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August 25, 2007

those saturday nights...

Well, I've finally done it. I've finally gotten past all the drama that's plagued me for the last two years. I'm finally able to have conversations about myself without mentioning my missing thyroid (did you know the first time the LA mayor stepped out on his wife was when she was dealing with thyroid cancer?!?)...and um, well, there's no where to go. It's not like Chicago where you can walk down the street from your flat and be drinkin. The watering holes here are few and far between.

Apparently, I'm not the only one alone tonight. Although the more I read posts like this, the more I rationalize the company of Netflix. I'm not a prude, I'm just adult enough to realize that subtlety is more interesting than random one night stands. Then again, this post is a million times worse.

Sigh....one of these days I'm actually going to break free of this damn Valley.

Posted by cj at 08:07 PM | Comments (0)

August 12, 2007

Lyrical Reading in the Sunday LA Times

This might be because I've been sick all weekend, but I had a bit of an epiphany today: the LA Times is written in a voice that is much more conducive to the LA life style than the NY Times. I grant you, the NY Times is still a much better source for international news and national economic news, but LAT writers don't try as hard to sound as smart, and therefore make reading more pleasurable than their East Coast counterparts.

Yesterday, I spent most of the day staring at the teevee. Today, I spent the day sleeping and in my bits of wakefulness, reading the paper. Every Sunday, I try to finish the Week in Review section of the NYT, but it is often a slog. Today, I read the Opinion section of the LAT cover to cover. (Which required flipping it over, because alas, the LAT merged its Opinion and Books section into one flimsy pullout; nevertheless, both sections were delightful reads.)

This reminds me of watching Meet the Press last weekend. Carl Bernstein made the following observation:

but especially after the mendacity and subterfuge of this current presidency
Not a single roundtable participant batted an eye when he said this. The majority of Americans could not understand the ramification of this quote because the man chose to use a word beyond common vernacular. He called Bush a lying liar who knows how to cover his tracks and no one stopped to ponder the seriousness of the charge.

This is what baffles me by the progressive elite. They've been wrapped so long by the tendrils of the ivory tower that they forget how to speak to the masses. The LA Times appeals to me because it does not necessitate the use of Every Big Word You Know to participate in civic dialogue. Plus, it's easier to read when you're sick.

Is it time for me to give up my $28 a month NYT habit? Well, probably not. It's one of my few indulgences in life and since you only live once, I'm stickin to the habit (for now).

Posted by cj at 04:55 PM | Comments (0)