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I mean, I know it'll be online - but still.

I think it's incorrect to Call Brad Zellar's piece a "Eulogy".

Taking umbrage is not the same as paying tribute.

It's sad to see the Rake print copy go.

The lovefest in the comments on Zellar's bit is touching.

@ericam - Thanks, I missed the comments.

Why do you wonder about vita.mn?

(wipes tear)

Thanks for a free print mag that was worth reading, Tom.

Thanks for another good rag, T-Bar. It will be missed.

That is funny, Matt. I'm sorry if my comments about slutty dresses sunk The Rake for good.

. . . and now the two of you have commented side-by-side on Mnspeak.

From the release:

The Rake will continue to publish online at www.rakemag.com, with its Secrets of the Day emails, event calendar, searchable restaurant database, and select blogs.

Does that mean the features and Rakish Angle are dead?

This sucks. Even though I read the online more often than the print it still sucks.

This sucks. THe Rake was always something I could count on to pick up at virtually every Minneapolis restaurant when I'm dining alone.

when I'm dining alone

No comment. Help override the transpo veto, and you'll have your share of dinner mates, Kevin.

sorry erica @ I meant I wonder how long vita.mn the rag will exist.

That's what I thought you meant, but I thought I'd ask.

does vita.mn employ reps that are independent or are they regular strib ad reps simply selling another sku?

That I don't know for sure, but I suspect it's the latter.

Thanks, for the kind word, folks. (It's a welcome change from the overwhelming negativity.)

And I assure you, we will continue online as long as you keep reading.

The final issue cover story is "Stop the Presses?"

Ouch.

With the cost savings the internet provides, is running PRINT media really worthwhile?

When the print edition was publishing = 16 employees.

No more print edition = 1 employee.

And MNSpeaker Rich Goldsmith will begin blogging for The Rake this week. Look for him here.

Sweet! I was enjoying Rich at Just Passing Through.

I enjoy the concept of Just Passing Through immensely, even if I don't always love the blogger du jour.

And what the hell ever happened to Lambert, anyway? The updates just stopped cold.

Am I completely out of touch with what Minnesotans want? Why is Brian Lambert incessantly provided high-profile venues in which to provide his "insight"? Who decreed him the official finger-on-the-pulse guy for local media? Seems to me he fails at everything he tries, but always lands on his feet.

We're still sorting out the details, so I don't want to make any promises, but we hope to keep the majority of our bloggers, and even add a few blogs to our list.

Can it be a eulogy it it's written and posted before the news of the demise? Seems to be it's more a response to news the mag is up for sale. At least before the comments.

so how long till the rake goes UGC just like this heeyah site?

Thanks for that, Champs.

when I'm dining alone

No comment. Help override the transpo veto, and you'll have your share of dinner mates, Kevin.

So are you going to line these up for me, or how's this gonna work? I like beef, chicken, breakfast foods, pastas, tacos and things with cheese. No Asian sh*t. Blech.

I was beginning to listen, until... vita.mn... whatever. If they're doing things right online, then I'm at a loss.

*Pours a facebook 40 ouncer gift in front of the Rake's website*

This if for my homies.

My fault for the 15 of 16 information misunderstanding. That's what I told Brauer. I should have been more clear. The real fact is that several of the 15 will continue working for rakemag.com in some capacity, including contributing much of the same stuff they did before the closure of the print publication. Also, some bookkeeping, data entry and sales people will definitely continue to work on a contract basis. Most of our contributors, including Britt Robson, Brad Zellar, Ann Bauer, Jeremy Iggers and others will continue without interruption. I also plan to write more myself, which I'm sure will please my critics here on mnspeak.

While I'm here, I thought of correcting a lot of misinformation that cropped up on the "Rake for Sale" thread, but if I did, it would result in the longest comment in the history of mnspeak.

I'll just touch on one in particular. The figures quoted in the "listing" in the Brauer story were wildly inaccurate. Not Brauer's fault. The lister, in addition to violating his confidentiality agreement couldn't get the numbers right either.

My favorite comment though was from the person who suggested we try to sell ads. Gee I wish I'd thought of that sooner.

I also liked the one about printing not being expensive. That was a revelation, too.

