Tell them I said something

So the paper isn't just a paper anymore, but rather a "24/7 news organization."

I could go on here about the future of the newspaper business and all of the opportunities and potentialities and pitfalls of newspapers online, but I won't because: A) that conversation sounds a bit too 2001 (not as in "A Space Odyssey" but as in five years ago); and because B) none of the people planning this transition to a "24/7 news organization" seem to be up to speed on those conversations from 2001, or 2002, or 2003 ...

No lie, a couple of weeks ago I heard someone talking about how to make the paper's Web site "sticky." Remember that? It's like somebody got a hold of AOL's business plan from 1999, the section titled "Google: A Fad That Will Fade."

Anyway, the upshot of this is that the "temporary, for the next six months or so" overnight schedule* I've been working for the last two years is even less likely to be temporary. ...

CARRIE FISHER: I don't think he's ever going to leave her.

MEG RYAN: Nobody thinks he's never going to leave her.

CARRIE FISHER: You're right, you're right. I know you're right.

The other upshot of this is that instead of listening to the iPod all night, I get to listen to the police scanner so as not to miss any of the Important Breaking Local News that might be occurring between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.

This is another dismaying step in the ongoing Action-News-ification of the newspaper trade, and I would say more about that here, about how the drafters of the Bill of Rights didn't enshrine the freedom of the press right there in Amendment No. 1 because they believed democracy was impossible without traffic-and-transit-on-the-twos-and-stay-tuned-for-weather, but that's not really my point here.

My point is that without the iPod, I sometimes get songs stuck in my head.

Sometimes songs I don't know the lyrics to. Like last night. "Pancho and Lefty," in point of fact.

Great song. I love that song. When I'm listening to that song, I can sing along with Townes, or Emmy Lou, or Merle and Willie, but without their help, and distracted by the dispatcher's chatter about complaints of a too-loud party, I start getting the verses mixed up. So first I tried reconstructing the song from the fragments I could remember, using the rhyme scheme as a kind of blueprint, just like that time my friend Kevin managed to get a Denny's full of strangers to reconstruct all of "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening." (Old lady in the corner booth frowns and closes her eyes hard and I swear you can hear her trying to dredge up memories from high school 40+ years ago. Then after about 20 seconds, like something out of Awakenings, she opens her eyes and shouts "He gives the harness bells a shake"** and busts out in this ear-to-ear grin.)

And but so that didn't work either, so eventually I Googled the lyrics (ta-da!) and, being able to sing the thing through in my head, was able to exorcise the tune.

But still there was a stretch of several hours there where, willingly or not, I found myself thinking about the lyrics of "Pancho and Lefty" and especially about the lyrics of the final verse, the only one I remembered well:

The poets tell how Pancho fell
Lefty's livin' in a cheap hotel
The desert's quiet and Cleveland's cold
So the story ends we're told
Pancho needs your prayers it's true,
But save a few for Lefty too
He just did what he had to do
Now he's growing old

This verse suggests something of the scandal of grace. The singer is willing to extend that grace to Lefty, to forgive him his greed, cowardice and betrayal. But what gives the singer the right to do this? It was Pancho who was betrayed, after all, so it seems that only Pancho should have the right to forgive that betrayal. By usurping that right, the singer seems to be claiming something like the divine prerogative.

This is, after all, what God is like. God is willing to forgive our enemies for wrongs they have committed against us, to extend mercy where we are unwilling or unable to grant it. That hardly seems fair. Not only that, but God is always going on about how we have to be willing to join in this prodigal grace, to join in the party for our prodigal brothers, to join the Ninevites in celebrating that the capital of Babylon itself can be spared. And if we insist on simple justice and responsibly refuse to join in this wanton confetti-showering of forgiveness, God has the nerve to suggest that we're cutting ourselves off from that very same grace.

Some people, of course, don't think that this is an accurate picture of what God is like. They believe that God is not as merciful as Townes Van Zandt. That seems to me to be a theologically precarious proposition, which is, I guess, my point here: If there is a God, then God must be, by definition, bigger and more merciful than Townes Van Zandt.

So, here endeth the blog post. It's hastily composed, rambling and tossed onto the Web without so much as a spell- or fact-check. I used to hear some of my colleagues at the paper sneering about blogs due to these very traits (real or imagined). Now, instead, I hear them insisting that our "24/7 news organization" must learn to emulate them.

But don't worry. Like they say about the weather in the Midwest, if you don't like the latest trends in "New Media newsmedia," just wait five minutes and it'll change.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

* Thus requiring the intake of Large Amounts of Caffeine, resulting sometimes in a restless inability to sleep, resulting, in turn, in overcaffeinated blogging, for which I apologize.

