Greenville/Greer

I start my drive to Greer, SC (city-data tells me it's the only one in the country). Google maps tells me it's going to take 4 hours. Yahoo! maps tells me it's going to be 3.5 hours. Mapquest, however, must be a road madman, as it tells me I can be there in 3 hours. All with the same directions. It took me about 3.5 hours.




As you can see from this Mapquest image, I basically took the legs of a triangle, with Columbia forming the angle. There is no easy way to get there without passing through Columbia.

I get there, and Andre, his girlfriend and I hang out. His friend Joe from high school joined. I suck at putt-putt (this is not news to me) and also at go-karting (again, old news) and pool (slightly worse than putt-putting). However, I do OK in air hockey. So there. :)

The four of us head to Greenville, about 15 or so minutes from Greer, and had sushi at this new sushi place downtown.

So it was a pretty good day.

Today, I went to the doctor (for the third time) to see about my cough -- you know, the one I've had for 3 years? And the decision was made to see a pulmonologist because allergy meds aren't working. I also got a cough suppressant prescription. I have to fill it soon. But really, this thing has been going on for no particular reason for 3 years -- is one weekend really going to do more damage? Hmm.

Tomorrow, I will write my first column ever. It will be about my experience with the French consulate in Atlanta. I hope I'm funny/entertaining and not bore people. Stay tuned.

Greenville v0.5

Just got back from Greenville. More later. Too tired.

day 1

I have hit the 24-hour mark, but I will be going to sleep after dinner because I have to drive to Greenville -- actually, Greer -- in the morning, and I must be awake when driving.

Spent too much money today on Express jeans -- even though they were on sale -- 50% off!

Nothing really new to report. Just have to study for the GREs, again. The testing fun never ends.

for the journalism nerds ... but especially the copy-editing ones...

A Capital Idea -- http://nstockdale.blogspot.com/

It is 8:05 a.m., and I am still up. And not tired. But I have a feeling I will be soon. At the most inopportune time -- a time when regular people go about daily business. It is late (early?) to be up -- even for a copy editor/owl/weirdo (yes, James. I said it.).

I am also using an unusual amount of dashes. Hmm.

This is what has been occupying me for the past ... um ... 5 hours or so ... http://jobspage.typepad.com/jobspage.

My computer is having some serious overheating problems ... again. I'm going to have to buy warantee on it ... again ... in case it poops out on my in London.

Well, back to the Free Press job blog.

You know, it started around 1:30 a.m. while talking to James online, and I was searching for circulation figures instead of reading a creepy LAT story he sent me (and demands I read). I wrote down: freep top 100 circs.

And it led me to the Free Press job page. And it hasn't stopped.

This is bad. On many levels.

In other news, I might be going to Greenville some time this week and am definitely in Columbia on Sept. 7.

Call me if you're going to be in either town. You know who you are.

Back to the new obsession.

apples and pears

You know, I didn't quite believe James when he told me in May that in some parts of England, "apples and pears" means "stairs" and can sometimes be shortened to "apples," as in, "I'm going up the apples and pears."

Well, I got to researching what all there is to do in London, and I thought, hmm, I should look up a list of British slang. Alas, I stumble upon a list of Cockney slang -- another breed all its own -- and decided to check it out. And yes, there it is. Apples and pears. It means stairs. Don't believe me? See for yourself!

I know I promised a story about freedom fries, and yes, it is coming. But later. Not tonight. Tonight I am reading -- attempting to read? -- "Memoirs of a Geisha."

In a bit of shameless self-promotion, here is the second (and last) story I wrote for The Tampa Tribune. For you journalists out there, don't be too harsh. I'm a copy editor moonlighting as a writer. :)

last night in Tampa

No matter what I say about this city, it's been a great summer in Tampa. Here are the last of the pictures, in chronological order. *sniff*


** at Bar Louie, once again, for the last time. This is an appletini they call the Tease. It comes with an apple wheel floating in the glass. cute, huh? :)


** the roommie and me, with the rest of the Trib people at Beer Belly's Cafe for karaoke, one of the last things to do in Tampa before I leave. check.


** Julian and me. finally. :) At Beer Belly's.


** Julian, Andre and me, at Beer Belly's.


** Jenna and me, Beer Belly's.


** Julian and Eddie Mecina (sp?), Beer Belly's.


** Corrie and me, playing pool at Beer Belly's. She made like 5 in a row!


** and, finally, of course, the newsroom. :*(

CSET

Oh, the injustice of it all. I am still not over it. Damn you, California Subject Examinations for Teachers!

