Metrolingua

Dead links

2026-06-20T09:19:37.698-05:00

I was going through my old drafts and found this one from 2010:

Someone from Book drum noticed that I listed The Great Gatsby as one of my favorite books in my profile (read the entire book online here), and they suggested that I look at its multimedia profile over there. It seems like a very interesting site that makes books multi-dimensional, so if you're into books and want to express your love for them in various ways, feel free to join or just check out what's already there.

I ended up doing a post about it, so I don't know why it was in my drafts as well. What's cool is that editor Hector Macdonald left a comment on that post, and I finally thanked him 16 years later 😅

Back then, orgs and authors would ask me to check out what they were doing. I guess they did research and considered my blog popular enough to warrant such communication with moi. Now social media takes care of mentions and promotions, and I'm never hit up. Well, that's not totally true because I get respect for my Radiogirl podcast, and people still contact me or recommend people to me. But in terms of my blog, attention has shifted. But it doesn't mean I'll stop blogging; after all, I've managed to toil in obscurity here for over 20 years 😅

Also back in the day, we used to share our discoveries on our blogs because there was no social media to share on ["on which to share" for the dangling preposition opponents]. Now it's way easier to share on socials; no need to fire up the blog for a brief mention.

I looked for Book Drum, but it stopped operations in 2018. Sorry it didn't last. Good luck Hector!

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

I miss Fluffy Bunny

2026-06-19T09:31:37.699-05:00

In the early 21st century, a coworker was often reading Fluffy Bunny. which was a personal variety-type of site, with a diary and lists and essays and whatever else interested the guy. It was so different than what we see nowadays; people seem to be performative, competitive, boastful, and guarded online. The content has to achieve something publicly, has to have a goal for greater reach and elevation.

When I see all the stuff online and get nostalgic for the early days of the Internet, I think about Fluffy Bunny. I read it, though not as often as my coworker. It was one of many personal sites that were easy to discover. At first, there wasn't a label for people's confessionals and expressive writing. Then "weblog [web+log]," became "blog," and we had a label for what Fluffy Bunny and other early adopters were doing. I don't know if Substack and Medium would be considered blogs, but they don't have the same vibe as what existed before the algorithms took over.

Before social media proliferated, I read various blogs for fun and communication. At one point when I was feeling isolated in a toxic job, I started reading more LiveJournal entries, which were really personal. That's the type of writing I'm trying to replicate in my own fake blog because you pretty much never see such sharing anymore. I remember working in a quiet office and reading a blog by a bored receptionist to see how our experiences compared (I don't remember the exact title, but I can't find it). There were so many corners to discover online and fresh content to follow. It was more organic back then; Google describes it as "a shift from a creator-led web to an extraction-led web, where the value generated by individual human labor is being harvested by massive systems and the people who optimize them."

Eventually Fluffy Bunny decided to call it a wrap. At the end of 2004, he said he'd had the site for more than seven years, i.e., he started in the late 20th century and finished in the early 21st. "I started this before the deluge of blogs, livejournals and the like. Now it's time to step back and let the next wave of folks crank out their material while I move on to other projects and other places."

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

Jill Hargrave interview: documentary writer and producer

2026-06-12T15:41:34.295-05:00

I recorded this interview with producer and writer, Jill Hargrave, whose latest documentary is "Road to Liberty: Through Their Eyes" about the American Revolution.

What has your career basically been?

I had a very different life in England. I was a pop singer in the 1960s on the Parlophone label (the same as the Beatles). I was only 16 when it happened. I stayed in show business for about three and a half years, then became a blackjack dealer. Through that work I got the chance to work on the QE2, where I met Americans who told me I’d fit in well in the United States. They sponsored me, and I arrived in 1972.
I went back to college in America and majored in journalism, graduating around age 30. An internship at WCBS led me into documentaries. I’ve been producing, writing, and directing them ever since, eventually forming my own company, Eagle Vision Productions, in 1997. I work because I love it; I don’t consider myself retired.
How did you manage to stay consistently employed in such a tough industry?
I could do everything: raise the money, write the scripts, shoot, and edit. I learned linear editing, then taught myself Avid. I became a one-woman band while still collaborating with strong team members. Being reliable and willing to learn new skills helped me keep getting work.
How do you raise funds for a documentary?
I use the Foundation Directory (free for nonprofits) to match my project with foundations and corporations whose interests align. For "Road to Liberty: Through Their Eyes," I combined small grants, a successful Kickstarter campaign, and support from longtime contacts and family foundations. You have to be persistent, unafraid of rejection, and good at selling your passion.
Tell us about your current documentary, Road to Liberty: Through Their Eyes
It focuses on the formative years of the American Revolution, especially the often-overlooked 1776 New York–New Jersey campaign. It includes the African American experience from 1775 onward and uses many contemporary quotes from Washington and others. The film is now complete and will be distributed via public television stations and other channels.
You’re British. Has anyone given you a hard time for making a film about the American Revolution?
Not really. After 52 years here, I tell people that if I had been in America in 1776, I would have been a rebel. I tried to show both sides fairly; it was in many ways a civil war.
How do you write a documentary script?
I start with a detailed blueprint/outline. Then I interview historians, transcribe the interviews, pull the best soundbites, and build the script in short segments: narration, quotes, and visuals. I lay down the full audio track first (narration + interviews + quotes), time it, cut it to length (max 58 minutes for PBS), and only then add the images and B-roll.
You were a pop singer as a teenager. How did that start?
My brother wrote songs and my sister originally sang them. One night I sang along in the car and a producer liked our voices together, turning us into the sister act “Jackie and Jill.” We signed with Northern Songs (the Beatles’ publisher) and recorded for Parlophone/EMI. We worked clubs in northern England and entertained American troops in Europe. It was an amazing experience at 16 and 17.
What were some of the challenges of being a teenage girl in the music business in the 1960s?
The main challenges were the expectations from men in the business and suddenly having a lot of freedom. My sister and I were very different personalities, which eventually led us to part ways professionally.
You also write screenplays. What advice do you have for writers?
Keep writing and find or form a supportive writers’ group. I joined Stage 32 during COVID and built a wonderful ongoing writers’ room that still meets regularly. Writing doesn’t have to be lonely. Enter good festivals strategically (Austin Film Festival is excellent for screenwriters) and just keep practicing.
Any final advice for people who want to produce documentaries?
Have real passion for creating. Be willing to learn every aspect of the process and be ready to troubleshoot constantly. Build relationships, network, and never be afraid to ask for support. Most of all, enjoy what you do — the money comes second.

Chuck Swirsky interview

2026-06-02T12:58:36.554-05:00

I recorded this interview with Bulls broadcaster Chuck Swirsky, He wrote a book, Always a Pleasure, about his sports broadcasting career.

Why did you write the book?

I wrote it because even if I can help one person, whether it’s encouragement, inspiration, or just the basic staples of our industry, then it was worth it. I’ve been very, very blessed. I’ve experienced challenges, introspective moments, and a lot of joy in this business. I don’t believe in luck, I don’t believe in breaks. I believe in hard work. I believe there’s a journey laid out for us, and along that journey you’re going to go through different things—some good, some difficult—and you have to stay with it. That’s really the foundation of why I wrote the book.

You talk about your faith publicly, but the book itself isn’t very religious. Was that a decision?

