PRETTY PENNIES… There are certain things Squid hates paying for: sex, coffee and parking spaces topping said list. The first usually isn’t too much of a problem – Squid’s one sexy cephalopod – and Seaside’s car dealerships are a good place to find free coffee – and sometimes free sex. When it comes to free parking spaces, however, Squid’s steering clear of Monterey’s Cannery Row, Wharf and other “primarily visitor serving spaces.” Ten minutes for a quarter? Seriously?

After forking over $1.50 of Squid’s laundry money to spend one (happy) hour at Willie’s Smoke House while trying to do the right thing and support local businesses, etc., Squid started to wonder about Monterey’s reasoning behind the price hike. Over the summer, the City Council approved an increase in parking rates from $1 an hour to $1.50 an hour in some tourist-heavy areas of Monterey. But there aren’t a whole lot of tourists frequenting Cannery Row in the middle of winter. And those parking rates don’t do much to entice locals, either.

IDOL WORSHIP… Just when you thought it was safe to go to the racetrack again, the good folks at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca are announcing a search for “race fans with amazing voices’’ to sing the National Anthem at the four major event race weekends of the 2009 season. The press release doesn’t say whether American Idol judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson or new gal on the block Karla Diogardi will be assessing thee crooning, but avows: “To qualify the applicants must represent Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in a professional manner and have the talent and ability to sing the National Anthem live.’’ Squid guesses that leaves Roseanne Barr out, but there’s plenty of room for the next Jennifer Hudson – or William Hung. The four lucky winners will perform at the Festival of Speed featuring Rolex Grand-Am Series May 15-17, Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix featuring MotoGP World Championship July 3-5, the 36th Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races Aug. 14-16 and the Monterey Sports Car Championships featuring the American Le Man Series Oct. 9-11. The grand prize? “International media exposure, complimentary tickets and gifts throughout the year.’’ To enter, send a CD to: Mazda Raceway Idol Judges, Mazda Raceway, P.O. Box 2078, Monterey, CA 93942. Deadline: March 11, with winning contestants announced in April. Who knows, maybe The Wailers will end up putting in an appearance as part of their long-awaited return to Monterey? But no Ryan Seacrest jokes. Please.