Still no concern at all expressed by the stalwart defender of journalism, journalists, Sandra Tsing Loh, and the First Amendment, the LA Press Club, on the LA Alternative Press dismissing me as a contributor for not wishing to disclose sources in a story, despite the fact that I agreed to share the names of the sources with the editor there. That's OK with me--my blog gets more hits than their whole paper's site, which is some consolation. I'm more disappointed in this fake press club for not taking more interest in issues involving local writers. That's but one reason I didn't renew my membership. (See their typical programming for other reasons).

Beyond that--any ideas on the LAAP running two nudie covers over the course of a year, yet claiming that sex ads are "beneath them"?

And hey, how come CityBeat hasn't "buried" LAAP yet, as their publisher said they would when he was trying to buy their newsstands?

It is not now, nor was it ever my intention to 'bury' the Silver Lake Press/LA Alternative Press. I don't recall ever wanting their poppy-colored news racks, although I did slavage one for them from certain doom in the #2 lane West Bound on Wilshire around Highland a few weeks back.

I wish Martin and Yvette the best.

Be sure and check out our 80 page Summer Guide this week, on newsstands now!

And get ready for "Real. Best. Los Angeles." also coming to you from the fine folks of CityBeat/ValleyBeat on July 22!

Charles Gerencser
VP-Publisher
CityBeat/ValleyBeat

Well, well, what celerity in the response. Gonna acknowledge any "pointer" on your "not to be forgotten" asterisk, Kevin?

It came in an email, like lots of other tips, reminders and pointers. Why?

Uh, not to get off-topic... the Suicide Girls already performed in Hollywood, last month at the Avalon, as an opening act for Camp Freedy. (I wrote about it for the Times and blogged about it.) As cyberstrumpets, no one can beat them, they are sexy and ballsy as hell, but live? Eh.

Is there a male version of Suicide Girls? I volunteer my services if such a thing exists.

"These womyn have all kinds of agency and they appear to be enjoying themselves at the same time," notes Regina Lark, Ph. D. and Assistant Director of the UCLA Center for the Study of Women. "They’re also quite adept at the technology that allows them to put their images on line, to webstream into their homes. And quite honestly I really applaud that kind of innovation."

Sheesh...

joseph -- As a daily reader of this site, and at least a weekly reader of yours, this is the first time I've heard you say anything specific about the conditions of your employment termination, beyond little hints dropped into long, finger-wagging instructions on how Sandra and her defenders should act. I take it that you've changed your mind about the whole, Please, start no campaigns for me. I admit--as I always do--I deserved it bit?

For what it's worth, I never heard of Joseph's LAAP dispute until he posted his comment here. And I still don't know what the dispute was (or is, if it's still going on).

Thanks for your concern Matt, and also for pointing out this dreadful character lapse. For a minute here, I thought that posting something in the marginalia of a local media website to the handful of people who read such comments was a relatively private act, directed only at people who care to read such things, and was no craven publicity stunt at all. My apologies if I befuddled you yet again by coming off as inconsistent.

Kevin, the situation between me and LAAP ran its course long ago. In some ways I wish LAAP were doing better, because they are a genuine liberal voice, but I also don't think they are very talented at the editorial level. My relationship with them was always problematic, and I was often very disappointed with the way they rewrote things.

Still, I go by what I said about Gerencser, because it was quoted to me by somebody dependable, and I believe the source. I may be mistaken in recalling that it was about newstands (it might have been about the whole LAAP), but whatever circumstances provoked it, as per the quote about "burying" the LAAP, I stand by it.

On another note, didn't Gerencser once tell Luke Ford that he had once mobilized LA Young Republicans to vote for Riordan somewhere? No crime in that, but it seems an odd thing for the publisher of an "alternative" press in this town to brag about.

True.

I worked on the first Riordan for Mayor campaign in 1993; I was impressed with Riordan after he turned Adohr Farms and Mattel around. He was a good mayor. He is a great millionaire. Not sure what type of start-up newspaper operator he'd make...

I don't recall, "bragging" about my working on his campaign. Chances are that it came up in conversation with regard to the LA Examiner, which at time of our launch in June 2003 was ‘ready to go’... we all know the story there.

Hell, in this town being a card carrying member of the GOP and having voted in almost EVERY election during the last twelve years IS alternative.

I have spent more than 1/3 of my life in the alternative press. I work sixty-hour weeks. I have been involved in starting or revamping five alternative newspapers in Southern California -- needless to say I've done more to promote/grow the alternative press than your average Joe...

Did I mention "Real. Best. Los Angeles." coming to a CityBeat or ValleyBeat newsstand near you on July 22nd?

I really hate to have to respond to Joseph’s delusional comments but I would be doing our paper and our contributors a disservice by not saying anything.

We work with many freelancers, some are good writers who understand journalism and believe in what we’re doing as a small independent paper. Others are inexperienced, trying to get a foot in the door and needing lots of guidance. Most editors know what its like to work with inexperienced writers, they miss deadlines and make tons of excuses. Joseph pitched a story that we thought would make a great cover, but he missed his deadline. He also failed to get anyone to corroborate his premise. So 2 days before going to press he claimed to be very ill and unable to find any source willing to go on the record. We had to scramble to find another cover story. That in a nutshell is Joseph’s grievance.

As for City Beat, Charles, the present publisher of City Beat has been a great colleague and very supportive of what we’re doing at LAAP. He has never said anything about burying our paper or buying our racks.

Martin Albornoz
Publisher
LA Alternative Press