Yes, that was intentional. Not because I don’t profess my faith (I do, many times) but I wanted to stay within the parameters of my career and how I got into the business. When people read something like this, I think they’re more interested in the path—how you moved from place to place, why you made certain decisions, what you experienced along the way. So I stayed with that. The stories, the movement, the work. Maybe down the road there will be another book that gets more into my personal life and faith, but for this one I wanted it to be about the career.

You emphasize hard work a lot. Where does that come from?

That comes from my parents. My mom was an educator; she taught high school and then grade school, and she loved her students. She was a tremendous communicator. My dad was a United States Naval officer, very decorated, very disciplined. So I grew up in that kind of environment. But discipline doesn’t mean what people think it means. It’s not punishment. It’s what I call “freedom within boundaries.” You’re allowed to have freedom, but there are lines. If you go outside those lines, you’re going to pay the price. If you stay within them, there are opportunities there. People go through life sometimes as the constant victim; blaming this, blaming that. Everybody has issues. Life is not a straight line. The competition isn’t with the person next to you; it’s within. And if you understand that, you’re going to be better off.

You’ve seen that play out in sports too?

Yes. I talked to a professional athlete years after he left the sport, five or ten years later, and he told me something that really stuck with me. He said in the last couple of years of his career, he went on cruise control. He didn’t work as hard as he should have. He should have trained more, should have pushed himself more. And he said it still bothers him. That’s the thing: we’re only given a certain amount of time. Whether you’re an athlete, whether you’re in broadcasting, whether you’re doing anything else. You have to make the most of that opportunity. Tomorrow is promised to no one. I’ll never forget that.

You tell that story about the jazz club; what happened there?

I was 24 years old, working in Columbus, Ohio, right before I came to Chicago. I went to a jazz club with a friend. It was packed, loud, people everywhere; just one of those nights. During a break, the lead singer came over. He knew someone in our group, introduced himself, and started talking with us. At some point he asked me what I did. I told him I was a sports talk show host. And he said, “I’m going to give you some advice.” And I’m thinking, okay, here we go. But then he looked right at me and said, “You better take care of your homework, because if you don’t, somebody will.” And he repeated it. And I don’t know why, but everything just went quiet for me in that moment. I tuned everything out. Because what he was really saying was: if you don’t prepare, if you don’t bring it every day, somebody else will. There are always people behind you who want your job. That stayed with me. It reinforced what my parents had taught me, but it hit me in a different way right then and there.

What was it like when you first got to Chicago?

I came from Columbus to Chicago, WCF L, and I did get a raise, but I was way over my head. I was not ready for that market. But the station itself was struggling, and because of that I was afforded the opportunity to make mistakes. We didn’t have a producer. It was just me and an engineer. Every day was a challenge. You’d do an interview and think, okay, I should have done that better. Or how do I connect better? What do I need to change? And you just keep adjusting, inch by inch. It wasn’t polished. It wasn’t easy. But it was a place where you could grow because you had to.

How did you move from there into bigger roles?

A big part of it was exposure. There was a radio-TV critic in Chicago, Gary Deeb, and his column carried a lot of weight. Everybody read it: program directors, general managers, people making decisions. He wrote some very flattering things about my work, and that led to opportunities. One of those was the Loop, which at that time was the number one rock station in North America. They had major personalities, they really owned the city along with WGN. They wanted to push the envelope and bring in a sports voice, and I ended up doing both morning and afternoon drive there. That was a big step. From there, I moved around and worked at WGN, WJR in Detroit, University of Michigan, the Raptors, eventually the Bulls. Sometimes I took pay cuts along the way. But I was always looking at opportunity, not just salary.

So you weren’t making decisions based on money?

No. Money has never dictated a job for me. I’ve taken pay cuts at different points, to go to Detroit, to do Michigan, to go to the Raptors. But I can’t tell someone else what to do. Everyone has different responsibilities, different situations. What I do believe is that if it’s feasible to chase your dream, you should. Because you don’t want to look back and say, “If only.” And whatever you do, you go to work with energy, enthusiasm, and as a team player. Leave your ego at the door. Ego can be healthy, but if it gets out of control, it can hurt you and the people around you.

How do you deal with egos in the business?

There are a lot of them. And I’ll be honest; sometimes I didn’t handle them well. I wasn’t mature enough in certain situations. You have to go through those moments. You go through the fire, and that’s how you become better, as a person, as a leader. If you don’t learn from your mistakes, something’s wrong. I can tell you I was a much better sports director later in my career than I was earlier. When I was younger, especially in Chicago, I was under a lot of pressure and surrounded by very experienced people. You’re learning in real time. And over time, you get better at handling those situations.

American English - vouch for you

2026-05-22T09:27:49.338-05:00

I've got a lot of American English phrases to share, and here's one I hear or see often: "vouch for you." When someone says they can “vouch for you,” it means they are willing to say that you are trustworthy or reliable.

For instance, let’s say you are applying for a job, and you ask a former boss if you can use them as a reference. If they support you, they would say, “Don’t worry--I’ll vouch for you. You’re a great worker.”

Or if someone wants to join your private club and asks you to be a reference, you can tell the person, “I’ll vouch for you.”

The word “vouch” means to support someone’s character or confirm that they are honest or dependable. You might see it in emails; if someone wants a referral, they'll ask, "should I hire him?" to which the answer would be, "yeah, I can vouch for him."

So when someone says, “I can vouch for you,” they’re saying they trust you and are willing to say that publicly.

I also posted the audio of this explanation online. If you have suggestions for future phrases, let me know.

Things are getting real

2026-04-17T10:10:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting in a park right now, and I'm writing this because today was the latest example of seeing people doing real things that seem like a novelty nowadays, but were always in my world.

A few days ago, I saw a guy walking outside, smoking a cigar. The next day, I was walking through this park sitting in the same bench, reading a massive, 1000-page novel. And it was a hardcover. He was just reading it with no sound device in his ear. I asked him what he was reading and said it's rare to see someone reading a hardcover outside. I don't remember what book he told me, but another Gen Zer nearby said she read the same book, and they talked about the series. *This used to happen all the time*.

After seeing vinyl stores that were still in business on subsequent days, today I saw another guy smoking a cigar while he was walking and talking to his associate. I told him that the smoke and smell reminded me of my uncle (who I dedicated my novel to), who was really successful, smart, and mulitifaced. Then I said I rarely see people smoking cigars, and he said people are discovering cigars due to the perceived decreased health risks and how they're better than plastic vapes. He also said non-AI activities and things are satisfying.

Maybe it's something that's happening, or just a few random people I happened to see.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

When I started thinking more

2026-04-10T12:25:00.003-05:00

As I've said here and offline many times, I used to work a lot and no longer am. The first adjustment from cutting back was having time in my schedule and head to think. I didn't want to think, just wanted to do. I liked being busy and filling my time and avoiding introspection. Fast forward many months and days, and I'm carving out time to think and reflect. I recently had 12 hours of working directly with people, not at a computer near people, but directly talking to them, teaching them, etc. Then today is free, and I have more than 4 hours tomorrow. In the past it would've been no big deal, and I would've worked on top of that, and I wouldn't have had a day off between the 12 and 4+ hours; I would've looked for something to fill my day off, such as working at another gig that would've already been lined up. Or writing and editing a novel. Or something. But thinking was not a part of the plan; the goal was to stay busy and outward-facing. And in addition to dealing with workplace challenges, all the stress and stuffed schedule would keep me occupied.

But I'm no longer like that. Today I didn't schedule anything and have been doing my own thing, which requires thought and silence. Of course, I won't stay in such a condition all day because I need to see the outside world.

