Posted by Offer Tsuriel on November 5, 2009
A kindly old editor once explained to me the facts of life in journalism: “Deadlines are simple. Cross the line, and you’re dead.”
Probably not an original thought, and he had a gleam in his eye when he said it, but I took it to heart. Through two decades in the news business, I rarely missed a deadline. In fact, I usually delivered my stories early. It left more time to argue with the editors.
Deadlines are more extreme in the newspaper business, but every industry has them. That’s why you see people using laptop computers at the beach. It’s why the businessman with the car phone melded to his ear nearly mowed you down in traffic this morning. And it’s one reason ulcer medications sell so well (parenting being the other reason). WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by Offer Tsuriel on November 4, 2009
People who work at regular jobs often ask us who work at home, “What do you do with yourself all day?” This is an exceedingly stupid question. Folks in 9-to-5 jobs seem to think we homeoffice types have lots of time to lollygag in our pajamas and watch soap operas. This simply is not true. We perform many so-called “invisible” tasks-such as scraping lime out of toilet bowls-and those jobs take time. Most days, we barely scratch the surface of all we need to do before, whoops, it’s bedtime again.
So, as a public service, to generate understanding between wage slaves and we pajama-wearing housespouses, I’ve drawn up a typical schedule WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by Offer Tsuriel on November 3, 2009
Site linking
Suppose that you open an e-mail that has a link in it to a news story on the Web. You click it, and read the headline of the story: “Senator Possibly Implicated in Voter Fraud.” You read the story, assessing its credibility. Would the story be credible if it were from the Web site of NBC News? The Washington Post? The Drudge Report? The National Enquirer? Some blogger you have never heard of? You are unlikely to give the same credence to that report regardless of lhe source, because not all sources have the same reputation in your mind. Now under-itand, some people might have a higher opinion of some sources of information than you do, and regardless of anyone’s opinion, even the source held in the lowest regard can be correct on a particular story while the most-respected can be wrong.
WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
