Why go to New Orleans?

A few pics from our recent Mardi Gras dinner party:


My sister looks really excited about the jambalaya:


There was a little dancing/judo:


And Brak was there...


I made a jambalaya that included two whole ducks, some shrimp and a pound of crawfish tails. Very tasty, but the duck was a bit awkward to work around.

Flirting with the enemy

Over the past three months, I've probably applied for a dozen or more serious jobs. Of all those, only two were outside journalism. Those were the two (including the bookstore) that brought me in for an interview. Should I take a hint?

On Thursday, I got a call from a major advertising firm here in Birmingham. A friend works there and had mentioned they might have an opening for a copy writer. I decided that if I was going to apply to a completely new field, I would really need to make myself stand out. So I wrote my cover letter as if it were a memo I was writing to my boss in early 2007, a year after he hired me. I thought it was a bit risky, but it showed my clever side.

I sent it off in mid-January and waited. And waited. I called to follow up and still didn't hear back. I moved on with the old job hunt.

But like I said, the creative director called on Thursday to see if I would come in for an interview. He said, and I'm really quoting, that I was "an odd duck, but an attractive duck."

Turns out, my letter was a hit, but the firm was a little unsure what they could do with someone who has 10 years of journalism experience and no advertising background. They asked me to come in the next day (yesterday), and I had a great talk with the creative director. It sounds like they'll probably throw some freelance work at me to test my abilities, but he still seemed interested in hiring me.

What's funny is, my second best chance at a good job right now is in another field considered anathema to journalism. There's a public relations position open at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and I think it could be a great job. I'd be digging up stories for local and national media on a few of the schools at the university. A good friend of mine is one of the lead hiring people at UAB, and he said he will try to spread the word that I would be a good choice for the job. It's definitely in my target pay range, and the benefits are great. Plus, it only requires three years of newspaper reporting experience. Drops in the bucket.

So it seems I'm destined to leave journalism, unless a miracle occurs. Sure, I'm a little sad about that, and I think I do have a talent for the field, but I'm also pretty excited about trying something new and still getting to write. Plus, my real goal is just to save up enough money in the coming years to finally open my coffee shop.

As always, I'll keep you posted.

My wife has a picture with him, too

Whenever I doubt someone's ability to stay creatively viable throughout a lifetime of writing, I always find hope in my man Roger Ebert. Sure, he's been amazingly wrong before, but I would still argue that he's one of the greatest minds in mass media today. And for those of you who know me, I should probably note that I'm not being sarcastic.

What inspired me to point this out today is this intro line from his new review of "Night Watch," a Russian film being lauded by some as a gripping portrayal of the battle between good and evil:

I confess to a flagging interest in the struggle between the forces of Light and Darkness. It's like Super Sunday in a sport I do not follow, like tetherball.

But just in case you need a reminder of the low points of mass media (I know, who does?), well, here you go.

It's....um....rainy

A fascinating phenomenon. In the same yard, with the same weather condition, only one dog becomes a mudbucket. Can you guess which one?

My borrowed life

Buying a car felt good. Really good. But for a little while, I couldn't quite figure out why.

Then it occurred to me; this is one of the major steps toward leaving this phase of "borrowed life." Since moving out here from California, Karen and I have largely been floating on the generosity of my family. It's been great, and don't think for a second that I don't appreciate all they've done, but it's also been a constant tug on my pride.

Now, Karen has a good job, and it sounds like I'm at least getting some good opportunities. Plus, the consulting gig is becoming a reality, and it's working out better than I could have expected.

Getting my own car again, and being able to return my dad's truck, was a big step for me toward feeling like we're re-establishing our lives.

Of course, the big remaining goal is to get our own place. But I've got major mixed feelings on that point. On the one hand, I can't wait to buy a house and stop being a burden on my sister and her husband. On the other hand, we've all had a great time living together, and it will be a sad day when we move -- even if it's just a few miles away. Anyway, it's doubtful that we'll have the ability to move out in the coming weeks. For now, we'll just keep enjoying the party mansion lifestyle to which we've become accustomed.

I own wheels again!

Breaking news: Griner got a car.

As you may remember, I sold my Subaru for $14,500 in October, and today I agreed to buy a 1999 VW Golf for $6,000. So not a bad deal. It's in pretty great condition. This isn't a photo of the car (which I won't drive home until I transfer some money out of savings), but it looks pretty much just like this one.

I'll post some real pics soon. It's a nice ride, I got it from a cool couple, and it's very dog-friendly. So huzzah.

Don't worry, I didn't wear a trench coat

I've never been much of a loner, and I've always harbored some special fear of eating at a restaurant alone and, even worse, going to a movie alone.

