The Real Big Block of Cheese Day is Jan. 29

The West Wing fans rejoice (and Obama haters, go ahead, crack a smile this is fun): With a hat tip to both President Andrew Jackson’s 1837 1,400 pound block of cheese and to The West Wing episode in which interest groups who didn’t normally get White House access got heard, on Jan. 29, “White House officials will take to social media for a day long ‘open house’ to answer questions from everyday Americans.”

According to the White House Blog, “dozens of White House officials will take to social media for a day long ‘open house’ to answers questions from everyday Americans in real-time on Twitter,Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram and via Google+ Hangout.”

The White House announced this plan with a video starring Bradley Whiford (Josh Lyman) and Joshua Malina (Will Bailey). I was always a Sam Seaborn fan, but Josh had his boyish charm, back then.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!