Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 2)

I have subscribed to the print edition of my local newspaper for over 30 years. Reading it is part of my daily morning routine.

Also, more recently, I started an online subscription to the New York Times.

I used to subscribe to the Saj Jose paper, then the LA Times when I moved. However, the Times did that thing where you tell them you want to cancel- ignore it and keep billing.

As a one time circulation manager for two papers, I can tell you that was standard practice- ignore the first “I want to cancel” message, especially by phone.

So I wont subscribe to them anymore.

Pet peeve of mine. When my mother died I tried to go onto the local paper’s website and cancel her subscription. You could subscribe on line, but to cancel you had to call customer service. I assume that’s so they can try to talk out of it. I went to the chat feature and said “please cancel.” They said, “sorry, you have to call customer service.” I said “I’m not going to do that. Just cancel the damn thing.” Repeat ad nauseum. Finally, I let them know her credit card would no longer be effective, so they could do what they wished, but they weren’t going to be paid for it., For all I know, the paper still shows up at her assisted living apartment.

I read the free version of the largest newspaper in the state. Every now and then I get pissed off that something I want to read is for subscriber only. I get over it. Local reporting is dead. Any big exposé they do is always something a dude could put together complying stats at their desk. The rest is written off government press releases. They got rid of all the real reporters.

I subscribe to a lot of newspapers. One i still get hardcopy, and the others are just online. They all hire reporters, that’s why i subscribe to them. To pay for reporting.

Maybe you can print the crosswords from the website.

Not yet, around here. That’s why I’m still subscribing to those papers.

They have fewer reporters than they used to; but they’re still doing some of it – including the sort of thing that involves FOIA requests.

I subscribe to Consumer Reports- and Car & Driver. The latter keeps giving me unbelievable deals on a re-sub, like $5.

I initially picked “other” in the magazine poll, but after further consideration changed my vote to “I don’t subscribe to any magazines”. I receive magazines in the mail from the Sierra Club and AAA because I’m a member of those organizations, but I didn’t specifically subscribe to the magazines. In fact I’d prefer they didn’t send me magazines.

I’ve subscribed to The New Yorker since 1982. It’s getting expensive as hell, but it’s hard to let it go.

You can, but I’m finding I like doing them online.

mmm

For magazine, “other”—I currently have a gratis subscription with physical copy because I work for them, but normally one would pay.

I have a print subscription to one magazine (Model Railroader), which comes bundled with online access to that magazine, and several other train magazines.

Regarding the seeing/hearing something disgusting while eating, there are far too many variables for me to properly answer.

Seeing something disgusting might quash my appetite, but hearing something disgusting would not. I’ve eaten lunch with nurses for decades. You can imagine some of the conversations.

mmm

Am I seeing the disgusting thing on my plate? Because, if not, unless it’s something along the lines of a horrific accident right outside the window, I’m probably going to finish my meal. If it’s people just talking about something disgusting, we’re all good.

Depends on how disgusting, and in what fashion.

Spoilered for disgusting:

The time the dog decided to puke up, in the middle of the kitchen where three of us were eating lunch, the meal she’d found outdoors of very well aged dead woodchuck: wasn’t anybody eating any more lunch. You do not want to know what that smelled like.

It’s a common sitcom trope for a character to push away a plate of food in disgust after another character says something gross.
I have never in real life seen anyone lose their appetite that easily.
I can more understand a visual trigger, but I’m not personally too susceptible to that either.
A bad smell, as described by @thorny_locust, is another matter entirely.

Yeah, smells will do that- but not words or sights- at least to me.

I was on a whale watching boat in rough waters where at least half of the passengers were vomiting. The other half were eating from the salmon buffet.

mmm

I was at a beer-food pairing event with six different courses. Everything was fantastic.

During a lull in the action I looked at Facebook. Huge mistake. A guy I know who does carpentry was hurrying to finish a job when he took off a finger on his saw. Dude posted the entire story while messed up on pain meds. They couldn’t find the finger and thought the family’s dog ate it. He took pictures of each part of the process, and posted them. Eventually Facebook took it down.

I continued eating and drinking, but kept thinking about what I’d seen.

The sight was also pretty bad, and might have done it on its own; but the smell was worse.

I was seriously afraid that I would have to clean up not only after the dog, but also after the two other people in the room (who I chased out of there immediately in order to prevent that) and quite possibly after myself.

A nasty odor definitely kills my appetite. But my father was a doctor, and used to talk about all sorts of gross stuff at the dinner table. I’m happy to eat while you discuss your intestinal symptoms, how you slaughter your beef cattle, or whatever. I have had to learn as an adult that there are all sorts of topics people don’t want to hear about while eating.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything really disgusting while i was eating, so I’m not certain how i would respond. My family has never watched TV during meals or anything. My guess is it wouldn’t bother me, though.