Tuesday, Afternoon

The Two River Times has stopped posting their articles online. Jerks. Not only does the new publisher's silly editorials annoy me but now his business plan annoys me as well. Heck, I'd pay a small subscription fee if I had to.

Monmouth County was one of the leaders in the country for job growth and nonresidential development in 2004.

And where are all these new workers going to live? Middletown, of course. (But that's just like saying they'll live in Monmouth County.) Middletown is looking to add new housing developments along three stretches of Route 36, including one by the A&P.

Some interesting news from the pages the Bayshore Courier's legal notices:

• The Planning Board of AH is holding a hearing on 3/10 to talk about a stormwater management plan which requires an amendment to the town's Master Plan of the Borough of Atlantic Highlands. I assume this Master Plan is available for perusing at Borough Hall? I think I need to check this out.
• I don't know all the facts behind this "action" (PB04-09, Block 81, Lot 6, 50 Asbury Avenue) but it seems approval was given to someone to demolish an existing residence. I hope we're not setting a precedent where people can buy homes in AH, knock 'em down and build McMansions. I've seen this happen first hand in parts of Westchester County, NY and the result was absolutely horrifying. Anyone know the scoop here?

Looking beyond the most perfect town in the world to the best state in the country:

• Fausta at Bad Hair Blog provides insights and links on the state budget, taxes, rebates and pay-to-play reform.
• Speaking of pay-to-play reform, it's a hot topic in the AH Herald's Forums. Admittedly, I'm not well-versed on the topic but I'm doing some research and will have an informed opinion soon - other than being anti-corruption. In the meantime I'll try to provide some links that look at the issue. Here's one from Enlighten-New Jersey that looks at Senator Jon Corzine's recent comments on the topic.

Seastreak launched a new website today. Basically the same stuff, just presented nicer. I did find something funny in the Terms and Conditions:

SeaStreak will not tolerate drunkenness, lewdness, or any other unacceptable behavior. We ask our passengers to show respect for fellow passengers and those who may be traveling with young children.

Quick, dump your stock in Sea Containers Ltd (SCRA and SCRB on the NYSE). Ridership, and profits, are about to take a plunge.

Sadly, Hunter S. Thompson decided to end his life on Sunday. I can't say that this came as a huge shock as he proudly boasted about his fascination and fun with drugs and guns - a combination that I'm sure caused some close calls in the past, if not for him, then for anyone around him. You could also say he was, uh, slightly eccentric. He was also a great writer - the kind that when you got stuck with your own writing, or reading, you could rely on to quickly inject some passion, laughter and insight to get you going again. While I know he's not for everyone, he's rightly credited with helping to revolutionize journalism. So for those who are not familiar with his writings you may want to check out my favorites: Hell's Angels and his most popular book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.