CSET subtest 1 -- pass
CSET subtest 3 -- pass
CSET subtest 2 -- did not pass

CSET subtest 2 your score -- 218
CSET subtest 2 passing score -- 220

2 points. un. deux. uno. dos. 1. 2. TWO! TWO POINTS!

CSET subtest 3 subject -- California history and .... ECONOMICS!

wtf.

I passed history of a state in which I lived for 3 years and never attended high school in. And I passed econ, a subject in which I barely comprehend the concept of supply and demand.

That is the current lament. Next up, my interesting (or anger-filled) adventure with the French consulate in Atlanta and why I will not be eating les freedom frites.

darts night!

Welcome to the copy desk dart night spectacular, where you witness the skills of members of the exclusive club of Trib copy editors! We gather at an Irish pub called the Irish Pub in Ybor City... read on....


** this is Patty, aka PK.


** behold PK's bullseye.


** and me. I am so good, I not only nailed a bullseye, I also drilled one into the brick, as you can see.


** meet Wes, sports copy editor, with this excellent set of darts, now available in 4 easy payments of $19.99 plus shipping and handling!


** and finally, one of Wes' two game-winning bullseyes.

In other news, I think I am going to visit this supposed great Italian family-owned market in the morning in Clearwater, which I have also never been in the 10 weeks I've been here.

beautiful/creepy Tampa photos

So these are photos of a beautiful sunset from the balconey of the Trib facing the Russian spires of the University of Tampa, but taken without flash, turns to a creepy what-might-be doomsday.


** This is the "beer can." I stand by my opinion that this is the only thing standing between an OK skyline and a completely generic one.


** beautiful sunset.


** beautiful sunset, with a weird glow about it.


** This is the doomsday photo. It looks like the world is on fire.


** dooomsday photo with the strange green sunset.

other intern photos

These are photos from the internship ... so far. Even though there is only 1 week left in the 10 weeks the Trib allotted us, it has been great. To think I almost chose Ann Arbor over this. Scandalous.

We cannot continue without introducing the masses to Helvetica, the copy desk mascot .... kinda.


** meet Helvetica.


** Andre, left, me and Allyson are all from South Carolina, but none of us are originally from South Carolina. We were at Bar Louie for dollar-burger Tuesdays.


** Andre, multimedia/marketing intern, Bar Louie. My apartmentmate, along with Julie B.


** Allyson, reporting intern, Bar Louie.

Julian, Allyson, Julie B. and I went to Channelside for July Fourth fireworks. It was worth the humidity and blazing heat and ridiculous parking charge.


** meet Julian, sports intern.


** Allyson and Julian before the amazing fireworks started.


** Julie, photo intern, in a self-shot portrait.

Patty from the copy desk and I got this brilliant idea to gather people from the Trib for a trip to Hard Rock Casino, about 15 minutes from work, on last Saturday night (yesterday!) after work.


** Allyson and me at the Hard Rock Casino, where the slot machine spit back 20 cents of my $1 investment.

Lindsay, my fellow copy desk intern, left a week before everyone else. For her last night, we ended her summer where it all started -- at The Rack, where people from the copy desk converged for her 22nd birthday and where most of the interns -- Allyson, Julian, Lindsay and me met each other for the first time. The interns got together for the first time all together at P.F. Changs. I don't have pictures of that night. :(


** Andre and Lindsay at The Rack.

Space Shuttle Discovery photos

So I went to the shuttle launch with fellow intern Lindsay Butler and her boyfriend Tony and her friend John, who was in Orlando. Here are selected shots of the takeoff. I know it's small; just follow the orange dot in the sky.

flooding

I went to sleep at 6 a.m. Sunday morning. It's late, I know. But the point is is that everything in the apartment was shipshape. I believe I set thet alarm for 11 a.m. because I need to study for the CSET that's coming up really soon. So the alarm goes off as scheduled, and I, of course, press the snooze. I think I heard the door knocking around 11:30 because for some reason, I remember the clock reading 11:30. I thought, maybe Julie or Andre can get that. I hear the knocking some more, and then I hear Julie's voice. Going back to sleep, I decided. Except now I want to know who was knocking. So I get out of bed.

 

And step into wet carpet.

 

My entire room's carpeting was so wet that when I walk toward the dining room, I can see my footprints. As I continue toward the dining room, the wet footprints follow. EW. EW. EW.

 

Julie said she tried waking me up to tell me, but I was apparently too asleep to notice -- remember, 6 a.m. So the plumber was the one knocking, and the carpet people are on their way.

 

Julie, Andre and I move everything I own in Tampa (minus the clothes hanging in the closet, which is also sopping wet) to the living room after Julie and I move the heavy brass-like-legged dining table and chairs to the living room. You can see the wet dents where the legs were. So my belongings are in the living room and some of my clothes are wet.

