Today’s news chum is about people in the news. So, without further fanfare, some items noted whilst perusing the news over lunch...

• From the “Walt Disney” File: The Los Angeles Times is reporting on the updated plans for Disney’s California Adventure. As they say, “This time, for sure”. The general approach is to theme the area and entrance to ( Read more... )

With everything going on this week, and the financial gloom-and-doom, there hasn't been much interesting chum out there on the newswires. But I do have a little for you:

• From the “Insert Your Hillary Clinton Joke Here” Department: We’ve all heard about stem cells, and their potential benefit to curing diseases. We’ve also all heard about how ( Read more... )

As you well know, you can depend on me to find the really important things in the news:

• From the “Here’s Hoping the Cubs Win” Department: According to the LA Observed blog, the usual bet is on between Chicago and Los Angeles regarding the Cubs vs. Dodgers Playoff Game. Chicago mayor Richard Mayor Daley previously wagered a “Take Me Out to the Ball ( Read more... )

This morning’s NY Times brings news of the demise of the banking operations of Wachovia, which have just been sold to Citigroup. What does the Wachovia web page say again... oh.... “We’re here for our customers”, doth say the Wachovia CEO. But I digress. Citigroup has apparently won the bidding for Wachovia over Wells Fargo (whose win would have ( Read more... )

Today's lunchtime brings you a selection of links and chum. The links are some interesting posts I made over the weekend that might have been gotten lost in the friendslist sea:

• My review of Vanities: A New Musical at the Pasadena Playhouse
  
• My thoughts on the economic bailout plan
  
• My review of iTunes 8

As for the chum...

• From the "Choose Your ( Read more... )

As today is Talk Like A Pirate Day, I'd like to do some talking about two groups of pirates: Captain John and his wench Sarah, and Captain Barak and his first mate, Salty Joe. Both of these teams are campaigning to run our ship of state; they claim they can right it from its current floundering condition, and sail us into safe and secure waters. ( Read more... )

Some oddities from the news:

• From the “Not a Hallmark Moment” Department: Russia is moving to ban the Western holidays of Halloween and Valentine's Day as bad influences on the nation's youth. Maxim Mishchenko, a Duma member, says he is pushing the bill to guard the "moral and spiritual upbringing" of the nation's youth and to promote traditional ( Read more... )

Some Los Angeles personalities making the news today, gleaned from my lunch-time reading:

• Former Mayor Richard Riordan has come out for Barak Obama: “I think he’s a much more open person. He’s young, he has more energy, more electricity.” As for McCain, Riordan says “When I was mayor I had dealings with McCain where I didn’t respect him”. From what ( Read more... )

• From the “Say That Again?” Department: Headline seen on CNN: “Bush arrives in Texas; Residents urged to leave”
  
  
• From the “Nothing Up My Sleeve” Department: We all know that the budget compromise developed by the California Senate/Assembly supposedly does not raise taxes. But it is going to hit all of us in the pocketbook. According to the LA Times: ( Read more... )

...and boy, does my head hurt. Yes, I made it into BWI. The flight wasn't packed; I actually had a seat next to me open. But still, almost 5 hours on a packed flight with a crying infant, and no surprise that I've got a headache. But I'm here, and I should sleep it off by morn, in time for an exciting day of workshopping ( Read more... )