Honest Dollar

Just earned my first honest dollar, standing in for the editor of the local Independent Weekly. Once my amazement at the fact that one could travel to the other side of the world and end up editing a paper after one had been out of that line of business for longer than I care to think had faded, I was amazed how little had changed.

Advertisers still treat requests for information with contempt and then complain about the final copy; terrifying proof readers still treat journalists like feckless schoolboys who have made a mistake in their English homework; and the people who make up the pages still pay little regard to the way you've laid them out.

In spite of that degree of familiarity, work was a serious shock to the system and a post-deadline day visit to the pool felt like a real luxury. Next week, we've lost a production day because Wednesday is Australia Day so I guess life will be even more fraught. Just like old times.

In a similar vein, I'm afraid we went to see Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason (yes, it's only just reached us). Watching the scene where she parachutes into a pen full of pigs, the director says to the cameraman: "give me the porker's behind" and the camera panned straight to Bridget's bum, I thought: "How like every cameraman I've ever met." They would all have done exactly the same thing. Unhesitatingly.