At the risk of sounding like a crotchety old man, I fear that certain advancements in technology are leading to the downfall of civilization as we know it.

My enjoyment of music has little to do with the physical album or its artwork, so I didn’t care much when music stores disappeared as iTunes became my exclusive provider of jams.  Being accosted by desperate Union Tribune reps on street corners never fazed me either; a born skimmer, I continued to keep myself minimally informed via online news sources.  And mooching off friends with Netflix and access to quality bootlegs has always seemed preferable to a fruitless trip to Blockbuster. 

When it comes to music, news and movies, I’ve been all about technological progress.  But as my inbox becomes increasingly flooded with store closing sale alerts from Borders and Barnes & Noble, the juggernauts of the book industry, because of their inability to compete with e-readers, I’m beginning to realize this has gone too far.

Suddenly the Martin Niemöller “First they came for the communists…” quote seems alarmingly relevant to my shallow life.  Tangible media was being devoured by online alternatives all around me and I never blinked an eye.  Now they’re coming for my books and it appears that we’re at a point of no return.

Sad, Borders. Do you sell books or mattresses?

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