In L.A. for couple of days; the trip is centered around my attendance today at the 14th Annual Assembly for Free Speech & Open Government at Southwestern Law School. Have found time for good music as well as one of the best seafood pasta dishes I’ve ever enjoyed.
Very engaging session going on now: “Twitter with Care: Journalists and Social Media.” Discovering that the A-D is keeping good company with the bigger newspapers using Facebook and Twitter in the newsrooms.
You have until Saturday to develop a new character for “The Simpsons,” the legendary Fox show on the air for 20 years. Hopefuls must submit their character’s name, aliases, age, appearance, occupation, blood type and catchphrases to TheSimpsons.com. The winner will be flown to Los Angeles to meet an artist who will bring the character to life for the Jan. 31, 2010, episode.
Are you doing any fall cleanup around the house? Have you piled some books into boxes or crates? Well, there’s a book drive going on that would benefit you as well as the Packard Library of Yuba County.
A fall book sale is scheduled for Oct. 24-28, and books are being collected now. Here’s partial version of press release about the book drive and sale:
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY SEEKING BOOKS FOR FALL SALE
The Friends of the Packard Library of Yuba County is conducting a book drive to increase the inventory for its Fall book sale, which will be held Oct. 24-28 at the county library in Marysville. All proceeds from the semi-annual sale will go to the support of Library programs.
Book donations can be left now through Oct. 20 in special drop-off boxes at three locations in Marysville, during regular business hours:
- The Appeal-Democrat, 1530 Ellis Lake Drive (Mon.-Fri.),
- The Yuba Sutter Regional Arts Council, 624 E Street (Tues.-Fri.)
- The Brick Coffeehouse Cafe, 316 D Street (daily).
Donors with large numbers of books or who are unable to go to a drop-off location, may request a pick-up. Friends of the Library Board member Michael Paine is coordinating the pick-up program and may be contacted at (530) 742-0730. (Donors are asked to not bring books to the Library itself during the book drive period; because of space limitations, book sorting is done elsewhere.)
The Friends of the Packard Library of Yuba County is a non-profit organization whose primary mission is to raise money for the Yuba County Library. Membership in the Friends of the Library is $12 per year for individuals and $50 for local businesses. Applications are available at the organization’s new Webs ite, www.friendsoftheyubacountylibrary.org.
It’s not too late to plan your Tuesday around the Appeal-Democrat’s annual Taste of Home Cooking School event, happening at the Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds.
This year’s affair showcases “fall comfort classics” prepared on stage by culinary specialist Kristi Larson. In addition to the cooking demonstrations, the show will feature door prizes, free goodie bags and chances to take home other good stuff. Doors open at 4 p.m.; the show begins at 6 o’clock.
Tickets are just $12. You can pick them up Monday at the Appeal-Democrat office in Marysville or at the fairgrounds doors Tuesday. Tania Delling and others here at the A-D have been working hard to guarantee a good time will be had by all. And yours truly will be doing the emcee bit again this year. Make sure you stop me to say hello.
As much as sitting through the court-mandated DUI-related classes every Thursday night can be annoying, I do find some of the information interesting.
This week’s class focused on DUI law, plus the dangers of driving while distracted. That got me thinking about how often I see drivers doing everything BUT paying attention to their main responsibility - piloting their vehicles in a safe manner.
Eating while driving seems very popular around here - maybe because of the overabundance of fast food joints serving up fare. All it takes is one glance down at the lap to see the big mustard stain on the pants to help cause an accident.
A recent investigative piece in The New York Times examined the “deadly epidemic” of commuters who have turned their cars, vans and trucks into mobile offices, wired with phones and computers to stay in close touch with bosses and customers. It’s recommended reading for anyone who gets behind the wheel.
Story published Friday:
Your Sunday Appeal-Democrat is getting an upgrade — more content and better organization.
In addition to new features in the Opinion, Lifestyles and Entertainment sections, there will be additional “news hole” to run more stories and photos.
