11:50 AM -- Life's a pitch, then you die. As a world-renowned journalist, I get lots of pitches -- mass mailings, actually -- from folks I've never heard of seeking publicity for things I don't usually write about. These folks are usually touting some expertise they have that will "help" me in my reporting. Of course, more often than not, they come off sounding like David Brent. Here's one pitch from this morning's mail:

Now that's good management. Or, as the great Mr. Brent once said: "When people say to me: 'Would you rather be thought of as a funny man or a great boss?' My answer's always the same: To me, they're not mutually exclusive."— Phil Harvey, News Editor, Light Reading