Out of the Inkwell

I like to thank all of the folks who have so far participated in the little food drive we’ve conducted at the newspaper (s) for which I’m managing editor. The drive is still on and if you’re in western Massachusetts, you can bring in a donation and receive two tickets to Big Time Wrestling’s show at the Castle of Knights in Chicopee on Dec. 1.

To encourage donations I gave away copies of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” and apparently the idea of getting the film was a good incentive, as there were not too many copies when I received the phone call.

You see, I had requested a screener of the film to review in my DVD column. Paramount surprised me by sending a box of 100 copies with no explanation. I just thought it was a special promotion and I dreamed up a way to make good use of the copies.

Fast-forward over two weeks later and I received a phone call from the company that sends out the DVDs to reviewers. It seems they wanted the copies back. I said I would send back what I had, but most were used as in our food drive.

I asked what was the big deal as DVDs are not expensive to reproduce and I was told these were special copies. In fact, the reason I had to send them back is that they were copies promised to Gore himself.

Somehow my address sticker was placed on the package instead of the former vice president’s.

So all of you who have a copy, now have a story to go with it.

So if by chance due to clipping service or Internet search the Veep reads this column, I want him to know his copies helped people in western Massachusetts feels a little more secure this holiday season.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Despite the fact that Thanksgiving is merely the speed bump on the commercial highway to Christmas, I’m old fashioned enough to want to count some of my blessings.

The fact is that underneath the cynical sarcastic shell of many of us who work in the media (an occupational hazard) beats the heart of a sentimental softie.

Hey I’m the animation historian who has never seen “Bambi” for fear of blubbering my way through it.

I’ve got a lot to be thankful for, not the least of which is my wife still actually wants to be with me after almost 28 years of marriage.

I’m thankful for our family and our friends.

I’m thankful I’m still employed. Many people in my industry aren’t these days.

I’m thankful to have had the opportunities that have presented themselves in my twisted career.

I’m thankful I have Friday off and have a pile of new DVDs to watch and I don’t have to go close to a store!

©2006 by Gordon Michael Dobbs.