News and notes from Reston (tm).

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Reston: The Magazine Shockingly Fails to Go the Tabloid Route

tabloid cover.jpgWell, looky what a uniformed federal agent dropped by Restonian World Headquarters the other day! When we saw this picture of a baby on the cover, we momentarily hoped that Reston: The Magazine had followed our lead and taken a slightly more tabloidy bent. Let's face it, magazines are in trouble, right? But those hopes were dashed when we realized the headlines on the cover did not include some combination of the words "DEAR LEADER" and "LOVE CHILD," as the accompanying story was actually about how there's a building -- we forget the word for it -- right here in town that has lots of doctors and stethoscopes and whatnot in it. But come on, RA! If we wanted responsible, news-you-can-use journalism in return for our $540 assessment, we would have bought 18.03 subscriptions to U.S. News & World Report instead!

But of course, when we turned to the back of the issue and found our favorite gem, all was forgiven:

wordfind.jpg
Found one! We're just assuming that last word is in there somewhere.

10 comments:

  1. So this is what those morons raised the assessment? To pay for an unwanted magazine?

    So much for going green RA. Coasted magazine stock is exceedingly not green.

    And, when virtually everyone else is going digital we get this piece of garbage?

    what with Smyers and Matthews' million-dollar web site we should have the best e-zine in the world.

    It's nothing more than using RA assessments illegally for partisan campaign. Unethical too.

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  2. Bob Simon's Metallic Alter EgoJanuary 20, 2011 at 12:25 PM

    I heard that assessment was raised largely because of the unwise decision to lease new headquarters space, not because of the magazine. It actually has a few ads in it, so maybe it's actually poised to become a source of revenue. Who knows, maybe our assessments will actually go down if a few more people buy ads! Probably not, but we can dream.

    I personally like the magazine -- it's far more professional looking and helpful than the multiple RA camp/activity mailings that used to clutter my mailbox at random times.

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  3. Anon 12:11 apparently didn't get the nationwide memo about embracing civility.

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  4. Why bash the RA?

    We have great amenities for a bargain.

    Just a 1 min google search of local pool clubs shows memberships to a single pool without tennis or other RA benefits at $450.

    We can go to 15 different pools and play tennis on a number of courts and enjoy the use of common open space.

    If you don't like the model of a HOA that provides amenities that cost money in the form of an assessment, why on earth did you move to our earth toned community?

    Make some Liptons and go to Herdonio.

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  5. For Bob Simon's metallica:

    Re RA HQ costs, you're sort of right and sort of wrong. Click here for a spreadsheet analysis of the costs of various options under 10- and 30-year scenarios:

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/13547585/RA-HQ-10-And-30Year-Cost-Projections

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  6. Anon 12:11--chill out dude. HCKD is right for the amenities it's a bargain and truly, did you miss this part when you bought your home here?

    And...the magazine consolidated a bunch of other publications so I think over all it's actually MORE cost effective and more green. Not everyone has access to to the internet so paper is still required for some people.

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  7. But if they don't have access to the internet, 4:30, how will they ever read the pearls of wisdom on this website?

    We have that same problem with the agency that I work for. It seems that some doofi (aka govt job applicants) didn't get the message that our hiring website is ON-LINE. So, we get an application in scantron format about once every three or so months. In order to accommodate the internet-challenged set, we have to maintain a $30,000 scantron system. I tried to convince the locals that, at that price, it would be better to take the filled-out scantron forms and have one of the HR techs transcribe it into the website, since you're paying these same HR techs anyway.

    But we're talking about government here. Doing such a thing would make too much sense and might actually save the taxpayers some money. Besides that, it doesn't add to the HR Director's fiefdom, so that idea got shot down.

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  8. I personally think it is a sound idea to have a advertising media and as 4:30 says: "And...the magazine consolidated a bunch of other publications so I think over all it's actually MORE cost effective and more green. Not everyone has access to to the Internet so paper is still required for some people."

    I just wish it had more input. The RA has demonstrated a kind of one sidededness in it's control of media. And maybe it thinks it likes it that way but if it opened up it's pages (maybe it could give it a Restonian page?) it would be all the more exciting and more important a more viable media.

    Only 10% of Reston votes. The Internet has given us more transparency that the RA has just not kept up with.

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  9. But what about Kate's and Milton's "corridors of computers"? Shouldn't they put a dent in the glitterati vacuum?

    If only they were put to good use rather than a tripping hazards in the hallways...

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  10. Civility is no defense for abominable incompetent RA management bloated RA salaries and decaying "amenities" that few use and fewer still want.

    I read every word of my 300 page plus RA disclosure package and am in awe of how much of YOUR assessments went to pay to create it. Fortunately, I opted out and and have a house with a Reston ZIP code but not an RA fee or STD5 burden -- my "starter" house of which there are countless clones in Reston, is worth about $50,000 more since it is not subject to the Reston deed and STD5 burden.

    Enjoy your seasonal pools and tennis courts and your RAHQ while I enjoy my 12-month gym membership.

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