Glenn's Blog

Accepting The Unacceptable

2012-01-29T22:47:00.003-05:00

The sad chapter at the end of Coach Joe Paterno's remarkable life and career was totally avoidable. Even the paragons of virtue can enable terrible things to happen by not speaking up or acting decisively when power is used wrongly. I am fortunate to be removed from that situation now, but recent events serve to remind me that it can happen to the best of us. We can't control everything around us, but there may come a time when we are associated with people whose words or actions are simply unacceptable. Whether you call it illegal, immoral or grossly unfair, you know when the line has been crossed to the point where you want no part of it. To openly support the injustice with the promise of short term gain wins nobody's respect. The idea that resistance is futile can be the height of cynicism. History is full of principled and honorable people who questioned authority and produced sweeping changes for the better. It also has its share of good people who looked the other way and found themselves on the hotseat next. Sometimes it helps to say, "It is what it is" and "just roll with it"... but not always.

A Week to Remember

2012-01-23T00:38:00.000-05:00

Dr. Mel - WTNH

A lot has happened since the last time I updated my blog. The Patriots and Giants face off in the Super Bowl, with Connecticut right in the middle. Newt Gingrich continues to get attention with an impressive South Carolina primary win. We lost a football legend whose career came to a sad close just months earlier as Joe Paterno died of lung cancer. On a regional level, the loss of meteorologist Doctor Mel Goldstein was felt by many who have watched him over the years. I had the pleasure of knowing Mel going back to when he gave the forecast on WWYZ in the late seventies. The station's program director said all air personalities could take a lesson from Dr. Mel because he "interprets the weather." He presented it in a way that was relevant to the audience. Dr. Mel got his early start on TV at WATR Channel 20 before his long run at WTNH News 8 in the eighties. I got to work more directly with Mel as program director at WLAD in Danbury, the station where he started. Whenever we needed someone who could fill in on the local talk show, Mel was there and callers loved him. Danbury is the same town where his weather center at Western Connecticut State University was based. So many aspiring meteorologists can point to Dr. Mel as their mentor. He beat the odds against multiple myeloma cancer for many years. We never actually get to know the real deal about many media personalities. With Dr. Mel, I can gladly say we did.

Is It Safe?

2012-01-09T09:55:00.001-05:00

Amston Lake

Can I use my tap water or not? Talk about mishandled details. Last Friday I received a text on my smartphone from one of the local TV stations informing me that residents in the Amston Lake area should not drink their tap water. The area included Hebron, Lebanon and my town Colchester, but didn't say how widespread it was. I live barely a couple of miles from Amston Lake. Should I be concerned? Tuning in the six o'clock TV news revealed little. By ten o'clock, it had been made clear that 181 homes were affected, and boiling water with four times the safe rate of copper only made it worse. I took that to mean the densely populated area immediately around the lake, but it was still unclear how much of Colchester had been included in this warning. The next night only muddied the waters, as one unnamed local station showed a map of all three towns with no numbers given, making it sound like everyone in the three towns were being warned. I will give credit to WTNH Channel 8 for being specific at eleven. How many households in Colchester were under the water emergency? Two! I hope all the folks who live around this beautiful lake get back to normal conditions soon, but it wasn't a shining moment for local media - some of them, anyway.

Stupid Corporate Tricks

2011-12-30T07:38:00.002-05:00

Congress hasn't been alone this past year in drawing unprecedented levels of disgust among ordinary citizens. Corporate America has committed some incredibly stupid blunders that leave their own customers wondering whether these well paid decision makers even remotely cared about the consequences. The latest self-induced corporate public relations nightmare comes from my cell phone service carrier Verizon. They want to attach a so-called "convenience fee" just for paying your Verizon bill through their website. Yes, you would pay two bucks a month for the priviledge of paying what you owe! Last time I checked, this company was not on the road to financial ruin and has access to consumer research like focus groups who undoubtedly would have told them this was a slap in the face to many loyal customers at a time when many are struggling to pay for basic needs. Of course, I could pay my cell bill online through my Bank of America bill payment website, but they haven't been without issues either. Bank of America had to reverse its decision to put five dollar fees to use their ATM debit cards after a public outcry. They must have thought we'd forget about the whole mortgage bailout mess that almost threw us into another Depression. Let's not forget Netflix, a highly successful company that began hemorrhaging subscribers after some genius decided to raise rates by sixty per cent! And who can forget the CL&P disasters right here in Connecticut that led to the departure of its CEO? Mitt Romney is right when he says "corporations are people too" to the extent that regular folks like you and I are also capable of shooting ourselves in the foot without assistance from anyone else. For 2012, I pledge to take a hard look at any self sabotage. Corporate America would be well served in doing the same. Happy New Year!

The Tebow Phenomenon

2011-12-19T00:31:00.000-05:00

Tim Tebow

As I was doing my Patriots-shortened rock show yesterday on 102.3 The Wolf, I mentioned a group of high school boys in Riverhead, Long Island. They got in trouble with school officials for striking the prayerful pose of Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. The school drew criticism from Christians who saw this as an overreaction. The officials contended that the students were blocking the hallways. The notoriety of this relatively minor incident exemplifies how polarizing the issue of religious faith can be. While you may be uncomfortable with someone flaunting their faith, Tim Tebow is clearly a decent, inspired and motivated person who has caught attention for reasons far beyond his short tenure as a Denver quarterback. That was obvious during the Patriots pre-game show Sunday, when Tebow was clearly topic number one. One commentator pointed out that while many roll their eyes over Tebow's trademark pose, the conduct of many other NFL players is much more "in your face" offensive. If some kids are inspired by this faith-based example of a nice guy, then I'm not going to lose sleep over it. I'll also rest easy knowing Tom Brady and the Pats got past the Broncos to clinch the AFC East title. I'm not uncomfortable with the fuss about Tim Tebow; but let's hope the obsession over his faith was just last weekend's thing.

A "Manufactured" People

2011-12-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Watching ABC's World News Tonight, you'd think former House Speaker and latest Republican frontrunner Newt Gingrich had come away with a big win from the latest GOP Presidential debate the night before. Gingrich recently characterized the Palestinians as "a manufactured people" as the GOP contenders jockey for position in who can appear strongest in their support of Israel. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney tried to dial back the harsh tone set by Gingrich's comments, instead criticizing President Obama's public declaration of restarting Israeli-Palestinian territorial negotiations to be based on the 1967 borders. Romney may have a point, since these parameters should be presented in meetings between negotiators. Obama's very public statement only served to anger Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. At the same time, the GOP characterization of President Obama as "un-Presidential" in dealing with Israel has a hollow ring compared to the Gingrich comments at the debate. He not only restated his "manufactured people" comment in stronger terms. This time Gingrich also labeled Palestinians as a group of terrorists. This may serve as "red meat" for hardline conservatives, but any President who spoke like this would be a danger on an already volatile world scene. By his supposedly historical perspective, Israelis, Iraqis, South Africans, Swiss and even Americans could be considered "manufactured people." The premise is as outrageous as his blanket assertions about all Occupy Wall Street protesters. It is sad how this divisive person is gaining traction.

Radio Flashback: Lite 100.5 WRCH

2011-12-11T23:15:00.000-05:00

By April 1988, I had just been through a couple of operations and programming positions at New England radio stations that left me with my fill of middle management in radio. That was when WRCH/WRCQ program director Warren Schroeger called me about doing some part-time work. At the same time, I was getting involved in media sales through Shore Line Newspapers, a division of ABC/Cap Cities. I figured a big signal up the road would be a good place to keep my hand in radio. Like numerous other radio experiences, it grew into much more than originally intended. Radio Park in Farmington was one of Connecticut's nicer radio properties, with the FM in its last days as instrumental-based easy listening WRCH and the AM nearing the end of its road as adult standards WRCQ. I did the first full live airshift on the new "Lite 100.5" and expected a torrent of calls protesting the change, but that was thankfully not the case. When my future as an ad salesman was in doubt, I accepted a full-time offer to host the afternoon drive slot on WRCH only to get downsized 13 months later. I spent time during my layoff down the dial filling in at the new Mix 93.7 WZMX. During that time, a new GM was hired to turn things around at WRCH. I got rehired in 1992 as the host of the evening show "Pillow Talk". Talk about some lovelorn callers! I still remember the night a rat decided to keep me company and when lightning tore through the studio, knocking the AM off the air. After getting moved back to afternoons and becoming music director, the axe would eventually fall again in September 1993. I attribute it to the new GM not liking me (hard to imagine!) even though he never knew me well. Maybe I should have "played the game" more, but I'm a crappy suckup. For WRCH, the new format eventually became a ratings and revenue monster, reaching new heights after a direct format competitor decided to go after someone else. Under CBS ownership, it remains a major force in Hartford.

A Good Run For A Local Business

2011-11-22T22:44:00.000-05:00

Something - and someone - was conspicuously absent in the November edition of The Extra. This month marked the first time in almost ten years that Tina Chapman has not advertised her shop in our monthly direct mailer. The doors closed on October 31st. Pachaug Aquarium & Reptiles Too had been open less than one hour in the summer of 2002 when I first called on Tina Chapman about advertising. Since then, she has been a model advertiser. She was so dependable that I would always start each month by calling on her aquarium on Route 138 in Griswold. In 2003 when Tina wanted to renew her lease, her landlord was surprised because no other business had ever lasted there longer than a year. The small store outlasted many of the startup businesses around her, but Tina finally decided it was time to pack it in. While the recession had impacted her business this year, I got the impression that being the sole proprietor was becoming a bit of a grind. She just wanted a break. Anyone who knows Tina can say that she is one of the most down to earth people you could meet. She spends much of her time close to home along the Route 138 corridor with a life full of friends and family. A big fan of the great outdoors, Tina has also been active in promoting the Griswold Fish & Game Club. As I hear the commercials about "shopping small" for November 26th on Small Business Saturday, I wish there were more people like Tina in business.

This Departure Means A Lot

2011-11-18T13:11:00.000-05:00

Regis Philbin hosted his last "Live" show this morning. With all the commotion surrounding his departure after 28 years, I think Regis knew it was time to move on as executives didn't exactly bend over backwards to keep him on board. We may never know the real story of what appeared to be a hasty decision on his part, but daytime TV is evolving. This loss of an icon in many morning routines marked a milestone in that change the same way ABC's cancellation of two long-running soaps reflected a simple fact: the audience is aging and fragmenting. The age of the average "Live with Regis & Kelly" viewer is 60. "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" haven't exactly been courting the youth movement either. True, a huge chunk of the available daytime viewership is older, but corporate decision makers would rather risk shaking loose some of the 55+ crowd and have a greater percentage of younger women 25-54 (or 25-49) even if it means a smaller overall rating. Radio has done the same thing, which explains why Frank Sinatra disappeared from the airwaves by the 1990s, fifties music soon followed and sixties songs are now few and far between.

Regis still leaves on a high note, much like Oprah and Seinfeld. On a local level, Regis was a role model to me in co-hosting a morning radio show. So many people would tell me how WBMW's Wakeup Club with Glenn & Rebecca had good chemistry. Even our consultant admitted that, but in the last year of Glenn & Rebecca the only positive comment I ever got from him was about my Regis impression. I sensed something was up, but Rebecca and I knew that we were a team and it wouldn't be the same as a one-person show or one where two people didn't have fun interacting with each other. Regis was the master of that genre. He was a huge inspiration for some of the best radio I ever did.

An "Off" Year Election

2011-11-09T09:34:00.000-05:00

The race for the newly created mayoral position in New London was one of the few noteworthy local contests that were decided last night. Democrat Daryl Justin Finizio successfully challenged his party's establishment. With that one noteworthy exception, there was lack of cliffhangers as turnout was light. Did you vote? I cast my ballot, but I had to shake my head as I reviewed few choices here in Colchester. There was only one candidate for first selectman. I was asked to pick three selectmen out of three listed and there were no challengers for several other town positions. I am told Montville choices were equally slim, and incumbents faced few serious challenges across the region. It struck me as similar to what voters must have faced in the former Soviet Union, where elections were exercises in rubberstamping choices of the one party system. Are civic minded citizens discouraged by today's politics? Is the lack of voter participation in off year local elections an unhealthy sign for our democracy? On a national level, attempts to discourage voter eligibility and radical agendas received a serious pushback. The latest union busting move by Ohio Governor John Kasich was a stinging defeat for him - and rightfully so. Even many conservative Republicans had trouble getting behind an all encompassing anti-abortion bill in Mississippi, and the measure failed in a big way. People need to get fired up, since it is clear that the public is fed up with politics as usual. With so much at stake, voter apathy in any election will send the wrong message to our lawmakers.

Infrastructure Failure

2011-11-03T23:29:00.001-04:00

Southeastern Connecticut was spared the worst of this October Nor'easter that knocked out power to over 800,000 Connecticut Light & Power customers. In Colchester, it was a close call with major tree damage and power outages to the immediate north and west. My lights stayed on this time. That good fortune was not lost on me, thanks to the recent memories of the six day outage caused by Tropical Storm Irene two months earlier. For CL&P and other area utilities, these two events made for a one-two punch. Connecticut's biggest power provider has taken a lot of criticism over its speed at restoring service, but officials in Massachusetts and New Jersey are also calling for investigations into restoration delays. For CL&P, issues over payments to out-of-state repair crews were not resolved before the storm, apparently adding to the delays. Since Connecticut has more forests and less utility workers than several decades ago, planners had no reason to be surprised when the last two storms brought record power outages. Are we really saving money cutting back on line maintenance when overgrown trees crash down on wires and disrupt millions of lives already in the middle of a troubled economy? This is as much of a wakeup call as a bridge collapse. It speaks volumes about the state of our infrastructure. We can pay for prevention now or disaster relief later.

What's Truly Scary?

