Rhino's Ramblings - A Summer Off

By Robert Thomas Opinion/Commentary

“So where have you been?” is a question I have been receiving a lot over the last couple of weeks as MJ Independent has cut down on our coverage for the summer months.

The reason for the reduction in coverage is not because there are not stories to be covered but rather the opposite

There are just too many of them. Too many which require more care and research other than slap them on the back and send them off to the readers.

So I need time to read, research and interview on.

Time likely, in today's world of journalism, there simply isn’t the time to research.

But nevertheless I have seen myself reading reports not a dozen pages long but rather dozens or even hundreds of pages long.

And no the rumours I have been hiding out are the furthest from the truth. I am just putting the time in to get some personal stuff done on my yard and finishing up a massive amount of paperwork that has built up the last few years.

All to understand a few stories I am working on.

Time and money wise economically it does not make any sense. But as I said it does to someone so I am taking the time to do it.

Additionally I am doing some much needed work around my yard.

Do I have the body to do the work?

No, not at all but I go out everyday for a good hour to try and make some progress.

Progress is difficult when you suffer from heart disease and a host of other serious ailments.

I keep getting asked if I want to hire a particular company to come in and do it, but as I said I soldier on.

And without owning a truck that weekly garbage pickup sure does come in handy as rarely is my bin not full with stuff from around the yard.

This week I was out picking sour cherries and then cleaning them as I froze them for ready made tart filling this winter.

Yeah I do know how to bake.

On a journalistic front I am once again receiving calls from people - one as far away as PEI - asking me to do an investigative story on issues that effect them.

Of course I have to turn them down as they are just too far away and I simply don’t have the time.

I ask why their local media are unwilling to handle it and the response I receive nine out of ten times is the story is just too complicated and labour intensive.

I always wish them well as I tell them I am unfortunately solidly booked until the new year with investigative pieces that I have either started or promised people to take a look at.

There is just so much out there that in a TV world with hundreds of channels nobody has the time and most importantly money to look at.

As for me I can tell you I am busy working on likely the most complicated FOI I have ever requested.

There is a ton of research and interviewing that is going to have to go into this one.

Then people ask me what about Ukraine?

And my response is usually rhetorical.

And yes I am going back.

Did people actually think I was done there? No, not by a long shot.

I still need to go and likely be killed before I get done what I set out so long ago to accomplish.

Despite what most people think I only left Ukraine because I was on the run with the Russians closing in. That is the furthest thing from the truth.

I really only left because my friends I Ukraine could no longer protect me.

And if anything happened to me it would come back on them. So I had no choice but to leave.

I can make my own choices in life but when they will have serious detrimental effects on some really good friends it is just time to go.

And yes, during the past few months I have slowly been getting ready and retooling for a return trip which will have no impact on them.

This time around I’m seriously doubting I will be posting any stories although I am likely to be out there making full use of my media accreditations. Believe it or not I have more access abroad than I have in Moose Jaw.

With that though the time I am taking off is all about re-tooling, rejuvenating, reassessing and finally re-entering providing to you the readers of MJ Independent a decent alternative media site where we tackle the stories big or small in our own unique manner.

Girls minor hockey is on the chopping block as a cost saving measure but we are planning to replace the sports coverage with something else. Something someone asked for us to produce instead of what was for me a great time out at the various rinks in the province.

With that said there are a few more intense stories set to come out during the rest of the summer - there is no aim at this time to produce the 65 plus stories we put out in May and June.

And all I can say is please stay tuned and enjoy the sunshine.