Novel Intro **I think writing a book would be a lot of fun, so I'm ...

Novel Intro

**I think writing a book would be a lot of fun, so I'm going to try and piece together a story on here. For now I will probably jump around a lot, but I will try to keep it as close to chapter-form as possible. Any comments are greatly appreciated.**

Being a sophomore in college is light years different than being a freshman. The giddiness is still there on the first day—tracking down friends from the year before, scoping out attractive members of the opposite sex that you have been deprived of all summer. After the first few days though, life reverts back to normal and you come to the realization that you’ve got at least three more years of school before you are finished.

Freshmen spend months wide-eyed at the change in lifestyle. Drinking and partying with no supervision for months before the interim grades come out. Unfortunately for Matt Cameron, he is a sophomore.

“What’s up, biotch?!” Greg Anderson said as he walked into the dorm room.

Greg was wearing a wife-beater tank-top, shiny Los Angeles Dodgers athletic shorts and white Champion socks. He didn’t exactly have a great body, and looked more like an aging Ron Jeremy. Greg had a wet toothbrush in his hand and a white towel draped over his shoulder as he strolled into the room.

Greg and Matt decided to room together their sophomore year because both of their plans to move off-campus fell through at the end of freshman year. Matt was already regretting the decision, because even though Greg had seemed cool the year before, Matt realized he didn’t know Greg as well as he thought he had.

“Not much, just doing some reading for history class,” Matt said as he looked over the edge of his book from his lofted bed.

Matt was wearing a white under-shirt and checkered pajama pants. He had his contacts out and had pillows propped up so he could read a section of his 800-page history book in bed.

Greg flopped down on his own bed and sighed, “Man, I’m in heaven.” He paused for a few seconds, looked over at Matt and said, “I know you are too after seeing those girls out at the Quad.”

Matt had been playing ultimate Frisbee that afternoon out on Todd field along with a few dozen other guys and girls. Greg had been tossing the football with a few of his friends now in the frat system, staring at scantily clad women walking by or sun-bathing. The women would walk by either completely ignoring Greg, or taking a glance at one of his friends with a better body, to which Greg would respond, ‘Yeah, I’d hit that.’

‘No Greg, you’re never going to hit that,’ is what Matt wanted to say.

“Yeah, they looked pretty good,” Matt said, fainting interest.

“Did you see Rebecca?! God DAMN!” Greg said as he shook a little on his bed.

Rebecca was a slut. Matt knew of at least four guys she had slept with from his floor alone last year. There were about two dozen other all-guy floors on campus, not to mention off campus houses, frat houses, and co-ed floors. All told, she had probably slept with a hundred guys last year alone and aborted a dozen or so fetuses. Matt wondered if she kept count.

“She was wearing a fucking G-string out on Todd field! Daaaamn!” Greg said as he continued to writhe on his bed like a dancing Quagmire from Family Guy.

Matt did his best to politely ignore Greg’s writhing and stories of “hot bitches,” when Greg’s cell phone rang and he went into the hall to talk. Matt didn’t own a cell phone. He thought it was nice of Greg to go out into the hall to talk, but wasn’t sure if Greg went into the hall to talk because he had good intentions, or just because he wanted to be seen talking on his new cell phone.

Matt suddenly realized that last year, the only time Greg and Matt spoke was either in the bathroom, or in the hall on the way to the bathroom. Greg was always in the hallway or the bathroom. Always ready with a ‘What’s up?’ or a quip about the current sports story. Matt glanced up from his book across the room towards Greg’s laptop—sure enough, he had Internet Explorer open to the ESPN homepage.

**Not enough action for a first chapter, maybe I can lead with action, then tie this into the 2nd-4th chapter**

Los Angeles Dodgers : News : Los Angeles Dodgers News

Los Angeles Dodgers : News : Los Angeles Dodgers NewsEric Gagne sore after last night's save?Watch this very closely. Danys Baez may be back in the closer mix very soon.

Are You Sure Your Men Deactivated the Hyperdrive on the Millennium ...

Sports stories that get a daily headline yet nobody fucking cares about:

-Barry Bonds' potential indictment.
Will they?! Won't they?! Who cares. He cheated and we don't need a Supreme Court decision to tell us what any one barely-functioning eyeball could tell us.

-Danica Patrick's switching circuits/teams.
Oh, she might go to NASCAR?! Oh, right, that's the same thing as NASCAR, right? Yeah, I don't care. And it's breaking news that she switched to some other IRL team? People couldn't tell you which team she was on before today and now she's on....um, some other team! Whooo! How many millions of people were avidly refreshing ESPN.com, waiting for this announcement?

-Barbaro's "Rehab".
You people do know it's a horse, right? A HORSE WITH A FUCKING BROKEN LEG. I can understand the owners/jockey being affected but...why are people nationwide putting up signs and stuff saying 'Pray for Barbaro'? What, so you can bet on him and exploit an animal in the future? Sympathy (and interest) DENIED.

-Alex Rodriguez's Inability to Win Over Yankee Fans
Look, he knew what he was getting into. They're allowed to boo him, his biggest hits come in April day games against the Blue Jays when the team is already up by 98 runs. He hasn't earned the right to be boo-proof (no championships, no big hits -- see: Jeter). Then some sports analyst started a crazy baseless rumor that the Yankees are going to trade him. They aren't. At least not now and probably never in the middle of a season.

ANYWAY...

I felt like venting about the Star Wars prequels. Not the movies themselves, necessarily, but the popular perception and regard for them.