** Close enough. Oh, and if you're tracking my train of thought here, you will probably have already noticed that you can almost, but not quite, sing Frost's poem to the tune of "Pancho and Lefty."

Comments

[cheekmeat]

"They believe that God is not as merciful as Townes Van Zandt." This is one of the best sentences I have read in a long time. Very poignant. I laughed out loud.
For a "hastily composed" blog entry, this is actually quite a good mini-sermon. For hipsters. And country fans.
But the real reason I had to reply: I have heard Pancho & Lefty a few hundred times, I guess. I went through quite a Townes Van Zandt phase. My father used to play it around the campfire. Heck, I've strummed through it a few times myself, and decided it really wasn't a song for my regular repetoire (maybe with those Frost lyrics...). But through all of those listenings/playings I never once realized that Lefty sold Pancho out. Sheesh what a dope.

[Merlin Missy]

This was a lovely post, Fred. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[jwhook]

Great post!

In the last thread I mentioned that I get to talk about prayer with people who have decided that Jesus is someone worth following. Most of them don't stumble over what he said at the end of his teaching about prayer:

"If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."

But lots of long-time Christians do. Now I can sing an illustration in response. Cool. Thanks.

[Doctor Science]

Re: the current newspaper industry. Thin News, Fat Profits: How arrogant corporate tools like E.J. Mitchell are destroying your local newspaper—and why Gannett is laughing all the way to the bank.

[bulbul]

resulting, in turn, in overcaffeinated blogging, for which we are enormously thankful.

a bit too 2001 (not as in "A Space Odyssey" but as in five years ago)
And here I was, totally bummed out, because it's June 1st and all I remember of the past five months are bits and pieces, totally failing to realize is June 1st 2006. Oh boy.

[PK]

bulbul: And here I was, totally bummed out, because it's June 1st and all I remember of the past five months are bits and pieces, totally failing to realize is June 1st 2006. Oh boy.

Seriously. My brain is like an accountant still trying to balance the 2002 fiscal year :)

[cjmr]

I don't think my brain has even gotten to the 2002 fiscal year yet. Despite the fact I've given birth to a child since then and said child will be three in 53 days.

[Kevin]

Journalistic poetry! I'm still reeling from the lyrical leitmotifs and hypnotic ramblings.

[L]

The capital of Babylon was Babylon -- or rather, it was the capital of an empire composed of ancient Sumer and Akkad, now called "Babylonia". Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire.

There, nit picked. I feel better already.

C. S. Lewis pointed out. more than once I think, that the very last thing we should want from God is justice. If we all got what we deserved, we'd be in serious trouble. I'll take mercy instead any day. If that means that some of the most evil, hateful people in history -- not to mention that rotten bastard in my neighborhood who lets his dog bark all night -- get mercy too, I'll just have to learn to live with it.

Learning to live with it -- even more, hoping for it and rejoicing in it -- is the point, I think.

There's a story from Mt. Athos about a dying monk. All his life he had been lazy, neglectful of both his prayer and his duties about the monastery, self-indulgent, disobedient. As the brethren gathered around his deathbed, a joyful smile broke out on his face. "How can you be smiling?" they asked. "You should be taking these last few moments of your life to be repenting for your many sins!" He told them, "There was an angel standing beside me. In his hands was a very long list of all the sins I had ever committed. Then I heard a voice saying, 'In all his life, he never judged anyone.' And the angel tore the list to pieces."

I'm going on about 4 hours' sleep for the second day running, and I too am over-caffeinated.

[Susie from Philly]

Beautiful post, Fred. I've noticed myself that many people think the problem with God is that He's too damned forgiving.

[pepperjackcandy]

You can also more-or-less sing "A Visit from St. Nicholas" ("'Twas the night before Christmas . . . ") to the tune of Away in a Manger. Two verse reps per stanza with two leftover lines until "Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

From then, it works out to two verse reps per stanza.

[Corbie]

I just posted on my blog (with some hesitation -- I'm still not that comfortable with posting uncomfortable things on the web, no matter how semi-anonymously) about the long-term results of grudges carried by supposedly Christian people in my family. I spent more than a few hours last week feeling awful about these miserable, judgemental behavior patterns, and wishing that we knew how to be kinder to each other. Or, as you might say, more gracious, in the true sense of the word.

Thanks for the post -- it's timely. "Be excellent to each other," as Bill and Ted would say.

[bulbul]

The capital of Babylon was Babylon -- or rather, it was the capital of an empire composed of ancient Sumer and Akkad, now called "Babylonia". Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire.
Actually, Sumer & Akkad formed a part of the Assyrian Empire when the in the 12th century Assyrians under Tiglatpilesar (Tiglath-pileser) sacked Babylon and assumed the ancient title of "King of Sumer and Akkad". Before that, it was the Babylonian empire who called shots in Mesopotamia, that is until it fell to the Hittite king Muršiliš. Basically it's all about the center of power shifting between south (Babylon) and North (Nineveh/Aššur).

