Showing posts with label international magazine subscriptions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label international magazine subscriptions. Show all posts

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Fur Fish & Game - for Schools & Libraries

Fur Fish & Game - for Schools & LibrariesMost people think that this magazine limits itself to the wild fur trapping industry but they are wrong. Although a good portion of the stories and departments focus on trapping, the excellent fishing, hunting and shooting articles should NOT be overlooked. I find this magazine to be much more appropriate for the average American and Canadian outdoors person. Several do-it-yourself features and inexpensive alternatives give this magazine a realistic touch. Most other magazines seem to cater to whoever advertises on their pages but FFG seems to care about the readers success. If I had to choose only one outdoor sporting magazine this would be it!

This is NOT just a trapping magazine. It has articles of interest to anyone interested in woodsmanship. I started reading FFG back in the 60's as a farm boy. Many a stormy winter's day was spend with my nose buried in a FFG magazine, learning things that I could apply as soon as I got back outdoors. Aimed more toward the rural, blue collar, and real woodsman segment of outdoor magazine readers. Very practical, useful stuff that won't cost you an arm and a leg to implement, and won't take a Ph.D to understand. I love this magazine.

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Fur Fish and Game is one of my favorite outdoor magazines. Between the helpful hints, articles on game you can actually hunt, and their very readable articles, it's a bargain.

The magazine reminds me of a simpler time both in my life and in America. It's a piece of Americana, and I'm amazed the magazine has remained true to it roots over the years. Even though my life has gotten much busier over the years, this is one magazine I look forward to reading.

Read Best Reviews of Fur Fish & Game - for Schools & Libraries Here

This is my husband's favorite magazine. He loves the practical and useful articles. This is a great value and the only hunting magazine at our house!

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Diabetes Forecast

Diabetes ForecastI really like this magazine. They balance educational articles, recipes, and lifestyle articles so well. Sometimes in reading similar articles they are often filled with advertisements that swallow the articles. This magazine balances everything so well.

This magazine often features educational articles about new treatments and new medicines. I like that they are less biased than what you would see in a pharmacutical publication. Recipes are simple, and very tasty. I also like that they give many different lifestyle suggestions for dealing with diabetes.

I feel this publication does well with the treatment of pre-diabetes, type I, and type II, very well. It offers a balance of articles that all patients should be able to walk away with quality information. I would encourage people to try this magazine if they are dealing with this disease, or if your family deals with this disease. It simply does an exceptional job of going over treatments and changes in lifestyle that you can make. Diabetes is a serious disease, and being educated about the condition ensures that you give yourself better care.

Diabetes forecast is a widelyread magazine that caters to those who suffer from this annoying disease. Distributed by the American Diabetes Association, this publication contains all sorts of advice and official information on ways to cope with diabetes, lessen its effects, and get the most out of life.

I am not diabetic myself, but I still pick up and read this magazine on occasion. I like to find out about the progress toward finding cures and other medical research and Diabetes Forecast excels in these areas. It discusses medical breakthroughs, legislation, drugs, etc., that could be important to diabetic sufferers and the families that support them. I like these news articles best because the search for a cure is the most important diabetic concern to me. I have seen too many people suffer from diabetes and struggle to live a normal life. I like reading the legal sections and other departments most because it is here that I get the greatest sense of satisfaction; knowing that progress toward a cure is being made, even though it is far slower than most would prefer.

When Diabetes Forecast isn't talking about cures and legal issues, it is offering advice. The advice can be anything from proper diet to insulin usage to better exercise. The advice offered in this magazine is intended for diabetics, but much of it can apply to anyone. The articles on physical fitness, for example, are useful to all. The recipes can also be beneficial to anyone since they feature greattasting food dishes that would be acceptable to any person who appreciates good eating.

Diabetes Forecast offers a pleasant surprise to many readers: It is a very optimistic publication. This may come as a surprise to those who have never read this magazine. I admit, when I first heard about this magazine, I assumed it would contain sad, tragic stories of loss and general ill health. However, the magazine maintains a very optimistic edge. The people who share their personal stories in this magazine are determined to win the battle against diabetes. They do not intend to let it stand in the way of reaching important goals. They are bound and determined to beat this disease.

Overall, Diabetes Forecast is a very nice magazine that offers some sound advice on coping with the issues surrounding diabetes, along with official information on government legislation and the search for a cure. Diabetes is an annoying disease, but like the contributors to this magazine will attest, diabetes doesn't have to control your life. You can still be in charge and live life to the fullest with a little preparation and precautionary measures.