But then I went to Kankakee.

Halfway through the week, I was ready to do anything that didn't involve VH1. So I decided to see every good movie playing in town. And I did see them all. Both of them.

In response, I have one comment and one question.

Comment: "Walk the Line" is incredible for many reasons, but hearing Johnny Cash's laugh coming out of Joaquin Phoenix's mouth is probably No. 1.

Question: What the hell was going on in Syriana? I probably would have known what kind of bizarrely confusing morass I was wandering into if I had first read this part of Roger Ebert's review:

The movie's plot is so complex we're not really supposed to follow it, we're supposed to be surrounded by it. Since none of the characters understand the whole picture, why should we?

Anyway, if nothing else, I at least got past my phobia of seeing movies alone. I might have accomplished more this week, actual journalism stuff even, but that's a topic for a post when I'm a bit better rested. I fly home first thing tomorrow morning.

The visiting ambassador

(Blogger's note: I wrote this early in the week but didn't get around to posting it until I was getting ready to leave Kankakee.)

This seems a bit strange.

I’m at the center of the deadline storm again, as dozens of writers, editors, photographers and designers flit around in the daily frenzy of putting out a newspaper.

It’s a place I’ve been often. It’s a place I’m comfortable and feel at one with the universe.

What’s different this time is that I’m not actually doing anything.

Oh sure, I’ve got plenty to fill my time. I spent half of yesterday meeting with staffers at the Kankakee newspaper, and it’s taken most of this morning to catch up on writing notes from my sessions. Also, I’ve had a few follow-up talks today and have sat down with an editor for nearly an hour.

But now it’s deadline, which is my time to slip away and get some logistical stuff done while the daily miracle is immaculately conceived.

So this is consulting. It’s about what I expected, except there isn’t quite the icy chill of resentment among the staff I’m visiting. In fact, they’ve been pretty receptive, likely because Rich has spent the past year softening them up to the readership efforts we’re pushing.

Up until the moment I walked into the newspaper, I was holding off any predictions on what I would actually do here. I felt that preparing a presentation or building up expectations would be a waste, since I’ve never really done this before.

What I found was a staff that was ready to improve and generally confident in the readership goals, but they were, like all journalists, exhausted by the thought of constant change.

While I’ve done a little coaching, I have mostly spent my time being a sounding board for the reporters and editors who have sat down with me. A few are defensive, but most are just caught up in their unique frustrations and want to gripe about it to someone from outside.

At times I’ve felt like a psychiatrist, especially when I say, “That’s a good question. What do you think?” At the same time, I’m fighting my natural desire to constantly interject my own ideas for how to solve a problem. It’s not the world’s easiest balance, and to be honest, it sometimes makes me feel lazy. But I’m here for a whole week, so I’m sure it’s best to let people warm up to me a bit before I sound like I’m telling them how to do their jobs.

Hey, at least I haven’t been run out of town yet.

Ready to get my consult on

The next few days look to be pretty hectic as I head out to Kankakee, Ill., for my first real consulting gig. I'm excited, but I feel a little under-prepared. Luckily, I'm sure I'll have lots of time there to catch up with any kinds of handouts or presentations I want to do.

In case you're curious (as I was) about what I'll really be doing there, here's an excerpt from an e-mail Rich sent to the staff:

As you know, David will be visiting Monday-Friday of
next week, and I hear some people are signing up to
talk with him already, which will be a good start.
Denise asked what reporters (and editors) should
expect:

For reporters, come with questions about anything:
What does this targeted enterprise mean? How do you go
about doing it? How can I find time for it? Tell him
about or show him a story you’re working on and ask
his take on it. Or tell him about things that
frustrate you about the system or process currently in
place – maybe there is a way to improve it. In short, feel free to pick his brain, maybe even take him to
lunch (it’s on SNG)

For editors, same thing – ask him about processes,
working with reporters farther in advance of deadline,
creating a news budget that you can depend on. Offer
specific examples of stories or coaching issues. At
meetings, bring him into the discussion about your
daily and advance budget.

So there you go. My biggest concern is in striking a balance of being helpful but not overly intrusive. But I'm sure the staff has been softened to the idea of a consultant (Rich) coming in to help, and I'm hoping they're generally on board now. If nothing else, I might be able to offer the same advice from a different perspective. Rich is a highly experienced veteran journalist, which can work for and against you. It might help the staff to hear the perspective of someone who's only been in journalism for 10 years and is excited about its future. (Even if I'm not necessarily excited about the people leading said industry into said future.)

I'll obviously be blogging a bit while I'm there, and I hope to set up a more professional blog on the Media Foresight page. I'll keep you posted.