Former Daily News head ed Ron Kaye has started a blog, Ron Kaye L.A., with categories ranging from "Los Angeles" to "The Valley" (hmmm... were did he stand on that whole secession issue again?), Kaye thanks everyone at the Daily News "from telephone sales to the printing plant, from advertising, circulation and all the other business offices -- dedicated people who gave the paper character and identity."

He also notes the obvious:

The newspaper business has been tough for a long while and getting worse day by day so the stress level has been high and I can't put into words just how good it feels to be free of it, to be free to participate in civic life just as me without a formal role, to speak publicly purely in my own voice and work directly for the things I believe in.

... and expresses a bit of optimism:

I want to write from my heart and I want others to post their stories at ronkayela.com, to engage in a public conversation about who we are and what we could become if we pull together and work together for the common good.

We'll never know what that is or how to achieve it unless we talk about our experiences, our values, our needs and our aspirations. I believe with all my heart that that kind of public conversation will cut through the fog of political, media and corporate double talk and lead us to the common ground where we can start solving the problems of our community and make life better for us all.

Good luck, Ron! We'll be checking in.