The Young Guy

And look who’s back: It’s Ariel Bitran! Ariel worked as our part-time editorial intern, enabling us to complete the 2008, 2009, and 2010 editions of the Stereophile Buyer’s Guide, before departing for a full-time gig with Mini-Circuits.

Ariel and I kept in touch, and, one winter day, prior to an Open End show at the Iron Monkey in Paulus Hook, during which I was crazily infatuated with a beautiful, vinyl-loving girl (another story altogether), Ariel mentioned that he’d be interested in a full-time position with Stereophile. I was happy to hear this, and I told Ariel to hold tight because there might be an opportunity in the future.

Ariel held tight. Months later, he sent me an e-mail, basically checking in and reiterating his interest. Cosmically, that very day, we were given the green light to hire a full-time editorial assistant! Oh, Lord, my prayers had been answered. I let Ariel know, and he was psyched.

After moving forward with the whole, official interview process, we all felt that Ariel would be the man for the job. While other candidates could certainly do the job, Ariel actually wanted the job, and that makes all the difference. And here he is. Ariel’s first day as our full-time editorial assistant was July 30th, nearly ten years to the day I started as editorial assistant. I’m very happy to have him with us. And now I can finally, honestly say I’m not the young guy anymore.

COMMENTS
buddha's picture

Cool!

Welcome back!

Will it now be you in all the pics of people speaker wrangling for JA?

All the best, man.

Stephen Mejias's picture

Ariel's first priority is the 2011 Buyer's Guide, but, yes, sometime in the future, he will help me carry very heavy things.

Larry's picture

Welcome back dude!!

Jim Tavegia's picture

Is that a bottle of Hot Sauce next to the Raisin Bran? Whoo, dude! You may be working alone alot!

Ariel Bitran's picture

hiya buddha, larry and jim! thanks for the greetings. Like SM said, I'll be alphabetizing thousands of components before I go hauling one. And Jim: i'm cooking up a storm in that room.

Erick Lichte's picture

Welcome back, Ariel!

Bill Leebens's picture

Congrats to you both. Stephen, hope you're not bummed about no longer being the wunderkind. Sometimes adulthood is a bitch!

Ariel Bitran's picture

Thanks Erick! SM and I were just talking about the other day how much you kick ass.

buddha's picture

Started July 30 and here we are two weeks into the Ariel Bitran era with no blog.

When does "Hi Fi con Huevos" or "Ariel's Grotto" take flight in the Stereophile blogosphere?

Jaime Bitran's picture

Congratulations in your new job and as the boss says, not only you can do it, you wanted because you like it.dad

Skellum's picture

Good Deal.....all Shelby county is proud

Debbie Bitran's picture

you have my hair now. we have the same hair. remember when you told me that mom and dad weren't my real parents and that I was actually an alien child and that I had a bar-code on the back of my ear? I was pretty traumatized, but thanks to you goldie locks, I can finally, definitely confirm that i am not an orphan alien child. we actually have the exact same hair. ...maybe you're just an alien child too. either way, mazal tov brosky.

JS, aka J-10's picture

Ariel, haven't seen you in a while, but man, that's some head'o'hair! (Yeah, just jealous, you got that right!) I know you usually show up to work in a seersucker suit, yellow socks, penny loafers, a RLauren monogrammed shirt and ascot, so someone must have caught you after an evening at the Shrunken Head (no personal relation). Congrats to you, Stephen (uh, my back!), and the magazine, you're a fine "edition". Do I get a badaBOOM?!

Tyrone Pitts IV's picture

Has the date been set for the nuptials? Stephan and Ariel? Is the registry available? I'd love to get the happy couple, something sweet for a dynamic duo. A Teac cassette deck, or maybe some Buddy Hackett comedy LP's.

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