July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Distractions just keep coming (4/6/05)
Dear Reader
By By Jack Ronald-
The folks here at quality control would like to apologize for last week’s column.
Though it cleared inspection in terms of typos and spelling errors on the part of the guy who writes it, the piece — some sort of rambling quasi-diatribe about pop culture, I think — failed to measure up.
Blame it on college basketball.
The column, like many of its predecessors, was produced on a Sunday afternoon and evening.
But this particular Sunday was the final day in a remarkable weekend during which the “elite eight” became the final four in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
So writing a column was probably a bad idea. At least the sub-standard product would indicate it was a bad idea.
Things started normally enough.
I was pecking away at the iMac at home, with an opening thought and the germ of what appeared to be a workable idea. But as I wrote, I kept getting distracted by the noise downstairs.
“Whoo-hoo!” my wife would yell. “The lead’s down to four.”
“How much time is left?” I would yell back, losing the thread of whatever point I was trying to make on the computer screen.
Minutes later, I’d be downstairs myself, reaching for some nachos and enjoying the game. Which game? I honestly can’t tell you. Those four games over the course of the weekend blurred together; it was simultaneously memorable and too much to comprehend.
But I still had to get a column written. So after 20 minutes or so, I’d wander back up to the computer and stare at the screen.
That’s where the trouble started.
I’d read what I had written so far, try to remember where I was trying to go, then wander off down a new path, one which might or might not make sense.
You can guess the rest.
After ten minutes of writing, I’d hear more excitement from the game on TV, interrupt myself for a basketball break, then return to my column and get lost in my own words again.
And again, and again.
The result — the folks at quality control tell me — was a herky-jerky column that couldn’t seem to make up its mind what the heck it was about. It made a few points but was about as coherent as a derelict at a big city bus station.
The good news is that college basketball season is over. Column production ought to begin to return to normal.
The bad news is that baseball season has started, so the folks at quality control are probably going to have their hands full.[[In-content Ad]]
Though it cleared inspection in terms of typos and spelling errors on the part of the guy who writes it, the piece — some sort of rambling quasi-diatribe about pop culture, I think — failed to measure up.
Blame it on college basketball.
The column, like many of its predecessors, was produced on a Sunday afternoon and evening.
But this particular Sunday was the final day in a remarkable weekend during which the “elite eight” became the final four in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
So writing a column was probably a bad idea. At least the sub-standard product would indicate it was a bad idea.
Things started normally enough.
I was pecking away at the iMac at home, with an opening thought and the germ of what appeared to be a workable idea. But as I wrote, I kept getting distracted by the noise downstairs.
“Whoo-hoo!” my wife would yell. “The lead’s down to four.”
“How much time is left?” I would yell back, losing the thread of whatever point I was trying to make on the computer screen.
Minutes later, I’d be downstairs myself, reaching for some nachos and enjoying the game. Which game? I honestly can’t tell you. Those four games over the course of the weekend blurred together; it was simultaneously memorable and too much to comprehend.
But I still had to get a column written. So after 20 minutes or so, I’d wander back up to the computer and stare at the screen.
That’s where the trouble started.
I’d read what I had written so far, try to remember where I was trying to go, then wander off down a new path, one which might or might not make sense.
You can guess the rest.
After ten minutes of writing, I’d hear more excitement from the game on TV, interrupt myself for a basketball break, then return to my column and get lost in my own words again.
And again, and again.
The result — the folks at quality control tell me — was a herky-jerky column that couldn’t seem to make up its mind what the heck it was about. It made a few points but was about as coherent as a derelict at a big city bus station.
The good news is that college basketball season is over. Column production ought to begin to return to normal.
The bad news is that baseball season has started, so the folks at quality control are probably going to have their hands full.[[In-content Ad]]
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.
Events
250 X 250 AD