Ah, the irony

I just completed my first work back in the job circuit. I also had my first training of three so far.

Newsroom folks will know the cruel joke of our profession and our reason for choosing it -- and that is we are lousy at math, and excellent at sentence construction.

As my new job will have it, I'll be interpreting lots of columns and rows of numbers and percentages, and making correlations out of them. Sure brings me back to my college sociology major where I had to take 3 credit hours in statistics. That turned out to be the only college course I opted for the pass/fail option.

To my Singaporean friends, that option means I won't be receiving any grades, hence my overall grade point average (GPA) will not be affected.

It's been interesting so far, especially to have the privilege of a few to possess these figures of the marketplace and consumers' habits.

But it has also been frustrating cuz there's so much to figure out and so much unknown of the job to brace myself for.

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Amy: What are you doing??!!! Journalists can't do math!! you crazy girrrrlll!

Bob: the more you are scared of something...the MORE it comes to haunt you! Anyway, you need help with the spreadsheets, you know where to find me! I'll gladly help.

Melissa: Ohhh my! Just the mere mention of a college statistics class is enough to illicit sheer panic in me! LOL!!! I had to take a Psych Statistics course at USC (many, many moons ago!), and it would take 3 hours - and I can't remember how many pieces of paper - just to do one statistics problem! But I know you can do this new job! In no time, calculating those rows of numbers and percentages will be old hat for you! And then I'll be calling you for help with all my math questions! :-P I'm so glad the job has been interesting!!! Yay!

I like them dogs

There are so many of these prairie dogs out in the plains and they are too adorable. Here's a link to more:

http://spotted.lubbockonline.com/pages/gallery.php?gallery=73609

Been there, done that. Enjoying the moment.

It just occurred to me this afternoon after I returned from the garage sale (which I made a profit of $215 for having sold 40 items), settled into the couch with M and dinner and watching the Masters, that I AM WATCHING THE MASTERS!

I am not watching the Masters Golf tourney and dealing with the stress of my colleagues, and damning the rain delay. I am enjoying the Masters for the first time, and in front of my 50-inch flat-screen TV! Man, that National grass is splendid.

It will be difficult for those who have not worked in a newsroom to comprehend why I'm blogging this. And I bet it's extra-annoying for my Chronicle pals that I'm blogging this. Sorry, guys.

But believe you me, if you should leave the Chronicle, you will at moments wish you were back in the madness of Masters prep and toil. But you will also, like me, be hit with the realization that you are actually breathing normally for once during this week in April. And it just occurred to me in the 3rd day of the Masters that I'm kicking back and loving life.

So hate me if you must. But be sure to drop me a note when you get hit with this very moment of eureka.

Together, we'll take in the full beauty of the moment and the game.
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Ray: DAMN YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!
OK maybe not!

Christina: Reminds me of what it used to be like when we worked in Myrtle Beach during Harley Week. This year I'm going to Harley week with friends to actually ride on a Harley, not interview people doing the same!

My Response to Christina: I forgot all about that Harley Week. So which Hogan-lookalike will you be strapping yourself to?

I'm that neighbor that's a disgrace to your hood

So I just returned from setting up my booth at the citywide garage sale that's held at the fairgrounds tomorrow. And I have the sorriest setup compared to my neighbors.

These guys are pros, with arrangements that rival those at consignment shops. And it appears I also priced my items quite high. Yikes.

It's a claustro#*!& Talk about not having a theme or a sense of spatial design. And I had a soon-to-be colleague ask me "Aren't you a designer?"

Thank goodness I was glib enough to say I deal with two-dimensional design in newspaper.

How embarassing.

I hope I am able to clear as much crap that I'd accumulated and grown out of, to justify my paying $35 and spending 8 hours ALONE at my booth. Oh, I have to there by 7:30. And I was told by M we may be going to a party where we hardly know anyone that night. I'm so not looking forward to Saturday. And I don't know why I keep doing these darn things (I've held 3 to date).

Going to the Dark Side

I accepted a job offer Thursday as a research sales analyst.

The role is newly created and from what I gather, it's to assist the sales reps. with presentations and making research data on the local market understandable for them to present to advertisers.

I'm extremely nervous and excited about this position.

Nervous cuz I've been in the editorial aspect of the newspaper for 12 years and now am venturing into sales.

But my goal this year is to learn about sales and marketing.

I think this is a step in the right direction.

Illegal immigrants Part 2

A bit of insight and education about this immigration situation that's getting kids leaving classrooms to demonstrate and Congress being more bipartisan than ever.

Lou Dobbs Tonight (CNN) has been in Cancun covering the Presidential Immigration Summit that had Bush, Vincente Fox and the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper participating. I have been following his coverage as I find him representing the middle class voice that is largely ignored by this vote-pandering government.

Here are some highlights from what I had observed from Lou Dobbs and also from Wolf Blitzer's Situation Room:

1. While the illegal immigrants that have been in the news are largely that of the Mexicans, the group of criminals also include those from Asia, Europe and other countries. The reason Mexicans are prominently the focus is because they make up the largest groups.

