Congratulations to my bike-riding, Scientology-busting ex-colleague Tony Ortega, who is now the new editor of the Village Voice. This marks the fourth major cross-country move for him in the last five years or so — starting from L.A., then Phoenix, Kansas City, Palm Beach, and now NYC.
And I think it’s okay to announce now that I am going to be a staff writer at the OC Weekly, headquartered in Santa Ana. This new job entails more of a focus on feature/cover stories than film reviews, but I have no intention of completely abandoning the latter.
So if anyone has any tips on weird things going on in OC, I want to know about it.
CONGRADULATION’S!!!!!!!!
LYT.
MarioGeorgeNitrini111
mariogeorgenitrini111
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The OJ Simpson Case
DId you get the list Julie and I put together, not the long one but the short one? I asked you twice if you received it. :: insert imaginary mildly grumpy emoticon here ::
Holy shit – TonyO’s running the Voice. That’s just beautiful…
Congrats on the OC job, Luke. Enjoy it…
That’s great news, Luke! Don’t disappear behind the orange curtain forever…
cool! congratulations!
Hey! Congrats BUT NOT REALLY!! Have you read ANYTHING AT ALL about what your corporate masters have done? For those who don’t know, the OC WEEKLY was an excellent little paper ’til the jerks you work for got a hold of it.
Pick up an older copy when you get there, if they haven’t thrown them all out! Check out Commie Girl and some of the work by others that have left.
You are moving to SO Cal to be a corporate shill for a bunch of posers who think they can pull the sort of shit they’ve pulled and slide on by unnoticed – NOT!
Possibly your first article could interview your bosses and explain their decision making process for the readers – oops! I forgot – I don’t read that rag anymore! HAVE SOME PRINCIPLES, STAY HOME IN wASHINGTON!!
Congrats, Luke…this is fabulous.
john h: Try Midol.
CAPITOL LETTERS and exclamation marks!!!!! make for the WORST point-making possible, dear john; you might go back to your favorite band’s message board or your buddy’s myspace blog for the great insights you desire.
I have to admit though, I’m curious what is meant by “STAY HOME IN wASHINGTON”? It has all the makings of a great, inexplicable catch phrase.
I suspect our friend John read the inbound link very broadly:
“OC Weekly staffers learned about their new music editor from The Stranger in Seattle. Luke Y. Thompson announced he’s headed to the OC as well.”
hey dipshits
does all small letters make it better? joke and slam my writing as you wish, it doesn’t change the fact the OC Weekly is a shadow of itself. Time will tell. The fact that the people who’ve left were recognized by their peers on a national level yet chose to leave the OC says it all. What exactly is independent or alt-journalism all about anyway if this is what the bosses do to the staff?
Google LA Observed and search Commie Girl or OC Weekly for the bigger picture.
Why would I google “Commie Girl”…when anyone who reads this site regularly knows that Rebecca Schoekopf has actually posted here a few times?
Also I’m not from Washington, and have been employed by New Times/VVM for 8 years. Do try to keep up.
“WHAT” is justin stone’s “PROBLEM” With Capital Letters…..
And “EXCLAMATION” Marks>>>>>>>>>>>>>!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL!!!
harryOGmartini181
HarryOriginalGangstaMartini181
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The JonBenet Ramsey Case
Hey LYT,
I thought “I” have the “LEAD” on “CAPITOLIZATION.”>>>>>>LOL
Congradulations again on your new job for OC Weekly.
MarioGeorgeNitrini111
mariogeorgenitrini111
____________________________
The OJ Simpson Case
PS,,,,,,,,,,now that you’re becoming “FAMOUS,” be prepared for troll trash like john h. And Midol would be a good start for johnny boy.
Amy, people have really strong feelings about the OC Weekly and what New Times has done to it. It doesn’t (necessarily) mean they’re on the rag.
Becca
does all small letters make it better?
A little easier on the eyes, perhaps, and it puts me in a bukowski poetic reverie.
John, i was just yanking yr chain. I am not an OC Weekly reader, but in a general sense I understand your concerns about the corporatization of all media outlets. But Luke’s just a fella with a job, and he’s lucky he’s got it. He’s been slammed here many times in the past for being part of New Times/VVM so we’ve seen it all before.
Long live Commie Girl.