So of course, I'm not an introvert and never will be. I get energy around people and if the people like other people and are cool, simpatico, and interesting, then I'm super-happy and energized. A good example is the most recent train trip I took from LA to Chicago. I'd taken that trip several times before, and have gone to and from the East Coast via train. This time it was fantastic: not only were the workers all friendly and seemed to like people (which is essential for a people-facing job), but I met really interesting passengers from a variety of backgrounds. The train was also really busy and it was a combination of quiet and talkative fun. When I got home, it was very hard to adjust to my non-trip life. It was so quiet and dark and still, it seemed spooky. For a non-introvert like me, going from a stimulating, people-oriented environment to the total opposite can be jarring and disturbing.

So what I'm writing about here is not me turning into an introvert by needing downtime, but me finally calming down enough to quietly create.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

Stop using comma splices

2026-03-28T07:00:00.002-05:00

What is going on? I see all kinds of comma splices popping up all over the place, even by people who have a couple of Master's degrees. I can see why some pro writers use them; they want to break the rule for style and rhythm. But other people aren't trying the style thing; they're just wrong.

"Let me know what you think, I'll call you later." This is a comma splice because there are two independent clauses here that are separated by a comma. They each can be a sentence or can be separated by a semicolon because they relate to each other.

"Let me know what you think; I'll call you later." I just used correct punctuation because it's a teeter-totter, two independent clauses balanced out by the semicolon.

Before, I couldn't explain all this grammatically; I just knew it was wrong. Now it seems like quick texting/posting/whatever have affected decorum 😅

Does this mean that comma splices are becoming archaic, like what's happened to "whom" and "who" (writing "She's the person I was speaking to" instead of "She's the person to whom I was speaking")? And is using a semicolon considered uptight and rigid at this point, the comma used as a casual way to communicate?

Please, everyone, at least use correct punctuation in your work emails, and even in other emails to people you don't really know well.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

American English - you're good

2026-03-27T10:39:00.005-05:00

Here's another phrase that is often used in the United States: "you're good." I just heard it yesterday when two people were talking at work; one person said they tried to get some information for them but couldn't find it, and the other person responded with, "You're good."

What he meant was that he wanted to tell the other person to not worry. It’s a way of reassuring people, to let them know that they can relax. It also means that nothing else is necessary.

For example, at a coffee shop, you might ask the barista if you need to sign anything after paying with a card. If they don’t need a signature, they’ll say, “No, you’re good.” Or if your backpack is in the way when someone is trying to get on the train and you apologize, the person will tell you, “You’re good” if they don’t have a problem with it.

So when someone is telling you, “you’re good,” they’re telling you, “don’t worry about it” or “there’s nothing else to do.” It doesn't literally mean "you're a good person."

I also posted the audio of this explanation online. If you have suggestions for future phrases, let me know.

Talking Love Boat

2026-03-18T14:43:00.001-05:00

As long-time readers know, I've posted about TV here, but never really had the chance to talk about it publicly (as opposed to just writing about it). Well, I got a chance to do it! I was invited to John Siuntres' (Word Balloon) new podcast, "E-Motion Sickness," a rewatch of "The Love Boat." It was great to watch something critically, research background information, and make connections. I will be a guest on future episodes, so stay tuned.

Here's the video, and you can also listen to it.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

Visual joke

2026-03-16T17:07:00.005-05:00

I was watching "The Brokenwood Mysteries," which is a show out of New Zealand. I sometimes don't understand what they're saying, so I have to turn on the subtitles 😅 It's a really good show that has really good actors; every single character, whether a small part or major one, is played by a pro. It's amazing that such a small country can produce so many skilled performers—more than a larger country that I want to mention but won't 😏

In one scene from season 4 episode 2, "Stone Cold Dead," two of the detectives are visiting the boss in a hospital, and there is poster that says, "All pain, no gain," with a picture of a woman on a treadmill. It looks like something very large is on her back. Is it a person? Luggage? I can't tell. Or maybe it's a mirage, because the image isn't clear (it's in the hallway, outside the hospital room's shaded window). But it definitely seems like a visual joke, which isn't surprising because there seems to be traces of humor among the deaths. I did a search online and couldn't find anyone discussing this, nor could I find any use of "All pain, no gain," so it's a unique creation (because, obviously, it's a flip of "No pain, no gain.")

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

American English - no problem

2026-03-02T16:11:00.002-06:00

I just started a short segment on my podcast called "American English Minute," based on everyday English that I notice around me in Chicago. A student suggested I start something that explains English here, and I decided to link it to my podcast because I often talk about writing with broadcasting pros.

Today’s phrase is “no problem.”

In the United States, when someone says “thank you,” the other person might respond with “no problem.” You can hear this in various places, especially stores and restaurants, and in casual conversations. For example, at a hot dog stand, if you ask for extra mustard and say thanks, the worker might say, “no problem.” Or at a store, if you ask for a bag and they don’t charge you, and you say thank you, the person might say, “no problem.” Another example is if you miss someone's party because you're sick, the friend will say "no problem" when you apologize for not coming.

This expression is similar to “no worries,” which has become more common in American English in recent years. Both phrases are casual alternatives to “you’re welcome.”

If you have suggestions for future phrases, let me know.

Not using periods

2026-02-28T09:19:00.004-06:00

I've gotten into the habit lately of not using periods at the end of a text. I might say, "Let me know what you think of the article. It's sort of long" then send it, not thinking I'm being negligent by omitting the period. It's like I want to keep it casual and soften the end. If I include a period, it would sound final, abrupt, closed.

I didn't know this was a thing until I saw some articles about it. This one says that people get upset when they receive texts with periods. That's not true with me. I don't care if other people use periods, but I care if I do. If the person is not a native English speaker, I use periods to signal that my sentence is done. But with native speakers, I want to soften my speech.

There have even been academic studies about periods, and the resulting suggestion is that you shouldn't use them: "if you want to ensure that your messages are received and understood with the level of sincerity you intend, leave the period off the final sentence." Researchers found out that "text message responses to questions that ended with a period were perceived as less sincere than those that did not." Other researchers "observed that the period has taken on a particular pragmatic and social meaning in texting because its use is optional in this form of communication."

I had no idea it's a deep issue; I just started doing it, just because.

Someone told me she uses emojis instead of periods. That's a good option and fun, and even creative. I'm pro-emoji; I like trying to figure out which emoji I should use, and express my emotions when my words may seem flat.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

George Ofman interview: the best story

2026-02-24T15:42:00.001-06:00

I recorded this interview with sportscaster George Ofman, which was an update to an interview I did with him ten years ago. He wrote a popular book and now has a new career when a lot of people his age are already retired.

It’s been ten years since I interviewed you. You recently were promoting your book. What was your book called again?

It’s called Tell Me a Story I Don’t Know. It was a compilation of 50 of the 100 interviews I did with top sports personalities with connections to Chicago. That included people like Mike Greenberg, who, along with me, was hired at The Score five days before it went on the air in January of 1992. We were hired on my birthday — December 28, 1991. Michael Wilbon, who of course made his real claim to fame on Pardon the Interruption. Bob Costas. Locals like Adam Amin. Jason Benetti.

Jason was probably the only interview I did that was more of a conversation than an interview. He’s just an extraordinary person. I had a lot of fun doing the podcast. I had a lot of fun writing the book. The book’s been out there for a couple of years. I considered it a success. And basically, that was the end of my professional sports journalism career.