2. Vincente Fox adopts a double standard when it comes to the immigration issue. Fox, the Mexican president who BTW will be ending his term in 8 months, has closed HIS COUNTRY'S SOUTHERN BORDER to the illegal immigrants from the Central American countries. However, he is insisting that his countrymen, a la the illegals, have the right to cross MEXICO'S NORTHERN BORDER to the United States of America.Why? Because he has failed to create jobs for his people. No, he did not offer that reason himself. That would be admitting he hasn't delivered on his campaign promise. Rather, that fact was provided by a Univision (the Hispanic TV) representative in The Situation Room, a show hosted by Wolf Blitzer. The show follows Lou Dobbs Tonight.

3. Fox has a major role in dictating U.S. policies AND encouraging illegals heading to U.S.A. And it is obvious in Bush's podium speech at the summit when he told Fox he appreciated his "help." Transcript: Fox's newfound cooperation is not likely to have much impact, especially now that hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens and open borders advocates are now waving Mexican flags in demonstrations on American soil. And Fox is still refusing to do anything to stop the millions of illegal aliens who gather along Mexican border towns that are staging areas for illegal crossings, saying he won't restrict the freedom of movement of Mexican citizens. Despite that, President Bush thanked President Fox for his efforts.

4. L.A. has day centers where illegals gather to seek jobs. It is run by the local government. Daily, employers will select these illegals to perform the day's labor at low cost. They do not have to show any identification and the employers do not ask for them. The greatest shock in this scenario is that the local government sanctions it.

Read Lou Dobbs' transcipt from March 31, Friday: http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0603/31/ldt.01.html

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Christina's response: It is so hypocritical for Fox to have the southern border closed yet scream when we want to close OUR Southern border. And it is also a known fact that Mexicans while frequently yelling about immigration policies being discriminatory are also in turn VERY discriminatory to Hondurans and Guatemalans who enter their country or compete for labor with them here in the U.S. This whole situation is so full of double standards it makes me want to scream. I agree with you that Lou Dobbs has some of the best coverage. If you get a chance also catch the Lehrer news hour on PBS if you can for some very good discussions about this, and The Economist out of London has written some excellent essays!

Illegal immigrants Part 2

A bit of insight and education about this immigration situation that's getting kids leaving classrooms to demonstrate and Congress being more bipartisan than ever.

Lou Dobbs Tonight (CNN) has been in Cancun covering the Presidential Immigration Summit that had Bush, Vincente Fox and the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper participating. I have been following his coverage as I find him representing the middle class voice that is largely ignored by this vote-pandering government.

Here are some highlights from what I had observed from Lou Dobbs and also from Wolf Blitzer's Situation Room:

1. While the illegal immigrants that have been in the news are largely that of the Mexicans, the group of criminals also include those from Asia, Europe and other countries. The reason Mexicans are prominently the focus is because they make up the largest groups.

2. Vincente Fox adopts a double standard when it comes to the immigration issue. Fox, the Mexican president who BTW will be ending his term in 8 months, has closed HIS COUNTRY'S SOUTHERN BORDER to the illegal immigrants from the Central American countries. However, he is insisting that his countrymen, a la the illegals, have the right to cross MEXICO'S NORTHERN BORDER to the United States of America.Why? Because he has failed to create jobs for his people. No, he did not offer that reason himself. That would be admitting he hasn't delivered on his campaign promise. Rather, that fact was provided by a Univision (the Hispanic TV) representative in The Situation Room, a show hosted by Wolf Blitzer. The show follows Lou Dobbs Tonight.

3. Fox has a major role in dictating U.S. policies AND encouraging illegals heading to U.S.A. And it is obvious in Bush's podium speech at the summit when he told Fox he appreciated his "help." Transcript: Fox's newfound cooperation is not likely to have much impact, especially now that hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens and open borders advocates are now waving Mexican flags in demonstrations on American soil. And Fox is still refusing to do anything to stop the millions of illegal aliens who gather along Mexican border towns that are staging areas for illegal crossings, saying he won't restrict the freedom of movement of Mexican citizens. Despite that, President Bush thanked President Fox for his efforts.

4. L.A. has day centers where illegals gather to seek jobs. It is run by the local government. Daily, employers will select these illegals to perform the day's labor at low cost. They do not have to show any identification and the employers do not ask for them. The greatest shock in this scenario is that the local government sanctions it.

Read Lou Dobbs' transcipt from March 31, Friday: http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0603/31/ldt.01.html

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Christina's response: It is so hypocritical for Fox to have the southern border closed yet scream when we want to close OUR Southern border. And it is also a known fact that Mexicans while frequently yelling about immigration policies being discriminatory are also in turn VERY discriminatory to Hondurans and Guatemalans who enter their country or compete for labor with them here in the U.S. This whole situation is so full of double standards it makes me want to scream. I agree with you that Lou Dobbs has some of the best coverage. If you get a chance also catch the Lehrer news hour on PBS if you can for some very good discussions about this, and The Economist out of London has written some excellent essays!