1985

I'm listening to the "Grateful Dead Hour" on the radio. Disc jockey: Now for my next interviewee, the publisher of Deadbase—a statistical database of all the Dead's concert playlists. (RJ: Huh?!) All the way from Hanover, N.H., its John T. Scott. (RJ:Hey, an '85!) Tell me, Scott, what made you publish Deadbase?"

JTS: "Well, I'm a statistician and a Deadhead, so it kind of made sense." John goes on to explain that the Dead play entirely different concerts every night, and that it's possible to use Deadbase to answer questions like: How often have the Dead opened an outdoor concert in the spring with "Sugar Magnolia?" I jotted down the details if you would like to subscribe: Send s12 to Deadbase, VI, P.O. Box 499, Hanover, NH 03755.

I'm flipping through cable channels when I see the ubiquitous woman who analyzes political ads. She has a reel of commercials from a contest for young filmmakers sponsored by the Democratic National Committee. (Yawn) She says, "This first ad is from L. A. filmmaker David Story." (If I weren't such a couch potato,would I have any news to report?) Close up: a hand holding a soda can with an American flag printed on it. Voice-over (referring to the can): "This is America." Hand places the can into one of those can-crushing machines, crushing it completely as a voice says: "This is America under the last 12 years of Reagan-Bush." Fadeout. End tide: Vote Democratic on November 3rd. (Nice work, Dave. I'll have Carville callyou for the re-election campaign of '96.)

I'm walking through Washington Square Park and I come across a voter-registration table full of Democratic paraphernalia.

Young woman: "Are you registered to vote?"

RJ: "Yes, of course. Are you only registering Democrats?"

She: "No, just Dartmouth alums. Is that a Dartmouth sweatshirt?" Cut to the chase-it's Michelle Duster. Upon learning my name, however, Michelle clams up. I can wring no information about her life from her other than her party affiliation. (If I weren't out workingthe streets, would I have anything to report?)

I'm at a going-away party for my colleague (and your classmate) Paul Adkins, who is leaving Booz Allen. If I weren't a party animal,would I, etc.?) Paul and a friend from HBS are starting up a boatphone company in Florida. ("Boatphone?") Offshore communications services, Paul explains. "Our clientele consists mainly of commercial vehicles, oil rigs, and large private yachts." rich playboys, thirdworld dictators, drug smugglers. . .).

Paul talked to some other '85s lately. CurtisSimmons is a reporter for the Daily News on the Queens beat. Steve Heckel is working at Prudential and is not single, having been married in May (belated congratulations). Manus Clancy is still single and a VP of financial consulting at Trett & Cos.

I'm reading the N.Y. Times, and there's the Valerie Hartman-Jeffrey Levy wedding announcement. (If I weren't reading, etc.) Congrats, Val, even if you are marrying a man with two degrees from Hah-vahd. (Better to marry one than be one.)

I'm reading my mail, and—STOP THE PRESSES—a letter from Dr. Phil Yazbak. (I take back my former comments.) His wife, Darlene, gave birth to their first child, Abigail Catherine Yazbak, last January. The new family-sized Yazbaks have been quite mobile despite the addition: New Hampshire, Rhode Island (grandparents), L.A. (hospital rotation), etc. Phil says he'll be finished with his residency in neurosurgery at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in mid-decade (1995).

Thanks for the letter, Phil.

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