See You Next Year

Will be back Monday, January 5. In the meantime, indulge in my favorite posts of 2008:

1. January
2. February
3. March
4. April
5. May
6. June
7. July
8. August
9. September
10. October
11. November
12. December

Happy New Year!

- John C.L. Morgan

Favorite Posts of 2008: December

My favorite posts of December 2008, in chronological order:

1. "Popcorn, Meet Butter" A couple thoughts on the Pike v. Idexx et al. brouhaha.
2. "Quote, Unquote: Robert P.T. Coffin" If only we could sell cold.
3. "Viking Press to Publish Beverly Jensen's Work" At least one wish came true this year.
4. "On Location: Paper City Progressive Breakfast" Why can't there be an ice storm every Friday morning?
5. "Westbrook Foodie, Final 2008 Edition" Your one-stop source for what epicureans have to say about Westbrook's eating spots.

- John C.L. Morgan

Favorite Posts of 2008: November

My favorite posts from November 2008, in chronological order:

1. "The Sportswriter: Three Ideas for a Better American Soccer Fan" Fans, readers, Americans, lend me your eyes: Speak American, defend Major League Soccer, and vigorously oppose diving and playacting!
2. "E-Mail of the Day" Blogs make the world a smaller and more interesting place.
3. "On Blogging: Or, How This Site Got Its Moniker" Ever wonder what the hell a Westbrook Diarist is? Well, you can know now.
4. "On Location: MySpace.com" Westbrook has some music talent, too.
5. "Ambition" Brendan O'Rielly is Spartacus Zeus.

- John C.L. Morgan

Favorite Posts of 2008: October

My favorite posts from October 2008, in chronological order:

1. "Quote, Unquote: Marion Dana" Here's to hoping only Republicans and Congregationalists get into heaven.
2. "Worst. Classified. Ever. " And by that, I mean greatest ad ever. And to think I was minutes away from posting about an ad trying to sell a retarded mule with a habit of humping other livestock before it was removed from the Interwebs...
3. "Burden: Support Stroudwater Place" Laura Burden's case for Stroudwater Place.
4. "On Location: Chuluda as Democrat" It's probably your fault if you think Westbrook's government is unresponsive.
5. "Quote of the Day" Yeah, we Mainers are just a bunch of wet, cat-loving chuggers of Allen's who enjoy nothing more than terminating bears with the aid of Dunkin' Donuts.
6. "On Location: The Hamlet" Deep down, I'm nothing more than proud trailer trash.
7. "Election '08: Westbrook Voters' Guide" The most comprehensive coverage of Westbrook's candidates for the Maine House and the Maine Senate, if I do say so myself.
8. "As Maine Kids Go, So Goes Maine" How mock elections in Maine's schools are pretty good indicators of how Maine's electorate will vote.

- John C.L. Morgan

Favorite Posts of 2008: September

My favorite posts from September 2008, in chronological order:

1. "Laborious" A must-listen documentary about life at Mother Warren.
2. "Paper City Minute: Woodlawn Cemetary" Video footage of the cemetary's sublime tranquility.
3. "Subtle Signs of Fall" Who needs a radio when you've got Earl Cutter, the authority on astounding alliteration?
4. "Statehood in One Minute" A quick primer on one of my favorite topics.
5. "On Location: 19 Monroe Avenue" On Sundays in autumn and how fantasy football is like the iPod.
6. "Did You Know?" Olmsted's kind of a big deal.
7. "Paging Lynn Truss" How you say it depends on your degree of formality.
8. "On Location: Scouting on the Green" On Boy Scouts Troop 81's attempts at recruiting.
9. "On Location: Brazier's Barber Shop" Tips for becoming a better Brazier Boy.
10. "Did You Know?" Why 2 York Street is a metonym for Westbrook City Hall.

