Happy(?) Thanksgiving all...

It's hard to feel thankful amid layoffs, trashed economy, wars, global warming and pollution, lack of justice for so many, and the list goes on. And yet I'm still thankful this year - call me an eternal optimist, albeit these days a little more forced than usual for me. For those of you in other lands, I'm sure you know America sets one day aside (well, four, actually, but one Thursday in particular) to give thanks for all we have (or had...) and count our blessings - which I do. But this year, it's a little harder. Well, it's almost all a matter of attitude, so I'll be thankful for more competent government (relatively), more inspiration, renewed hope, and justice for all (and I hope the crooks and others who allowed credit default swaps and securitized rogue instruments of mass destruction do indeed get the justice they deserve...). Happy Turkey Day, all.
Gary North
800-585-9368
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Welcome back!

... Actually I'm welcoming MYSELF back -- I've been away from this and my other blogs way too long. I'm hoping I'll be putting my journalism musings and concerns here and at CredibilityWatch.org (vs. my rants on human behavior at The Bisexual Curmudgeon). I'm even toying with the idea of posting some chapters from some of my books (you know: the manuscripts you pick away at for, oh, 40 #$%@ YEARS!). For now I'll just note the general demise of journalism as a profession (...oh...you noticed, eh? ohhh...) and that I'm all for "cit-j" (citizen journalism) ... which of course doesn't pay very well (actually nothing, usually), but at least it's not elitist. My concern is that the "legacy newsrooms" will disappear, and along with them the skills, institutional knowledge, and professional ethics that are the hallmarks of good reportage. I'll try to post links, and please let me know of ones you come across, besides some of those in the right-hand column.

Season's Greetings

Sorry to have

Usual website is up

Gibbin.org is back online (as of Aug. 28, 2008). It contain links to all sorts of services (Gibbin Services, BiNet USA, GaryNorth.org, etc.), but if you have any problems calling that site up, give me a holler at gibbin.services@verizon.net -- thanks!

Sincerely, Gary B. North