Stephen Mejias

The PATH train ride from Grove Street in downtown Jersey City to Church Street in lower Manhattan takes about seven minutes, maybe less, and offers a chilling tour of Ground Zero. For just a dollar-fifty, you get a Disney-like theme park stroll through a chalky gray wasteland that'll have you wondering why no real memorial exists.

Sam Tellig doesn't call the office often. In the seven years that I've been at Stereophile, Sam has called only a handful of times. When he does call, however, it's serious. Sam just called.

"What's that?!" cried music editor Robert Baird, pointing to the plastic-sleeved CD on my desk.

It was terribly difficult to get out of bed this morning. Wasn't it? For me, the soft sound of car tires over wet city street was a warm whisper: Stay in bed, don't go.

Did you dudes catch that little segment on PBS last night about analog recording versus digital? I did. It was alright. I don't think of these things in terms of a battle, mind you, where there's a bruised but happy winner and a bloody and beaten loser, but mainstream media seems to like taking that approach. I guess it's more palatable that way. To me, there's room in this world for both methods. Have you seen Ultimate Fighting Championship? Now, that's a battle. Analog versus digital? Not so much.

J Mascis' soaring solo comes to a sudden end. Elizabeth walks into my office, tentatively.