Sunday, June 13, 2004

Halfwaymark

As we approach the end June, I am also rapidly approaching the half-way mark of what is intended to be the last year that I will write my column, Caught in the 'Net.

No second thoughts as of yet. Of course the finale is still half a year away, and it probably hasn't really completely sunk in yet that I'm going to bring this to an end.

Talk to me in October and see how I'm feeling. If it's still "Full speed ahead!" on the retirement, then I guess it's a go. But if there's going to be regrets, they'll probably happen by late fall.

October will also be the date that I celebrate the 10th anniversary of Caught in the 'Net. I don't plan on trying to match the exact date of the first publication -- I'm just going to pick a day that seems convenient for me, sometime in October, and invite anyone who's ever read my column to come out and raise a glass with me.

I'm not expecting much of a turnout. But, you know, I think it's nice enough that I plan to make the gesture, y'know?

At it's peak, the column was running in five different newspapers simultaneously. And I think, over the course of it's life, it has found a home in about ten different publications (including two different newspaper here in WL, and a paper in Merritt that ran sample columns for a few weeks without permission...)

There was a time when I dreamed of syndication. I couldn't think of anything better than getting this thing into enough paying markets that all I had to do for a living was write one column a week. I mean, c'mon...could anything be better than that? You fuck around for six days out of the week, and when the seventh comes...ooh, better buckle down and write a few hundred words.

It's still an appealing idea, to be honest. Unfortunately there's sure to be at least one internet junkie in each community who's easily as qualified as I am to write a column. I've had the column advertised at the BC / Yukon Community Newspaper Association web site for a couple of years now, and haven't had a single response, so clearly papers aren't desperate to get their hands on the material.

Too bad. It'd be a nice schedule.

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