Messages from Pops Way: Malibu morning picture of the day

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Malibu morning picture of the day - Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Dear Family, Friends, and Gentle Readers,

We had the day off for the MLK Birthday Holiday, so if you were missing your Monday morning picture, I'm sorry. Here's what Tuesday looks like:

Cloudy, overcast, and even a little foggy coming in to Malibu today. It's a look at a great grey wall. I left some of the city detail in because it becomes obvious without the blue horizon, that multi-million-dollar Malibu can look exactly like Boyle Heights at some angles.

And just to reconfirm, here's a second look just a few clicks to the right.

It was only a few years ago that my employer started to give us the MLK holiday as paid time off to the staff and a free day to the students. I'm so used to NOT having it for a holiday that I have to be reminded on Friday to take it off. It was mostly ongoing student agitation that led to this policy change as I recall. As time goes on, it has become increasingly politically incorrect to be non-observant MLKers; and eventually the economics of lost production for a workday become smaller than the PR risk of being thought a closet racist institution.

"A free day at last, a free day at last ... ?"
Hoping your holiday observation was more than that,
esp. you fellow POCs out there.

I have to say, any issues that can remain student-agitated and result in policy change are extremely powerful. One professor friend of mine tells me that most problems related to student unrest are self-healing because after four years, they're ALL gone and an entirely new crop has shown up who may not feel the same way.

Advice to students, keep ongoing issues alive in active clubs and Greek organizations. And try NOT to make your arguments that you need more time to hit the beach rather than the books.

More of the Xmas 2014 That Will Not Die:

I was stopping at a Mom 'n' Pop grocery store on Melrose, having to park in the street, and on just one block I encountered a few diehard Xmas observers. I give them to you to add some local color to this grey day. These are on Harvard Blvd., so I call this set "A Harvard Christmas."