Drawing broad conclusions from the mood of inebriated copy editors at an ACES conference is folly, of course, but with that caveat I will report a few apparent trends.
--Morale is down, apparently because of bigger workloads over a long time. I can’t remember when I last heard so many people complain of “hiring freezes” or other shortsighted methods of dealing with economic conditions that push profit margins below 20 percent.
There was the usual recruiting by several newspapers, but it didn’t seem particularly aggressive, with the possible exception of the Washington Post SWAT team. I made the point one night that if desk chiefs really want the best candidates, they have to go after people who aren’t inclined to distribute their résumés and who might not even think they’re looking for new jobs. They should develop intelligence sources to learn who are the best editors and initiate contact. Am I proposing “raiding”? Yes. It might start bidding wars in some cases, and that would be good for everyone.
--There is an encouraging lack of ambition by many editors at small newspapers, meaning that not everyone is yearning to work for the Washington Post, New York Times or other big papers. The vast majority of us work for newspapers with modest circulations, which need top-notch editors more than the big ones. A lot of them, underpaid as they are, realize that there’s more to life than money. My fear is that managements latch on to that noble principle.
--Copy editors are crying out for recognition, beyond the feelings that led to the founding of ACES itself. We all know what I think about headline contests, but I haven’t gotten through. The ACES competition, I predict, is about to become wider.
I wish everyone could find inner peace with their obscurity. That said, I will add that the winning headlines of Mysterious Montanan Matt Ochsner were in some ways superior to those by competitors from much bigger newspapers, which leads me to wonder why ACES breaks the contest into divisions based on circulation.
I would also like to thank my friend and fellow panelist Jim Montalbano for revealing to a room full of incredulous copy editors that I wrote a rhyming headline on a “Cat in the Hat” story. My reasons were sound but it’s not something I’m proud of.<p>[ March 22, 2004: Message edited by: blanp ]</p>

<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by blanp:
I wrote a rhyming headline on a “Cat in the Hat” story. My reasons were sound but it’s not something I’m proud of.<hr></blockquote>
Ditto mine about boxing champ Anthony Mundine
Mundine eyes the cat who put him on the mat
I'm sure it's been done before, but what the hey, you write tabloid sports headlines for the consumption of boofheads.<p>Macquarie: *boofhead noun Colloquial 1. a person with a large head. 2. a fool. [Brit. d. bufflehead stupid person; name of comic strip character from 1941]-boofheaded adj. <p>now taking rugby league connotations - pw<p>[ March 22, 2004: Message edited by: Paul Wiggins ]<p>[ March 23, 2004: Message edited by: Paul Wiggins ]</p>

that does it: we have to start a fund to get Wiggins to next year's conference. Then he can go back and create ACES: Australia.

blanp asked for the recipe for the cookies my wife baked. Here it is: <p>Chewy Oatmeal Cookies<p>1-1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup shortening (Crisco Butter Flavor is best)
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips or combination of 1 cup butterscotch chips and 1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, if desired<p>Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.<p>Beat brown sugar, shortening, egg, milk and vanilla until well blended.<p>Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt. Add to shortening mixture and mix just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.<p>Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets, pressing down slightly.<p>Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to a sheet of aluminum foil to cool completely.<p>Makes about 2-1/2 dozen cookies.

They sound great. Can I substitute single-malt scotch for the milk?