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This magazine is helpful for coping with diabetes. New treatments, medications, and diabetic products are reported on and rated. I especially like motivational type articles that help get me off my duff and get moving. Recipes are also included; many of which are simple and delicious. It's a bright and diabetic savvy magazine that can be helpful to anyone with diabetes.

Read Best Reviews of Diabetes Forecast Here

A very informative magazine that keeps you up to date on the latest technology involving diabetes, including oral medicines, insulins, meters, pumps, etc. Lots of helpful tips and articles to help you battle the disease.

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You can Help Support the Cause by going to the American Diabetes web-sight and you not only get this magazine but you also get a year membership in the American Diabetes Association! At the SAME COST!

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Saturday, November 1, 2014

American Scholar

American ScholarSometime in 2004, I found my first issue of 'The American Scholar', and I was amazed at how fascinating such a wide ranging hodge-podge collection of essays (essays!) could be. I read it from cover to cover alongside the reviews of literature and art and memoir, here were topics I generally had no interest in (Science, travel, medicine), written by experts for laymen, entertaining and engaging and informative. I waited for the next issue, glad of what I had discovered.

Except then I found out the editor, Anne Fadiman, was stepping down and the magazine was going in a different direction. What's worse, it was clear from the editorial that Ms. Fadiman was not happy about the situation, and hadn't really even been told *why* she was being asked to leave.

Uh-oh, I thought.

Maybe it only seems this way, but I wonder if I haven't fallen into a pattern where I catch the tail end of a wonderful era, only to witness the gradual slide toward the lowest common denominator. The new editors, as promised, began to alter the course of the magazine, slowly, or at least slowly enough so that as I subscribed for the first time (with reservations), I only noticed a few slight changes. There wasn't enough to be disappointed in yet.

The stated purpose of the new American Scholar overlords was to bring a current event slant to the magazine, to address the issues of the day, to weigh in where weighing in by the Phi Betta Kappa society was needed at least from the perspective of the Phi Betta Kappa society. But only a fraction of each issue would be devoted to this new penetrating analysis. The rest of the magazine would follow the successful format laid out in past years stellar articles about any and all subjects under the sun.

What the hey, I thought, it's their magazine, they have that right and even though the tone (which I felt had been pleasantly neutral before) sounded a little more shrill, I stuck with it. The 'Scholar' became my brother's annual Christmas gift to me, and I still enjoyed it for the most part.

But there were more changes aesthetic mostly, but the current events slant slipped further and further to the political left, and even though I never was a fan of the Iraq War or President Bush, if I wanted to hear insightful (or incendiary) commentary regarding either one, I had Harper's magazine or Al Franken available and who could do it better anyway. And who would have thought that adding color photography to the cover (and abandoning the delightfully archaic and iconic imagery of "The Pen") would, instead of making the magazine stand out, blend it into the already brightly colored spectrum of limited shelf space?

Two more years, and two more subscriptions, went by. The 'Scholar' added fiction to make up for 'The Atlantic' dropping theirs. (This decision never made sense to me. If 'The Atlantic' didn't find it profitable, they why would the 'Scholar'?) I did look forward to this change, but the fiction is assigned, not solicited (which, realistically, is probably how most of the bigger magazines handle it, regardless of what they say about looking for new writers), and, as I expected, reflected a stable of current, multicultural, predictable authors. No surprise discoveries here!

I thought, during 2007, the last year I carried a subscription, that the focus of the magazine was approximately half and half split between current events and 'scholarly' articles. Additionally, the editors fell under the spell of the current trend of magazines that waste the first two or three pages with sidebar and paragraph articles, presumably to break the reader in slowly because we surely don't have the attention span necessary to dive right in. Whatever. I did not bother to ask for a renewal.

I bought the winter 2009 issue to see if the 'Scholar' had gone all the way to the bottom, or was, Helter-Skelter, trying to get back to the top of the slide. After reading it, the only thing I could think of was the phrase my son uses when he's deeply ambivelent about something. "Meh". Still about one half of the magazine concerns itself with current events, or else the subject matter, perhaps inherently neutral, seems to be infused with the author's bias, as though they are staking out a position. Regardless of the topic, it came off as stale and stifling. The other half, still refreshing and fascinating, contained the reviews of literature and art. The 'Scholar' is the only magazine that does them the way I think they should be done one article = one in-depth review.

A note to those considering subscriptions the stated subscription price on this site does not match the price printed inside the magazine which is substantially lower. Substantially lower, but in my opinion, still not low enough to lure me back. I can only keep hoping the content will do that.

