It’s been a difficult few months attempting to keep enough quality content up here on HA while also contributing almost daily to Slog, especially once the election season ended. So I’m both pleased and wistful to announce that this experiment will soon be coming to a merciful end. Starting February 2, I will give up my part-time gig on Slog… and join the Stranger staff full time.
Part of what this means for HA—a blog into which I’ve invested over six years of my life—should be kinda obvious: come Feb. 2, I simply won’t be writing here much anymore, if at all. I’m working on some plans to try to keep HA going as a relevant, independent voice in the post-Goldy era, but I can’t share any details until I know them.
As for me, I know it’s the right move. The Stranger will give me a larger audience and a steady (if relatively modest) paycheck, plus, after years of toiling under the mixed blessings of my “Horse’s Ass” brand, I’m probably the only political writer in Washington state for whom the Stranger’s masthead would provide a boost in credibility. There’s a part of me that regrets giving up one of the best-read, independent state blogs in the nation to take an MSM job, but in spirit, you can’t get any less mainstream than the Stranger, and I mean, fuck… a newspaper job in this crappy, imploding newspaper market? How could I possibly turn down the opportunity? I’d have to be crazy.
Anyway, I had hoped to put a little more time and care into this announcement, but goddamn Dominic scooped me, so here it is. It’s been an absolute honor serving up dish and rants and whatnot to all of you these past six years. Well… most of you. Okay, some of you. The point is, a blog isn’t worth anything without its readers, and as bloggers go, I know that I’ve been incredibly fortunate to find such a loyal and passionate audience.
So, well, thanks.
Congrats, Goldy. HA has been a beacon, glad you could convert it into a solid job/platform.
Goldy: Thanks to you, and congratulations on joining The Stranger staff. Will follow you there. It’s been great reading this blog for the last 3-4 years, hope to continue!
That’s good Goldy. Puddy commends you on your success. Sometimes Puddy reads The Stranger when Puddy commutes on the bus. Puddy will look for your byline in the future. Maybe you can parlay some of your success into finding the dumb brick ylb a real job?
That’s so great Goldy!
This is terrific for both you AND the Stranger!!!
Yayyyyy!!!
What?
How can you sell out to the corporate media like this?
Just kidding.
Congrats
Nicely done, Goldy.
This will make The Stranger even more relevant – and it’s already the only credible paper in Seattle.
Rujax @4
OT – you know what’s funny? Puddles was over on another thread ranting and crowing that no one would dare respond to him.
Funny that…and pathetic.
That’s great news Goldy!
I have been reading your blog for years and have always enjoyed what you have to say..and reading the comments going back and forth. Plus its been fun to see the Biblical reading of the week. Congratulations on your new job and I look forward to following what you have to say in another venue. I will miss this blog… thank you for the years of great opinions!
Uhhh wrong AGAIN Lib Unscientist… only you fool!
Such a moronic twit! All the time too! You always turn a BLIND EYE to idiotic leftist behavior. So who’s the pathetic one? YOU!
Congratulations David! I have a lot of confidence in you and know you will do well. One of your assets has always been the ability to be approachable/balanced and am hoping this will not change. I remember contacting you very early on about issues related to residential construction defects (and the politics of it all) and over the years we both have learned a lot on many levels. On the other hand….I (secretly) and addictively adore the rabbit. May I have his contact info…
Nice going!
Well, we’ll all just have to read the Stranger more regularly too.
Tell people facts they don’t know, in a language they do know, it’s that simple. Plenty of people fuck that up, but enough about the Seattle Times, good luck Goldy!
Two amusing elements to this thread- Goldy referring to the Stranger as MSM and Puddy riding the bus!
Now if I could get the Tacomic in a real newspaper… that would be something
Now when you want to kiss Dan Savage’s ass you won’t have to walk as far-that’s a good thing!
Check this out:
http://tinyurl.com/dhye5k
Congrats Goldy! I’ll miss HA, but I’m happy for you.
Sweet..congrats Goldy.
I wonder how long it’ll take to identify the HA troll retards with their new handles over on Slog.
good on ya goldy.
Congratulations, Goldy. Best wishes on your new endeavor. I’ll keep reading!
Well, if The Stranger was smart it would find a way to integrate Horsesass.org into its media empire. Alas….
It’s hard to envision this blog without Goldy. That’s like The Doors without Jim Morrison. But Washington needs all of the independent news outlets it can get, so am looking forward to seeing what transpires.
Congratulations Goldie. I agree that this is great for both you and for The Stranger.
Wow, congratulations! That’s great! Er, you still gonna talk to us bloggers, now that you’ve become a filthy pro? :-)
Say it ain’t so! David, while I’m sure you’ll keep up the great work at The Stranger, I want to say that Seattle owes you a great debt for what you’ve accomplished here. For the past six years, this blog has been required reading for anyone, on left or right, who really cares about politics in our region.
Well done, Gil
Congradulations Goldy, but remember what they say “don’t quit your day job.”
Do you think Timmeh Eyman will pop by to say congratulations?
wow @16. fuck the stranger. good luck, goldy.
Great news for the Stranger …
Adding Goldy to the roster is a huge step forward.
As for HA, well … Goldy IS HA.
Maybe he can just take up the nom de plume .. HA Goldy?
so i finally scared goldberg away
Congrats Goldy! Best wishes for you, heck I might even venture over to The Stranger to see what you’re up to in the future.
