On the cover of the "Rolling Stone"...or the "Entertainment Weekly," for that matter

I'm not ashamed to say that I still get a kick out of seeing a cool cover of "Rolling Stone" arrive in the mail. Case in point: last week's Beatles issue. It's always awesome to see them on the cover of anything, and it's a plus when there's a big feature story inside. So not only do you get a decent-looking issue you can leave out on your coffee table without embarrassment, but you know at least there'll be one thing worth reading inside.

This is one thing that magazines have all over online material. There is just something about the tangible cover of a periodical, especially when you fish it out of a mailbox, that fills you with an enthusiasm you can't get from a page click. It's why I like to keep my websites distinct from my magazines and not spend a lot of time at my magazines' websites--I like to be surprised.

There's often a bad surprise--Lady Gaga and The Jonas Brothers come to mind as recent mood killers--but when you get a good one, hey, you feel good about subscribing. Oh, how I miss the days of "Premiere" and "Movieline," which had the potential to really make my week with a Salma Hayek cover.

"Rolling Stone" alternates between dinosaur rockers and idiotic younger acts, with a good dose of political covers thrown in. As I said, sometimes it delights, sometimes it disgusts. Here are a sampling of my reactions to some of the other magazines I get in my mailbox:

"Entertainment Weekly" Usually, it's an eye roll these days. For example, the same day I got the Beatles on "RS," the cover of "EW" spotlighted "Twilight" for what feels like the fifth or sixth time this year.

"The Atlantic": I generally scan the contents of the cover--often a lot of words detailing the big stories--and do a quick calculation of how smart the issue will make me look if I'm seen reading it in public.

"Comics Buyers Guide": I usually don't have an opinion, as it's a predictable back-and-forth deal between covers showcasing Marvel and DC properties. Sometimes, though, I get a chuckle, as with this month's Red Circle artwork. It's funny to think that DC is actually trying to revive the old Archie Comics superheroes.

"Consumer Reports": "Consumer Electronics Guide AGAIN?" I swear they do flat-screen TVs every other month now.

"Spin": Why in the hell am I getting this magazine? (I never ordered it, never paid for it, and assume it's a make-good from something else that went out of business owing me issues or money.)