The End of R.E.M. (As We Know It)

Some people can listen to entire albums by one artist and never hit the eject button. That may have been the case back when the Beatles' White Album or Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon were a part of my growing up, but I view most albums as merely random compilations with a decent track or two and a lot of lightweight filler. As time went on, time invested in listening to an entire album - even a "best of" collection - often failed to pay off. Like many of my favorite musicians, R.E.M. got their start away from the mainstream over thirty years ago, producing their share of misses as well as hits and critically acclaimed songs. This month's announcement of their breakup made me think about how listenable their music has been. Singer Michael Stipe got most of the attention in this Athens, Georgia band of four, but it was truly a collaboration. They were no overnight sensation. R.E.M. paid their dues for years before hitting their stride from the late eighties into the mid nineties. They've faded since then, but they've remained active in music as well as poltical and social causes. After all these years, who can fault them for calling it quits? Maybe I'll invest an hour of my time soon in their music; it will be worth it.

Restaurants Everywhere

I once worked in New Haven on a corner that managed to have five gas stations. People would come into our Exxon station, look around and say, "How do all you guys make a living?" I found myself asking the same question about the abundance of eateries per capita when I drove through Old Saybrook and Westbrook. We publish a Shoreline Dining Guide mailer, and even in this economy there is no shortage of potential advertisers. It is practically impossible to cruise along Route 1 and not have a restaurant in your field of vision. I realize this is a charming area where the population explodes in the summer, but you'd have to explore much larger cities to find a similar concentration of places to eat. Restaurants continue to open, and some spots have been favorites to generations. From Pat's Kitchen to the Cuckoo's Nest to Lenny & Joe's Fish Tale, you'll find just about every variation of dining. Even the popular watering hole - The Monkey Farm - served up excellent food. Johnny Ad's is the hot dog and hamburger stand. A search around the marinas can prove very worthwhile, with seafood stops like the Dock n' Dine. You'll even find Indian and Thai specialties. New Haven may be a pizza destination, but the Elm City has nothing on the this stretch of Connecticut shoreline. The restaurant business can be tough in the best of times, but I can only conclude that Old Saybrook and Westbrook draw diners from miles around because a lot of them know what they're doing. That's been my experience.

Ten Years After

We all felt a terrible sense of loss following the events of 9/11/01.    In many ways, the mourning period never really ended.    One legacy - a stubborn force that keeps us from moving on - is the sense that we have lost control.   Events in the 21st century seem to reinforce that perception.   Our sense of control may have been inflated before 9/11, but coming to grips with that reality provides little comfort as we try to sort out the problems we face today.   We need to draw inspiration from history and our ancestors who made the most with the hand they were dealt.   We also need to find strength in the courage exemplified by so many on that fateful day and through this long recovery.   The stories of 9/11 victims and heroes continue to touch us all very deeply.   When we look at what they faced, we are reminded to use the power we do possess to achieve big things again.   The ones we mourn would want us to carry on.   We move on by understanding what we can control individually and globally.   We also have to respect what we can't control without dwelling on it.  We owe it to the heroes.               

Observations After Irene

Irene from space (from SpaceRef.com)

CL&P power was restored last night to my rural corner of Colchester. Six days without electricity really can put some things in perspective...

"Old school" media like my business of radio stepped up and filled the information gap left when people couldn't get internet, cable, over-the-air TV and sometimes even cell service. I must have been nuts driving through the height of Irene Sunday morning to get to Mohegan Sun  and monitor storm coverage on 102.3 The Wolf. Once there, Mohegan Sun was powered up and open for business to the few who could get there. The Citadel Broadcasting simulcast with WMOS (The Wolf), WQGN (Q105) and WXLM (News Talk 980) absolutely excelled. Local radio as a whole reminded us that this is where radio really shines. It is one reason I got into this crazy business in the first place.

Some other revelations seemed obvious:

• Emergency managers really needed to prioritize getting major state highways unblocked.   Route 12 in Gales Ferry, Route 82 in Oakdale and Route 164 in Preston remained blocked by trees, poles or wires for days. 
• CL&P really didn't need to bring up the subject of rate hikes while so many people were still in the dark. Connecticut's power infrastructure didn't fare well against a tropical storm.  How many customers would have been affected by an actual hurricane?     
• Since I was still lucky enough to have had running water, I had a chance to hone my skill at taking a cold shower. Step under and away quickly, lather up and then rinse off with extreme speed.
• People in my neighborhood really rose to the occasion in cleaning up the considerable mess and checking on each other.
• While restoration of TV and internet is especially welcome in the evening, I now find myself thinking twice about having the TV blaring noisily in the background when I'm not really watching it.  
• I think I'll take a break from Pop Tarts, peanut butter and fast food for a little while now that power is back and I'm doing my happy dance!