First of all, I'm not a person who blindly embraces everything with the Star Wars name on it. I've read maybe three of the novels and don't think all the video games are earth-shattering like they are billed (I'm looking at you, Knights of the Old Republic). The announcement of the prequels was confirmed in 1993-94 so I was only 7 or 8 and can't say I had any real reaction to the news of them and just went to see them because they are Star Wars movies and...well, y'know.

With that out of the way, I'm the first to admit that Episode I is the worst of the saga, in terms of overall film quality. My gripes include:
-Jar-Jar Binks
-Jake Lloyd's general existence
-The overall (lack of) editing
-A handful of lines ("yippee!", the eopie fart on Tatooine, most of the podrace announcer)

I'm of the camp that Jar-Jar, as a character/plot piece wasn't even really necessary to the story. I understand that he was inserted to be a marketable character, to inject some humor, and be the yin to the Jedi/Queen's yang, to showcase -- with a full-time character -- ILM's developing CGI capabilities, yada yada yada.

That being said...his humor didn't do much for anyone over the age of 9. I didn't think his voice/dialect was racist (like some people foolishly believe) but just annoying and hard to get into. Most of it stuck out in otherwise exhibitionary scenes or something (like the hatching-of-the-podrace-scheme/slavery scene at the Skywalker dinner table) as just to keep the little kids interested. I guess it worked, because the movie rolled in a lot of money.

Jake Lloyd is only GOOD (for a kid) in one or two scenes, serviceable in most of the rest, and awful in a few deliveries sprinkled throughout. The part about his performance that hurts me most is that, after watching The Beginning documentary on the DVD and seeing two of the kids he beat out for the role...I am really not sure why Jake got the part at all.

I wish they had made his success in the final space battle a little less accidental and more planned -- to further the belief created in the originals that Anakin was the real deal Holyfield even when Obi-Wan first knew him. It doesn't ruin the movie (nor does Jake, overall) but it's just a little thorn in the side during viewing.

I don't buy the belief that the political subplot was too confusing or too deep for a Star Wars movie. The prequels are 50% political...the political sets up everything else. Unchartered waters for a Star Wars movie? Yes. But well-done and, once the trilogy is completely viewed, it's pretty hard to argue with what was in Episode I regarding the Senate, etc.

The editing was just a mistake. I don't find the midichlorian scene 'morally reprehensible' or anything but I don't think it was really necessary at all. Additionally, I always thought the film played like a rough cut of what the movie ultimately would be (at least 20 minutes of it could be trimmed out and nobody would notice). What, for example, could be removed?

-Some of the podrace; don't get me wrong, it's really fun and exciting but it kind of goes on too long. Part of that is the build-up to it. Do we need to see every single contestant introduced and shown and do we need to endure every little aside from the announcer(s)? That and the fact that just a bit too much racing content was shown. Don't get me wrong, I love the unintentional comedy that erupts when the little blue guy and pointy-nose guy explode into vapor but the race essentially should've just been Anakin vs. Sebulba with the Jedi's fate on the line.
-Most of the first act. From the moment the droid dropships land ("if they're down here, sir, we'll find them") to when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan drop in on the captured Queen in the street...all of that is really expendable. Jar-Jar didn't need to be found but if you insisted on putting him in, they should've had Qui-Gon say "stay here, we'll return" and then later had Qui-Gon free him from a little prison camp and used his connection to mount the Gungan army. He didn't need to take them to Otoh Gunga, through the planet core, tag along on Tatooine and subsequently on Coruscant. Why did the Jedi need directions to Theed, anyway? They're JEDI. Come on! We'll accept that they were able to get there in one dissolve-wipe.

Remove THAT stuff and you'd have a trim and really good movie. I like that the second act is slower than the first and third, as it's necessary for us to meet Anakin and get a sense of what he represents to Qui-Gon and how he interacts with Padme (plus, it's fucking Darth Vader, he deserves to get some foundation in his first appearance).

My opinion on why the film turned out the way it did was because:
-George was still in Return of the Jedi-mode. What were the criticisms of Jedi? The Ewoks were too kiddy. What is the criticism of Phantom Menace? Jar-Jar is too kiddy. Since his previous Star Wars installment was considered a success, he recycled the formula for Episode I.
-Ben Burtt edited the movie. Do you know who Ben Burtt is? He's the sound effects designer. If you couldn't put that together...a sound effects designer edited a movie. Figure it out.

Now, going beyond what the movie WAS, is what the movie was perceived as. Fact is: the expectations were off the charts. There was no way for George to win. NO WAY. 30-year olds wanted to feel like they were 10 again. That's not possible. They didn't realize this, of course, and held it against the movie, as if it was not their fault that they've grown up and matured, but George Lucas' fault.

Why were the expectations so high? Because whatever you liked when you were a kid grows and grows in your mind to be more and more pristine and flawless. The saying "you older get, the better you were" applies in a unilateral way. The more time that passed since the original installments, the more and more people regarded them well. Now, of course, they are the three greatest movies ever made but 75% of the people who bashed Episode I are not Star Wars geeks like me...so they just remember the movies being fun when they were little and expecting to be transported back to where they were in a completely different time. That's unfair.