I want to talk about your writing process. How did you learn to write like that?

First of all, I started writing backwards, which was really good. Then I said, you know what, if you start writing forward, it might be a little better. I had some pretty good English teachers in grammar school. I remember particularly a fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Anderson. She was very much into figures of speech. I learned how to use metaphors and similes and things like that.

But I wasn’t really writing until I got on the radio. I had a different bend to the way I wrote. Sometimes people said I was throwing opinions in there. They weren’t wrong. When I started at The Score, it allowed me to be creative. Print is different. In the book I’m using quotes, but it’s not just quotes — it’s writing around the quotes, writing the story of the story.

News radio was perfect for me. You’ve got to make stories short. You have to use sound. But I always felt the need to be creative. Whether I was subbing for Red Mottlow, working at The Score, WGN, or WBBM, I wasn’t going to change my style. Nobody told me I had to. I wanted to inform people, but I also wanted to do it in a way that was enjoyable to listen to. That format worked perfectly for me.

You established that early on?

Oh yeah. In college. In 1974, when I stepped into the newsroom at Southern Illinois University. I was working at one of their small stations, but when I walked into the main newsroom, I thought, this is where I need to be. Within six months I was named sports director of the radio and television department. It was supposed to be a two-quarter position. They let me do it for six.

Whatever happened, it worked. I kept honing it and honing it. I didn’t have a full-time radio job in Chicago until The Score. Before that I freelanced. I wrote for National Public Radio. Back then NPR used freelancers to do sports. I aired about 150 stories on NPR over 20 years. I worked for the BBC. I worked for the CBC. That writing was a little more straightforward than what I later did at The Score and WBBM, but it was a great training ground. Really solid editors. They honed my writing.

With NPR, did you have more time to tell your story?

Yes. Those stories were usually three and a half minutes. Sometimes five. In three and a half minutes, you can weave in sound and tell a story. At WBBM you might have two minutes to cover multiple items. With NPR you had that time for one subject. CBC sometimes gave me five or six minutes.

When I started in 1980 there was no internet. You called the editor. You unscrewed the phone receiver and attached alligator clips into your recorder. You played your story down the line while talking to the editor. That’s how they edited it. That was the old days. It was great fun.

You covered over 3,500 sporting events. Why did you eventually stop liking covering games?

I got tired of doing games. You go to a baseball game, you’re there nine hours. Evening games, you’re not home until midnight. Near the end, before COVID, I remember sitting at the United Center watching a Bulls team that was awful. Maybe 10,000 people in the building. They were bored. I was bored.

But I still did the job. Nobody would notice the difference. I’m still a pro. It’s just that it became a job. That’s funny to say, because what I did for a living really wasn’t a job. I loved it. But when it started becoming a job, that’s when it felt different. I would have much rather been in the studio. Let me write. Let me do the updates. Let me do interviews. I loved being creative behind the microphone.

You were part of that short-lived station that didn’t last long. How did you deal with that and turn it into something positive?

The Score was already making moves to eliminate sports anchors. Fred Huebner had already been let go. I was going to be next. So the choice was simple — let’s see how this works with Mike North and the group. They had no idea that this fellow named David Hernandez was running a Ponzi scheme. It lasted nine weeks.

In the meantime, I was traveling. I traveled with the Blackhawks to Calgary, Vancouver, Detroit. I covered a Bulls playoff game in Boston. It was a lot of fun until it wasn’t.

By June of 2009 it was gone. It was over. I called Dave Eanet [WGN] and asked if he had any work for me. At first he said no. A week later he called back and said maybe there was a little part-time work.

I told him I had a problem with my voice. I thought it might be laryngitis. It wasn’t. It was a paralyzed vocal cord. I basically couldn’t talk. I could whisper for about four months. I went to the Bastian Voice Institute in Lombard. They tried different methods. Nothing worked. Finally they said they would inject a gel into my vocal cord. I did it. I got about 80 percent of my voice back. It took about a year and a half to fully return.

I called Dave. He still had the job open for me. I went back to work in November.

Then in 2020 you were let go from WBBM.

Yes. July 14, 2020. Cost-cutting. I was 66. I wasn’t done. I’m far from done. I had to learn about podcasts. I didn’t listen to podcasts, but I had an idea. That became Tell Me a Story I Don’t Know. I talked to about two dozen people in the industry about how to put it together. TJ Reeves helped me enormously. I started doing pre-interviews. I monetized it. Vienna Beef was a sponsor for two years. I convinced Triumph Books to publish 50 of the interviews.

I kept that going for three years. Eventually it became a task to chase people. Some would respond no. Most wouldn’t respond at all. I probably could have done more interviews, but I got tired of chasing. So I said, we’re done.

And now you’re on another path.

Yes. I work for Midtown Athletics, which used to be Midtown Tennis. It was the largest indoor tennis facility in the country. In 2017 they did an $85 million renovation, everything except the courts, and added a hotel.

How did I get there? It’s probably the best story of my life. In 2002 I was doing a Saturday afternoon show during the NCAA tournament. On the air I said I had covered four Final Fours but never covered the U.S. Open. I’d never even been there. I said I’d love to go.

After the show I checked my voicemail. A deep voice said, Hello John, this is Alan Schwarz. I’m the vice president of the United States Tennis Association. He said he had heard my show and admired my passion, and he wanted to invite me and a guest to sit in the President’s Box at the U.S. Open.

It was real. He sent the invitations. I brought a friend from high school who loved tennis. We went. Alan Schwarz had built Midtown Tennis in 1970. I didn’t know that at the time. He took us on a tour. That evening we were sitting in the President’s Box watching Serena Williams and Pete Sampras.

Over the years we began having lunch twice a year. For the last eight years of his life we did that — sometimes at a restaurant near the corporate office, sometimes at Midtown’s restaurant, Chromium. In November of 2023 we had lunch. He had just turned 91. I joked with him and said, one day I’m going to come to work for you. He laughed.

Three days later he died. I was crushed. A few months later I called his son, Stephen Schwarz, who is now the CEO. I told him about my relationship with Alan and about that comment I had made. Starting in June of 2024, I went to work at Midtown Athletics. I work with their pickleball and paddle divisions. I’m having a tremendous amount of fun.

If Alan Schwarz hadn’t happened to be listening to that Saturday afternoon show in 2002, none of this happens. Sometimes you create the path. Sometimes the path shows up.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

Took a German break

2026-02-20T09:28:00.002-06:00

Honestly, I haven't actively studied German until recently. I pretty much took a break after I got back from Germany last fall, and wasn't really motivated to do anything with it.

Before my break, I had already watched several Easy German videos and was a member, so I got access to transcripts and exercises. Then I went to Germany with their German-learning and activity program, came back, joined a Discord group with some wonderful people from that trip, and eventually stopped going because of the time difference; they were seven hours ahead of me and while it was Sunday or Wednesday night for them, it was daytime for me, when I was doing things IRL. I cancelled my Easy German membership because I needed to take a break. And since I was back in the USA, there weren't any in-person classes near me, and though I met a couple Germans or heard German on the street, it was so minimal here, I just didn't feel it.

And I wanted to get back to focusing on French, since I'm taking classes, and Japanese, which I study on my own and by watching some NHK shows (with subtitles). And even Spanish, which my ESL students and coworkers speak, and is pretty much the second language here. It also helps that the Spanish-speakers here are very friendly and will speak Spanish with you, even if you're not that great. If you're interested in languages, learning Spanish is the best experience and is practical, as well.

