When I Grow Up -- UPDATED

I love to write. I don't get excited writing summary judgment briefs anymore (yes, I admit that sometimes I used to), and I've grown a bit cycnical and jaded where long, personal letters and soul-baring emails are concerned (that's probably mostly a function of having nobody to address such things to these days).

Over the past several years, I've been known to read a story online -- in anything from Slate to the NY Times -- and email it to someone with the message "This is the kind of stuff I want to write." Since the same people I'm not writing love letters and soul-baring emails to are also not available to get my "I wanna write this" links, you're all up. The quintissential LiAps story is something like the one where the reporter flies out to the middle of nowhere New Mexico, drives 400 miles down an old state highway, and writes about the things he sees and the people he meets. I don't think I have half the writing talent of anybody who writes for the Times, or for Slate, or even those hacks that write for the Miami Herald. Certainly not the reporting talent, and there is a difference; I don't like to get up in people's faces and bother them, I'm not a great bullshitter/schmoozer/asskisser, and I'm prone to sensing when someone is done wanting to talk about something and deferring rather than pushing the envelope. This whole blogging thing was a half-assed, time-limited attempt to get the writing flowing. While I like getting comments as much as the next guy, it's not about having an audience; I don't get off on seeing my name in print per se (if I did, perhaps I'd use my real name). I'm not sure I'm succeeding in getting my write on sufficiently, but I'm not ready to give up yet, as some other famous bloggers have recently.

This story from today's Times was another "This is the kind of story I'd like to write" story. On this one, I went a step further though. My apologies to Anthony DePalma (loved your dad's movies, man, really), but this story, I think I could have written better. Misspellings and assorted nonsequiturs/grammar issues etc. on NY signs are something I've been noticing and commenting on forever. Some of them are great; much greater than the ones in DePalma's story. I have thought about collecting my favorites, but never done it. In addition to better examples, I think the story cried out for more color. The premise started out too featurey to be hard news, but DePalma didn't embrace the featureyness. (Having mastered the buzzwords like that, how am I not the Executive Editor of something yet?) Anyway, I think so much more could have been done. But what do I know - maybe he was on a real tight deadline or had just returned from a 6-day multistate serial killing and heroin binge. (That's not libel. Seriously. I don't think.)

Guess I got scooped . But I doubt anyone else has picked up my slack on the photo essay documenting as many places in Manhattan as possible that advertise both "Cappuccino" and "ATM" on the same window. There are hundreds, at least. Suggestions as to what forum might accept that work for publication will be gratefully accepted.

UPDATE - If it's OK to call Evel Knievel a pimp (and the 9th Circuit says it is), I'm pretty sure DePalma's got no action against me. It's OK, Tony. I know all about no action these days. Thanks to howappealing, as always, for the link.