Job search: Mission Accomplished. I'd hang a sign off a ship, but it's been done.
Job search: Mission Accomplished. I'd hang a sign off a ship, but it's been done.
Posted at 09:47 AM in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The title of this post is sage advice that's been passed along to me more than once since the Express-News decided it was better off without me.
Posted at 08:40 AM in Current Affairs, Other sports, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Texas 3, Boston College 2.
Posted at 01:50 AM in Longhorn sports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
My self-pity and sadness over missing out on the DCTF job lasted ... oh, about seven hours.
Posted at 07:29 PM in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
What are the only two endeavors in which close
counts, Alex. I'll take "Back to Square One in the Job Search" for
$1,000. Better yet, screw the question; I'll just take the $1,000. I can now say that I was one of two finalists
from among about 100 applicants for the job as managing editor of Dave
Campbell's Texas Football magazine. You probably have guessed by now that I
finished second in that particular two-horse race. After first inquiring about the job in early
March, then interviewing over the phone, in Carrollton, in Lexington, Ky., and
over the phone again, the news came this afternoon. It was not unlike a breakup
speech, with "we've decided to go in a different direction"
replacing "I think we should see other people." It also included the
obligatory "it's nothing you did or didn't do" that comes with either
speech. For one of the rare times
in my life, I am dumbfounded and speechless (this typing notwithstanding) --
even more so than when the Express-News lowered the boom. In my eyes, the fit
could not have been more perfect; hell, I have every DCTF summer
edition since 1965. I have quite frankly more experience than was needed
for the job. I honestly don't know what else I could have done, short of
jumping in the wayback machine and emerging 10 years younger. Nothing quite like being 45 and feeling
obsolete. Guess this is how the dinosaurs felt when God used a meteor to announce the first downsizing. In the meantime, it's back to Square One,
wherever and whatever the hell that is. Any ideas?
Posted at 02:14 PM in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The waaaaaaaaaaaaaaitin' really is the hardest part.
Posted at 10:41 PM in Current Affairs, Longhorn sports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Please speak up. I still can't hear. Oh, and forgive the voice.
"We've had some crazy times here since 1974," Springsteen told the Austin crowd, recalling the days when he found an important early fanbase in the Lone Star State. "We were from New Jersey, of course -- the Corruption State -- and Texas was a long way away." Bruce talked about taking the train all that way, unable to fly, and getting seats instead of berths, to come and play Houston's Liberty Hall and here in town at Armadillo World Headquarters. "We have lots of great memories playing in Austin."
Posted at 07:45 AM in Music | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
On the wild assumption that anyone except me is reading this, here's what's been going on.
Posted at 06:53 AM in Current Affairs, Food and Drink, Longhorn sports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
This e-mail went out to the E-N Sports Department yesterday, my final work day (I gave myself today off, which I thought was damned nice of me). Thought I'd share it with anyone who might be reading this and hasn't already seen it (I've edited out a couple of things, just because editors do that):
Colleagues (for another few hours, anyway):
With all the the time that's passed since Feb. 25, I feel like I've ridden off into more sunsets than Randolph Scott (reverent music now plays, a la "Blazing Saddles"). With the exception of a few individual notes to come, this is it. I promise. (Oddly, the idea of dinner on the second floor tonight sounds strangely unappealing.)
I will be in the office briefly tomorrow morning to surrender my badge and FOB, and we're not going anywhere for the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, reality says I've seen some of you for the last time. Sucks, but there you go.
I've never spent 16 years in one place other than my parents' house growing up, so I don't know how or what you're supposed to feel in a situation like this (never mind the forced eviction). Suffice to say, it ain't good in a lot of ways, but it's OK in many others. I've bounced like an EKG reading between optimism and melancholy a few zillion times the past three weeks; even though I know everything will work out eventually, I keep peeking at the end of the book to see when "eventually" is, only to see blank pages. Life's funny that way. ...
There's no way I could possibly single out all the people I want to; invariably, I'd screw up and leave someone out. So please consider this a blanket "thank you" to you all, for whatever part of those 16 years you've been involved. Thanks go particularly to those who have called or with whom I spoke at Bombay last week and Audry's yesterday. I could not have a better "support group"; in that, I know I speak for all of us who made (cue dramatic, spooky music) The List. ...
And one, final word of advice: Have a backup plan ready. I freely admit to being blindsided by all this and feel like I'm playing from behind. Each of you is a professional; I have no doubt you all will continue to put out quality products. But in this climate, each of you owes it to himself or herself to be prepared for any contingency.
Oh, and cancel my subscription. (I've always wanted to do that.)
GRK
Posted at 10:54 AM in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I wrote this for the March 18 editions of the Express-News. This (with the exception of five words in the first sentence) is how it appeared on Page 2 — my final one:
In journalism, or what’s left of it, it’s called the –30– column. Simply put, it’s the last one the writer writes at a given newspaper before riding off into the sunset.
Some sunset rides are more voluntary than others, but we won’t get into that right now.
The –30– column (and, by the way, there’s no consensus on the origin of –30– as story-ending symbol) ranges from sappy to acerbic, from bittersweet to bitter, hold the sweet.
Hopefully, this one falls somewhere in between.
30 (or –30–) is …
Posted at 07:32 PM in Current Affairs, Longhorn sports, Other sports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)