- John C.L. Morgan

Favorite Posts of 2008: August

My favorite posts from August 2008, in chronological order:

1. "Paper City Minute: Saccarappa Falls" Video footage of a familiar sight and sound.
2. "No Bar For You" You might've noticed that I'm a little annoyed the bar on Brown Street was shut down.
3. "Quote of the Day" Pat Gallant-Charette makes me wonder why anyone would want to swim the English Channel.
4. "On Location: Wells, Maine" A (nearly) car-less trip to the beach.
5. "Tranchemontagne's Eats" Who knew the Main Street Cafe shared such esteemed company?
6. "On Location: Movies in the Park" A brief review of the Rudy Vallee picture The Palm Beach Story (1942), which was screened under the stars in Riverbank Park.

- John C.L. Morgan

Favorite Posts of 2008: July

My favorite posts from July 2008, in chronological order:

1. "In 'Da Hood" Yeah, I'm a tough guy.
2. "Should Westbrook Jump Into the NECBL?" Well, should we?
3. "Department of Navel-Gazing: Or, Why You Should Subscribe To Your Local Newspaper" Hypocrite alert: I let my subscription to the AJ lapse for the last couple months of 2008, but am in the process of getting it back.
4. "On Location: Metro No. 4" How the Oscar-winning film Crash explains Metro's No. 4 bus.
5. "Quote, Unquote: Charmaine Daniels" Despite calling Westbrook old and dirty, this Casco Bay Weekly (RIP) columnist actually compliments the Paper City. Even before we stopped stinkin'.
6. "Edgers v. Mr. Bagelers" How "West Side Story" explains River's Edge Deli's recent move to Main Street.
7. "Next Week: A Tour of Leander Valentine's Grave!" One of the more, um, interesting marketing strategies I've seen.
8. "The Posts of Lists, Take Two" Why my wife is stupid, illiterate, lame, weak, soft, and fearful.
9. "Bite-Sized Review: American Silk" A quick review of a book every self-respecting Brookie should partially read.
10. "Song of the Week: Over a Cardboard Sea" A song from one of my favorite local bands. Bonus: A link to an eclectic YouTube page that features good footage of some of this year's Westbrook Together Days.
11. "On Location: Bean-Hole Baked Bean Supper" Does it get any better than this?
12. "Did You Know?" I'm still waiting out for the high school's new nickname to be changed to the Moonshiners, regardless of how ahistorical such a move would be. I suppose I ought to move to Scarborough, where they actually vote on such a thing.
13. "The Sportswriters: Boston Red Sox" My favorite Sox bloggers coin nicknames that should be known far and wide.
14. "Quote, Unquote: Paul Mann" Couldn't say it better myself.
15. "Quote of the Day" James Ingraham (WHS Class of '42) gets philosophical.

- John C.L. Morgan

Favorite Posts of 2008: June

Here are my favorite posts from June 2008, in chronological order:

1. "On Location: Presumpscot River" A morning of eating at Guidi's and fishing on the Presumpscot.
2. "Quote, Unquote: E.B. White" The ever-quotable E.B. White on television.
3. "Yeah, We Have the Largest Shagbark Hickory (Sort Of)" Westbrook's real claim to fame.
4. "On Location: Westbrook's Northside Italians" The things I do for my dear readers.
5. "Better Know a Rep: Bruce Chuluda" Find out why BruChu tries to avoid looking at himself.
6. "Paper City Public Art: Gerald C. Fluett Portrait" A review of Thomas Nadeau's portrait of Gerald C. Fluett.
7. "Party Like It's 1980" Five ideas to improve Westbrook Together Days (WTD), with help from the inaugural WTD in 1980.
8. "On Location: Westbrook Historical Society" How the Westbrook Historical Society keeps us from becoming a city of madmen (and women).
9. "Start Snitching" I maintain the belief that the WPD's "Be a Snitch Memo" is the single-greatest piece of literature I've ever had wedged between my doors.
10. "Overheard" Read what happens when an English teacher and a businessman discuss Robert Frost.
11. "The Sportswriter: Draft Grades" Why grading professional drafts only minutes after they've transpired is one of the stupidest trends in journalism.
12. "Not Your Father's Mill Side Tavern" Fresh Strawberry Daiquiris + Mill Side Tavern = Head Scratching.

