Last Gasp

I'm trying dearly today to sign off on my last article for my former employer, but am having a devil of a time getting photos in from the article subjects. This is perhaps the freelance aspect I detest most. I detested it just as much when I was a magazine editor. I just don't understand why a mag, other than out of laziness, demands that the article writer find images that are to the liking of the editor and production department. The visual element is not the writer's bag, baby. The writer should share the sources with the editing and production teams, who then ought to work with the article sources to get the material. The impact of the layout is the mag's job, not the writer's.

To say otherwise is, in my less than humble opinion, just laziness in publishing. Plus, I always found sources more agreeable to contributing if the editor showed some interest in them. For trade magazines, your rep is your lifeblood. Your interest in your field is your rep. End of sermon.

Gastronomical Update

We ordered a suite of pizzas last night at Punch: the Vesuvio, the Milanese, the Margherita, and the Toto. The Toto, with its goat cheese and garlic shavings and arugula, was the hit (though I was partial to the crushed red pepper spiciness of the Vesuvio). Props to the waitress for the Toto recommendation. Washed it down with two Moretti's and had tiramisu for the chaser. Lovely dinner.

This morning I took my folks down the block to Bon Vie for righteous coffee and some awesome breakfast. The place was packed and spirited. I discovered that scrambled eggs with sweet potato, parmesan and carmalized onion is, as they say, where it's at.

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Down about Arsenal losing to Barca in the Champions League final. Up on the greening of the ivy on the neighborhood buildings. Ambivalent about the family reunion this weekend. Stoked for the Asia trip. And very intrigued by the idea of visiting the velodrome in Blaine after reading Jana's blog.

I find this anecdote hilarious.
-cK