Hurricanes Irene, Donna and Alma in Denville, New Jersey

With all the news about Hurricane Irene working its way toward the US mainland and the entire coastline bracing for possible disaster, I’m reminded of a couple of hurricane experiences of my own:

THE FIRST WAS HURRICANE DONNA IN SEPTEMBER OF 1960.

I was attending school at the Main Street School in Denville, New Jersey and the hurricane was making itself known in town with heavy rains and gale-force winds. Apparently the school officials felt there was a real danger to the building, students and faculty and the weather was continuing to worsen as the day wore on. They closed school early and sent us all on our way to get home to safety before all the roads became impassable.

I didn’t live the required two miles from the school to qualify to ride the bus (our house on Morris Avenue was 1.9 miles away), so I walked. From the Main Street school, I walked through town, along Route 46 and out Franklin Road (or was it Savage rd? I don't remember much these days!) to the Little League field by the river (Gardner Field?). It was not a pleasant or easy walk, what with the wind and rain.

Anyway, when I came to the bridge that crosses the Rockaway River just past the baseball field, I couldn’t help but notice the river had risen to within a few feet of the bottom of the bridge. In the summer, we all jumped from the railing to the river beneath but it was probably a good ten or fifteen-foot drop to the water then. A very few, very daring kids climbed to the top of the bridge for the jump. I wasn’t one of those. I was afraid. This time, however, I realized, with the water level so high, it was ten or fifteen feet from the very top of the bridge to the water!

I walked out onto the bridge, which had that metal-grated surface that hummed when driving across, took off my socks and shoes and placed them neatly with my books along the railing. I could see the brown water through the grating below my feet. Then I climbed to the top of the structure, stood there for a brief moment and leaped out over the railing and into the storm.

As soon as my feet hit the water, they were swept out from under me as though I had just landed on the top of a speeding truck. I was thrown on my back, then pulled straight down in the churning, angry, muddy water. I fought with all my strength to get back to the surface, then with all my might to get to the bank. The problem was, the bank was a lot farther away than usual and the water was moving so fast! The river was wide! Very wide and racing full-speed with me in its clutches. I kept swimming in the direction of shore until I finally managed to reach the bank and crawl out of the mess. I must have gone under, over or around the bridge at Diamond Spring Road (although I don’t remember how) but when I did crawl out of the water, I was on the other end of town. I think it was the parking lot for a place called Norell’s (?), along Route 46 and across the river from the hospital and the old St Francis hogs where I found myself.

I had to walk barefoot through the flooded streets of Denville, wade the length of Riverside Drive, then swim and wade across the fields just below the main Little League field to get back to the bridge. The water had risen since I first jumped but it wasn’t above the bridge surface…yet. I picked up my shoes and books and walked the rest of the way through the trail to Morris Avenue and home.

THE SECOND WAS HURRICANE ALMA IN1966.

I was working on the Felicia, a scallop boat that made its home at the Fulton Fish Market, in New York City. The captain and crew were all Norwegians and considerably older than I was at the time. The captain spoke English well but the others, only barely.

Oddly, the first time I ever worked on that boat was the first time I had ever been on any kind of boat at all that was longer than a car. This one was 95 feet! When I first set foot on the old wooden hulk, I was aware that I was the only one sober enough to walk a straight line. The crew promptly passed out in a unified, drunken stupor while the captain gave ME instructions to get us out of the harbor, under the Verrazano Bridge and into the Atlantic. He said to wake him when I go under the bridge. Then he passed out, himself. I had no clue. I was still sixteen (or seventeen) years old! Fortunately, it was daytime and I could actually SEE the Verrazano Bridge. Other than that bit of good luck, I was at a near total loss. I knew nothing of proper navigation…which buoys meant what, what to avoid, what maritime laws were. Eventually, I woke Captain Finn as we slid under the bridge and he took over the helm from there.

Anyway, about the hurricane…we had worked our way about seventy-five miles off the coast and (maybe) as far south as Virginia when Captain Finn realized there was a hurricane heading toward us. It was time to head back. In fact, it was already past time to head back. The weather was getting worse by the minute as the afternoon wore on. The crew had already stowed all the gear and gone below as evening neared. The wind, rain and seas were all rising. Frothy ocean water sloshed back and forth across the deck and blended with the torrential rain. Wind and water came from all directions as Captain Finn maintained course, heading north. We were losing the race with the leading edge of Hurricane Alma.