Hey, great news, congratulations!
Congratulations, Luke. Good for you and, lucky them x
Ok, I was gonna just fade away, I’m not relly here to engage in long term pissing contests, I just think it’s crap to work for a rag that’s so co-opted and has shafted it’s folks and staff so badly. I had no intention of comming back to post ’til I opened up LA Observed today and low and behold… another long time staffer, currently the interim editor of all people, has quit the paper! Below is the item lifted off the LAO site. Hmmmm… I may not be the best visitor to your site, but I really do think I’m spot on about OC Weekly and its owners. And sadly, I’m afraid that does make you a schill for a bunch of corporate hacks. Be sure to drop me a line the next time Rebecca posts on your site… I kinda think it’ll be a long time coming.
From: Steve Lowery
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2007 11:46:15 -0800
To: OC Everyone
Conversation: See Ya
Subject: See Ya
Hey Everyone,
Just wanted to let everyone know that I’ve just tendered my resignation, effective immediately (heheheh, tendered). I hope you know how much you all mean to me, how proud I’ve been to serve with you and how proud I am of the great work we’ve done together: the crooked politicians we’ve nailed, the innocent people we’ve defended and gotten out of jail, the tranny hookers we’ve got laid. That’s God’s work my friend and never forget it. OK, I’m gone, I know I’ll see you all around, until then Best Friends Forever, Have a Bitchen Summer, Class of ‘79 Rules.
Steve
Okay, I’m a corporate shill. Considering I’ve been drawing paychecks from the same corporation for 8 years, I think you’d have to assume I’m at peace with it. But you don’t seem to know anything about me; you followed this link simply to spout off about my employers.
Working for a “corporation” isn’t your problem here; the OC Weekly was owned by another corporation before. You just don’t happen to like this one.
Who do you work for, John?
I don’t know why Steve left and neither do you.
Let me just say this again LYT:
CONGRADULATION’S on your new job at OC Weekly.
MarioGeorgeNitrini111
mariogeorgenitrini111
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The OJ Simpson Case
Luke
OK, you’re right, I did come here to ha-rang you about your OC Weekly job for just the reason you said – I don’t like the corporation that has taken over ownership of the OC, along with a number of other “alt-independents”.
You know, taking a bit of a sidebar here, a little research on the web will show you that what has happened at the OC has happened at many, but not all, of the other papers in the chain (alternative weeklies, I believe is the term). There was one notable exception, down south somewhere as I recall. I read the comments quoting the editor of that particular paper and it was pretty clear that the terms “left”, “liberal” and “free thinking” really weren’t that familiar to her.
I mentioned my dislike for your employers – yes it is specific, and for a very good reason, an obvious one I’d expect you to have seen, or possibly you’re just in denial about it : your employers aren’t interested in free anything, whether it’s speech or press.
They have a single, solitary interest in ownership: Profits.
The previous owners, I’m sure they liked profit too, but they also had another ingredient yours seem to be missing: Integrity. They allowed and encouraged creativity and quality journalism and we, the readers, were rewarded with a great local paper.
You have, as you stated, been employed for 8 years with these people (I’m not sure if that’s with the old good guys and you’ve transitioned along with everyone else or you’ve always been with the new posers) and yes, you’re obviously at peace with it. But therein lays the issue for me: you don’t seem to care, or should I say, wish to acknowledge, the current state of affairs at the OC. I really liked to read that paper and I liked what they said. Now I’m stuck with a limp-ass rag that I don’t look at twice and to make matters worse, you and your “ I don’t care about ethics or journalism, I just want a paycheck” attitude have arrived. Why shouldn’t I take a shot at this sort of crap?
Lastly, and truthfully, the real reason I returned was to pass on that, following my post earlier today, (and excuse the caps here, I know it’s wrong)
YET ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER REDIGNED FROM THE OC WEEKLY TODAY!
This time it’s Theo Douglas, the features editor. His letter, also lifted from LAO, is pasted below.
In light of your closing comment, that neither of us knows why Steve Lowery left, don’t you think you sound just a bit lame given the evidence in front of us? I mean, truly, we’re bordering on the concept of empirical evidence here. Prima facie is another term that comes to mind!
