Counting Down Til Five

Today I got to meet billionaire T. Boone Pickens. He was the guest speaker at a huge fund-raising event for the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and the event is always held in Dallas, so John (covers energy) and I drove out to go see him.

Pickens is a pretty amazing guy--he's given hundreds of millions to charities, made billions for himself, and he got lead into the hall by the Oklahoma State University marching band, which I guess is pretty appropriate since he's got several things on that campus named after him. He was also a really great guest for the event, which was a sort of Q&A format. John got a one-on-one interview with him afterward, too, and we got signed copies of his book for being media.

We were also the only reporters there--there was supposed to be someone from the Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Business Journal, the M.D. Anderson PR person said, but they never showed. I wasn't really surprised at the DMN thing. Dan is sitting in a newsroom today quaking in his boots as people all around him get laid off. Everyone there knew last week that this would be the week for layoffs, and nothing happened, nothing happened, nothing happened, and they're doing it all today. Dan sent me a message online saying it was like a funeral in the newsroom, and he even had a scare when his editor and editor's boss called him over to have a little meeting. Turns out they only wanted to talk about what was happening, like it was some big secret that people were getting axed.

I guess yesterday was the 10th anniversary of "Baby, One More Time" by Britney Spears. Remember that? Of course you do. It was the debut of Britney, and since then tabloids and internet rumors have never been the same. The two writers behind Go Fug Yourself wrote a short piece about the video for Spears' website, and I just find that little bit of pop history trivia amusing.

Other interesting news: Dan and I will be in San Francisco in one week. Actually, less than one week, since we'll get there next Thursday. I haven't had a real vacation yet this year--three day weekends don't count--so I'm very much looking forward to it. In case you couldn't tell. Which everyone can. Because I can't shut up about it. Because I need a vacation!

Aside from that, this week has been long. Lots of issues to work out, stuff I won't get into here. Dan will be thankful when the dust settles and I'm not griping anymore, because he's obligated to listen to me when I gripe. Tonight I think he'll be the one griping, though. I'd ask all the journalists out there to raise a beer and salute the laid-off reporters and mid-level editors tonight. You know they're getting let go from more than just the DMN.