introduction, a little about the cast, and a manifesto

Last Updated: July 2005

About the author

Why am you doing this?
Partly, because it helps me think sometimes. Partly, because it helps keep me writing. Partly because I had this website just sitting there... (that's actually kind of true, believe it or not)

What are your qualifications?
Well, aside from quite a lot of early training in political analysis (two hideously expensive degrees from the University of Chicago in political science, specializing in contemporary politics and international relations, thank you very much!) and another in information and library science from Michigan (much much work in information analysis and synthesis), none whatsoever! (Oh, please. Like 99.995% of the webloggers out there are even THAT qualified to expound on their topic. Why should I be any different?)

So where do you live, anyway?
On the near west side of Chicago, Illinois.  Originally from New Mexico, thus explaining the link to the Albuquerque Tribune in the Grim Amusements sidebar.

About the site

So whaddya got on here, anyway?
At the moment, things seem to be falling into a few general topic areas:

• Grim Amusements - politics and current events
• Media Relations - media including books, television, audio, whatever; reviews and commentary
• Dear Mr Postmanners - pretty much either completely self-explanatory or completely inexplicable, take your pick.

• Tales from the Scriptorium - defunct essay section, mostly subsumed by the topics in Grim Amusements.  Although I kind of miss the extremely longform essays, now and again.
• and a couple of other sections that I'm not discussing here and now, thanks.

Entries will frequently be unsuitable for the small and tender among us. Hide the kiddies. Unless they're well educated and broad minded kiddies ... nah, hide 'em anyway.

Ethical Statement of Disclosure

1) I'm biased, yes, indeedy! Tending progressive to liberal -- although with periodic outbreaks of moderatism. 

2) I don't do no original journalism, as such. In fact, I would not remotely consider myself a journalist as such; what fun is reporting just the facts, ma'am? If I was absolutely pressed, I'd call myself a somewhat wide ranging editorial columnist and/or commentator. With a thing for the color purple. And a mild obsession with politics. (My early training coming to the fore, alas.) That said, I'd certainly not put out anything I knew to be untrue; what would be the point? 

3) Everything in Grim Amusements or Media Relations is opinion or commentary. Not a journalist. Nosirree. The facts is reported by someone else. (Which is not to say that research isn't done to confirm facts when they seem truly off the wall. Sometimes one hell of a lot of research. Let's face it; it's hard to talk about what's happening here, there and elsewhere when the original reporting is weird.)

4) Mr Postmanners offers his particular opinions purely for entertainment.  His opinions are general information, and are not intended to substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice.

A more complete statement may be found in this old Grim Amusements entry.

More about me and the site! or, periodically asked questions

So, I get "Media Relations" and I get "Dear Mr Postmanners", but why did you call that weblog "Grim Amusements", anyway?
      Hey, the state of things today, you either have to laugh or cry or get really angry, or do all three at once.

Why do you do so much stuff about the gays and black people/African-Americans?
      Um ... hello? Have we not been listening? (OK, reading. Whatever.) Gayboy here! Black guy here! Get a freakin' grip, people!

So how many people read this stuff, anyway?
      I have three faithful readers, thanks! hear from them almost daily!

You do? How?
      Yeah ... yeah, I have to get that email form working again. Someday. In the meantime, comments are usually enabled in both Grim Amusements and Media Relations, now that the MT spam filters seem to work well.

So, what about those cats you used to talk about here and there?
     The cats you may see mentioned elsewhere on this site have, alas, gone on to the kitty happy hunting ground.  Unfortunately, due to a rather strong allergy that developed late, there will be no more strange and wondrous cat stories to tell.