It only got worse as darkness fell upon us. Yes, the weather was worse but there was more to it. Captain Finn brought me up to the wheelhouse, showed me what compass heading we were attempting to maintain…and went to sleep in his bunk. He went to sleep and left me there in the wheelhouse by myself. Everyone else was asleep. It was pitch dark. The wind howled, the rain came from everywhere and the seas swept over the deck as though we weren’t even there.

The Felicia had one of those old-fashioned steering wheels…huge, with gnarled wooden handles all around. It takes a physical effort to spin the thing all around a few times to just make a turn of a few degrees. The compass was about two feet in diameter and was mounted on the floor next to the wheel where I stood, unprepared. There was no point looking outside the wheelhouse. Everything was as black as death out there. The waves buffeted the boat, smashing against the elevated, wheelhouse windows, the door rattling open and closed, water rushing in and out of where I hung on to the steering wheel while staring at the compass. Each time the boat was pounded from one side, the compass indicated we had been turned as much as 90 degrees. I frantically spun the wheel to get back to the correct heading on the compass, only to be hit again and turned in a different direction. Side to side we all traveled that night with the relentless roar of the hurricane bearing down on us. I turned that steering wheel twenty times one way, then twenty the other, then ten back and twenty again. Spinning the wheel, soaked with rain, seawater and sweat, I fought all night long, alone in the wheelhouse, as Hurricane Alma didn’t care if the Felicia ever made port again.

As daylight approached, Captain Finn reappeared and assumed the helm. I was totally spent. We had made some progress through the night, putting some distance from the hurricane…somehow! Also, Alma seems to have headed a bit eastward rather than smashing directly into New York City. (It had also lost a lot of its strength by then.) We eased under the bridge to safety in the late afternoon.

Radio and TV Announcers I hear in the Seattle area

For sure, I'll get back to this but I'm listening to a Mariners game on the radio right now and I just must say I think Ron Fairly is absolutely awful. He's boring. His low-keyed, matter-of-fact delivery is boring. His constant, "Uh" is boring. He seems to slur his words at times so that I don't have a clue what he's talking about. I think he might be a bit senile since it seems he tends to forget what he was talking about sometimes. I should mention that I do enjoy hearing some of the stories from the past.

I think I'll just keep adding to this post about people I've heard on radio and television in the area.

Oh! Still along the line of baseball announcers...I lived in Los Angeles a long time ago. I did not like Vin Scully. I did not like Dave Niehaus when he worked with Dick Enberg, doing the Angels broadcasts. I was very disappointed when I learned that Niehaus was the Mariners' voice. I didn't like his raspy voice, I found him to be boring and I didn't like his southern-like pronunciations of many words such as...he said "Nitional" with a long i, instead of "National" with a short a. He did grow on me eventually. I definitely did not like Rick Rizs especially when he said, "kerplunk". Also, he runs his words together too much for my taste. He might say, "Frinning" instead of "four inning". He often emphasizes the wrong words or syllables...with the score 3-2 Mariners over the Yankees, the Yankees score another run and Rizs says, "It's now 4 to 2", placing the emphasis on the 2, as though the Mariners had just scored. It's just weird. Now, with Dave Neihaus gone, Rick Rizs is sounding pretty darn good to me.

Tom Brokaw was working with a Los Angeles news show and it drove me nuts listening to him struggle with his speach impediment, unable to pronounce the letter "L". I was horrified to learn he was moving up to national prominence and wondered how no one seemed to care about how poorly he spoke.

Seattle weather rporter, Harry Wappler looked and sounded so wimpy that I just couldn't watch him. Then, it got much worse! They replaced him with his son, Andy! He had such a small, cartoon-like voice that was only made worse by the fact that he couldn't pronounce the "L" either. Hearing him say, "meteorologist" or "little" was downright funny (and pitiful). He did change a bit though. After a while, he started wearing black suits and actually lowered his voice so he could appear more grown up I suppose. It wasn't much better and he's finally gone.

George Karl, the Supersonics coach...he did radio commercials for a Cadillac dealer but he never pronounced the "D" in Cadillac. He said something like, "Caa-lac. Very funny.

There's a guy on some sports broadcasts for Westwood One. When he says "Westwood One" he uses a fake, breathy, unnatural, deep voice (to sound macho) and it's just too phony for me.

Vaughn Palmer comes on the local NPR station once a week, reporting on Canadian issues. He's interesting and I appreciate what he has to say...when I can hear him. He has an extremely sing-song voice that often shoots into the soprano range. The main problem is that he tails off at the end of every sentence to the point that he's probably not really speaking. I turn the radio as loud as it goes but I still can't hear what he says. Then, the local guy speaks and it's deafening. I just change channels when Vaughn Palmer comes on. It's not worth the aggravation.

