A blog in search of a new identity

Now that Dweedle Dum and his evil administration are about to be replaced by a man that I consider a personal hero of mine, my views will no longer be considered "aid and comfort to the enemy" by the executive branch. Thus, I am retiring the "Comfort for the Enemy" name and my blog, for the time being, is untitled.

Star magazine? Really?

I was a subscriber to Premiere magazine for its entire 20 year existence until it folded in 2007 and I loved that magazine. When it folded, they tried to convert my remaining multi-year subscription to US Weekly, but I asked for and got a refund.

I was unhappy about Premiere, but luckily, Radar Magazine had just re-started publishing and I, at least, still had that.

I just got the postcard in the mail today that "due to marketplace conditions, Radar Magazine has stopped publishing" and they offered me three options for the remainder of my subscription:

• Star
• Men's Fitness
• Shape

I'm not gay nor am I into sports, so I'm about as interested in the last two options as I would be in a magazine about pig farming (not at all, in case you're sarcasm-challenged). But Star magazine? Did the new owners of Radar really think that people that read Radar would want to read a celebrity gossip magazine that you find at every single dentist and doctor's office in America? I mean, I read Radar because it was smarter than that (at least in the beginning). And the worst part is that the postcard includes the disclaimer, "You will receive Star if no response is received by January 12, 2009".

Of course, there was no option on the postcard for a refund and no contact information. I had to search "The Internets" to find out that AMI purchased them and then contact Star magazine to ask for a refund. Of course, the very nice girl that answered the phone didn't yet have any information about the Radar cancellation and no way to process a refund for me; she was good enough to contact a supervisor, take down my information and tell me that she'll try to process the refund once they do get the information on "their system".