while the Mets are at Citifield at 7 PM.  As of this writing, both of those games are on.