Long time no speak.
Ventured out of the cave today to see "The Rum Diary." Enjoyed it a lot, though all the scenes set in the newsroom and about the sad state of journalism stung a bit, just like with the final season of "The Wire."
Not much else going on. Just more work in a newsroom as burned out and beaten down and dysfunctional as that one. It's amazing anyone manages to ever publish anything worthwhile at all.
Maybe it's just the gloom of autumn setting in.
Ventured out of the cave today to see "The Rum Diary." Enjoyed it a lot, though all the scenes set in the newsroom and about the sad state of journalism stung a bit, just like with the final season of "The Wire."
Not much else going on. Just more work in a newsroom as burned out and beaten down and dysfunctional as that one. It's amazing anyone manages to ever publish anything worthwhile at all.
Maybe it's just the gloom of autumn setting in.
Been enjoying time away from the office since Saturday - wouldn't call it a vacation since I didn't really go anywhere - and I feel relaxed. Haven't written or even read a headline in all that time, nor have I watched a single news report regarding anything at all. It feels good. Ignorance really is bliss, I suppose.
I don't know how it happened, but I have a Rush song stuck in my head.
"Tom Sawyer."
Again, how the fuck does that happen?
It's times like this I envy the guy at the end of the movie "Pi." It could be worse though; I could have a KISS song stuck in my head instead.
At least it didn't rain last night, for a change. The storm Monday night knocked the power off at the office for a brief time, which sent the uninitiated into a mini-panic when the emergency lights kicked on. And of course sent everyone else into a fit of rage when they lost all their work - stories and pages - from not saving often enough.
I took it all in stride. Shit happens. And I'm smart enough to save early and often when the thunder starts cracking. Totally nerdy like that.
"Tom Sawyer."
Again, how the fuck does that happen?
It's times like this I envy the guy at the end of the movie "Pi." It could be worse though; I could have a KISS song stuck in my head instead.
At least it didn't rain last night, for a change. The storm Monday night knocked the power off at the office for a brief time, which sent the uninitiated into a mini-panic when the emergency lights kicked on. And of course sent everyone else into a fit of rage when they lost all their work - stories and pages - from not saving often enough.
I took it all in stride. Shit happens. And I'm smart enough to save early and often when the thunder starts cracking. Totally nerdy like that.
Some nights I really hate that I sit by the police scanner in the newsroom. I mean, it's always interesting on those rare occasions something significant happens in this mediocre little hamlet, but oftentimes the chatter is just depressing.
Tonight I heard calls about an alleged sexual assault, a crazy female stalker, a domestic violence incident between a man and a woman where he struck her in the face, and plenty of talk between a police officer and a dispatched about a dog that was slowly dying after being struck by a vehicle. At least he sounded dejected about it, which is more than I expected.
As for how it wrapped up, the dispatcher contacted the local chapter of the Humane Society, who then deemed it not important enough for them to send someone out to handle and dispatch the poor dog peacefully. Yes, the area is relatively rural and they're having budget problems, but still nauseating to hear.
Another police officer ended up helping the first take the dog to an emergency veterinary clinic where they could help him or her pass peacefully from this world.
Some nights it's calls about suicides or suicide attempts. Sometimes it's a domestic incident between divorcing parents and you can hear children crying or screaming in the background, maybe even a cop out of breath after a foot-chase. I guess it does help remind me those guys are important though, even if they aren't my favorite people in the world when I'm headed home from work at 1 a.m. and they're shining a spotlight in my face because it's too late for anyone but drunks or meth fiends to be out and about.
It's the dog thing that got me tonight. My screensaver at work is picture after picture of animals from the AP wire. Hundreds of them at this point. It beats the bloodstains and bomb craters I have to shuffle through when it's my turn to dig up the news of the day. This is the world we've made. That dog was just living in it. Not anymore. One more victim of circumstance.
Tonight I heard calls about an alleged sexual assault, a crazy female stalker, a domestic violence incident between a man and a woman where he struck her in the face, and plenty of talk between a police officer and a dispatched about a dog that was slowly dying after being struck by a vehicle. At least he sounded dejected about it, which is more than I expected.
As for how it wrapped up, the dispatcher contacted the local chapter of the Humane Society, who then deemed it not important enough for them to send someone out to handle and dispatch the poor dog peacefully. Yes, the area is relatively rural and they're having budget problems, but still nauseating to hear.
Another police officer ended up helping the first take the dog to an emergency veterinary clinic where they could help him or her pass peacefully from this world.
Some nights it's calls about suicides or suicide attempts. Sometimes it's a domestic incident between divorcing parents and you can hear children crying or screaming in the background, maybe even a cop out of breath after a foot-chase. I guess it does help remind me those guys are important though, even if they aren't my favorite people in the world when I'm headed home from work at 1 a.m. and they're shining a spotlight in my face because it's too late for anyone but drunks or meth fiends to be out and about.
It's the dog thing that got me tonight. My screensaver at work is picture after picture of animals from the AP wire. Hundreds of them at this point. It beats the bloodstains and bomb craters I have to shuffle through when it's my turn to dig up the news of the day. This is the world we've made. That dog was just living in it. Not anymore. One more victim of circumstance.
