June 11th, 2018

We subscribe to two newspapers.  The Herald (the one on the left) is a daily newspaper.  It's mostly the big stuff.  International, National and State level stuff.  The Gondolier Sun (the one on the right) is a twice weekly paper; Wednesday and Saturday. It's just local news. Rarely is there any story in there that takes place more than a half hour drive from here.  

They both serve an important purpose in keeping us informed. Well semi-informed.  Sadly there are no news media of any sort anymore that just stick to the facts. BUT I suppose that anyone that cares to apply some common sense to anything they hear or read can sort most of that out, yes?

I suppose the question is, why do I read the newspapers?  And even more, why do I read two of them?  

I'll start with the Herald, the Big News newspaper.

I look forward to the Big News partly just because it's a daily newspaper.  It arrives, almost without fail, every single morning!  On the rare occasion that the newspaper is not out there waiting for me at the end of the driveway, my entire day feels wrong. I look forward to reading somebody's version of everything BIG that is going on all over the world.  This morning the biggest of the Big News is the Singapore Summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un.   Ok that's a little scary, true, but it's also important to know that it's happening.  

I see that there is also a front page article about pensions (do those still even exist?) and a Florida prison health contract. So you see, in just one quick scan I learned three important things.  One international, one national and one state.  Stuff I need to know to stay current, to be a good global citizen, to be a participating member of our society. So I read  the A section.  Then just about the time that I'm thoroughly depressed I move on to the next section of the paper.

Today, section B is the sports section which I always completely ignore. My apologies, but I just do not follow sports. There are so many things that I am truly interested in. Probably 90% of everything in the universe interests me. Just not sports. 

So I quickly move on to the next section which they call "local" news.  But unless there is a major catastrophe or discovery in my vicinity, the only geographical area that they ever write about in the BIG newspaper is the Sarasota area which is about a half hour north of us. Not all that local. But I read that part anyway. If nothing else, for the weather report.

Then there is the Business section, which may have an article or two that is of at least mild interest. The best part of the Business section is that the "funnies" are in that part. And I find that fact hysterical.  The comics are in the business section! LOLOLOL!!!  How appropriate :)  Dilbert would agree.  It's also where the Dear Abby segment is, the horoscopes,  Puzzles, a health article each day and some chess thing.  I don't read the chess thing or do the puzzles but occasionally I read the health article.  I always read Dear Abby. Sometimes it's funnier than the comics. And on Very rare occasions I confess that I do read my horoscope. (which is also Tim's) I  don't believe in it one single bit, but sometimes I read it anyway.  I always read the comics. Even when they aren't funny at all.

One of the best parts of the Big newspaper are the extra sections.  On Mondays, there is an extra section about business.  They call it, Business Weekly.  Another day it's all about travel.  On different days the extra bit could be on area Real Estate, on Cooking (one of my favourites) or Decorationg (second favorite).  Every once in awhile, there is a section about fashion.  I like that one too.

Clearly I can spend a great dal of time reading the daily newspaper.  But I spread it out through the day.  First of all I am a fast reader. Most articles I can just skim or scan through and get the gist of it. Occasionally there is something worth actually sitting down and reading every word, but usually a scan is sufficient.  And I can do that while I'm waiting for water to come to a boil, or the kitchen floor to dry, or the washer to finish so I can transfer the items to the dryer. You get the idea.

Now the local paper, The Venice Gondolier Sun, is a serious treat.  First of all, there is an astonishing amount of local actual pertinent to our lives news in it.  And they do not hold back.  I'm such a nosybones that my favourite part is the police report.  So salicious!  They actually write in detail about the goings on. Mercy!  It's like a very short soap opera!    It's gossipy and appalling but the absolute truth is, that is the first part of the local news that I read, every single time. Shame on me!

But the local paper also tells you every activity and event that is happening in the area so there is no reason to ever complain that you have nothing to do because there is always something going on.  Very informative.  

Bonus points, they also have a comics section (hurrah!) and terrific ads and coupons.  

When we travel, I love to buy a copy of the local newspaper.  I don't know any of the people they are writing about, or the places for that matter.  I don't frequent any of the local stores and I probably won't be attending So and So's 50th wedding anniversary.   The fact that there is a terrific buy one get one sale on watermelons this week at their grocery store doesn't really apply to me.  But I love reading about it.  I get a real feel for a community from reading their local newspaper.

So there you have it.  I have a serious newspaper addiction.  And I don't plan on doing anything about it either. Unless it's continuing to read both of our newspapers.

I am so serous about my newspaper habit that if we are away and the newspapers have piled up during our absence, I still read them, after the fact, in order!

I think I may have a real problem!