The time for picnics and barbecues has arrived just as our summer fundraiser gets underway, so we thought, "Hey, let's have a picnic and roast some distinguished government officials!" Mmm-mm, the state always tastes better with barbecue sauce!

Please give generously to our fund drive! It's getting harder and harder to sustain print media as more people turn to electronic sources of news, but we think it's important to keep up a presence on the streets as well as on the internet. If you agree, help us cover our printing expenses and increased mailing costs. You can mail your check to our PO box or donate through Paypal at our website: http://eatthestate.org.

We hope to meet our $3,000 fundraising goal by our Eat the State! summer picnic on July 14 in Gasworks Park (see calendar for details). Come join us to celebrate the successful conclusion of our fund drive, as well as nearly 11 full years of eating the state. Our type of coverage is rare; please support us if you think it is well done. (So to speak.)

Speaking of rare, how much accurate and genuinely insightful coverage of Iraq do you find in the corporate media? Starting with this issue, we are starting a regular column, "This Week in Iraq," a print version of the popular commentaries heard on KEXP's Eat the Airwaves for years. It may not be good news, but it's real news.

Finally, we want to welcome our new calendar editor, Bruce Greeley. With volunteers like Bruce, as well the cool businesses that advertise with us and subscribers and supporters like you, we've been able to continue serving up our delectable buffet of news, commentary, and humor for more than a decade. Well done!