Making change

As those of you who've already seen today's paper know, today is makin' change day.

After a bazillion years of Thursday and Sunday Ervolinos, we've made the leap to Wednesday and Sunday.

What will Thursday do without us?

I suppose it will go on, somehow. Or, maybe not. Perhaps, someday, Thursdays will be dropped from the calendar altogether.

As it was explained to me, many readers have been asking for more weekend information earlier in the week. So, a few things have been reshuffled and that includes Yours Truly.

Of course, those of you who live out of state and read my happy nonsense online can still do so by navigating your way through northjersey.com. Start on top, by clicking COLUMNISTS and then just keep clicking and scrolling until your arm goes numb.

So far, so good. It was kind of nice to click into my email this morning and read the subject line "Today's Column" on a Wednesday.

In the meantime, I just filed my Sunday column. I think it's pretty cute. And, no, it's not running on Saturday.

My question of the day: Assuming you read me with the reverence generally reserved for religious tomes and EZ Pass statements, what are your other favorite parts of the paper?

My older readers always say they read me after the obituaries. I NEVER read the obituaries, although that may have something to do with the fact that I didn't grow up here.

I do like the obits of famous people, though. And, Jay Levin's "highlighted" obits of Jerseyans who weren't necessarily famous, but who were notable for one reason or another, often because of their work in their communities.

When I was younger, I used to rush to the entertainment section first, but now I pick up a paper and zip around more. No matter how much news I read online, I still like to hold a newspaper in my hands and flip through it. Well, except on a train or a plane, where large papers can be clumsy and turn into an origami project.

I also love crossword puzzles and they are no fun to do on a computer -- probably because I prefer to do them in bed.

Comments

[Debbie from Lyndhurst]

First I read the headlines & 1st 3 pages of section one...then off to local news & obits...then to advice columns & comics...then to Bill's column (saving the best for last!) finally I do the two crossword puzzles!

[deb]

I generally read the paper in the order in which it's printed but ALWAYS, ALWAYS I save the best for last. Sorry, Bill, but the comics are the MAIN reason to get the paper. Without a daily laugh (ESPECIALLY Pickles and Zits!), why bother?
Oh -- and apparently it's an Irish thing but I have read the obits for YEARS -- long before I was nearing the age to possibly see mine! LOL! I like learning about what was important to people, what happened to them, etc.

[Joanne805]

Since I read the paper so early in the AM, I always start with Dear Abby, then the gossips and comics. Local and world next. I always read the obituaries - a few years ago, a very nice neighbor of mine passed away and I didn't find out until months later when his widow asked me for some of my flowers to take to the cemetary. Boy, did I feel like a creep.

[mikeymike]

i check out the obits to see if i'm in there...

[Cornelia]

As I picked up the paper this morning and saw your face I was confused...I thought that today was Wednesday..wow, Thursday already..Wait can't be..I literally had to go to my desk calendar to check out what day it is.....

[Maria]

In the morning I have to read the Local section first, mainly for the obits (sorry to say, getting to the age where a lot of people I went to school with are losing their parents...), then to Better Living (love the comics, devastated that For Better or For Worse is sort of ending come the fall). Then I read the rest if I have time, if not, I save it for later, along with the Daily News, which I've loved since I was a little girl and was my father's favorite paper.

[lwt]

i start with page one, read whatever intrigues me, a page at a time until i get to classifieds. if i am not looking for anything, i skip them. my favorite parts of the paper are certain columns [road warrior has been a great help], comics and features-food [only if i like the food featured. if it is meat or very spicy, i skip it] has given me some great recipes, including the ever popular ervolino frittata. the new column on baby boomers looks promising. the garden column reminds me of what a dream my garden is; a dream that i hope someday will come true. what i miss most from the print paper when it isn't available is the comics. everything else is available online. some of the comics are but not all of them. www.comics.com has a good selection, so does king features, but king is no longer free. last i heard it was $15 per year, credit card only. i would gladly have sent them a check, but they wanted no part of it.

