The thin crescent moon, its dark side dimly illuminated by spring earthlight, joins Venus to form a lovely celestial pair on May 14.

My good friend, former next-door neighbor, and honorary older sister Elise Discenza poses for a picture with me… at her wedding reception!!! I can’t believe Elise is married!!! :)

I watch the movie “Serendipity” in the sightseeing car of the Sunset Limited train May 7 as it rolls through central Texas, en route to New Orleans. For more pictures, maps, and blog posts from my cross-country train trip — from Los Angeles to New Orleans to Hartford, CT — click here!

Becky says goodbye to Hugh Manatee at Los Angeles’s Union Station, a few minutes before Hugh and I left for our cross-country train trip from L.A. to Connecticut.

A large brush fire along the freeway provided some unexpected excitement for Becky and me as we drove back from Burbank on April 29. The fire burned 45 acres, lasted 90 minutes, and took 125 firefighters and four helicopters to put out. Click here for the Los Angeles Times story about it. Click here for my photos of it!

Alan Doyle, the lead singer for Great Big Sea, sings while a concertgoer lifts his beer bottle in tribute. Great Big Sea, from Newfoundland, is a Canadian band that my parents and I discovered when we traveled to Newfoundland last summer. Becky and I went to their concert at The Troubador in West Hollywood on April 27. For more photos of the concert, click here!

Students, faculty and staff celebrate the unveiling of the Rainbow Floor mural on April 26. The Rainbow Floor — USC’s new special-interest housing floor for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trangendered students, and their straight allies — has been Becky’s home all year, and my unofficial home. I sleep here about 99 percent of the time. :)

Waite Phillips Hall, home of the Rossier School of Education, shines brightly in the sunlight as seen from the sixth floor of Webb Tower, about three-tenths of a mile away, just before sunset.

Geoffrey Cowan, my professor for Journalism 371 and also the dean of Annenberg School for Communication, conducts class outside on April 23 — a beautiful, warm, sunny Southern California day. It was the first outdoor class I’ve ever had in my three years at USC.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), reputedly the wittiest man in Congress and most certainly its only openly gay member, stop to pose for a picture with me after his lecture at USC on April 22. Frank is one of my favorite politicians; I’ve often said I hope he’ll be the first gay and Jewish president. (This picture would really be worth something then!)

L.A. City Council members hold one of the American flags from Ground Zero in council chambers Friday, April 19.

Becky cuddles with Sully.

Becky’s roommate Rachel poses with her traveling companion, Beavis the Bunny, before leaving for a weekend in Columbus, Ohio playing at nationals with the USC softball team.

Above, a protester outside the Bovard administration building screams anti-sweatshop slogans while onlookers watch. Below, one of the 11 students who “occupied” USC President Steven Sample’s office for more than six hours exults after emerging with a partial victory.

For two more pictures of the protest, click here and here. Still more photos coming soon!

Becky poses in front of ArcLight Cinemas, an extremely stupid movie theater that we unwittingly discovered recently. Movies cost $14 a pop!!! It has all sorts of amenities, like bathroom stalls with wooden doors and an “usher” who gives you a personal introduction before the movie starts, but our overwhelming question was: “Why?”