“The newspaper is delighted to be adding content relevant to our readers,” said Len La Barth, Appeal—Democrat editor. “Economic challenges forced us to make some cuts to the product in the past, so it’s notable that we’re now in a position to offer more not less.”
Among the changes:
• The upgraded Opinion section features more readers’ letters to the editor, more guest columns and two new weekly features.
Providing conservative commentary is columnist Byron York, chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner. Previously the White House correspondent for National Review, York is a frequent guest on political talk shows. His column provides a balance to liberal columnist Cynthia Tucker.
Also new to Sunday’s opinion pages: the comic strip “Prickly City,” which offers a conservative perspective on political and social events. The strip, produced by Scott Stantis, editorial cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune, appears in more than 100 newspapers across the country.
• Sunday’s Entertainment section now includes an extensive calendar featuring events and activities happening in the Mid—Valley as well as nearby communities such as Sacramento, Grass Valley and Nevada City.
• The Lifestyles section is adding “Everyday Cheapskate,” a syndicated column penned by Mary Hunt. Her weekly column shows readers how to win the battle with their own debt, or simply how to cut their daily expenses in these tough economic times. Hunt’s cost-cutting, money-saving expertise is more timely than ever.
In addition to the new content, the Sunday edition has been reformatted for an improved organizational “flow,” La Barth said.
A new survey finds Americans’ trust in the news media has hit an all-time low.
Perhaps the most disturbing finding from the survey of 1,506 people interviewed in July by the Pew Research Center: 63 percent of respondents said news articles were often inaccurate and only 29 percent said the media generally “get the facts straight” — the worst marks Pew has recorded — compared with 53 percent and 39 percent in 2007.
And here’s a surprise - not. “Asked about CNN, MSNBC or network television news, Democrats were much more likely than Republicans to rate them favorably, and Republicans were much more likely than Democrats to see them unfavorably. Fox News was seen much more positively by Republicans, and more negatively by Democrats.”
My initial reactions to this survey: If only readers knew how hard the majority of journalists work to get their stories accurate. And the disappointment we feel when a mistake is made - from a misspelled name to a more grievous error.
I worry about readers misperceptions of efforts here at the Appeal-Democrat. A couple of complaints came in Monday about how the newspaper played the D.C. protest march in the Sunday edition. The long story with two photos started on D2 and jumped to D3. But because the story was in the D section and not published on A1 - well, we were burying the story and demonstrating an agenda. The truth is, the Saturday editors simply made a news judgment call.
I’d be interested in hearing what our readers think. You know where to find me.
Getting hit with a DUI charge presents implications and inconveniences - as I well know. This experience has revealed who my true friends and supporters are - those who have my back regardless.
Knowing I was going to be without a driver’s license for 30 days - and not wanting to be a burden on anyone (”hey, can I catch a ride?”) - prompted me to buy a bicycle (and helmet!) from Van’s Bicycle Center in Yuba City. The first couple of times out on the road on my new Specialized model found me huffing and puffing and cursing my fate. But I also was quickly reminded just how much I used to love riding a bike.
After a few practice runs on weekends I was ready to make the commitment to bicycling to and from work, about 11 miles roundtrip. Including the treks today and last Saturday, I’ve done the ride six out of the last eight days Not Tour de France, but not exactly shabby, either.
One obvious benefit realized after two-plus weeks of bicycling: weight loss; the shorts and pants are definitely fitting a little looser. My legs are feeling stronger as well.
There’s also the benefit of having time to “think” during the 20-plus minute ride - and Lord knows I’ve got a lot on my mind these days.
Consider this my endorsement for getting on two wheels and going.
The California-Nevada tussle for jobs is not unique. As detailed in a recent USA Today story, similar tales of states knocking heads to lure businesses are going on across the country. New Hampshire vs. Massachusetts and New York vs. New Jersey are two other prime examples.
Interesting New York Times story examining how America’s ethnic elderly are among the most isolated people in America. We see this trend here in the Yuba-Sutter area.
