Random Tidbits

I'd like to share several things this afternoon...

A co-worker forwarded me a hilarious article from "The Onion" about zoning that should be funny even to those outside the urban planning field:

City Councilman Unearths Magical Zoning Amulet

I'm a big fan of "The Onion" and appreciate the fact that they poke fun at zoning and the workings of local government from time to time.
My friend Bill forwarded me an article from the "L.A. Times" about plans to create an overlay area code in the 3-1-0 that may be of interest:

Overlay in 310 Seems Probable

Originally, the Public Utilities Commission was going to split the 3-1-0 territory; the ritzy coastal areas would retain the area code and the more hard-scrabble communities of Compton, Gardena, and the remainder of the inland "South Bay" would adopt 4-2-4. Public outcry sunk that plan, but using 4-2-4 as an overlay zone raises other issues. Everyone will have to adopt "10 digit dialing" and eventually people may have a different area code than their next-door neighbor.

As in many other big cities, a person's area code has become a bit of a "status symbol" in Los Angeles. Something as simple as a prefix raises issues of community identity and the emotions surrounding the implementation of 4-2-4 run deep. As for me, I live in 3-2-3, a somewhat generic area code that includes all of central Los Angeles outside of Downtown (the only territory still covered by 2-1-3, L.A.'s "original" area code). However, my cell phone is proudly reppin' 2-1-3. A few years back, I had four phone numbers (home, office, personal cell, work cell) all in the 2-1-3 area code...such consistency is hard to obtain for most Angelenos.

When the issue of area codes comes up, I like to recall the episode of "Seinfeld" where Elaine takes the phone number of a deceased neighbor so that she doesn't have to suffer the indignity of having a number in an "overlay zone" (she lost a date when a guy thought she lived in Jersey). I also like to recall the episode of "The Simpsons" where Springfield is divided into two area codes and Homer can't wrap his mind around the concept of "ten digit dialing." Once Homer realizes the "nice" part of town gets to keep the old area code, he leads a movement to have the other part of town secede and become "New Springfield," divided from its neighbor by a "Berlin Wall" of trash.

Speaking of Bill, he's my "Westside Connection" and we are eternally engaged in a debate as to which side of L.A. is "better." Since he doesn't read P.U. with any regularity, I'd like to put him "on blast" here for my own enjoyment (and perhaps yours):

You see, Bill is all about maintaining his precious "hipster cred." Just look at the photo from his Friendster profile displayed above: the glasses, the clothes, the ironic use of a gang sign, the can of Pabst Blue Ribbon! C'mon, Bill, a guy who is a living monument to all things hip and ironic belongs with me on the "Eastside." You ought to be living in Silver Lake, not Culver City, you big fucking hipster!

Moving on...the author of the "L.A. Weekly" article I discussed in this recent post actually dropped me an e-mail to thank me for my "thoughtful and informed comments" and encouraged me to give him a call and chat! I still can't believe it...I'm a little too intimidated to give him a call just yet, but I did write him back and told him how much I appreciate positive feedback from a "real" writer...I'm just some punk who blogs!

Last item: In a few hours, I'll be enjoying the King Tut exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The tickets aren't cheap ($25 a pop), and you have to make an "appointment" (you are only allowed to enter at a pre-determined day and time), but I figure I may never have a chance to see these artifacts again in my life.

One interesting aspect of my trip to LACMA is that it will be the first time I'll be hanging out (in real life) with someone I met in the blogosphere. Yes, believe it or not, a young woman recently stumbled onto P.U. and she found it interesting enough to provoke her to seek me out -- I remain utterly in shock. Meeting someone for the first time is always a little nerve-wracking, but I think I'm more excited than anxious. Since we've read each other's blogs, we already know more about each other than either of us is probably completely comfortable with!

I love blogging, and I'm not afraid to admit it!