2011-10-25T10:40:00.000-04:00

State Representative Tim Larson wants to designate the last Saturday in October as Halloween in Connecticut. That would certainly make sense to have it on a night when children don't have to think about things like homework and parents probably have enough other things to do during the work week. That's all well and good, but then it strikes me like a lightning bolt: Don't politicians have other issues to deal with in the middle of this nasty recession? It strikes me as grandstanding while other more serious problems need the attention of lawmakers. It's bad timing, Mr. Larson.

Politicians are scaring most of us these days, and for good reason. What else scares you? Most "scary" characters I see on TV or in movies really come across as lame. Alfred Hitchcock, a man who scared many moviegoers over the years and pioneering the whole "angry birds" thing, said policemen scared him because they had the ability to take away his freedom. I confess to a fear of heights. Last winter when I had to climb a ladder to clear snow off a roof, I had this feeling of dizziness and didn't get too far. Clearing leaves from gutters gives me a feeling of "vertigo", to borrow from Hitchcock again. Yes, I admit to acrophobia. Being in broadcasting for years, I have always been in awe of anyone who can climb a radio or TV tower. It's strange, though. I have little problem with airplanes as long as there's no turbulence. I love roller coasters because my feet are still planted on something solid, but forget about those big amusement park flying swings. OK, I'm not fearless, but at least I take comfort in knowing my fear is more rational than some folks' phobias. What yours?

Fifteen Years of Mohegan Sun

2011-10-19T00:30:00.001-04:00

This weekend will mark a milestone in gaming here in eastern Connecticut. Mohegan Sun celebrates its fifteenth anniversary. Jennifer Lopez, Regis Philbin and other celebrities will be on hand. I have a feeling it will be even busier than usual when I get in there for my live broadcast Sunday from 10 to 3 on 102.3 The Wolf. Yes, I admit to a shameless plug. While the casino has been a big part of my weekend radio routine this year, it has also been a part of my life since it opened in 1996. While I've deposited a few bucks in the slots, seen a few shows and even gotten a few Christmas gifts there over the years, I have to say the restaurants are what I enjoy the most. The dining options have really expanded over the years. On my last birthday, I had this craving for a burger from Bobby Flay's Burger Palace - the juiciest! The Summer Shack is a fun seafood place. Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville rocks. Most recently, a visit for Mexican food at SolToro was well worth it. You get my point. It is hard to imagine what this region would be like without Mohegan Sun and its competitor nine miles up the road: Foxwoods. Mohegan Sun was by far my mother's favorite destination for the last dozen years of her life. Her face would light up at the prospect of going there. These days, it is the place that allows me to do my radio thing. The "Sun" has evolved, and I suppose my relationship to it has changed as well.

Voices of Frustration

2011-10-11T23:52:00.001-04:00

The American Way?

Is history repeating itself? For the first time in forty years, the voices on the left are being raised, and once again the establishment is uncomfortable. Did a 13-year-old really write the nasty letter to the left, or does this say more about the parents? The "Occupy Wall Street" crowd is beginning to get traction well beyond lower Manhattan, as Connecticut cities are not excluded from this growing movement. What do these people want? The goals remain unclear. The reasons behind the protests should be apparent: frustration over a troubled economy blamed on corporate greed and government gridlock. There are certainly other forces at work in this drawn out recession, but the economic numbers we've been seeing are affecting real people. I call on local businesses all the time for advertising, and the stories of struggle really do hit home. During the short time since "Occupy Wall Street" got our attention, we have seen them labeled as unclean mobs by the right wing politicians who only cater to Tea Party America and their financial backers saying, "Get a job at McDonalds and pull yourself up by the bootstraps!" The overwhelming majority of people not only want to be productive; they also need to be valued by their bosses and have some degree of confidence their source of income will not be cut back or taken away tomorrow. We have had plenty of time to listen to the uncompromising talking points of those who remain comfortable. To ignore this new wave of seething anger and desperation is asking for trouble.

Steve Jobs: A Legacy

2011-10-06T00:03:00.001-04:00

“I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything." Steve Jobs could relate to failure as well as success. They are not mutually exclusive in life, and the way he lived said as much about him as the technology and company he left behind. I learned about the passing at 56 of the former Apple CEO on my iPad 2, one of many Steve Jobs creations. Few people have had success weigh as heavily on them as Steve Jobs, but I have definitely learned from my own experience that a loss can mean a new beginning.

Zero Tolerance

2011-10-05T01:36:00.002-04:00

Did you catch any of the Ken Burns PBS series on Prohibition? I wish I could have seen more, but what I did see reminded me of the ridiculous lengths society will go to protect us from ourselves. Shortly after World War I, a constitutional amendment prohibited the sale of alcohol. While initially curbing consumption, this drove an entire business underground and fueled gang violence. The experiment is considered a failure, and the legal and regulated sale of liquor returned in the 1930s. Yes, alcohol had destroyed entire families and communities through the years and the temperance movement may have meant well, but Americans resented being told what they couldn't do. Overall, most people do not have a big problem handling liquor. Alcoholics Anonymous arrived in the thirties to help those who did have trouble handling alcohol. The use - and problem - were brought out of hiding. Liquor revenues could be taxed. Liquor content could be consistently controlled. Does alcohol still destroy some lives? Of course, but no one is calling for a return to the Prohibition days. Soon after Prohibition's repeal, politicians and others decided to target marijuana use. demonizing those who abused or even moderately used it. Can anyone explain to me why this is so different from liquor? Has the attempt at zero tolerance ever worked when the illegal profits and insatiable demand prompt so many people to resort to smuggling pot into this country any way they can? We are hypocritical as a society when we condemn one drug while promoting the use of so many other drugs in commercials all over the evening news. Someday we can at least have an open conversation about it. In the meantime, mixed messages are everywhere as leaders "talk tough" about sending a message against any use of pot. Get real.

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

2011-09-27T01:03:00.002-04:00

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

2011-09-19T17:47:00.001-04:00

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 then iknow what they're doing. That's been my experience.

Ten Years After

2011-09-10T12:41:00.003-04:00

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

2011-09-03T12:09:00.001-04:00

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!

Preparing For Irene

2011-08-24T22:54:00.000-04:00

West Haven, CT after 1938 Hurricane

As I look at Facebook posts from a variety of Connecticut meteorologists, the possibility of Hurricane Irene making landfall here seems to be growing. A lot can change between now and Sunday, but it is clear that there's no time like the present to make preparations. We should know more as the storm's projected path becomes clearer on Friday. It is not too early to load up on batteries, safely store away things that could become outdoor projectiles and know your evacuation route in the event you need one. We have had reason to grow complacent with the lack of major tropical storms over the last few decades, but this week's news of the rare 5.8 magnitude earthquake - centered in Virginia and felt for hundreds of miles - served to remind us how rare events can still happen. Other wild weather news across the nation this year, including tornado outbreaks, wildfires, heat waves and our own snowbound winter experience, are all wakeup calls to plan ahead. We also have advances in weather forecasting that were almost totally lacking when the Hurricane of 1938 took the Northeast by surprise. My mom at 15 is on the right in the picture. All that technology is wasted when we fail to take it seriously. I'll be on the air Sunday 10am-3pm at 102.3 WMOS (The Wolf) inside Mohegan Sun. That should be interesting.

Catchy Local Advertising

2011-08-15T17:27:00.001-04:00

I tend to be better at eliminating the clutter, cliches and bad offers than putting a concept together from scratch. That doesn't mean I can't appreciate an effective ad when I see or hear one here in eastern Connecticut. Advertising - locally and nationally - is full of clients who take matters into their own hands. Some fail badly. Some, like Bob Kauffman, go the total electronic media saturation route. It made his presence on the Bob's Discount Furniture spots indispensable, even after he gave up the reins to the company. He may have seemed grating or amateurish at first, but Bob knew what he was doing. He grew on us! When I look in the Sunday paper, the bank ads all look alike, with one exception. Rockville Bank President Bill McGurk lent a style and persona that set this bank apart from others. He retired this year. Several car dealers also saturate the airwaves with lots of fast talking and shouting so they sound like... well, car dealers! I fail to see how they differentiate one dealer from another, but the ad saturation must be getting results since they're not pounding on my door for a way to fix it. Stan Cardinal employs a more low key, personalized approach when he talks about his Cardinal Honda in Groton. Who in New London County can forget the late Sigmund Strochlitz, founder of Whaling City Ford? His heavily accented catchphrase was simple: "Come in. I would like to meet you!" The seasonal Buttonwood Farm Ice Cream commercials leave the listener with a warm feeling, complete with a jingle. Although I haven't heard any of the ads lately, my local favorite remains the spots for Olde Thymes Restaurant in Norwich. Owner Rodney Green is such a natural, with the downhome style that catches what Olde Thymes is supposed to exemplify. Add the way he'd sort of rhyme ("Breakfast, lunch or dinnertime, Olde Thymes food is really fine!") and the catchy jingle ("Home is just a taste away!") and it made for local advertising at its best.

Political Extremism

2011-07-31T22:57:00.001-04:00

At this late hour there appears to be a deal on raising the debt ceiling. Am I the only one to conclude that concern over the economic health of the United States was not the driving force behind the political brinkmanship that got us dangerously close to financial catastrophe? Much like the newly elected union-busting governor of Wisconsin, this was more about right wing extremists irresponsibly exercising newfound political clout than about cutting spending. It certainly wasn't about creating jobs or the future of our children. It was about spreading a radical agenda with no regard for the economic facts...

Raising the debt ceiling, which had been done dozens of times under many Presidents, was not a green light to tax and spend even more. Economists were practically unanimous in saying raising the ceiling was vital to paying debts we had already rung up under both parties.
While our debt is too high, the U.S. AAA credit rating meant we are a trusted borrower from China or anyone else. Losing that coveted status could mean higher interest rates, costing us more than the $400 billion difference that had divided the two parties.
When Americans were initially hesitant to raise the debt ceiling, the Tea Party candidates like Michelle Bachmann may have been correct in saying they represented the will of the people. The legs soon gave way on that argument. Real information on the negative implications of failing to raise the debt ceiling left the majority of Americans more amenable to compromise on that issue.
Connecticut and other states are already seeing painful cuts. U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah actually had the gall to claim that middle class and poor people aren't doing enough to get us out of this mess. How out of touch can our leaders get? Now the notion of returning to the Clinton era tax rates for people who earn $250,000-plus annually meets a brick wall on the right. That's a slap in everyone's face, especially after the U.S. taxpayers bailed out the Wall Street gamblers who brought on the 2008 crash.
I'm all for corporations getting a tax rate competitive with other countries, but the history of tax breaks for the wealthy leading to the creation of jobs is dubious at best. You can have all the supply in the world, but you need people with jobs to fuel demand.
I hope Tea Party types will get about the legitimate business of decrying government waste while reminding us how hard it is getting rid of government agencies when they outlive their usefulness. That's the real world according to their hero Ronald Reagan. Reagan could compromise with Tip O'Neill. Stop hijacking his legacy by supporting fringe candidates who were prepared to freeze the debt ceiling!

Hot Weather Takes Its Toll

2011-07-26T14:03:00.001-04:00

3PM Friday, July 22nd

Perhaps this temperature sign on Main Street in Jewett City needs a little adjustment downward, since the bank sign down the street read 102. That aside, the heat wave broke records, stressing people and animals. The story took an upsetting turn in Groton when a dog owner left his Boxer outside in a cage all day, where he died in the sweltering heat. Stories of people's stupidity and cruelty aren't limited to heat waves, but people can lose their cool even more on days like last Friday. Not wanting to cook, I thought I'd grab something at a certain colonel's place. The AC was underperforming, and there I was behind this guy taking forever to fill three soda cups while constantly stopping, chatting nonstop on his phone. When the line behind him and me stretched across the room, I politely pointed out that he had a long line behind him. Instead of apologizing, he reacted loudly and angrily like I had some nerve, and proceeded to tell the guy on the phone what a @#*! I was. I kept my cool as he made a public ass of himself and I asked them at the counter to make my order "to go" since they had a "belligerent" customer. Weather extremes do bring them out of the woodwork! I'd rather gripe about the more mundane nuisances of summer - like mosquitoes and those biting flies - than wonder whether or not someone's going to get violent as well as rude. Honestly, I don't dislike everything about summer, but I don't tan well and late August through mid October is the best!

Spammers and Hackers

2011-07-20T23:58:00.000-04:00

Imagine my surprise last weekend when, while away in New Hampshire, I checked my mobile email and discovered that an unauthorized spam message was sent to everyone on my contacts listfrom my personal address! The email contained nothing in the subject line and only a link in the message area sending people to ads for Viagra and the like. I recognized it as something that had been forwarded earlier to me by an advertising client. His email account had obviously been hacked, perhaps when he clicked on the link. I don't remember opening it, but that must have been how I became the next victim in this vicious cycle. Two things really bothered me about this. For one thing, it feels like such a personal violation to have some lowly excuse for a human being hack into my email and send junk with my name on it to people who trust me. Secondly, even if the spam recipients realize I - and potentially they - were hacked by nasty people we don't know, I would feel awful at causing others any harm or inconvenience. We have the voicemail hacking scandal in Britain involving News Corporation and the online anarchy carried out by WikiLeaks supporters called "Anonymous." Now, my own involuntary exposure to internet vandals really drove home the need to be vigilant.

A Week of Triumphs and Tragedies

2011-07-11T12:07:00.000-04:00

The success of Sailfest here in New London really demonstrated what can be accomplished when a community comes together to host some 300,000 visitors in one weekend. This is truly the biggest single event all year in Connecticut! However, nowhere has the contrast between the highs and lows of the past week been more obvious than in baseball. The 3,000th career hit for Derek Jeter - a home run, too - couldn't have played out more perfectly on Saturday. Even if you're a Red Sox fan (perish the thought), you've got to give this guy a lot of respect. Meanwhile, tragedy was also being played out over and over as TV stations kept showing video of the Texas Rangers fan who fell to his death as he reached for a ball thrown by a player toward the stands. Before he died, he actually expressed concern about his son. Former first lady Betty Ford's death at 93 really marked another opportunity to celebrate the life of woman who could always tell it like it is, and this nation is better because of her. As the Watergate scandal brought the end of the Nixon administration and brought Gerald Ford to the Presidency in 1974, "Britain's Watergate" shut down a key piece of Rupert Murdoch's media empire and threatens to shake the foundations of the British government. What a week of ups and downs!

