pay whatcha want...again

Following the lead of Radiohead's "it's up to you" payscale, Paste Magazine is leaving it up the readers to decide how much their magazine is worth.

For two weeks, anyone signing up for a new subscription or a renewal can name their own price for a year's worth of Paste (11 issues plus 11 CDs), with a minimum price of USD 1. "We were curious to know what our customers thought we were worth. And what better way to find out, than to let them tell us?" explains Paste President/Publisher Tim Regan-Porter. "While it's certainly a bit unconventional, we also see it as a chance to get our product in the hands of people who could become lifelong fans. It's been our experience that once people become familiar with Paste, they turn into loyal readers."

While this may have been 'unconventional' a month ago, being second behind Radiohead is like being the second kid in middle school to wear the new Abercrombie "let's see how many holes we can stick in our pants before we call them shorts" pants. You're still cool...just a little less cool.

Ok, you're not cool at all because you're wearing stupid holey pants but you get my point.

I just hope Paste didn't underestimate the overwhelming power of the Dutch gene in the face of a deal.