Secondly, this is a different part of the saga. This is the rise of an ultimately flawed hero. This is the slow decay of a sprawling Republic. It's not going to be as straight-forward or simple as "the children of the bad guy try to save the universe"...which is why IV - V - VI was the first trilogy George made. It's far more marketable and universally recognizable, in theme. The Prequels -- even though they rolled in huge money -- probably would've been far less successful than the Originals, were they released in 1977, 1980, and 1983. They're just different films; it's like comparing the card games War and Poker. The originals are like War; they are completely easy to understand and most everyone on Earth can get into it. But Poker takes time to learn, time to get good at, etc. There are so many more nuances and layers to the Prequels than the Originals (not taking anything away from either trilogy, it's just an observation), which was not what some people EXPECTED (expectations are the Devil, clearly), thereby the movie was not good and sucked. Get out of here.

(Not to mention, everybody wants to be cool, so they do what their friends do, what the people on TV do, and jump on those bandwagons -- whatever they're touting. The 1999 bandwagon included unfairly bashing Episode I.)

AGAIN, I'm not saying Episode I was perfect (it isn't -- I broke down its drawbacks, you douche) but the way its regarded is totally ridiculous and unwarranted.

Then came the attacks on Episode II. "Hayden Christensen can't act". (By the way, that was pretty much the only concrete reason given yet apparently every part of the movie is flawed.)

First of all, Hayden can act. Some of his lines in Episode II are less than stellar but, um, Hayden didn't write the script. Additionally, what uneducated viewers regard as robotic or wooden readings of some lines is usually a character method to pave the way for the James Earl Jones delivery in IV, V, and VI (deliveries that everyone holds so dear). By the way, if you think some of Hayden's acting is suspect, watch the Originals and tell me some of the things Mark Hamiil and Carrie Fisher spout off aren't a little kitschy. Please. The same people attacking Hayden are the same people who attacked Episode I without just cause and didn't want to look like they might have been mistaken in their distaste so they latched onto the easiest target (the unknown lead) to salvage their already misguided criticisms.

Secondly, if you're watching Star Wars movies and expecting to see the greatest acting performances ever caught on film...you're very delusional.

The editing was better in Episode II but I still think they would've benefitted from a real editor rather than *sigh* another "effort" from Ben Burtt.

My only legitimate, glaring qualm with the film I addressed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2GAh4bqLuM

That's IT, do you hear me? And that's most of what anyone has to say bad about the picture. Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that each scene between Anakin and Padme was awful (they're not). Ok, so that's what, 20% of the movie? MAYBE 25%? And yet the entire movie is labeled as poorly executed. Explain that logic to me. The people who think Episode II, overall, is a bad film because they had a problem with one exchange about 'sand' are the same people who thought the second hour of Wedding Crashers was just as good as the first. Get the FUCK out of here.

And Episode III? I dare you to say one negative thing about the movie.

In summation:
-The Prequel soundtracks are just as-good-as (if not better than) the Originals (yes, I said it).
-The special effects are better than the Originals.
-The action sequences are better than the Originals.

Rapid fire response:
"The Prequels used too much CGI and not enough models and practical sets!"
Really? Because there were more models used in the Prequels than in the Originals. And too much CGI? Would you like to tell George Lucas that he should've financed the production of 4000 actual Senate pods and an arena to hold them? He should've produced thousands of clone trooper armor (by the way, even CGI-haters need to concede the fact that THE MERE NOTION THAT NOT ONE PIECE OF CLONE TROOPER OR BATTLE DROID ARMOR EXISTS IN ANY OF THE PREQUELS is an incredible achievement)? Please, PLEASE, I'd love to see you try and make that case to him and everyone else who put in time and money to these films.

"Yoda shouldn't fight with a lightsaber! That's like Gandhi using a gun!"
Really? Is it? So the most skilled Samurai in all of feudal Japan shouldn't ever brandish a blade either? Just because he's so mentally proficient in the Force and in dealing with conflict, he shouldn't fight hand-to-hand, if it comes down to it? The guy fights when he HAS to. The Jedi fight when they HAVE to. I didn't see you people complaining when Obi-Wan or Darth Vader or Palpatine pulled out their lightsabers despite the fact that they are just as wise and educated in the ways of the Force. Stop grasping at straws and trying to find a reason to try and pick apart these films.

It's misguided. All of the gripes. I'm objective. There are fan-boys who are not able to step back and make actual observations that may detract from the movie but I've made an earnest effort to avoid falling into that group. Honestly, in some instances, I may be overly critical of the Prequels to try and destroy any perception that I'm blindly embracing them...in fact, that's why most of the fans-of-the-originals hate on the Prequels; they don't want to be viewed as uber-geeks who snort up everything George puts out, so they go all out to create the illusion that they're in the COOL crowd who believe everything is flawed and the Prequels should've never been made. For the love of God, just accept them for what they are: episodes of a six-part saga that revolutionize the movie industry consistently for 30 years.

And don't even get me started on why the Academy Awards stiff George with every film, since he dropped out of the guilds between Episode IV and V.

Fine. I will.

Episode IV was produced (financially) and distributed by 20th Century Fox. With the money George reaped from the success of Episode IV, he was able to fully finance Episode V by himself. He was an independent blockbuster filmmaker. That's a rare combo. Additionally, George didn't want credits (beyond the scroll) at the beginning of his films. The Director's, Writer's, Actor's, etc. Guilds let this "slide" with Episode IV because they didn't know there would be sequels. When George followed suit with Episode V, they fined George about a half-million dollars, which George paid...then they fined Irvin Kershner about the same (which George paid). Then, the Guilds were still upset that their attempts were unsuccessful to inspire change and so they tried to pull Empire from theaters. In retaliation, shortly thereafter, George dropped out of all Guilds, depending on Hollywood (namely, 20th Century Fox) just for distribution of his movies.