It Boggles the Mind

2011-07-04T23:23:00.001-04:00

As Robin once exclaimed to the Caped Crusader, "Holy 4th of July, Batman!" A new Marist poll shows many Americans don't know the significance of July 4th. Four in ten Americans do not know that America declared its independence in 1776. Almost one in four people surveyed around the country also didn't know the United States broke away from Great Britain. I know I'm a history nut, but give me a break! People lacking the most basic knowledge of history and other subjects may be good comedy material for Jay Leno, but the implications of this level of ignorance should be taken very seriously. Our country's freedoms were won and reaffirmed by people who fought hard for them, often paying the ultimate price. An informed public is our guarantee that these freedoms will be preserved. Dictators demagogues rely on false information - or a lack of it - to take power. We have been warned that those who ignore the past are bound to repeat it. If you appreciate the real meaning of this holiday, Happy 4th of July!

Radio Flashback: Laid Back and Mellow

2011-06-27T01:03:00.004-04:00

YZ Reunion 2011

It was a radio format that kept talk to a minimum, yet it had people talking throughout Connecticut and beyond. I was part of a group of WWYZ alumni who got together this past weekend to mark the 35th anniversary of "YZ the Natural 92 FM". As the summer of 1976 began, Gilmore Broadcasting's WWYZ 92.5 dropped its failing easy listening instrumental format for a mellow, soft rock sound unique to the area. By the time I arrived there at the start of 1978, YZ had already caught on, filling a big void in the market. It was the creation of Program Director Bob Craig, who made a case for the new mellow sound based on what was being played on the old WKTU/New York and WEEI-FM/Boston. Many people in the business feel YZ actually ended up doing it better. Bob's imprint was all over the Natural 92. He had a clear idea of what he did and didn't want. He programmed the music cut by cut - something still rare in the seventies. I've heard the format described as "The Three L's: songs of life, love and loneliness." Women especially loved it. Bob left in 1979 for Philadelphia, and the eighties saw a decline in ratings as times were changing. Most of us moved on, with many developing impressive resumes, but the first song ever aired on YZ summed up what that mellow era really meant to me. It was "Friends" by Elton John... "If your friends are there then everything's all right." They were there then, and they still are.

He Made A Good Thing Better

2011-06-21T00:30:00.001-04:00

Bruce Springsteen called his E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons the "Big Man." Clemons died this past weekend at age 69 from complications of a stroke. Their collaboration went back to 1971, several years before my college roommate from New Jersey introduced me to Springsteen's music. Even with all of what went into "Born To Run," it would be impossible to imagine this song without the sax. For all the energy Springsteen and his entourage put into a live performance, concerts will not be the same without the presence of the "Big Man." His accomplishments outside of the E Street Band were just as amazing with an A-list of artists. Jackson Browne gave him equal billing on one of his hits. Aretha Franklin's comeback on the eighties charts was punctuated and made that much sweeter by Clemons' sax on "Freeway Of Love." The most impressive part to this story is the 40-year association Springsteen and Clemons had. The Beatles were together for less than 12 years. Many other bands made it obvious they were just staying together for the money. These two absolutely loved working together at their craft for decades, and their audience knew it. As deferential as Springsteen was to his band, the "Big Man" stood out. That's no small task working next to a rock superstar.

Weiner Fatigue

2011-06-16T01:02:00.001-04:00

Representative Anthony Weiner

There are a lot more people who'd rather be an Oscar Mayer Wiener than New York Congressman Anthony Weiner right now. You've probably been exposed to the late night jokes, seen some of the trashiest tabloid headlines ever and watched TV talking heads take a big detour away from real political issues so they could weigh in on the "Weinergate" sexting scandal. Although he still has some support in his home district, many colleagues on Capitol Hill and even President Obama have said he should resign. At first I bought into the contention of some MSNBC commentators protesting the unfairness of it all when some very self righteous Republican lawmakers who have broken more than marital vows were not subject to the same condemnation by their peers. While they have a point, the childishness of that argument dawned on me. How about holding ourselves to a higher level? The fact that many Democrats called on Weiner to step down may be an overdue step in the right direction. I know we've been made to think politics and ethics are like oil and water. Thankfully, his own party members have not kept silent. Weiner should not stick it out... sorry, it's hard not to go there. Now that his wife's back from overseas, he's got some explaining to do to the Mrs. while resigning and ending this national distraction.
UPDATE 6/16: Congressman Weiner announced his resignation today at a press conference amid a media circus that made me think the real distraction was more due to media excesses than whatever Weiner had done. Why was a plant from the Howard Stern Show allowed to disrupt things?

Grocery Store Competition Tightens in Lisbon

2011-06-09T12:43:00.001-04:00

ALDI Food Market in Lisbon

The new ALDI Food Market opened last month in the Crossing At Lisbon. Bring a quarter to unlock a shopping cart (it's refundable!), some bags to save on buying them there and prepare to bag what you buy. Many packages may look familiar, but the store brands on them may not ring a bell. You will also notice less selection by brand name. Unlike a few big box stores surrounding it - like the newly opened Lowe's Home Improvement store and the Target in the same plaza - the new Lisbon ALDI has a smaller footprint on the landscape. All of this saves them on overhead costs, but your grocery bill may be a pleasant relief from the skyrocketing food prices we have seen over the past few years. ALDI has stores in 31 states, including two other ones in eastern Connecticut. You may have already visited them in North Windham or Dayville. I noticed ALDI's store brand of chewy fiber bars looking very much like the Fiber One brand I bought somewhere else. They tasted the same and were much cheaper. That was my experience with many of their products, although I've never found a store brand anywhere as good as General Mills' Honey Nut Cheerios. Will ALDI replace all the other grocery stores? I doubt it. There are times when shoppers want more variety and selection, but there is no doubt the ALDI model has found a successful niche.

Wild Weather Close to Home

2011-06-02T00:02:00.000-04:00

My brother had interesting timing tonight, returning from an extended leave to his job as a police officer in Agawam, Massachusetts. No sooner had he reported for the second shift when word came of a tornado warning. He could see the funnel cloud clearly as it raced from Westfield through West Springfield before making its way over the Connecticut River to Springfield. The video of the river being churned up, plus the tornado's proximity to the Memorial Bridge, guaranteed that this would go viral. The storms seemed to follow the Mass Pike from west to east while skirting the Connecticut border. This grabbed national headlines partly because the area is not normally known for tornado outbreaks. It wasn't just one tornado either. Four are reported dead with reports of several twisters. Eastern Connecticut had it relatively easy with more regular thunderstorms and some hail. Now that we are officially out of tornado season and into hurricane season, I can't help but wonder whether this unsettled weather pattern will show any signs of stopping.

My Best Friend

2011-05-24T15:11:00.000-04:00

My mom, Shirley O'Brien, was an impressionable woman. I remember once when a friend told her that nobody uses breadboxes anymore, she kept the breadbox but always left the bread outside of it. When people told her something, it sank in. Likewise, she had a way of leaving an impression on people. That made her the perfect person for sharing life's ups and downs. Whatever would happen - well, almost - I had to tell her. Sometimes I'd take her advice; sometimes I wouldn't. One thing was consistent: she always wanted the best for me and my brother. She always had her worries about my being in a business not exactly known for longevity and my brother being a policeman with all the danger that could entail, but she was proud. All she wanted was a little attention. It was something she didn't always get growing up in an extended family with a father and mother who couldn't always be there. I saw her practically every day, especially after my father passed away 33 years ago. I know she had to leave for a better place when she passed away last Sunday on her 87th birthday. I already miss having that person to share my hopes, joys and fears.

End Times?

2011-05-19T23:25:00.002-04:00

Religious broadcaster's billboard predicting end times

I was going to post my shock about the news that 41% of Norwich kindergarteners and sixth graders are considered obese, wondering what that bode for the future of society. Then another group indirectly pointed out that this sobering statistic may not matter much. According to Harold Camping, the 89-year-old founder of Christian network Family Radio Worldwide, his prediction of when our world will begin to violently unravel - Judgment Day - has been suddenly moved up to this Saturday, May 21st. Family Radio owns 66 radio stations, including AM 1170 WCTF in Tolland County, CT and a giant waste of major market FM signal on 94.7 WFME New York. Just when we thought we were OK until at least 2012 (according to the Mayan calendar and a few folks on the History Channel), now comes this cataclysmic claim of worldwide earthquakes that would have the potential to ruin a lot of people's weekends, not to mention a couple of my friends' birthdays. I know the sluggish economy and world conflicts are among everyone's concerns. Hey, even our week of rainy days makes we wonder if there's a Noah out there preparing for more nasty weather. It's bringing the Doomsday crowd out of the woodwork. There are many times in history when the Rapture has been incorrectly predicted, and this Family Radio guy hasn't exactly been batting 1,000 himself in earlier forecasts. As for myself, this student of history will rely on what Comedy Central's "fake news" anchor Jon Stewart said last year: "These are tough times, not end times." If Saturday passes for anything like a normal day, I promise not to gloat on Sunday.

UPDATE 5/23: We're still here.

It Says More About The Adults

2011-05-14T12:03:00.001-04:00

James Tate taped this message up outside Shelton High School

James Tate's attention-getting way of asking Sonali Rodrigues to the Shelton, CT High School prom got him in hot water with school administrators. His method of getting a prom date worked, but school officials were not amused. Tate admitted his unorthodox approach may have deserved some penalty, but barring him from the prom struck classmates, internet posters and even some town leaders as too severe. Legalities and "zero tolerance" attitudes aside, this unbending reaction by the school headmaster sends a bad message. The negative reaction to excluding Tate from his prom was overwhelming, as this kid won over the hearts and minds of peers, parents and people way beyond Shelton. The punishment could have been changed, but how dare these people question authority with their dissent? People expressed their views responsibly, but that didn't matter to the headmaster. What does that tell kids? Talk about "sending a message."

Speaking of adults out of control, don't even get me started on that crazy mom who allows and even approves of her 8-year-old daughter getting Botox treatments!

UPDATE 5/14: No sooner had I made this blog entry and gone to my radio job when we got word that school officials finally relented on barring Tate from his prom. Although delayed, it is justice nonetheless.

Bin Laden Is Still Dead

2011-05-11T00:50:00.001-04:00

Crowds outside White House celebrate bin Laden's death

Osama bin Laden's death seemed to meet with some skepticism until al-Qaeda acknowledged it themselves. There are some critics of the Obama administration fresh off the derailed movement questioning his birthplace who insisted they had to see the bin Laden death photos. Over the weekend, I heard a woman on Boston's WRKO saying we couldn't trust the President, so he had to show the photos. This premise was outrageous. For one thing, I certainly trust the Navy SEALs. Secondly, whether you like him or not, what has President Obama done to deserve that level of distrust? The operation itself was one gutsy move. If the photos were released, does anyone believe this would sway doubters in parts of the nation and world? Are any positive results produced in places that show disturbing images all over the media? That same WRKO host also acted shocked and horrified over young people across the country celebrating the bin Laden killing, as if that were disrespectful to the victims of 9/11 and the subsequent wars. 60 Minutes' Andy Rooney witnessed in 1945 how crowds cheered from New York to London on V-E Day. He noted how both events were triumphs over monsters. Both celebrations were totally appropriate.

Bin Laden Is Dead

2011-05-02T00:16:00.000-04:00

Minutes ago, President Obama announced that U.S. forces in Pakistan had killed the head of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden. The military has custody of bin Laden's body. Americans and peace-loving people around the world have something to celebrate. Amid the joy, we remember the victims of this modern madman who sought to take the world into an era of darkness. The President is right - justice has been served. To our brave military: mission accomplished!

A Man of Steady Habits Passes

2011-04-25T10:55:00.002-04:00

Zuckerbraun's Dept. Store

Jewett City has been described as a trip back in time, and nowhere has that time warp been more evident than at Zuckerbraun's Department Store. Owner Jerome Zuckerbraun may have beem the most consistent business owner I've ever run across. He passed away on April 1st at 86. His store on North Main Street, opened in 1929 by his father, hasn't really changed in 82 years other than looking worse for wear. You could find him having lunch at Dean's Corner every day promptly at 1:00. He was one of the first business owners to advertise in The Extra back in 1989 and has had a regular presence with us ever since. While "five and dime" stores have all but disappeared, Zuckerbraun's remained even as fires hit businesses on both sides of his old building in the past ten years. Zuckerbraun had been in poor health and away from the store for over a year, but he insisted to his relatives and one remaining employee Doreen that he was still in control of things and there would be no "going out of business" sale on his watch. Now the store's days appear to be numbered. Part of Jerome Zuckerbraun's consistency was his reluctance to part with money, and I often wondered why he didn't retire to live the high life after a lifetime of work, but he would have none of that. Who are we to judge? In an era when everyone seems to haved maxed out their credit cards, Mr. Zuckerbraun asked for little.

Learning By Doing

2011-04-20T10:24:00.001-04:00

If there's one stereotypical guy trait I exhibit, it's the reluctance to ask for directions. People can explain it or leave the most exhaustive written instructions, but I have to immerse myself in something to actually figure my way around it. Then once I do it successfully I never forget it. I've gotten comfortable with doing a live weekend rock radio show at the very visible Mohegan Sun studio of 102.3 The Wolf (WMOS). Now, a new element has been added to my duties this week as I do afternoon fill-in 3-8pm for Kevin O'Connor. Kevin is also the very busy operations manager for Citadel's four-station New London cluster. He asked me to merge and print the combined music and commercial logs for The Wolf while he takes a well-deserved week off. I last worked with their type of music software way back in 1993 before anyone ever heard of Windows or the internet. That was the easy part. Figuring out how to transfer data between three computers that don't really communicate with each other meant I had to be constantly on the phone with some patient people in the New London offices who have plenty of their own things to do while trying to focus on my show too. As I enter the third day of this new undertaking, I think I've finally gotten it! I'm looking forward to returning to being my low maintenance self again.

