Entropy in Action

At first copies of the Metro appeared on the counter at the coffee shop, then later it was available from a box across the street.  Each week-day morning I grabbed a copy, and worked the crossword while sipping my coffee.  Before the Metro came on the scene, I worked the Free Press crosswords.  The Metro was free, but I had to buy the Freep.  Now I only purchase the Saturday Freep.

Every day last week the Metro box was empty.  Having no crossword to go with my coffee, put my entire morning routine off.  There were the Sun and the Freep, of course, but I had gotten out of the habit of buying a newspaper just for the crossword.  I kept hoping the good old Metro would show up again.  But no such luck.

On Monday the box was gone.  I had no choice now: if I wanted a crossword, I’d have to buy a whole paper.  There was a Sun box next to where the Metro box used to be, but I had no change.  The next morning I brought money, but the box was empty.  Today there was at least one copy of the Sun in the box, but the box could not be opened.

Is this what they mean when they talk about the ‘end of print journalism’?  And I haven’t even said a word about the Sudoku puzzles.