I will be submitting my last regular N&R column this weekend. Allen Johnson called earlier this week to gently tell me that the paper is eliminating paid local columnists due to budgetary considerations. I told him I was certainly disappointed to be dropped but also acknowledged some relief as I’m just about bereft of the time it takes to compose and submit my words of wisdom every other week.
So, as has been my way for the last 2 1/2 years, I’ve taken some time pondering the subject matter upon which I will opine. Yesterday’s ‘Memogate’ developments pretty much sealed that one for me. The next step in my writing process is to come up with a compelling opening sentence, usually some Kentucky-learned colloquialism, that sets the tone from which the balance of my column will flow… I think I’ve got it.
“Don’t keep pissin’ in my pocket then try to tell me it’s only rain”
Might take a little editing… but you get the idea. My deadline is looming so should you come up with something better, speak now or forever hold your peace. My final regular column will appear here and in print Wednesday morning.
6 Comments
I like Will Rogers’ line, “If stupid got us into this mess, then why can’t it get us out?” That would be directed at those who don’t want to rectify a glaring problem and think that by “moving on” things will just be magically better in the future.
I’d put it this way, “When you step in cow poop, you don’t track it into the dance hall and expect to be the darling of the ball. You stop and change your shoes first.”
Hogg,
Judge Judy’s book title seems appropriate: “Don’t Pee On My Leg and Tell Me It’s Raining!”
Gee, I thought she was from New York, not Kentucky.
New York is where people are less discrete and sophisticated than Kentuckians. I would never consider peeing on someone’s leg… that would just be gross.
Thanks for the tip on Judy’s title, Dick. Might have kept me out of being accused of plagerism or some such. But I still like ‘pocket’ better.
I would never accuse you of being a plagerist. Being from Kentucky, I just assumed you’d be a Baptist.
In retrospect, you should write a nice column about the Stadium, people’s memories. Things like the plaques honoring the WWI dead, games played there, people who visited….
Reasons to to maintain the facility.
how about “we are going to get the truth out even if we have to lie a little”
6 Trackbacks
[...] plan and the editors are big-picture guys concentrating on feelings rather than details. Now we learn from Hoggard that the N&R is cutting paid local columnists loose due to to budgetary [...]
[...] Help compose my final N&R column [...]
[...] Help compose my final N&R column [...]
[...] much heralded last regular column is not in the N&R this morning. My fault. My [...]
[...] to budget considerations at the paper, they’ll no longer be running my cartoons. When I saw this post at David Hoggard’s blog, I figured this would be coming. It was a lot of fun, and I really [...]
[...] assume —- based on what I read elsewhere — that today was Sarah Beth Jones’ last N&R column, unless she agrees to contribute for [...]