Week-to-Date:
High: 82F (June 26)
Low: 54F (June 22, June 25)
Precipitation: 2.30 inches
Previous Sunrise: 5:02a
Previous Sunset: 8:27p
Month-to-Date:
High: 87F (June 9)
Low: 49F (June 3, June 9)
Precipitation: 3.63 inches
Year-to-Date:
High: 87F (June 9)
Low: -5F (January 4)
Precipitation: 26.00 inches
Source: National Weather Service
- John C.L. Morgan
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Sawyer Brown, 1988 Explained
My visit to the Westbrook Historical Society this morning yielded this gem, the cover of an autographed 1988 concert program for the band Sawyer Brown.
The band--which features Westbrook High School alum ('75) Joe Smyth (second from left) as its longtime drummer--has put out twenty albums since the early-1980's and has won numerous awards, including the inaugural grand prize on the television show Star Search in 1983.
More important, though, the photo features an eclectic mix of mullets. Indeed, according to my handy field guide to mullets, The Mullet: Hairstyle of the Gods, the photo features "The Nashville" (third from left, whose jacket is gold and whose jeans are pink, by the way), "The Movie Star (fifth from left), and a hybrid mullet that can be fairly dubbed "The Midwest Metal of Classic Rock" (Smyth).
- John C.L. Morgan
P.S. Here are music videos for Sawyer Brown's "800 Pound Jesus," "Hard to Say," "Six Days on the Road," "Some Girls Do" (for what it's worth, a personal favorite), "The Race is On," "The Walk," "They Don't Understand," " (This Thing Called) Wantin' and Havin' It All." And here is MySpace's collection of Sawyer Brown pages.
The band--which features Westbrook High School alum ('75) Joe Smyth (second from left) as its longtime drummer--has put out twenty albums since the early-1980's and has won numerous awards, including the inaugural grand prize on the television show Star Search in 1983.
More important, though, the photo features an eclectic mix of mullets. Indeed, according to my handy field guide to mullets, The Mullet: Hairstyle of the Gods, the photo features "The Nashville" (third from left, whose jacket is gold and whose jeans are pink, by the way), "The Movie Star (fifth from left), and a hybrid mullet that can be fairly dubbed "The Midwest Metal of Classic Rock" (Smyth).
- John C.L. Morgan
P.S. Here are music videos for Sawyer Brown's "800 Pound Jesus," "Hard to Say," "Six Days on the Road," "Some Girls Do" (for what it's worth, a personal favorite), "The Race is On," "The Walk," "They Don't Understand," " (This Thing Called) Wantin' and Havin' It All." And here is MySpace's collection of Sawyer Brown pages.
Friday, June 27, 2008
The Sportswriter: Draft Grades
The 2008 NBA Draft is not yet twelve hours old, but analysts are already issuing grades for teams and even proclaiming some teams as winners and others as losers. Considering the players drafted last night have not even stepped on an NBA practice court, such analysis is a cute gimmick that has devolved into a serious exercise in futility.
Indeed, instead of etching their chicken scratch about this year's event on millions of computer screens (not to mention newspapers and magazines), sportswriters should be spending their time reflecting on a team's performance in, say, the 2003 draft. In other words, grade a team's draft performance based on players who, you know, have actually done something in the NBA--or not, as is the case of Mike Sweetney.
So without further ado, a reflection on the Class of 2003's top 10 draft picks (I do have a life, so I won't look at the entire draft):
Indeed, instead of etching their chicken scratch about this year's event on millions of computer screens (not to mention newspapers and magazines), sportswriters should be spending their time reflecting on a team's performance in, say, the 2003 draft. In other words, grade a team's draft performance based on players who, you know, have actually done something in the NBA--or not, as is the case of Mike Sweetney.
So without further ado, a reflection on the Class of 2003's top 10 draft picks (I do have a life, so I won't look at the entire draft):
- LeBron James, CLE- A no-brainer, even at the time. But give Cleveland credit for drafting the player I think will be considered the best ever. Even if he is a traitorous Yankee fan from Ohio.
- Darko Milicic, DET- A B-U-S-T for the Motor City: Milicic averaged no more than seven minutes per game in his career with Detroit and was subsequently traded to Orlando and then to Memphis.
- Carmelo Anthony, DEN- Another can't-miss prospect in 2003 who's lived up to his draft slot. Though Anthony hasn't led the Nuggets to a championship yet, he has led them to the playoffs in each of his five years in the league. And he is one of the league's most prolific scorers.