From: Theo Douglas
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2007 14:19:53 -0800
To: OC Everyone
Conversation: I am resigning from OC Weekly
Subject: I am resigning from OC Weekly
Hello, everyone,
I am resigning my position as Feature Editor here at OC Weekly effective March 23.
And I want you all to know how much I’ve enjoyed my three years working here. It’s been one of the best jobs I’ve ever had.
I believe I am a smarter person and a better writer and editor today for it—and I’m not just saying that. I believe it! (For what that’s worth.)
For this, I give you and everyone else here my sincere thanks. (And huge thanks to a bunch of folks who aren’t here any more, too. We know who they are.)
Good luck to everyone at Village Voice Media. I’ll see you all around, of course.
Cheers,
Theo Douglas
Finally, to be forthright and honest to your question of who I work for, I work for a huge, major, world wide oil company. I know right now that the dim little lights are going off in your head and that of your readers here: gas is $3 per gallon!!, money grubbers, etc.., but let me stop and give you two story ideas. (these aren’t musically related, but given the staff departures, I truly believe you could arrive as the editor in chief!).
First, let’s do a story about America’s being up in arms about gas prices yet willing to schlep into Starbucks every morning to buy coffee at a price well in excess of 10 dollars per gallon – and it’s just water and ground up beans!
Secondly, let’s do the math and investigate the alternative fuel industry’s issues with supply and demand – by that I mean that that the place I work turns out a quarter million barrels (that’s barrels, not gallons) of gas a day, 250,000+, and we sell every drop to folks just like you. Furthermore, we are only one of many refineries here in So Cal turning out the stuff – so here’s the angle on your story – how can alt-fuels ever have a future if you can’t possibly make enough of it, in large enough quantities, to replace the fuels currently used? Sure it’s great publicity for some yuppie star to own one of these wonder cars, but what if everyone lined up and got one? (The tease line for your story could contrast this apparent anomaly with Al Gore’s mansion having a $20,000 a month electric bill – true, really – I read it on Drudge)
I honestly just wanted to post about this last, unfortunate departure, but I really felt that your comments deserved a response. And, at the end of the day, that really is the issue for me here – people doing a great job, producing an absolutely fantastic local paper get shafted.
I know, I know – you’re OK with it.
As I said, call me when Rebecca posts.
John
John, I typed out several responses but ultimately decided it wasn’t worth it. You don’t know me; I’m a straw man to you.
Questioning my journalistic ethics? Don’t do that again, without proof.
As for Rebecca posting, look upwards in this very thread.
John, one small note. It is interesting that you segue a kind of edgy, enlightened pov regarding your favored media into a defense of the oil industry (!!!) using as one of two major arguments this rationale:
[Americans are] willing to schlep into Starbucks every morning to buy coffee at a price well in excess of 10 dollars per gallon…
Who is breathing the rarified air here? The reality you describe is simply not the reality of most working Americans. I think you’ve been in the OC too long. As you attack New Times and this whole paradigm (and I’m not defending New Times, not by a long shot) you reveal yourself to be one of these upper-middle class self-glad-handing slickos caught up in one fine ideological battle while having already tossed in the towel on other, equally important battles. In short, you are not salt of earth. You are probably a decent enough fella, but why are you so concerned here with casting stones? I know it’s easy to caught up on the internet justifying and re-justifying and not being able to get to sleep and then re-justifying all over again. I think you’re wound up, and you’re caught in the same trap many of us are.
John h? You say this:
“The previous owners, I’m sure they liked profit too, but they also had another ingredient yours seem to be missing: Integrity.”
John h? Who are you trying to fool? I tried several times in the past to try and get someone at OC Weekly to investigate “ALL” the illegal corruption and deeds by certain Law Enforcement people that went on in The OJ Simpson Case and Saga, and, “ALL” the Illegal cover-up that went on by OJ Simpson’s side concerning Rocky Bateman and The Limo Company in The OJ Simpson Case and Saga. And what did I get from OC Weekly’s past owners (with integrity?) along with certain people who have quit OC WEEKLY (just because of new ownership)? MORE COVER-UP……… This is the true description of the old owners and the people who have quit OC Weekly just because of new ownership:
GUTLESS COWARDS………………..
MarioGeorgeNitrini111
mariogeorgenitrini111
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The OJ Simpson Case