The sad news of the day is that the Washington Post, once one of the leading newspapers in the world, is now the newest bauble of Jeff Bezos, the 49-year-old billionaire founder and CEO of Amazon. Like newspapers everywhere, the Post has realized dwindling profits for the last few years, and its longtime owners, the Graham family, certainly no dummies, decided to sell. And while I am an ardent supporter of Amazon as a source of books and the occasional garden clog, still, the fact that Bezos bought it sticks in my craw.I lived in Washington for 30 years, and for me and many of my artist and writer friends, the Post was a beneficent client with really deep pockets. It was also a stage where you could strut your stuff and know it would be seen and appreciated. It was smart and interesting and funny. And in the bleakest of times, it could be a reason to get up in the morning.
I can't imagine what Jeff will make out of his newest toy, but something tells me that whatever it is, you'll need to plug it in.
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