- Chris Bosh, TOR- A three-time All-Star who's the cornerstone of a solid team.
- Dwyane Wade, MIA- Though the team currently stinks and Wade now seems to be injured more often than not, he did lead the Heat to its first championship in the 2005-2006 season.
- Chris Kaman, LAC- A solid center who's contributed from the beginning (he appeared in every game as a rookie) and who has improved to become a double-doubler.
- Kirk Hinrich, CHI- A key player in the Bulls' pre-2007/2008 resurgence.
- T.J. Ford, MIL- Considering he was traded by the Bucks only two years after the team drafted him, Ford evidently was not a good pick for Milwaukee.
- Mike Sweetney, NY- Who? Sweetney is no longer in the NBA.
- Jarvis Hayes, WASH- After Hayes spent four years as a role-player, the Wizards declined to renew his contract. He is now a reserve with the Detroit Pistons.
(Editor's Note: This post has been edited to correct the spelling of the names of Dwyane Wade and Mike Sweetney, as well to correct an initial assertion that Sweetney did not have a Wikipedia page.)
- John C.L. Morgan
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Philosophical Inquiry of the Day
Question: Am I an accomplice if I occasionally play air guitar in my living room to the noise generated by the "Guitar Hero" described in this week's American Journal Police Notes?
I mean, sometimes I just can't avoid accompanying my neighbor (who was a key participant in last month's "Westbrook Wake-Up," by the way) when he haunts his front porch shirtless, dripping with power chords and Nirvanaesque riffs.
- John C.L. Morgan
I mean, sometimes I just can't avoid accompanying my neighbor (who was a key participant in last month's "Westbrook Wake-Up," by the way) when he haunts his front porch shirtless, dripping with power chords and Nirvanaesque riffs.
- John C.L. Morgan
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Overheard
It's not every day you're able to witness a philosophical and poetic debate about the contents of a business sign.
Earlier this evening, Tim Gillis, an English teacher at Westbrook High School, faced off in a friendly debate with Peter Levecque, the owner of Burns' Fencing, about the slogan plastered on the latter's Rochester Street business sign: "Good fences make good neighbors."
Referring to the aphorism's genesis in Robert Frost's "Mending Wall," Gillis's contention was that Burns' Fencing is misintrepeting the poem's metaphorical message: Fences should be torn down, not built up. And Levecque, no doubt a believer that good fences also make good business, identified with the poem's neighbor, the utterer of the borrowed phrase.
Anyway, check out how these critics interpret the poem.
And check in next week as we debate whether Don's Lunch's boast of being the "Home of the Big One" complies with or contradicts the message contained in Michael Moore's little-known film (to me, anyway) The Big One.
- John C.L. Morgan
Earlier this evening, Tim Gillis, an English teacher at Westbrook High School, faced off in a friendly debate with Peter Levecque, the owner of Burns' Fencing, about the slogan plastered on the latter's Rochester Street business sign: "Good fences make good neighbors."
Referring to the aphorism's genesis in Robert Frost's "Mending Wall," Gillis's contention was that Burns' Fencing is misintrepeting the poem's metaphorical message: Fences should be torn down, not built up. And Levecque, no doubt a believer that good fences also make good business, identified with the poem's neighbor, the utterer of the borrowed phrase.
Anyway, check out how these critics interpret the poem.
And check in next week as we debate whether Don's Lunch's boast of being the "Home of the Big One" complies with or contradicts the message contained in Michael Moore's little-known film (to me, anyway) The Big One.
- John C.L. Morgan
Quote, Unquote
"Dairy farming makes men steady and reliable and temperate; deer hunting makes men quiet and fast and sensitive; lobster fishing makes men suspicious and wily and ruthless."
- Elizabeth Gilbert in her 2000 novel Stern Men, which is the subject of next month's book club at Warren Memorial Library.
Hint, hint.
- John C.L. Morgan
- Elizabeth Gilbert in her 2000 novel Stern Men, which is the subject of next month's book club at Warren Memorial Library.
Hint, hint.
- John C.L. Morgan
Start Snitching
To paraphrase School Committee member Ed Symbol, Westbrook's current police chief has a hard-on for drugs.
When I returned home from work this afternoon, I was greeted by not one, but two, flyers stuffed in the doors of my Rochester Street home. The blue sheets, which are informal (and partially ungrammatical) in tone, feature Chief Bill Baker's blunt plea for Paper Citizens' help in Westbrook's own war on drugs.