Sideshow Donald

2011-04-12T00:33:00.001-04:00

Have you seen proof that Hawaii was ever legally recognized as the 50th state? I haven't, so how do we know it wasn't all a big fraud? Have you seen the documents? I think it deserves to be investigated. This type of thinking - or lack thereof - is exactly what drives this "birther" movement that doesn't want to go away. Now Donald Trump has jumped comb-over first into the wacky fray, going on Fox News and anywhere else that will have him in questioning the authenticity of President Obama's Hawaii birth certificate, pledging his own investigation and wondering why the President doesn't give more information. I know why Obama doesn't respond - the accusations have been too stupid to dignify with a response. Trump gets taken seriously as a potential Presidential candidate while Republican leaders are reluctant to take a stand against either the birther movement or those who refuse to believe Obama is a Christian and not a Muslim. (Why does his religion matter anyway?) The sad thing is that even if Trump turns up no more birthplace evidence than the other crackpots have, he probably will have gotten a big bounce in the ratings for The Apprentice. The world is beset by real problems. President Obama's birth certificate is not one of them.

A Win's A Win

2011-04-05T00:02:00.002-04:00

The game wasn't even half over when the commentators were already criticizing the quality of play and slow pace of the NCAA Men's Championship Game. Do they have to remind us so quickly that it was the worst final since 1949? Give me a break. UConn still played better than Butler, and that's what counted in the 53-41 final. In sports, Connecticut often gets an inferiority complex, with divided loyalties between New York and Boston, the loss of an NHL team and the dashed hopes of getting the Patriots. In Eastern Connecticut, Dodd Stadium has been home to two other minor league baseball teams as we hope three's the charm. UConn men's and women's basketball has been the exception, gaining national prominence for years. We witnessed the disappointment on Maya Moore's face when the Lady Huskies lost to Notre Dame. Her record at UConn is phenomenal. We saw Kemba Walker become a sports celebrity in a brilliant season. UConn Basketball is one thing that every Connecticut sports fan can feel good about, year after year.

The Road Not Taken

2011-03-29T23:38:00.002-04:00

Robert Frost's 1916 poem about taking the "road less traveled" has inspired many people. There may be one path we take in our lives, but there are many forks in that road. If someone asked me what my career path would be if I had not taken the broadcasting and advertising route, my answer would be quick and clear. I'd be teaching history. My fascination with social studies even predates my interest in radio as a kid. Geographic facts stick to me like Crazy Glue, but maps can get very technical. It's the story of man that is most compelling to me. When I go on a vacation trip, I make a terrible beach bum. I'd rather play tourist. That means visiting historic places. In the seventies, I took plenty of college history courses but was discouraged from pursuing it because it was "not very marketable" at that point while I landed a radio job right after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After being laid off from Hartford radio station WDRC in 2002, I pursued the history dream again with four courses at Eastern Connecticut State University. Maturity worked better for me the second time around in the form of better study habits as I garnered straight A's, but again I got more involved in making a living in radio broadcasting and direct mail advertising. It was a great experience, but the history goal - and free time - grew more elusive than ever. As I follow today's news, I know this background has helped me make some sense out of it all. You might think I would watch the History Channel all the time, but much of the UFO shows and Nostradamus predictions seem like pseudo-history instead. We can draw from so much real history - and should.

Kaddafi Has To Go

2011-03-21T23:32:00.001-04:00

I don't get it. Libya's Muammar Kaddafi was a leading sponsor of international terror in the eighties and then bought off people for their silence. He made billions off Libya's resources while his people stayed poor and isolated. He brought in mercenaries to kill his own people when the protests in the Arab world came to his doorstep. There is no evidence that the rebels are linked to al-Qaeda or any Muslim radical groups. These revolutionary movements in Libya and elsewhere have been largely peaceful and are inspired by a hope for democratic freedom. We saw the obvious outpouring of joy in rebel-controlled Benghazi when freedom from a tyrant seemed at hand, and how terrified these same people were when the tide turned against them. From the Arab League, the UN and much of Europe, there was backing to use "all necessary means" to defend these people from a discredited dictator. What do we hear? Fox News, which would have led the charge if this happened under George W. Bush, consistently paints a picture of doom and asks why President Obama is taking his family to visit South America. He's not hiding in the Amazon. Republicans, who never blinked when authorizing a trillion dollars for Afghanistan and Iraq, now question the cost of enforcing a no-fly zone. Democrats like Dennis Kucinich call Obama's part in offensive actions against Libya without Congressional authorization "impeachable." The first missiles were fired from a French air force jet only days ago. Give things a chance. To just sit by as Kaddafi mercilessly puts down a truly democratic movement would tell any oppressor that Egypt's and Tunisia's ousted leaders were too lenient. And yes, the Libyan civil war has already disrupted oil prices, and we still need stability. These actions by the UN and NATO coalition are warranted. We need to be on the side of these democratic movements without leading them.

And It Makes Me Wonder

2011-03-15T00:19:00.005-04:00

Millstone Waterford Nuclear Plant

I admit to being glued to the news and the dramatic pictures of tragedy and destruction from the huge magnitude 9.0 earthquake and the resulting tsunami in northeastern Japan. As if that weren't enough, the news continues to unfold about the critical situation involving several nuclear reactors in that area. Given the potential for catastrophe when nukes go seriously wrong, it doesn't come as a surprise when people - including Connecticut's Senator Joe Liebermann - begin to question the use of nuclear power here in the United States. You don't have to be in domestic panic mode to think twice about this invisible, tasteless and odorless hazard that many of us don't understand. Not being a nuclear engineer, I can only wonder what would happen locally if the Millstone Waterford complex experienced a serious problem requiring mass evacuations. I think back to one Friday afternoon when a serious crash closed down I-95 near the I-395 split. Traffic was backed up in every direction for hours on the Connecticut Turnpike from Old Saybrook to Norwich, not to mention Routes 1, 32, 82, 85, 156, 161 and more. That alone should be reason to extend Route 11. That incident left a permanent doubt as to whether an evacuation here would ever work. I hope we never need to find out, because it wouldn't be pretty.

Charlie's "Winning" Ways

2011-03-07T23:49:00.002-05:00

Wow, my 200th post! I must have a lot to say. What hasn't been said by and about Charlie Sheen over the last couple of weeks? Perhaps his most memorable rant-filled interview leading up to his firing from "Two and a Half Men" was with ABC last week, when Charlie's most quoted words were all captured in the span of a few minutes: "tiger blood," "one gear - go" and of course, the ever-present "winning." This has either been the most publicized celebrity meltdown in history or Charlie is a genius at playing us all for fools while getting notoriety - or both. Google "Charlie Sheen" and you'll get all kinds of impersonators, with Jimmy Fallon and Jerry O'Connell among the funniest. "Two and a Half Men" may not be high culture, but it has been very well written and I'm not too snobby to think it's funny. Some variation on this theme can still succeed in CBS prime time. Whatever happens, it will take more than merely replacing Sheen's character with a similar one. The tabloids are having a field day as the world finds itself incapable of looking away from this train wreck. I can't help but feel sad for his family. There are so many people less fortunate than Charlie Sheen who can't find their way back to sobriety. For all his millions, he's no different than the dysfunctional people on the Jerry Springer Show. I don't see this headed to a good place. Perhaps a trip to quake-ravaged Haiti with his pal Sean Penn can inject some perspective into his own victim mentality. I will say that if getting fired from a job ultimately defines "winning," then I'm a big winner too!

Radio Flashback: The Vermont Fortress of Solitude

2011-03-02T00:42:00.003-05:00

WCFR in Springfield, Vermont was my first regular airshift at a commercial radio station. I was the Sunday air personality from 3:00 to 9:30 pm for a couple of months in the winter of early 1975, and it's safe to say my level of personality was still in a very formative stage. Although a small market station emanating from a fallout shelter on top of a long hill outside of town, the guys who ran it had this high energy Top 40 AM & FM simulcast sounding pretty big time. The AM side (complete with highly pumped up audio) would sign off at sunset and the FM was still in glorious mono. At the interview, the general manager asked me, "Do you believe in WCFR?" After my first show, the program director asked if I enjoyed it. How many bosses ask those questions? I remember the control room had a very imposing microphone suspended from the ceiling. There were these big handles on each side of the board which I grabbed onto for dear life as I screamed into the mic trying to get into the whole Top 40 thing. The PD told me it wasn't necessary to shout. What really left an impression on me was the solitude of that long weekend shift that included running tapes after 9:30 for the King Biscuit Flour Hour and then a slightly hip religious tape called "Scan." No sooner did I get some comfort level at this frozen fortress of solitude when I came to the realization that my studying for Monday Psych 101 quizzes at Keene State College was conflicting with the show. That and a few commuting experiences up that hill in my less than snow worthy '67 Plymouth Satellite sealed the deal. I had to give my notice the same day I had been given my own customized jock shout. The PD was disappointed, but radio hadn't yet become a central tenet of my life. That would change. I still can't hear "Kung Fu Fighting" or "Lady Marmalade" without thinking about that isolated radio outpost making my $2.10 an hour.

Union Busters

2011-02-21T20:02:00.005-05:00

Protesters rally in Madison, Wisconsin

In the perfect working world, there would be no need for unions. Real life is not necessarily fair, so unions formed in both the public and private sector. Now, a recently elected Wisconsin governor is saying he and a Republican legislative majority were given a mandate to deal with the state budget crisis by depriving teachers unions of their collective bargaining rights. When did voters say that? The teachers have already agreed to pay cuts and paying more into their benefits, but Governor Scott Walker insists that the elimination of collective bargaining is an essential "tool" in balancing Wisconsin's budget. Without collective bargaining, what "tool" do unions have left? In other words, it's not about money, benefits or any compromise; Governor Walker doesn't care about that. He is obviously more concerned about being the darling of the national right wing in starting something other states may look to emulate as they deal with their busted budgets. Democratic legislators fled the state to avoid being accomplices in this obvious attempt to bust any leverage these unions may have. Politicians always say how important teachers are, but this ambitious governor has demonstrated nothing but contempt for teachers by being so unyielding. These teachers are willing to sacrifice. Are the big money interests of the Koch Brothers and others willing to do more than accept massive tax breaks and then bankrolling this union busting? Governor Walker is not the first politician to scapegoat public workers; former Connecticut Governor John Rowland did that right here after his election in the nineties. Walker and his backers are on the wrong side of history.

A Tricky Disease

2011-02-15T10:57:00.003-05:00


Bullseye Lyme Disease Rash

A trip to my doctor's office yesterday brought some unwelcome news, but it may explain a few things. I tested positive for Lyme Disease, which is caused by a bacteria transmitted through deer ticks. Early last summer, I came down with some serious pain in my legs and hips. That is around the time we are most susceptible to tick bites, and the doctor could tell it wasn't due to a more recent exposure. I never noticed any bullseye Lyme Disease rash which is often visible after being bitten, but not everyone gets this symptom. At first I thought it was the result of overdoing my walk each night, but the pain never really went away after slowing down my exercise routine. I do know that for the next three weeks I'll be taking the antibiotic Doxycycline. Assuming I can tolerate that without side effects - they tell me to eat yogurt with it - I look forward to feeling better in time for the end of this crazy winter. Lyme Disease masks itself in so many ways. Early detection can prevent more serious complications.

An Amazing Day in Egypt

2011-02-12T00:37:00.004-05:00

As the Janis Joplin song goes, "Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose." Many Egyptians felt that way as decades of frustration poured out onto Facebook pages and eventually the streets over the past several weeks. Thirty years of Hosni Mubarak's authoritarian rule, a culture of corruption among police and the ruling party, plus an enormous economic crisis meant so much of Egyptian society had finally had enough. We have witnessed a tidal wave of people power motivated more by pride and determination than fear. Judging by the reaction of the protesters following Mubarak's resignation, there is no way the military establishment will be able to put the genie back in the bottle. Given the current state of affairs, who would want to? Chronic joblessness and illiteracy combined with skyrocketing food prices to make life miserable for so many in this cradle of civilization that is now home to 80 million. The West can claim some responsibility for spreading democratic ideas, but we have also helped bankroll a military junta that has been every bit as repressive as the Shah of Iran. We don't want that kind of history to repeat itself. Speculators have also artificially inflated food prices in countries like Egypt that depend heavily on imported wheat. The U.S. may not be able to dictate Egypt's agenda, but we can help prevent food riots. In 24 hours, we saw anger turn to jubilation. That's an encouraging sign in a region known more for stability at the point of a gun than by hope.

Only In America

2011-02-07T17:24:00.005-05:00

Super Bowl XLV generated plenty of buzz, with game MVP Aaron Rodgers throwing for 304 yards and three TDs in Green Bay's 31-25 defeat of the Steelers. If you watched solely for a great football game, the Packers' win didn't disappoint. If you tuned in for the new commercials, you may not have found an abundance of heavy hitters. I did like the Best Buy spot with the unlikely pairing of Ozzie Osbourne and Justin Bieber, especially with Ozzie looking so confused in the background at the end. Eminem, someone you either like or loathe, was in two spots; I thought they both worked. The Coke ad with the border guards was, like the drink, classic. Christina Aguilera is not the first one to botch the words to the National Anthem, but she could at least get them right for the Super Bowl. I knew the Black Eyed Peas would bomb at halftime. The elaborate light production, great moves from Usher and guitar help from Slash could not save what has always been a super-group based on studio production, not live performances. A dead mic on Fergie didn't help matters at the beginning. The Super Bowl again had its share of excellence, mediocrity and awkward moments. I guess that's what makes it such an American event, there for all to see... warts and all.

More Of This?

