July 10, 2008

"I read online. I think it's better for the environment not to take the newspaper."

Oh, yes, dear readers, that's what your humble blogger said, verbatim, to the telemarketer who just called to try to sell me home delivery of the New York Times.

Did you know I was such an environmentalist?

Now, how do you think the telemarketer responded:

1. "But the New York Times has many articles about the environment! It's an excellent source of news about global warming and green household tips."

2. "You can recycle. You can share the newspaper with someone who doesn't have a computer. And many people prefer doing the crossword puzzle on paper."

3. "Oh yeah?"

32 comments:

blake said...

#2

Or at least, that's usually the response I get. But who cares if other people like doing the crossword on paper?

Zachary Sire said...

My instinct says #3.

It's definitely not #1.

#2 is the most convincing.

I don't take the paper cause it just adds so much clutter. I don't care about the environment as much as I do my personal space.

George M. Spencer said...

My local big city paper just fired editorial staff, reduced the edit well, and raised the subscription price!

A recent Forbes article (can't find it) predicts that by the end of the decade more than a few major US cities will be without a daily paper.

As for the NYT, the Wall Street Journal has changed incredibly in the past year (especially in the last month) to become a national general-interest newspaper, and it is going to beat the pants off the Times.

reader_iam said...

OT: My question is, if you hadn't gone to Brooklyn over the past year and thus stopped your home delivery last summer for that reason, would you be canceling it now for environmental reasons? /OT

Godot said...

#4

"Perhaps I should call back when the man of the house is available?"

Bissage said...

Using newspaper and one of these is much better for the environment than a good solid pour from one of these touched off by one of these.

Safer too.

WOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!

kjbe said...

#2.

There's something about holding and reading a paper on the couch or at the breakfast table that I like. Also, Silly Putty doesn't work quite as well on a computer screen...

Crimso said...

Bissage hit it. I recently began a newspaper subscription primarily (though not entirely) to have newspaper to start both my charcoal and my fire pit. I got tired of telling whoever was going to pick up the steaks, hamburgers, etc. to get a newspaper as well.

Helen said...

But what are you going to use to line the bottom of your birdcage?

UWS guy said...

A rolled up laptop is too heavy to swat my dog with when he pees on the carpet.

lurker2209 said...

Yeah, I grew up in a family where the newspaper subscription was a must, and thus there was always old newspaper for painting projects, etc.

Now I'm on my own and trying to paint/decoupage an old dresser and I don't have newspaper around. It's so much easier to read online and greener too. So I grabbed a copy of one of the free weekly papers to keep the paint off the patio. Only I worry that there might be kids in the apartment next door who will see the erotic services ads through the paint splatter.

Randy said...

I vote for both #1 and #2.

I'm Full of Soup said...

George:

I agree with you but with one exception. The local news will be all local- more sports and more H.S. sports and way more local & state issues.

Surveys show today's subscriber's get better info online about national news. They don't need to read or hear the local paper's idiotor's opinion on those topics.

Al Swearengen said...

I would miss Mr. Merrick's periodical as I often have the occasion to wrap fish.

And other sundries we need not list here for the edification of the populace.

MadisonMan said...

#4 totally cracks me up. Thanks glen.

Al Swearengen said...

Course they comes in might handy when the whores have a visit from their friend.

Lance Burri said...

I'm supposed to spread my computer out on the table when my kids want to paint and play play-doh?

Anyway, I first figured #3, but then I wondered if telemarketing companies have heard that so often that they've developed a pat answer for it. So then I guess #2.

Randy said...

I missed #4 until just now. ROFL! What I'd give to be a fly on the wall at either end of that conversation were it true!

knox said...

Did you know I was such an environmentalist?

better not confess to that, you'll start getting "and you... an environmentalist!" comments.

knox said...

randy, (IR)

I wish you commented as often as you used to!

David Foster said...

I'm going to guess #3.

Never confuse an order-taker with a salesman.

EnigmatiCore said...

Is it a trick question with the answer being 'all of the above'?

Randy said...

Thanks for the kind words, knoxwhirled. I found myself getting too involved with comment boards and what began as a pleasant way to pass idle time gradually turned into something like a full-time job with no pay (and few benefits ;-). With brush fires raging in the area, I'm confined inside at the moment and posting comments like mad as a result.

Kathy said...

I always tell them that I can't stand newsprint. It's dirty and it makes a mess (as in has to be picked up and disposed of in some way). They never have an answer for that. . .

We get a little free newspaper (a couple of pages with one article on the front and the rest ads) each week with our grocery ads tucked inside. I save those until I have enough newsprint for the next likely project. We don't use it often, so it's enough for my purposes.

Chip Ahoy said...

#1 sounds like a rote response to a specific objection, but I hope it was #3 so my world view gets reinforced.

Newspapers get ink on your fingers. Ick. If you tuck one under your arm, then ink smudges your suit jacket. It smudges the countertops. It's just gross.

You can print the crossword directly from the program running the crossword. One sheet of paper. Real paper. Or you can print the clues on another sheet, if you wish.

News updates are immediate online.

Online version has convenient links and immediate research tools.

Online version is usually Web II where we get the chance to talk back.

Online version is usually web
10 out 10 trees agree, online rules.

Beth said...

You have to have newspapers to spread out on the table if you're eating crawfish or crabs. There aren't enough paper towels on the planet to substitute.

I use mine to start my charcoal chimney, also.

I don't read it, though. They cut the funnies to one page and made them too small to see, and as far as I can tell, the funnies are about the only thing in newsprint that I can't get more easily online.

I still subscribe because I don't want to see our only daily paper fold, and I used to work at it so I have a little sentimental attachment. There are lots of people I'd hate to see out of work.

Craig Landon said...

Newspapers get ink on your fingers. Ick. If you tuck one under your arm, then ink smudges your suit jacket. It smudges the countertops. It's just gross.

I'm old fashioned enough to believe that ink means you've invested something in your words. Shakespeare...monkeys...keyboards.

Al Swearengen said...

It also mighty usefull when you have your monthlies missy.

AllenS said...

Ann--

What's the answer?

Ann Althouse said...

The correct answer is: 3.

MadisonMan said...

Did you reply "Yeah"?

Ann Althouse said...

I forget, but I probably said "sorry" and then "bye."