Remniscent of a leaflet that the United States military may have airdropped over, say, Afghanistan, the flyer opens with this appeal to residents' emotions and reason: "If you know a family member, a friend, or a neighbor who is involved in drugs--think about this--it is better to have them arrested then (sic) to have them DEAD!"
The strongest and most important part of the flyer, though, is its attempt to counter the pernicious cultural taboo against snitching: "Some people think of a rat is (sic) a 'despicable person, especially one who betrays or informs on associates.' We think of a rat is (sic) someone who lets a friend or loved one die with a needle in their arm. We think a rat is someone that stands by and lets drugs poison their community. We think a rat is someone that lets another generation of children grow up addicted and hopeless! Take a stand. Do something about drugs in Westbrook."
Considering news of a drug-related arrest or overdose in Westbrook seems to appear more often than positive news from the Paper City--not to mention that the flyer rightly identifies drugs as a poison for individuals, families, and the city--any Constitutional and lawful means of combating the sale and consumption of narcotics is welcomed by this writer (though the flyer's hint that it may be willing to pay for information, or for purchasing drugs on the department's behalf to lead to the arrest and conviction of a local dealer may prove the most controversial).
So if you are aware of any drug-related activity in Westbrook, call the police department's tip line at 591-8117, email the department at crimetips@westbrook.me.us, or text a tip to 239-7408. And if you or anyone you know wants professional help, check out these organizations: CAP Quality Care, Catholic Charities Support and Recovery, Chemical Dependency Consultants, Day One, Mercy Recovery Center, and the Milestone Foundation.
- John C.L. Morgan
When I returned home from work this afternoon, I was greeted by not one, but two, flyers stuffed in the doors of my Rochester Street home. The blue sheets, which are informal (and partially ungrammatical) in tone, feature Chief Bill Baker's blunt plea for Paper Citizens' help in Westbrook's own war on drugs.
Remniscent of a leaflet that the United States military may have airdropped over, say, Afghanistan, the flyer opens with this appeal to residents' emotions and reason: "If you know a family member, a friend, or a neighbor who is involved in drugs--think about this--it is better to have them arrested then (sic) to have them DEAD!"
The strongest and most important part of the flyer, though, is its attempt to counter the pernicious cultural taboo against snitching: "Some people think of a rat is (sic) a 'despicable person, especially one who betrays or informs on associates.' We think of a rat is (sic) someone who lets a friend or loved one die with a needle in their arm. We think a rat is someone that stands by and lets drugs poison their community. We think a rat is someone that lets another generation of children grow up addicted and hopeless! Take a stand. Do something about drugs in Westbrook."
Considering news of a drug-related arrest or overdose in Westbrook seems to appear more often than positive news from the Paper City--not to mention that the flyer rightly identifies drugs as a poison for individuals, families, and the city--any Constitutional and lawful means of combating the sale and consumption of narcotics is welcomed by this writer (though the flyer's hint that it may be willing to pay for information, or for purchasing drugs on the department's behalf to lead to the arrest and conviction of a local dealer may prove the most controversial).
So if you are aware of any drug-related activity in Westbrook, call the police department's tip line at 591-8117, email the department at crimetips@westbrook.me.us, or text a tip to 239-7408. And if you or anyone you know wants professional help, check out these organizations: CAP Quality Care, Catholic Charities Support and Recovery, Chemical Dependency Consultants, Day One, Mercy Recovery Center, and the Milestone Foundation.
- John C.L. Morgan
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
On Location: Westbrook Historical Society
My favorite professor at the University of Southern Maine was a history professor who had a tendency to recycle his jokes and one-line zingers. The same jokes I chuckled at as a sophomore in his "U.S. History to 1877" class, for instance, were the same ones I rolled my eyes at as a senior in his "Democratic Theme in American Society." Now that I've put myself on the spot, I'm unable to comb my brain for some sparkling examples. But the one that has stuck with me was his repetitive reference to any local historical society as a hysterical society. Which is ironic considering the Spanish philosopher George Santayana referred to a country without memory as a country of madmen.
The irony, of course, lies in the simple statement that the Westbrook Historical Society remains a stout bulwark against Santayana's city of madmen. It is, in other words, a house of memory that inspires greater amount of sanity than hysterics.
Despite what you may think after spending numerous Saturday mornings joshing with the regulars.
- John C.L. Morgan
The irony, of course, lies in the simple statement that the Westbrook Historical Society remains a stout bulwark against Santayana's city of madmen. It is, in other words, a house of memory that inspires greater amount of sanity than hysterics.
