Confessions from prison

Back when I did time in Rawlins

 

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It had been less than two years since I had graduated from college with a journalism degree, and already I was in trouble.

I was about to take a seat in the empty bleachers of the recreation building of the Wyoming State Penitentiary. Nervously, I wondered about the road that had brought me to this.

Is this Sun-Times' final year?

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Early last week, I heard of two more former Sun-Times Media colleagues losing their jobs. A third contacted me about it on Saturday.

Yes, we’re into the year’s fourth quarter — cuts always seem to happen toward the end of one quarter or the beginning of the next. I’m not saying that is really true, but in the round after round of layoffs that company saw over the past 10 years, one of the common threads of comments was, “I knew this was going to happen —

The other side of the desk

This laid-off newsman gets cameo, blog link in national story

 

I’m not particularly shy.

That shouldn’t really surprise anyone who reads this blog — it’s been said I can talk the ears off a mule, and my writing style, I think, reflects that. In a nutshell, I’m more apt to write long than short, just as I’m more inclined to greet someone with a “Howdy-howdy” than a simple, “Hi."

Underemployed, not a doormat

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Being unemployed or underemployed is tough from a whole lot of perspectives, not the least of which is the beating you give yourself.

Over the past 10 months, I’ve struggled sometimes with feelings that I’ve failed my wife, failed my children, failed myself and failed my career.

Down but not out

When I was laid off in December, I was devastated — I felt a combination of hurt and betrayal that a company I had worked for loyally for 16 years had dropped me, with little more than a short “thanks but we don’t need you anymore” and a couple of boxes into which I could unceremoniously cast my belongings.

The loss of daily contact with my friends and colleagues — who for five days a week had been my social circle — hurt like hell as well. But the greatest pain was the sense that I had failed my wife, my kids, myself, and a career I’ve loved since I began a little more than 27 years ago.

Open letter to President Obama

And to all other state and national elected officials

Howdy all,

That’s probably not the proper address to those who lead these United States, but believe me when I say I mean no disrespect by it.

If you’re wondering why, exactly, I am writing this, it’s essentially because I am a guy who just got let go from one job I’d had for just a couple of months, and had my hours cut by three-fifths on another. I was just getting to the point where I could afford to pay the mortgage again when those cuts came along. I was laid off the first time last December.