{Volume I, Issue V}
the {warehouse} magazine is a voice. It is an avenue for expression. It is a social conscience. Reminiscent of the counterculture movements of the turbulent sixties or the beat poets who inspired a generation, our soul is rooted in a dedication to social activism and cultural awareness.
Clamour is an important issue for the {warehouse} magazine, and our readers, as we continue to define our identity and purpose in the urban community. the warehouse is {re}defining the political magazine and you will see demonstrations of this collective effort explored in topics spanning from the playful to the profound.
Our fifth issue is fittingly devoted to the belief in raising our voice or, when appropriate, pen to the injustices we observe in our communities, and beyond. A community is defined by its symbols. There is no better representative of a community than the ‘mom and pop’ establishments that bear the legacies of its inhabitants. It is said Home is where the heart is; and there is no better example of this idiom than La Maison du Parmesan.
Corporatization threatens the sustainability of family establishments such as these. At the epicenter of a multicultural metropolis, we often find ourselves having to shelter our communal individuality from assimilationist incursions by cookie cutter corporations like Astral Media, whose recent acquisition of Mix96 and rebranding as Virgin Radio has all but spelled the demise of whatever distinctive local character that radio station upheld.
While the corporatization of our community institutions is by no means a recent phenomenon, it is an ever-expanding epidemic. Consider this, how many city blocks can you traverse before encountering a Starbucks Coffee Shop or McDonald’s fast food chain? These neo-imperialist, supersized corporations are destroying the idiosyncratic charms that nurture cultural identities, which are becoming all the more problematic to guard from the seemingly insatiable consumption of globalization.
Our community must take a stand for what is most precious before Dingo and the Baby announce in fitting carnival fashion that it is a McStarMart world after all. {w}
/// {voice} of the urban community ///
the {warehouse} magazine would encourage its community of readers to share commentary about articles read in this magazine - or elsewhere - and observations about the {insert adjectives here} world we live in.
This is YOUR platform. So be sure to read out {LOUD}.
