It's Official - Mike Richards and Mayim Bialek will be Host of Jeopardy

 

After 16 guest hosts a decision was made for the permanent hosts of  Jeopardy after the passing of Alex Trebek.  Richards will kick off Season 38 as the full-time host of the syndicated show, and Bialik will serve as the host of Jeopardy!’s primetime and spinoff series, including the upcoming all-new Jeopardy! National College Championship. Richards will continue to serve as executive producer of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. Regular Jeopardy shows will be syndicated while the primetime and spinoff series will be on the ABC Network.

I was rooting for Ken Jennings or Levar Burton to get the gig, but it didn't happen.  I'm looking forward to the next Tournament of Champions where Matt Amodio (What!) will appear.  As of this writing, he has 15 wins.  I would love to see Mark "The Beast" Labatt appear as a contestant.

All Things Must Pass by George Harrison - 50th Anniversary Edition

 

George Harrison certainly benefited from the breakup of the Beatles in 1970.  I did buy the vinyl boxed set of All Things Must Pass 30 years ago.  I still have it, but it is in poor condition.  So, I couldn't resist the opportunity to buy the 50th-anniversary edition which was remastered.  I will start to listen to it this evening and am interested to see if Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" was removed or minimized.

Of course, Capitol Records offers several box sets of this recording including an 8-LP version.  I compromised and purchased the 3-CD version.  How many alternate versions must one have?

The Complete Unknowns - A Bob Dylan Tribute Band at The City Winery

 

e

The Complete Unknowns Singing Like a Rolling Stone at the Bay Street Theater in 2015

I last saw Bob Dylan live at the Beacon Theater in November 2019 at the Beacon Theater.  He was scheduled to appear at Forest Hills Stadium in July 2020, but the concert was canceled on account of the pandemic.  As of now, there are no Dylan concerts planned.  Could this be the end of the Never Ending Tour?

If you can't see Dylan live, a tribute band is a good substitute.  The Complete Unknowns led by frontman and founding member Michael Weiskopf on lead vocals, guitar, and harmonica, the band also features guitarist Randolph Hudson III, keyboardist Stuart Sherman, bass player Taka Shimizu, and James Benard on drums.

The setlist:

• John Wesley Harding
• As I Went Out One Morning
• Absolutely Sweet Marie
• Just Like a Woman
• Everything is Broken
• Watching the River Flow
• Mr. Tambourine Man - Lee's favorite of this show
• Duquesne Whistle - My favorite of the show
• Working Man's Blues
• Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine
• Love Minus Zero/No Limit
• Blind Willie McTell
• All Along the Watchtower

Intermission

• My Back Pages
• Chimes of Freedom
• Visions of Johanna
• Seven Days
• Love Sick
• Simple Twist of Fate
• It's All Over Now Baby Blue

Michael Weiskopf admitted it was very difficult to pick a setlist out of Dylan's 60 years of recordings. I was impressed that the group did not in any way imitate Dylan, but interpreted his songs.  Weiskopf sang lead on most of the numbers, but other members of the band did some lead singing.

The Complete Unknowns will appear every other week at City Winery.  I highly suggest that my Bob Dylan friends go see them.

Variety Reports that Mike Richards will be the New Permanent Host of Jeopardy

 

Variety is a publication that reports on entertainment news, film reviews, awards, film festivals, box office, entertainment industry conferences.  It states that Jeopardy Executive Producer Mike Richard is in advanced negotiations to become the show's permanent host.

Richards was one of many guest hosts that appeared after Alex Trebek's passing.  They all did fine jobs in hosting, but I was rooting for either Ken Jennings or Levar Burton to get the gig. This is not a done deal since a formal announcement would have to be made by the "Powers that Be".

Variety also reports that decade-old discrimination lawsuits cast a shadow on his appointment.  I guess you never know if this issue can deny him this job.

Stay tuned.

Crazy Dreams about Visiting My Former Employer

 During my 3 1/2 years of retirement, I never had the desire to return for a visit.  I don't bitter about the university or any individuals, but I feel the need to move on.  I am disappointed that keeping in touch has been a one-way street as several former colleagues didn't respond to me.  I guess it is human nature that out of sight and out of mind supersedes keeping in touch.

Last night I had two dreams about returning to the university.

1. I saw my former boss who passed away in 2016 who showed me that he rearranged the furniture in the library.
2. I taught a class when I told the students that the library does not purchase textbooks.

Here are a few older dreams:

1. My former boss was sitting at the reference desk playing poker with some students.
2. I  was accompanying my former director to a basketball game on campus.  We used to kid her about her ignorance about sports.

Thinking Ahead to the Collective Bargaining Agreement for Major League Baseball

 The current Collective Bargaining Agreement between major league players and the owner expires at the end of the 2021 season.  What changes will be made?

I am interested in two rule changes that in my opinion should revert to the old way:

1. Ghost runner on second base during extra innings
2. 7-inning doubleheaders.

I guess I am a traditionalist when it comes to rules.  The rule requiring relief pitchers to face 3 batters has not shortened the time of games.  Perhaps that should be revisited.  I would like to see the time of the games shortened, but I am not sure of how to do that.

Financial issues must be addressed.  Salaries are so high and the players will resist any efforts by the owners to reduce them.  The fans are paying the players.  It is hard to believe that at one time its cost only $1.50 to sit in the upper deck of Shea Stadium.  Similar tickets in Citi Field are now about $40.

There is still plenty of time, but if there is no agreement there could be a lockout or strike in 2022.

It Was A Boring Afternoon at Citi Field as the Mets Lost to the Reds 7-1

 

The star of the game was Reds rookie Max Schrock who hit 5 for 5 including a home run to lead his team to a 7-1 win over the listless Mets.  It was his first major league start at first base as he was giving All-Star Joey Votto a rest.  Javier Baez in his second game for the Mets was 0-4.  Reds starting pitcher Vladimir Gutierez allowed only 3 hits over 7 innings.  The only highlight for the Mets was a solo home run by Jeff McNeil.

The Mets are 8-9 since the All-Star break but are still leading the NL East by 3 1/2 games.  They are still the only team in the division over .500 with a record of 55-49.  There are 58 games to go in the regular season.

Game Recap