Bill Schmalfeldt is bragging that he’s now a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. I presume that means that he went to our website, ticked the right boxes on the online form, and paid his $75 dues.

In a few years, his dues will be cut in half to the rate I pay as an “Over 62 Retired Member.”Yawn.

UPDATE—Apparently, the Cabin Boy has his panties in a knot because I’m a member of SPJ.A [redacted] fraud? Oh, come now! I presume that we were both are currently qualified for membership under the same standards, and I’m at a loss to understand why the date I joined (or rejoined, as the case may be) is of any relevance to qualification for membership. Basically, anyone who will say that he spends half-time or more doing something related to “journalism,” who is retired from doing such work, or who is studying to do such work and who pays the appropriate dues may be a member. There’s no background check or letters of recommendation required.

I was a working journalist doing broadcast news before Bill Schmalfeldt got to high school. I’m doing it again (part time) as a blogger. In between, I’ve had a career as a soldier, an engineer, and a businessman.

The Cabin Boy did get one thing right.There’s no way I’d waste good money just to pull his chain.