The first issue under the guidance of its new editorial staff showed what the PBK board must have had in mind. The magazine has adopted now a current-events bent, in place of the more insulated material that many found so appealing before. Photos are now part of the formatnot good photos, or color photos, or anything like that, just waste-of-space photos. Oh yeah, in a nutshell, the pen is gone from the cover. The changes bring a once-great journal down to a level of mediocrity that results from trying to compete in a game that is not their own. I will not be renewing.

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I had subscribed to the American Scholar for many years for the fine essays. I've let my subscription lapse now that the new editors have dumbed the magazine down. I can't imagine who they're trying to appeal to. The current issue's recourse to Kitty Kelly was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Read Best Reviews of American Scholar Here

I don't see any place for this magazine in a world where you can subscribe to The Wilson Quarterly and The Atlantic for incisive coverage of politics and current events (not to mention book reviews), or McSweeney's for short stories and poetry, or The New Yorker for a generous weekly dose of all of the above. The book reviews are often quite good, but the other content in The American Scholar has never stood out to me.

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Sometimes experimental, often lyrical. At once intellectual and emotional. The American Scholar publishes the same genres as The New Yorker and Harper's: essays, criticism, poetry, and fiction. The Scholar's essays, however, are not as slavishly tied to current events and celebrities. More frequently, they invoke liberal arts rock stars you'll remember from your college years, but in a voice that is fresh, poetic and personal...never arcane or academic. "Genome Tome" is a great example of the magazine's willingness to take risks. It is an essay in 23 parts, one for each chromosome pair on the human genome, and it is complex, technical, musical, accessible, and powerful. No wonder it won a 2006 National Magazine Award. Other favorite articles (all from the past two years or so) include: "Solitude and Leadership" (2010 National Magazine Award nominee), "Reading in the Digital Age," "They Get to Me," "Hive of Nerves," and "What Kind of a Father Am I?"

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Sunday, August 17, 2014

Model Railroad News

Model Railroad NewsI found this to be a very good model railroading magazine. I'm not sure if they are still publishing. It had good how-to articles and pictures.

I AM SO GLAD THEY ARE BACK. JUST BY LUCK I CAME THRU ONE OF THEIR NEW ISSUES. MAYBE THEY SHOULD ADVERTISE MORE, A BUNCH OF THIS MAGAZAINE LOVERS WOULD GET IT AGAIN.

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November 2012's Model Railroad News includes a cover story review of Athearn's HO-scale Genesis series DDA40X diesel locomotive, a Guide to Road-Crossing Electronics, Digitrax DCC and DCC-Sound for Kato's N-scale Commuter F40PH diesel, Marklin's HO-scale KCS Southern Belle F7 diesel set, Con-Cor's HO-scale Rio Grande Heavyweight Passenger Cars, Pilot Upgrade Project for Athearn Genesis HO-scale SD70ACe diesel, Walthers Proto 1000 Alco RS2 Santa Fe, Broadway Limited HO-scale SW7 in Chicago & Eastern Illinois, Tangent's HO-scale PS-2 4750 Covered Hopper, Woodland Scenics Nand HO-scale Tide Track Roto Wheel Cleaner, Short Hill & Western's Nand HO-scale Moffat Tunnel West Portal kits, Piko Large-scale Western Town Series 3-Story Building Kits, Grenadier's new "Rock Island in Minnesota" book, White River Productions' "Amtrak By The Numbers" book, Morning Sun Books' "Frisco in Color: Volume 2" by Greg Stout, Diesel Era's "Union Pacific's Big EMDs DD35 & DDA40X book, plus PBL's "The Art of Soldering" DVD. Plus the latest hobby news.

Read Best Reviews of Model Railroad News Here

Yes it is in business! My May 2013 issue is in my hands. Apparently White River Productions took over from LampLighter Pub. and has continued publishing. I had my April issue as well as my previous issues. My subscription has even been extended to cover what minor delays were experienced. Check out the web site at to see for yourself. Frankly, I'm glad it has survived it is my top source of model railroad news, and I prefer it over Model Railroader and Model Railroad Craftsman.

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I received a full refund. I requested it because the magazine has ceased publication. It was a nice magazine while it lasted.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Teen Vogue (2-year automatic renewal)

Teen VogueI agree that this magazine boasts designer clothing with extremely high prices that most people cannot afford, but may people be aware that this magazine is called "Teen Vogue" and obviously will follow in it's big sister's footsteps.

"Vogue" does not feature clothes from Walmart, and so "Teen Vogue" will not either.

