Mistress Maureen's Charging For It Now.

No more will the New York Times' covey of columnists bestow their wisdom on us e-slobs for free. You will be charged about 50 bucks per year for online enlightenment. Too bad - I find Tom Friedman a thoughtful read, but not for fifty skins. I'll wait for his books. They run about 20 dollars a piece, and word for word they're a better deal. And the royalties go to Tom. We can't expect the NYT to be socialist - well, when it comes to its own financial enterprise at least. Too bad they can't have an online auction for the columns, maybe something like priceline.com - I would bid Friedman high, but I would get it back by being paid by the Times to read Herbert, Rich, and ... Fraulein Dowd (did I hear a horse whinnying in the distance?).

All proceeds will go to the Pinch Sulzberger Home for Editors Victimized by Plagarism Scandals.

...Fraulein Dowd! (....neighheyyyy!)