June 28, 2017

Lunchtime Photo

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What are Orange County’s most famous attractions? At a guess, I’d rank them something like this:

  1. Disneyland
  2. Knott’s Berry Farm
  3. Christ Cathedral (aka the Crystal Cathedral)
  4. Mission San Juan Capistrano
  5. Huntington Beach pier
  6. Richard Nixon library
  7. Balboa Island
  8. Little Saigon
  9. South Coast Plaza, a famous shopping mecca
  10. Other
  11. stuff
  12. The Great Park balloon

I don’t have pictures of any of the other things, but I do have a picture of the balloon. If you’re ever in Orange County, come on out and take a ride. It’s a tethered balloon that goes up 400 feet, that being the length of its steel cable, and the view at the top is…OK, I guess. Be sure to check the weather first, since they halt balloon “flights” at the merest hint of wind. Tickets are ten bucks.

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This is how change happens.

One story at a time.

This investigative reporting takes time too. Months of research. Weeks of writing, editing, and fact checking—and putting together the photography, art, video, and audio that tell the stories in a new way, illuminating new perspectives and voices.

We can afford to take our time because we don’t report to oligarchs or corporations. We report to you, and for you.

And the stakes are high. Democracy is on the defense. We’ve been exposing corruption and scandal for five decades, and this is a pivotal moment in our country’s history. Will democracy prevail? We won’t wait for time to tell—independent journalism is essential for democracy, and we’ll keep doing our part to amplify the free press.

So, we’re asking: Will you join the fight? Mother Jones has been here for 50 years, and we need your support to fuel the future of investigative journalism. Mark our 50th anniversary with a gift of any amount.

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