2011-02-01T11:03:00.002-05:00

My Backyard

Welcome to February! We start the month in the middle of another winter storm in a pattern that has continued unabated since the day after Christmas. How many people even knew what a roof rake was before this season? Sure, there's a revolution in Egypt, but we're all too busy digging out from the succession of snowfalls to pay attention to it. For the second time, I hired some guys to get the heavy snow off my roof. With 2000 square feet and not exactly the steepest roof pitch, I didn't want to take any chances. The big ice buildup along the edges by the gutters made a hazardous job even more treacherous. I tried to tackle the garage, which was a little less intimidating. Heights are not my favorite thing - I admit it. I didn't want that to collapse on my car after just spending $1000 to replace my busted garage door - these storms have been cruel enough. I am thankful for two things so far this time around: 1.) I'm not on as much of a set work schedule the way I was during those brutal commutes to Hartford in the nasty winter of '95-'96. 2.) I don't have to drive my car over a very long snow-coated hill to get into a radio station before 6:00 a.m. With local TV scrolling storm info and school system emails or texting to parents, reading that laundry list of closings on the radio is becoming a thing of the past. Let's hope the ground hog gives us good news tomorrow. We've broken enough records!

A Change In The Weather

2011-01-24T11:17:00.004-05:00

Regis announced last week he will be stepping down from his daytime talk show sometime this summer. TMZ says he was not happy about a pay cut. Keith Olbermann's announcement and departure from MSNBC last Friday were more immediate, but his battle with management had already come to light with his two-day suspension last fall. Both men were responsible for establishing a brand that made big bucks for their corporate bosses. They are not easily replaceable. Geoff Fox is one of the few local weather people I have never met. He clearly could have gone on to more guest spots on Good Morning America or bigger markets, but he loved Connecticut. For the past 26 years, Geoff Fox has been the evening weatherman at WTNH Channel 8, a station I grew up watching. His contract was not renewed, and his fans' Facebook campaign to keep him on News 8 seems to have only backfired to the point where management pulled him off air sooner than expected. With all the anchor shuffles at a station in a tight ratings battle, Geoff Fox, Doctor Mel and Ann Nyberg were the constants. I know life goes on, but I have to wonder what WTNH was thinking.

Here's my contribution to Geoff's blog after hearing the news: Connecticut television has been blessed by a wealth of pros over the years, but you brought a presence and personality that gave WTNH and WCTX an edge in a very competitive market. As a longtime Connecticut radio guy I know how crazy this whole business can get. Establishing a consistent one-on-one connection with listeners or viewers is a unique gift; you have accomplished that.

A Very Worthy Dream

2011-01-17T23:03:00.003-05:00

Judge people "not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said those words in 1963 less than five years before a gunman took his life. Seeing his speech was an inspirational conclusion to my 1996 visit to the Civil Rights Museum in Birmingham, Alabama. They were words to all of us, and they apply as much now as they did then. Dr. King's words and nonviolent protests helped usher in a tidal wave of social change, yet he was a moderate voice in a time full of radicalization from both the right and left. Following the recent tragedy in Tucson, we heard so many stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things and President Obama's speech stressing how the forces that unite us are far greater than those that divide us. For a few days, the latest round of bitter political rhetoric on the air and online has been shunned by the overwhelming majority of Americans. Few doubt that the angry voices will be back, but every American should celebrate the voices of reason, inclusion and compassion that actually move us forward. This is more than an African-American holiday. This should be for all Americans.

Words Hurt

2011-01-10T10:29:00.004-05:00

Six Killed in Tucson Shooting (AP)

Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords warned about the effect of hate speech and heated rhetoric before becoming the victim of an attempted assassination herself over the weekend. Six others were shot dead and a dozen others were injured because of the actions of one young man described as a loner who posted strange internet rants and exhibited some alarming behavior in school. Still, Jared Lee Loughner had no criminal record, bought a gun and turned an appearance by Representative Giffords at a Tucson Safeway supermarket into a nightmare. We can make this into yet another gun control debate or try to pin the blame on specific people who may have influenced Loughner, but do we really think this will accomplish anything positive? I do know this: political discussion has gotten more polarized than I can remember, and I can recall the sixties. The nasty tone of the 2010 elections (including here in Connecticut), the "my way or the highway" attitude of many bloggers, cable news shows and talk radio hosts along with the overall lack of civility in society are unacceptable. I am somewhat familiar with Tucson and may have even been at that store on the busy corner of Ina and Oracle Roads, and I'm saddened to see how a town I loved is now part of an angry immigration debate where few people have any desire to compromise. The Pima County Sheriff there said it well, calling for an end to the "vitriol" in public discussion. This should serve as a wake-up call! Think twice before demonizing others. From what I heard in the media today, few are taking that advice.

Video Brings Back the Radio Star

2011-01-05T20:47:00.003-05:00

Ted Williams on WNCI Columbus, OH

The video of homeless and unemployed radio announcer Ted Williams panhandling by the road in Columbus, Ohio caught the attention of millions when the video went viral. He was holding a sign saying he had a "golden voice" and a passing newspaper reporter happened to record him. Williams said he had a drug problem, but had been clean for two years. After quickly getting over 5,000,000 hits on YouTube and national news coverage, the offers started flooding in from across the country to do radio shows and voiceover work. Could this man become a millionaire? I have to agree with everyone else who has heard his voice - this guy is major market material. Howard Stern claimed that the story could be a hoax, wondering how this man with the golden voice could have become so destitute. Howard has seldom been called an elitist, but I have to wonder if the "King of All Media" realizes how tough times are for so many talented broadcasters who now have little or no work in a profession they love. A few bad breaks or wrong moves can seriously disrupt a career. Radio jobs are not as numerous these days, and the average wage has never been the road to riches. Beyond broadcasting, this story of redemption has caught the attention of many Americans. I have been fortunate to have made much of my living at something I have loved for over 35 years without resorting to panhandling, but who are we to think we could never be that down on our luck? I am excited to have a new radio home on 102.3 The Wolf (WMOS). I'll be on Citadel New London's rock station live from the Mohegan Sun studios Saturdays 2-6pm and Sundays 10am-3pm and a few fill-in shifts too. Give a wave when you go by.

To Forgive

2010-12-30T09:41:00.002-05:00

"To err is human; to forgive is divine." This notable quote from eighteenth-century English poet Alexander Pope reminded me of Pope John Paul II, who forgave his attempted assassin. I've always considered myself a forgiving person. With the passage of time and a few good breaks, forgiveness has always had a way of happening. This year, that process has not been as easy, and that is often when it is most important to forgive. We need all our focus and strength to move past the hurt, anger and need for vindication. Forgiveness is simply letting go. Pride or caring can be an obstacle, but we don't have to have a resolution before forgiving. For my sake and for those who care about me, there is no other route in facing any tough times still to come. Commentator Ben Stein recently said that forgiveness is the best gift you can give yourself for the holidays. It is a wonderful New Year's resolution that can make for a truly liberating experience.

Holiday, Oh Holiday!

2010-12-22T23:25:00.004-05:00

Happy Honda Days Ad

It's no secret that the holiday season has gotten even more commercialized as the pressure to have a big fourth quarter in sales gets greater and greater. Sometimes one or two ads stand out to the point of total distraction. Have you heard the commercial for Honda? "Holiday, oh holiday, and the best one of the year," proclaims the jingle. Now, Honda is a quality car. If you can afford to give one as a gift, then more power to you. But please, make that jingle stop! It's driving me insane! Here's the original song, if you can't get enough of it. It's etched in my mind worse this year than that song about Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey. I trust both will go away after Christmas or the New Year. There's also one for Michael's Jewelers where a woman sings about being in a state of something, but that may not be wearing as thin since I can't complete the lyric. Christmas is often about nostalgia, so I miss some of the ads I grew up with in the sixties. Before I was old enough to shave, I remember the Norelco shaver "Floating Heads" commercials when Santa would ride on the floating heads through the snowy hills set to a Jingle Bells melody. The shavers are still around, so why did they get rid of it? At least they still have the Hershey's Kisses commercials where the chocolate kisses ring out a holiday tune. If they can bring back Charlie Brown's Christmas every year, why not the Norelco Santa. Hey, you get your Christmas memories where you can. Happy Holidays!

Good Night, Larry

2010-12-16T22:54:00.001-05:00

It would be easy to call Larry King's last live show on CNN the end of an era of the kinder, gentler national talk show host who maintained some degree of objectivity. Sadly, that era had already passed and CNN's declining ratings have reflected that. Over the past 25 years, Larry's guest list has seen the most impressive variety of celebrities and newsmakers ever assembled on one program. He got these people because he let them talk. While he didn't necessarily ask all the hard questions, he posed enough of them over the years without making guests overly defensive or uncomfortable. It wasn't all about him. Larry has been true to that premise since his late night radio days when I used to hear him on the old Mutual Broadcasting System. He was a welcoming voice to everyone who had an opinion, not just to those who agreed with him. As the level of discourse gets more heated, personal and polarized, I hope CNN can find its way back to being a news leader without trying to follow in the footsteps of Fox and MSNBC. While Larry's style may have seemed outdated to many viewers these days, there is still room for hosts who can get real answers from guests. Anderson Cooper's "Keeping Them Honest" segments are good examples of hard-hitting journalism without a predetermined political agenda. Styles change. Civility and objectivity are more important than ever. Larry has consistently tried to give you what you need to decide for yourself.

A Tragic Holiday

2010-12-07T23:45:00.002-05:00

The mourning period continues following the horrific one-car accident on Route 201 north of Route 138 in Griswold. Four teenagers are dead; a fifth is in critical condition. All five were Griswold High School students. This story of a car out of control hitting a tree has stunned a community already shocked by a domestic dispute that took the life of a despondent young man just days ago on nearby Bethel Road. Sympathy goes out to the many grief-stricken classmates, family members and neighbors. This region has been shaken by a tragedy that can leave the most professional grief counselor at a loss for words.

Animal Hoarding in Montville

2010-12-01T23:10:00.002-05:00

Photo from WTNH

It was a sickening scene. Montville saw its most shocking case of animal hoarding ever. Neighbors at the Mountain View Apartments reported a very strong stench that led animal control officers to a feces-filled apartment where they found about 40 animals, some dead or dying. There were cats, a dog, ferrets, snakes , birds and other animals in cages lacking food and water. Aside from what to do with the animals and their neglectful owner, how on earth could anyone let this get so out of control? You probably know people who collect a lot more things than they let go of, but why would anyone hang on to these living creatures so long after they can take care of them? Is there a relationship between animal hoarding and hoarding other things? I have heard the theory that hoarders feel a lack of control over their own lives, so amassing more things (or perhaps even animals) gives them that sense of control over at least something. If so, this is a very unhealthy and false sense of empowerment. It is very sad to see this situation deteriorate to this point before neighbors finally noticed.

Feeding Paranoia

2010-11-30T11:21:00.001-05:00

When news of the WikiLeaks publication of 250,000 classified documents came out, the story may have seemed unprecedented in scope. That's not to say we don't try to find historical similarities. Daniel Ellsberg was on CNN's Larry King Show last night. He was the guy who leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1971. There is no doubt that the Pentagon Papers fueled an already high degree of paranoia in the Nixon administration that later culminated in the Watergate scandal and the President's resignation in 1974. In the end, Nixon's downfall wasn't any leaked document. It was his own paranoia caught on tape. These new developments put the Obama administration's pledge of transparency to the ultimate test. I agree with Secretary of State Clinton that these leaks do not make the WikiLeaks people heroes. The real tragedy would be the resulting reluctance to share vital information without fear of it falling into hands of those who would kill us. Rogue regimes like Iran and North Korea feed off the chance to justify their paranoid existence. The WikiLeaks people never considered that. The Pentagon Papers gave us information that shed light on the Vietnam War, whether we liked it or not. The random nature and pure volume of these new leaks may provide more heat than light.

The Politics of Dancing

2010-11-24T13:29:00.001-05:00

Jennifer Grey of "Dirty Dancing" fame won this season's celebrity dance-off on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Her signature dance in the finale and her touching story of overcoming physical adversity made this decision hard to debate. While the judges and voting viewers got it right, the season was probably the most controversial thanks to Bristol Palin's placement among the top three finalists. While Sarah Palin's daughter improved over time, other contestants with higher scores fell by the wayside. Add this heated political season and her mother's heavy media exposure, and you have the recipe for people on the fringes getting carried away with their irrational reactions to what is basically a massively promoted dance contest. I wonder what makes some people a "star", but I guess notoriety is the only criterion and that question didn't begin with this season. There were undoubtedly viewers who were for or against her just because of her mother, but Dancing with the Stars should be about the contestants and nothing else. There I go again - living in a perfect world.

Q105 Hits 30

2010-11-21T11:27:00.005-05:00

From left, an unidentified fan with Mike Lehman (in costume),

Franco and co-host Jody Morris. (From The Day)

I never worked at Q105, but I know so many people who did. They were the competition. This past weekend, WQGN 105.5 celebrated 30 years as eastern Connecticut's contemporary hit station. Franco, Jody and many others were reunited on air. I never actually met Frank "Franco" Carofano, but I feel I know him through his imprint on this legendary station. Franco's longtime Q Morning Zoo co-host Jody is a good friend from our stays across town at WBMW, and I know how excited she was to be back on the air even if only for a day. The eighties and nineties were a different time for radio, with less consolidation and automation along with a need for someone in the studio 24/7. 30 years ago, there were about half as many radio stations covering New London County as there are now, and Q105 owned the younger market. I knew the Q's first couple of program directors - Rick Everett and Neil Sullivan - just enough to know what strong advocates they were for realizing their visions of exciting and successful local hit music radio. An interactive morning show where the co-hosts have great chemistry is no small part of this success story, and I got the impression both Franco & Jody miss what they shared with their audience. I miss it too, especially at this holiday time when there are unique ways for a station to serve its community. This market has no shortage of stations in this area which continue to make that valuable contribution. Q105 pushes on today with a national morning show and local information updates which have found a successful niche. Whether it's local or national, compelling content, good chemistry and connecting one on one with the listener will always win the day.

