Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Newspaper Ending Print Edition!

 Right now, I can barely think with this whirring, whining laptop sitting on me. It vibrates, too! And, it is very hot. I was afraid it would blow up/catch fire last night. I put a baking pan in the shower and put the laptop in the pan. It won't run anymore unless it is plugged in, and I cannot turn it off. The button on the screen disappeared when I had McAfee installed. What's up with that?

I think I baked 20 lbs of chicken last night. After the second pan of chicken, I turned off the oven. Well, what a surprise I had. Tommy had turned it on 200 degrees instead of 300 like I told him. He denies it. He always turns on the oven and always on 300 degrees. If he is in there, he does that for me. If he is not, I do it. Since his oven runs 50 degrees too hot, 300 is what I use for most things. After I raised my voice and he denied it, we never spoke of it again. He knows he is wrong, or he would have argued for 30 minutes.

We have had two days with not one cross word except for that. And that disagreement was over in 15 seconds. 

Luckily, I overcook chicken. The first pan was too cold to use a thermometer on it, but the last pan was 250 degrees in the thick part of the breast. His oven must be heating at a higher temp now. I need to test it again. 

The Birmingham News will end its print edition in February but will be online. I am stunned. I hope this does not become a trend for newspapers. Today, I read the newspaper in the car. I won't carry my laptop and I won't read t on my cell. I like paper in my hand making my hands black. 

I have read the paper since I was seven. Mama read the funnies to us every night. I took over that job from her and she never read the funnies to us after that. Daddy read a morning and evening paper in Memphis. When one paper folded, he was very upset. I feel that upset now. At least I still have my Cullman newspaper. I read on the internet all the time, but holding a newspaper is different. It is like holding and consuming a book, so tactile, portable and needs no batteries. 

Tommy got his oil changed today. We were going to take mine, too. But, we were sidetracked. We did get things accomplished. I paid bills and made calls I needed to make as we sat in the car. 

As I went into Publix, a woman and little boy were going to cross in front of me. I stopped, she crossed and the little boy moved back as if to allow me to pass. I told him it was okay, to go on. He said, "Aren't you my neighbor?" He was so excited and asked again before I could answer. I said yes I am. He went on in front of me and patted on his mother trying to tell her I was their neighbor. She kept taking him by his shoulder roughly and turning him back toward the front. That is sad she would treat him that way. It does not hurt my feelings at all, but he should have been allowed to finish what he was saying. They are nastier than I thought. So far, they don't seem to be good mothers, at least not this one.

Tonight, we are having chicken I baked last night. Carrots, potatoes, Brussel sprouts, celery, olive oil,  and onions will go into the oven, baked without a bag. 

Night Court is on. I hate it, never liked it. John Larroquette is the only good thing about it. He is still cute and funny! Then, there was some Auto show on, not funny.

We watched the State of the Union address. 

Has your paper ended its print editions? Are you sad print news is ending?



18 comments:

  1. I quit taking the Birmingham News years ago when it became a really bad paper. No loss here!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anne,
      I always find something of worth because I just like reading a newspaper. What, exactly makes it a really bad paper? Just curious.

      Delete
  2. That poor little kid deserves to be listened to. I havent read a paper in years and years. I do miss the weekend supplements, my parents used to give them to me but they stopped because they thought I didnt read them.I used to leave them in the car to read if I had a wait somewhere.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. kylie,
      He also deserved to be right about his perceptions. It was shameful the way she pushed him. Reading the newspaper in the car has been a good way to pass the time. Too bad they throught you did not read the papers.

      Delete
  3. Yes, our paper, which used to print everyday, now only prints twice a week. I’m sure it will cease that soon too, unfortunately.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is too bad. I miss reading. Twice a week is almost dead!

      Delete
  4. Still get the paper here, but I am thinking of canceling it. I used to read it faithfully every day, and now I read it every few days. I just catch up a few days at a time. It is getting very expensive, so I think I may cancel.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Our neighboring town, shut their paper down two weeks ago. It is a sad day when that happens.
    Our town still has a daily, well 5 days a week paper. I sure hope it doesn't go by the way side.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My town's newspaper (Cullman) went to six days a week a few years ago, and it was sad. It marked a slow demise.

      Delete
  6. Ours (Bowling Green, KY Daily News) seems to be going downhill. A while back (a year maybe?) they discontinued the Saturday edition. Even before that, the paper quality and SIZE both deteriorated. The paper is thin and small. I have joked and said it's more like a newsletter than a paper.

    Recently they have discontinued paper carriers and now pass the paper to the USPS who deliver it in the mailbox. Two Saturdays ago, there was a paper in the driveway and I was confused. It was the SUNDAY paper, a day early.

    Hubby is dissatisfied with all of this, but also wants a paper in his hand! Even if it is small.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alice,
      Newsletter...lol. Mine is getting thin, too. But, obits and community happenings, plus editorials that are national are still valuable to me.
      I cannot imagine getting the paper delivered by the mail carrier. You know the Sunday news is up-to-date when it comes a day early. ha!
      The tactile feel of the paper is something I cherish. It is habit I understand.

      Delete
  7. I am puzzled as to why you put your laptop on a pan in the shower. What did you hope to achieve? Sounds like it needs a visit to the Geek Squad at Best Buy.

    I'm sure your neighbor ignored her son because she didn't want to be forced to acknowledge you. Sometimes children are far more mature and polite than adults.

    To me, what makes a bad paper is high ratio of ads to news, along with very little national news and local news and too many "soft" news articles. Gannett has really ruined the newspaper industry.

    My husband gets the digital Wall Street Journal because it got too expensive for hard copy. We get the local paper hard copy Thur-Sun to keep abreast of local events.

    I don't watch the news on TV. Ever. I don't need the artificial drama.

    We have a digital subscription to the NYT but get a paper copy on Sunday, because I can't imagine a Sunday morning without it. Drinking coffee and reading it and trading sections is our cherished ritual.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sue,
      If it caught on fire, I wanted it in a place where fire would be the least damaging. At midnight Geek Squad and Best Buy are not available and I would not go out that time of the night if they were!

      I prefer to read news and watch news on tv. I don't discriminate how I get news but prefer to make up my mind after I hear or read as to what is right or true.

      Delete
  8. Our little county newspaper is weekly and still in print and we have it come in the mail. Sometimes I read it, dh reads it online, but the print edition came with the online subscription, LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One,
      The online subscription comes with my subscription, too. I rarely read online. I like the newspaper in my hand. Both for one price is good for us.

      Delete
  9. PS: I forgot to add how handy it is to wrap wet/greasy garbage in newspaper! Not sure how I'd handle my spent stock bones or bones/grease from roasting pork shoulder without some trusty old newspaper to wrap it in!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sue,
      I did not think of things like that. We will have to become more creative.

      Delete

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