 

The plumber said our toilet's filler (?) or filter (?) or something that starts with an F in the tank was corroded and it reached a breaking point and the water overflowed. So the bathroom is also wet. Bathroom, my room, dining room and spots in the living room.

 

The carpet people came and sucked the excess water off the carpet and put in a carpet dryer thing. The apartment has to be left at 70 degrees to avoid mold and mildrew (you don't want that), so in addition to being wet, the apartment is now cold.

 

I have to make up my days for this Friday and Saturday, so I'm working Sunday and Monday. I go to work on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. as usual and returned to the freezer. I go to sleep around 3 a.m. and woke up Monday morning at 9 because it was so cold. I didn't care about sleeping in the living room, but it was freezing. Did the same last night, but less cold.

 

This morning, the carpet in my room dried, and the carpet people moved the drying machine to the dining room, where the carpet is still a little damp. I have also moved my bed to my room, but the other stuff's gotta wait until Friday morning or whenever I have time.

Dennis/Sex and the City

Well, so much for being in Florida, during summer, working for a newspaper. I really wanted to work during a hurricane -- not that I wish destruction on people, but it seems like the thing to do when I'm working at a Florida newspaper -- like a test of endurance and stuff.

*

But anyway, I saw Sex and the City for an extended period of time tonight with Lindsay, Allyson and Julian. I knew it was going to be good, and it was -- and I can feel myself getting addicted (which is bad). It was a fun night. Allyson bought popcorn, and none of us were watching and listening for the popping to stop, and the popcorn was spewing smoke from the microwave. It was funny. We had to open her doors to prevent the smoke alarm from going off. It was good times. :)

*

Check out postsecret.blogspot.com. It is a site where people send in their secrets -- some are funny, others are sad and alarming -- on postcards that they decorate. It's hard to describe the feeling after reading them, but definitely check it out. It's worth it.

history

I have one week left until I take the dreaded CSET -- California Subject Examination for Teachers. And since I want to go to graduate school in secondary education and since I want to teach history, I have resigned myself to relearning history. ALL history. California history (which I know nothing about), world history, U.S. history, social history, war history, legislations, Supreme Court rulings. Everything. So basically, I'm screwed. I need to find a school that'll let me in with a history minor, no teaching experience, and don't require anything more than the GREs. ahhhhh.

*

The broadcast TV overcoverage of both Hurricane Dennis and the London attacks have officially begun. Rejoice. Revel. Revile.

Dennis update

I think Dennis is gonna cause little trouble. It is veering to the left (west for you directional people) toward Louisiana. I was so excited. pooey. But anyway, I have 4 cans of tuna and 4 cans of veggies in case it really comes to Tampa. As of 11 a.m., it is 150 mph; a Category 5 hurricane is at least 155 mph. So this one is pretty big. I really hope I get to work on Sunday. That would be awesome. :)

Dennis/London

Well, when I left for work this afternoon, Dennis was a weak hurricane. When I got to work, I think it was a Category 2. Somewhere between then and 11 p.m., it became a Category 4. I didn't even hear about Category 3. Anyway, I am preparing -- for the first time -- for a hurricane without parents. So this should be interesting. And besides, I volunteered to work on Sunday, so I might be at work all weekend anyway in the safe shelter that is the glass-enclosed, Hillsborough River-view, evacuation-zone Trib newsroom.

Tomorrow -- today -- I am going to get some canned food, some candles, some batteries, some cash and a full tank o' gas. Hopefully I will be awake in time to do that before everything gets sold. Woo. hoo.

*

My homepage on my computer is Google News, and when I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is to check the news. Today, I awoke to the news of the London subway bombings. At first, I thought the news people are toying with people's emotions. That is, until I checked CNN, BBC, LA Times and other major sources of news. It's horrifying. Why? Don't you wonder why? How? How did the world come to this? When did it all start? People will argue that it started when on 9/11, others will say when the U.S. attacked Iraq, but I think -- I know -- it was way before then. But when? Was there a point in the timeline of the world when chaos started to reign? Did anyone see this coming say, 50 years ago?

On a more personal note, I am going to be in London in almost exactly 3 months. Should I be scared? I'm not right now. It seems irrational to worry about things I absolutely have no control over. I mean, short of avoiding all subways and buses in London, what am I to do? Life has to go on, right? These people who did this -- and we don't know who it is yet, so don't jump to conclusions -- are playing a psychological game with the western world. What will be next? Who will be next? Where is the end of all this?

journalism

James is in town, and we went to lunch today. We talked about random things here and there. We talked shop -- read: Daily Trojan politics. I am in office politics hell. The DT saved me, loved me, hated me, and it will be the death of me.