If we all got what we deserved, we'd be in serious trouble.
That has always been my favorite quote from C.S. Lewis. Thank you for reminding me.

I'm going on about 4 hours' sleep for the second day running, and I too am over-caffeinated.
Been there, done that, can't recommend it. Whatever it is you're doing (with the exception of caring for a loved one), it's not worth it. Go to bed :o)

[Duane]

Fred, the technical term for that tune in your head is "earworm" but you probably knew that because you are so damned smart.

And for those folks who like to sing songs to other tunes, you can sing the alphabet song to the tune of "America The Beautiful". On the chorus, sing,

"The alphabet,
The alphabet..
The Greeks of history
Invented it -
So we'll use it,
Until Telepathy..!"

I reckon I'm pretty jacked up on caffeine too.

[jon]

Back when I was in the ministry, I used to get into these really deep discussions with this "great" grandmother. She had trouble accepting that God's love was real for her. She had to "do something" for it. I used the example that if her grandaughter ran away and got into drugs and prostitution, would she still love her and even go after her and kidnap her to rescue her. She would say, "yes, of course." My response was, "So you love your granddaughter more than God loves you.?"

I think people hate the idea that God might not make justice for everyone else and mercy for us. There is the human condition that wants to condemn. I think your posts on Left Behind is the acting out of that "theology" rather than realizing God might have other plans.

By the way, I always thought Pancho and Lefty was the story of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett. Pat betrayed Billy and shot him as the story goes.

Jon

[twig]

Love your posts. Look forward to them every time.

Nothing clever, just that.

[baf]

Silly, the tune you sing "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" to is "Fernando's Hideaway".

[LL]

RE the future of journalism:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/23/AR2006052301304_pf.html

Sometimes you gotta laugh to keep from crying

[LL]

Doh... if the link doesn't work, it's "Bad News, J-school graduates, commence worrying" by Gene Weingarten in the Washington Post on Sunday, May 28, 2006

[pat greene]

Great post Fred.

Baf, I so wish you had not said that. My favorite channel on Sirius is "Broadway's Best," and I don't think I'll be able to hear that song again the same way.

Cmj, sometimes I find myself writing 1996 on checks, which is when my last son was born. Strange, the way the mind works.

[L]

Bulbul, that's true, but wasn't in the mood to summarize that much Mesopotamian history at the time and mentioned only the later Assyrian empire. However, if one is to pick nits, one may as well be thorough.

What I was doing at the moment I posted was slacking at work. I'd have rather been in bed, but I have insufficient vacation hours to do that whenever I strictly speaking need it. A side effect of caring for loved ones, actually, since that's what governs my available sleep time.

[Chuchundra]

I just find talk about ancient Babylon interesting because I currently live in a town called Babylon.

[Levi]

You've made my day. Thanks. (And thanks, as so often happens, to Brad DeLong, for sending me here.)

[Nicole J. LeBoeuf-Little]

Whose woods--these are--I think I know
His house--is in--the village though...

well, yeah, but baf, what do you do on the refrain? "The shortest evening of the year" doesn't exactly scan.

(Ole!)

[Nell Lancaster]

Oh, man, now I hear Willie Nelson singing the poem.

From a selfish, reader's point of view, I want you to keep on pulling the short-sleep, caffeinated life, because this was a wonderful post. From the standpoint of personal concern, I hope either that the management relents or that you adjust to the schedule.

[ajay]

Stopping By Woods, and most of Emily Dickinson, go to both "The Yellow Rose of Texas" and "The Ballad of the Green Berets".

[Kelly]

I've been out of the media biz for more than a decade now, so long before the internet completely changed the way newspapers and television news operate, but I was working for a local network affiliate during Desert Storm. They put us all on a rotating schedule of three eight-hour shifts so that we could be fully staffed 24/7. You know, for those late-breaking LOCAL stories about the war. ::headdesk:: I pulled like three overnight shifts where I basically napped under the audio board before they realized how completely stupid it was and put us back on our regular hours.

[alphabitch]

I'm liking the idea of the prodigal and scandalous nature of grace. It is so beautifully not-fair, and it doesn't make sense. I esp. like the part where you say: "And if we insist on simple justice and responsibly refuse to join in this wanton confetti-showering of forgiveness, God has the nerve to suggest that we're cutting ourselves off from that very same grace."

You might make a christian out of me yet, Fred.

===
My favorite lyric switch is still the "Amazing Grace" and the theme song from "Gilligan's Island" Either tune with the others' lyrics is extremely silly.

I hadn't ever thought about putting famous poetry to popular songs, though. I'm going to be humming TYROT all day now.