[Joyce]

I read the paper in order - Since moving to SC I really miss The Record. Reading online is not the same as the newspaper. I do read your column & blog the lst. thing when checking online.

[John]

I read the whole paper if I have the time. Reading the Record everyday is a pleasure of mine. Always read Bill, and I'm not just saying that. Like Bob Klapish's baseball writing, John Rowe, Keith Idec's boxing column, soccer, and Vinny Di Trani. Always read Local back to front, how else to know what's going on around here? I do read the obits also, and especially the ones about famous people and Jay Levin's pieces. The only comics I read are Dinette Set (underrated) and Funky Winkerbean. That's it, the comics are overrated. I would like to start doing the crosswords. Maybe the one on the right hand side by Anabel Michaels. Also like Mike Kelly and Ian O'Connor, but sports writers focus too much on baseball, football and basketball. What about Boxing, F1 racing, International Soccer. Reading online will NEVER replace the act of holding the paper in your hands with a cup of coffee. Long live the newspaper!!!

[John]

Oh, I do love that new feature A LOOK BACK on page A2. Great stuff from the archives.

[Jo Ellen]

I normally read the whole paper before I go to work and I especially look for your columns on Thurs and Sun. Today, I did not have time for the whole paper and it is a good thing, because if I has seen your column, then I would have thought it was Thurs and I am having enough trouble this week knowing what day it is.
I too like the crossword puzzles and do them before turning in at nite.

[Karen]

First...if the paper isn't in the driveway when I get up (which is around 5ish) I'm so annoyed! My newspaper and cup of coffee go hand in hand. Hearing the newspaper hit the driveway while I'm just waking up is music to my ears. I peruse the front page, then it's straight to the Local section..obits included..ugh..sounds depressing, but I do it. Then it's onto the Sports section...Better Living and then finally the main section. Today I too was confused to see Bill on the front page of the Living section and did a double take of the calendar. I was thrilled to read your column today, but rather disappointed to find out that it was truly Wednesday and not Thursday. Always save the best for last, so I finished my cup of coffee with a laugh reading your column.

[Darleen]

I read almost the whole paper everyday. It helps me ease in to my day. Later on in the evening I like to do the word jumble.

[John]

I also like the Jumble and might do an occasional Sudoku.

[Tom McAdam]

I read the paper in order--main section, local, business, skip sports (who cares), entertainment section. My wife and I read the comics together at night, unless I'm working late, and I always read Bill on Thursdays and Sundays. Yesterday I thought Bill might have been moved because of the holiday on Friday. I'm disappointed to find out it's a permanent thing.

And, no, I'm no fan of the changes at the Record. Shorter articles to speed you through your day? Short attention span theater, folks. The paper has been dumbed down because of the perception that people don't have the time. Yes, I've spent less time with the paper this week, but only because it has less to offer.

[Evelyn]

I used to read the paper with my coffee. Then I had kids. Now, I stopped getting the paper because I started having no time to read it and was getting guilty at the backlog of unread papers that I took out to the recycling. I read it online now. When I did/do have it here, I do what I have done since I started reading The Record at age seven or eight. Go right to the comics and "Dear Abby" (Although I miss "Helen Help Us" from back when). Then the local news, and slowly to the front of the paper. I always shuffle the paper around now, out of habit from the days when the comics were the back two pages. Guess I am more a creature of habit than I will admit.

[Bob in Wayne]

Tom, I couldn't agree with you more. Instead of pandering to the lowest common denominator, I for one would welcome more substantial articles. The Record is putting itself in the class of the tabloids. Its going to be a slippery slope to the end for a once fine newspaper.

[Linda]

I'm one of those people who say, if it isn't broke why fix it. You should have seen me panic when The Shop-Rite I go to expanded and not only gave me more aisles I had to walk, but changed where every thing previously was.

[nan]

I agree with Tom and Bob.....there is very little news to read in the Record...mostly ads and short articles....very hard to find national or world news....I am not a fan of the changes...think it needs to move in the opposite direction.