One Less Local Option

2010-11-11T12:43:00.001-05:00

The world of fast food just got a little smaller here in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Canada-based Tim Hortons announced it is shutting down all of its coffee and baked goods shops in the two states. The company has 3,000 outlets in Canada and 600 in the United States. I have to say it's not a total shock. Tim Hortons had already closed numerous stores in this area. Dunkin Donuts is everywhere here, the way Tim Hortons is established north of the border. I will miss the alternative to Dunkin; choice is a good thing. Where will I find a fruit explosion muffin or maple donut now? In my humble opinion, their baked goods were better and I liked their lunch combos (served on real plates), but Dunkin and McDonald's have them all beat when it comes to coffee. Also on the fast food front, Wendy's announced it will change the way they make french fries. Say it ain't so! They're going to be crisper and less "potato-ey." To me, Wendy's fries were absolutely the best when they are fresh and hot. I'm not liking these developments (sigh).

The Ultimate Penalty

2010-11-08T12:46:00.000-05:00

Steven Hayes has been sentenced to death on all six capital felony counts in the 2007 Cheshire home invasion. My first reaction was how Dr. William Petit Jr. and all the people closest to the three people murdered must feel about this development. Petit, the lone survivor of the home invasion, favored the death sentence, as did Connecticut governor Jodi Rell. I can't imagine what it will be like for Dr. Petit and others who will have to go through this process again next year with the trial of Joshua Komisarjevsky, but there is some comfort in knowing justice is being done. The death penalty has never been proven more effective as a deterrent than other forms of punishment, but some crimes are so abhorrent that the ultimate sentence is the least society can impose.

Issues Take Back Seat In Connecticut Elections

2010-11-02T23:51:00.004-04:00

They say we're all winners when we participate in the electoral process, but this year the voters of Connecticut haven't won by much. There were just 21,000 ballots available for 69,000 registered voters in Connecticut's largest city, the Democratic stronghold of Bridgeport. This is gross incompetence by election officials. The most incredibly negative gubernatorial campaign at first appeared to be a win by Republican Tom Foley. His attack ads were just slightly milder than Democrat Dan Malloy's spots, so I thought the better man won since Foley was the slightly lesser of two evils. Then the extent of the Bridgeport fiasco became apparent. Then there's the $50 million senatorial campaign waged by World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon which relentlessly played up Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's Vietnam blunder, quoting the one occasion he erroneously said he served in the military "in Vietnam" instead of "during the Vietnam era." Here in eastern Connecticut, Republican Janet Peckinpaugh took a refreshingly high road in her late challenge to Democratic second district congressman Joe Courtney, but she never presented a convincing argument as to how she'd do a better job at fostering job growth in a section of the state too dependent on a few big employers. The voters deserve better than attack ads that drag the level of discourse into the gutter. Thank God it's over for now!
UPDATE (12:22pm 11/3/10): Maybe it's not over. NBC Connecticut reports: Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz declares Dan Malloy the winner of the Governor's Race based on unofficial results.
UPDATE (10:43pm 11/3/10): A new development. NBC Connecticut reports: The Associated Press has withdrawn its call for Dan Malloy in the race for Governor. New AP numbers show Republican challenger Tom Foley ahead by more than 8,000 votes.
UPDATE (11/5/10): Are we done? CNN reports: Democrat Dan Malloy has won the tight Connecticut governor's race over Republican Tom Foley, secretary of state Susan Bysiewicz announced by statement Friday. Figures Friday evening showed Malloy received 566,498 votes and Foley got 560,861 votes.

Fleas on Steroids!

2010-10-31T11:45:00.001-04:00

Flea

Happy Halloween! What scares you? The tone of this political season certainly scares me, but some of nature's pests can be pretty creepy when they get out of control. My house could hardly be considered dirty or even cluttered, so I ask: Are these pests developing a resistance to traditional extermination methods? While I miss my dearly departed cat, I suspect she had a part in bringing fleas into my house after those short periods she would get outside. The little bloodsuckers seemed to have no trouble moving on to my dog Oreo. I had thought his constant scratching was just a seasonal itch. A stroke of a flea comb uncovered the tiny parasites. I had stocked up on Frontline flea treatment and had already put it on Oreo, yet the fleas had refused to die. It had always worked before. The vet put him on a Capstar pill which was supposed to kill the fleas in 40 minutes - it didn't happen. Three flea baths didn't provide lasting relief either. Three pesticide-filled flea bombs later, the dog was still managing to pick up the tiny bugs from someplace in the house. The carpets got shampooed while every floor got vacuumed every day. Oreo got vacuumed with a special pet attachment. A flea collar - for fleas and their eggs - followed. Nothing stopped them! Another trip to Oreo's vet yielded some K-9 Advantix; you know, the product in the "there ain't no bugs on me" commercial. That seemed to slow them down. I still found a couple of stragglers alive in his blanket, but I hope we're nearing the end of this very stressful chapter as his flea comb yielded nothing. I think I'll set off another flea bomb, just for good measure!

News Analyst or Political Commentator?

2010-10-24T11:13:00.000-04:00

It's hard to feel too sorry for former National Public Radio news analyst Juan Williams. He also appeared regularly on Fox News, which is where he made comments that displeased his NPR bosses. He was abruptly fired last week by NPR for expressing his fear of fellow plane passengers wearing Muslim garb. NPR felt his role as a news analyst had been compromised by his statements. Fox News had no problem at all, offering Williams a two million dollar deal to stay with them. In this overheated political season, it's no surprise that some politicians on the right wanted to use this incident as a reason to abolish the two per cent of its funding that NPR receives from the federal government. Some liberals also expressed their displeasure with NPR. Did NPR have a right to let him go if they were so uncomfortable with his dual media roles? Yes. Did it appear to be handled too severely and open NPR to criticism from conservatives who contend the network is too far left? Absolutely. Even many guests on NPR took issue with the move. Were these honest comments of his on Fox that far over the top? I don't think so, but that's just my view and I wasn't paying him to be my news analyst. Since leaving commercial radio back in March, I've become a big fan of the service NPR provides. Its very intellectual presentation does give NPR a very elite, even snobbish image. After hours and hours of listening, I have to say NPR is much more objective than their detractors give them credit for, providing less heat and more light than most commercial networks. At the same time, they became the story themselves and a lightning rod for free speech advocates and conservative critics. The Williams incident could have been handled more diplomatically, but he'll be just fine. It would be a shame if NPR's reputation suffered just because of this.

The Little Lady

2010-10-19T20:07:00.002-04:00

They say that people learn to deal with loss better with age. I'm not sure I see it that way after having to say goodbye to my cat, Cookie. I really wasn't ready to let this important member of the family go after almost 12 years, but I didn't see much choice. Cookie was adopted from the Connecticut Humane Society in Quaker Hill when she was a little over a year old. She was a docile, perky and affectionate cat who never complained about much. The enclosed porch was her peaceful sanctuary where she never seemed to have a care in the world. One week in the summer of 2009, I had to leave her alone at home and she only got a visit once a day to be fed by others. When I returned, she planted herself on my lap for an hour as if to say she'd never take me for granted again. Those big eyes won me over every time. I wish pets could live longer. She brought so much into my life during the time she was here.

New Highs and New Lows

2010-10-15T09:35:00.000-04:00

The rescue of the 33 Chilean miners was certainly the high point of the week. Viewers all over the world witnessed what can happen when people work together for the common good. As MSNBC's Chris Matthews pointed out last night, this story contrasts so sharply with the tone of the political season here in the U.S. From Alaska to right here in Connecticut, the landscape is littered with ads that shoot first as too few people ask questions later. Bob Schieffer of CBS once suggested we abolish primaries. They have certainly allowed the venom surrounding the Connecticut gubernatorial campaign to continue much longer than it should have. I have never wanted to vote "none of the above" as much as I do now. The senatorial campaign here started off on a higher note, but that has deteriorated to out-of-context sound bites that leave any reasonable adult totally disgusted.

Spelling It Out

2010-10-10T12:16:00.002-04:00

VP Dan Quayle tells student to add an "e" to potato in 1992

For the second time in a row, a segment on CBS Sunday Morning inspired me to chime in. This time they ran a story on two guys who go around correcting spelling and punctuation mistakes on signs. I remember a restaurant in Jewett City called "Classic's" that actually made the extra effort to add the unnecessary apostrophe. I assume it wasn't owned by someone named "Classic." A misplaced apostrophe drives me especially crazy. In this fast-paced world of texting and Facebook status updates because people have less patience to talk to one another, I see bad spelling and punctuation everywhere. "Its" vs. "it's" and "your" vs. "you're" and "there" vs. "they're" are my big pet peeves. I have to qualify my indignation by saying I'm not bragging about being a superior speller or punctuator, since there are plenty of things in life in which I will never excel. There have always been people who couldn't spell well, and there are legitimate reasons like dyslexia. I just wonder if our fast pace, failure to check our work or overdependence on the spell check feature mean our attention span has gotten impossibly short. Call me picky, but you have no idea how much I checked before hitting "publish" on this article!

Happy Anniversary! Happy Anniversary!

2010-09-30T19:56:00.001-04:00

It's a page right out of history. Fifty years ago tonight, ABC launched The Flintstones. Seeing the first episode about this modern stone age family from the town of Bedrock was one of those great TV "Oh wow" moments for this Baby Boomer kid. I remember that first show so well. It was basically an animated version of the hit fifties show The Honeymooners. For six years we loyally followed the adventures of Fred, Barney, Wilma and Betty, and saw the addition of Pebbles and Bamm Bamm. I even remember when they had a national contest to give Pebbles her name. If you know who Mr. Slate, Joe Rockhead and Gary Granite are, you were a fan of The Flintstones too. Although I thought I recalled everything about The Flintstones, a look at some Ultimate Flintstones Trivia here put me in my place. Trivia expert or not, we all had a Yabba-dabba-doo time! So-o-oh, Happy Anniversary!

Nothing To Sneeze At?

2010-09-28T23:53:00.000-04:00

Sneezy

Pollen!

Is it my imagination, or has this season been the worst for allergies? This curse goes back to my childhood when I'd camp out or play in the cornfields behind our house and end up paying for my love of the great outdoors with sneezing, itchy eyes, sinusitus and stuffy nose. It started out as a late summer thing and then evolved into different allergies throughout the year. I got tested positive for reactions to dust, cat dander, mold and an assortment of allergens like the magnified offenders above. If it's a hay fever medication - Benadryl, Zyrtec, Claritin and the rest - I've tried it. I went through countless sessions of allergy shots with visits that continued for years. Has it made me better? It's hard to prove a negative and know how I'd be without all the treatments. I do know this has been an especially nasty allergy season, mostly in the morning. Is it worse for allergens due to global warming or more enclosed environments? I'll leave that to the experts. If you are among those affected, I feel your pain. Oh yeah, I've tried the local honey too - still sneezing.

The Two Bells

2010-09-22T12:17:00.001-04:00

Many political leaders seem to count on their constituents looking the other way. That seemed to be the case in Connecticut's "Belltown" of East Hampton. Town Manager Jeffrey O'Keefe resigned this month in a storm of controversy after town residents angrily protested his sudden firing back in June of town Police Chief Matthew Reimondo. Most of the Town Council backed up O'Keefe, citing financial cutbacks as the reason for the firing, but most townspeople saw it as payback for the chief’s role in investigating three sexual harassment complaints lodged against O’Keefe by three female town employees. This looked fishy to incensed citizens, and they had every right to feel that way. Shame on the majority of the seven Town Council members for allowing this to happen and compounding the impropriety by giving O'Keefe a $170,000 severance package after the tide of raucous town meetings turned against him. We haven't heard the end of this, as the council still has not listened to the voices demanding the police chief be given back his job.

Across the country in embattled Bell, California, it's being described as "corruption on steroids." The city's manager was pulling down a salary close to $800,000 a year while the police chief was getting half a million and part-timer council members got $100,000. This happened as the small city's unemployment rate hit 16%, services were cut back and taxes were oppressive. The revelations made national news and "people power" again came to bear on their local leaders who were bleeding the Los Angeles suburb dry. The tale of these two "bell towns" makes me wonder how many other leaders across the nation are hoping their constituents will look the other way. If we fail to watch our leaders, who can we blame but ourselves?

Three G.O.B. Observations

2010-09-14T10:09:00.002-04:00

You don't have to go far in eastern Connecticut to find empty storefronts, and that didn't just start with this recession. After nine straight years now (and a few years in the eighties and nineties) of prospecting small businesses about direct mail advertising, I feel like I can often predict whether or not a venture will make it. That is not based on any psychic powers or superior knowledge of most businesses' products and services, and I'm sure there are others who would be able to foresee a store's survival or demise. And believe me, I'm nowhere close to being a guru on financial success. To this humble observer, preventing or minimizing failure boils down to three basic things. First, and foremost according to more expert sources, is lack of capital. Money doesn't usually start flowing in the day you open; enough said on that. The second: distraction away from the customer. I'm constantly amazed how many businesses ignore their clientele's needs. They complain at length about their own problems. Their store has, shall I say, a less than "welcome" look. They're never open consistently. They don't supply what the customer looks for. Finally, it's nice to do what you like, but many simply don't do their homework. As I learned in radio, it's not about what you think will "sound good." It's about gathering information and going with what objectively makes sense. In advertising, I see it all the time when someone spends all their money on media that have a very inefficient reach way beyond their actual market while failing to start with the local basics. We all make mistakes, but if you ignore these three warning signs you depend too much on pure luck to make it through the long haul or even short sprint.

