Am I just too late for the Metro now?

[dent42.livejournal.com]

I've noticed the past few days that by the time I get to Davis, the Metro is nowhere to be found. The dude who usually hands them out is nowhere to be found, and the bin upstairs is empty. I also have noticed a lack of papers on the train. I poked at the metro's site, and it appears to still be running articles, so I was wondering if anyone had heard anything? Where will I get my sudoku fix now?

Comments

[ron_newman]

Somewhere I read that they decided to take a week's break, and will return on Thursday 7/9.

Edit: Here's where I read about the week-long Metro vacation.

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

And here I get scooped. Weird -- was that just for the holiday weekend or something? EDIT: ...apparently so. How very odd. I wonder if this is a sign of financial troubles or something; I don't often hear of healthy newspapers taking random 'breaks'.

Anyway, thanks!

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

I wonder if this is a sign of financial troubles or something

Decidedly YES. You can tell just from the fact that they're actually accepting and running ads for penis pills.

And, frankly, in light of their idiotic "special reports" of late, when they fail, good riddance to them.

[ron_newman]

I see Viagra ads (unfortunately) on NESN Red Sox broadcasts all the time, so I'm not sure that's an indication of financial distress.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Viagra is owned and marketed by Pfizer, a huge multinational that makes a fortune off said drug. NESN is just marketing to its widest audience, middle-aged and older men.

I'm talking about the ads with the headline "ENHANCE YOUR PERFORMANCE" that prominently feature a model in a bikini with her head thrown back, lips parted. They started small and are up to quarter-pagers. When a citywide newspaper accepts quack ads, that's usually a very bad sign.

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

Man, I just want some kind of free daily with a crossword. I don't even read the articles. I tried buying a big book of crosswords but it's too tempting to look at the answers if I get stuck.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know how that feels, but after that weeklong report on gay marriage where they closed with the headline "We Didn't Show Bias, But You Sure Did" (this after somehow managing to misrepresent both sides of the debate), I started bringing a book to read.

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

I think that was while I wasn't commuting and didn't have to suffer the Metro. Ouch.

*sigh* Maybe I should buckle down and buy the damn Globe. Or the NYT.

[divasue.livejournal.com]

With you on that one. I hated that spread, and the global warming spread, and the complaints about readers writing in...and hate Graham what's-his-name. He's just not a very good writer.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Graham Wood. Whenever I comment on his stuff, I use this macro:

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/16889258@N03/3620221834/)

The word means "A Face That Needs a Fist In It" in German.

This appears to be a national-level thing, not local. Too bad.

I think my breaking point was when they tried to spin Obama's Guantanamo policy as "changing out the mud in the sty". The next day, they ran a news item about how the $500 million he'd asked for to close the place down had cleared. OOPS!

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

This week's break will no doubt be followed by a permanent vacation soon enough.

[ilai]

I read the editor's note in Thursday's Metro (it was on page 2) and for some reason still got confused and forgot they were on vacation until sometime late yesterday.

Also in that issue they filled a whole page with the entirety of Michael Jackson's will. I'd been wondering if they were running out of news.

[dent42.livejournal.com]

Odd. you'd think they'd put something on their website (which is updated!) to that effect. Thanks!

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

Maybe Bogus Spare Change Guy took them all?

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

I've noticed that too -- they're missing from both Davis and Forest Hills (the two ends of my subway commute; I don't generally pick it up at other stations so I can't speak to those) and I like to do the crossword, at least. I didn't think the Boston Metro had shut down, but maybe it did and I just didn't hear about it?

[spatch]

Frankly the Metro's been on a steep decline since the lady at South Station who would dress up as a Teletubby and hand out the papers left.

[skexy.livejournal.com]

Obviously; there will be no news to report this week.

[beatniktea.livejournal.com]

My coworker, who gets on the train around dorchester, and I were having this same conversation about it this morning. good to know it hasn't disappeared forever. :)

What was in the metro that was so special?

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Just checking...

Re: What was in the metro that was so special?

[dent42.livejournal.com]

It is free, and I can do both the sudoku puzzles during my ride to and from Kendall, which distracted me from the ride.

Re: What was in the metro that was so special?

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

This, except substitute 'crosswords'. And yes, I could get the Globe, but then I have a whole unwieldy paper to pick through on my commute.

Re: What was in the metro that was so special?

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Good point. I have thousands of Sudokus on my smart phone. Do you need a Sudoku app? :)

Re: What was in the metro that was so special?

[dent42.livejournal.com]

A smartphone too please.

[ron_newman]

The Globe 'g' section runs a Sudoku puzzle.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

The Metro's sole virtue is that it's free. Also, the 'g' section is kind of terrible, it's like the Phoenix written by stockbrokers.

[insignia11.livejournal.com]

Although I kinda miss doing the crossword on the way to work, I'm actually enjoying reading a book I've been putting off, now.

Think of the trees that are saved

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

by NOT having the metro around... True, some people probably are going to need another job soon, if it closes down.