Is the SPJ kidding? Charging members $22 to sit around and listen to a bunch of PIOs is a complete racket. Furthermore, if "professional journalists" need help contacting five of the most accessible PIOs in Los Angeles, perhaps it's time to think about a new career.

I have no problem with that conflict.

Hey Old Duffer you're right! And no question that our shindig sounds far more festive.

What's the valet get at Citrine? It's $1.25 at Taix. And trust me--Bernard will be pouring good wine copiously at Taix for free, as he always does at such events, while you are paying trop cher cash bar prices for your sadassed dollops of gin at chi-chi-Citrine.

Shame on you, Kevin, for editorialing here, calling the SPJ's event not cheap. Noone except the most miserable excuse for a toper could possibly get out of Citrine for less than fifty American.

I assure you us Jews will be getting out of Citrine for considerably less, Joseph. You drunken goyim. I'm willing to walk a mile to park for free.

You drunken goyim.

Hey, that's what my doctor calls me! Is it bad?

Park on street, two diet Cokes, around six bucks, eight with the tip. I could care less if Citrine is hip; Press Club can hold these gigs at Frank and Hank's (on Western) and I'd go.
But Taix, I don't know. The place smells of sixty years worth of salad dressing spilled on the carpet, the food is not good, and the character of the room such that, what at first feels authentic and retro, quickly becomes heavy and depressing.

No, Joseph, "drunken goyim" is a compliment.
Are your accountant and dentist also Jewish?
Keep thinking and drinking like a goy Joseph.

Luke, Joseph...

You are both giving yourselves away as goyim, which is plural. Unless Joseph's dr. was seeing double I doubt he really called him "you drunken goyim."

Nancy, you're dead right about Taix. It's pretty filthy.

Hey, I gotta keschin:

Isn't Alan Parachini the former exec. director of the LA ACLU? Isn't PIO for the courts kind of a strange move for him?

Actually, the Frank 'n Hank's idea isn't bad. I'm sure Snow would be delighted.

No more bitching from all you jaded hacks. Just don't go if you're not intersted. There's lots of people who are glad for this SPJ event. It's good to get to know PIOs in non-confrontational work sitchs, particulary for journalism students (who are a big part of SPJ) new reporters and freelancers.

And FYI, in this city, $22 for two glasses of nice wine and some good eats is a pretty good deal. Plus, I personally picked out the food and wine - it will be good.

Parachini was, as a wee lad, west coast publicist for Mercury Records. From there, he somehow wound up at The Times. then to the ACLU.

Don't know whether PIO for the courts is a step up, or down from Mercury Records, though.

I like Taix. One of the best & most reasonably priced wine cellars in town. Also, the open mike night is one of the cheapest horror movies you'll ever see....

Since many of you feel the need to criticize this event, then may I suggest you e-mail me with your brilliant suggestions for future SPJ programs.
I'm the new chapter president. My e-mail is attached to this message.

Leslie, I feel the need to say that the SPJ is too dad-gummed right-wing by crikey....

(Kidding!)

cathy, i certainly hope you're "kidding!" spj is anything but that.

Relax, Leslie, it was sarcasm from the kidney-retailing libertarian contingent at the LA Press Club.

i know. but still, i don't like to have labels attached. some folks might not read the kidding part and think her statements are correct. gotta just respond for the record you know.

it's not the event. it's the location. taix is fine for a beer on the way home from a dodger game--provided you drank 6 or 7 beers at the dodger game.

it's not the location. it's the event. these kind of networking "sitchs" seem tailored for burnout cases seeking advice on a glide path into the flak factory.

THIS FROM SOMEONE WHO CALLS HIM/HERSELF "BIRDSNEST"--as in one flew over the.....

You people really need to get over this...the event's two hours from now. If you're going fine. If not, then that's YOUR CHOICE. But to sit here and nitpick over the event, the location, blah blah blah, is ridiculous.
this event is for working reporters and is in NO WAY geared toward burnout journalists looking for advice at how to break into PR....it's for reporters, old and new, to take a break and mingle with the folks they deal with regularly..and maybe put some of them on the spot if they have particular ongoing issues such as regular denial of FOI requests etc.
this is for those people: the crime reporter, the court reporter, the reporter who has to localize statewide budget shortfalls in terms of public services ...
like i said before, if you have suggestions for an SPJ event, we welcome them. You don't have to be a boardmember to help plan an event for our chapter. not sure what the organization is about? go to www.spj.org. and our chapter website is linked to my name below....