11 months later.

So I had this awesome column at the Northern Star, yeah? And it was called The Fold, yeah? It ran for a few months back in 2007 and I was all, "Ohh, yeah, I have my own little column at the school newspaper, look at me, I'm the coolest guy at school!"

THEN

Then I got shitcanned for screwing off and having a personality. Tough nuts. I then actually got my job back, but quit the very next day on my own terms (think that one episode of Scrubs where Dr. Kelso is going to get forced into retirement until the whole hospital backs him up to keep his job; then, the board agrees to keep him on. This news pleases Kelso, who then quits. Yeah, it's kind of like that). I loved the Star. I loved the people there (well, most of them). But for some reason they will not hire me back. I know who is behind this. As I am not a violent person, I don't exactly have it in for them. If anything, I'd probably just kindly tap them on the shoulder and say, "Hey. Um, hey you. Yeah. What's the deal, here?" Something like that. Most of these people are probably threatened by my fun-loving demeanor and life ambitions, though. Every comment people gave me when working there was, "Oh hey, Derek, you're awesome on the keyboards! Here, take this story," or "Derek! You have amazing ideas! Can I blow you?" Relatively close to that, actually. So does my not being hired back have anything to do with being a prick? Or are these people, these good journalists/not-so-good writers, just threatened I'll take their jobs and munch on 'em? Nom nom nom!!!

But, as the story goes, I started this little blog for both shits and giggles. Looking back on it all, I've had plenty of each. This was an outlet for my more comedic side (and conversely, my less talented side). I originally wanted to save some of this writing for an online version of The Fold, which we did have talks about producing. Those talks, like much of the happenings down at the Star, fell through. Which is a shame (but didn't matter; again, shitcanned). I rolled with this project for maybe 4-5 months, these posts now serving as nothing more than a time capsule for when I was a much poorer writer and person. I called it a day in July, who knows why. Maybe I lost my funny bone along the way, maybe I ran out of things to write about; who knows. While I still write in a few spaces, it is more personal chronicling than anything. Things like the racist drivel and pea-brained "rants" I filled this up with are more prone to negative feedback and incredulous thought. That, and nothing I wrote back then was at all that funny or even worthy of posting. I did like a few of the articles, especially the exclusives I did for here, but nothing else really captured my attention. Toward the end of this site's run I just copy and pasted posts from my myspace. It was then when I knew I had to let this thing die.

Overall, I liked the idea of this. It was fun to see what whacky ideas I had in my head. Posting about clowns, a fear of animatronics, old TV shows, bad movies, and overall silliness was more than satisfying - for its time. Now, a year or so later, I'm just not that guy anymore. Much like my former colleagues at the college newspaper, I sometimes fear I will not be able to write like this anymore. Whereas most are either good at writing the funny-type article or a journalistic news story, neither can carry both cards. Many have told me, and I have sometimes felt that I can. To be daft a second, not many people at that place knew how to write outside the ascribed format. Without that inverted pyramid in their life, they didn't know where to go with a story. I read an article about the Simpsons by this guy I am pretty sure hates me (and, coincidentally, is a honcho at the paper), and it sucked. It just wasn't good. It was a dip outside his comfort zone and it showed.

Anyhow, I'd just like to thank... um, myself for all I have done. And to the three or four people that have actually read any of this, good or bad. Sometime next July or August when I actually come back to read this insane ramblings once again, I'll be sure to check out what everyone has to say. Of course, it'll end up like this...

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