So Yeah… Columns Get Cut
11April 7, 2011 by Kat Richter
One peanut butter brownie, one raspberry mocha, and one entire box of Annie’s Whole Wheat Alfredo Pasta, I’m feeling better (if a bit fat). Not only did City’s Best begin the process of giving me (and all of its other freelancers) the pink slip yesterday but I also chaperoned a field trip to the local elementary school with my preschoolers.
We visited two kindergarten classes in order to “demystify” the “real school” experience for those in our program who will be moving on next year. It was demystifying all right: no wonder north Philly is such a mess. No wonder the city ranks sixth in the nation for gun violence (and first for black homicide victims). No wonder the high school students I see on the subway have no respect for themselves or each other; I wouldn’t either if I’d gone to a school like that.
And the school we visited (with its disgusting lunch room, its dusty, overcrowded classrooms and its school nurse who may or may not be there next year depending on budget cuts) was—or so I’m told— one of the better ones.
So yeah, the fact that City’s Best will be “releasing” all of its freelancers in order to move towards a staff writer model (in response to its “integration” with Huffington Post) isn’t the end of the world. It’s the end of my column (and the end of my ability to “expense” my cocktails and late-night cab fares), but it’s certainly not the end of the world, nor is it the end of my writing career.
I’ll simply move onto something better, now that I’ve got a few more clips and the promise of a recommendation for my editor, and this time I’ll be smarter about kill fees and contracts and making myself known to those at the top so that when they haul out the “corporate guillotine” I’ll be amongst the last to go, not the first. (Thanks for that line, by the way, Rob.)
I’m not sure if my last column (scheduled to publish today) will actually run (and neither is my editor) but you can click here sometime after 3:00pm EST to see if it’s up.
Until next time, thank you all for your lovely comments yesterday (I particularly enjoyed the debate between Taylor and Nick) and thank you to my dear friend and former flat mate Florence for sending me two whole boxes of Belgian chocolate on what amounted to a rather sucky day.
I will leave you today with two photographs (an ode to Philadelphia’s Cherry Blossom Festival).
(And no, these are not Photoshopped.)
PS: I’m now doing what I should have done ages ago: reading about the Huffington Post buyout. Turns out its extremely complicated… see below (or just get ready for tomorrow’s Single Male Friday instead; it’s going to be much more fun!)
http://themoderatevoice.com/105740/shakeup-at-aol-huffington-post/
http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/Business_amp_Money_12/article_7692.shtml
My name is Kat Richter and I'm a writer, dancer and reformed serial dater. I write about relationships, travel, bargain basement fashion and the funny things I see and hear around Philadelphia. Enjoy, and remember: its not dating, its fieldwork!
Kat,
Sorry about the hijacking of your comments section yesterday (and subsequently again today), but I do appreciate the shout out!
Lastly, everyone deserves a pig-out day. My fav thing to do is to go to Cold Stone and get the Peanut butter Perfection.. It def makes life better.
I have opinoins and comments about the school system, but I will refrain from taking over your comments section for two days in a row
Not at all! I love comments. Especially well written ones
@Nick, I for one enjoyed the debate, so carry on–and German Chocolate Cake from Cold Stone is my fav! Perhaps this could be another topic for the blog, favorite ice cream and why, as we approach ice cream season
Work it into the dating scene somehow?
Glad you enjoyed it, I added more fuel to the fire today as well!
And I am deeply in love with the peanut butter and chocolate combo for some reason, they just seem to work great together. Add into it that the PB tends to give the ice cream a little more weight to it, not allowing me to eat three scoops. Im a lush and need help stepping off the proverbial ledge lol.
yep, dark choc and pb are one of my favs too…step away from the ice cream counter! And with me, it is ONLY gourmet ice cream, I have no time nor desire to waste calories on normal ice cream flavors–although Kat is a real wuss w/it comes to Cold Stone–she maxes out halfway through the serving–sheesh!
I was at LOVE park yesterday too, and heard the awesome drummers for the festival, I think they were kicking it off there as many of the festivities will be on Sakura Sunday: http://jasgp.org/cherryblossomfestival/ Fun time for any readers near Philly–
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Sorry to hear about the “release.” Sounds to me like you’re attacking it in the best way, though (with positivity, and *comfort food*!)
I think I speak for all of your readers when I say we’re looking forward to seeing you overcome it
.
Annie’s makes everything so much better. (Her soy-meatball spaghetti-o’s even make High School better.)
There needs to be a dating site specifically for Jane Austen fans, or at least 19th-century lit. fans.
Ughhhh I gave up ice cream for Lent and all this Cold Stone discussion is killing me. I love cake batter with cookie dough and Oreos. Best. Food. Ever.
Sorry to hear about your column, that really sucks. But you are doing such a great job with the blog (I really don’t know how you manage to post every day!!) and your freelancing, that I know you’ll find something else great. Good luck!
It is sad! But if it is any conselation- these photos are gorgeous!!!
Xx