I've been watching Easy Italian before going to Italian class and was thinking, wow, what a friendly culture with a beautiful language. So different and seemingly easier than German. Then it hit me: other than reading and sometimes translating tweets on Twitter/X, I hadn't studied German nor looked at Easy German videos for four months. I think it was because some of the people in the Easy German videos were more like media talent than educators offline (and I've worked in both media and education, so I know the difference), and I didn't really want to see them in videos for a while, and I didn't really want to deal with the difficulties with German for a while, either. I just didn't expect that "while" to last more than a few months.

Now I'm over my disillusionment and dread of complex and wordy German challenges, and I'm definitely motivated to keep trying. Earlier this week I had a couple hours before I had to go outside, so I watched 1.5 hours of Easy German videos. Today I plan to read some entries in Meyers Kinderlexicon and probably do stuff in my textbook from GLS (where I studied in Berlin).

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

I might be back

2026-02-12T09:29:00.002-06:00

I've been talking to some people about what's been going on creatively. When I started this blog, I had an outlet to express myself (social media didn't dominate), but then it led to paid work. All people had to do was an online search and find me, or I could show them what I was writing. So I got hired to write articles, blog posts, and even helped write a couple of books. None of it was under my name and I didn't care because I was being paid.

Because I'm not an introvert, I tried to find people-oriented jobs but kept getting isolating ones. I even didn't pursue certain opportunities because I just wanted to be me and talk. Someone I'd written a lot for said I should teach writing, and they even said they'd help set me up because they had a lot of connections. I said no, which was probably not a good idea, because I didn't want to think it through or manage people, just write.

And an even better idea that I passed on was writing a textbook. I was a writing instructor at a university, and a publisher's rep came to the school to talk about books. I asked if there was a book on business writing, and she said, "No...do you want to write one?" I said I wasn't qualified to write one, but wanted one for my class. I could've written it! I had already done a lot of business writing and could research what I didn't know. I could have interviewed lots of business pros to share their insight. I had an opportunity but was too insecure and modest to accept it. Now it is almost impossible to get published. But I don't regret that decision.

I'd rather talk about what I really know than talk about something that's on my periphery, becoming an expert just through scaffolds, not through substance. I see that in various areas, which is probably made easier with social media.

Anyway, I was working at home so much (way before it was trendy) doing translation and writing and editing, that I needed to connect with the world, and decided to do it through this blog. Then I got busy with being paid for what I was doing, working in media and podcasting, which led to more gigs, until I was thinking a lot for other people instead of myself.

When I stepped back from the chaos, I couldn't write much creatively or introspectively, and I thought those days were over. Then I started thinking and noticing more, read about how people get ideas, and started thinking that it's okay to produce something that won't make money, get noticed, or get an award. It's okay to create without the payoff.

That's why I'm thinking, "I think I'm back," because I feel like I can do my own thing and not worry if "it matters."

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

There is entrepreneurship going on

2026-02-10T11:53:00.002-06:00

I was looking for a site that translates Modern English into Old English for a tweet I was constructing, and found the Old English Translators site. I looked around the site, and it didn't seem like it was created by a history fan or linguistics professor, so I wondered what it was about. It was created by a company last year, owned by a guy in Canada with a Chinese name.

The testimonials seem to be from real people, and the site has good information. But since it doesn't seem like home-made, or an intense blog, it makes me wonder if the company is creating a niche online, building something different, because the internet is so crowded with content already.

If I remember, I will check in some months to see what's happened to the site. Maybe a bigger fish will swallow it to get access to its technology and concepts.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

Faux French: the accent aigu

2026-02-06T10:27:00.003-06:00

I wonder if French speakers living in the U.S. have noticed how some businesses don't use the accent aigu (é) correctly. I've seen it mistakenly used on various signs and surfaces over the years, and saw one the other day (unfortunately, I didn't take a picture; I'll post it when I have it).

Many years ago, I bought a dress at Gigi's Closette. The sign has been fixed since then, but when I first went there, they had an accent aigu on the final "e." I knew enough French to know that wasn't correct and wondered why they did it. Sometimes I theorize that people are trying to be "fancy" or sophisticated or worldly by using the é unnecessarily.

Amazingly, I was able to find an image with that old spelling at an online seller:

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

I'm taking an Italian class

2026-02-03T14:44:00.002-06:00

I studied Italian in the late 20th century while I was getting a master's and even got paid to translate it. Then I pretty much dropped it for several years, but started reading it on my Twitter/X account during the pandemic. Then I finished the Duolingo course last year. But I sort of treated it like an auxiliary language because it wasn't as important as French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.

Towards the end of 2025, I started thinking it more often and even started watching Easy Italian more. It seemed like such a beautiful language with such friendly people that I wanted to know more. So when my scheduled opened up, I signed up for the "Absolute Beginners" course (A1.1) at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura and am two weeks in.

At first I thought it was too easy because the teacher speaks English and Italian in class, and the book is in Italian and English; I prefer to have an Italian-only textbook. So the class seems really basic, but I don't even know the entire alphabet and numbers! So I really have to be in this level. The teacher is clearly well-educated and can articulate her teaching methodology and philosophy. She is also really patient and seems to like people; teachers should like people, but as I've said before, not everyone who works with people likes them.

I think part of my problem with Italian was that I had a teacher several years ago who was not very simpatica. She seemed to be annoyed because she kept comparing us unfavorably to students she taught at a prestigious school. And she just didn't seem to like people. That was confirmed when I signed up for lessons at her home, where she ran a kind of Italian-related business, and she wasn't very pleasant or inclusive.

I know we shouldn't base our experience on just one person, but back then there weren't a lot of options, and I didn't want to try to figure out where to go. Plus my schedule and work focus changed, so I really retreated from pursuing foreign languages much.

Now it's much better! The students are friendly and at first I envied some students' knowledge of Spanish, but the teacher clearly told us to put our Spanish to the side and just focus on Italian (good thing my Spanish isn't so great). The ItalCultura school has a good vibe, and even the Italian consulate is cool. It makes me want to go to Italy even more!

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

Not Thai?

2026-01-30T10:55:00.002-06:00

I've been watching the British detective show "Grace" (which has a super-serious vibe and aesthetics that remind me of Nordic noir), and noticed a possible language flub in Season 2 Episode 2 "Dead Man's Footsteps." I say "possible" because it was in the background at a Thai airport in the public address system, so I had to watch it a few times and even used Google Translate to capture it, just in case I was wrong. But I don't think I was.

I don't speak Thai (except for สวัสดี-ka and ขอบคุณ-ka), but I know what it sounds like because I went there a few times for long stretches, and the announcements sounded like Chinese, possibly Mandarin, not Thai. I even heard the word "Taiguo" 泰国 which is "Thailand" in Mandarin. Like Japanese, 国 is "country," and I know that "guo" is country in Chinese. I already knew how to say "China" in Mandarin (中国 Zhongguo), so when I heard "Taiguo" it stuck out to me, so I kept re-playing the scene and then used Google Translate a few times. I kept hearing various Mandarin words, and 泰国 kept popping up in the app's translation in addition to other Mandarin phrases. So of course, I wanted to bring it up here in my blog, especially because I can't find another post about it online to confirm if anyone else noticed it.

Since Britain consistently produces excellent shows, I was surprised they wouldn't use Thai in the airport's PA system. It made me wonder how language decisions like this get made in production, and why they'd decide to use Mandarin instead of Thai. Were there any discussions about this before the episode aired?

