Wilbert Rideau who once offered “Conversations with the Dead” has been in the news a few times over the years. This week on CBS Sunday Morning he was back in the news and sounding so much better.

“My name is Wilbert Rideau. And I guess the best way to describe me is, I’m a very, very fortunate man.”

If few people recognize Wilbert Rideau as he jogs through the streets of his neighborhood, they may soon. This week, Rideau’s memoir, “In the Place of Justice,” will be released.

It’s likely to get people talking…

“I guess I should have been dead, and I’m alive, and I’m here to tell you about it – and I’m still amazed,” he said.

The title of the segment was “Life After Death Row.” Wilbert Rideau was a death row inmate for a murder he committed on February 16th, 1961 and he lived to talk about it. Because of that short period of time where the Supreme Court suspended the death penalty, he was spared and his sentence commuted to life. 44 years after a viscous and stupid act that took a woman’s life, he was set free.    

But 44 years was not rehabilitation enough for governor after governor. Even  “Life Magazine” calling Wilbert Rideau “the most rehabilitated prisoner in America” was not enough for the privileged elected. In 1990 Governor Buddy Roemer said, “Frankly given the nature of that crime, I’m not sure his debt’s been paid.”  

Cross-posted at DailyKos and firefly-dreaming.

I wonder how you feel on this Earth Day. I wonder what you are doing to make everyday Earth Day. I woke up this morning, insignificant speck that I am in a corporate world and considered my own actions.

I watched the sunrise and remembered this day forty years ago with the words I heard this week about Ronald Reagan ringing in my ears “We’ve lost thirty years.”

Because of watching Earth Days on PBS I remembered that on that first Earth Day I went downtown to see a closed Fifth Ave. That Mayor Lindsay closed the street to honor Earth Day and everyone saw a bright a shining future ahead.  

Last week I started a weekly social diary at Firefly-Dreaming. For most of my life Tuesdays were made more interesting by a tradition at what was once a great radio station, WNEW-FM. A station that introduced progressive rock to New York City, changed a generation from pop singles to album oriented and in maturity deserved the slogan “Where Rock Lives.” The tradition that people from other cities probably remember from other stations was called “Two for Tuesday.”I was wondering if anyone would be interested in participating here. This week’s is a little personal and a little political.  

Did you ever get the feeling that if there was one place on earth to be, that you had picked that place? Did you ever really blow it?

Welcome to a second installment of Two For Tuesday. The first went back in time to Glam Rock and this one progresses to a updated version of Folk Rock. As I mentioned all these diaries will be about the nostalgia of WNEW-FM, where rock once lived in NYC.

Today a memory of someone who woke me up for many years, morning Deejay Dave Herman who was greatly responsible for launching Bruce Springsteen in the Big Apple. Here in NYC we were a bit backwards in the Bruce Springsteen department. He did not become “the Boss” here until his third album “Born to Run.” Across the river in New Jersey by the third album everyone either went to high school with Bruce, dated his sister or had seen him ten times in the Stone Pony but New Yorkers were a little slow on the uptake. So Dave Herman, who was also the father of the dreaded midnight oldie began a morning tradition called “Bruce Juice.”

And on that note, I have a “Wow I should have had a V-8 story,” or the ultimate “Oh boy did I blow it.” It was the somewhere in the mid seventies and I was a huge Springsteen fan. Much because of the urging of Bruce himself I also became a fan of Southside Johnny. So when Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes went on sale at the Capital Theatre I got two tickets. I was looking forward to the show but something came up, a chance to work another concert in Manhattan. I can’t even remember what the other show is now but the choice seemed easy, see one band and get a paycheck or drive all the way out to the Soviet Union to see another and get stinking drunk. So I gave the Southside ticket to my brother and he went with my buddy Guy while I worked whatever.  

Sometime early the next morning when my load out ended I drove home to the Bronx for a nightcap at the Green Isle Pup. It was know as the place on Bainbridge Ave. “where good friends meet” and sure enough there was my brother and Guy. I asked about Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and was surprised to hear both of them say “the show wasn’t that good.” I did not know that they were just trying to put off my pain and suffering. So with very little talk about their concert and a whole lot of talk about my concert we did the cycle and headed home to bed. For you nonprofessionals, the cycle is when the patron buys three and the bartender buys one.  

When the alarm clock went off in the morning, as always it was Dave Herman and he said something like this;

Wow that had to be the greatest concert of all time. Last night Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes were scheduled to rock the Capital Theater in Passaic, New Jersey. But there was a surprise appearance. Joining the Jukes on the stage was Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Such is life. Below the fold, a little Two for Tuesday Bruce Juice!  

Cross-posted at DailyKos and Firefly-Dreaming.

Tonight’s was a very pleasing sunset. I posted last night’s sunset here and today was the opposite of yesterday’s. Yesterday was clear and sunny all day with just enough clouds rolling in to add a little mood to sundown. Today was milky and dull until the very late afternoon and the sky cleared as the sun went down.

I get a little excited when the sun is bright but not to bright for digital photos. It is also coming to the time of year that the sunsets directly into my window. That is when the reflections on the water are most dramatic.

So if you can use a soothing visual, then below the fold is how the sun setting over the Hudson in the Bronx looked tonight.    

Cross-posted at Firefly-dreaming.

Hello on this wonderful New York Monday. The sky was clear, sunny and warm most of the day but in the late afternoon a few clouds rolled in to offer up a little drama.

Below the fold I will attempt to kibitz through tonight’s Bronx sunset.

Hello and I hope everyone had a happy Easter. I did a sunset on the fly today and I thought you might like to see. But first this view of the Cloisters from the “A” train at Dykeman Street.

Below the fold, I think I captured a moving sunset.

I like sunsets. Do you?

Tonight’s was not an especially great sunset but I like to post sunsets. See five more below.