6:03 a.m. — “Hi Craig, I’m reaching out on behalf of world-renowned neuroscientist R. Douglas Fields, Ph.D, author of the upcoming ‘Electric Brain: How the New Science of Brainwaves Reads Minds, Tells Us How We Learn, and Helps Us Change for the Better.’ …”
6:09 a.m. — An actual email from Metro Editor Mark Bowder about a problem we had Tuesday night. He gets up a lot earlier than I do.
6:19 a.m. — AP sends out a breaking news alert about the Amazon.com founder’s phone being hacked after he downloaded a file from the Saudi crown prince. I already knew this because they also send this alert to my cellphone and woke me up 10 minutes before my alarm went off.
6:24 a.m. — A company in the United Arab Emirates wants me to download their software and learn to fly drones. Given the above item, I crack an ironic smile.
6:42 a.m. — Our weather page vendor, AccuWeather, wants me to know it is going to rain in the Pacific Northwest practically nonstop for the rest of the month. I have lived in Vancouver for more than 30 years, so this is not news to me.
6:51 a.m. — The Oregonian/Oregonlive sends its free daily newsletter. I also get them from The Seattle Times and, of course, The Columbian. We’re getting ready to launch a new, improved version of ours, so look for more information on that.
7 a.m. — Conservative think tank invites me to help celebrate National School Choice Week by attending a film screening in Lake Oswego. We almost never cover events in Oregon, and I don’t have any schoolkids.
7:06 a.m. — “Tips for planning your first vacation with baby.” Must confirm with adult daughter, but no babies for the Browns as far as I know!
7:23 a.m. — Another AP news alert. President Trump is being sued! Imagine if they sent out a news alert every time that happened.
7:27 a.m. — A useful email from Assistant Metro Editor Jessica Prokop. Being an editor at The Columbian means you work a lot of hours before and after “work.”
7:40 a.m. — A survey details public participation in the arts, with data apparently from 2017. I momentarily wonder why it took so long to compile, then move on.
7:46 a.m. — Email from an editor about an upcoming story we are working on. I reply.
7:54 a.m. — A conservative group in Olympia is pushing back on our editorial that supports bills to ban single-use plastic bags. Their response is appropriate and fair; maybe they’ll write a letter to the editor.
8 a.m. — A company that makes DIY family craft kits thinks Columbian readers would be delighted by a story about DIY family crafts.
8:08 a.m. — LinkedIn says I have 74 new updates. Sigh.
8:31 a.m. — Gov. Inslee’s press team says he has appointed a judge to the Snohomish County Superior Court. I am jealous; the Everett Herald now has a story for Thursday.
8:50 a.m. — “Invitation to Zogby Strategies Debrief of Forbes-MSNBC Poll powered by Zogby Strategies. …”
At any rate, you get the idea. So much email! And I didn’t even get any pitches to cover events happening in Vancouver, Canada. (I always wonder if the Vancouver Sun gets a lot of pitches for stuff happening on Officers Row or at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds.)
Email is a useful tool. But I wish I had less of it.