Because all the conflict with the Guilds and studios happened after IV, that movie got sizable recognition in terms of awards (nominated for Best Picture, etc.). But, by the time Episode V was up for Oscar nods, all of the Academy had a bitter taste in their mouth for the guy who liked to put his credits at the end and pay for his own movies...so they stiffed him.

Ultimately, this trend continues even today. Episode III was not even NOMINATED for Visual Effects Achievement. Read that sentence again.

Hollywood was bad enough to begin with but the way they stick it to a guy who practically saved movies in the late-70s and is responsible for six of the top 25 movies of highest-grossing movies of all time is sickening.

Oh, and on a totally unrelated note:

ATTN: Squirrels of the World
I give up. Seriously. I've given up trying to sacrifice my own well-being and that of my car to save you and your rogue street-dashing maneuvers. Stop running into the fucking road at the absolute last second. I feel no guilt for those of you who practice such a dangerous tactic and end up getting hurt or killed. I'm sorry for those of you who are forced into these situations and do not choose to throw yourself into danger but you can thank your reckless comrades for this potential punishment. You had your chance. I avoided you for nearly 5 years; slamming on brakes, swerving, etc. but you have neglected to make known this extraordinarily kind behavior via a tale in your squirrel legend. Therefore, I am going to stop making an effort. I won't try to hurt you...but I'm not trying to save you. No, that ship has sailed. Embrace my driving indifference, rodents.

Additionally, I decided that Major League Baseball needs a divisional re-alignment.

Here's the current situation...

American League
East
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Toronto Blue Jays
Baltimore Orioles
Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Central
Minnesota Twins
Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians
Kansas City Royals

West
Anaheim Angels
Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers


National League
East
Atlanta Braves
New York Mets
Philadelphia Philles
Washington Nationals
Florida Marlins

Central
St. Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs
Milwaukee Brewers
Houston Astros
Cinncinati Reds
Pittsburgh Pirates

West
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Francisco Giants
San Diego Padres
Colorado Rockies
Arizona Diamondbacks

See how rather dumb that is? It's like...all jumbletons. Plus the NL doesn't have the DH. Come on! Get with the program! Oh, and...come on, the AL West has 4 teams but the NL Central has 6. Umm...mathematics, Commissioner! There's 30 teams and 2 leagues. FIFTEEN IN EACH. IS IT SO RARE.

Here's what I got working:

American League
California Division
San Francisco Giants
Oakland Athletics
Los Angeles Dodgers
Anaheim Angels
San Diego Padres

Western Division
Colorado Rockies
Arizona Diamondbacks
Texas Rangers
Houston Astros
Kansas City Royals

Northern Division
Minnesota Twins
Milwaukee Brewers
Detroit Tigers
Toronto Blue Jays
Seattle Mariners


National League
Midwest Division
St. Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Cinncinati Reds
Cleveland Indians

Northeast Division
New York Yankees
New York Mets
Boston Red Sox
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates

Southern Division
Washington Nationals
Baltimore Orioles
Atlanta Braves
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Florida Marlins

Go on, say it. I'm a genius. I'm a huge brain in a ripped-up body. I'm Jesus H. Brown.

Here's my take on the burgeoning Middle East thing with Lebanon and Israel:

Just have a goddamned all-out war. They've been flicking each other in the ear during Algebra for 50 fucking years but they all (Israel flicking Palestine, Palestine flicking Israel, Sunis plucking Shi'ites and vice versa; ERRYBODY) need to just meet up on the playground and GET IT ON. The Sunis hate the Shi'ites but they both hate the Jews. They also both hate the West. It's a tangled mass of shit and I hate to sound violent or pro-conflict but they need to just figure it out and it's never going to be resolved with negotiations (as is obvious with all the failed attempts at such)...they need to just let loose.

The nice thought is, though, that their hatred for America and, overall, Israel, kind've unites them so maybe we should involve ourselves more, over there, so they start to become more friends.

Whatever; Round One - FIGHT!

Poopatoops!
J-Rock

The Transit Coalition, e-Newsletter

Weekly Transit eNewsletter
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Volume 2, Issue 17

Welcome to The Transit Coalition weekly newsletter! Our organization participates in meetings with key decision makers and community leaders and our goal is to keep you informed on the latest developments in the transportation scene across Southern California.

Hear ye hear ye: Join us Tuesday night for our Transit Coalition Dinner Meeting. See Upcoming Events below for details.

Gas has reached well past $3 a gallon in Southern California, fueled mostly by "refinery woes and international intrigue." According to many experts, high gas prices are here to stay. Economists fear that an extended stay of high prices will greatly harm the economy. Others contend that the price of gasoline should drop off starting around Memorial Day, even as the summer driving season begins, since transition from MBTE additive in fuels will be complete and more refineries will resume full operations.

Indeed, we would like to tell you the average price of gas for the whole state, but as the Los Angeles Times reports, agencies and consumer groups use quite a number of methodologies to compute this and each will give you quite a different answer. What is the solution to spiraling gas prices? Raise the gas tax to encourage growth of fuel alternatives on the part of gas companies, says the Christian Science Monitor. In the meantime, here are ten tips to help you get more miles out of your gallon.

Meanwhile, Metro released numbers indicating that ridership on its bus and rail lines have reached an all-time high due to the increase in gas prices. In March 2006, Metro bus ridership reached 1,239,704 average weekday boardings, an increase of 4% over March last year. The recently opened Orange Line logged in 18,242, an increase of 3% from February. The Blue Line recorded 84,078 average weekday boardings, while the Green Line recorded 37,473 boardings. The Red Line was the biggest beneficiary, recording 138,219 boardings. The Gold Line, however, recorded only 15,769 boardings due to an ill-advised 33% reduction in rush hour service.

