Posted on July 22 at 11:52 a.m.

Yea, uh, this was supposed to be ironic and, god forbid, kinda funny.

In posting it, I never said that it was Exxon's ad, just that a campaign backfired, which it clearly has, especially since the advertised company is out of business now. And altogether, the Goleta Exxon location is, in fact, advertising that "greed is good," whether it's an ad for their services or not.

Many people don't read the fine print while pumping gas, just like some folks can't differentiate serious news from light-hearted entertainment, which we here at Independent.com reserve the right to publish from time to time. We won't, however, just publish press releases, save for occasional disaster situations.

On Goleta Exxon Admits "Greed Is Good"

Posted on July 2 at 7:04 a.m.

Some readers say that he was technically surfing at Lefts & Rights.

On Carpinteria Surfer Dies at Hollister Ranch

Posted on July 1 at 11:15 p.m.

I was up in Sacramento for one day last week, and it was choked with smoke. (Not to mention the whole state being covered with smoke, which I saw firsthand by flying from SB to Sacto.) My throat hasn't been the same since.

On Wildfire Burns Above Goleta

Posted on June 28 at 1:26 p.m.

Thanks to Jessie for clarifying, and to everyone else for commenting. But from my perspective as the editor of this piece, I think Alastair makes the point rather clearly in this line: "although she says many were likely out of sight in cracks and crevices, which is standard protocol for the one- to three-inchers." That indicates an awareness that some may have been missed, which is the point.

I understand that for those intimately involved, this may not seem to adequately hammer home the methodology distinction, but it is entirely adequate for the general reader, which is the vast majority of our newspaper's audience. We're not a technical journal, and if we spend too much time getting caught up in methodological criteria, we lose our readers. That being said, it remains obvious to the lay-person that some abalone may be hiding.

And yes, it is hard to "control" what reporters and editors print, but that's not unfortunate. It's a good thing, and the main distinction between journalists from public relations professionals. If you want to "control" a message, you have to pay for it.

--Matt Kettmann

On Diving for Delicacies and Dollars

Posted on May 23 at 9:44 a.m.

On March 7, 2008, U.S. District Court Judge Dean Pregerson dismissed the indictment of Scott Henry Walther. Go to independent.com/waltherdismissal for a copy of the order.

On Goleta Man Indicted for Lottery Scam

Posted on May 21 at 2:42 p.m.

The comments of a previous user were removed because the user's name was deemed to be inappropriate and offensive. For further information, please refer to these guidelines, particularly rule #7: http://www.independent.com/discussion-gu...

On Santa Barbara International Film Festival Hires Two

Posted on May 9 at 3:18 p.m.

Thanks for the advice, Pritch.
The idea-to-taping time here was literally about two minutes (as in "dude, i got a new camera," "yo chris, wanna do an interview?," "uh, okay," "hey, are you already shooting?"). So there's plenty of room for both technical and editorial improvement. But we think it's a worthwhile one-take first effort. This video stuff is cake.

On Behind the Scenes @ Independent.com, Take One

Posted on April 21 at 10:37 a.m.

Just to explain the grammatical confusion of Mr. Smith, "on the Samarkand" is the same as saying "on the Riviera." The Samarkand is a hilltop neighborhood, so one can, in fact, be "on" it. I learned the phrase from people whose families have lived here for generations. I trust their colloquialisms.

Now for my own grammatical beef: What's a "loose-loose situation"? Is that the opposite of a "tight-tight" one? "Lose" is spelled with one "o."

As for Mr. Smith's self-righteous statements, I think they speak for themselves. I'll let his ax keep grinding.

On Samarkand Neighborhood: Enter at Your Own Risk

Posted on April 18 at 9:18 a.m.

For the record, I paid the ticket without going to court, though I think my argument is still a valid one. I just don't have the time to spend it in a courtroom.

I like the idea of less street signs, but I also feel that occasional visitors to certain neighborhoods shouldn't have to memorize street sweeping schedules or be trusted to know when a neighborhood ends. My argument would be nothing if there were signs explaining when the Samarkand ended, but I don't see that happening.

By the way, it's "Kettmann" with 2 "n"s. And if you're not careful, that puker piece might just show up in the printed Indy as well.

On Samarkand Neighborhood: Enter at Your Own Risk

Posted on April 9 at 10 a.m.

I should have mentioned in this article, as I had in the previous one, that the road will only be open for pedestrian access. No bikes or cars allowed.

On Point Sal Now Open