*

Today, a judge sentenced a New York Times reporter (Judith Miller) to prison for not revealing her confidential source in the Bush administration's unrelenting quest to the end of this CIA leak. It is truly sad what the judge said when he sentenced Miller. You know, without journalism, without the First Amendment protections, without confidential sources who stay that way, the U.S. government, financial companies, so many other people and organizations will never to discovered to be corrupt, unsafe, neglegent. Let me submit for consideration the Seattle Times story about Boeing 767 with the rudder problem that kep crashing planes. The Albuquerque Journal that revealed the U.S. government, during World War II, was injecting supposed terminally ill people with plutonium just to see what would happen. Let us examine the entirety of Washington Post's coverage of the Watergate scandal. More recently, let us look at the LA Times' King/Drew series. Without journalists who are willing to keep their promises to their confidential sources, this country would be in shambles. It's too idealistic to say that the sole reason of journalism is to serve the public good, but it is true. Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comforted, someone said. We need strengthen the First Amendment and protect journalists with a federal shield law so that other Judith Millers or Matthew Coopers won't have to deal with this. All they're doing is their jobs. Let them.

Tampa, part deux

Where was I? Oh, yes. The drivers of Tampa.

Let me preface this by saying that since I began driving in LA, my main complaint was that they don't know how to drive in the rain, especially when they don't turn on their headlights. So imagine my excitement to go to a city where it (apparently) rains all the time, thinking (naively) that they would know how to the drive -- at least in the rain.

Well, they (I mean, most) can drive in the rain all right, but during the (few) dry weather, I have come to the conclusion that they're maniacs. I'd rather drive in LA and die.

First, they go right-lane speeds in the left lane. You know, if you wanted to go 5 mph in a 40, I'd change lanes, but seeing as how you're doing that (and not me), you should change lanes.

They also don't use the blinker. Fine. Don't use it. But don't cut me off on the interstate while not using it. I'm going fairly fast, and I need some sort of warning. I am not paying for your stupidity.

The merge-onto-the-interstate lane does not equal the stop-sign-and-look-for-cars lane. Merge. They're supposed to let you through if you just take some vehicular initiative.

And finally, you'd think for people who've driven through rain almost everyday and lived through several hurricanes, they'd know how to turn on their headlights when there is no visibility. But, of course, too much to ask.

I didn't used to have road rage. Until I got to LA. It is now even worse. Perhaps I should curb (haha, play on words) my anger and redistribute it somewhere else. Perhaps I should just take deep breaths and spare my passengers the venting and ranting.

Hey, I'm not the perfect driver. But these people drive me nuts.

hmm, Tampa

Well, Tampa. It's an interesting town full of fun-loving people, crazy weather and the most idiotic drivers I have yet to come across. Let me explain, point by point.

The people of Tampa are a rare breed indeed. They survive near-100% humidity in near-100-degree weather with little complaints. Last year, as y'all might know, the special (more on that later) people of Tampa braved three hurricanes.

Let us move on to the weather of Tampa.

Let me begin with my first week in town. Not only was I hit with a wall of humidity the second I stepped out of my car after sitting roughly in the same position for 10 hours, I soon realized the fickleness that is the rain "schedule" here. Everything was beautiful for the first, um, three days, thereabouts. Sun, no clouds, etc., if you're into getting skin cancer and all that. Then BOOM! Thursday hits, and it POURED at random-ass hours. We're talking 2 or 3 p.m. and 2 in the freakin' a.m.! Yes! After midnight! Pouring down rain! This continued for about 2 or 3 days. It would rain, out of the literal clear blue sky. BAM. Cats and dogs and puppy tails.

(an aside here. I just lost my many-hours-long effort of transcribing interview tape into the night by a single click of a mouse. Don't let this happen to you. Am now kicking myself.)

Continuing on with the weather. See, I thought people at work were kidding when they said it will rain on one side of the street and not the other. IT'S TRUE! On more than one occassion (I think I spelled that wrong) I have driven through literally 5 seconds of rain .... that's like, 10 feet of asphalt .... only to find that is it completely sunny right in front of me! wtf?!

We'll save the fun and joy of Tampa drivers for a later entry, with Fourth of July photos to come. Fun stuff indeed. It is now time for sleep.

homeless in Tampa/my eye

So I'll be in Tampa for the summer, and I'm still trying to find housing for three months. My expectations have been getting lower and lower. Right now, I want a place to live that's safe and cheap in price. Is that so hard?

In other news, my corneal scratch has returned, and I am now wearing glasses again, which interferes with my lovely new haircut. Booooooo.