The bunny files? Where is the rabbit! Trix are for kids……
Keep the Bible Study here
Congrats Goldy. It’s been a wild ride since Dec 2004 for me and the rest of us here in the comment threads. Best of luck in your new endeavor at The Stranger.
As for this blog – I’m not splittin’ this pop stand just yet. I just have that feeling that places like this often tend to get a second wind and just maybe it hasn’t yet said everything it’s needed to say. We’ll see.
Again, best wishes..
Congratulations! I hope HA keeps going strong.
Hey, good news Goldie! Congratulations and good luck!
don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out
Good Luck at the Stranger Goldie
Thanks for all the insight, Goldy, and congratulations!
Seattle’s only Newspaper. The Sound Times being a suburban operation. Good on you, and if the Times offers you more to write politics for them, take the money and join up, as long as they’ll allow your garbage-mouthed vocabulary to remain under your byline. Hafta say I thought the Cola a more likely landing, but as Dan’s broadcast familiar perhaps you’ll wind up subbing for him on the teevee spots he does. More Goldy for all!
Shit!
Congrats Goldy. I suspect this is a great move for the Stranger. I’m getting sick of seeing Savage on TV. Maybe he’ll let you fill in!?
Can we haz at least Bible Study? Pretty Please?
Best wishes on your new endeavor, Goldy.
@16: I’d forgotten Dan Savage and his liberal cruise missile antics. He should be forced to publicly read aloud that turd of an editorial each and every day.
The deep belief in American exceptionalism is, alas, not confined to the American right. Remember Scoop Jackson was deep in cahoots with those like Dikky Perle who went on to neo-con infamy.
How soon will you and Dan Savage be trumpeting the war with Iran?
Congratulations. I suspect that I will miss the HA point of view, but this is probably a move up for you.
Congratulations to you and The Stranger!
And thanks for all your work on HA. Your writing has been a public service and fun for the readers/commenters.
If you ever feel that you are constrained from saying fuck enough for proper emphasis, simply compose your piece in word with fuck liberally sprinkled throughout, and put it in HA for our instruction; and then use the edit function to delete all the fucking fucks before postiing it on fucking Slog.
If they don’t care about the fucks, fuck’em.
Somewhere, Tim Eyman is weeping…
I’m looking forward to the Goldy/Savage Love letters of the day.
Congrats Goldy
Congratulations!
Mazel tov! I’m sad to see you leaving HA (my world is shattering!) but it’s not like I won’t be reading the Stranger.
I second the idea for a Goldy/Savage Love crossover.
One column a week if that in a paper.
Hope you figure out a way to keep the blogging thing alive and not become doomed to obscurity. But congrats on the regular day job and corresponding pay check.
And always remember your audience is more than just the hipsters.
I won. I ran Goldy off his own blog.
Congratulations Goldy. Good news for you and the Stranger but I’ll miss your independent and righteous voice here at HA.
I’m looking forward however, to hearing you sub for Eli on KUOW. I can’t wait for Goldy vs Joni discussing hypocrisy at the ST.
@50 In the same sense that shit runs toilet paper off its roll.
Congratulations, Goldy!
@51
Oh I love the thought of that warming to my heart – Joni Balter is such a disappointing font of unexamined, conventional nonsense – oh please, oh please let Goldy go back on the air!
Somewhere on the Big Island, JCH has pulled Robin Masters’ Ferrari to the side of the road and is weeping right now.
Congratulations, Goldy!
Congratulations, Goldy. On the other hand, if this blog doesn’t continue, I’d better look into a rehab facility to cure me of my addiction to troll-bashing.
Joni Balter’s hubby, Tim Egan, has a piece up in the Times right now blasting 84 year old Hugh Hefner for marrying a well endowed 24 year old. i don’t know if he’s motivated by jealousy or simply doesn’t understand capitalism at its finest.
Congrats, Goldy. I’ll miss reading your thoughts under the HA masthead, but not so much that I won’t thoroughly enjoy seeing you join my favorite news crew. No doubt both outfits will be the better for it. Good luck!
HA will be missed, but congratulations Goldy.
I’ll actually start reading The Stranger again.
Congratulations, Goldy! Hope it goes well. I have it on pretty good authority that working for Dan Savage isn’t exactly all beer and skittles, but I’m sure you’re up to the challenge and that I’m not the only one looking forward to seeing your work printed in real ink on real paper.
Fuckin sellout :)
Congrats Goldy!
I predict you will be back when your journalism career fails like your talk radio career.
Goldy, you have my congrats also.
Well, I don’t post for a few months, just lurking and reading, and look what happens.
Goldy, thank you for the push to get involved in politics all those years ago. When “Brownie” uttered your blogs name at the congressional hearing I stopped listening to go see what the fuck he was talking about. I was hooked. I would still be hooked had I not been dragged (kicking and screaming inside) to Texas. You should move here. More idiots than you ever dreamed possible to write about.
Thank you for awakening me.
Carl
Goldy,
All the best from your roots in Bala Cynwyd. Have followed cosely and have admired your work from afar. Really well done.
I am certainly the last person in Seattle to have heard about this. (Now, if you happened to have been a West Seattleite, different story …) Found out from Blatherwatch, of all places, where I went only to see if they had anything on the Marty Riemer saga. Anyway, I am really sorry to see another indie leave the online-only field … but everybody with big talent deserves to be able to make a living with it, and if this is what it takes for you to be compensated for your skills, then congrats in a big way and knock ’em dead.
Crap, now I have to slog through the SLOG to get some Goldy.
You da man!