In an effort to both deal with rising costs and make sense of our subscription rates, ETS! is changing our mail subscription system starting January 1.

In the two years that we've been publishing biweekly, we've kept an odd 20 issue/40 issue structure in the hope that we might be able to return to weekly or some other more frequent publication schedule. So far, we haven't made it happen. So instead, we're moving the subscription rates to the basis of every 25/50 issues--presently, that means 1 and 2 year subscriptions, or half-year and full year if we go weekly later.

Effective with the new year, then, the subscription rates will be $24 for one year, $45 for two. This is also an increase in the per-issue cost, both because printing rates have gone up in the last two years, and because bulk-rate postage will go up (yet again) in January. Because we're committed to delivering as many free copies as we can around Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, we really, really want to avoid losing money on our paid subscriptions!

However ... the current, cheaper rates are still in effect for the month of December. So if you'd like to renew early, or give a gift that speaks truth to abusive power for the holidays, send in your subscriptions today! (The form, as usual, is on page 2. For e-mail subscribers: if you want to switch to a paper subscription or give one as a gift, visit our website at eatthestate.org for more information on how to subscribe.) And while you're in the holiday giving mood, Eat the State! t-shirts and War Resisters League "Nonviolent Victories" 2002 calendars also make fine, pointed gifts whose proceeds support ETS!: the t-shirts are $15 + $3 postage, the calendars $12 or 4/$44. (One reader bought four calendars, and liked 'em so much she then bought nine more. Guess we know Santa's politics in that house.) All this appallingly patriotic (stimulate that economy!) merchandise is at Eat the State!, PO Box 85541, Seattle WA 98145.

Or ... if you'd rather spend your money on music, ETS! has another great (and loud) benefit concert coming up this Saturday, Dec. 8. It's in Georgetown, at Industrial Coffee, 5503 Airport Way S., bus lines #60, #130. Featured bands: the Zillionaires, The Valley, Me Infecto, and St. Louis Smiles. 9 PM, $6 suggested, 21 and over (sorry!). Thanks to Brian, who booked both this show and the great Pinkos, et al. benefit last August at the late, lamented Gibsons' Bar. This should be a lot of fun, too.

Finally, we had some distribution problems with last issue due to the Independent Media Center (where most of our distributors pick up their papers) being closed over Thanksgiving weekend. It was (again) a great issue, and it's still at the IMC (1415 3rd Ave. between Pike & Union). Like all our back issues, it can also be found on the web at www.eatthestate.org.