Thu-Sat (Jan 1-3): $2.25
Mon-Sat: (Jan 5-May 29, 21 weeks x 6 x $0.75): $94.50
Sundays (22 weeks x $1.75): $38.50
Total savings: $135.25

This is what I saved by not purchasing the paper all year. I haven't purchased the local paper on a daily basis since they raised their newsstand price in May of last year. I just bought the Sunday editions until they dropped their weekly TV listings book, then no more local paper.

Yesterday, my work got a free copy of the local paper. Judging from the thin selection of stories covered, I'm not missing much. I get the stories and topics the local paper isn't covering by reading the news on other websites on the Internet.

Front cover story in one of last week's daily editions: American Idol. Zzzzzzz.

You know what I'd like to do? I get U-T TV enthusiasist Karla Peterson into a time machine. Send her back to the year of 1976. Have her work for the Evening Tribune or the San Diego Union, and have her do the same things she's been doing with TV in 2009. Only difference would be that TV was much better back then than what we have right now.