ATL Idol: Alex’s Farewell
[Ed. note: This is the farewell post of ALEX, who was recently eliminated from ATL Idol, the “reality blogging” competition that will determine ATL’s next editor. It is marked with Alex’s avatar (at right).]
Farewell, all. And thank you for everything — the support and the criticism.
This is a bitter-sweet moment. I was excited about the possibility of becoming the new editor, but I was also terrified.
There are minutes every hour where I enjoy being a lawyer, but usually I spend my time daydreaming about doing something else. Those daydreams, however, never entail an honest appraisal of the difficulties that confront every job, even the cool-sounding ones. So, naturally, when I read that ATL was looking for a new editor, I jumped at the chance. No hesitation.
I envisioned myself writing bon mots to an adoring audience of thousands, rarely taking more than a few hours out of each day to “work.” Tom Goldstein would invite me to his notorious sex parties, and MSNBC and Fox News would fight over having me on as a guest. Of course I wanted to be the new editor.
Blogging, however, is hard. Research, writing, deadlines, criticism. These were familiar stressors in unfamiliar waters. I felt like a first-year associate again. Sure, I would have improved, but blogging would have never been the cure to what ails me.
So I’ll continue to daydream and plot and scheme from the relative safety of my little biglaw office. I’ll leave the blogging to the pros. Good luck, Sophist and F&D.
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Comments
I GOT DA BOOTY JUICE!
I AM FIRST. UNFRICKINBELEIVABLE!!!!!!
THIS IS WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT SUCKAS!!!!!!!!!
EVERYBODY DANCE NOW!
BAAA BA BA BA BAAAA, BA BAAAA BA BA
TO THE LEFT, TO THE LEFT.
-BEYONCE.
good post
Oh 2, you are so funny!
Also, yet again we see more humor in the farewell!
This is getting sad. It seems we keep getting rid of the good ones.
Except for Marin. Her farewell was spiteful and wicked.
You had my vote Week 1, but stunk it up this week. Sorry dude.
Allrite now were gonna do the basic steps
To the left,
take it back now y'all
one hop this time
right foot let stomp
left foot let stomp
cha cha real smooth
-MR CHEEKS
Unsolicited advice to Alex,
Leave BigLaw now, and don't look back. You've done your time. But, don't leave the law.
Your mentor,
An AUSA.
Nice post, Alex. Appreciated your candor and truth, and wish you the very best. You seem like a great person.
Good luck dude.
Alex, if you have a blog, I would probably read it. Will Lat let you have a plug?
Best of luck, Alex.
Alex seems like a really nice guy. That might be his underlying problem - he might be a little too kind and earnest to be a good EIC here. He might be someone readers would want to have a beer with, more than someone whose blog we want to read.
I wish him all the best though. And yeah, agree with #10, if he is tired of biglaw, he definitely should give government service a try.
"Bittersweet" has no hyphen.
Get it together, people. This is not a charade. Try again.
Hey, I got news for you buddy, you're not "leav[ing] the blogging to the pros," you've been forced to leave blogging by the readers. Don't pretend after you've lost that you wanted to lose the whole time.
"Tom Goldstein would invite me to his notorious sex parties . . . ."
Thanks for that image, Alex. just what I needed to hear this afternoon.
It takes a big man to cry.
It takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.
What is the salary of an ATL editor, anyways?
"Don't pretend after you've lost that you wanted to lose the whole time."
You accuse him of sour grapes, when, in fact, he's admitting unreachable grapes. This is wrong.
Goodbye, Alex. I wish you hadn't gotten lost in the anti-Marin shuffle.
Alex,
Good things come to those who wait. But such things are the leftovers of those who hustle.
So leave BIGLAW or quit complaining.
Your welcome.
11 through 15 = Alex
Alex--you were the small town favorite.
Good luck.
good post. sorry to see you go. good luck.
what's this about tom goldstein throwing sex parties?
Great post. Good luck Alex!
Yeah. You were my favorite here. Your bio was great and intriguing. I'd read your blog if you had came up with one. Best of luck.
Alex, you'll be missed. You were the best writer of the bunch.
Btw...I hear Nina's sex parties are pretty awesome too. Monkeys n' sh*t.
Dignified farewell post. Good luck to you Alex; you seem like a great guy. You sound very sincere and I wish you the best in everything.
ps. Guys, I am NOT Alex; I'm just an average ATL reader who appreciates candor and self-respect.
Come on, Alex, confirm my Vanderbilt alum suspicions. You sound too damn classy and easy-going (and you refer too often to the "top 15") for this not to be true.
Alex, you SUCK!!!! Don't let the back door hit you in the ass on your way out. Good riddance to the worst contestant since Arnie.
good post. well done.
I agree with 30.
But 30, you are not "just an average ATL reader." For examples of more typical ATL readers, see 16 (""Bittersweet" has no hyphen," "get it together people"), 17 ("you've been forced to leave blogging by the readers"), and 32 ("don't let the back door hit you in the ass").
Damn. They only get good when we fire them. '
Cept for Marin, natch.
lol @ 34. I didn't mean "typical ATL reader," but point well taken.
-30
He went to University of Chicago, assholes. 'Dirt in the midwest'...read between the lines.
Alex, you were easily the worst contestant. I can't fathom the fact that anyone voted for you at all. Don't come back.
38, is incorrect. Alex, your posts were excellent. Far better than Frolic and Detour and her snide liberalness. Very funny and classy farewell.
38, is incorrect. Alex, your posts were excellent. Far better than Frolic and Detour and her snide liberalness. Very funny and classy farewell.
Alex, we hardly knew ye.
[The foregoing was written by Ari Covair. It is marked with Ari Covair's avatar (at left).]
39/40 (Alex), 38 asked you not to come back.
I think he went to Georgetown.
Alex, you were the suckiest sucker who ever sucked.
30=Alex
:-)
7 (and possibly others, I can't be bothered to read them all) has a stupid case of buyer's remorse. Alex offered nothing here to indicate he'd be a worthy contributor to ATL. Nice guy, but he isn't snarky or witty by nature.
45,
30 is not Alex silly!
I am 30, so I know this.
The average reader does not equal the average poster.
Ari Corvair, you cocksucker, take that ugly picture of your ugly assmug down off the internets and go back to trolling AARP meetings for blind windows. Fucking herp-blotch of a worthless self-absorbed commenter.
I second your guess #43. "nice" + humorless = GULC
Classy exit Alex.
Commenting on the "exit" of a wannabe (talentless) editor of a piece of garbage website like this = TTT.
I'm glad he's out of here.
Dear 52 + 53:
No class whatsoever.
Alex, real proud of you, buddy. You did a great job in the competition and exited gracefully. Perhaps a "contributing blogger" position is in your future. I anxiously await the fruits of your next daydream.
So let's start another OCI thread. I have bladder issues, and I don't like to wear my Depends with a suit because it makes me look like a big baby. Plus it makes a swishing sound when I walk, which I hate having to explain away. If I pee my pants during an interview, should I acknowledge it mid-stream (no pun intended) or should I act like nothing happened? Thanks.
-Scared to pee