Absence of Blogging

What do bloggers do when they are absent from their blogs; what is going through their minds, and what is taxing them when they fade off into never-never land? Well, today I can tell you.

Sometimes we get so busy with school, and work, that we forget what it is we came here to blog about in the first place. I, for instance, have been taking two classes that have involved a lot of writing this semester. When not doing that I have been doing math, and afterwards I haven’t had much energy to write here also.


Take, for example: Journalism 111. This is a basic introduction to journalism. Aaaaaaghhhh! Journalism!!! Where is the bliss in that? Well, this last week we watched a 1981 movie called “Absence of Malice” and I can go on and on about how this movie was an early 80s warning about unethical journalism and overstepping law enforcement. Both warnings went unheeded, considering all that went down in South Florida (also the setting of the movie) in the years after the movie came out.


Journalistically, I was struck by way the characters in the movie always seemed to take the easy way out. Fact checking only went as far as looking to prove the reporter's point; the editor only saw that the leaked story from an investigator would sell copies, and the lawyer only interjected enough to make the story legal and accurate. The truth was left out altogether. The lazy way was the only way.


Such “legal” dealings in journalism open up Pandora’s box in the lives of the subjects of the article, and also in their friend's personal lives, as alibis do need to be verified. I can see why journalists are considered on par with used car salesmen. It is up to the journalist to make sure they are doing the “right thing” while reporting accurate news. Truth and accuracy are not necessarily the same thing and are not always even on the same page. So, now that I am done with this movie as far as schoolwork goes, back to the bliss.


The movie scenes were all shot locally around Miami, quite welcome in a dark classroom. Palm trees and wooden boats, views of Biscayne Bay, Paul Newman and Sally Field were all very beautiful! I am looking forward to December 15th, when all my academic woes are stowed and my pursuit of happiness can resume with gusto!