Breaking News: Newspapers Not Dead Yet

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On a recent Starbucks run in Lexington MA, I parked near a line of newspaper boxes along Massachusetts Avenue, the main drag through this posh suburban town west of Boston, where property values are sky-high.

In Boston and in most of its surrounding communities, newspaper boxes have pretty much fallen into disrepair or been removed as eyesores because of the steep and continuing decline in sales of print-edition newspapers. And in fact, the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald are both long gone from this location.

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What's selling here is Chinese newspapers. In my short time in the parking lot, three different elderly Asian men walked up to the boxes and purchased newspapers, reflecting the dramatic increase in young Asian homeowners in Lexington - two-income couples with high tech jobs, with kids - who have brought Mom and Dad over to live with them. And their newspapers keep them in touch with the world they've left behind.

Okay. I'm Moving On Now.

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I believe that I have now cycled through each of the three stages of grief, following the New England Patriots' elimination from the NFL Playoffs by the Denver Broncos.  

Tom Brady, after the Patriots were eliminated from the NFL Playoffs by Denver.

Tom Brady, after the Patriots were eliminated from the NFL Playoffs by Denver.

Yesterday sucked even worse than Sunday night. It was hard to find the spark to begin the day, or get out of bed. But life has a way of kicking your ass, and getting you moving. So I moved directly to caffeine and sports talk radio - the fellowship of the miserable in New England, the grief counsellors  - and that helped. 

Watching the game again helped, being able to see more clearly what Denver did to take away the plays and players Tom Brady most depends on. The Broncos defense played an outstanding game, and their Defensive Coordinator had the perfect scheme to take away our best players, through formations, blitzes, and match ups, and the Broncos defensive line played on a level well above our offensive line - so much so that our Offensive Line Coach was fired yesterday.

I'm back.  On to next season.

The Harvard Classics - Be Prepared For The Next SnOMG2016

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I know. This snowstorm really sucked. 

The Harvard Classics

The Harvard Classics

In an attempt to get out in front of the NEXT snowstorm, I recommend being provisioned with sufficient alcohol, and keeping your mobile devices (as well as other personal battery-operated devices) well-charged. And by all means, know where the flashlights and candles are stored. My Sister-In-Law is an expert at the flashlight part.

Next, have plenty of good books to read. Actually, you should always have plenty of good books to read, especially if the WiFi goes away for a while. And now, the reading part has been made much easier.

Here's the link

 http://www.openculture.com/2011/07/the_harvard_classics_a_free_digital_collection.html

You're welcome.