It's been three weeks since Window Media closed the Washington Blade, destroying a community institution and throwing my life into turmoil.
The ensuing days and weeks have been
a whirlwind of activity. You'll recall that many Blade employees banded together after the publication's closure to start
DC Agenda, which we're billing as the LGBTQ Community's News Source. (A side note to the Q crowd: You can thank me for the recognition. I've pushed hard to make you part of this venture.) Our first issue, which was eight pages, was easily trumped by our second issue, totaling a robust 20 pages.
The community and advertiser support we've received these last few weeks has been nothing less than amazing. That so many people have done so much to help DC Agenda is the main reason we've been so successful. Such assistance helped us this week return to newsprint and produce our largest issue yet: 40 pages. Sporting an entirely new design, the issue was very well received and helped differentiate us from our former brand — one that's now tarnished by bankruptcy proceedings.
As we move full speed ahead on our fourth issue, we're starting to get ourselves stabilized in other ways. Lynne Brown, the DC Agenda publisher, has been working hard to make initial equipment purchases and secure office space. This means our esteemed art director, Rob Boeger, no longer needs assemble each issue on his overburdened MacBook laptop. It also means that we again will soon have a place to call home. We hope to soon furnish our barren offices above the Results Gym on U Street with desks, chairs, phones and other business essentials. These things must come in stages as we receive advertiser revenue and
gifts from supporters, but they are coming.
Sooner rather than later we'll be seeing our business cards, a milestone that reflects mixed developments. For example, I'm sad that two members of the Blade newsroom won't be part of DC Agenda. I'll miss
Amy Cavanaugh and
Rebecca Armendariz, but understand their situations. On the other hand, I'm heartened that my supervisor, Editor Kevin Naff, has seen fit to promote me. The title
News & Multimedia Editor now precedes my name. It's a heartening recognition of the work I did in the Blade newsroom — and the early plans I have for DC Agenda's future.
Of course, at this stage, such rewards are among the few quantifiable compensations we can receive. I and all other DC Agenda staffers continue to work as volunteers, primarily conducting business on our cell phones from our homes as the business is formally established. It's unclear when the first DC Agenda paychecks might be distributed. Heck, it's unclear when the first DC Agenda visitor might be received. This effort represents a massive leap of faith among the many people involved. But as Lynne said during our first meeting at the new offices: "Failure is not an option."
I want to thank my family members and friends who have supported me during these last three, tumultuous weeks. I'm sorry that I can't speak with you more often and that it takes me so long to respond to your messages. Know that your support keeps my spirits high and my mind calm. Thank you.
…and to all, a good night.
ThinkGeek just posted these awesome things!
Snowpocalypse, also known as snOMG and other amusing phrases on Twitter, has begun for the D.C. area.
This sounds like a great event - wish I could attend! Passing along the info for others who might be interested.
Building on the success of its newly rebooted "G.I. Joe" comics line, publisher IDW is conducting a very interesting experiment. The company is going to offer an alternative title resuming the original G.I. Joe vs. Cobra story that Marvel Comics halted in December 1994 with Issue 155. For its contribution to Free Comic Book Day, IDW is publishing Issue 155.5, which leads directly into the Issue 156 relaunch.
In case I've left you with the impression that we're too busy at DC Agenda to laugh, rest assured we've still got our senses of humor. This picture, taken the night we wrapped our first issue, shows Editor Kevin Naff (sitting) and Art Director Rob Boeger (standing) enjoying my antics.
My bank informed me yesterday that despite their earlier threats to reject my unemployment pay — simply because my account number was preceded by five zeroes — the weekly deposits would be processed. This came after the D.C. Department of Employment Services made it clear there was little they could do to help the situation. I thank city department officials for responding so quickly to my situation. I also thank my bank for understanding there's nothing I or D.C. officials can do to change the situation. My bank is thus planning to manually enter each of my unemployment pay transactions. I appreciate that extra effort on their part.
That was one mighty impressive lifeline the D.C. Department of Employment Services threw me. Now if I could just get my bank to be similarly responsive.
That's right. My bank is telling me that my unemployment pay "will be returned" unless D.C. government offices can abide by certain bank rules. What rules, you ask? The rules that say you can't arbitrarily put five zeroes in front of my account number. (That's what the Department of Employment Services did in establishing the direct deposit link I requested.) This is apparently enough to confuse my bank's automated system and means a staffer has to manually enter the transaction. So it needs to be fixed. Now. Or else I don't get my unemployment pay.
As we move full speed ahead on our fourth issue, we're starting to get ourselves stabilized in other ways. Lynne Brown, the DC Agenda publisher, has been working hard to make initial equipment purchases and secure office space. This means our esteemed art director, Rob Boeger, no longer needs assemble each issue on his overburdened MacBook laptop. It also means that we again will soon have a place to call home. We hope to soon furnish our barren offices above the Results Gym on U Street with desks, chairs, phones and other business essentials. These things must come in stages as we receive advertiser revenue and gifts from supporters, but they are coming.
Sooner rather than later we'll be seeing our business cards, a milestone that reflects mixed developments. For example, I'm sad that two members of the Blade newsroom won't be part of DC Agenda. I'll miss Amy Cavanaugh and Rebecca Armendariz, but understand their situations. On the other hand, I'm heartened that my supervisor, Editor Kevin Naff, has seen fit to promote me. The title News & Multimedia Editor now precedes my name. It's a heartening recognition of the work I did in the Blade newsroom — and the early plans I have for DC Agenda's future.
Slim Fast — yes, I drink Slim Fast — is recalling all its canned drinks. Apparently, a few people contracted brief bouts of food poisoning after drinking the product, so out of "an abundance of caution," the company is recalling all its canned drinks. If you have any at home, the company is advising you to discard the cans and contact them for a refund.