If I were working on that show, I would've brought it up; if a show is going to convey authenticity, then they should take languages seriously, especially since this show has a serious vibe.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

Craig Dellimore interview: the last time I was at City Hall

2026-01-12T20:25:00.003-06:00

I recorded this interview with reporter Craig Dellimore at Chicago City Hall in 2018 and never posted the full transcript. I’m sharing it now as context for a newer audio interview, which you can listen to here. I wanted people to see what he experienced, and how he was treated.

How long have you been working here?

Well, at City Hall, I’ve been here doing the political editor’s job since 2001, so about 17 years. But I’ve been with WBBM Newsradio since 1983, so it’s been quite a while.

So you started when you were, like, ten?

You’re so kind. No, I was in my twenties and already pretty well into my career when I got here. It was a very different place then, and I arrived right when Harold Washington was starting to look like a serious candidate for mayor of Chicago.

How was it a different time? What was different?

So much has changed in Chicago politics in the last 35 years. What people thought of as the Democratic machine—the power structure that held the city for so long—was weakening. That’s why someone like Harold Washington could rise and become a formidable candidate.

My first assignment was man-on-the-street interviews after people felt Harold Washington won the first three-way debate between him, Richard M. Daley, and Jane Byrne.

On TV they always showed those chaotic meetings. Was it really that crazy in real life?

It really was that crazy. I wasn’t political editor then, but it was a wild time. Real battle lines were drawn. During the primary you had Daley, Jane Byrne—who had run against the machine but then became part of it—and Harold Washington, this upstart congressman.

When Washington became mayor, 29 aldermen banded together to block anything he wanted to do. People called them simply “the 29.” City council meetings were raucous—sometimes good-natured, sometimes bitter.

There was a Republican candidate, Bernard Epton, whose slogan was “Before It’s Too Late.” If that wasn’t a racial dog whistle, I don’t know what was. So the kind of racial and divisive politics people talk about today is nothing new.

So it really was racial? Were people saying racial things?

The candidates avoided overt racial statements, but regular people certainly made them. Harold Washington was good-humored, fearless, very bright, and well-spoken. He could be eloquent or plainspoken—saying things like, “Politics ain’t beanbag. It’s a tough game.” He was ready for it.

If someone shouted that they hated him, he would walk over and talk to them. There’s a photo in the press room of him smiling beside people holding anti-Harold Washington signs, and they’re smiling too. That was his power.

He was also the right candidate for the moment. African-American and Latino populations were growing, and lakefront liberals were looking for a champion. He might not have been perfect, but he was perfect for that time.

Did things ever calm down before he died?

Yes. After the initial turmoil, more African-Americans and more liberal aldermen were elected. Washington finally had the votes he needed. Unfortunately, he died way too soon. Even some of his opponents liked him.

I remember Edward Burke, the leader of the 29. There are recordings of him and Harold arguing on the council floor, but when one of them scored a point, they’d laugh. Burke once talked about winning money at the racetrack on a horse named Harold. Washington said he ought to get a cut. Burke said, “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you—share the wealth.” They laughed and went back to work. Things had calmed down somewhat, and Washington was getting things done. Then that Thanksgiving week, he died.

He stayed that humorous and warm? It wasn’t just for campaigning?

No—he was genuinely funny. For about two years I was managing editor at WBBM, and around that Thanksgiving season he knew me because he did a monthly program called “Ask the Mayor.” He took calls from citizens and handled it wonderfully—he and Governor Jim Thompson were the two best at it.

One evening he came in and saw me working late. I told him I was managing editor now. He congratulated me and asked where my office was. I said I didn’t have one—I just sat at a desk. He asked if it meant more money. I said no. He leaned in and whispered, joking, “They do that to the first Black anything.” That was Harold—always funny, always accessible.

So you were the first Black managing editor?

Yes. But the station already had a history of diversity. I was the third African-American staffer at the time. It wasn’t treated like a historic event.

Did you have any problems in your job because of race?

No. Not at that point. Earlier in my career maybe, but not then. We were entering a new era. The bigger issue was covering the news fairly across all parts of the city.

What’s an example of being fair?

Crime coverage is always a struggle. If you cover every crime in an African-American neighborhood, you can make it look like a war zone. But if you ignore those crimes, you imply they don’t matter. And if someone is robbed downtown, we cover it; if someone is robbed on 47th Street, we should care equally. You balance it. You listen to what communities say matters to them—education, for example.

You said things were worse before the 80s. What did you mean?

We were coming out of the civil rights era and anti-war era. The riots happened in my lifetime. Newsrooms suddenly realized they had no Black reporters to send into Black neighborhoods, so they hired—but some people complained that hires were “just because they’re Black.” That attitude always exists.

When I was hired, I’m sure some people thought that. But I had worked at the AP for years. People knew my work.

How do you deal with doubters?

I ignore them. You erase doubt by doing your job well. I’m political editor—I’ve had a good career.

How did you get to this point?

By doing the work. I’ve had many jobs—legislative reporter, federal building, courts, Springfield. We used to send a reporter to Springfield weekly; for a while, that was me. Terrible drive—three hours of the flattest land you’ll ever see—but good experience.

I became suburban bureau chief. Funny title, because I was the only one in the bureau, but it worked.

What kinds of things did you cover in the suburbs?

Everything that happens downtown, but less noticed. Most listeners live in the suburbs. We launched the beat with a 15-part series on transportation. But transportation touches housing, poverty, homelessness, development.

If people work somewhere they can’t afford to live, they need transportation. People cleaning office buildings in the suburbs often can’t afford to live there.

We did a series on gangs. Yes, there are gangs in the suburbs. Naperville, which is usually low crime, has had a triple murder and a quadruple murder. Issues exist everywhere.

What about the relationship between suburbs and city?

It’s changed. Mayor Daley worked closely with suburban mayors—airport noise, transportation, rail corridors. Now there’s more isolation. Competition for federal dollars is tougher. Companies move into Chicago from the suburbs more often now.

Why are companies moving into the city?

Lifestyle, transportation, workforce, schools. People moved to the suburbs because the city felt too dangerous or too expensive. But affordable housing and lifestyle changes brought people back. On Friday night, do you want a long drive to a quiet suburb or to stay downtown?

The city is also marketing itself aggressively.

Is that because of the mayor?

Not just the mayor. Competition in general.

After the riots in the 60s, a lot of people left the city. Why?

Many reasons: crime, fear, schools. Chicago’s school system used to be considered one of the worst. Reforms improved it. Scores went up. Diplomas have more value. Some neighborhoods still lag, though. That’s why diverse newsrooms matter—you hear what communities are really concerned about.

How is New York different from Chicago?

Faster pace. Unique energy. I grew up there; we still visit yearly. In a disaster, New York is the place to be—New Yorkers see the problem and say, “Okay, let’s deal with it.”

Do you have an example?

During the big blackout in the 70s, traffic was snarled. Two guys drinking beer on folding chairs watched it, then put down their beers, walked into the street, and started directing traffic until everything flowed again. Classic New York.

It’s also dirty—because no alleys. Chicago is cleaner thanks to alleys.

Did you see looting during the blackout?

Yes. Opportunistic. Police couldn’t be everywhere. I was a news writer then. Hard-wired phones still worked. I walked miles to get to work. All hands on deck.

How did you end up coming here from New York?

Combination of things. I married someone going to law school in Washington. I moved there. Met people at CBS who pointed me to the AP. I worked there.

