Three cheers for Ms. Stein's Column today. It's everything a column should be: witty, topical, and most importantly, doesn't use personal problems as somehow indicative of a larger trend.

The Planet has somehow kept all the bias of a paper owned by an activist while also somehow throwing out the fun anger of being a crusader. It's dogmatic, strident campaigning... for neighborhood architecture controls. For the removal of cell phone antennas. It's like all the activists from the 60's, with mortgages and three kids, but still essentially looking for something to bitch about.

Also interestingly, it somehow completely manages to ignore the existence of that 'big bad behemoth Cal.' The Planet almost never runs Cal-themed stories unless the University is threatening to build near some neighborhood. This may be an intelligent Executive decision-- the niche of the Planet is the City, the niche of the Daily Cal is the University. The two would be better off not competing. But it's also very possible it's a purposeful tunnel vision, to ignore the bane of neighborhood activists's lives-- Eminent Domain.Email This Post!