So Long, Summer

2010-09-07T01:12:00.000-04:00

Summer is over, no matter what the calendar says. If summer's your season, the weather certainly didn't disappoint. As for myself, summer seldom has ever lived up to the hype. The commercials always tell us it's time for "summer fun." I'll decide that, thank you. While I have boyhood summer memories of something vaguely similar to those beach movies from the swingin' sixties and managed to fit in a few nice vacation trips as an adult, I rarely feel sad about its passing. The time between Labor Day and Halloween is usually my favorite. There's still plenty of daylight and mild weather without the ragweed, sunburn, mosquitoes and shoreline crowds. Call me a Summer Scrooge. Give me a crisp September day at a fair over midsummer air quality alerts anyday. I remember climbing Mount Monadnock in southern New Hampshire in October 1995 and thinking it doesn't get any better than this.

They're Mad As Hell

2010-08-29T12:03:00.002-04:00

And they're "not going to take it anymore." Glenn Beck has compared himself to the Howard Beale anchor-gone-mad from the seventies movie "Network." The conservative star does occasionally come unhinged while still appearing more compassionate than the in-your-face rants of eighties talker Morton Downey, Jr. As with Downey - or even the mythical Beale - when does the entertainment end and we consider the real impact of what they have to say? There is no doubt our country is in serious persistent economic difficulty and people are angry. The economy affects everything in our culture. Tea Party people have a right to vent like the rest of us. Most people reject the extremes. I thought Beck lost credibility when he said the President had a deep "hatred for white people." That should have been a deal breaker, although he retracted it a year later, but no. This former Connecticut DJ from KC-101 has become his own wildly successful brand, but everytime I hear him I remain totally clueless as to what he is trying to say while he often likens opponents to Nazis. How do you claim you had no idea your D.C. rally on the site of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech was on that speech's anniversary while you're calling for "taking back the civil rights movement"? And to say it's not political? Give me a break. As a former Connecticut DJ myself, this Glenn doesn't think there are many radio people prepared to assume the mantle of prophet. As a student of history, I see the focus on a cult of personality as potentially dangerous.

Radio Flashback: College Radio Days

2010-08-22T03:56:00.003-04:00

From Keene State College Equinox 1975

In the fall of 1974, the Keene, New Hampshire radio dial wasn't nearly as crowded as it is today. Keene State College Radio, WKNH, was only available at certain times of the year on campus on AM or local FM cable until the station got an FM "free air" license covering the town a year later. Even with this limited reach, I was impressed with reaction I'd get from college and community listeners from day one of my Friday shows. It was truly free-form, underground, eclectic, progressive rock. Some of it was very obscure; some of it became today's classic rock. When I'd go back home to Connecticut, I'd listen closely to what album rockers like WPLR and WHCN were saying and playing so I could help share a type of alternative radio otherwise unheard in southwestern New Hampshire. A lot of people I knew at school got involved with the station. My first roommate, Tony, not only shared his wealth of "prog rock" knowledge with me, but he was also a natural on the air. He first told me about some unknown from his home state of New Jersey named Bruce Springsteen. Few from the WKNH crew went on to radio careers. There was a level of politics I was totally unprepared for as I got more involved in WKNH, but I remember an extraordinary group of people whose names I recall to this day. I also enjoyed every opportunity to go on the air and put sets of music together that could start with some mellow Joni Mitchell and end with earsplitting Black Sabbath. Where's Quicksilver Messenger Service now when I need them? It must have been a labor of love, because when it came time to go in December 1976 I didn't want to leave.

Majority Rule vs. Minority Rights

2010-08-17T00:47:00.001-04:00

Signing of the Constitution of the U.S.

I hear people claiming to be champions of the Constitution protesting how an "activist" judge could singlehandedly strike down the results of a California referendum banning gay marriage. After all, how could a judge overrule the will of the people? The attempt to open a Muslim community center less than two blocks from Ground Zero doesn't seem to be winning any popularity contest either. Isn't majority rule what our democracy is all about? First, the USA is a republic, not a democracy in the strict sense of the word. The framers of the Constitution were brilliant in setting up checks and balances designed to protect the rights of groups and individuals even when they clash with the opinion of a majority or plurality. If we took every decision purely by the electorate, many reforms we take for granted today would never have come to pass. In the early sixties, southern segregationist governors such as Alabama's George Wallace and Georgia's Lester Maddox had the will of the majority on their side when they tried to block civil rights for African Americans. Did that make them right? Perhaps the federal government is a bit ahead of the curve when it goes against what local majorities are ready and willing to accept. If so, many politicians looking for votes and talking heads seeking ratings will cast their lots with the ones trying to block a lower Manhattan mosque or California gay marriage. President Obama has been playing a delicate balancing act himself since taking office, and these issues are no exceptions. The generational shift increasingly accepting gay marriage may eventually make it the will of the majority anyway. In regard to the proposed mosque, I agree with Mayor Bloomberg that it would be a sad day for America if the community rejects it because of the horrible thing 19 terrorists did on 9/11.

Ugly Primary Campaigns

2010-08-11T00:13:00.001-04:00

Republican Tom Foley

Democrat Dan Malloy

Over the weekend, I got a call from the Quinnipiac University Poll about who I'll vote for in the Connecticut primaries. My initial reaction was to say how disgusted I was with the campaigns. Turnout was light. No doubt the overwhelmingly negative tone of the campaign had a lot to do with that. Particularly disgusting were the races on both sides for governor. Ned Lamont, Dan Malloy, Mike Fedele and Tom Foley all ran relentless attack ads for weeks. For the first time, it left me with the desire to hold my nose as I cast my ballot in Colchester. Is this what politicians need to do in order to stir up support? The big surprise was the dramatic shift on the Democrats' side as a Ned Lamont-Daniel Malloy race pollsters considered too close to call became a major 58-42 per cent upset for Stamford mayor Malloy. The bad blood was just as obvious on the GOP side, as Lt. Governor Mike Fedele poured on the effort in the stretch to impressively narrow the gap but still wind up short against former ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley. Republican businessman Oz Griebel stayed above the fray - and below the radar - by being off the air and a distant third. For U.S. Senator, I give Republican former second district congressman Rob Simmons high marks for a positive if delayed active campaign. Linda McMahon is poised to give Attorney General Dick Blumenthal a tough fight. We'll see if the AG is ready to beat back this well-financed challenger. It all reminded me of CBS newsman Bob Schieffer's comment that primaries should be abolished. The vocal and active minority tends to set extreme agendas in each party as moderate people not yet fired up stay home and the election season just gets another reason to drag on even longer. Let's hope against hope that the next 13 weeks don't go on like the previous ones did. Do you really want any of these folks who are taking cheap shots on the low road to lead or represent this state? Oh, and can we please avoid using the word "smackdown" to describe Election Night?

The Annoying Orange Goes Viral

2010-08-07T16:02:00.000-04:00

Most YouTube videos are juvenile. Most are a waste of time. If it weren't for the YouTube app on my Blackberry, I would still be blissfully ignorant of a character that has the most popular YouTube series with over 60 million views: The Annoying Orange. When I first discovered the wisecracking orange with the eyes and mouth of its human creator Dane Boedigheimer, I have to admit liking these simple yet unique (and yes, annoying) videos. I figured if many people my age can be entertained by playing Mafia Wars and Farmville on Facebook, I can laugh at this obnoxious fruit that reminds me of a combination of Dennis the Menace, Don Rickles and Gilbert Gottfried. Don't be surprised if some TV network doesn't pick up this series and try something with it. Through the vast YouTube wasteland, there are some creative people finding an outlet here. YouTube content creators like Ray William Johnson and Shane Dawson may be the next wave of mainstream TV. I'll pass on the YouTube Harry Potter and Katy Perry parodies, but some of what I've seen on that tiny Blackberry screen may be the next primetime ratings winner. That prospect may be annoying, but I'd bet on it.

Another Workplace Tragedy

2010-08-03T14:35:00.001-04:00

Scene after Manchester Shooting (WVIT)

The death toll climbed every time I checked the news today in this tragedy so close to home. At last count, nine people were dead and two seriously injured as an employee apparently facing termination came into a beer distributor in Connecticut this morning at 7:30 and began shooting. Police in Manchester say Omar Thornton, 34, opened fire at Hartford Distributors, killing eight coworkers and then shot himself. We as a nation have become almost numb to this type of tragedy, with the usual discussions of gun control, workplace stress and the gunman's background to follow. In recent history, that has resolved little or nothing. It is time to reflect on the loss to families, friends, co-workers and the community as a whole. The victims were just people trying to make a living. So soon after the loss of two Bridgeport firefighters, the state has another occasion to mourn.

I Predict A Sequel

2010-08-03T13:55:00.000-04:00

It's been ages since I went to the movies, so when I visited a friend in New Hampshire I had to check out the new cinemas in Hooksett near Manchester. "Salt", starring Angelina Jolie, certainly filled the bill for anyone looking for nonstop action and intrigue. It was about a CIA agent planted as a mole and trained as a child by the old Soviet KGB and activated to wreak new havoc in a post Cold War world. The movie, which was originally supposed to star Tom Cruise in a role similar to his "Mission Impossible" character, got mixed reviews. I'll give it high marks for Jolie's portrayal. She even did her own stunts. I really couldn't tell what side she was working for until two-thirds of the way through the plot. That alone kept me on the edge of my seat. By the time the movie's over, you'll think two things: 1.) Who CAN you trust? 2.) The scene has definitely been set for a sequel.

Lessons from an Old School Journalist

2010-07-27T01:24:00.001-04:00

Daniel Schorr

The passing of the great CBS/CNN/NPR journalist Daniel Shorr happened the same week the flap over how blogger Andrew Breitbart's incomplete video posting unfairly cost agriculture official Shirley Sherrod her job. These seemingly unrelated stories actually serve to remind us how news coverage has changed, and not necessarily for the better in a world where anyone can start a blog and declare himself a journalist. This trend did not escape the notice of veteran ABC Nightline anchor Ted Koppel, who was a guest yesterday on NPR. Koppel pointed out how government has also gotten caught up in this new media cycle and then having to do damage control. I noticed how bad the Obama administration, the NAACP, conservative bloggers, journalism in general and the cable news channels in particular looked when practically everyone involved paid more attention to poltical expediency or media sensationalism. While Fox News led the cable pack in spreading an inaccurate story for a day, they later spent more time blaming the administration for overreacting than sufficiently owning up to their own part in laying it on so thick. MSNBC's liberal primetime hosts devoted their energy to blaming Fox more than the officials who were involved in improperly firing Sherrod. Ted Koppel sounded a cautionary note about today's media focusing more on giving the public what they want than what they need. Koppel, Schorr and other great journalists searched for truth. That was their agenda.

The Sonic Experience

2010-07-27T00:41:00.000-04:00

Commercials for Sonic Drive-in restaurants have been seen in Connecticut on cable channels for years, but Sonic did not have any locations here. Those shakes looked so tempting too! That all changed July 14th with the opening of the first Connecticut Sonic in Wallingford. There were special traffic advisories in anticipation of the throngs of fast food fanatics who were expected to converge on this spot on Route 5 off the Wilbur Cross Parkway - did they ever. I was visiting someone nearby and had to check out the mob scene up the road, but there was no way I was going to enter that fast food fray. They get an "A" in traffic control, but I can't imagine waiting an hour or two or three just to get the first crack at what are still drive-in hamburgers, shakes and fries - carhops or no carhops. Six months ago in Fort Myers, Florida, I felt compelled to see what all the Sonic fuss was all about and pulled into a Sonic twice during my week there. I did love their smoothies and the whole retro atmosphere. That was all well and good, but it wasn't the high point of my culinary experiences while on vacation. What I witnessed driving past the new Wallingford Sonic last weekend reminded me of the traffic jams on the Berlin Turnpike stretch of Routes 5/15 when Krispy Kreme Doughnuts came to our fair state. That store is now long gone. After the Sonic experience spreads to Manchester and then all across Connecticut, I hope they don't go the way of Krispy Kreme around here. I loved those hot donuts and at least they're still in Mohegan Sun, but with their rapid regional rise and fall it makes me wonder if they were also cooking the books.

Wisdom from a Facebook Friend

2010-07-22T23:37:00.000-04:00

You can't turn on a TV without somebody reminding us how something is broken. It can leave people with a sense of helplessness and a yearning for some straight answers. There are many people out there willing to try to supply them, and most fall short. Instead of easy answers, maybe we need some common sense perspective. One source for everyday wisdom is Facebook. What? True, most of what's posted there is far from wise or even relevant, but type in Dalai Lama under "search" and you can receive observations from this revered Tibetan Buddhist leader each day. You don't have to be very religious at all (or know Richard Geer) to relate to what the Dalai Lama has to say. Here's a quote from yesterday: Some people think that cultivating compassion is good for others but not necessarily good for themselves, but this is wrong. You are the one who benefits most directly since compassion immediately instills in you a sense of calm, inner strength, and a deep confidence and satisfaction, whereas it is not certain that the object of your feeling of compassion will benefit. I feel a sense of serenity already. It makes me rethink what had me all hot and bothered in the first place.

Don't Boycott BP

2010-07-19T11:53:00.000-04:00

I have to admit I've been reluctant to get gas at any BP station in eastern Connecticut, and there are many. At first I felt it would be sanctioning their negligence in the Gulf of Mexico and one of the worst records of violations by an industry already wielding way too much influence over government policy. Apparently an attempt to boycott BP is having a nationwide effect at stations displaying the BP sign. But who is hurting when customers shy away? BP stations are locally owned and operated, not company run. They pay BP to use their name. Many are contractually obligated to continue with BP for years. I saw one of those station owners on CNN, and it was clear that he was taking the hit and not BP. It also could leave one less choice for consumers who may not even be buying BP gas when they go to a BP station. That revelation makes you wonder about truth in labeling, a whole other topic. Make no mistake about it. BP should pay. They should pay big. Thankfully, they have capped the leaking well for now, but there are too many unanswered questions about their corporate conduct. If you boycott, you may not be punishing the right people. Maybe we should also look at ourselves when we support politicians who say "drill, baby, drill" as our fossil fuel addiction forces oil companies to search in increasingly risky places.

