There's just too much state to eat in only four pages every week. So, beginning in two weeks, ETS! goes to eight. Our ability to double our editorial output each week--and increase our print distribution around Seattle--is due in large part to an astounding and extremely generous donation from Chris Gual. In lieu of an appreciative plaque in the shadow of the flagpoles on the plaza of our new corporate headquarters, we hope to express our profound gratitude by publishing still more of the analysis of timely issues, research into what's not making the headlines (yet), attitude, and fun that so many of you have been mortified by--or enjoyed--over our first six months.

Short term, this means: a weekly letters to the editor forum (yours to us, and unpublished ones to other papers) in which we hope you'll spout off; more global and local news; more updates on ongoing stories we cover; more calendar items; more things you can do to act; comics and graphics(!); and some regular columns (including, so far, a Media Watch and Wayne Grytting's priceless American Newspeak). More of everything. It's the American Way.

However, it also means: we'll need more money. Chris's gift is wonderful, but it will run out, and more issues at double the size will roughly triple our cash needs. We want to sustain this long-term. So far ETS! has been remarkably un-mercantile in asking for donations, subscriptions, and community support. We'll need to get a bit more financial.

Mail subscription costs will be going up slightly to reflect our printing cost increase: to $16 for 6 months, $29 for a year. For double the material, we think it's worth it. And people who haven't been able to find us in bookstores every week, or who don't want 50K of material to download every week, really should subscribe. The increase isn't going into effect until April 15--so subscribe now!! (Skip the IRS; send a check to us instead.) Or renew now, or subscribe for a friend, or three or twenty. Or just send us some cash for our investigative reporting work.

ETS! also needs volunteers to help out--with fundraising, editorial work, distribution, and our Internet and Web presence. We'll be having weekly production parties Monday evenings (beginning March 24) where ETS!ers can hang out, gossip about evil corporate monsters, and fold things.

One more item: starting in the March 27 issue, I'll also write a bylined weekly political commentary column for The Stranger, Seattle's best weekly cultural & political newspaper and (I can now proclaim from the bottom of my heart) a bunch of really swell folks. The column will be similar in tone to ETS! but cover exclusively local, rather than national or global, issues.

Our expansion would be impossible without wonderful support these first six months from a whole lotta people. Thanks to all of you--all of us--and we'll do our best to uphold the confidence you put in our work.

-- Geov Parrish, Editor