Shortly before I flew back to Eugene, I got a letter in the mail from US Airways informing me that my frequent flier miles were about to expire. This wasn't a great tragedy, as US Airways subcontracts all their flights to/from Eugene, which means even if I did have enough frequent flier miles to redeem (which I don't), I still wouldn't be able to get a good flight. Sure, I was a little disgruntled that my hard-earned miles would go to waste, but I was relieved when US Airways informed me that it did not have to be so--my miles could be exchanged for magazines.... I guess that's something.
I can go to the website Magsformiles.com and choose from any number of their limited selection of magazines. There are mainstream staples like Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated, and Time, along with niche publications like Horse Illustrated, Diabetes Forecast, and Inc. ("The magazine for growing companies"). One publication, in particular, caught my eye: The Wall Street Journal. I like the Wall Street Journal. Stu (of Stucraft fame) writes for it. I frequently read its articles. I certainly have as much respect it as any newspaper in America, and yet, I can't possibly imagine wanted to have a daily subscription to it, even at negligible cost.
If I used my miles to get a subscription to the Wall Street Journal, my apartment would be overflowing with old newspapers within a month. If I ever went out of town for a few days, the pile of newspapers outside my door would be overflowing into the dumpster. I know I don't keep the place particularly tidy, but right now, there's still a very clear line between me and hoarder, and that line is made up of old newspapers and cat feces. I can't afford to let one of those towers fall. If ever one were to wonder why newspapers are dying, this is it: even when it's free, I still don't want their product, and I hope they burn in hell.
As for magazines, they might still have a future. Though I still have copies of American Fencing Magazine floating around my apartment somewhere, I think it isn't beyond my capabilities to throw a magazine out on a weekly basis. So I'll order The Atlantic, and Cat Fancy, but that still leaves me with over 10,000 miles to waste on magazines. Does anyone want one (or several)? If any of my blog readers (even those blog readers that I may not know, or haven't talked to in years) has any interest in a free magazine subscription, send me an e-mail (dan.m.mahoney@gmail.com) before Monday when all my points expire.
Nick's response when asked if he wanted any free magazines: "who the hell reads magazines? I think just ipad users who want something to do with their ipads."
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