Look what I got in the mail yesterday. I was coming into my apt building, Jim the Mailman was in the lobby, said here y’go Doug and handed me a yellow manila envelope.
When I opened it and looked inside, I did a little tippy-toe dance right there.
It’s a new Star Trek magazine, the first one in several years. When I heard about it six months ago, the first two issues had already come out and the publisher said there was only a 50/50 chance the magazine would continue.
I ordered a 6 issue subscription anyway and completely forgot about it.
Anyway, this is the only magazine I now subscribe to. Back in the 1980s-1990s, in my “playboy bachelor” days, I subscribed to several and always had a spread of magazines on my coffee table—Playboy, GQ, Omni, Esquire. My sister used to visit on the weekends, she once told me I had the best “waiting room” because of all the reading material available.
This magazine makes me feel like I’m 15 years old in 1977 again, getting my first issue in the mail of Starlog Magazine. The lead story then was “Star Trek Plans Big Comeback” and it’s pretty much the same one 45 years later!
And now a word about the bad…
A couple weeks ago I got this postcard in the mail from Reader’s Digest. They wanted to thank me for my order, and since they didn’t quite get my payment information, no worries! They’d send an invoice out after the first issue.
I never placed a subscription order with Reader’s Digest.
I called RD and politely told them I made no such order. Juanita (very friendly, very outgoing) said these kind of things didn’t just happen on their own, could it have been my wife or partner? I told her I was unmarried and single. She asked if anyone else lived in the house. For real, Juanita? That’s none of your beeswax!
I told Juanita I’ve lived on my own since the ‘80s. She said she was just trying to solve the mystery and in the meantime, enjoy the magazine. I said thanks, but if I got an invoice I was throwing it away.
And now a word about the ugly…
Last October I wrote a blog about how desperate TV Guide had gotten—I had a one year subscription with them which ended in 2021 and I didn’t renew. Seeing how I got rid of my cable months earlier and watch ZERO prime-time television, it wasn’t needed.
(Along with the fact they were trying to get me to pay $60 for another year, not the $15 I paid before.)
Anyway, TV Guide wouldn’t stop—they sent me a 4th request to renew, a 5th, 6th, 7th… I stopped counting after a dozen.
It took 6 months, but eventually I stopped hearing from them. And then last week I got this “free” TV Guide in the mail.
It included a postcard that said DOUGLAS—JUST WANTED YOU TO SEE WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MISSING.
Glad you are enjoying your new magazine. I get excited when I get my new National Geographic and National Geographic History. After getting them in the mailbox, I enter the house yelling "The National Geographic is here! The National Geographic is hear!" and watch my wife roll her eyes.
ReplyDeleteHaha--too funny, RCS! Thanks for your comment! :^)
DeleteHi Doug, I didn’t realize there was a Star Trek magazine. Lots of interesting reading there.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds rather fishy regarding the Readers Digest. Do they send out these invoices in hopes you will just subscribe?
I love your choice of magazines back in the 1980’s-1990’s. Very eclectic.
I subscribe to a couple magazines. Taproot and Mother Earth News. The latter is not what it used to be but as a longtime subscriber I only pay $20.00 a year.
Growing up my parents subscribed to Readers Digest magazine and their condensed books. We are big readers so the books were read by us all.
As for TV Guide….they never give up!🤨
Take care Doug.❤️
Robin
What a great response, thanks Robin! I'm not familiar with Taproot, but Mother Earth News...how cool. I haven't heard that title in years! As for Readers Digest, I grew up with it too in both of my grandma's houses. Always read it, always loved it. But I agree, this was fishy. In fact I was wondering if this is how they get most people 60 and older to subscribe! 🤔. Anyway, thanks again Robin I always enjoy your feedback here. Take care my friend. 🙂♥️
DeleteAs I recall, TV Guide was rather aggressive in their renewal practices thirty years ago when I subscribed. They must be getting even more desperate now as cable users decline.
ReplyDeleteFlorence I almost feel guilty. It's been many years since I subscribed to TV Guide, I only did it last year for nostalgia. My bad! 😕
DeleteOoh, didn't know there was a Star Trek magazine. I'm a bit tempted. I use to be a magazine junkie but just haven't subscribed to any in a few years. Think computers and Kindle saturated me with info, pictures, stories, etc. Kind of sad in a way.
ReplyDeletePatti, you took the words right out of my mouth. Exactly, exactly. Well, I am happy to say I love this magazine! It's filled with both old and new, a little tougher on my eyes though than my e-reader. 😉. Thanks Patti.
DeleteI used to love TV Guide but watch so little television that it wouldn't be worth a cent to me. Cool magazine--I love ST and am sad that I haven't kept up on the new series (multiple) since everyone says they're great. I just refuse to get more streaming services. It's never ending. I used to get RD and enjoyed most of their articles and tests like the vocabulary one, where I kicked butt. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Margaret! Y'know, I used to love TV Guide too. Well, I still watch tv, but mine's all streaming now. Anyway my friend, I know you're a Trekkie too but you're one of the busiest people I know! 🙂
DeleteI doubt if people do this anymore, but back in the day, if you were mad at someone or just wanted to torment them, you would get those postage free subscription cards out of magazines and fill in the name and address of the person you wanted to irritate or get even with. They would start getting magazines and payment notices and, of course, this was before toll-free numbers and the internet, so the only way to stop the darn things was to write and mail an actual letter. This was also a popular prank as well and I knew I number of people who got caught up in this sort of magazine mess. These days, I suspect the publishers do it themselves hoping people will just pay up and keep the subscription they "ordered."
