Saturday, September 23, 2006
I learned in a psych class that lack of sleep can cause death. This frightened me, because I often pulled all-nighters and pushed myself way past my limit. The last semester I was on campus, I stayed up for 26 hours to finish my final graphic and my capstone paper. All while working two shifts at Lee Hills Hall.
This week has felt as if I've been in college again because I've stayed at the newsroom much later than normal. Normally I leave by 9 p.m. Twice this week I left at 5 a.m. I tell myself that I can do it, that I need to do it to get my work done and I can store the time as vacation time. But I wonder if by depriving myself of sleep, I've been killing myself. Literally.
This upcoming week will be different, though, in that I do not plan on staying later than 10 p.m. And on Wednesday, make that 7 p.m.
George Clinton's coming to town!
If I can pull this off, this will be my third George Clinton show. Each time I've seen him I've been in a different city in a different state. Each time I've been surrounded by high grandmas. Each time George has been at least an hour late. To his own show! Starchild and the rest of the P-Funk family rock out without him and it's not like his voice is essential to the songs. He was banned from appearing on many of his own records because of contract disputes, so he is more of a producer than a singer. But still, George is the shit.
It's weird that we're willing to work ourselves to the bone in order to get things we want. I understand determination, but is anything worth putting your safety (or sanity) at risk? Or can you do that without being obsessed?
That's probably the key. Working without being obsessed. And thus allowing yourself to sleep. Which I'm about to do now. Considering I've had an average of five hours of sleep per night. Which is not the worst, of course. Just not the best.
This week has felt as if I've been in college again because I've stayed at the newsroom much later than normal. Normally I leave by 9 p.m. Twice this week I left at 5 a.m. I tell myself that I can do it, that I need to do it to get my work done and I can store the time as vacation time. But I wonder if by depriving myself of sleep, I've been killing myself. Literally.
This upcoming week will be different, though, in that I do not plan on staying later than 10 p.m. And on Wednesday, make that 7 p.m.
George Clinton's coming to town!
If I can pull this off, this will be my third George Clinton show. Each time I've seen him I've been in a different city in a different state. Each time I've been surrounded by high grandmas. Each time George has been at least an hour late. To his own show! Starchild and the rest of the P-Funk family rock out without him and it's not like his voice is essential to the songs. He was banned from appearing on many of his own records because of contract disputes, so he is more of a producer than a singer. But still, George is the shit.
It's weird that we're willing to work ourselves to the bone in order to get things we want. I understand determination, but is anything worth putting your safety (or sanity) at risk? Or can you do that without being obsessed?
That's probably the key. Working without being obsessed. And thus allowing yourself to sleep. Which I'm about to do now. Considering I've had an average of five hours of sleep per night. Which is not the worst, of course. Just not the best.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
--"Chilly Beach"
For those of us who work in newspapers, we are all too aware of what is contributing to our decreases in readership. It's not that I dislike Web sites, TV new or magazines. I love Web sites, TV and magazines. These are not the factors I want to discuss today. The factor that really pisses me off? Stupidity.
It's one thing to read the paper and then decide that local TV stations and Web sites are more informative. It's another thing to not have any news outlet at all. And then complain that you have no idea what's going on in your town. It's not for lack of the media trying to tell you what's going on in your town. It's because you're lazy, impatient or just unfit for living.
My parents haven't subscribed to the Post-Dispatch for almost 14 years, and yet my dad reads the P-D's Web site and my mom listens to local radio, watches TV news and reads papers at school. You don't have to have the paper delivered to your house to be informed. And if the local newspaper is your only news source, there's a lot of news you're probably not getting: expansive international news, etc.
I know several people who have no clue as to local news and they don't care that they don't know. These people get a pass. I can't make you want to care about local news. But if you want to know local news and lament that you don't know anything? Then you're a dumbshit. There are local blogs, radio Web sites, streaming audio, etc.
I advocate newspapers, of course, though I appreciate the limits. Some people don't have time to read 20 inches about a city council meeting. I understand. I don't have the interest to read 20 inches about a city council meeting. And I don't really have the interest to read 50 inches about anything.
And I know that some of the people in the industry have tunnel vision. I was at a conference a few weeks ago where a lot of designers were fawning over each other. "I can't believe I'm finally meeting you!" "You're so good at what you do?" "Oh my God, what is the CMYK of your cum?"
I'm all for reaching out to new readers (my position is relatively new to newsrooms), but I'm also aware that if you have to tell someone where you can buy a newspaper, you might also have to be telling them how to read.
