Arun with a View

I went to see singer-songwriter Brendan James perform at the Blender Theater Sunday. As usual he was really good. It was his final performance of his 7-week MTV SoundTracker Tour across the country.

Check out my ARTICLE.

Check out the PHOTO GALLERY.

We saw this coming, didn't we?

According to a report, Mayor Mike Bloomberg is set to announce his intention to run for a third term -- despite a pesky thing called the term-limits law.

>>READ THE POLITICAL CRIER BLOG FOR DETAILS

Now my questions to you:

1. Do you LIKE Bloomberg and do you want him to run again?

2. Do you LIKE Bloomberg  but DON'T want him to overturn term limits?

3. Do you DISLIKE Bloomberg and hope he fails in this bid?

Comment away!

Yes, I know I keep going on and on about this cat... I saw him live at the Mercury Lounge and loved it.

Read my ESSAY ABOUT BRENDAN'S SHOW AND MUSIC

I've blogged about singer-songwriter BRENDAN JAMES before. So how cool is it that he came here to Fox 5 this morning and performed on Good Day New York? Unfortunately, I work the evening shift, so I didn't meet him. He performed "Green" off his debut album,The Day Is Brave, which is fantastic.

Brendan is performing at the MERCURY LOUNGE at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 6.

>>BRENDAN PERFORMS 'GREEN' ON GOOD DAY

>>BRENDAN PERFORMS 'GREEN' IN CONCERT

Trying to predict a presidential nominee's choice for running mate is great fun for journalists, political pundits and news junkies. But the general public probably doesn't care that much. Rarely does a vice presidential candidate really affect the outcome of an election.

Check out some analysis of the choices Barack Obama and John McCain could make and vote for who you think the nominees should pick:

>>OBAMA SHORTLIST AND POLL

>>MCCAIN SHORTLIST AND POLL

I've raved about singer-songwriter BRENDAN JAMES whose debut album,The Day Is Brave, is simply fantastic. Brendan is originally from New Hampshire but now lives in Brooklyn (where all the cool kids hang out!)... He's on tour (I hope to make it to a show), and just the other day he appeared on the morning program of our sister station, KDFW/FOX 4 in Dallas. Check out this clip from MyFoxDFW:

>>BRENDAN JAMES PERFORMS 'GREEN'

I'll admit -- I only vaguely remember Bobby Murcer from the 1981 World Series against the Dodgers (he barely played). I was 8 years old and just starting to watch baseball and don't recall too much except that the Yanks lost.

But I do remember and cherish years of watching games since then and listening to Bobby as a broadcaster -- with Phil Rizzuto, Rick Cerone, and most recently with Ken Singleton and Michael Kay.

He was such a personable guy in the air. I could tell that he and his collegues genuinely enjoyed each others' company. They relished their time in the broadcast booth, calling and analyzing the plays and reminiscing about their own careers on the playing field.

I also fondly remember when Bobby took the field a few years ago at Old Timers' Day and agreed to wear a microphone. What seemed at first like a silly idea turned out to be a lot of fun as Bobby narrated the game while he was playing.

There he was in the outfield, chasing down a ball hit to him! He exclamed into the mic something about being terrified, giving his buddies in the booth -- and the viewers -- a hearty laugh.

I'm pretty sure he caught that ball.

Thanks for the memories, Bobby.

>>WATCH THE YES NETWORK TRIBUTE TO BOBBY MURCER

Bon Jovi's free concert in Central Park is costing some fans big bucks. Looks like pro ticket brokers and regular fans are trying to unload tickets on eBay and elsewhere.

Read my article:

>>'FREE' BON JOVI CENTRAL PARK CONCERT... FOR $1,000?

Feel free to rant and rave and vent here... but remember it's basically legal... even if it's annoying. And I saw that the vast majority of the tickets being sold were going for around $50 for the pair -- not $1,000. In fact I doubt the guy selling tix for a grand will get it.

You can still vote for your favorite player that got snubbed in the initial All-Star vote. Check out this voting widget.

I came across this cool post on the New York Times Well blog. Tara Parker-Hope writes about health.