Years later, there was a prison riot at Sing Sing. Our reporter had been on the air nonstop. They sent me to relieve him. When I got back, Joe Durso—now news director at WBBM—had heard my coverage. He flew me out, showed me the station, and offered me a job. I accepted.

It really worked out for you—you have one of the coveted jobs.

It is fun. Mike Flannery once reacted to someone saying they should cover less crime and politics by saying, “This is the Vatican of politics.” Perfect description.

Chicago politics is rich, intense, and endlessly interesting. Working with reporters like Fran Spielman and Bill Cameron is a joy. It becomes a family.

How do you interview people you disagree with? Or people you think are corrupt?

That’s the job. You challenge facts without yelling. If someone claims massive voter fraud, I’ll point out that audits found almost none and ask where they got their information. If they say they’re “just hearing it,” that speaks for itself.

You don’t assume everyone enters politics for bad reasons. Most think they’re doing good.

What about corruption—ghost payrollers, mysterious jobs?

Lobbyists exist, but that’s not the same as elected officials. Some officials enter expecting riches, but most don’t get rich. Most intend to do good. The system is complicated. Politics is three-dimensional chess—more about power than money.

Was Mel basically preferring corruption?

He was part of a system that thrived on it. To get things for his ward, he had to work within that system. He openly talked about the old days—stuffing ballot boxes, job patronage. For him it was about getting jobs for “our guys.” Jobs fed families. Families sent kids to school.

Is it true dead people used to vote in Chicago?

Yes. Fewer now. Vote stealing absolutely happened, but modern systems make it much harder.

So Chicago is becoming Mayberry?

Never. Chicago will never be Mayberry and wouldn’t want to be. Cities like Chicago thrive on being tough, elbows-out places. People move to places like Kane County thinking they’re escaping the world, but the world follows you. New problems, new strengths, new communities.

Do you think things have gotten worse culturally?

It ebbs and flows. There’s incredible good—people helping strangers. But also bad—like people using the N-word in what they think is polite conversation. Politics in recent years made some people think bullying equals free speech. That part is worse.

But the potential for good is always there.

Can you give an example of hearing the N-word in “polite” conversation?

Yes. I was covering a barricade situation in Berwyn. My phone wasn’t working. A woman standing next to me said I could use her phone inside her house. She was very kind. I filed reports from her living room.

As people came home from work, one neighbor asked what was happening. The woman said, very casually, “A couple of n——s are holed up in that house.” I was standing right next to her. She didn’t realize she’d said anything offensive. For some people, that word is simply part of their vocabulary. Sadder than when it’s said in anger.

How do you handle situations like that?

It happens rarely now. But if it’s direct, I don’t back down. I tell people to stop. This stuff still occurs—in city departments, in politics. Some people justify it by saying, “Free speech—we can say what we want.”

What makes a good reporter?

Listening. Really listening. Not planning your next question while they talk. I always have a list of questions, but often the real story comes from something unexpected they say.

Writing is vital. You’re explaining the world to people. You should always be learning.

How did you learn to write well?

Good teachers—hard-nosed ones—in English class and journalism school.

What about being on TV?

I appear occasionally, usually on Channel 11’s “Week in Review.” It used to scare me; now it’s fine. TV requires different skills. You’re self-conscious about how you look, where you’re looking, how long you pause. I bring notes for names and numbers.

What advice do you have for people who want to do what you do?

Internships—wherever you can get them. And get a job doing the kind of work you actually want to do. If you want to be a reporter, get a reporter job. If you can’t get one in Chicago, go to Peoria or anywhere else, learn the craft, do it well. Then you can come back—or you might end up somewhere unexpected, like L.A. on TV.

Do the thing you want to do. Get good at it. Let that take you to the next step.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

Got the flu and reflected

2026-01-01T09:27:00.003-06:00

I've been getting flu shots for like 15 years and did not get the flu until mid-December. It happened at the perfect time because my break had just started, and a project management class I was taking had just ended. Because it was a credit class, we had exams and a huge term paper due. At times it felt like a part-time job because achieving an A required a lot of work. A retired person who'd had a very successful career told me I shouldn't worry about getting an A, but I like to do the best job possible and then list it on LinkedIn :p

My temp reached 102, and I couldn't do anything other than wait it out. I spent four days lying around inside, and was ecstatic to emerge on day 5. Being too sick to do anything made me realize more than ever that I definitely do not like spending so much time at home and like to be out in the world, because as I've said before, I am not an introvert. I would probably have a much easier time living in modern society as an introvert because wanting to talk to people is almost counter-cultural at this point.

And wanting to talk to people about anything is especially seen as weird. I've met people who use superficiality to hide something, like their real motives, their real background, or their misery. Other times a mere comment or question can send someone scurrying to their phone, and people also have earbuds in at all times to avoid any interaction IRL. Even just talking about the weather causes them to retreat.

I did a search online and found this long, thoughtful post about socialization and avoidance: texting allows control that real-life interactions don't allow because you can't undo, delay, or edit what you say. Headphones are used as a kind of "emotional shield...[to] feel protected, invisible, or unreachable," and phones offer similar protection.

Sitting around so much made me realize that I really like people and want to connect with people, even with just a brief conversation in a store or wherever. It's great when I meet similar people, and it's like a buzzkill when I don't. Usually I don't dwell on a negative or anti-social interaction, but the couch made me think too much about it, which is why I was so glad to get outside eventually. Just seeing cute dogs was better than isolation!

Another thing I thought about while on the couch all day is the value of good workplaces. I kept rehashing messed-up workplaces I worked in and how I never want to be exposed to such bullying, ostracizing, or unfairness again. Right now my work situation is really good, and I don't want to mess up my life by being a lone ranger trying to survive another toxic place. I refuse to do that anymore, and my great health has proven that I made the right decision to avoid bad people and harmful environments. I won't even tolerate dysfunctional or mean people in my personal life, and it's proven to be an effective strategy because 2025 was one of my best years ever, and I'm the healthiest I've ever been.

What's good about being really sick is that you can make decisions to reset. I probably thought too much and the thoughts at times were unproductive, just swirling around without a resolution. It's probably because I wasn't socializing, so I had pent-up energy that was ending up in dead ends. When I started interacting with the world again, I entered wiser and really appreciative of freedom and health. Looking forward to a good 2026!

I was planning on posting this before 2025 ended, but now it's 2026...Happy New Year!

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

Letting go of the dark ball of thoughts

2025-11-11T09:48:00.001-06:00

There's a dark ball that gets tangled in its own strings.

Trying to understand by stepping away from it.

As you're stepping away, the strings become untangled.

The meaning is clear.

No good, don't go back.

Yes, we can use AI to translate but...

2025-11-09T19:34:00.004-06:00

I've been talking to some folks about my obsession with translating tweets. One person said they can translate anything online via Google. Yes, that's true. We can plug in words or entire websites, which can then be instantly translated. That's the biggest change since I started this blog, and since I got paid for translating many years ago.

But the difference is the cultural translation and grasping the sense of words and phrases. If I want a quick translation of a block of text to get the gist or more information, then I can do it. But if I want to think about what a word would mean in American English, then I would think about how American writers would phrase it.

I don't just look up words, but I also think about our culture. Would we passively back into a description if we wanted to convey strength, ingenuity, independence, even if the source language is not as direct? And why would we avoid contractions?

