2.26.2007

In-class Subversion

don't you love it when on the first day of class your professor spends hours going through the syllabus and then says that will be the most he will talk all semester, but actually manages to fill more time with elongated blather in the following class sessions? gee, that's just the bee's knees in my book.

The Journey

that was a well-traveled weekend. down to long beach on friday for the big west conference swim meet. then up to san francisco saturday morning for a little wandering around and a shakespeare play at stanford. then more wandering on sunday and back down to los angeles. so a lot of time in a car. but very worth it.

2.22.2007

Disno

there is a billboard on hoover, just before the 10 freeway. it's an advertisement for cinderella 3: a twist in time. it's tagline: what if the slipper didn't fit? first of all, cinderella 3? i didn't know there was a cinderella 2. and what if the slipper didn't fit? then she isn't the right one! end of movie! or she spends the rest of her life cleaning the fireplace for her bitchy stepmother and aunts. walt must be spinning in his ice-encrusted cryogen capsule.

2.20.2007

Duh Statement of the Year

from reuters:

"If you invest in the newsroom, do you make more money? The answer is yes," Esther Thorson, an advertising professor and associate dean for graduate studies at the University of Missouri's School of Journalism, said in a statement.

"If you lower the amount of money spent in the newsroom, then pretty soon the news product becomes so bad that you begin to lose money," she said.

wait a minute. that means that ... quality ... matters? what a novel concept.

Wall Debris

shaping up to be a good weekend. long beach on friday. san francisco on saturday and sunday. enormous profile due wednesday. hmm, wonder how that's going to work.

there is a usc student who wears a rollerblade on one foot and nothing on the other. he pushes himself along with his bare foot as though his other leg were a scooter. the surfaces of this world are typically not very kind to bare feet, especially those traveling at rollerblade speed. why not just toss a shoe or sandal on there? and that can't be good for his posture. or foot hygiene. or sex life. of course, the long black trenchcoat probably doesn't help much either.

today is perfect. whispers of sun, high white clouds, high 60s, occasional breeze. and i'm stuck in a fourth-floor office. at least i have a nice view of downtown right in front of me. must be the recent rain. the air quality is usually too poor to see the edges of the buildings as crisply defined as they are today. kind of makes me feel like riverdancing.

2.15.2007

Down on the Farm

from the fabulous fresno bee:

Rudy Giuliani -- the Brooklyn-born, big-city politician -- worked the World Ag Expo on Tuesday like a farmer tilling his soil.

The former New York City mayor, probably best known for his leadership after the terrorist attacks in 2001, probably shook more hands, cozied up to more babies, signed more autographs and schmoozed with more exhibitors than any past visitor.

And the expo, an annual event teeming with hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of visitors trolling for the latest in farming technology, was fertile ground.

But Giuliani, on the campaign trail for president, made no bones about how spare his knowledge of farming is.

"What do I know about agriculture?" he asked the crowd of about 450 at the expo's opening ceremonies at the Heritage Complex. "I know how much we depend on you, the importance of the Central Valley in feeding us and taking care of us. I know how much we depend on each other."

Later, he would say, "I'm not a big expert on ag policy. But I will be."

first of all, way to follow through on the farming metaphor. second of all, if you think giuliani gives the slightest shit about agriculture in tulare, california, you might want to find a nice, quiet place to die.

2.14.2007

Velocity

i just took a call from someone who was arguing with a friend over whether the moon rotated on its axis as well as around the earth. i don't think i've ever had a conversation or argument that has led to me calling a large university to prove my point. i wish i did.

post script: oh, and for those who are interested in the answer, the moon does rotate on its axis. each time it circles the earth, about every 27 days, it makes one full rotation on its axis. the earth's tidal interaction with the moon slowed its rotation over many years to match its orbit around the earth.

post-post script: happy valentine's day.

2.12.2007

More Malaise

sitting in my feature writing class. fifth week of class. ten students. the professor wants to call on me, but doesn't know my name. wow. that makes me feel really good inside. all warm and fuzzy. i'm growing sick of class. it feels like all my professors are telling me the same things over and over again, and i'd like to just get out of here and go do something. copy edit or write or whatever. and i don't even care where. give me two years to work my ass off and i can get myself to san francisco, i know it. until then...well. looks like i'll be stuck listening to another explanation of how to cultivate a story idea file.

Dirge

there was a small bird trapped on the bottom floor of the parking garage below my building the other day. it depressed me to know i couldn't help it and it would probably die down there, cold and starving.

2.06.2007

Caution: Hot Beverage

lots of stuff to talk about. big basketball game tomorrow night between usc and them (ucla). thursday i go to usc's hospital to follow around a trauma surgeon as he teaches a group of naval trauma trainees. sometime in the next few days i interview a guy over the phone who is "couch surfing" across the world over the next five years. also in the next few days i hopefully hear more about an expenses-paid trip throughout finland in august courtesy of the finnish government which apparently wants more journalists to have a general knowledge of its country.

the other day i saw a girl unlock her bike, which was of course not locked to a bike rack, but rather conveniently double-parked in front of a bike rack. in the process of unlocking her pink beachcruiser monstrosity, she knocked over two other freestanding bikes. she looked at me as i walked by and then got on her bike and rode off, leaving the two bikes on the ground. people are dicks.