SCATTERBRAINED: Oh well, whatever, never mind

By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

Francisco E. Jimenez

Francisco E. Jimenez

I didn’t write a column last week because, well… quite frankly I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to write about. I considered not writing a column for this weekend’s edition of the News as well.

I just don’t know what to write.

Sure, there are many topics of interest regarding current events that I could easily touch on, such as Pope Benedict XVI retiring (there Mom, I wrote about the pope), or the whole mess surrounding the Sequester, or North Korea’s perpetual threats of thermonuclear war in the way of recent sanctions passed unanimously by the United Nations.

Nah.

First of all, I don’t want to write about something which I don’t fully understand (who is Sequester?). While I am generally familiar with the process of selecting a new pope, thanks mostly to Dan Brown, I don’t have anything to add. I have nothing to bring to the table. There is nothing you don’t know about the current situation facing the Vatican that I do.

As far as the Sequester is concerned, all I know is that the Blue Angels are grounded until further notice, and that makes me angry.

Still, when I choose a subject to write about, I try to find an issue that means something to me personally, while still being relevant to those who read this, and being able to maintain a certain level of expertise (or… not dumb) on the subject matter.

Another thing I need to worry about is offending people. Not that I care, but my brand of humor may be misunderstood by many. The thing I tend to forget is that I can’t please everyone, and I don’t really aspire to, but the last thing I want is to write something and have it misconstrued as something offensive. In most cases, Managing Editor Michael Rodriguez is quick to correct me. Who knows how many times I’ve typed out a recorded interview verbatim, and forgotten to change one or two vulgarities said by the person I’m interviewing.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that I take pride in what I write. I can be somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to stories with my name on it. While I am nowhere near as good as I aspire to be, I still don’t want to simply put pen to paper just for the sake of putting pen to paper. I want to write with purpose.

This must be how Thom Yorke often feels. Yorke is the lead singer of Radiohead, the greatest rock band who aren’t The Beatles (or Rolling Stones, or Texas Tornados). The thing is he is such a perfectionist about his craft, so much so that upon completing a new album, he decided to shelve it and start over from scratch. As a fan, I was more than upset. Then when the album finally came out, entitled “The King Of Limbs,” it only consisted of eight tracks! EIGHT! The entire length of the album was approximately 37 minutes and 24 seconds. I’ve taken bathroom breaks that lasted longer!

But the thing is that the album was flawless. It was absolutely sublime in almost every possible way. That’s what I want for my writing.

Wait, I just spent a whole column ranting. This totally contradicts everything I just mentioned.

Never mind.

Read this story in the March 10 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2013/03/08/scatterbrained-oh-well-whatever-never-mind/

7 comments

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  1. There’s no need to excuse, RSB (hope you don’t mind how I’m referring to you). We enjoyed the banter. To give Mr. Jimenez a hard time, I just might print your comments and paste them on his computer, or better yet in the bathroom! They’ll serve as inspiration.

      • Reform San Benito on March 10, 2013 at 7:59 pm
      • Reply

      Ha! Want to needle him? How about, “You should’ve flushed this along with the other.” Do hope, as Managing Editor, you told him how very much this stinks. Will be certain to read his future contributions where they belong, on my bathroom breaks. Seriously, seems like a nice young man. Hope he continues in his writing and my comments have not ‘deturd’ him.

      By all means, “Mr. Editor,” RSB is perfectly acceptable. The other always seemed to me a little pompous. After all, does anyone really appear to be reforming San Benito?

  2. How about an infomative article such as the history of the four ships named USS Valiant now theres is a voyage for you to ponder. The first was commssioned in 1840 as a Naval a frigate.

    • Reform San Benito on March 10, 2013 at 5:17 am
    • Reply

    Clearly you wrote this piece on one of your bathroom breaks.

    1. I actually enjoyed this column. I’m not aware of many people who would write so honestly about themselves. Perhaps because others lack the courage that Mr. Jimenez possesses. And his bathroom breaks are legendary, by the way. He once exited having already written the first four chapters of his upcoming autobiography, and he was only in the bathroom for five minutes!

        • Reform San Benito on March 10, 2013 at 4:27 pm
        • Reply

        Just jivin’, just jivin’…sort of. I enjoyed the piece; cleverly written. Humorous. Was just hoping to read something a little more relevant to the community. You’ll have to excuse me if that came across as cutting, for at that hour, guess I wasn’t my normally cheery, positive self. Suppose Mr. Jimenez said it best: “Not that I care, but my brand of humor may be misunderstood by many. The thing I tend to forget is that I can’t please everyone, and I don’t really aspire to, but the last thing I want is to write something and have it misconstrued as something offensive.

        Keep on writing, Mr. Jimenez. No offense meant.

    • Loca-Greyhound on March 9, 2013 at 5:50 am
    • Reply

    Well Mr. Jimenez, I’m sorry you couldn’t think of anything to write and then when you did write something you made an error. “…Radiohead, the greatest rock band who aren’t the Beatles”? That should read “Radiohead, we had a hit with the Twilight song, but we won’t ever be as amazing as the Beatles”.

    Just jivin’, just jivin.

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