Barbara Walters...how in the world did she ever get a job in broadcasting? She can't speak.

There are FAR too many women on the radio with a real problem...at the end of almost every sentence, their voices have tailed off so much that the only sound coming out is a choppy, rattling, unpleasant, throaty, guttural noise. How can they not know their voices have been spent?

Mike Blowers sounds like he has a clothes pin on his nose.

Fortunately, I don't listen to the radio all that much and I haven't been able to watch much television since the switchover to digital broadcasts. (I just have an antenna on the house.)

Sports talk radio...there are too many guys on the radio with New York accents. This is Seattle! The guys on KJR all sound like buffoons far too often with their nonsensical laughing. Also too common is the way interviews are conducted...they might be interviewing a great sports legend (for example) and they spend so much time and hot air in the process of phrasing the question that there's no time left for a response. I don't want to hear the local guy at all. I want to hear what the star has to say.

When KOMO radio is on in my car, I can only listen until the guy who seems to be the "Voice of KOMO" comes on. Then I change the station as soon as I hear him. He has an overly, breathy delivery and doesn't pronounce consonants clearly or properly. He slurs through them and sounds extremely phony. Too phony for me to stay tuned to that station.

When Dave Grosby comes on KIRO radio, I turn it off or change stations. I was very disappointed that he became a regular on KIRO/ESPN. His voice kind of gurgles and what he has to say is of very little interest to me. In fact, there are far too many sports radio people who talk about themselves too much.

Speaking of talking to oneself, that brings Dory Monson to mind. He talks about himself as much as anything else and is extremely rude to anyone who disagrees with his opinion. He's okay working in the Seahawks broadcasts but that's all. I don't ever listen to him any more.

The two guys on afternoon KIRO, Ron and Don are two more who talk about themselves too much. Also, they seem to make themselves out to be saintly with only the best interest of the public in mind...to a fault. I don't listen to them any more.

There isn't much TO listen to on local radio. Of course, I listen to most of KUOW/NPR. However, I think of NPR as having a place in the area of news and I don't usually have any interest in hearing about musical performers. There's too much of that.

I like it when the BBC comes on in the afternoons on KUOW. Their reporters don't let any interviewees get away with anything and challenge them at every turn. It's refreshing.

There was a time when I listened to Tavis Smiley but I've heard enough of his "Brother", Homey" and other African American jargon. He just comes across as a bit of a racist to me and I don't like the way he seems to try so hard to pronounce some words so correctly while ignoring so many others. I don't listen to him any more.

Derek Wang (I think) is the guy who goes overboard when saying "KUOW". His "W" is over-emphasized. He says, " double-you", and no one else I've ever heard makes such an effort to get the "double" part in there. It just sounds weird.

There is an incredible number of people in broadcast and in the public eye who don't pronounce "Washington" properly. It comes out as "Washtin" or some other, similar shortening of the word. It sounds lazy.

What about all those people in broadcast and the public eye who say "nuculer" instead of "nuclear" How could a person NOT know the correct pronunciation! It makes the speaker sound ignorant.

Needless to say (perhaps), I don't listen to much radio any more and almost never watch television. It's all too much "chalk-scraping-on-the-blackboard" for me.

On radio and television there are numerous, instant "turn-offs" or "channel-switch" occasions for me. As soon as I hear Tom Shane...off. The first notes of the annoying Kars for Kids ad...off. When someone pronounces "either" or "neither" with a long "I" sound instead of a long "E"...off. When Dave Ross pronounces the word "err" with a short "U" sound...off. When a sports broadcaster talks about "difference makers"...off. When a weatherperson says "precip"...off. Why do so many (most) sports announcers have nearly soprano voices?

My review...Seattle Opera, Porgy and Bess

Very briefly (I'll get back to this)...I was exceedingly disappointed with Seattle Opera's Porgy and Bess! I have front row, center seats. Anyway, check back...I'll describe what wasn't done well at all.

I thought I might add a few comments to this while I have a minute.

First, due to an original request (or requirement) by Gershwin, Porgy and Bess is made up of black performers playing all the black parts. This seems to have been accomplished by Seattle Opera by setting aside most of the normal members of the chorus and bringing in local black singers as temporary replacements. (I'm not sure how that was okay with the union but...okay.) Anyway, the chorus was spectacular and I appreciate the magnificent efforts of the chorus director.

Most of the cast was...okay...sort of...when I could hear them. That was the problem!

