Shades of AOL? *

Mickey Kaus found that trying to cancel an L.A. Times subscription is harder than it sounds. He also posts the kind of anecdote that should ruin the morning oatmeal of execs down at Tribune West. Meanwhile, new publisher Jeffrey M. Johnson is venturing out in public on Thursday to give his vision of the Times' future at a Biltmore lunch. The Central City Association is billing it as "his first major address to the Los Angeles community" since taking over in March—and they're charging $50 a head.

* Live on tape: LA36 will broadcast Johnson's speech at 9 pm Thursday, again Friday at 7:30 pm, and on Saturday at 6:30 pm and Sunday at 4:30 pm. I think they have it covered.