Monthly Archives: February 2009
Washing the Newsprint off.
I’m somewhat ashamed to admit it. I haven’t subscribed to a newspaper in my adult life, except for a brief trial with the Boulder Daily Camera.
Newspapers were a part of my everyday life from a young age, thanks to my mother’s thirst for reading and politics. I read first for the comics, then for the sports, eventually to national politics and world events by the time I was an early teenager – in both the major papers such as the Chicago Tribune and small dinky local papers like the Lake Country Reporter*.
Somewhere along the way between high school and real adult life, I stopped reading newspapers other than when I was home visiting my parents. A busy schedule, a mindful eye towards conserving natural resources, and something called “the internet” made it all possible. Why read a paper that kills trees in its mass production when I could get all my news online quickly?
And so, I understand why newspapers all over the country, large and small, are dying. Denver’s Rocky Mountain News will cease production tomorrow while several others have either folded or filed for bankruptcy protection. I can go to all of my favorite papers online, even though I don’t live in the Chicago area or Wisconsin anymore. There’s CNN.com and Yahoo news, too. I’m also a huge fan of alternative weeklies, like the Boulder Weekly and Westword.
I don’t want the great papers to vanish – the Trib, or the New York Times, or the Washington Post - but it’s apparent the smaller ones are facing almost certain extinction. It’s too late to start online subscriptions, as the public has gotten too used to getting the news for free. They either need to step up online advertising or fade away. I’m not sure whether to be sad or to accept it as a sign of the times.
*If you happen to know the Distorter and you’re not my parents, please leave a comment. :)
The letter B.
George posted this letter meme, listing ten things he likes starting with a randomly chosen letter from the person who did the meme before him. I requested a letter from him afterwards, and it was the letter B.
Here we go…
Boulder – It may be 25 square miles surrounded by reality, but I love the scenic setting, the restaurants, and the shopping. I feel lucky to work somewhere not far from the Boulder Creek Path, where I can go for walks at lunch (weather permitting).
Boston – One of my favorite places to visit, full of history and close to the ocean. When I was younger, it was my dream to live there. I’ve been there three times.
Brussels sprouts – I think my mom would say that I’ve always loved ‘em. Lately, I’ve been tossing them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roasting them. Yum.
Baking – Yeah, this diabetic loves to bake, bread in particular. Though it’s been awhile since I made a cheesecake…
Bon Appetit - Best food magazine out there, in my opinion. It doesn’t talk down like Gourmet and doesn’t involve health & beauty like Cooking Light.
Bon Jovi – Yeah, I’m a fan.
Boots – And when I say boots, I mean hiking boots. I need to do more easy-to-moderate hiking. It’s about exercise, it’s about taking photographs of nature. Yeah, I like it.
Bears – Chicago Bears football, of course.
Baseball – I’m not talking about the current steroid scandal or the escalating salaries of all professional sports. I’m talking about the 80′s/early 90′s era of baseball before everything went weird with baseball. I am in possession of several hundred baseball cards from that time, most of which I should probably sell. I’m still a Cubs fan and would love them to win a World Series, but I’m not an everyday baseball fan anymore.
Benjamin – My brother. :)
Want to play along? Send me e-mail at talesofmy30s at gmail dot com and I’ll give you a letter.
