A Portrait of the Dumbass as an Old Man

A Letter to the Editor

So, I got a call on my cell phone at the office yesterday verifying I had written the letter to the editor. After 2 weeks, I figure they had had enough of that. They printed "it" this morning. I say "it" because "it" was edited to about 2/3 of its original size. All the vitriole was gone -- I was in high flame mode when I wrote it. Plus, the meaning changed. The first phrase became "After smearing John Kerry" -- it could at least have been "After smearing John Kerry's war record". It was the last one, looked basically they needed a little filler, content be damned.

So, I don't think I will repeat that exercise. I got a call in 1999 from one of the Herald-Leader's business writers asking me to comment on Y2K. I told the guy, I am not doing the kind of work where it will affect me much, here's a couple of people you can call who know much more about it. I made a couple of offhand comments about Y2K, told the guy I was absolutely no expert on it. Then, the next Business Monday, there I am quoted?!?!?

I have been quoted in computer trades a few times. Each time, they interviewed me, then called back a day or two later and said, "Let me read you what I have and make sure you're OK with that". I guess I thought that was how journalism worked. Apparently not at the Lexington Herald-Leader.