Clearly

There's a multi-colored, still-packaged and rather heavy lollipop sitting in the corner of my desk. Legend (or stupid tradition) has it that each new business reporter at The Contra Costa Times must hold onto until someone another reporter joins the department. We have two openings right now and the resumes are piling up on my editor's desk, so hopefully the sugar monstrosity will leave my desk soon.

Last night, I finally chatted with my dear friend Leila Fadel, who recently returned from covering the war in Iraq during which time the hotel she stayed in was bombed. I feel frivolous talking about my preoccupations these days: tutoring kids, applying to grad school, getting fit. She is unsettled after hearing a kidnapped-freelancer for the Christian Science Monitor could be killed. "That could have been me," Leila said. "That could've have been any of the journalists I was there with."

From today's front page, I learn that "colorful alcoholic fruit drinks that are reportedly popular with underage girls" are known as "alcopops." If the fact that they are sugar-infused, pathetic excuses for clandestine high-school slumber party beverages isn't enough to warrant their destruction, then having the stupidest nickname I've heard all year should be.

Moving from the topic of pathetic alcohol to good alcohol, my friend John suggests I call the Seattle brewers who make my favorite beer and convince them to start vending their goods in Nor Cal. My plan of action is to call their Redmond brewery and say, "Listen, Mac and Jack, quite being Pacific Northwest snobs and bring your beer to the Bay Area so I don't have to fly to Seattle to drink it and can stop being annoyed by all the fucking Sierra Nevada I see everywhere that by the way, tastes like shit!" If you like Sierra Nevada, take no offence, but you clearly have not had M & J's.

Finally, I will share with you the description my good pal Blythe Terrell uses for the link of my blog she has on her blog (http://www.thebatblog.blogspot.com/): Rockin' KC drinking buddy and business reporter and lover of Mr. J-J and fabulous cook and Mexican princess AND has my initials. C'est moi, bien sur! (translation: that's me, of course)