Noozhawk recently reported that the Santa Barbara News-Press has met its demise, after publishing for 155 years!
Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Some people say it’s a bad thing — just from the viewpoint of how long the newspaper has been in existence.
I, too, am sorry to see it go for that reason.
I am also unhappy to see the demise of the paper because it published my commentaries! I greatly appreciate Noozhawk doing the same thing.
Many people liked the News-Press. When I asked some why, answers were that they liked the Sunday comics, or their horoscope or the obituaries.
I myself used to look forward to getting the Sunday issues because that issue had the hardest sudoku puzzle!
Of course, all of the things people looked forward to in the paper are available elsewhere.
Do you know how many sudoku sites there are on the internet? They have millions of puzzles — for free! The times are a-changin.
Many people were happy, on the other hand, to see the paper go, because of its vitriolic leanings and commentary. I try not to use vitriol in my articles.
But I do care very much about clarity, integrity, truth, kindness — and some entertainment. You are the judge of that.
Looking at the demise of life itself, I wouldn’t want to be around for 155 years, with people needing to take care of me constantly or keep me on life support for 50 years.
I understand this. Being around for a long time, simply because it is a long time, is not a good enough reason for continued existence.
However, I would want to be around for 155 years if I had “omni-vivacity.” That is, if I possessed and could use all of my vital faculties, muscles, organs, good reasoning, memory, etc.
I would like to stick around! But that ain’t gonna happen!
From the point of view that there is no such thing as “omni-vivacity,” death can be considered a good thing.
Businesses die, too, when it is their time. It is the natural thing that comes about when expenses are higher than income.
It was interesting to note in the bankruptcy filing that losses for the News-Press were estimated to come in “between $1 million and $10 million.”
If its accounting records had that big a gap in guessing what the losses will turn out to be, that may be a clue as to why the newspaper is no longer in operation!
Dave Mason, editor (former), wrote an email notifying staff that they will not be getting their salaries until the bankruptcy is finalized.
Does that mean there is not enough play within the $1 million to $10 million gap to allow employees at least to be paid for the labor they put in? And maybe then be able to pay their mortgages for this month?
All that aside, the death of a business is good. It is a statement: there aren’t enough customers who want your product. Change the product, or close up shop, or do something else to serve people.
Likewise, death is good for people. It’s the time when the universe moves in to say: “Your services are no longer required.”
One second after death, you don’t care anymore anyhow. Others who love you may, but not you.
Our existence is a gift. Everything that supports our existence is a gift. We don’t deserve any of it.
The more our vital capacities diminish, the easier it is to depart. After death, people who loved you care, but they are caring about a memory of you, not you. Then, you only have an existence in their memories.
On the other hand, people may be thinking more like my brother-in-law who said when a visitor departed, “Thanks for coming, and thanks for going!”
Newspapers, businesses and people are all the same. May we live in peace, and when the time comes, may we rest in peace.