State legislators are moving closer to a deal on the infrastructure bond measures. According to various reports, Republicans dropped dam construction as part of the bond package, while Democrats cut urban parks and environmental spending out. The $30-34 billion bond measure would still fund key infrastructure projects, especially those concerning transportation. A San Jose Mercury News editorial declared the announcement "was the best news to come out of Sacramento since talks on the bonds broke down in March."

After years of countless obstacles, the 23 Freeway will finally be widened. The project will consist of new soundwalls, bridge expansions and a new third lane along the median of the freeway from the 101 Freeway to New Los Angeles Avenue (State Highway Route 118). Residents will be informed through a regularly updated website dedicated to the project.

Meanwhile, dirt excavation for completion of the 210 Freeway in Rialto is finished. Paving will soon begin for the new freeway, which is expected to fuel more growth in what was recently deemed the fastest growing urban area in the country. Officials from the LA County Department of Public Works believe the 90 Freeway connector to Lincoln Boulevard (State Highway Route 1) will not be built until 2015 due to funding constraints. Nationwide, the highway death rate rose for the first time since 1986.

Two Congressmembers have jumped into the Riverside-Orange Counties tunnel debacle to broker a deal and create one unified agency to oversee the project. The transportation and water agencies of both counties are fighting for $16 million in federal funds to study the joint water and transportation tunnel. Orange County officials threatened to create their own agency that would include the Transportation Corridor Agency, which operates the Orange County toll roads. A consensus was reached on Friday, April 21.

Metro Magazine featured an article on the success of the Hiawatha Light Rail line in Minneapolis, as well as describing some of the more technical aspects of construction and operations. In Florida, state lawmakers are considering a rental car tax to fund transit projects.

Meanwhile, a slew of competing proposals to install liquefied natural gas offshore terminals along the California coast are meeting stiff resistance from environmental groups. A Ventura County Star editorial encouraged readers to attend meetings held on Wednesday, April 19, by the California State Lands Commission and discuss the proposals. In Long Beach, Pacific Energy Partners will soon release a plan to build a major docking station for fully loaded supertankers at the Port of Los Angeles, which is sure to attract controversy. Up north, The Ports of Oakland and Sacramento are teaming up to search for efficiencies in bringing goods into California.

On the new urbanism front, The Planning Report interviewed Latino Urban Forum co-founder James Rojas, who believes immigrant communities are redefining the role of streets and sidewalks in urban areas. Rojas was also featured in a series of LA Weekly pieces on local movers-and-shakers, which included head of the LA Planning Department Gail Goldberg and Planning Commissioner Diego Cardoso.

Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian was selected as the nominee for a seat on the Metro Board and will replace outgoing Lancaster Mayor Frank Roberts.

An update on Eastside Gold Line construction is now available.

Shameless Plug Redux: Founded in 2002, CityLites is a non-profit organization aimed at promoting exercise, good nutrition and physical fitness in inner-city communities. On Saturday, May 20, CityLites will host the 3rd Annual Inner City 21 and 5-Mile Bike Tour Festival and Carnival in Jesse Owens Park at Century Blvd. and Western Av. Proceeds from the event will go to local middle and high schools to foster after-school sports- and physical-education-related activities. Call (323) 280-0288 or view this report for more information.

Here is a list of other recent developments:

April 14: Transit Coalition President Ken Alpern, Vice-President Jerard Wright, and Executive Director Bart Reed gave a presentation to representatives of Assemblymembers Ted Lieu and Jenny Oropeza, as well as to LA City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl's staff at his West Los Angeles office. The presentation, which was an update on efforts to extend the Expo Line to Santa Monica, extend the Green Line to LAX and to Westchester, and establish passenger rail on the Metro Harbor Subdivision Rail Right-of-Way, was well-received and fostered considerable discussion from those attending.

April 17 and 18: Transit Coalition Executive Director Bart Reed attended receptions for Gloria Jeff, the new LA Department of Transportation General Manager and, on the next day, the new LA Planning Department Director Gail Goldberg. Both were part of an event hosted by Mobility21 to introduce the new LA city transportation and planning heads.

April 19: Caltrans held a memorial service for the 166 maintenance workers who have been killed on the job in the past 82 years. Three Caltrans workers have died so far this year. Caltrans said that reckless or inattentive drivers cause most worker deaths, and officials continue to urge motorists to slow down and be extra cautious around work zones. Since its launch in 1999, the Caltrans "Slow for the Cone Zone" program has lead to a 35% decrease in work zone fatalities, while fatalities increased 46% nationally during the same time. However, the LA Times reports that motorists and not workers account for 90% of fatalities in construction zone accidents.

The first of two Los Angeles World Airports meetings was held near LAX to discuss the airport reconfiguration process that may be completed in two years. Transit Coalition President Ken Alpern distributed the Green Line/People Mover proposal that has been considered by planners from Metro, LAWA and LA Council District 11, as well as by Transit Coalition members. Councilmember Rosendahl referenced it in a letter given out to attendees. As Alpern reported, "support by meeting attendees for such a Green Line extension appeared strong, as well as the desire for greater Flyaway Bus Service sites throughout the region and remote check-in options." It was announced that ridership of the Union Station-LAX Flyaway Bus Service was three times that anticipated by LAWA and Metro. "Direct rail connections between Union Station and LAX via the Metro Harbor Subdivision ROW also received several different recommendations from those attending," said Alpern.

