Your request for time off because of RSV has been approved. You are excused until Monday at which time should advise us of your improvement or need for an extension. Your permanent record shows that you have over 200,000 hours of sick leave remaining because you only used it three times since 1968. We have discussed your FOMO obsession in counseling sessions prompted by coworkers fear of not missing the viruses you shed while working feverishly to write essays and reports that made the opinion sections of major publications. Your dedication is admirable. Please lie down holding only 1-4 cats or Tracy. The department of Human Resources sends you their best regards. Bringing pastries and coffee will NOT get you access to the office until Monday. My sincere hopes for a fast recovery, Linda
Thank you Cricket. (I have used Cricket in the past as my name when I was being an undercover hippie trapped in corporate America for a filthy salary….)
Oh man -- I am so very sorry to see even this lede. Please do rest up, take care of yourself, and don't bother about this place until you're back on your feet. 2025 reeks already. Bon courage.
Oh shit. I'm glad I got the RSV Vacine. Don't push yourself, Lucian. Take it slow and easy. I thought I piked up Covid again last Sunday at an unmasked overflowing crowd at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Felt all the symptoms when we got back to LA, but tested negative. Just a nasty sinus infection (from hundreds of screaming kids all around me) and I got the ass kickin' antibiotic this afternoon. I feel better already and will make sure to get more sleep than I otherwise need.
We feels just like always, you know, but the reality is that we are not 35 years old anymore, and haven't been for some four decades. Take care of you and we will still be here. Oh, and Happy New Year!
Oy! Echoing and amplification of all these other get-well wishes. I will be double-masking. To speed your recovery, avoid two Dylan experts blathering about the movie in the Times. One of them, the guy, a podcaster, kvetches that the time period covered in the movie was the least of Dylan's life. I can imagine Mr. Podcaster as a book editor in 1949 or 1950 rejecting "A Catcher in the Rye" because, certainly, Holden Caufield's life must have been more "interesting" when he grew up.
"Territorial" is a great word, in the context that Hitler was "territorial" with Poland and then all of Europe into the USSR, Stalin was "terriitorial" after the war with Eastern Europe, and European-ancestry North Americans who pushed out of their way "native" Americans (usta be called Indians and Eskimos) and Latinos (who had pushed some of those "Indians" aside in the Southwest, while looking for the fabled, mythical cities of gold, were "territorial." For critics, opinions and arguments are the soldiers in their triumphant army.
I loved Ellen Willis, way back then, and Bob Christgau remains a friend. Speaking of way back then (1968), Richard Goldstein was amusingly self-important when a friend challenged his opinion at a going-away party a pal threw when I scooted back to L.A.
I never knew Willis, one of the Felker crew. They had editorial meetings. We didn't. I knew Richie a little too well before. Last time he spotted me, at a Voice reunion, he puffed up and looked the other way. Just as well. I thought he was a terrific writer. Christgau and I never had a cross word, but for reasons known only to himself he has been badmouthing me in print for 50 years for not doing a VV job that didn't exist till Felker gave it to him, music editor. He was one of 11 hired to replace me. I had a far larger portfolio as Associate Editor, editing the back of the book—all arts sections except theater—among other jobs. After feeling perplexed for a few years I came to think of Christgau as simply pathetic. As a friend you would know, but I guess rock 'n' roll was as much as he could handle. Truscott and Krugman substacks keep pop music in perspective.
When I knew Ellen Willia, she was Bob Christgau's girlfriend, and remarkable writer, and that was for Cheetah Magazine 1967-68. She went on to The New Yorker, Bob went downtown to the Voice. I didn't know Ellen ever wrote for the Voice. Jumpcut to 1976. Felker, who owned the Voice, was starting New West. One day he announced to a few of us at the New West office that he'd hired Marianne Partridge away from Jann Wenner. He said she needed a managing editor. In his Felknerisn nasal voice he said to me, "How about you? You could be her ME." Felker knew full well that Marianne and I had been married and divorced. The other editors turned to stare at me. I managed, "Clay, that's not a magazine. That's a sitcom."
I have trusted about 10 people in my life. I am a good judge of character. It amounts to be dignified at your execution like Charles I, who even made a joke.
I was there on Christmas Day of 2018 -- urgent care center with RSV, which I had never even heard of. The worst I've ever felt in my now 78 years. It took me 6 weeks to get completely over it. Take good care of yourself, sir. We need you all squared away for the coming four years.
Well…SHIT! So sorry to hear that RSV gotcha! Hope Tracy doesn’t come down with that. Chicken soup, hot lemon juice with water and honey. Vicks-Vapo-Rub is like magic! Slow down, a little, Lucian. We’ll be here.
Your request for time off because of RSV has been approved. You are excused until Monday at which time should advise us of your improvement or need for an extension. Your permanent record shows that you have over 200,000 hours of sick leave remaining because you only used it three times since 1968. We have discussed your FOMO obsession in counseling sessions prompted by coworkers fear of not missing the viruses you shed while working feverishly to write essays and reports that made the opinion sections of major publications. Your dedication is admirable. Please lie down holding only 1-4 cats or Tracy. The department of Human Resources sends you their best regards. Bringing pastries and coffee will NOT get you access to the office until Monday. My sincere hopes for a fast recovery, Linda
Wonderful, Linda!
Thank you my friend. My almost 40 years in HR has to be worth something in retirement.
You write a great”Get Well Soon” letter!
Thank you! ♥️
😂😂😂 Excellent, Linda!
Thank you, Charles, ♥️
Love this Linda!!!
Thank you MaryPat!
