My nine-source story about the city's first homicide in a year somehow turned out OK, and I even got compliments from the sergeant in charge of the investigation and the SWAT team. He's one of those good people to know, in part because he's just a funny, cool guy, and also because he's a very good source. In fact, he's such a good source that he called my cell phone 20 minutes after police nabbed the murder suspect today.
This reporter's life has been adventurous this week, to put it mildly. Talking to cops at 1 a.m., chasing the SWAT team as they block traffic and surround an apartment, talking to a crying grandfather, talking to a crying sister, rushing to a vineyard fire, pulling over to take a phone call on the way back so that I can take notes and not get in a car accident. I love my job.
I knew I should have gone to downtown Sacramento yesterday, just to see what happens when people begin an organized protest/riot. There's an agricultural exposition going on this week, and thousands of people are expected to protest, saying that it promotes big businesses and genetically-engineered food.
The protests kicked off yesterday with a couple thousand people, according to the Sacramento Bee. Protest organizers took out a march permit for 8,000 people today, and it's supposed to begin in about half an hour.
Yesterday was fairly tame, with about 20 arrests -- most of which will probably be dismissed in court or resolved with a small fine, I'd imagine. But just imagine this picture, as told by Sacramento Bee writers: "Merry vegetarians danced along, dressed as ears of corn and butterflies. Beside them strode young anarchists, masked and clad in black, who taunted police and shouted obscenities. A female wearing fairy wings darted through the crowd on a bike, striped stockings flashing. An elderly man using a walker pushed gamely along with the rest."
The Harry Potter madness hit California about 10 minutes ago as the clocks rolled around to midnight, marking the day Book 5 in the Harry Potter series went on sale. Meanwhile, an Associated Press writer in North Carolina had a column written and on the wire, two-and-a-half hours after he was out at a book store with his wife and daughter.
I loved the column, and it made me want to go back to the days of reading books to my younger sisters. But, like Harry Potter and the column's daughter, people grow up, and the days of reading books to my sisters are long gone. However, I don't think I'm too old to read the Harry Potter books -- as soon as I find a barely-used copy for sale through the amazon.com auctions, that is.
It's official: Canada's federal government is not going to appeal a court ruling that ordered the definition of marriage to be revised. This means that gay marriages will be legal and fully recognized in Canada. Alberta appears to be fighting it, but the rest of the country is in full support.
I have three thoughts. First, it's about time. Second, I wonder what sort of ripple-effect it will have on the rest of the world. Third, why is this not bigger news? I asked this when the ruling first came down, and I'm asking it now. Once again, I did not learn of this latest development on a news Web site, a newspaper or even on TV news. I learned of it through a friend's online journal.
For some very strange reason I cannot comprehend, I've been finding myself watching "For Love or Money" on Monday nights. I'm not exactly proud of it, since it's certainly not high-quality television, but then again, there's no such thing as high-quality television. Basically, it's a show about a bunch of pretty women who try to win the heart of an attorney, and what he doesn't know is that the winner gets $1 million -- until next week, when oooooh, the plot thickens.
It makes me wonder what kind of a person would put on a whole act and hurt people just to get the money. (I also wonder what kinds of people actually volunteer to be on such shows.) I think I can honestly say that I wouldn't do it. Yes, money is good, and yes, I like to have some nice things, but there's just so much more to this world than money.
So, the rhetorical or not-so-rhetorical question is this: Would you do it?
Jennifer requested a new update about how I spent my Friday night. So, just how did I spend my Friday night? At a David Lee Roth concert. In Stockton. That says it all, but for those who want more, you can read a review of the concert.
And, for those who really want more, you can see some pictures from the night. I am not responsible for any of them. At all.
I really should write about the whole adventure, because it was just so incredibly funny. I love people, but this was one of the best people-watching places I've ever seen. Where else would you see a guy holding his cell phone in the air, recording the concert onto some unknown machine? He occasionally screamed into the phone, and I'm quite sure that added to the recording on the other end. I'll save the lady in white (pictured on the linked page) for later.
A three-member Ontario court ruled Tuesday that Canadian federal law that only allows marriage between a man and woman is unconstitutional. The Ontario government has one more chance to appeal it, and if that appeal is not granted, gay marriage will be legal in Canada. Appeal or not, the court also ordered that several gay couples involved in the case be granted marriage licenses, and one couple tied the knot hours later.
This is significant, if you ask me. It's the first time gay marriage in North America has become truly legal (some states are getting closer to it, but not quite) and it will likely cause sweeping changes across Canada, and even the United States. Of course, an appeal could change that, but it's still significant.
I want to know why I did not hear about this on cnn.com, or on news.yahoo.com, or on news.google.com until I heard of it elsewhere and then performed a search on the various news Web sites. Am I living in a fantasy world, or is this not a big deal? I am very much in favor of this court decision, but I spent most of my life seeing it from the other side. Either way, it's news. Period.
A measure that would make it mandatory that drivers use hands-free devices when talking on the phone might become law in California before too long. That's all find and dandy (though I wonder what happens if a highway patrol officer happens to see you when you're dialing), but they're overlooking the bigger picture.
People are also doing things like watching TV while they drive. That's illegal in California, but according to that article, the number of TV car monitors sold is rapidly going up each year. What does this mean? It means that people will still talk on cell phones even if it's illegal, and since it is illegal, they'll figure, "Why not watch TV, since it's equally bad?"
I'm watching the Tony Awards (and thoroughly enjoying them), and I keep thinking, "Why is Broadway such a New York thing, and why is it so expensive?" I wish I could see some of these Broadway plays without having to fly 3,000 miles. Actually, I could go see "Aida" less than two hours away, but then there's the fact that I don't want to see it by myself, and it's hard to find someone willing to spend the money on it.
On another note, I had no idea "Frog and Toad" has been made into a musical. I was practically raised on the books, and they performed one song from the musical in tonight's broadcast.
There are times when I so very much want to be an investigator. Take, for example, the rather intriguing story of a man who lived for at least 25 years with another person's identity. It was only discovered when he died last July 31 and names of family members led nowhere. (This link is to the same story, different writer.)
What makes people do the things that they do? What kind of a past did this man have? Somewhere there must be relatives, no matter how distant, who really belong to him. But what will it take to find them? Every single person is unique, and that, in my opinion, is probably the most valuable thing for an investigator. Combine that with curiosity, common sense and a fascination with people, and the result is a power to be reckoned with.
This reporter's life
My nine-source story about the city's first homicide in a year somehow turned out OK, and I even got compliments from the sergeant in charge of the investigation and the SWAT team. He's one of those good people to know, in part because he's just a funny, cool guy, and also because he's a very good source. In fact, he's such a good source that he called my cell phone 20 minutes after police nabbed the murder suspect today.This reporter's life has been adventurous this week, to put it mildly. Talking to cops at 1 a.m., chasing the SWAT team as they block traffic and surround an apartment, talking to a crying grandfather, talking to a crying sister, rushing to a vineyard fire, pulling over to take a phone call on the way back so that I can take notes and not get in a car accident. I love my job.
Posted by Layla at 9:32 PM, June 26, 2003. Comments (0)