For instance, I would say 体調管理大丈夫かな is "How've you been feeling?" instead of "Are you managing your health well?" because かな implies a casual wondering, including using a contraction.

There's also the use of katakana instead of kanji or hiragana, which makes the words sound more emphatic or casual or current, depending on the context.

And for "Virologe warnt wegen Vogelgrippe vor möglicher neuer Pandemie," I would say, "Virologist warns of a possible new bird flu pandemic" instead of "Virologist warns of possible new pandemic due to bird flu," because while the translation is technically correct, an English headline would be more pithy.

If someone wants to just get info and move on, great. But if someone wants to communicate the essence or localize the meaning, then a human matters.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

I went to Germany

2025-10-22T09:31:00.004-05:00

For the first time in a couple decades, I took a trip abroad. The only foreign country I've gone to since I went to Brazil in the early 21st century is Canada, which I've only driven to (Chicago to Toronto is doable). It was such an incredibly fantastic trip, I didn't write or post anything about it while I was there. I was totally immersed in every single detail around me. The minute I got on the train from the airport, I was totally wrapped up in everything I saw and experienced; I was truly excited for the first time in I don't know how long.

I went there with Easy German, which has a relationship with GLS, where I studied German three hours a day, five days a week for two weeks. I've always wanted to study a language abroad, and I finally got to do it! What's lame is that out of the 60 people in the Easy German group, I had the worst German. I got into an A2.2 class (barely squeaking by the minimum requirement of A2 level for the program), which was fantastic for me. The level was a bit difficult but manageable, and the teachers were great. They were all native speakers (which I require for my language-learning; I would've changed classes if they weren't), and while they weren't highly trained teachers, they had that necessary quality for me: they liked people. The 59 other people in the program were high B1/B2-C2 and spoke German with each other all the time. When we had activities, there was a lot of German going on.

For instance, when we took a trip to the Reichstag dome, I thought we were just going to go in, look at the amazing view, and leave. So I got pretty nervous when the leaders gave a lecture about the German political system. I tried to follow but couldn't grasp the gist, so I just looked around, at the river and birds, people-watching and enjoying the sun, while I was realizing that studying a few languages simultaneously has watered down my progress in anything :p

I thought the lecture would be it, but they broke us up into small groups to discuss politics, and gave us conversation topics. I was with a couple of guys who were pretty fluent, and I had no idea what they were talking about because the conversation was intellectual and too complex for moi. I just enjoyed the nice weather and tried to comprehend what they were saying.

A lot of people say that it's hard to learn German in Berlin because everybody speaks English, and I learned that English is the lingua franca of the world (which is ironic to use a French phrase to talk about English in that way). No matter where people were from, they spoke English. Even though it's the dominant language in the U.S., I had no idea that it's the main way that people from different countries communicate with each other throughout the world. Sometimes I think it's almost downplayed where I live because people can avoid using English for their entire lives, if they want, and there's no pressure to learn it.

Amazingly, I spoke German in Berlin with the residents, even though people in my program who were excellent in it said that they had a hard time avoiding using English. For instance, if I went to a store or whatever, they might speak some English, but I would just keep speaking German like I knew what was going on. Then they would stay with me in German even though my German wasn't great. But I think it was my attitude, like I belonged there or something. I did this repeatedly throughout my trip and it was definitely what I went there for, so I achieved what I wanted.

At one point, however, my plan backfired when a fluent German-speaking woman from Brazil asked me a question at a restaurant and I couldn't totally comprehend what she was saying, so we switched to English and talked about a lot of stuff. I wouldn't have been able to stay with such a deep conversation in German anyway, so it worked out. But I guess I was navigating everything so confidently she thought I was a German ace. In other situations, I would just tell people "Ich lerne Deutsch" after subjecting them to my weak German, and they'd smile and sometimes would say that my German is really good. That's probably because I grasped what they were saying without looking like I was trying; the key perhaps was quick, confident communication instead of perfect grammar.

Best of all, I spoke Spanish, French, and Japanese in Berlin. In fact, I spoke more Japanese in Germany than I do at home, and Japanese people had no problem with me speaking with them; they were totally open and cool. Turns out there's a Japanese community in Berlin, and I even went to a Japanese grocery store. In Leipzig, I heard a couple of women speaking Japanese, talking about some shirts at a museum. I asked them in Japanese if they were from Japan, and I ended up chatting with one of them. That doesn't happen where I live; if I ask someone if they're from Japan, they'll say yes, and switch to English or not talk to me. But the Japanese people I met in Germany were really friendly and didn't care if I was speaking Japanese; we had to speak either poor German or better Japanese, and I chose the latter.

The French experience was surprising: I was in a courtyard where Japanese, German, and other people were selling food. I spoke Japanese to one person, walked to a booth run by a French woman, and we started speaking German. Then she asked me if I spoke French, and I said a little, so we switched to French! We spoke for a bit, and while I could totally understand what she was saying but wasn't fluent, she didn't care because we were communicating. And she didn't even ask nor care about any English at all.

I also spoke some Spanish, ironically at GLS, and met some wonderful people from Latin America in the Easy German group who only spoke German with me and each other. One day a group of us, led by Easy German's Manuel, went to Dresden, and I spoke German for 10 hours! Because the Latin American people I'd met were totally friendly and communicative, I just kept talking, even though I had to keep stopping to ask them to correct me or help me with my paltry German vocabulary.

And I spoke with other people in German as well. But on the train back to Berlin, I decided to give German a break, and started speaking English with a British person because she was speaking English with another Brit (both of whom spoke fluent German btw). As we were talking about British TV, Manuel yelled from another seat, "Sprechen nur Deutsch!" So I proceeded to switch from my perfect English to bad German, while the Brit responded in her rapid-fire perfect German. Because I was already excited to be with so many cool people while learning another language (instead of toiling alone as I've done for years), I walked to another seat, which was near Manuel, and spoke with an American in German for a while. Her German was awesome because she's been to Germany often and was good about consistently studying it in the U.S. So there I was, speaking bad German and trying to get my ideas across as Manuel sat across the aisle, probably feeling pity for moi as I managed to butcher his language (plus he's aced Spanish and English, so he's very comfortably trilingual).

The next day I woke up with a sore throat and ended up getting sick. That's what 10 hours of German will do to you, especially if you're not fluent in it! But at least I tried. I took advantage of every opportunity to speak German in Germany, whether I was studying in Berlin or traveling to Leipzig and Erfurt. There aren't a lot of Americans in those cities, so I was lucky, but at the same time some people would speak English, probably because they don't get many chances to use what they've learned.

When I went to Germany, my goal was to learn enough German to travel and get around, and to know enough to chat with people, and I attained it! I even had some more complicated conversations in German, and I don't think people knew that I didn't grasp everything, but that's fine--I got to do what I've wanted to do for years: spend a month in another country learning a language and applying it during my stay.

When I got back, I thought I would just focus on German because I was made acutely aware of my deficiencies, but I'm really into French, Spanish, and Japanese, and have been juggling all those because just focusing on one language seems limiting. Of course, if I had to live in Germany I would do everything to become fluent and educated, but while I have a choice, I'll stay with the multilingual pursuits. I've also resumed translating stuff on Twitter/X, and it's become sort of an obsession, or at least a passion, and I'm just really happy to have time in my life for languages again. Es macht Spaß! Und danke Deutschland! 🇩🇪

Reichstag Dome with some people from the group (who were German aces)

One of my German teachers: native speaker from Berlin who speaks fluent Portuguese and English!

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.