NEW TIMES/BAD TIMES
Hell, I didn’t like it when underground became alternative...
The news was out yesterday that the long rumored a merger between the New Times corporation and Village Voice Media is a done deal, and, as of now, no one in the alternative ink business really knows what the outcome will be but many are affeared. Especially, as always, the workers being sold down the proverbial river. I think I said about all I had to say in LA CityBeat a couple of weeks ago, and I only need repeat these kind of corporate powerplays can only devalue what little resistance remains in the world print at a time of war, pestilence, global disfunction and a collapsing White House.

But shall we take this in increments?

My original diatribe stands, so far I’ve been proved right, and the piece can be read at...
http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=2698&IssueNum=122

The only thing to add is that, having written for The Village Voice for six or seven years in the days of (variously) Lester Bangs, Nat Hentoff, Stanley Crouch, Michael Musto, and Cynthia Heimel, I mourn for its debasement and wonder how any of them would fare under the New Times junta.

For the full news report try the NY Times (plus a picture that says it all)
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/business/24voice.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1130288453-UvQsChtID2CArIVXF/lH5A

or Editor & Publisher
http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001351490

And although I wonder what makes Dan Savage think New Times is in anyway anti-establishment, here’s the reaction from another independent alt weekly.
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=23784

Natalie Nichols blogs a major insight into the scumbaghood of NT fuhrer Michael Lacy...
http://hipspinster.blogspot.com/

And local reaction in LA can be found if you scroll down a bit at...
http://www.laobserved.com/

Much more will very obviously follow.

The secret word is War

CRYPTIQUE – You ultra-right gangster, you would be well advised to behave with discretion!

AND ON A HAPPIER NOTE
Here’s a killer review of my brand new CD "To The Masterlock" by asyd.
http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/1434

AND THANK HEAVENS FOR GENERAL ZOD!
http://www.zod2008.com/index.htm