The post is THE 11 BEST FOODS YOU AREN'T EATING... and it includes beets (which I ain't a fan of) and sardines (which I am). Other foods on the list? Dried plums, frozen blueberries, and cinnamon... Read the blog for the full list and the reason for each choice:

>>NYT WELL BLOG

>>MYFOX HEALTH: NUTRITION TIPS

Bon Jovi will be performing a FREE concert in Central Park on Saturday, July 12. The concert is a part of the city's All-Star Game celebrations.

Although the concert is free, you will need to ticket to get access to the Great Lawn. The city will limit attendance to about 60,000 fans.

HERE'S HOW TO GET TICKETS

Starting Wednesday, you can get tickets IN PERSON by going to any of the four pro baseball parks in the city:

Yankee Stadium in the Bronx (will distribute the bulk of the tickets)

Shea Stadium in Queens

KeySpan Park on Coney Island (home of the Brooklyn Cyclones)

Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Staten Island (home of the Staten Island Yankees)

Tickets will also be available on MLB.COM and BONJOVI.COM.

And a reminder that the 2008 All-Star Game will be played at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, July 15.

You can watch the game on FOX 5.

A friend of mine is appearing on a quirky online talk show called The Daily Special... My friend, Michelle, is the legal analyst... Check it out...

Anyone who drives a car must be frustrated by rising gasoline costs. I own a car but do not drive a lot (maybe once or twice a week), so thankfully my expenses haven't been affected too much.

However, Saturday I filled up at a station on the Palisades Interstate Parkway in New Jersey and it cost me about $33 -- and I already had almost half a tank!

Anyway, I came across a great article at CNNMoney.com that debunks six myths about saving gas. For example, do you sometimes forgo the A/C and roll down the windows? Guess what: That's not always a good idea.

These are the misconceptions/myths:

#1. Fill your tank in the morning
#2. Change your air filter
#3. Use premium fuel
#4. Pump up your tires
#5. To A/C or not to A/C
#6. Bolt-ons and pour-ins

Now read the article for the explanations and advice:

>>CHECK OUT THE CNNMONEY.COM ARTICLE

Hundreds of thousands of people in Myanmar (Burma) are suffering and could die if they don't get the help they need after the devastating cyclone.

The country's military government is resisting help from outsiders, though some aid is getting in. If you can, please consider donating to a reputable relief agency or fund.

UNICEF has done some great work around the world. The agency is well-funded, so perhaps you might contribute elsewhere. But here is the link if you do want to make a donation:

>>INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT OF U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF

>>DONATING TO OTHER RELIEF AGENCIES

I went to two games at Yankee Stadium in recent days, and I came away with some observations.

These are things that make NO SENSE to me:

1. Fans who wear jerseys and caps of sports other than baseball. Dude, I get it, you like the New York Rangers. Get your butt down to the Garden then.

2. (Corollary to #1) Fans who wear jerseys or caps of baseball teams other than the two on the field. Listen, there's no rule you have to be a Yankee fan to go to Yankee Stadium -- but what's with the Mets gear? Fly your colors at Shea or at a Subway Series game, but other than that you look like a jackass. Worse still is the guy who flaunts a Phillies jersey at a Yanks-Tigers game. Seriously? At least the Mets are a local team. If I were at Wrigley Field for a Cubs-Cardinals game, I wouldn't wear a Yankee cap. Why not? Because I'm not an idiot.

3. If a jackass insists on wearing Red Sox gear at a Yankee game EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE PLAYING THE TIGERS, why would said jackass sit in the bleachers? Do you WANT to get heckled? Now mind you: A sports rivalry should NEVER be an excuse for violence, ever.

4. Tickets for left field upper deck that are labeled with instructions to enter at Gate 6, which turns out to be at right field... forcing the ticketholder to shove his way from one wingtip of the stadium to the other through pre-game crowds? Why the hell wouldn't the Yankees let the fan enter at Gate 2 at left field?

5. Uniformed police officers that remove their hats and place them over their hearts during the National Anthem. Nope. You're not civilians AND you're in uniform. Keep the hats on and render a hand salute. You'd never see a full-dress Marine remove her 'cover' outdoors. Ever.