15 minutes of fame.
So, the organisation I work for has been winning awards. Which led to our city newspaper, which is kind of the main quality newspaper in Scotland doing a piece on us. Which involved a picture...Oh noes!
Someone in the office took a team picture a while back. Lots of the team are good looking/ tall/ young/ glam. I was just trying to avoid having a double chin. Anyway in that attempt I thought:
'if I look up and stick my chin out'.
Except I ended up looking haughty and somewhat obnoxious.
The picture promptly went around small local publications. Unfortunately the big daily newspaper also got hold of it. My day started yesterday with my boss coming in and proudly displaying the HUGE spread on us with the equally huge picture. Excuse me, does anyone have a spare rock I can crawl under?
This, unfortunately, is not the first time I have had my pic in the daily press. About a dozen years ago I was practicing criminal law. One of the court buildings in the area had been renovated and I was appearing there the day it opened. Shortly before I was due in court I went to the ladies. On attempting to leave I discovered the door knob for the exit wouldn't turn. I was trapped.
I yelled and kicked and pounded on the door. Big heavy solid door in quiet corner. Nothing. I envisaged failing to appear, being released eventually and having to explain my non appearance to the judge in open court. Well you see m'lud, I was locked in the toilet. No. Way.
What to do? I noticed the door knob was fixed with screws. I got out my metal nail file (which I always keep handy- actually it was a very small one, part of my nail clippers which I do always keep handy, as I hate ragged nails.) I managed to get the door knob off. Which I was then left standing with in my hand. Great plan, what next?
I figured if the mechanism was stiff hot water might loosen it. Filled a basin, plunged it in. Voila!, it turns. Re assembled the door knob, got out, dashed to court just in time for my case calling. Huge sigh of relief.
Of course it being the first day of the new court building the press are sniffing around for an angle on the story, hitches, glitches, etc. Somehow they got hold of my tale of woe and phoned me up. They wanted to run the story but wanted a pic. No. Way. They said they would try to find a file pic and run the story anyway. I knew they wouldn't find one. They phoned again and offered money. Quite a lot actually for just having my picture taken. I relented.
Next day the story appeared with a smiling picture of me holding the nail file. What did I not do? I did not get editorial veto on the copy. What was the page three banner headline?
'Lawyer court with briefs down.'
Doh. 15 minutes of fame, anyone want mine?
Someone in the office took a team picture a while back. Lots of the team are good looking/ tall/ young/ glam. I was just trying to avoid having a double chin. Anyway in that attempt I thought:
'if I look up and stick my chin out'.
Except I ended up looking haughty and somewhat obnoxious.
The picture promptly went around small local publications. Unfortunately the big daily newspaper also got hold of it. My day started yesterday with my boss coming in and proudly displaying the HUGE spread on us with the equally huge picture. Excuse me, does anyone have a spare rock I can crawl under?
This, unfortunately, is not the first time I have had my pic in the daily press. About a dozen years ago I was practicing criminal law. One of the court buildings in the area had been renovated and I was appearing there the day it opened. Shortly before I was due in court I went to the ladies. On attempting to leave I discovered the door knob for the exit wouldn't turn. I was trapped.
I yelled and kicked and pounded on the door. Big heavy solid door in quiet corner. Nothing. I envisaged failing to appear, being released eventually and having to explain my non appearance to the judge in open court. Well you see m'lud, I was locked in the toilet. No. Way.
What to do? I noticed the door knob was fixed with screws. I got out my metal nail file (which I always keep handy- actually it was a very small one, part of my nail clippers which I do always keep handy, as I hate ragged nails.) I managed to get the door knob off. Which I was then left standing with in my hand. Great plan, what next?
I figured if the mechanism was stiff hot water might loosen it. Filled a basin, plunged it in. Voila!, it turns. Re assembled the door knob, got out, dashed to court just in time for my case calling. Huge sigh of relief.
Of course it being the first day of the new court building the press are sniffing around for an angle on the story, hitches, glitches, etc. Somehow they got hold of my tale of woe and phoned me up. They wanted to run the story but wanted a pic. No. Way. They said they would try to find a file pic and run the story anyway. I knew they wouldn't find one. They phoned again and offered money. Quite a lot actually for just having my picture taken. I relented.
Next day the story appeared with a smiling picture of me holding the nail file. What did I not do? I did not get editorial veto on the copy. What was the page three banner headline?
'Lawyer court with briefs down.'
Doh. 15 minutes of fame, anyone want mine?