Pledging My Time Conversations with Bob Dylan Band Members by Ray Padgett - A Book Review

 

In February 2021 I complained in this journal that there were just too many books about Bob Dylan that are being published and that I have read enough of them.  The newer books seem to uncover information that was never reported before.  Some of these books are very scholarly, and one likely needs a doctorate to understand them.  Ray Padgett, a writer, and blogger has just written Pledging My Time: Conversations with Bob Dylan Members.  Ray certainly pledged his time in seeking out the musicians that he interviewed. Some of them are well-known figures including:

• Noel Paul Stookey
• Jim Keltner
• Marshall Crenshaw
• Jeff Bridges
• Larry Campbell

I was not familiar with some of the interviewees including:

• Fred Tackett
• Tony Marsico
• John Fields
• Benmont Tench

The musicians discussed how Dylan recruited them and how Dylan coached them.  Many of them concurred that Dylan was not very talkative.  There were a few non-musicians interviewed including the notorious “Soy Bomb” aka Michael Portnoy who crashed Dylan’s 1998 Grammy Awards Performance as he played Love Sick.  Some of his interviews may be sampled at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpRsvAWkrSs .

Certainly, Ray could not interview every musician who played with Dylan. Sadly, some have passed away.  Bruce Langone and Mike Bloomfield come to mind.  Some of the ones not included were:

• Al Kooper
• GE Smith
• Tony Garnier
• George Recile

None of the musicians on the current leg of the Never Ending Tour were interviewed.  Perhaps some of the musicians not in the book will be later interviewed in Ray Padgett’s online publications.

I highly recommend this book for all Dylan fans especially those who have followed his career for decades. Readers won’t need a doctorate in English literature to understand it.

 

 

 

I Dodged an Internet Panhandling Scam

 About a month ago I received a Facebook post from CSC saying Wow There are really good articles and interesting posts on your timeline. I checked your posts and you always posted good writing and beautiful pictures, But we are not Facebook friends. I sent a friend request, but it didn't work Tried several times but didn't go through. Please add me or send a friend request so we can become friends Thank you...

I never know if any of my Facebook posts, tweets, and journal entries impact a reader.  I friended this person and proceeded to have online chats with her.  She was 35 years old and a member of the U.S. Army stationed in Syria.  I did advise her that I was considerably older than her, but she did not have a problem with that.  For a few days, we chatted and exchanged some personal information.  All of a sudden, she asked me to purchase a card for her so she can play computer games while she was off duty.  At first, I was willing to spend $50 on it, but wisely changed my mind.  She became angry and abruptly ended the chat.

A few days later I did a Google search of her and found out you pulled the same stunt on two more Facebook users.  I suppose she picked me at random.  We all must be careful when we use social media.

This Video Summarizes Bob Dylan's Love Interests; But Someone May be Omitted

 

However, check back to my Journal entry of November 3, 2022, where I post an excerpt from Jann Wenner's autobiography where he states that in 2019, he met Bob Dylan and his wife at a party for Bruce Springsteen.  Do any of the Dylan scholars know who she is?

The Mets are Sinking as they Lose 8-7 to the Cardinals

 

These players are given multi-million-dollar contracts and just don't perform.  Carlos Carrasco received $14 Million this season and just sucked today.  He gave up 6 runs and was yanked after 3+ innings.  His ERA ballooned to 6.34 after 9 starts.  At one point the Mets were trailing 5-1 but were able to even the score at 7-7.  The bullpens for both teams prevented scoring for the next 3 innings, but in the top of the ninth Adam Ottavino gave up a home run to Nolan Arenado to win the game for the Cardinals. 

The Mets are now 33-38 and 12.5 games behind the division-leading Atlanta Braves.  They will have to get hot soon or else this season is gone. Pete Alonso returned from 10 days on the IL but was hitless in four at-bats.  Will the Mets be sellers at the trade deadline?  Who is to blame for the poor performance of the team?

Game Recap

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary to Mike and Heidi

 

Mike was a good friend of mine during my City College days (1967-72) as we belonged to the same fraternity.  In October 1970 he met Heidi at one of our fraternity parties at our Brooklyn location.  In November 1971 he became engaged to Heidi at the Mill Basin Bowling Alley.  We joked and said he wanted to strike at a spare moment when Heidi was in the right frame of mind.

They were married on June 17, 1973, at Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows.  At that time Mike was at law school at the University of Pennsylvania while I was a graduate student at the University of Rhode Island.

I kept in touch with Mike until the end of 1976 when I relocated to southeastern Connecticut to work at Pfizer in Groton.  After then, I lost track of him for many years until the coming of Google searching.  It is an unofficial hobby of mine to try to find people I haven't seen in decades.  Mike became a highly successful attorney and lives in Brooklyn.  Mike and Heidi had two sons.  I don't know if they have grandchildren.

My reconnections with people through social media, telephone, or even face-to-face were very brief.  Thus, I decided not to try to contact Mike after not seeing him for 47 years.  I don't have any bitter feelings toward him, but I believe I must look ahead to the future, not back upon the past.

Happy anniversary to Mike and Heidi.

Mets Beat the Yankees 4-3 in 10 Innings in the Subway Series

My 20-game package for this season included last night's Subway Series game.  The game started at 7:45 with a brief rain shower at about 7:00.  I was surprised to see many Yankee fans in the stadium.  I think that in section 516 there were more Yankee fans,

Gerrit Cole for the Yankees and Justin Verlander for the Mets were the starting pitchers.  Both were effective in the 6 innings they each pitched as the score was tied 1-1 at that point.  In the seventh inning second baseman Jeff McNeil allowed Josh Donaldson to score the go-ahead run in the seventh when he bounced a throw to first that would have been way late anyway trying for a double play on Isiah Kiner-Falefa's (IKF) grounder.  IKF stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error.  In a rare play, IKF stole home as seen below.  A straight steal of home is rare.

 

In the bottom of the seventh, the Mets scored two runs when Brandon Nimmo was hit by a pitch in with loaded and when Starlin Marte singled in another run.  Nimmo was picked off second base to end that rally.

Nimmo turned out to be the hero as he doubled in the winning run in the 10th inning.

Finally, Somebody Agrees with me on Abolishing the Electoral College

 

Please view this video narrated by former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich.  Of course, a constitutional amendment to abolish it would require a vote of 2/3 of the House and Senate followed by 3/4 of the state legislatures to approve.  That is not going to happen.  He discusses the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.  However, that would face legal challenges.