April 20: Metro Operations Committee members were briefed on the possibility of bringing bus service to Dodger Stadium. Staff concluded that such a proposal would be too expensive even if patrons were charged $4 a ticket and/or private operators stepped in. Staff did not contact the Los Angeles Dodgers to gauge their interest in the proposal. The fact that there is a current shortage of bus drivers does not help. A second status report will be presented in May.

The California Air Resources Board unveiled and approved a plan to cut down pollution emitted by cargo facilities, including ports and freight railroads. The plan includes mandating cargo ships to use cleaner fuels, upgrading existing diesel-electric trains at the yard and "writing up agreements for more Tier 3 locomotives that run cleaner." Critics fear that the Board plan lacks meaningful enforcement and has no way of funding the new requirements. One particular part of the plan is increasing "cold ironing", a name for shore-based electrical sources for cargo ships. The Port of Los Angeles is hosting a conference on cold ironing on April 24 and 25.

April 24: The LA Times published an article revealing uncomfortably low numbers of older children using booster seats. California requires booster seats in cars for children who are too old for car seats but have either not yet turned 6 or weight less than 60. Another article discusses how suburban sprawl and the quest for land strangles smaller airports.

Upcoming Events: Consider attending our monthly Transit Coalition Dinner Meeting on Tuesday, April 25 - 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Philippe The Original, 1001 N. Alameda St. Los Angeles CA 90012. ( Map.) We hope to see you there!

Metro Westside/Central Governance Council: Tuesday, May 2, 6:30 p.m., La Cienega Tennis Center, Sunset Room, 325 S. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills.

Metro Board Meeting: Thursday, April 27 Wednesday, May 3, 9:30 a.m., Board Room, Metro Headquarters, One Gateway Plaza (adjacent to Union Station), Los Angeles.

Metro San Fernando Valley Governance Council: Wednesday, May 3, 6:30 p.m., Marvin Braude Constituent Center, 6262 Van Nuys Bl., Van Nuys.

Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority: Thursday, May 4, 2:30 p.m., Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 W. Temple St., Board Hearing Room 381B, Los Angeles.

Angeles Chapter Sierra Club Transportation Committee: Thursday, May 4, 7:30 p.m. Angeles Chapter office, 3435 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 320, Los Angeles.

SCAG MagLev Task Force: Thursday, May 11, 11:00 a.m. SCAG Offices, 818 W. Seventh St., 12th floor, Los Angeles.

Southern California Transit Advocates: Saturday, May 13, 1 p.m., Angelus Plaza, Rm. 422, 255 S. Hill St., Los Angeles.

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Bart Reed, Executive Director
Numan Parada, Communications Director

About The Transit Coalition:
The Transit Coalition is a 501[c](3) non-profit whose goal is to increase Transit Options and Mobility in Southern California by mobilizing citizens to press for sensible public policy to grow our bus and rail network.

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bart.reed@thetransitcoalition.us • The Transit Coalition

I feel for my Southern California readers who are enduring triple ...

I feel for my Southern California readers who are enduring triple digit temperatures again this week plus wildfires so big you can see them from space. What a nightmare.

It was another beautiful Seattle summer day here yesterday and we actually got some badly needed showers in the afternoon which Tater Tot and I very much enjoyed on our walk. Down past the alpacas I saw this old truck and grabbed a shot.






I miss baseball!!!! While I am patiently waiting for Seattle-Toronto to play Friday night, here's a question for you. What is the biggest American crowd ever at a Major League Baseball game? The answer, coming up.






I've often spoken of my love for "media labels," those one to five word descriptive phrases we use to identify the subject of a news story. I happened upon two fantastic ones this week.

First, thanks to blog reader Mark for sending me a story on some recently released private letters from Albert Einstein, the genius behind the theory of relativity. Or, as the Reuters story identifies him "the wild-haired Jewish-German scientist..."



One of the many websites that wrote about radio host Adam Carolla recently hanging up on conservative author Ann Coulter during a brief, contentious phone interview is called Queerty.Com. They identified her as a "blonde horse-faced pundit."


I still hope one day to be the "impossibly ageless billionaire Norwegian bachelor." What's your dream media label?






Have you heard the new Radiohead CD? It's fantastic. They're rocking again. It the strangest thing though. The CD artwork for "Black Holes And Revelations" says it's by some band named "Muse." Must be an alias.






Shine On You Crazy Diamond: A very sad musical note this week as original Pink Floyd guitarist Syd Barrett died of diabetes at age 60. Though he left the band in 1968, and the music industry soon after to spend all of his time in an LSD haze, he is still fondly remembered. Except by every single person I talked to this week, all of whom said the same thing, "Syd Barrett was still alive?".






Baseball trivia answer: Did you remember that the Los Angeles Dodgers used to play at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum in the years between Ebbets Field and Dodger Stadium?

On May 7, 1959 they drew 93,103 fans for a game against the Yankees that also honored Dodger catcher Roy Campanella who had suffered a career-ending car crash the year before. New York won the exhibition game 6-2 in front of the largest crowd to see a baseball game in the U.S..






Day 24 of songs with "Summer" in the title surely looks familiar. Here's what I wrote back when we were doing "Numbers":

"Today's (song) needs no backstory, no history, no analysis. It's freaking Bryan Adams "Summer of '69" from 1985. Sing it if you know it!