Sitting around the house, listening to "End Times" by Eels. Relaxed. Mellow. Half dazed and drifting. Mr. E always know how to sing me to sleep when I need some help relaxing.
Long weekend in the office alone. I used to love days like that, no one around to bother me or have loud conversations about shit I don't care about. I still don't miss the latter, but I am starting to miss people when they're not around.
Still a misanthrope to the bitter end, but lighter than I used to be.
Long weekend in the office alone. I used to love days like that, no one around to bother me or have loud conversations about shit I don't care about. I still don't miss the latter, but I am starting to miss people when they're not around.
Still a misanthrope to the bitter end, but lighter than I used to be.
Today is the last of my four days off. Would have liked to have been working on the newspaper last night though. The news came late for those of us on the east coast, but Osama's death is the sort of thing where you say fuck the deadlines.
I was off the day of that Giffords thing too. Always my fucking luck.
I was off the day of that Giffords thing too. Always my fucking luck.
This week was a very long week at work. That's about all I have to say about it. Seriously.
Today was a day off. The first of four in a row. But I still did some work around the office when I went in to get my paycheck. I didn't have to, but I felt like taking some pressure off what was going to be a skeleton crew tonight.
Now I am just going to veg out for the next few days.
Today was a day off. The first of four in a row. But I still did some work around the office when I went in to get my paycheck. I didn't have to, but I felt like taking some pressure off what was going to be a skeleton crew tonight.
Now I am just going to veg out for the next few days.
Almost five months into the year and only now am I thinking of when I'll use my vacation days. As always, I'm taking the week of my birthday and the week of Sept. 11 off, especially since this year will be the 10th anniversary of the attacks and I imagine those of us in the media are going to be inundated with stories, pictures and letters to the editor. I'll be more than happy to miss it all. As for the third and final week, I still don't know.
There was this exchange somewhere in the mix though...
Co-worker: "I was in the eighth grade on Sept. 11."
Me: "Go fuck yourself."
Said - and taken - playfully, of course. But it did make me feel old. I was stoned off my gord on a new anti-depressant that morning (side effects kicking in), one eye on the TV in the office and the other on my computer screen as the stories and pictures flooded over for the afternoon paper and then an extra edition on top of it. She was probably sitting in a math class or waiting for a the bell to ring so she could talk to friends in a hallway, largely unaware of the severity of what was happening. I'm really not that sentimental about that day, but, again, the comment made me feel old - even if it was also meant in play.
Good kid, though. We talk often and she's helped breathe some life and good spirits back into our part of the room.
There was this exchange somewhere in the mix though...
Co-worker: "I was in the eighth grade on Sept. 11."
Me: "Go fuck yourself."
Said - and taken - playfully, of course. But it did make me feel old. I was stoned off my gord on a new anti-depressant that morning (side effects kicking in), one eye on the TV in the office and the other on my computer screen as the stories and pictures flooded over for the afternoon paper and then an extra edition on top of it. She was probably sitting in a math class or waiting for a the bell to ring so she could talk to friends in a hallway, largely unaware of the severity of what was happening. I'm really not that sentimental about that day, but, again, the comment made me feel old - even if it was also meant in play.
Good kid, though. We talk often and she's helped breathe some life and good spirits back into our part of the room.
Quiet night. Cooler outside than it's been. Breezy but not bad. Beats the winter.
On my way home from work I saw a man walking down the center of a thoroughfare - a highway really, when you're not in town. Drunk, dumb or a death wish, I really couldn't tell. Another "d" would be "Darwin Award."
Cars would slow down when they saw him in the headlights and he'd almost veer into them. I just went in a different direction and he just stared. It's amazing how many idiots I come across after I leave my office in the small hours of the morning.
Or maybe it's just a misanthropic kind of night for me. Probably both.
On my way home from work I saw a man walking down the center of a thoroughfare - a highway really, when you're not in town. Drunk, dumb or a death wish, I really couldn't tell. Another "d" would be "Darwin Award."
Cars would slow down when they saw him in the headlights and he'd almost veer into them. I just went in a different direction and he just stared. It's amazing how many idiots I come across after I leave my office in the small hours of the morning.
Or maybe it's just a misanthropic kind of night for me. Probably both.
Well spring is finally in here in the east. The temperature has been steady in the 60s and 70s, the nights have been mild, the sun has been shining and I've been in a good mood, even if tonight it's all drizzly outside and all I want to do is sleep.
Considering it's 2:30 in the morning that sleep thing should probably make more sense to me, if I kept normal hours like the rest of the world.
Been more social as well. A lovely change of attitude to go along with the change of season. We'll see how long I can maintain this relative high. I'm certainly going to try.
Considering it's 2:30 in the morning that sleep thing should probably make more sense to me, if I kept normal hours like the rest of the world.
Been more social as well. A lovely change of attitude to go along with the change of season. We'll see how long I can maintain this relative high. I'm certainly going to try.