Despite what you may think after spending numerous Saturday mornings joshing with the regulars.
- John C.L. Morgan
Monday, June 23, 2008
Party Like It's 1980
I love Westbrook Together Days so much I wish to change it. Which is how it usually works, isn't it?
Anyway, the five ideas below have not just been plucked out of the sky like the proverbial pie. Instead most of them are merely an outright theft (or subtle variation) from the calendar of the inaugural event in 1980:
Anyway, the five ideas below have not just been plucked out of the sky like the proverbial pie. Instead most of them are merely an outright theft (or subtle variation) from the calendar of the inaugural event in 1980:
- Baked bean supper (prepared in an old-fashioned beanhole, of course) and pig roast on Friday night. Charge a couple bucks per plate to cover costs and attract more people to that evening's festivities.
- Canoe races. Besides entertaining, this event would highlight the recreational potential of the Presumpscot River. And for the truly inspired like, say, Westbrook's Boy Scout troops, maybe even a handmade rowboat race.
- Mens' and ladies' golf tournaments on Saturday, with Westbrook's three golf courses (Rivermeadow, Sunset Ridge, and Twin Falls) rotating as annual hosts.
- 3 v. 3 basketball tournament at the Fraser Field basketball courts.
- Road race before the parade. The third annual (and underappreciated) Main Street Mile was run about a month before Westbrook Together Days, but the event is a natural fit as a pre-parade activity.
- John C.L. Morgan
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Westbrook Almanac: June 15-21, 2008
Week-to-Date:
High: 72F (June 21)
Low: 55F (June 15)
Precipitation: 0.75 inches
Previous Sunrise: 5:00a
Previous Sunset: 8:27p
Month-to-Date:
High: 87F (June 9)
Low: 49F (June 3, June 9)
Precipitation: 1.33 inches
Year-to-Date:
High: 87F (June 9)
Low: -5F (January 4)
Precipitation: 23.70 inches
Source: National Weather Service
- John C.L. Morgan
High: 72F (June 21)
Low: 55F (June 15)
Precipitation: 0.75 inches
Previous Sunrise: 5:00a
Previous Sunset: 8:27p
Month-to-Date:
High: 87F (June 9)
Low: 49F (June 3, June 9)
Precipitation: 1.33 inches
Year-to-Date:
High: 87F (June 9)
Low: -5F (January 4)
Precipitation: 23.70 inches
Source: National Weather Service
- John C.L. Morgan
Friday, June 20, 2008
Paper City Public Art: Gerald C. Fluett Portrait
Thomas Nadeau's portrait of Walker Memorial Library benefactor Gerald C. Fluett has always caught my eye.
To be sure, its placement at the head of the library's stairs makes the portrait difficult to overlook. But what always attracts my attention are the portrait's rich and ominuous colors.
Could Mr. Fluett's suit, for example, be a more dignified shade of navy blue? Or his shirt more blanched and starched? And could his tie be more Presidential-red? I don't think so. Nor do I think Nadeau could've provided a better background to embolden Fluett, as it features the sterile browns and tans of the wintry riverbanks of the Presumpscot River, as well as the pale blues of the water and the sky.
Despite Mr. Fluett's crisp and richly-colored attire, though, the most eye-catching feature of Nadeau's portrait is not the subject of the portrait; it is the dark plume of apparent storm clouds (or is it discharge from the mill over Fluett's right shoulder?) crowning his head. Indeed, the apparent storm clouds effectively attract the viewer's eyes to Fluett's face, but the artistic method of attention-directing--when combined with Fluett's impish smirk that can fairly be described as Cheneyesque--gives the portrait a foreboding quality. Which is too bad, because Fluett's biography does not seem to contain any sense of ill will.
A lifelong resident of Westbrook (he lived in the same Saco Street home his entire life), Fluett is described in Walker Memorial Library: A History as an eternal bachelor who was active in the business and civic affairs of Westbrook. A graduate of St. Mary's school and Westbrook High School's Class of 1939, and a member of St. Hyacinth's, the Holy Name Society, and the American Legion. Fluett also served in the South Pacific during WWII, owned numerous businesses (besides taking over his parents' eponymous store, Fluett owned Beacon Bowling Lanes in North Windham, Oxford Bowling Lanes, and the Busy-Bee Bakery on Westbrook's Main Street.), and was an energetic traveler. In fact, the donor of Nadeau's portrait of Gerald Fluett to Walker Memorial Library was Fluett's frequent travel companion, Roland Roy, who joined Fluett on trips to Mexico, Aruba, Canada, and Atlantic City.
