I'm what they call a stringer. I don't like press conferences. I don't like hostage situations, fires, floods and presidential campaigns. That's work for the minnows, the staff writers. They follow each other around like a school of fry. I prefer working alone, being outside and breathing fresh air, looking for news tidbits, an interesting item, a bijou, something unusual, nothing too sensational, nothing too rare. The word "stringer" comes from the days when lead type ready for press was tied up with string. The longer the string, the more the stringer got paid.