The following is a list of things I was reminded of about the 2002 Oakland Athletics by Aaron Sorkin’s film adaptation of Michael Lewis’ Moneyball:
Mike Magnante was a TERRIBLE pitcher.
That is all.
It appears that an apology is in order.
To my (two) regular readers: I am deeply sorry there haven’t been more posts lately. Getting settled in a new city can be disorienting; I’m starting to get my bearings though. Thanks for staying with me!
* * *
Los Angeles is a pretty remarkable place. This city holds perhaps the greatest assortment of ethnic diversity in the world. And yet, for all its diversity, LA has a perplexing degree of segregation, particularly along ethnic and class lines. (I’m not naive; this geographical and social separation exists all around the country. It seems more pervasive here, though. Perhaps that’s a function of the number of first-generation immigrants in the Southland.) It feels as though segregation has stifled the possibility of cultural mixing and understanding here.
But, as I’ve said before, it’s hard to much care about the problems of the world or your city when you’re driving down a traffic-free, tree-lined boulevard on a sunny Southern California afternoon.
(Although, let’s be honest: traffic-free? Laughable.)
* * *
Attempting to finding a job in a city with an unemployment rate over 13 percent is fraught with failure. As commentators on the major networks often mention, there are four job-seekers for every job opening in the U.S., a figure which is assuredly higher in a city like Los Angeles.
As a result, e-mails go unanswered, cover letters and resumes go unread, and discouragement rises. Even though the unemployment level for college graduates is significantly lower than it is for those who have completed less education, the prospects for first-time job seekers are pretty grim.
* * *
I intend to redouble my blogging efforts in the coming days and weeks. Hopefully I’ll have an original thought once in a while to share with you, my faithful readers, and the rest of the world!
