Editorial: Dial 1 For Content

David Brinkley, Rockstar

“For original content, please press 1, for all other content, please press 2 …”

I have been struggling for the last several weeks to write worthwhile original content. I’ll be honest, the excuses are as boring and repetitive for me to say as they are for you to read. That doesn’t mean that those excuses aren’t tangible, but if I’ve said why once, I’ve said why a dozen times.

Let’s all agree to move on, shall we?

I sat down last night intending to find something – anything – to write about. Then Ken Griffey, Jr. retired. Then the imperfect, perfect game happened. All great fodder but I was too worked up to put any words together. So tonight, I’m going to hit those and a few other topics.

First, about Griffey:

His 1989 Upper Deck rookie card (wasn’t it card #1?) was the one card I wanted, but never owned. I remember seeing it at a card shop for $8 and thinking about how I could never afford that. About two months later it was selling for $80. It was a great lesson on investing.

I was never a huge Griffey fan. It wasn’t that I didn’t like him, I was just always into the more obscure. Why have “The Kid” as your favorite player when it could be Jim Eisenreich, Jeff Blauser or Tony Pena? I was am weird.

On the imperfect, perfect game:

I was livid – as was most of the baseball-loving public – at Jim Joyce’s call last night that cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game. But, a day later, I think Bud Selig did the right thing by letting the call stand. We love baseball because we love the argument as much as the game. Last night those of us watching the game witnessed history; it just wasn’t the history we thought we were watching.

The Atlanta music scene:

I am no longer in the scene. I am around it, but not in it. The new generation of bands are doing their thing which got me thinking how much I’d like to write an article, or series of articles on the band who are follow in the footsteps of The Black Lips, Deerhunter, Manchester Orchestra and others. It’s not going to happen. Blunt? Yes. But why kid myself?

(I miss going to live shows. While I never really enjoyed live shows as much as a lot of music-heads, I do miss the experience. I can’t imagine going to shows that don’t start until 11PM at this point. Lame.)

Challenges of content:

I have tried, in earnest, the last couple of years to find writers for the site. I have a handful of great contributors who help out when they can, but much like myself, we all have jobs and personal obligations that make it difficult. (But if you are reading this, and want to help out, contact me.)

It doesn’t change the fact that I wish I could focus on publishing than doing it all (or most) myself. I’m not complaining, but I see what other Web sites are doing and I get jealous. But, when I see the number of people involved, I feel a little better. But not by much.

About the pipe-dream:

I waited for at least a year, if not two, to start using Twitter. I’ve got to say, it has been cool to connect with folks out there in the media. I’ve always wanted to be an artist. A lot of my friends have been artists – many of them extremely talented. I’ve tried my hand at a few things, but the reality is my art is media.

Let’s hope my bosses aren’t reading, but I’m a career outcast/miss-cast. I love journalism; media; news. When I was in first grade my teacher told my parents she had never had a student so aware and up-to-date on national events. Imagine, a 6-year-old news-head … how … adult-like.

That was me. I wanted to watch the news over cartoons. I cried when Tom Brokaw left the Today Show. I cried when Walter Cronkite left the CBS Evening News. David Brinkley was a must-watch and must listen. Tim Russert – even as an adult – left me in awe. I was glued to the TV anytime a news event happened. Newsmen were my rockstars.

I spent a couple of years as a journalist – half in print and half in Web – 10/11 years ago. I needed more money so I went a different direction. But I never left completely. I freelanced until I started this site. It was away to stay connected to my passion.

I have great admiration for writers in the web/print media. Journalist – true journalists – have been ravaged the last decade. Journalism has been replaced by sensationalism.

Integrity? Forget about it.

I keep staking out my little piece of Internet real estate knowing that I don’t make a dime doing this – but that I don’t have to worry about deadlines, bosses or advertisers pushing my buttons. I have it easy in that respect.

The flip side is I hit these stretches where inspiration is lacking and thus so is the content. I take pride in what I publish – type-o’s, bad grammar, hastily written articles and all.

However, it sure would be nice to dial 1 for content when I needed it. Because too much is never enough.