Finally, I commend to you the piece Matt called the Rake's eulogy by Brad Zellar. Zellar is just one one phenomenal writers and thinkers who have graced the Rake's pages and website. Those of you who haven't admired Yo Ivanhoe or his features over the years have missed some amazing stuff. I esteem his friendship, and that of all the other people I've worked with at The Rake, far more than any profit we ever might have made in the future or all the treasure we have lost in the past six years.

Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention, because it's so obvious to me, that Cristina, besides being a joy to work with, is an amazing talent as a creator of content and as an editor of other folks' work. That's a rare combination. It's hard for an outsider to see the amount of work she puts into our site every day. Believe me, it's a lot, and she's due all the credit for how good rakemag is.

OK, now I'm done.

It's easy to recall Tom Bartel taking such great pleasure in publicly gloating whenever he'd sign up some next laid-off local journalist, as his latest addition at The Rake.

And now the Rake ceases print publication, and becomes a shoestring-budget competitor of what? MinnPost?

Rather than pile-on any more negativity here, I'll just stop at that.

The Rake magazine was special. Thanks for all the words.

Cristina and the rakemag.com motley crew, I never left, so hello again. Hello.

Brauer, like I said, I accept the veracity of your initial statement, but to say that the source of our content is "an additive bit of info" is absolutely absurd when you're making it sound like a one-person show. And again, you're wrong about the bloggers being "way up in the air" as well. [Why do you insist on this bullshit, Brauer? I don't get it. It's this loaded attitude that gets you on those shit lists, not good journalism.] I simply thought it best to nail down all the details before shooting my mouth off. Our bloggers will include (but not necessarily be limited to) the following: Ann Bauer, Brad Zellar, Julie Caniglia, Britt Robson, Jeremy Iggers, Jimmy "Dutch" Gaines, Rich Goldsmith.

There is no "business" of anymore, and instead most are having to piece together a living instead of being able to rely on a consistent paycheck.

Is this a conversation about Unions, or are we gonna talk about developing a competitive landscape?

Sorry to interrupt all Tom Bartel's weepy good feelings for all his great writers, but for a little reality you might want to check this trackback from Minneapolisyncrasy:

"And it's sad news for a friend of mine, a (now former) Rake employee who received a whopping four days of severance pay."

It's one thing to ladel on compliments on a website, quite another to reach into your pocket and help those great employees pay their rents and feed their families until they find another job ...

To clarify, Tom B in this thread is the author of this blog.

Tom B, do you mind using your full name or a different pseudonym? Sorry to make you change, it's just causing a bit of confusion with Tom Bartel. Thanks.

As another of the (now formers) I must have been in a different office. There was no good vibe but there was weepy shit from all sides. It wasn't easy day for anyone.

As another of the (now formers) I must have been in a different office. There was no good vibe but there was weepy shit from all sides. It wasn't easy day for anyone.

-For sure. But unemployment goes beyond not having an easy day.

Cristina - I gave Tom an opportunity to tell me all that. Although it's always fun to speculate on what's in others' heads, there was "no intent to make it sound like a one-man show" - in fact, the lead paragraph in my story noted the website would continue, with blogs.

My sense was that, a few hours into the print closing, no deals had been struck or re-ups cements - true at least in the case my friend Britt Robson, who is on your list and has since said he is remaining - and Tom was being careful about precipitating any agreements with his bloggers.

So I think you're reading something in there most objective readers didn't.

Stories are snapshots in time, and facts continue to emerge. That's why I keep asking questions, and why I'm interested in the answers. I'll make sure to call you up about the blogroll - should be an interesting conversation.

I'd like to see independent rags stay in business whether it's in print or online. I've been a dedicated fan of the Rake since 2003 and I think they have a great staff. I use their website a few times a month, but it would be nice to be able to pick up their paper and browse over it while having a cup of coffee. They could have saved some money on printing costs by reducing the size of their paper and going black and white on the cover. Maybe something more like the NorthEaster or North News.

If the Rake opts for more of a social networking website, which I think they were trying to do with their Rake Raters for restaurant reviews then they will have an unlimited source of writers.

However, I can't say the same for vita.mn. Sure they have a staff of writers and designers dedicated to their online website and repurposed for print, but they're just a mouthpiece for the Star Tribune corporation targeting 18-30 year olds. They're too yuppie and artificial. Can't wait to see vita.mn go out of business.