Scientific literacy

12 September 2007

I've always thought of the magazine Scientific American as an honorable publication, exploring facts and labeling opinion, but the rag's marketing department seems to be ethically challenged.

Today's mail brought an 8 inch by 12 inch envelope that says "Please Accept a FREE Issue."

OK so far. Magazines gotta have subscribers.

The orange-y brown envelope has a triangle-pattern in black around all four edges, with "priority delivery" in the triangles. It was mailed, however, at mass-mail rates. Still OK; fancy pattern, eyecatching.

But, at bottom, center left, of the envelope, it says:

"Sparks Postmaster:
The enclosed documents are intended solely
for the addressee listed and should be opened
by the aforementioned only."

Anybody who swallows that sheep dip is too dumb to read Scientific American.

Even my grandmother, Sparks Postmaster in the 1940s, would sneer at the stupidity of that message.

And, if you don't get my point, sod off, lamebrain.

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