[...] waiting for Congress to vote for a bail-out for the Jackson Estate. It’s been estimated that he owes between 400 to 500 million dollars to [...]

A few weeks ago I met a magazine publisher. We spoke about the future of publishing and the web. It was an interesting discussion because he knew a lot about publishing and I knew a lot about the Internet.

At one point he asked me what magazines and newspapers I subscribed to. I thought for a moment and had to admit that the only magazine I read is Wired magazine which I buy at a newsstand every month. Then he asked me where I got my news from and I explained that I am subscribed to several local and global news sources online. Did I pay for any of these, was his next question. No, I didn’t, I answered. He smiled, and said:

“Don’t you feel guilty for getting all that content without paying for it?”

Of course I explained to him that I didn’t and that although I didn’t actually transfer money to any of these sources I did pay with my attention to their advertisements and that I might even, at one point, consider paying a fee for certain content.

Although the discussion moved on after that the ‘guilty’ question kept lingering in the back of my mind. Somehow I couldn’t find a satisfactory answer. In his line of thought I was guilty of the demise of the newspaper industry, and I had admitted as much. It is all my fault.

Wait. How the hell will the illegal aliens make pinata’s with only mache in Mass? Oh wait, I guess they can make them the old fashion way with straw and mud, or clay, or even better make it the American way, just buy the damn thing. Nevermind.

At least when you use the Huffington Post as toilet paper, you don’t get red ink all over your ass.

Where will Boston get its news about gay marriage or Ted Kennedy if the Globe goes under?

Save the trust fund hacks pretending to be journalists, I mean fine reporters who grew up in a blue-collar household!

You got it, let ‘em burn, baby. That’s all the use *I* have for a newspaper – campfire starter.

Better start stocking up on them, before the economy tanks and we’re all living in the dark….