- John C.L. Morgan

Favorite Posts of 2008: May

My favorite posts from May 2008, in chronological order:

1. "On Location: Lady Ball's Victorian Boutique and Tea Room" I venture into the place known by most for its snicker-inducing name.
2. "The Apple Whisperer and Other Atlantic Stories" In case you're looking to snuggle up with a good, ahem, computer monitor in front of the fireplace.
3. "Photogenic" I'm a sucker for James O'Reilly's photos of Westbrook. Besides, I need to pay him back for featuring the fam on his website.
4. "Better Know a Rep: Brendan Rielly" Read about how Charlie Weis will ensure City Councilor Rielly will never be perfectly happy.
5. "Quote, Unquote: E.B. White" With thoughts like these, E.B. White might actually pass for a real Mainer.
6. "Buckfield Bass" Avert thy eyes, PETA.
7. "In Memoriam" The finest moments of this year's Memorial Day parade and ceremony
8. "Just Do It: Buy Maine" Still true.
9. "Proposed Addition to the Westbrook Dictionary" Fortunately, it's been awhile since my last Westbrook Wake-Up.

- John C.L. Morgan

Favorite Posts of 2008: April

My favorite posts from April 2008, in chronological order:

1. "On Location: Stroudwater Place Workshop" An account of one of the first--if not the first-- public hearings devoted to the project.
2. "Good Salary. Little Work. Soft Snap!" Why don't classified ads carry this jobs with this labor description anymore?
3. "Jumpers, 1919" One of my favorite all-time photographs. An explanation here.
4. "Westbrook's Ghosthunters" Like I've said, you never know what you'll find at the Westbrook Historical Society.
5. "Ironic Sign of the Day" St. Mary's Church, post-demolition.
6. "Overheard at Riverbank" Stay classy, Paper City.
7. "Piano Legs" Westbrook's prowess in baseball goes well beyond the 2005 Little League World Series team (explanation here).
8. "On Location: Riverbank Park" Seven ways to improve Westbrook's civic capital.
9. "Why You Should Become a Scarborough Downer" The case for frequenting Scarborough Downs.
10. "Better Know a Rep: Drew Gattine" Read about City Councilor Gattine's supposedly hairy back.
11. "On Location: Don's Lunch" The last refuge of a blue-collar burger.
12. "Quote, Unquote: W.H.S. Ellingwood" A school superintendent, before the age of political correctness.

- John C.L. Morgan

Favorite Posts of 2008: March

My favorite posts from March 2008, in chronological order:

1. "Rewind: About Schmidt" A partial film review of About Schmidt, one of my favorite movies.
2. "Sunday Letter: Lighthouse Christian Center" I've sat in a fair number of pews in my lifetime, but I've never experienced the culture shock I experienced at LCC.
3. "Name-Hunting Tip #5" Elisha Morgan on the most underestimated factor Mainers must consider when brainstorming for baby names.
4. "On Location: Main Street" Your (dated) travel guide to Westbrook's Main Street.
5. "Is Skybox a Victim of Brown Street Bias" The answer, by the way, is yes.
6. "On Location: Room 114" Or, how the City Council's chambers are like Fenway Park. Really.
7. "Just Do It: Read Maine Becomes a State" Seriously, just do it.
8. "(Deep) Thoughts on the Skybox Closure" Why am I so annoyed by the closing of a bar I'd been to only once? Well, here's why.
9. "Yeah, I'm Pretty Much an Uppity 24-Year-Old" My response to getting bitchslapped in the PPH Letters to the Editor section.
10. "(Far-Fetched) Thought of the Day" In light of the Maine Turnpike Authority's funding problems, maybe this could be spun off to make some money.
11. "The Sportswriter: New England Revolution" Lamenting the Revolution's absence in Boston-as-Titletown talk.
12. "Westbrook's Light-Blue Collar" We're still used as Cape Elizabeth's socioeconomic foil.

