Today

Was a pretty day. No, I wasn't living cubicle life. I also didn't stand in the way of a parking entrance.

It was observed that I look rested. That's because I opted for rejuvenation before productivity. Today was Zankou and a comic book. Slept the rest of the afternoon. Now I'm headed to see friends.

I received a text that the "action" may continue tomorrow. Maybe I'll be productive then?

Round and Round

The word is out: EAA strikes tomorrow. Again.

UPDATE:
The rumor is that the entire strike action will center around the Port. That can't be true, can it? It does make sense to try and block the terminals. Preventing goods from the shelves before Christmas isn't as quick as a power outage but it certainly is more effective than getting an urban planner to not show up for work.

UPDATE 2:
Oh I get it. Each department gets assigned a one day strike. Today was someone, tomorrow is us, the following day is someone else.

Emergency Packs

I'm hardly a chicken little but it is always good to be prepared and the Port certainly is a high profile terrorist target. At work, we've been given fairly elaborate Emergency Survival Kits. They include:

1 food bar

2 (8.5oz) water boxes

1 (34 pc) first aid kit

1 solar radio/flash light

1 adult siz poncho

1 large size solar blanket

I'll admit, it is kinda funny. Funny until I need to wear my poncho, that is.

Sleepy Afternoon

Hoping you have a good day. May you fall in love with someone all over again. Best wishes this vacation weekend.

now playing on my space: radio dept. - strange things will happen

Wiiiiiii!!!!!

Went to Miracle Mile last night to watch the Laker/Clipper game. It was a bit of a drive but my job was to and provide basketball comments to a friend for his guest post on Clipperblog.

The game was fine, but the story of the night playing Nintendo Wii!! The host got one and at KMart (without much of a wait either). We played the console sports games and some Zelda. Nintendo really has out done itself here. The wireless controller and "nunchak" are so refreshing. I love it. I might just have to get one myself.

More Pictures!

This time it is from my church group's thanksgiving meal last Friday. We officially kick started our week of overeating, gave each other warm fuzzies, and prepared some gifts for kids in rough circumstances. Here's the link.

Strategic Plan

Heard KFWB cover our draft Strategic Plan last week! The Port's Executive Director presented before our Board. I'm glad to see one of my projects heading towards completion. It was touch and go for a bit...

New Photos

I've posted pictures of last week's wine tasting party on my flickr!

Gift Packs

My brother and I have exchanged gift packs. Matthew sent me some cool stuffs from Japan, or "the orient" as I like to call it. I love my classly looking muji notebook and tasty snacks. It's all very sophisticated. I sent him comic books and easy cheese.

Today

Now that my folks are back from around three months of vacationing, I find that I'm giving myself excuses to go see them in Pasadena. I've driven back on three out of four nights this week. The funny thing is that I don't mind if they aren't home or busy doing their own thing. It doesn't make sense. The driving isn't fun either.

My car is near 150 thousand miles. It has been quite a run. I've come full circle on buying a new car. Where would I park it? Maybe I should focus on getting a garage first. And the idea of getting a certified used car isn't as economical as I thought. My inital research indicates that it is hardly any less than a brand new one. Meh.

Tuesday Night

Last night had some pleasant surprises. It started out with dinner in Santa Monica at a pretty good Indian place. The waiter kept pushing the Tandoori Grill Chilean Sea Bass, which I'll be pushing now too. After sending off one of our group to bed, the remaining pair headed out to Trader Vic's to meet another group. (Apparently Trader Vic's is not a rip off of Mr. Joe but is instead an upscale Chinese restaurant. Who knew?)

Vic's was too crowded so our group ended up at the adjacent Hilton pool bar. At that point I found out that not only were these people really cool, three of the four were also urban planners too! I ended up getting home around 1? It was a fun time, but I really should do this on weekends.

New Bosses

During his tenure, Mayor Villaraigosa has appointed three females Executive Directors - all of whom are doing quite well. One is my boss, another heads my old department, and the third is profiled in yesterday's LA Times. Interesting to note, Airports Executive Director Lydia Kennard is an Urban Planner/Lawyer!

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1/3/2007

Oops. Resigned just 15 months later. Oh well.

Griffith

Griffith Park Observatory is open again.

PS3

It took forever but the ps3 was just released in Japan and will be out in the US on Friday. Will I go to work on Thursday or will I be in line?

I should just wait but I'm easily caught up in the hype.

Tune Up

I've seen the doctor, dentist and barber within the last 24 hours. It is especially satisfying to address oral health. I should be good to go for another 3,000 miles.

CA Results

Yes on Prop 1A Transportation Funding = Happy Port of Los Angeles (better infrastructure means less congestion and more business)

No on Prop 90 Eminent Domain = Happy Urban Planners (we get to keep our jobs)

No on Prop 86 Cigarette Tax = Happy Michael (it just ain't right)

Happy

Voting puts me in a good mood.

Mid Terms

Whatever your stand, whatever your candidate, whatever your issue, get out and vote.

Another Good Movie

The Departed gets a thumbs up!

Day by Day

Eventful weekend. I alternately lose myself and get grounded as I spend time with new and old friends. At one point, I was showing a friend my high school and college photos. I'm so glad I'm older but I still miss myself.

Got a pep talk after a crab vermouth dinner. I'm ready to take tomorrow one day at a time. The 24 hour unit really is an amazing thing to ponder. Losing consciousness is such a great way to start over.

Last Night

I don't live in KTown anymore but after last night, I'm kind of wishing that I still did. Good times. Then again, the rent and associated social costs would probably bankrupt me.

Murder Suicides

Within a span of 10 days in April 2006, three fathers committed murder suicides of their Korean families in Los Angeles. An LA Times Magazine article, "The Fathers" reports on the incidents, domestic violence, culture and attempts by the Korean community in LA to address the issue.

Top Ten

Graduate planning programs are not ranked in US News and World Report but Planetizen has released their 2007 Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs ($34.95). The top ten list:

Topping the list of the best graduate urban planning programs is the School of Architecture and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's graduate planning program, which is one of the oldest and largest in the country, draws students from around the globe to study issues from transportation to housing development. Rounding out the top three are the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill -- both public institutions often recognized for their educational excellence.

Rounding out the top ten schools are: Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts), University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California), Cornell University (Ithaca, New York), Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (New Brunswick, New Jersey), University of Southern California (Los Angeles, California), and University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, Illinois).

I've long shelved ideas of a graduate degree in planning, even though a few years away from LA could be nice.