I got my first real six-string
Bought it at the five-and-dime
Played 'til my fingers bled
It was summer of '69

Me and some guys from school
Had a Band and we tried real hard
Jimmy quit and Jody got married
I shoulda known we'd never get far

Oh when I look back now
That summer seemed to last forever
And if I had the choice
Yeah - I'd always wanna be there
Those were the best days of my life

Back in Summer of '69..."

Good News for People Who Love Bad News

A baseball season is like a long novel with interweaving plot lines that unfold as the weeks go by. Things can get so complicated that it’s easy to lose sight of all that’s happened and all that’s yet to come. February and March were marked by a tumultuous spring training in Viera that ended with more questions than answers for the Nats. Now that midseason has arrived, it’s time to take a look at how last spring’s plot lines have unraveled and identify the new plot lines for the second half of 2006. The immediate prognosis is not good.

The Team’s Performance

What We Know: The team is dismal. The Nats are 38-52 and in last place in the NL East. The starting pitching is in shambles and the bullpen is crumbling fast. Jose Vidro, Nick Johnson, Ryan Zimmerman and Alfonso Soriano have fared well at the plate, but everyone else has been a disappointment. Jose Guillen is in a Guzman-esque funk. The bench is generally better than it was last year, but Matt LeCroy and Damian Jackson are eating up roster spots that could be used to evaluate prospects.

What We Don’t Know: Stan Kasten has promised to trade veterans and rebuild the minor league system. It remains to be seen which veterans will be traded and for whom. The team immediately needs an everyday player in center field and a viable shortstop to retain any semblance of competitiveness during Reconstruction.

The Big Questions: Who will be traded? Can one of the center field fill-ins step up and win the job?

My Take: Ugh. I’m actually looking forward to October and getting this mess of a season behind us.

Stadium Fights

What We Know: The fight between the D.C. Council and MLB was the defining issue for the franchise in the off-season. The rhetoric between the two sides grew increasingly vitriolic as fall turned to winter, and the Council barely passed the stadium legislation in early March. While the franchise’s long-term future in D.C. is secure, the fights over the stadium are far from over.

What We Don’t Know: Although ground has been broken for the new park, the fighting hasn’t ended. The stadium fight de jour is the question of whether to build VIP parking garages above ground as planned, or below ground to make more room for Applebee’s, Johnny Rocket’s, TGI Friday’s and other bland, ghetto-fabulous fare. The new owners of the Nationals are unwilling to pay extra for subterranean garages and determined to avoid any additional construction that would hinder the park’s projected 2008 opening. Mayor Williams has, of course, offered a compromise that would feature parking garages above condos and retail. Good luck with that, Tony.

The Big Question: Will the garages be built aboveground, underground, or will the Mayor’s compromise take flight?

My Take: Who cares? The garages are only for the wealthiest fans. Plebes like you and I will be parking in privately owned garages blocks away or taking the Metro. I agree that underground garages would be nice and improve the area aesthetic a bit, but once I’m inside the park I won’t be able to see the garages. Despite what some self-entitled fans think, the Lerners are under no obligation to pay for underground lots. This issue will soon blow over and we’ll be on to the next stadium fight, which I predict will center on inevitable budget overruns.

Alfonso Soriano

What We Know: The once-maligned second baseman turned left fielder had the baseball world holding its breath in March when he briefly refused to take the field in Viera. Many feared that a crisis would result between baseball and the player’s union if Soriano refused to play a new position. Fortunately, Soriano relented and has become one of the most popular and effective players on the team. His defense in left field has been acceptable, and he’s been the Nationals’ only true power threat at the plate. His tenure in Washington is probably drawing to a close as the July 31 trading deadline approaches, despite his recent claims that he’d like to stay in Washington.

What We Don’t Know: The Soriano trade buzz in the media has become somewhat more muted in recent weeks, leading some to believe that he will simply be allowed to walk for draft picks. Soriano is hunting for that big mid-career contract and the Nats are hunting for prospects, so any team that takes him will have to pay dearly.

The Big Question: Will Soriano be traded or not, and if so, for whom?

My Take: The common logic is that Soriano will be traded to a contender who needs a big bat. The problem is that he’s looking for a long-term contract at a time when many contenders are looking for a half-season rental. Soriano is not a strong defensive left fielder or a second baseman, so any team that takes him will have to make a tradeoff between a (presumably) superior defensive incumbent and Soriano’s bat. I’m not sure how many teams will want Soriano so badly that they’ll trade top prospects and absorb a multi-year contract and poor defense for his services. Bowden doesn’t have as much trade leverage with other teams when it comes to Soriano as many people think. This will be interesting to watch.

MASN/Comcast Situation

What We Know: All manner of threats, incentives and shame has been brought to bear on both MASN and Comcast and yet the sides are no closer to a resolution. Congress, the D.C. Council, and the FCC have all taken non-binding action to get the sides to agree, but to no avail. 2 million Comcast customers in the D.C. area remain unable to watch Nationals games on TV.

What We Don’t Know: The dispute between the two sides shows no signs of ending.

The Big Questions: When will Comcast customers be able to watch Nationals games? What will the Lerners do to resolve the situation? What will become of MASN and Comcast SportsNet?

My Take: Congress and the rest of the powdered wigs in the area can threaten and plead all they want. This situation will finally be resolved simply because there is money on the table and both sides stand to profit. I envision some kind of merger of MASN and Comcast SportsNet. The Lerners will probably have to guarantee a large chunk of the Nationals TV revenue to Peter Angelos to get him to sell/lease MASN rights to Comcast. This situation has gotten to the point where even a financially unfair armistice is favorable to the continuation of the dispute.

