7/10/07

* I. Hate. Leafblowers. They're loud and they create lots of dust and pollution. Enough said.
* "Ginormous" was added to the dictionary this year, and a professor from Jacksonville, Ill., was quoted here. Home, sweet home.
* I think I love Spinning (the stationary bike kind ...how's that for ironic?) Let's hope the same holds true in the morning...
* You never know where you'll meet nice people or what will make your day better when you least expect it. At the risk of sounding like a greeting card, staying at home "because you don't feel like (fill in the blank)" is the worst thing you can do.
* "You're young. Have fun with it."

7/9/07

* Taser is among the slew of businesses based in the Valley.
* I have a hunch that LayoutChamp is (while obnoxious in its CCI-esque sort of way) all bark and no bite.
* Why do you hear about people in the East and Midwest getting sick and dying of all these heat-related problems in the "oh-my-goodness" 90-degree weather when all the Arizonans are doing just fine at 115?
* To reiterate, there are always more questions than answers.
* What's with everyone being married, getting hitched or dating someone from work? People, come on.

7/8/07

* The French president traditionally gives mass pardons on Bastille Day to free up spaces in the country's prisons. Sarkozy threw in the towel on that one.
* The past two weeks have been the third-longest stretch of 110-plus degree weather on record in Arizona.
* As for ages... use "infant" or "baby" up to six months, "baby" six months to one year, "toddler" one year to three years, "child" three years to 12 years and "teen" up to 18.
* There is no more awkward place in the world than the elevator.
* And, for your reading pleasure, this could be the greatest brief ever. Enjoy.

'Tree' leaves bank branch with cash, man charged
Just as the Citizen Bank branch opened Saturday morning, a man walked in
disguised as a tree, with leafy boughs duct-taped to his head and torso and
robbed the place.
Officers said James Coldwell, 49, was arrested early Sunday at his
Manchester, N.H., home and charged with robbery. “He really went out on a limb,” police Sgt. Ernie Goodno said Sunday.
— Wire services

07/07/07

(How's this for way back?) Happy birthday (as of midnight), Melissa! Someone buy this woman a drink.

* OK. It's 07/07/07. I get it. Sheesh.
* "Seat time" in race-car driving refers to the amount of driving time a person has had with a particular vehicle.
* Use a thesaurus. More meaning, fewer words. Space is of the essence.
* If you don't understand something, chances are readers won't either. Ask questions. Don't just assume people know and let it go because you're afraid of looking stupid for not knowing something you think you should. More people have to look up things than you realize.
* Not only will the temps remain in the 100s, but it also will get humid soon. (And you thought the Midwest was bad.)
* The solar energy available in Arizona is enough to power the entire country.

7/6/07

* Murdoch may or may not have finally reached an official deal with Dow Jones, which owns the Wall Street Journal. (I think the general opinion is that someone jumped the gun on this one, though...) Great, as Marco says, now everything will be fair and balanced.
* The band that wrote the theme for "Revenge of the Nerds" is suing Avril Lavigne for allegedly stealing their stuff for that song I know you all love.
* It's "all OF A sudden," people. Come on.
* Skittish. ( I guess I'd never seen it spelled out...)
* A little bit of high school will follow you wherever you go.
* Again, love the people from work.
* Saw my first glimpse of a dust storm today. Pictures when there's really something to see.
* I'm so. tired. of the number seven right now. Yikes.

7/5/07

* Spartan is not capitalized when it's used as an adjective. Neither is mecca when you're not talking about the actual Mecca.
* ATTN J MAJORS: Check out The Republic's front page tomorrow (Friday) and give me your opinions.
* Libraries aren't necessarily the best resources for things non-book related.
* Hyphenate words that would normally be hyphenated before a noun if they appear after a noun and a form of a "be" verb. (A hard-working man and He is hard-working.)
* Movies start much later in the city. It's almost as if they cater to people like me who have crazy hours. Hmm...
* Anyone been to San Diego?

7/4/07

* You can see at least two sets of fireworks from my current address.
* Pitbulls aren't as small as I had thought. In fact, I've befriended one without even knowing it.
* Summer in New York still gets to 20 or 30 degrees at night.
* Part of New York is an hour and a half from part of Vermont. (Ok, that one was a little weak.)
* I don't know how to grill.
* I can rest easy knowing there's at least one person in Chicago that I won't have to force to hang out. haha
* If it were this time 10 or 15 or even 20 (man, I feel old...) years ago, I'd be heading home from watching fireworks with my grandparents and picking out which ones were the best (the spidery sizzling ones) after a long week of farming, playing games and gardening, among other things. Those days will always be among my favorite memories. Always.

7/3/07

* First, a hearty welcome to Oliver Pierce Jones (above). I vividly remember ending eighth grade with Jerry, and now he's all grown up and married and has a baby boy. Craziness... But congrats, Jerry and Michelle!
* There are 8 ounces in a cup.
* Organic meat is pricey. Actually, organic anything is pricey. And if you go into a store called "Whole Foods," be prepared to hear debates in the aisles and see a bunch of stuff you didn't know existed.
* Oddly enough, said organic store carries "Amy's Organic Salsa."
* Check out (Leslie) Feist if you haven't already.
* Learning to organize a stocked fridge/freezer may be among your greatest assets.

7/2/07

* When it rains, it pours. (Only in Arizona, it's always figurative...) Anyway, the point is that opportunity has a way of not coming at all for awhile, then coming at you in a deluge-type fashion. I think it's part of the sitcominess of life.
* Campaign funds raised ("funds raised," but "fundraiser," "fundraising," etc.) are counted both in total amount and amount that can be used for the primary. Keep that in mind when you're getting numbers. You wouldn't want to send the copy desk on a wild goose chase for which one is which.
* It's smart to know what the people around you know when it comes to experiences, expertise, etc. -- that way, you'll always have good references. And people like it when you ask them for information. (Right?)
* I don't know how people can work without deadline. Seriously.
* The 07/07/07 thing doesn't cut it. Talk to me in four years.

7/1/07

* Sometimes the best option seems to be finding that one person who actually notices when you get a haircut and stick with him.
* The trouble with constant change is that it makes getting close to people really hard.
* There will always be far more questions than answers.
* If you say it the right way, any feedback is good feedback.
* How can AZ do fireworks with wildfires being such a huge issue?
* Is anyone out there? Hello?

6/30/07

* "Experts say Fourth of July temperatures could reach near-record highs; holiday revelers cautioned'
Longest. Headline. Ever.
* It is supposed to get up to 117, maybe higher ...I don't even know what to say to that.
* A longtime employee who just retired from The Republic's copy desk wrote songs for Tony Bennett. He was also a pool shark and hung out with Evel Knievel. Journalists might be the most interesting people in the world.
* Despite what Arizona drivers would demonstrate, there actually is a difference between the dotted and solid lines on the highway.
* Cnn.com changed their site in the middle of my shift. Do you like the update?