Spent yesterday afternoon catching up on my magazine & journal reading. I still receive quite a few magazines as (free) print subscriptions, instead of those increasingly popular digital editions. (I do plan to have a private library, after all.) One occasionally comes across worthwhile nuggets of information even in "fluff" magazines, and there are a few publications which still bring a hefty plate of solid articles and readily digestible blurbs. Without further ado, here are a few orts that caught my attention.
A Periodicals Brief
The December 2016 issue of Cigar Aficionado had a nice little Good Life Guide article on collecting maps with a couple links to check out:
1) The web store of The Map Man, a fellow named Murray Hudson, who "owns the largest private cartographical(sic) collection in the world" and who is also a purveyor of items of cartographic interest. www.antiquemapsandglobes.com.
2) An online Antique Map Price Guide published by Marti & Curt Griggs. www.collectingoldmaps.com
I love cartography (this rather goes hand in hand with being a history buff) and have a fledgling map collection that I hope to expand, so this was right up my alley.
NOTE: I don't smoke personally, but I have a certain fondness for pipes and cigars --- preferred vices of a favorite uncle --- as opposed to cigarettes, which I loathe, but really it's a lifestyle mag that covers more than cigar ratings.
The December 31 2016 - January 15 2017 issue of Wine Spectator had an interesting blurb titled "Clash Over Wine Merchant Shipping Laws Grows" which highlights the fight to allow interstate wine sales at the federal level, i.e., across the entire country without individual state restrictions. (Many states bar shipments of wine and other alcoholic beverages directly to consumers from sellers outside the state. Some also limit what can be shipped intrastate by local retailers just as many states had so-called Blue Laws which prevented or restricted the sale of alcohol on Sundays.) A team of lawyers is filing suits in some of the most restrictive states challenging the laws with the hope that the fights will eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
This was good to hear. As someone who enjoys alcoholic beverages, I've always thought states barring direct-to-consumer shipments from out of state merchants was a little too "self-serving." As a consumer, of legal age, I should be able to order beer, wine & spirits and have them delivered to my house, regardless of which vendor I choose. (I LOVE red wine, by the way.)
Both the January/February 2017 issues of Martha Stewart Living (MSL) and Cooking Light featured some interesting recipes that I want to try. MSL is also showcasing its American Made Awards, while the December/January 2017 issue of Garden & Gun is showcasing its Made in the South Awards. Both publications gave me a new set of places, stores, restaurants and/or goods to check out.
I'm big on supporting artisans, love slow food, local food, organic food. I support health- and environmentally conscious movements. I am a firm believer in "being a good steward" of this planet to insure the health and quality of life of future generations. So I appreciate awards series like these which shine a light on talent, craftsmanship and the desire to have a positive impact on the world around us.
Well, that's it for this edition of Periodicals Brief.