Porgy (Gordon Hawkins) seems to have a decent voice although he seemed very weak in the lower register notes. Basically, I heard very little of what he sang because the orchestra overpowered almost everything.

Bess (Lisa Daltirus)...I had the same impression of her as with Porgy. Her lower register was inaudible and the rest was mostly drowned out by the orchestra.

I'll get back to Serena (Mary Elizabeth Williams)...

I liked Crown but he was overwhelmed too often by the orchestra.

Sportin' Life was good (!) and delivered good sound that I could actually hear!

Clara might as well not have bothered singing...especially the opening "Summertime". I heard almost nothing.

Maria...there was a point in the second act (I think) when Maria, Porgy and Serena sang together...Maria was (apparently) singing and was obviously gesticulating and playing up her part very well...however, I sat laughing at my seat because, even though I was certain she MUST have been singing, I never heard a single sound from her. It was very funny (and pitiful). The orchestra was so loud for her weak voice! I barely heard anything from Porgy either! Here's the problem...Serena was wonderful! She had a powerful voice that cut right through and above the din of the orchestra! That means to me that maybe the orchestra really wasn't so loud. Maybe most of the singers were very VERY weak.

Crab Man...he was another whose voice was sufficient for the venue.

My seats are in the front row.

In rehearsals, how could the company NOT have noticed that the voices disappeared? How could they NOT have sat in various areas of the hall so they could determine changes had to be made? It seems like they just had to bring the performers forward on the stage and/or have the orchestra quiet down a bit for all those weak voices. It was very disappointing.

In general, it was a wonderfully, entertaining performance but it could have been SO much better if I could have heard more than a few of the cast members and the chorus. Something is very wrong that this group made up of incredibly weak and sufficiently powerful singers were ever placed on stage together. Is it all about casting? If so, I give the casting director an F-minus. It reminds me of (some years ago) I went to see Turandot at the old Seattle Opera house. I was anxious to hear Nessun Dorma and my seat was just beyond the middle on the floor. I heard almost nothing from the tenor. He was far too weak. What a waste!

Incidentally, I understand Seattle Opera is doing Carmen this season so I checked to see who's in it. I was afraid they'd go ahead and cast another gigantic (totally unbelievable in the part!) woman to play the lead role as they did with Madama Butterfly and so many others. They didn't do that this time. They cast Anita Rachvelishvll as Carmen. I never heard of her but at least she isn't gigantic...unfortunately, here's a review of her playing Carmenn elsewhere..."Leave it to the paradoxical world of la Scala to open their season with a "Carmen" where Carmen herself is the weakest link in an otherwise strong cast." This means I probably won't hear much of what she sings later this season. (I would have chosen Cecilia Angell as Carmen.)

Vote down THE DEAL!

I'd rather have the Senate vote down the budget deal. Then, I'd like Obama (for once!) to take a firm, leadership stand and raise the debt ceiling on his own, via invoking the 14th amendment. Let the courts sort it out later. It's a lot better for all (the vast majority) of us than the crappy "compromise" they've agreed to.

Then...let's all work in earnest to maintain control of the Senate and take back the House!

Super Congress?

Is the creation of a Super Congress even constitutional? Isn't it the intent that the Super Congress will have final say in budget issues, bypassing the duly-elected representatives of the People? Isn't this taxation without representation? Is it a backwards step in a democracy? Also, what ever happened to the Republican demand for Smaller Government? Establishing a Super Congress is a definite expansion of government!

Give those in power an inch...just the slightest opening...and they'll exploit it. A super Congress seems to be a step in the wrong direction. Another chance for our government to strip the populace of self-dignity and inalienable rights.

So...I get an email from the Democrats with an attachment of President Obama supposedly explaining "The Deal". I didn't watch the video but, whatever it is, I'm not happy about it.

There should be no freeking "Deal" to pay our debts. There should be no freeking compromise with the slimy Republicans to pay our debts. The Republicans got us all into the shit hole in the first place and somehow they've managed (again) to avoid a fair tax rate for the wealthy and corporate thieves. I hate them and want them all to disappear from this section of the solar system.

Here's my most recent note to the White House:

Maybe it's not too late. Maybe President Obama can wake up from his delirium and call on Congress to reject "The Deal" Maybe President Obama can grow a backbone in the next few hours, forget about his own, selfish, political posturing for re-election and do the right thing before this economic catastrophe becomes reality. What a freeking wimp! While I would never cast a vote for any of the thieving Republican extortionists, I'm certainly ashamed of President Obama's miserable performance! I hope, Mr. President, you're ashamed, yourself. (Maybe it's not too late to be a man, eh?)