It's been years since I've subscribed to a newspaper, or even picked one up on a daily basis (not counting the freebies like AM New York). Working at the library I had access to the four major NYC papers plus lots of local & weekly ones as well. We have been buying the Sunday OC Register since moving out here to check out the Classifieds for jobs, so when the paper offered a special discount if you got the Saturday & Sunday papers delivered so we decided to take advantage.

I have to admit that I generally only skim the editorials and Op/Ed stuff, since I'm about 180 degrees politically from were the paper stands on most issues. Out here the NY Times would look like the Village Voice. It is good to keep up on the local and statewide events going down and also to read some articles on national & international stories which tend to be missed by the television news shows.

I'm finding it very interesting to try and get a grasp on the measures & propositions coming up for votes next month, there appear to be a dozen or so. Naturally, the ones getting the most air time have to do with Props 86 & 87, which deal with a higher tobacco tax and pushes for alternative energy vs Big Oil, respectively. the OC Register has let me know about some other things, such as Prop 89 on campaign reform and Prop 90 which deals with Eminent Domain. You would think you could guess how I'm siding on all these, but you might be surprised.

Oh, before I forget!

The Sunday OC Register has a great column that I never would have seen in New York. Called "Seismo-Watch" it looks at the seismic activity of the preceeding week. There's a map showing all the 'events' and a 'local activity' scoreboard. I really get a kick out of the column's mascot, which is a dog in a ranger outfit called (ready for it?), Seismo. This week Seismo says: "Shake the earthquake blues and be prepared!" Apparently, we're going through a lull right now with only minor events, but writer/geologist Charles P. Watson reminds us that the last time a similar lull occured it ended with the Northridge Quake of '94. Cool, huh?

Back to the election...

I wasn't familiar at all with Phil Angelides, who is the Democrat running against Da Arnold for Governor. Sadly, he really isn't making a great show of it and most folks think that Schwarzenegger will be re-elected. Hard to believe given the Governor's low poll numbers a few months ago. Seems that Angelides & the Dems are trying to paint Schwarzenegger with the "Bush" brush, but it isn't really working. As disliked as the President may be, the current Governor has enough distance in his many of his positions so you can't mistake one for the other, despite the Dems worst ads. Personally, I think the anti-Angelides ads the Republicans have been running which use the Rove-ish 'flip-flop' thing on poor Phil appear to be more effective.

The only person I know I'm going to vote for, rather than against, this time out is Jerry Brown. The former California Governor and Presidential candidate is running for Attorney General. The worst his enemies seem to be able to come up with is that Brown is anti-Death Penalty. Considering my own warbling feelings on the issue, it won't prevent me from giving my vote to Linda Ronstadt's former beau.

I'll probably have some more political ramblings before Election Day, so stay tuned.