~ my sixth roommate came by my desk for another pep talk. she tells me that she had a birthday and was finally able to leave the city, which must be done from time to time. i confess that there are no places in this particular city that i can go and feel relaxed and revitalized; it is easy to forget what los angeles is, but i can never forget that i am in los angeles. she tells me that going to the beach is a great escape; i brag that i have been to the beach about ten times in the past two years. i try to tell her that i am not like the others, and that there are other things to do with my time; she asks if i think less of those who do not put ‘everything into their work.’ i pretend that that was not the position i was taking, and i wonder what it would be like to live in this city if i had the time and the money to enjoy it she tells me that there is little use in staying in a place in which you can’t make a difference. i agree with this.

~ sci-arc is currently seeking a ‘permanent’ home in los angeles; the best deal they can find is an abandoned train depot in freaking central los angeles. not only is the building a decrepit derelict in a desolate wasteland, it is in one of the most crime ridden neighborhoods in the city. after months of keeping the students ignorant of what is going on with the building search, there is finally a little display on the wall. much is said about the energy and promise of the area (there is none of either, by the way), but nothing is mentioned of the fact that everyone who i know has visited the site, including myself, has been harassed. i tacked up the district’s l.a.p.d. crime statistics, which included over 32,000 violent crimes last year. i can’t wait to go to school there.

~ tonight, while i was posting the crime statistics for the new school on the wall, a powerbook, two backpacks, and a purse were stolen from people in the current school.

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