Just dropped into the site to see what's happening. Not too many posts these days. Are we getting too old to remember? Or have we remembered enough? Hopefully it just means that we're all moving forward and staying busy. This technology thing is screaming into the future and as soon as you get one thing, there are 99 more! I've been having a lot of fun editing the Beth & Bill blog at www.kez999.com, and it's enabled me to stay employed and busy after 40 years in radio. I find that a lot of things that I'm doing now utilize the same skill set that kept me going in audio production for years, only now I get to play with graphics and layout as well. It keeps creating new wrinkles in my brain so I don't feel like I have to play crossword puzzles to keep from getting Alzheimer's. (Although I do like crosswords, but who has time!)
2 comments:
You mean you can make money editing a blog? Hey, that would get more of us contributing on here!
Actually, I've been getting e-mail from a former New Times writer now living in Paris (not sure he wants to be named yet) who's discovered this blog and has a ton of thought-provoking things to say about it. Like how we're all perpetuating a false revisionist history of the city and celebrating a lot of the wrong people for the wrong reasons. I tried to get him to post his comments on here, but he's forcing me to be responsible for it and write some things myself.
So I'll be working on posting some feather-ruffling assertions on here, and believe me, if I can represent this guy's (valid) points well enough, the conversation will get flying again. Stay tuned.
Jimmy,
Good to hear something from you here. I noticed that you deleted info about you from your contributor 'profile' and thought you might have gone into the 'Working Writers Witness Protection Program."
About your expatriate pal, interesting concept having thought provoking anonymous comments channeled through one writer who has the balls to say what the other one won't. Dammit, good for you Jimmy! Are you going to say which points you agree with? I noticed you italicized "valid" points. Good to get the blog going again, I'm in your corner on that one. Bring it on Anon In Paris. But be prepared to take the heat when you come into our kitchen.
Here are a few survival notes from an ex-ex patriate to "Jimmy's Man in Paris.' Speaking of several kinds of heat 1) get yourself a portable fan, you'll need it when summer hits the City of Lights 2) keep your US passport handy at all times.
As you surely know the French hit the streets to strike en masse to get heard (btw when the post office strikes, maybe you can still send your mail thru the university!) I learned in 2001 that the French police now are up to speed on the USA's para military aspect of policing a whining, pesky citizenry.
So, if you're caught unaware in the middle of some protest you may well get teargassed (or if in a car, surrounded by cops with billy clubs, gas masks and bullet proof vests) The only thing that will save your ass will be an American passport. Ain't that ironic?
Gee, to think that on our breaks, I used to yak with the cops who were hanging about the various clubs where I sang with a French jazz quartet (who were so fabulous they made me sound really good!) These cops would be waiting just outside the door flirting, holding a beer in one hand and a card with their home phone on it just in case.
Here's to the good old days when a cop felt comfortable just chatting with another human being without being paranoid just because the person is breathing and may not have a proper French accent.
And if you like jazz and the Hope Quartet is still playing, go see 'em and tell em Mariah says "gros bises!"
On another note, maybe it's coincidence that I recorded an original titled "Anonymously Angry at the World' not too long ago. Not sure it's safe to sing it anywhere, though. someone may have a direct line to the anonymous complaints division of the federal government. To them and everyone else I say:
Peace, love and understanding, and all that outdated sentimental crap.
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