Ariel Bitran

The Sony Radio Cassette-Corder CFM-10 is an unassuming little piece of electronics. I remember back in 1995, while the devastating Hurricane Opal tore across the state of Alabama, my family crouched on the laundry room floor with a cheap green lantern giving us light. My little sister and I were wrapped up in oversized, itchy wool blankets, laughing and joking, while Opal wreaked havoc and destroyed lives. We listened to the wind howling against the house, huge tree branches cracking and crashing to the ground, as we awaited word from weather-god James Spann who spoke from a little black cassette-corder like the one I had just found.

My congregation! Ladies and Gentlemen! I tell you, there is a Pod! Some heathens choose to ignore him and burn for all eternity in the depths of hell, while Air Supply plays a continual concert of doom. Others have seen the light, and they opt instead for superior listening experiences.

I say, for the hi-fi community, there is hope. When I came to Stereophile, the first assignment Mr. Mejias gave me was to assess how I, as a young person, felt about the world of hi-fi. When my official term of Summer Intern was over, I had nothing. Well, I had a lot of stuff in my head, but nothing that I was ready to post on the blog. There was so much pressure. What had I learned here at Stereophile?!?!

So much.

Happy Birthday to me
Found some speakers for free
In the trash
Sonic cash
Happy Birthday to me

Bill: This is Bill.
Ariel: Hi Bill, this is Ariel from Stereophile magazine. How are you?
B: Why are you calling?

Madonna wakes me up at 9:30 A.M. Her little paws tap my cheeks. My eyes slowly open. The queen of pop's little furry face smiles down at me, whiskers tickling my cheek.

But after careful deliberation, I realized that my dream was actually telling me to get some new speakers.