CREEPING FASCISM
Now they want to take away a man's right to operate a small business.
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January 30, 2009
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Where's Cat? I believe we have another business opportunity.
Posted by: Annie Where-but-here | January 30, 2009 at 02:29 PM
a novel enterprise in these tough economic times
Posted by: nora | January 30, 2009 at 02:32 PM
Nora, he did it with newspapers, not novels. But good idea though.
Posted by: Annie Where-but-here | January 30, 2009 at 02:34 PM
Sounds like the fellow was de-pressed.
Posted by: Clankazoid | January 30, 2009 at 02:36 PM
*wonders if the service will go downhill once a "real" employee is handling the deliveries*
Posted by: Texgal | January 30, 2009 at 02:38 PM
How come I didn't read about this in the paper?
Posted by: Meanie the Blue | January 30, 2009 at 02:41 PM
Annie, if only we knew a writer of books...
Posted by: Siouxie | January 30, 2009 at 02:47 PM
Excuse my seriousity, but how did this go on for years? If they were getting the regular delivery, plus this guy's delivery, wouldn't they get two papers each day? And wouldn't the newspaper send them a bill, so they wouldn't give this guy a check too? And if they didn't already have a subscription, why would they pay this guy for papers they didn't ask for? I'm so confused!!
Posted by: braniff | January 30, 2009 at 02:58 PM
If only, Siouxie...
*snork* @ Clankazoid!
You'd think they'd get suspicious when the paper they were getting was a few days old.
Posted by: Annie Where-but-here | January 30, 2009 at 02:58 PM
In any small business venture of this nature about half the people are going to bitch about service.
Posted by: ron | January 30, 2009 at 03:03 PM
Hey!! "Dewey Beats Truman"?!?...
Posted by: Allen at Division | January 30, 2009 at 03:10 PM
Well if no one had a problem with it, what's the problem?
Posted by: Margaritaville | January 30, 2009 at 03:16 PM
In further seriousity, braniff, my SEWAG would be that the varying operational policies of all the different newspaper circulation departments would've allowed this to happen becuz as long as they got their paper, and paid the "delivery" guy, the main office din't have anythin' to do with the transaction ... as long as he was timely in puttin' the paper on the porch (instead of in the rose bushes, or in the mud) and no complaints were filed, everyone wuz happy ... and quiet ...
As to "day old" papers ... another SEWAG would be that he had a key for the boxes that sit on the street, and lifted the current edition soon after it wuz deposited by a distributor higher up on the delivery organizational chart ... so ... they lost a few papers each day ... prolly happens all the time, and they write it off to pilferage of folks who put in money for one paper and take two or three or 23 ...
So ... he gets the papers, delivers 'em and collects the money ... a LOT more than the pittance paid to delivery folks, I'm sure ... all he hadda do wuz to get up early to pick up his "inventory" and then cover the route ...
Posted by: O the U(manity) | January 30, 2009 at 03:34 PM
This is Jersey economics best not to poke too hard.
Fuhgetaboutit
Posted by: Cheesewiz | January 30, 2009 at 03:43 PM
Someone finally figured out how to make a profit in the newspaper business.
Posted by: Not My Usual Alias | January 30, 2009 at 03:51 PM
O the U, what does SEWAG stand for?
I am assuming it is not pronounced as it is spelled.
Thanks.
Posted by: NotSherly | January 30, 2009 at 05:04 PM
NotSherly:
SEWAG. Scientifically Engineered Wild Ass Guess.
Posted by: Siouxie | January 30, 2009 at 05:19 PM
THAT would be my SEWAG ;-P
Posted by: Siouxie | January 30, 2009 at 05:20 PM
I like it.
Thanks Siouxie.
Posted by: NotSherly | January 30, 2009 at 05:31 PM
I think it is "semi-educated"... you got the WAG part right. :-)
Posted by: gjd | January 30, 2009 at 06:06 PM
OtU, I 'spect he paid the price of one paper and grabbed the stack out of the box.
The newspaper staff may have been happy for the additional circulation. The production price per paper is pretty small. Traditionally the papers made their money on advertising, not on selling the paper. If you had delivery, you paid for the service, not the paper itself.
Sadly, with so many papers going tango uniform, we're going to lose a lot of watchful eyes over state and local government.
Posted by: pogo | January 30, 2009 at 07:07 PM
Going "tango uniform"?
Posted by: Guin | January 30, 2009 at 07:34 PM
Guin - military slang for t!ts up.
Funny.
Posted by: Telecomdropout | January 30, 2009 at 07:50 PM
Dang ... been busy ... sorry I din't get back soonerest to answer ...
Semi-Educated WAG is (my version) of correct ...
Also, SWAG is "Scientific WAG" ...
So ... y'all done good, on the info part of the deal ...
And ... WTG, t'c'd't on the translation ...
And ... of course, pogo, he din't need a key ... but I din't bother mentionin' that part of the idea ... I'd be a bit surprised if he din't manage to keep a key frum the years he spent as a hired employee ... merely sayin' ...
And ... yeah, the "added circulation" merely increases the prices on the rate card, so we would prolly be perty safe to estimate that all the papers that went out and were not "returned" (a little trick they use to reimburse or credit the "legitimate" distributor/dealer) were considered "sold copies" and therefore would add to the total, and drive up the ad rates ...
Posted by: O the U(manity) | January 30, 2009 at 10:48 PM
*Geezer alert! 60's slang in use*
Dear Sir or Madam, will you take a look
Got your paper for you, by hook or crook
They fired me years ago, but have no fear
‘Cause I need a job, so I’m going to be a
Paper rack kiper
Paper rack kiper
It’s the dirty story of a dirty scam
And the newspaper folks didn’t give a damn
I delivered papers through sleet, snow, and hail
Now I must make bail, 'cause I had to be a
Paper rack kiper
Paper rack kiper
Posted by: Just Ducky | January 31, 2009 at 12:13 AM
*applauds*
Posted by: marfie | January 31, 2009 at 12:39 AM
VERY good, Ducky! Tnx!
Posted by: O the U(manity) | January 31, 2009 at 02:04 AM
Excellent, JD!
Posted by: Guin | January 31, 2009 at 07:40 AM
EXTRA! EXTRA! Waterfowl Composes Outstanding Parody! Read about it right here! EXTRA!.....
*Hey! Who took my copy??*
Posted by: Meanie the Blue | January 31, 2009 at 08:05 AM
lol, ducky!
Posted by: SW | January 31, 2009 at 08:26 AM
I hate it when strangers slip inside my box.
Whut?
Posted by: Punkin | January 31, 2009 at 09:51 AM
Glad we're friends.
Whut?
Posted by: Meanie the Blue | January 31, 2009 at 10:41 AM
YAY Duckness!! love it!
Meanie, butt...*I'm* her BFF (boxed friend forever)
Whut?
Posted by: Siouxie | January 31, 2009 at 11:25 AM
Thanks, guys.
Siouxie, NTTAWWT.
Posted by: Just Ducky | January 31, 2009 at 12:00 PM
I once had a very devout Mormon boss in the Air Force. Every day he sat through a briefing in which various aircraft and equipment were described as tango uniform or AFU (all fouled(!) up). One day he asked what those terms actually meant. The whole outfit got a big chewing out and we had to use official military abbreviations from then on--NMCS, NMCM, and FMC.
Posted by: ken in sc | January 31, 2009 at 08:05 PM
Although they are preferable to rump hangers that cover only the legs of boxer shorts.
Posted by: şiir | February 19, 2009 at 04:14 AM