Is My Paper Obsolete?

“I like the New York Times. I only wish it were softer, and more like toilet paper.” 

― Jarod Kintz

I love my morning paper, but lately, since getting my ipad and going digital, the paper is starting to feel, well, dirty? My fingers get smeared with ink when I read it. Then there's that pile of already read paper I'm responsible for disposing of, somehow righteously. If possible... 

What can you do with old newspapers? They do come in handy for dirty projects of all kinds, and we do need a few around for that. Beyond that, you can fold them in creative ways and contrive crafty creations such as lamps and trash baskets, and funny hats. (For an illustrated list of things you can make with newspapers:)

Experiments in making bricks with paper pulp and cement have so far been challenged by the downsides of needing a lot of added cement, lack of strength, and spongelike water effects. So far, not so good. 

But you can wet down the paper in molds or rolls, press it, and then slowly dry it out into fire logs. Some people have even made furniture out of these paper logs. But paper seems to be most suited for making, uh, more paper. So I recycle. 

 Then there is the matter of all the ads. More than the weight of the ever shrinking rest of the paper, usually. None of which I read, another waste. 

And lately I keep trying to pinch open the things in the paper that I want to see better. But that only works on my ipad.

Sigh. I still can't give up my paper. I feel it connects me to my local community, in a way no other media does. And I'm afraid if I give up on the paper, I might be the last straw. Local newspapers are folding all over. I'm just not ready to hasten that...just yet..