A Slight Rant

As anyone who reads this blog knows, one of the integral parts of my morning always involves my reading the Washington Post in some convenient fast food place while drinking a Diet Coke, with no ice. The brand and location of the fast food place is of no consequence, as long as I can get as many free refills as my nerves (and bladder) can handle. 

Recently, though, there have been so many changes to the Washington Post that it is affecting my enjoyment of this daily ritual. They have now redesigned the paper so much that the only thing that still is the same is the font used to print the title of the paper. On Sundays, they got rid of some of the better sections (like the "Sunday Source"), and starting next week they will be discontinuing the business section (which I actually find educational), and they are dropping down to two pages of comics instead of three (which used to be four). The paper has gotten so thin that it reminds me of the newspaper that my aunt and uncle read. My paper carrier had better adjust his throwing arm accordingly so he doesn't wind up breaking a window with it.

Making matters more amusing is the fact that the price has gone up considerably. When I started buying the paper daily (back in 2000 or so), it was 25¢ a copy. I didn't bother going for home delivery because it was so inexpensive. Then in 2001 it went up to 35¢. In 2007 I decided to opt for home delivery, just in time for the price to rise to 50¢ (home delivery was 35¢). Now the price of the paper is 75¢ a copy, with home delivery being 49¢. So now it costs as much to have it on my doorstep as it did to buy it at a store a year and a half ago. So we are paying more money for a much smaller product. 

I am wondering if I should switch to the Washington Times instead. I know that it would make me a traitor to my political persuasion, but it is a cheaper paper. And I have a hard time believing it will go up in price anytime soon. The Washington Times is not motivated by the idea of making money, as is has been around for about twenty-seven years without ever turning a profit. The Moonies are publishing this paper because they believe they are on a mission from God to have a conservative paper in DC, and they are determined to keep it in existence forever, even if they have to subsidize it. 

I probably won't switch papers, but it is something to think about. 

Eric Out.