walmart

One of our interns just asked me why The Journal's headline on the Walmart vote reads, "Wal-Mart's Big Plans Earn City's Approval" and The New Mexican's read "Council Stalls Wal-Mart for study." An excellent question, I told her. Excellent. My understanding from our reporters and out story is that Wal-Mart is approved; the developers just have to come back in a month having solved the traffic problems. Indeed, it's been pushed back for final approval by 30 days, but it doesn't sound like anyone left there thinking it wasn't going through. I'm just glad that we didn't spell Stewart Udall's name wrong like The Journal did. At least I think I'm glad. Everytime I see his name I think it's spelled wrong; I think I've made our copyeditor check the spelling of his name 300 times this year. Also couldn't help but notice that today's New Mex update on Fran Gallegos wasn't written by Jason Auslander, who has been covering the story, but just has a general "New Mexican" byline. Wonder why that is. I have to agree with one of my in-the-new-mex sources that, clearly, Judge Fran has some problems understanding judicial ethics. At the same time, there is something weird going on with the daily's reportage of this story. I haven't figured out what yet, though. But having The Journal quote the New Mex's city editor about why their reporter called the cops when he saw all the court documents flying in the wind and then have the story the next day be unbylined seems a bit odd.
Meanwhile, I have to start dealing with Restaurant Guide TODAY even though it doesn't publish until October. Madness. I always have to hire a guest editor for RG because I'm really not qualified to do it. I just don't care about food in the right way; if I'm busy I eat power bars. Power bars and sushi are my favorite foods. Plus I don't eat meat or chicken. Plus sitting in restaurants makes me irritable after a while. I usually review about five restaurants for RG and that is my absolute limit. The weird thing about it, though, is that in college I was a line-cook in several restaurants and I was really pretty good at it (although I think I was good at it because I like doing lots of things at once at high speed). I can cook well if I'm in the mood. I'm only in the mood about twice a year though. Isn't this fascinating?
The brief in today's New Mex about the dog that had been shot and had her leg broken in three places and then dumped in a garbage can made me sick to my stomach. I hate people sometimes; I really do.
On that cheerful note: time to make the morning meeting agenda.