/mike

I like to say that I'm sick of this current "age of irony" but I've revised my zeitgeist for our modern age to the "age of hype".

And yeah, I don't like this any better. The process works something like this. First there is hype, then the backlash, which stirs controversy, which results in mega-hype, and the backlash to the backlash, and then the revised critique, and it just goes on and on and on...

Everything, including the kitchen sink, is categorized as a major event. Nothing lives up to the expectations set by the hype. Even the most beautiful things in life can be ruined by erroneous expectations.

Context has taken precedence over substance. We talk about things more than we actually experience them. I used to feel accomplished that I could talk about a movie without even watching it. No longer. I refuse to let this cynical age of hype reduce the value of my life experiences. Reject the hype.

This past valentines day weekend, Cindy and I went to Angels Fest, a sort of carnival of baseball fun. Among the many attractions, we heard player interviews, took pictures, and enjoyed the hoopla surrounding the 2004 season. I'm really grateful to Cindy for encouraging me to go. She knew this would be a quite a guilty pleasure for me. Here's a picture with Arte Moreno.

Of the 24 worst highway bottlenecks in America, LA owns 5:

US-101 at I-405 interchange; I-405 at I-10 interchange; I-10 at I-5 interchange; I-405 at I-605 interchange; I-5 at SR-22/57 "Orange Crush" interchange.

With the onset of spring training, full baseball coverage will finally begin. Maybe I'll start reading the L.A. Times again.

City Council in San Diego has approved a plan to develop five “villages” or mixed use centers for housing, employment, recreation, and access to mass transit. The designated areas will receive expedited permitting, infrastructure priority, and help in applying for grants.

One village, the Boulevard Marketplace, is located where I used to volunteer for urban revitalization organizations like El Cajon Business Improvement District and H.O.P.E. in the City. It’s so excited to hear about the great things going on in San Diego.

They just seem to get it. Horton Plaza was a solid success, which jump started the downtown Gas-Lamp District, and now has turned into a new downtown baseball stadium, opening this year.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to attend an Inter-Varsity alumni large group meeting. Supposedly, IVCF at UCSD has completely blown up too. I couldn’t go that time, but maybe I’ll try to make a visit to see old friends AND all the different things going on.

One of the most comforting and also most deeply held beliefs I have is that the things that happen to us happen for a reason. And while it is all a part of a fantastically epic narrative, I so happen to believe that each individual person within this reality is eternally unique and valuable too.

All this to say that this past week presented a wonderful opportunity to join a small group. There have been and are plenty of other good options, but this one just seems well suited for me in many very different ways. And of course, the situation seemed to simply fall into our laps.

I may be premature in my excitement because it hasn’t even started yet, but I’m alright with that.

It is a long read, but I think that it is worthwhile to post. Here is the transcript for Tim Russert's interview with President Bush.

The other day, espn ranked sports franchises according to fan satisfaction. Surprisingly, the Angels came in first place among major league baseball teams (sixth overall). The key item to remember is that this is not the best franchise, but simply the one with the happiest fans at the moment.

Rob Neyer wrote an aritcle disagreeing with the overall methodology, but keys in on why Angel fans like myself are so satisfied. He comments:

I think the single most interesting result is the most obvious result: topping the MLB list are the Anaheim Angels. Long considered the poor sister of SoCal baseball, the Angels whipped the Dodgers, who at No. 14 are in the middle of the Ultimate Standings. And this isn't just a function of the methodology; in 2003 the Dodgers ranked fourth in the majors in attendance ... and the Angels ranked fifth, just a thousand fans per game behind the Dodgers. Considering 1) the Angels' moves this seasons, 2) the likely effect of those moves on the standings, and 3) the Dodgers' rumored cost-cutting, it seems likely that the Angels will actually outdraw the Dodgers in 2004, which is something that's never happened before.

Bottom line is that the curse of '86 is over. It's all about the monkey of '02.

When will City Council vote to keep Wal-Mart out of Los Angeles? It must be soon because the debate is on. I’m honestly not sure where I stand on this one. Here are the more basic arguments for each side.

Yay Wal-Mart: (1) Households save 15% on merchandise; (2) Wal-Mart will create more jobs.

Boo Wal-Mart: (1) Competition will be crushed; and (2) Wal-Mart will increase the “wrong” type of jobs (lower pay, nonunion).

The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation released a study defending Wal-Mart (of course, Wal-Mart paid for it). The final argument of the study, which actually reads like a threat, is intriguing:

The real choice facing the City of Los Angeles is whether Wal-Mart will serve residents from within the city’s boundaries or from without… In the former case… the City of Los Angeles could guide Wal-Mart and other large scale retailers to sites wheretheir presence and spending would be a boon for local redevelopment. If, however, Wal-Mart builds in neighboring jurisdictions… Wal-Mart customers in Los Angeles would leave the city to shop, taking their taxable spending (and any resulting local sales tax revenues) with them.

Yikes.