Ownership

What We Know: MLB finally selected the Lerners and Stan Kasten as the new owners of the team back in May. In typical MLB fashion, the official handover of the team has dragged on for weeks, and there is still no firm date on which the team will officially belong to Lerner.

What We Don’t Know: We don’t know for sure when the team will officially belong to Lerner and Kasten, but the incoming President is forging ahead with the Grand Re-Opening of RFK Stadium on July 21. It seems likely that the official transfer will happen before that date, but no one knows for sure.

The Big Questions: What kind of owner will Lerner be? Will he be frugal or will he pour money into the team? How far will Stan Kasten go in his efforts to rebuild the team?

My Take: Many fans were outraged that Stan Kasten decided to retain Jim Bowden. The comments of various Nats blogs were filled with self-entitled whining about how Kasten and the Lerners must be cheap and don’t care about the fans. We really can’t read too much into what the Lerner regime will be like based on the decision to keep Bowden. The plans for the Grand Re-Opening look pretty nice and it seems like the new owners genuinely want to improve the Washington Baseball Experience. It’s way too early to issue praise or condemnation of the new owners.

Jim Bowden

What We Know: The erstwhile Interim GM of the Nats has been retained by team President Stan Kasten. Bloggers are pissed.

What We Don’t Know: Bowden’s reputation as a maverick has always been predicated on his lack of resources and/or interim status. He now has money to spend, job security, and a mandate to rebuild the franchise.

The Big Question: Will Bowden become more conservative in his trades, signings and roster moves, or will he continue to try to make a big splash?

My Take: Despite my misgivings, I’m giving him a second chance here. The month of July and the upcoming off-season will tell us everything we need to know about the rest of the Bowden era.

Frank Robinson

What We Know: Stan Kasten has been mum on his intentions regarding Cap’n Hook other than to say that the GM will make that decision, and Bowden has all but declared that Frank is a goner. Bowden has Davey Johnson waiting in the wings, and it seems likely that the former O’s, Dodgers and Reds manager will be the next Nats skipper.

What We Don’t Know: It’s unclear whether or not Frank Robinson will continue to have a role with the Nationals.

The Big Questions: Will Frank be replaced before the end of the year or will Bowden let him ride out the season? Will Frank be offered a Front Office position with the team and if so, would he accept?

My Take: I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Bowden replace Frank as soon as the Lerners officially take over. Davey Johnson’s contract expires July 31, just in time to be replaced with a new contract as manager. From a baseball perspective, there is nothing to be gained by keeping Frank around to grind out the season, and it might be wise to get Johnson a head start on next spring. It might be nice to have Frank stick around in the front office, but I’m getting pretty tired of his swollen sense of entitlement. If he can help the team, keep him around, but don’t hang onto him just for PR’s sake.

If you're still reading this, give yourself a gold star! Anyone have any other plot lines that I missed?

I'm Back From My Anniversary Weekend. The Dodgers v. Barry Bonds ...

I'm back from our anniversary weekend. We had a great time together and we couldn't have had better weather.

Friday night we attended the Dodgers v. Giants game (the Dodgers won then went on to win the three game series 2-1), I won $30.00. Barry Bonds didn't hit any home runs. We were hoping he'd make history by hitting home run number 714 in front of us. After the game we had drinks at Sadie's then we went to my place in Millbrae.

Saturday we left my apartment around 2:30pm. We checked into the Hotel Vitale a few hours later after stopping at Nancy's for her things and to park my truck. We called a cab to take us to the hotel. The hotel put us in an Urban Studio room. We settled in, relaxed a bit, explored the hotel and then walked to the Ferry Building. After an hour or so we went back to our room, Nancy soaked in the soaking tub while I watched NASCAR. We spent some time together then walked a few blocks over to watch the KFOG Kaboom Fireworks display. The fireworks of course were awesome. The show seemed to be about 30 minutes long and the crowd numbered about 250,000. After the display finished we walked to North Beach for an Italian dinner. We decided on Macaroni Sciue Sciue. The dinner was good and location was fun. I love North Beach and I really love Italian food. I had a great time people watching and watching Italian tv via satellite in the restaurant.

We walked back to the hotel and were joined by my a couple of our friends. We all hung out in the lobby, on the roof and in our room until security came by at 3:am or so telling us that the room next door had already complained twice...

Sunday we woke up to 80 degree weather. We walked a bit then laid in the sun on the hotel's waterfront patio. I am now sunburned in a wife beater pattern... We showered and spent some time in our room then walked to Embarcadero Center and had dinner at Gaylord's. Again, I had a nice time at the restaurant. It was funny because they were formal in an old persons kinda way with pastel prints and waiters standing at attention. It was almost funny but the place is good. The food is good and the service is good. It really wasn't too expensive either. Afterward we had a drink on the hotel roof then went to bed.

This morning we laid in the sun on the waterfront patio. I tried to even out my tan. I don't know how successful I was but I think the tan lines are funny, as long as no one sees 'em. I showered then we checked out. We hailed a cab to Nancy's. I picked up my truck and we drove to Millbrae where we hiked up into the hills, through a trail and back home (about 3 miles). We watched the Giants v. Astros and the Dodgers v. Arizona games on my tv then took BART to Nancy's. Now I'm here blogging about it.

I really enjoyed the weekend. It went smooth, we had a great time together and I feel totally refreshed and ready for a great week. This weekend we'll be doing the Bay to Breakers. This will be my first time.