Steinbrenner's Legacy

2010-07-13T12:46:00.001-04:00

This has been a week of sad news for the New York Yankees. First we learn of the passing of legendary Yankee Stadium announcer Bob Shepherd at 99. Now comes news of the death of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner at 80. He had been in poor health for several years and the team was being run by his sons Hank and Hal. Few sports celebrities and fewer owners have drawn as much controversy in the years since he bought the team in 1973. I confess to never being a big fan of the Steinbrenner style. He deserves credit for the Yankees earning 11 pennants and 7 World Series titles. He spent money to make money in the country's largest media market. If the talent pricetag was beyond the reach of some competing teams, don't blame George. The people who produced - or did their best - were the ones who made me a Yankee fan. He deserved a return on his investment, but his micromanaging and grandstanding too frequently made the Yankees story all about him. His character as portrayed on Seinfeld actually boosted his image, and it was clear that he could be a good sport and laugh at himself. He was a phenomenal businessman with a larger than life image who brought in great people. Like many American business leaders, he often forgot about letting great people do their jobs. You hire their expertise; you don't own them. You can't take it with you, but this is one boss who left a sports franchise so much stronger than he found it. It's only fitting that he was around long enough to see the new Yankee Stadium and his team on top.

A Baby Boomer Moment

2010-07-12T10:07:00.001-04:00

It's been decades since Saturday night TV has had much of anything worth watching, but this past weekend found this baby boomer in front of the tube for an hour watching PBS and CPTV. This time, California Dreamin': The Songs of The Mamas and the Papas, originally released in 2005, brought back some great memories in a beautifully produced retrospective of the group's relatively brief time in the spotlight of sixties pop culture. This unlikely foursome had a familiar sound that defied labels. Their hits and even a few of their misses sound as fresh today as when you couldn't put on an AM radio without hearing them. Steeped in early sixties folk, the counter culture and then peaking in 1967's "Summer of Love," these Rock n' Roll Hall of Famers weren't strictly rock at all. Their autobiographical hit "Creeque Alley" says they decided to "leave the folk music behind," but I think they just refined it with great lyrics and lush vocals arranged by John Phillips. Mama Cass Elliot was one of a kind and was clearly destined for greater things in a solo career before her untimely death in 1974. Drugs and the tension within the group eventually brought them to the breaking point, although the group did tour with a shifting roster of members for years afterward. When I saw them at WDRC-FM's Oldies Fest in 1996, Denny Doherty was the only original member still on tour. Of all their songs, the one that still stops me in my tracks only made it to number 20 on Billboard: "12:30 (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon)". Just like the clock that always says 12:30, it's easy to get frozen in time with any of their songs.

Dramatic Diversions - No Big Deals

2010-07-10T00:51:00.001-04:00

So, Lebron James is headed out of Cleveland and toward the Miami Heat. To see the reaction in these towns and others, you would think the world as we know it had radically changed forever. Cleveland's NBA team, not to mention its economy, will most likely survive LBJ's departure. He had every right to go where he wanted, and Cleveland fans need to get over this feeling of betrayal. What could have been spared? An endless hour on ESPN that could have been a minute! At least the Dancing With The Stars results shows have something called entertainment leading up to who gets the boot. The other drama that needed to end was Lindsay Lohan's reaction to the judge's jail sentence. She showed no respect for the court up to that point, losing all credibility. Her hysterics were more an angry, incredulous reaction to a sentence she thought she was above. She needs treatment for her drug problems, but nobody can be too shocked by what the judge decided. In both cases, it's time for a lot of fans (and Lindsay herself) to get real. Were these huge water cooler topics of conversation? Sure. Did they affect our lives more than the time spent following them on ESPN or TMZ.com? No.

Eastern CT's Road to Nowhere

2010-07-02T00:39:00.000-04:00

Every time I drive on Route 85 between the Crystal Mall area and Salem Four Corners, I think how much better the trip would be if they only finished Route 11. Just the other day around 5:00 p.m., my 20-mile trip from New London to Colchester took over 50 minutes thanks to pure volume snaking its way from the Chesterfield Road intersection and the Route 161 merge in Montville back down to Waterford. Think about how much time people waste here each day, how many serious accidents occur on this stretch of Route 85 and how there would be no way to successfully evacuate the shoreline via this road. Route 11 - all 7.42 miles of it - is one of the least stressful drives on a limited access highway in a region infamous for overcrowded interstates and treacherous two-lane state highways. Planners had envisioned an expressway running from Route 2 all the way down to I-95 near the 395 split. A drive to and from New London could be a breeze. Funding ran out and in 1972 the road opened only half finished, ending at Route 82 in Salem. Despite painstaking proposals for a "greenway" to limit environmental impacts, promises from politicians and support from local residents, the funding never materialized. In this economic climate, I won't hold my breath for Route 11 dollars to flow, and we can only wonder how much the completion of Route 11 would have saved lives and been a shot in the arm to southeastern Connecticut.

The Other Football

2010-06-26T22:03:00.001-04:00

I don't know what folks beyond our borders call what we know and love as football, but mention "football" to most people outside the USA and you'd be talking about "soccer." Once in a great while, soccer takes center stage among this country's sports fans. With Team USA's 2-1 loss to Ghana today at the World Cup in South Africa, that prominent position will now revert to another sport. Whenever soccer grabs our attention the way it did over the last few weeks, the question always arises as to whether the USA will soon join the rest of the world in making soccer a major spectator sport. Well, Pele has been the only international soccer star Americans have ever heard of for decades. During that time David Beckham has been the only addition to that short list. Bottom line: it's not happening anytime soon. There are signs of slow change. "Soccer moms" were nonexistent when I was a kid, but now they're everywhere. The added influence of Latin American and other soccer-friendly cultures point to the likelihood of the "other football" gaining more attention here in the USA. Let's just hope that those South African Vuvuzela horns that sound like thousands of angry bees don't become a staple here as well.

Tough Decisions

2010-06-19T10:49:00.000-04:00

Economic reality caught up with the Norwich school system this week. The $62.9 million school budget passed this week, meaning dozens of fewer teachers citywide along with the closing of the Greeneville and Buckingham elementary schools. It may not have made anyone happy, but at least the people of Norwich know where they stand and deserve a collective pat on the back for fiscal responsibility. A Catholic school also fell victim to its own budget crunch as St. Joseph's School on Cliff Street closed after 101 years. Griswold also passed a $24.3 million school budget. Now comes the reality of living with these budgets and how they will affect neighborhoods. In Norwich, moving school children away from their neighborhoods to classes with more students per teacher can be very disruptive. The Rose City is a sizeable chunk of real estate, and everyone knows longer bus rides do nothing to enhance the quality of education. Norwich is also defined by a collection of communities within a community. A school is no small part of that. The poorest neighborhoods are the most affected by these cuts, but this move toward regionalization can't be good in the short term for any elementary student in Norwich. They had to do it, but let's hope we can restore much of what we've lost before we get too far down the road.

Things Happen For A Reason

2010-06-12T01:25:00.005-04:00

When a change happened in my life a few months ago, many people made the usual "things happen for a reason" comment. It now dawns on me how right they really are. Most changes are neither accidents nor unpredictable. With any loss comes sadness, but I find much of that sadness revolves around wishing how a situation could have been instead of the sudden shock of losing a wonderful thing. By that fateful day, things in this case just hadn't been the same for months. Time brings more perspective. I've spared the details, but you've just witnessed true closure. That episode is over. If I accept that, I'm less likely to be that guy who was "never quite the same" afterward.

New London to New York by Ferry

2010-06-09T00:14:00.003-04:00

New London is expanding as a transportation hub. The City Council gave its approval to the Seastreak company to operate weekend passenger ferry service from City Pier to Manhattan starting in July. For $69 round trip, you can take the water route to or from the Big Apple in three hours. Compared to a train trip or to driving I-95 and paying to park, the price and time frame seem reasonable enough. If you're like me and think it doesn't get much better than cruising Long Island Sound on a clear day, then you'll be tempted to give this a try. There may be a few catches. A 90-minute ferry trip to Orient Point, Long Island is one thing. Indulge in one of those big pretzels they serve on board and gaze for awhile at the mysterious Plum Island and you're in Orient before you know it. Three hours one way? That could get a bit tedious. When I think of a three hour trip in rough seas, the plot of Gilligan's Island comes to mind. On that cautionary note, I wish this new venture well.

National Donut Day

2010-06-03T23:02:00.001-04:00

Happy National Donut Day on this first Friday in June! The idea was created by the Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the women who served donuts to soldiers during World War I. Donuts have always been one of my biggest guilty pleasures. I was devastated when I couldn't find the vanilla filled glazed Krispy Kremes in their Mohegan Sun shops anymore, but the raspberry "filled" that void pretty well. Now that I am on doctor's orders to watch my glucose levels, I can't say that this national holiday is as much fun as it used to be. That doesn't mean I want to ban this calorie-laden day, but haven't Americans been emulating Homer Simpson's dietary habits regularly enough? Since I now have to avoid these incredibly rich indulgences like the plague, I admit to being a killjoy at least on this day. While I guess an occasional treat is fine for many folks, I am not the only one who has reached for a donut one too many times. The donut shops will still get my coffee business (with cream and three Splenda), but I plan on skipping the donuts and other baked goods. This is the part where I sigh but take heart in the knowledge that there's an entire National Salad Week in the middle of summer. I know - it's not the same.

Beyond Petroleum

2010-05-29T09:40:00.001-04:00

BP has become a lightning rod for public outrage over what has become the largest ecological disaster in U.S. history. Much of that is richly deserved, given the amount of times this immensely profitable foreign oil giant has been cited by regulators for all kinds of major violations, the way they and other oil companies have maintained a cozy relationship with these same regulators, the heartwrenching stories from the survivors of the platform explosion that killed eleven workers and BP's initial downplaying of the oil spill. Government is culpable as well, with lax enforcement that led up to this disaster and officials coming across as detached while BP seemed to run the show. President Obama denied this, but there's a time for staying cool and a time to forcefully let BP, its contractors and most of all the public know who's in charge from the beginning. The Obama administration was slow to recognize that. They would be wise to heed the passionate statement of Democratic strategist and Louisiana native James Carville. True, the blame game may not "plug the hole", but Carville's call for prison sentences is not out of line. Our economy and quality of life cannot survive repeated hits like this. We need to learn some lessons that go beyond energy independence and certainly beyond the idea that what's good for the oil companies is always good for the country. Wasn't the Exxon Valdez spill bad enough?

Pac Man Fever

2010-05-22T09:39:00.002-04:00

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the arrival of the biggest phenomenon to hit video gaming: Pac-Man. Up to that point, Asteroids and Space Invaders were the standard. My first experience with video games was in the mid seventies, when the pinball machine was replaced by the very rudimentary game of Tank in the Keene State College pub. I must have had a lot more free time back then, because I remember spending hours playing Pac-Man, especially after getting my own home Atari game. My apartment roommate Pat took the intensity to a new level, racking up a million points one time. I can't say my level of focus would ever have allowed that. As much as Pac-Man (and Ms Pac-Man) were eighties icons, I preferred Centipede and Frogger. I guess that gives me what is hopefully the only thing in common with George Costanza on Seinfeld. I must have stopped being hooked on Pac-Man and all the others when I decided it was time to grow up. That reasoning may not have made much sense, since I still don't know what I want to do for a living when I grow up!

Short Attention Span Political Theater

2010-05-19T23:09:00.002-04:00

If I sense a pattern of any politician misleading constituents about their own or their opponent's military service, I believe they deserve to be shunned by the voters. In this case, the offender is: Linda McMahon. She and her staff leaked - to the New York Times - one ten-second soundbite from one 2008 speech by Attorney General Richard Blumenthal when he refers to his military service "in" Vietnam instead of "during." A torrent of McMahon ads flooded Connecticut, and a 13 point Blumenthal lead in the polls has narrowed to 3 points. Before Blumenthal could even respond, WTIC-AM's conservative Republican Jim Vicevich and GOP state chairman Chris Healy sounded downright giddy over the potential damage to the presumed frontrunner and successor to Senator Chris Dodd. Blumenthal later came off as very defensive and indignant, which only served to stoke the talking heads on TV who insisted he should own up to the apparent distortion of his military service. But something failed to happen. Not only was there no pattern of his making claims to having served in Vietnam, but he actually clarifies himself within that same 2008 speech. There were also many instances through the years when he stated that his military service during Vietnam was purely stateside. Even as the AP said the following day that he had "correctly stated" his service, local TV websites are claiming "unanswered questions linger" as they focus on "political fallout." As I was constantly reminded in broadcasting, audiences have shorter attention spans than ever. An initial soundbite blast without any context can unfairly derail a political campaign. If some pattern of deception is eventually uncovered, I'll be the first to say Blumenthal should bow out. Right now the only intentional deception is from McMahon. This is a sad week for state politics.

Radio Flashback: Radio 80 WLAD

2010-05-18T00:11:00.002-04:00

It wasn't the biggest station I ever worked at, but it was the most memorable. When I see what has since happened to local AM radio, the full service format and the role of a program director, I feel even more fortunate to have had the chance to be the PD of "Greater Danbury's Radio Station" at WLAD. It was in an old hotel, and there was nothing luxurious about it. There were no windows anywhere on the fourth floor of 198 Main Street in downtown Danbury - just old fluorescent lights - but there was no time to gaze out a window and daydream as time went by so quickly for me between November 1983 and June 1987. There was never a dull moment for this 30-year-old guy who felt he had something to prove at WLAD. For the most part, there was room to do a lot. General manager Bob Putnam let me do my thing, make my mistakes (just a few!) and hopefully move things forward. Unlike today when technology often trumps people, WLAD had a full staff: a three-person full-time news team, a sports director, a midday talk show host with a producer and live air talent evenings and weekends. We didn't have a production or promotions director, so creative spots and contests were a challenge we had to spread around. It worked, although I admit to having a few sleepless nights thinking about how to get things to the next level. My worrying was pointless - the people there made it happen. We even had a direct competitor across town at WINE, and I loved the fact that they were very good and wanted to knock us off so badly - nice try guys.