Perfect Pitch

PERFECT PITCH… Squid isn’t a fan of Hallmark Christmas movies, but Squid has peeked at a few and has the ultimate pitch for Hallmark execs. A survey by travel company Exoticca provides the ideal location.

The company surveyed thousands of people asking which real-life towns in their state would make the perfect setting for a Hallmark Christmas movie. Carmel was named number one by Californians, followed by Truckee and Solvang.

Here’s Squid’s pitch: Holly, an attorney from a big-city law firm, returns to her hometown of Carmel a week before Christmas in the landmark case Pickleball US v. Carmel, with orders from her demanding boss to get settlement papers signed so the Christmas charity pickleball tournament benefiting sweater-less dogs can take place. In the perfect meet-cute, she stops for hot chocolate at Carmel Bakery and as she leaves, stumbles into high school sweetheart and Patagonia-vested Jack.

Alas, Jack is the leader of the anti-pickleball residents, plus Holly’s snobbish fiance shows up unexpectedly. Not to worry, Holly tells off the boss, tells off the fiance, and brokers a temporary peace between players and residents just in time for the tournament, with plans to move the courts to a location all can agree on. Holly and Jack stroll to Carmel Beach where suddenly, it begins to snow! Then they kiss, yada, yada. The end.

STATIC ON THE RADIO… Squid likes to listen to the radio, including the local NPR station, KAZU 90.3 FM, when Squid wants a break from music. So it was puzzling when Squid recently encountered a long – really, really long – instrumental version of a Britney Spears song. Then Squid realized, regular programming was disrupted due to a facilities move from the campus of CSU Monterey Bay to Ryan Ranch to make way for a student residential hall.

Squid received an email notification on Dec. 2 to say the move was complete and streaming was restored after a series of technical issues, and live programming is expected to return by Dec. 16.

But there was another announcement buried within that email: “Dan Larkin has made the decision to step down from his role as general manager, effective Dec. 1, 2025,” it read. Squid thought that was almost as weird as a long Britney Spears instrumental – Larkin had just taken over seven months prior, on May 1. (Kellsy Panno, previously the director of business operations, is now serving as interim station manager.)

Squid’s colleague asked what happened and for a copy of Larkin’s resignation letter, but was met just with static from a CSUMB spokesperson “because this is a personnel matter.” Maybe they expect listeners will just continue to turn the radio dial.