Re: What discount?------WebKitFormBoundaryXpw9+CEt *PIC*

Posted By: allen st. john

Date: 7/18/07 14:19 GMT

In Response To: What discount?------WebKitFormBoundaryXpw9+CEtkRNd (Chicagoland Chuck Maddox------WebKitFormBoundaryXp)

:

: Chuck

That's very nice of

: you to say Allen.

My pleasure, but if it wasn't true, I would have complimented you on your shirt.

Ouch! That would have been transparent wouldn't it have?

: I didn't really want to spend too much time on

: any one specific field and leave something

: important unasked, because I figured that'd

: haunt me if I didn't ask something really

: obvious.

The thing about this is eventually, you'll write a story where you think you screwed up royally (by not asking a question, asking it the wrong way, whatever). And after you're done beating yourself up, you'll notice that you're the only one who cares, or even notices. It' just flies right by the readers and even most editors.

I know there were two to four additional follow-up's I would have liked to have had Wally's reaction to, but by the time I had them ready, he was gone.

(I once took a copy of a book and burned in in my barbeque because the morons in production put dummy copy (placeholder stuff written by an intern) on the back cover.)

And the solace is there's always a next time.

I believe that.

: You asked smart open-ended questions and were

: patient enough to sit back and let Wally

: answer them. That's the thing... In an

: interview the star is the interviewee not

: the interviewer.

Tell that to Barbara Walters, or Oprah, or Jay Leno or Letterman or....

In this instance, I don't see anyone flying in to interview me, or flying me somewhere to be interviewed. That may well be different with BaBa WaWa, the big O, or the two L's...

The question I'd like to ask Jay Leno is how in the hell did he let Jerry Seinfeld get Steve McQueen's Porsche 917k? I mean for Christ sake! Seinfeld!!!

: It was a really good read (as well as a

: valuable document) and you should be proud

: of yourself.

: Well, it was a bit of a

: roller-coaster ride. In a way I guess it's

: better that it was a bit of a roller-coaster

: ride. In any case, I was releived when it

: went so well, especially with all the behind

: the scenes stuff.

I don't like roller coasters. They make me hurl. So does writing. So maybe it is an apt analogy.

I don't necessarily either, but I guess in a way the pressure was off a bit because of the last minute change up.

: But now that you're a big time watch

: journalist it would be entirely unethical

: for me to sell you my Siffert at a discount.

: What discount? All I'm asking for is the

: same deal you were soliciting from me for my

: Siffert?

: All I'm asking is recipocity... Where's the

: love man?

Sorry, compadre. As a watch journalist, you are Caesar's wife (so to speak) and all your actions must be beyond question, much less reproach. (Even my new boss, Rupert Murdoch agrees on this issue.)

Gotta tell you, to hear some folks tell iy I'm not even especially suitable morals wise to collect watches or comment upon them at all. So I'm not sure that flies.

However, if having a mismatched set of Sifferts bothers you so much, I'll buy the other two. The $18 (plus shipping and handling) is in the mail, and your journalistic ethics will be intact.

Who said I was ever after identicallity? I'm after a similar variety. Having three identical watches? How boring!

and as far as that goes... what ethics?

But seriously, thanks for the help on the Siffert issue, and it's likely to be partly responsible for my own entry into the glamorous world of watch journalism.

I'm sure that'll be another thing laid upon my feet!

Ooops, that's Uma on the other line, wanting some advice on that vintage Carrera, she's been eyeing. ("Sorry, babe, but if you look at the tachymetre ring, you'll easily see that it's as fake as Pamela Anderson.")

Gotta go.

best,

Allen St. John

Columnist, The Wall Street Journal

Later!

-- Chuck

Chuck Maddox

Chronographs, like most finer things in life, only improve with time...

Watch Article index: http://www.xnet.com/~cmaddox/cm3articles.html,

Watch Links Page: http://www.xnet.com/~cmaddox/watch.html,

Watch Blog: http://chuckmaddoxwatch.blogspot.com/.