Fluett's frugality was also noted, as well as his $800,000 gift to the library after his death in 1988. In fact, the gift was the seed money for the library's ongoing Fluett Trust.
- John C.L. Morgan
P.S. Much thanks to the staff at the Walker Memorial Library.
To be sure, its placement at the head of the library's stairs makes the portrait difficult to overlook. But what always attracts my attention are the portrait's rich and ominuous colors.
Could Mr. Fluett's suit, for example, be a more dignified shade of navy blue? Or his shirt more blanched and starched? And could his tie be more Presidential-red? I don't think so. Nor do I think Nadeau could've provided a better background to embolden Fluett, as it features the sterile browns and tans of the wintry riverbanks of the Presumpscot River, as well as the pale blues of the water and the sky.
Despite Mr. Fluett's crisp and richly-colored attire, though, the most eye-catching feature of Nadeau's portrait is not the subject of the portrait; it is the dark plume of apparent storm clouds (or is it discharge from the mill over Fluett's right shoulder?) crowning his head. Indeed, the apparent storm clouds effectively attract the viewer's eyes to Fluett's face, but the artistic method of attention-directing--when combined with Fluett's impish smirk that can fairly be described as Cheneyesque--gives the portrait a foreboding quality. Which is too bad, because Fluett's biography does not seem to contain any sense of ill will.
A lifelong resident of Westbrook (he lived in the same Saco Street home his entire life), Fluett is described in Walker Memorial Library: A History as an eternal bachelor who was active in the business and civic affairs of Westbrook. A graduate of St. Mary's school and Westbrook High School's Class of 1939, and a member of St. Hyacinth's, the Holy Name Society, and the American Legion. Fluett also served in the South Pacific during WWII, owned numerous businesses (besides taking over his parents' eponymous store, Fluett owned Beacon Bowling Lanes in North Windham, Oxford Bowling Lanes, and the Busy-Bee Bakery on Westbrook's Main Street.), and was an energetic traveler. In fact, the donor of Nadeau's portrait of Gerald Fluett to Walker Memorial Library was Fluett's frequent travel companion, Roland Roy, who joined Fluett on trips to Mexico, Aruba, Canada, and Atlantic City.
Fluett's frugality was also noted, as well as his $800,000 gift to the library after his death in 1988. In fact, the gift was the seed money for the library's ongoing Fluett Trust.
- John C.L. Morgan
P.S. Much thanks to the staff at the Walker Memorial Library.
Maine Tees
Another week, another Switch spotlight on Brookie, Talya Corsetti.
Besides highlighting Corsetti's Coco Magoo t-shirt line, the weekly brags about Maine t-shirt makers ferdinand, Laine Couture, Milo in Maine, Pinecone + Chickadee, Rogues Gallery, and Small Victory Studios.
- John C.L. Morgan
P.S. Disclosure: I briefly worked for Rogues Gallery last summer.
Besides highlighting Corsetti's Coco Magoo t-shirt line, the weekly brags about Maine t-shirt makers ferdinand, Laine Couture, Milo in Maine, Pinecone + Chickadee, Rogues Gallery, and Small Victory Studios.
- John C.L. Morgan
P.S. Disclosure: I briefly worked for Rogues Gallery last summer.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Just Do It
When driving less than 45 mph, roll down the window to cool down. When driving more than 45 mph, let the AC flow.
(Update: Since today's the first day of summer, I also recommend you read the "Summer" chapters in Hannah Holmes's Suburban Safari: A Year on the Lawn.)
- John C.L. Morgan
(Update: Since today's the first day of summer, I also recommend you read the "Summer" chapters in Hannah Holmes's Suburban Safari: A Year on the Lawn.)
- John C.L. Morgan
Quote of the Day
"The ordinance comes from the former police chief [Paul McCarthy] having a hard-on for tattoo parlors."
- Westbrook School Committee member (and former City Councilor) Ed Symbol in a Bollard story (June 2008 print issue) about the tattoo parlor ordinance approved by the City Council in April.
Maybe I've got my metaphors mixed, but wouldn't that mean McCarthy liked tattoo parlors?
- John C.L. Morgan
- Westbrook School Committee member (and former City Councilor) Ed Symbol in a Bollard story (June 2008 print issue) about the tattoo parlor ordinance approved by the City Council in April.
Maybe I've got my metaphors mixed, but wouldn't that mean McCarthy liked tattoo parlors?
- John C.L. Morgan
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