I love this! Great post!
Thank you Cricket. (I have used Cricket in the past as my name when I was being an undercover hippie trapped in corporate America for a filthy salary….)
Take care of yourself, and do what the doctor, and Tracy, tell you to do!
Oh Lucian, I am so sorry for you. That is a horrible virus. Especially for us older warriors.Take care. Prayers for your speedy full recovery.
Sheila
Oh man -- I am so very sorry to see even this lede. Please do rest up, take care of yourself, and don't bother about this place until you're back on your feet. 2025 reeks already. Bon courage.
Yes, remember, you're not missing anything.
Feel better soon! 🙏
SO Sorry! We have a close, weakened friend with RSV who is hospitalized. May your recovery be quick and uneventful!
I’m holding you in the light for swift healing !
Spoken like a Friend—are you a Quaker?
Be well. I think every other person I know has some version of the plague this week. Fingers crossed.
Looking forward to your review.
Oh shit. I'm glad I got the RSV Vacine. Don't push yourself, Lucian. Take it slow and easy. I thought I piked up Covid again last Sunday at an unmasked overflowing crowd at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Felt all the symptoms when we got back to LA, but tested negative. Just a nasty sinus infection (from hundreds of screaming kids all around me) and I got the ass kickin' antibiotic this afternoon. I feel better already and will make sure to get more sleep than I otherwise need.
We feels just like always, you know, but the reality is that we are not 35 years old anymore, and haven't been for some four decades. Take care of you and we will still be here. Oh, and Happy New Year!
There is nothing in the world more deadly than screaming American brats. The children in France are an unrelated species.
So sorry to hear—rest well.
Did you get the vaccine? If you did, and still got the virus, it should keep it from being too bad. Prayers for a speedy recovery!
Everyone - please, please, please have the vaccine! Worst case, your encounter with RSV will be less severe.
I was warned it would be the worst reaction to the Covid/RSV/flu trifecta. No reaction at all to any of them beyond a mildly sore arm.
Oy! Echoing and amplification of all these other get-well wishes. I will be double-masking. To speed your recovery, avoid two Dylan experts blathering about the movie in the Times. One of them, the guy, a podcaster, kvetches that the time period covered in the movie was the least of Dylan's life. I can imagine Mr. Podcaster as a book editor in 1949 or 1950 rejecting "A Catcher in the Rye" because, certainly, Holden Caufield's life must have been more "interesting" when he grew up.
Critics, especially of the sort that are called “Dylanologists” can’t help themselves. They’re very territorial.
"Territorial" is a great word, in the context that Hitler was "territorial" with Poland and then all of Europe into the USSR, Stalin was "terriitorial" after the war with Eastern Europe, and European-ancestry North Americans who pushed out of their way "native" Americans (usta be called Indians and Eskimos) and Latinos (who had pushed some of those "Indians" aside in the Southwest, while looking for the fabled, mythical cities of gold, were "territorial." For critics, opinions and arguments are the soldiers in their triumphant army.
It's how they pay the rent. I never trusted a rock critic over 30—especially myself, so I quit.
I loved Ellen Willis, way back then, and Bob Christgau remains a friend. Speaking of way back then (1968), Richard Goldstein was amusingly self-important when a friend challenged his opinion at a going-away party a pal threw when I scooted back to L.A.
I never knew Willis, one of the Felker crew. They had editorial meetings. We didn't. I knew Richie a little too well before. Last time he spotted me, at a Voice reunion, he puffed up and looked the other way. Just as well. I thought he was a terrific writer. Christgau and I never had a cross word, but for reasons known only to himself he has been badmouthing me in print for 50 years for not doing a VV job that didn't exist till Felker gave it to him, music editor. He was one of 11 hired to replace me. I had a far larger portfolio as Associate Editor, editing the back of the book—all arts sections except theater—among other jobs. After feeling perplexed for a few years I came to think of Christgau as simply pathetic. As a friend you would know, but I guess rock 'n' roll was as much as he could handle. Truscott and Krugman substacks keep pop music in perspective.
When I knew Ellen Willia, she was Bob Christgau's girlfriend, and remarkable writer, and that was for Cheetah Magazine 1967-68. She went on to The New Yorker, Bob went downtown to the Voice. I didn't know Ellen ever wrote for the Voice. Jumpcut to 1976. Felker, who owned the Voice, was starting New West. One day he announced to a few of us at the New West office that he'd hired Marianne Partridge away from Jann Wenner. He said she needed a managing editor. In his Felknerisn nasal voice he said to me, "How about you? You could be her ME." Felker knew full well that Marianne and I had been married and divorced. The other editors turned to stare at me. I managed, "Clay, that's not a magazine. That's a sitcom."
I have trusted about 10 people in my life. I am a good judge of character. It amounts to be dignified at your execution like Charles I, who even made a joke.
Dylan Thomas?
I had COVID twice but tested negative the first time. I also escaped AIDS despite being raped in about 1985.
I was there on Christmas Day of 2018 -- urgent care center with RSV, which I had never even heard of. The worst I've ever felt in my now 78 years. It took me 6 weeks to get completely over it. Take good care of yourself, sir. We need you all squared away for the coming four years.
Like Jack Benny, I never made it past 39.
Well…SHIT! So sorry to hear that RSV gotcha! Hope Tracy doesn’t come down with that. Chicken soup, hot lemon juice with water and honey. Vicks-Vapo-Rub is like magic! Slow down, a little, Lucian. We’ll be here.
I cooked for a friend all the way thru chemo. I make "Lazarus" soups.