- John C.L. Morgan

Favorite Posts of 2008: February

My favorite posts from February 2008, in chronological order:

1. "Westbrook Republican Caucus: The Bold-Faced Edition" A minute-by-minute account of the Westbrook Republican presidential caucus won by Gov. Mitt Romney.
2. "Cock-Eyed, Take Two" Another scathing attack on the presidential caucus system, this time with facts.
3. "On Second Thought..." One reason why the caucus system isn't all that bad.
4. "On Location: 41 Wharf Street" Very pregnant wife + Rogues Gallery store-opening party - Ice = Good times.
5. "Did You Know?" How Westbrook's mayor Leander Valentine's life reflects Westbrook's geographical history.
6. "Heil, Nissen!" You never know what you'll dig up at the Westbrook Historical Society. An explanation for the ad, by the way, can be found here.
7. "The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations" Enter snarky comment here.
8. "When Barrels of Rum Were on Sidewalks and Water Was Free" Ah, those were the days. Anyway, this post literally reminds me that the second annual Neal Dow Pub Crawl (or should it be renamed the Paper City Pub Crawl?) is scheduled for Friday, January 16, 2009. Good to know since, you know, I'll be organizing the event.
9. "Going Postal" A look at how much State Sen. Phil "Jug Ears" Bartlett and his fellow legislators like to send you mail.
10. "Westbrook Democratic Caucus: The Bold-Faced Edition" A minute-by-minute account of the Westbrook Democratic caucus won by Sen. Barack Obama.
11. "I Heard White Wine Goes Great with Crow" One final word on the caucus system--I swear.
12. "Happy 194th Birthday, Westbrook!" A look at why Valentine's Day is not the most significant occurrence of February 14.
13. "The Sportswriter: The Boston Celtics" An appreciation of the Boston Celtics' most underappreciated addition.
14. "On Location: USM's Vagina Monologues" Pretty much speaks for itself.
15. "Did You Know?" A primer on Maine's liquid love affair with Allen's Coffee-Flavored Brandy.
16. "On Maine Ice" It doesn't get any better than a Robert P.T. Coffin reference and a short history of the Maine ice industry.

John C.L. Morgan

Favorite Posts of 2008: January

My favorite posts from January 2008, in chronological order:

1. "Cock-Eyed" The initial critique of the caucus system in presidential primaries.
2. "On Location: Westbrook City Inauguration" A recap of the 2008 Inauguration.
3. "Abortion in Maine, Part Two" An examination of whether abortion will actually become illegal in Maine, even if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
4. "On Location: Colonial Bowling Center" A snowy January morning at a Paper City institution.
5. "Quote, Unquote: Charles A. Carleton" The chairman of the 1894 Westbrook School Committee has an, um, interesting take on classroom management.
6. "Westbrook's Portrait Laureate" An introduction to the paintings of Caren-Marie Michel, the portraitist of the Paper City.
7. "Neal Dow Pub Crawl: A Review" A behind-the-scenes look at the first annual pub crawl in Westbrook, named after the famous Maine teetotaler.
8. "Richardson Plays Pretend" A look at the Windy Indy column by convservative columnist Ray Richardson about a certain woman being picked as Sen. John McCain's running mate--no, not the "Chiller from Wasilla." (h/t: Christopher Hitchens)
9. "We Don't Stink No More!" A review of the City of Westbrook's promotional video.
10. "The Artsy-Fartsy Downeaster" A very brief review of the Downeaster's YouTube page.
11. "On Location: Riverbank Park at Night" An ode to Riverbank Park on a wintry night, capped off with an ungraceful rant.
12. "Westbrook Taxes" A breakdown of how your tax money is spent by 2 York Street.

- John C.L. Morgan