It seems like every year, one of my kids brings home a magazine subscription “fundraiser” from school. I always viewed it as an excuse to try add one or more magazines to the omnipresent “To Read” list. This year, I opted for Tracks, a magazine purporting to “help experienced, sophisticated listeners navigate a complicated musical landscape.” (My translation: helping old farts keep up on new bands).
About 4-6 weeks after my daughter took the order to school with a check, I got a letter from the publisher offering me a special renewal deal since I was a “charter subscriber.” This was despite the fact I hadn’t received a single issue of the magazine yet. A few more weeks go by. Today, I looked at the magazine’s web site. Of course, here’s what shows up in red letters: “Tracks Magazine Placed on Hiatus.” That’s right, an undated announcement that the plug got pulled — but only after they got my money. I had to go elsewhere to find out the announcement evidently was made last week.
Even though the hiatus announcement and web site talks about the April/May issue, I am still waiting for any issue of the magazine to show up in my mailbox. So much for the ability of we who perceive ourselves to be experienced, sophisticated listeners to apply the same discrimination to magazine newcomers. Now if I could only find that special renewal order form…
This half empty beer
Is kind of like my life.
Old and tasteless;
Pisses off the wife.
“Down in Flames,” The Uninvited, Artificial Hip
