Boston Strong

Even for a Yankees fan, the Red Sox clinching this World Series feels right in so many ways.   While MVP "Big Papi" David Ortiz dominated the season, this has been a true all-star team lineup.   The 2004 win ended their World Series drought with an away game, but this 2013 victory at Fenway for the first time since 1918 serves a certain poetic justice in a season that began around the time of the Boston Marathon tragedy.   The whole Boston story this year serves as a quintessential American one.   I don't think we're done, either.   Will the Patriots be the next big story after Tom Brady's incredible pass a couple of Sundays ago?     

Pizza Pie Everywhere!

Being originally from the New Haven area, this survey should come as no surprise to me.   The website The Daily Meal put together a list of the top 101 pizzas in the USA.   Frank Pepe’s in New Haven came in at number one with its white clam pizza, made with clams, grated parmesan, olive oil, garlic and oregano.    The tomato pie from Pepe's Wooster Square neighbor Sally’s Apizza placed seventh.   The Italian Bomb pizza from Modern Apizza on State Street in the Elm City came in at number eleven.     While these pizza places were within ten miles of where I grew up, I have more vivid childhood memories of going to Tolli's Apizza in the center of East Haven.    That's where we washed it all down with Foxon Park soda as Connie Francis sang "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" on the jukebox.    Going out for pizza was a rarer treat back then, making the memories even more special. 

 

Here in New London County we benefit from Frank Pepe's expansion into the Mohegan Sun casino.    Most of my visits to pizza restaurants in southeastern Connecticut have been very positive.    The few that didn't measure up are no longer around.    Although chains don't always get the highest acclaim, I admit to a fondness for Papa Gino's and was sorry to see their Norwich and Waterford locations shut down.    Last weekend we had a great pie with "everything" at Papa Gino's Willimantic/Mansfield store, but I am usually fine with a simple cheese pizza.    Here in Colchester, the crosstown drive to Papa Z's is always worth the trip.    Only the most difficult to please can complain of a "pizza deficit" locally or regionally.   What's your favorite?

A False Equivalency

Texas Senator Ted Cruz

Once again we have found ourselves at the midnight hour on Capitol Hill, this time over raising the Debt Ceiling.   Thanks in large measure to its Tea Party faction, Republicans are taking more blame for the impasse than President Obama or other Democrats, but Congress and Washington as a whole have not been spared from bad press.    When I hear people say there's plenty of blame on both sides, I can't help but think the Republican party's meltdown is by far the prime culprit.   The American public feels a genuine disgust with politicians in general, but it only takes 50 representatives of extreme right wing constituencies to thrust the American political system into gridlock over legislative procedures like raising the debt ceiling.   Spurred on by Senator Ted Cruz, these self-styled Tea Party "patriots" are totally ready to take down the full faith and credit of the U.S. government just to block the President's signature healthcare law.   Does anybody in their right mind really believe Obamacare is going to destroy our economy more than a default on debts we've already rung up?    The Tea Partiers say it will.   Beyond every other extreme position the right has taken, the fact that they are willing to risk our modest economic recovery to block a law that has been validated by the voters and the Supreme Court should tell you something about their other positions.   Too many Americans think blame can be equally assigned to both sides.   The mountain of myths perpetuated by the Tea Party types proves something else.   Obamacare can be tweaked, but the damage from not paying our debts can be disastrous.   Hang on, it could be an even bumpier ride!

He Cared

Connecticut is known as the Land of Steady Habits, and mornings have been radio prime time for decades.   That may help explain why many Connecticut morning radio hosts have occupied their air chairs for decent amounts of time in a business where longevity is rare.    Jerry Kristafer had been the wakeup guy and best known personality at Hartford's WDRC-FM 102.9 for over twenty of the past thirty years.   Last Friday was Jerry's last day at the "Big D", where he was the station's most familiar personality from 1982 to 1997.   He returned to 'DRC-FM in 2007 after a  ten-year morning stint at WELI/New Haven.     I remember hearing his debut on the old WCDQ/Hamden in 1977 as "Crazy Jerry" with his time-telling pig!

 

WDRC turned out to be my radio home longer than anyplace else.  I spent four months back in 1995 as morning newsman for and Brad Davis on WDRC-AM and Jerry on the FM.   Brad, Jerry and the powers that be were very positive about my performance in the morning, so the FM program director Frank Holler decided to put me in with Jerry as a sidekick or perhaps a co-host (I'm still not sure).   That move was not welcomed by Jerry, who'd been made to feel that he was "training his replacement" given the strained relationship he had with Frank.   I can still understand why Jerry felt that way, but if the plan was to make yours truly the new morning guy then it was news to me.    After six months of less than stellar on air chemistry I jumped at management's offer to take the evening shift.   I do know Jerry was appreciative of the job I did as music director; not everyone shared that appreciation.    Jerry could be rough around the edges to people, but he was toughest on himself and one of the more honest and hardworking people I've known in radio.   He cared a lot about the community, using his stage to promote the Connecticut Children's Medical Center and other good causes.    I know his dedication to those causes will continue whether or not he has a morning radio show.   His name will also be the one most associated with WDRC-FM for years to come.

Disgraceful

Welcome to October!   The idiots did it.   They managed to shut down the U.S. government.   Radical right wing Tea Party Republicans - and mainstream GOP leaders lacking the courage to stand up to these political newcomers - have failed to do their job of keeping government running.     Tying these shutdown threats to the repeal of President Obama's signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act, was a foolish move that will come back to haunt them.    Tea Party grandstander Senator Ted Cruz of Texas hails from a state that has the most citizens lacking health insurance, yet he spent 21 hours on a fake filibuster devoid of real facts about what's wrong with the new health insurance laws.   Several GOP Representatives were asked on CNN if they would join thousands of government workers and forego being paid if they shut down the government.    Do you think they had a yes or no to that?    Of course not.    The American people may not know exactly how Obamacare will play out in the coming months, but they do know that shutting down many government services and then threatening to default on our existing debts later this month is unacceptable.    Obamacare is the law of the land, ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court and validated by last year's Presidential election.   Radical Republicans fail to face that fact, blinded by their ideological hatred of President Obama.    We're in dangerous territory now.    The end game is unknown.