Pardon the sparse entries ... work's been topsy-turvy.

First, we've been launching these community weekly editions specific to different coverage zones. The thinking, I guess, is to draw more subscribers to the main paper through these free weeklies. Well, October was the magic month to launch one of my cities. Add this to the regular daily coverage, and I'm busier than Mark Foley during page orientation.

That also means I fall under a new boss - the weekly's editor - who's been in The Pacific Republic all of two weeks. So she's pretty green, but I'm not calling this bad. On the upside, that shuffles around reporter desks and I no longer have to smell onions and microwaved salmon on a daily basis. It's the little things, people.

On top of that we've got a particularly heated local congressional race, plus the city council races are keeping things busy, tensions are running high, and, without writing a novella, let's just say the paper's taking a lot of heat. All sorts of craziness, blah blah you get the point.


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OK, a few thoughts on Saturday's perfect-storm UCLA/ND matchup.

• I watched the entire second half - the one Notre Dame happened to win in the final 27 seconds. For those keeping score at home, that would throw this whole sports-jinx theory into question.
  
  
• Of course, I was pulling for UCLA...so maybe it's still a toss-up. But the argument that I'm an ND jinx becomes very shaky.
  
  
• Called Notre Dame alum Lights and B&G after UCLA held ND on fourth-and-two. Lights refused to allow B&G to take the call.
  
  
• Talked to the rents after the game, and Mom said she was happy with the win since that keeps ND in BCS contention and eligible for a lot more bowl cash.
  
  
• She's saying this about a team coming in each season with an exclusive NBC Saturday morning contract, regardless of record. A team that doesn't have to share revenues with any pesky conference. My parents are pretty liberal, but there's something about Notre Dame that brings out the rabid Republican in Mom. Seriously, is there a more Jack-Abramoff-like team in college sports than Notre Dame?
  
  
• I've just been banned from my parents' house.
  
  
• Speaking of "Repub," here's a play-by-play of the text messages I swapped with Racist Pointless UCLA Bowl Winner, starting when UCLA held Notre Dame at fourth-and-one with two minutes left:
  
  Me: "now thats sum serious non usc socal goodness..."
  
  RePUB: [no reply]
  
  But then UCLA punts too early, ND comes back and shocks 'em.
  
  RePUB: "now thats what i'm talking about!"
  
  Me: "U guys r celebratn like u just beat ohio state. good luck with usc."
  
  RePUB: "true true."

I think that about sums it up.

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Saw Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the Tennis Garden last night. Always a pure show with Petty. Jackson Browne opened. During his mid-song banter Browne asked where exactly he was, geographically. "Is Indian Wells even a city?" Well, as the reporter who covers said city on a daily frickin basis let me respond by saying, yes, fuckhead, it is.

He then went on to preface a song written, surprsingly, about the random town where I grew up within God's Country. He described the place as "if you put Indio in the middle of God's Country," which if you know Indio is not a complimentary choice of words. Nor were the actual lyrics.

Upon further review, the play stands: Jackson Browne sucks.

But Petty is just pure goodness. Stevie Nicks even jumped on stage a couple of times for some duets, while doing her trademark strange spasmic dance with the tamborine. 'Must be a gypsy thing.

Plus, it was nice to just sit back, relax and enjoy this one. Editors prodded me all summer to find out who the hell would play the Tennis Garden this fall. We knew they had some big names planned, and if I didn't break the news first there'd be hell to pay.

I went with my former boss, while Nameless entertained her family from out of town. Organizers are just starting to bill this tennis garden as a legit concert venue, right outside God's Country. (The Eagles played last year, and The Who arrives next month, sans Keith and John).

It's a great place to catch a show - not a bad seat in the house. But there is a weird vibe to the place. By the time Petty had left the stage, my boss and I - no joke - had written a "You know you're seeing a concert in Indian Wells column when..." column. For example, "Instead of lighters at the encore, everyone holds up their blackberry pagers." I wish I were making that up... Anyways, we'll be pitching it next week and if something runs I'll post a link.

In the meantime, back to being a deadbeat dad.