ReplyDeleteBobi, I never considered this--you had me laughing out loud! Well, the whole Readers Digest thing did feel sorta old school, sending an invoice in the mail and everything. I do like their publication, but I'm really beginning to wonder now if this is some kind of solicitation for people 60 and older! It can't be--can it?? 🤔🤔
DeleteGlad ST remembered you recently subscribed! I'm SO disappointed you stopped Playboy though. I think it actually stopped printing. Playgirl stopped printing a while back. In '74, my part-time job at a small college in Edmond, OK was in the college library in the magazine stacks. I was supposed to put them back in date order on the shelf after students messed them up. This included Playboy. But there was no Playgirl. I complained to the Library and the Dean of Women's Office. A Playgirl subscription was started up very soon! Hooray! Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda, I sure get a kick out of your comments--loved the story about Playgirl, you go girl! 😉. As for Playboy, I think they only stopped printing a couple years ago but I stopped subscribing nearly 30 years ago 🙂
DeleteWe subscribe to the New Yorker. The problem is that it's like trying to take a drink of water out of a firehose. Some interesting stories. But they are too long. And the magazine shows up every week, rain or shine, home or not, busy or not. It's just too much! Otherwise, we get most of our news and features on the internet (but we do get our local three-day-a-week newspaper).
ReplyDeleteVery interesting Tom, I thought about the New Yorker during a promotion some years ago but truthfully it intimidated me. Good to know people are still reading the newspaper! 🙂
DeleteThe reader's digest is so full of ads. It is also half the size it used to be. Not worth the money. Happy for you about your Star Trek mag though.
ReplyDeleteDebby you're exactly right. One of my neighbors gets it and leaves their read copies downstairs, I sometimes pick it up!
DeleteAlthough I’ve bought and read magazines over time there are few to which I subscribed. Two in fact that I bought on a long term basis (but not for some years now), “New Scientist” and “The Atlantic”.
ReplyDeleteOkay, there were three – this was one from when I was a kid in the mid fifties, “Chucklers’ Weekly”. My folks probably paid for that one as it was a “worthy” publication, not one of those comics we all read at that time.
The Atlantic, I wouldn't mind that. Peter I just looked that up, it's still available in print but it's pricey, $100 a year. I'd probably be more comfortable with Chucklers anyway😄!
DeletePersistent aren't they? like they don't already make enough profit and need your dollars too. I have never subscribed to any magazines. I used to buy a few now and again, to drool over images of things I can't afford, mostly in Home Beautiful or House and Garden. Then I noticed that many of the images I was seeing were being repeated in later magazines in a different article. So I gave up wasting my money and borrowed the magazines from the library for a while. Now I just flip the pages in the supermarket then put it back on the shelf. They are 90% advertising now anyway.
ReplyDeleteRiver, you're a smart & practical person. Good for you. 🙂👍
DeleteI'm surprised anyone would continue to subscribe to the TV Times - cable television has it built in, and with streaming services you pretty much get to watch what you want when you want.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, I had a Reader's Digest subscription and occasionally they send out a free copy. But there is so little in it, I can't be bothered.
Enjoy your Star Trek magazine! (I almost said Star Wars but went back and checked, 'cuz I know there is a difference...even if I don't know what that difference is.) :)
Thanks Maebeme, and you summed up both TV Guide & Readers Digest perfectly. I wish it could be like the old days for their sakes, but I wouldn't want to give up streaming or the internet. As for Star Trek--I am loving it, thanks! :^)
DeleteOh my. It would upset me to receive a bill for a magazine I didn't order. Enough to give me a stroke.
ReplyDeleteGigi you just gave me a chuckle, but yes I saw red when I got that notice too 😡😄
DeleteThat Reader's Digest thing is really fishy. However, I'm glad you got the fun Star Trek magazine. I hope they stay in print. TV Guide sounds very desperate, but I guess these are hard times for the printing industry. The only magazine we get is AARP. Sigh...
ReplyDeleteThanks Kay and I agree about that Digest postcard being fishy... and yes, poor TV Guide--it used to be more read than anything else! As for AARP, I did get that for a year in my mid-50s, I liked it. :^)
DeleteReaders Digest reached a point of annoying me years ago before they stopped when I ceased to renew. Magazines like most print are really struggling I think.
ReplyDeleteVery true Joared, these print magazines struggling. I feel bad for them, but at the same time they need to come up with some new ways to stay relevant.
DeleteYears ago we had a subscription to Reader's Digest, but haven't subscribed to any magazine in ages. I do pick up a cooking one (Taste of Home is a good one) on occasion. But in general, most are so full of ads that there's very little content. But I do hope you enjoy your Star Trek!
ReplyDelete