This magazine does not necessarily cater to only rich people. who says that a person should only buy a magazine when she is going to get the exact clothes featured in it? I am definitely no millionaire. I'm 16 years old and still in High school, but I enjoy this magazine immensely.Of course I dont slip out to Marc Jacobs when i'm done reading and get myself the shirt on page 79, but I do look at the styles so i can understand the new trends and just inspire myself some. magazines dont always have to be realistic. fashion is about pursuing beauty and covetting beauty, and if all magazines only featured "affordable clothes' from Walmart and Old Navy, well.. I really wouldnt know what that would be like.

"Teen Vogue" is a pure fashion magazine. it isnt an all-round magazine for young girls. it's only fashion. and it does a great job at what it strives for. the fashion is great and the taste is great, the shoots are amazing. a former reviewer reccomended "Seventeen" and I want to note that "Seventeen" is a different type of magazine entirely. Seventeen is extremely mainstream bubblegum and is not very fashion orientated. personally i do not like that magazine but i'm not going to condemn it here.

"Teen Vogue" is classy, stylish, and lives up to it's name. you dont have to be a rich kid to read this magazine. but it's the only teen magazine out there which is dedicated souly to high fashion and yes, features the best fashion. people who are not interested in fashion will probably hate this magazine, and that is probably why it has recieved so much criticism. I, on the other hand, love this magazine. the only reason i didnt give it five stars is because the reviews above deemed the stuff in it affordable for young girls and that does strike me as ridiculous.

otherwise, look to this magazine for some fantastic fashion inspiration.

My daughter likes this magazine. However, I was less then pleased when I received an email AFTER paying for the order stating that this magazine is not sent our regularly and that they could not guarantee how often, or not, we would receive it. I think I should have been notified of this PRIOR to ordering the subscription.

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I subscribed to this for my niece's birthday, but only AFTER purchase, did I find out that the publication prints on an "unscheduled" basis. Why don't they show this info up front? And how many issues does it work out to be?

The price was cheap, but I hope the purchase was worthwhile, since it's a gift.

Read Best Reviews of Teen Vogue (2-year automatic renewal) Here

I ordered this magazine from amazon half a year ago and my subscription started this January. Since then, I have been constantly disappointed by the quality of the articles that TeenVogue contains. Every time the magazine features a celebrity and writes about them, they always say "She may live a glamorous lifestyle, but she's just like you." This concept is recurring in every issue and is absolutely boring to read about. Their articles are also immensely shallow and repetitive and reading them reminds me a bit of reading my own writing. They may be trying to appeal more to the teen audience, but it is definitely a turn off for me. The number of appearances of the unnecessary form of "like" is cringe-worthy. The articles written are also very cheesy and cliche, and never provide me with any information that I did not already know.

Also, I don't like how small the magazine is, but this cancels out with the cheap price.

However, I give this magazine two stars for the plastic bag it comes in. The magazine comes to my house clean and protected. Also, it has some pretty pictures. I'll probably use the magazines to cut up and make collages since none of them have any better use anyway.

If you are a fifteen year old like me and are thinking about getting a fashion magazine, I believe that it's better to get ELLE and skip over the risqué parts than to get TeenVogue.

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At first I was very excited on the deal I got on this magazine... but after a couple months it seemed like half of the magazine was filled with ads, not to mention that most of the articles weren't very interesting. They also failed to send me my 'free subscription gift' which was a large tote. After calling in for a request they still didn't send me a gift. But it seemed to become more dissapointing as they year went on now it seemed that every 2 pages of the book there was at least one ad. I would DEFINITLY NOT recomend this book to anybody! :(

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Thursday, June 26, 2014

Dirt Rag Magazine

Dirt Rag MagazineDirt Rag is the real mountain biking magazine. It's not as flashy as the others, but for me, mountain biking is not about flash. It's not all about racing and corporations. It's about people and riding. And so is Dirt Rag.

Dirt Rag is the magazine for the real mountain biking enthusiast. Written by and for the rider, Dirt Rag is the insiders look at this very popular sport. Dirt Rag brings the readers what they want: where the great rides are, the hottest new products, how-to tips and much more.

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I read it for a year and found it to be mediocre. Why? 1) I didn't read one critical gear review. THey seem to just be "buffing the knob" of the company that sent them free stuff to test. 2) They have a thing for stories, either written by readers or staff, that are somewhat related to riding a bike. I'd buy a fictional book about biking if that's really what I was looking for. 3) Beer reviews!? I didn't buy a beer magazine, I bought a bike mag so why would this be relevant? Why not start putting ice cream reviews there, because everyone knows that people who ride bikes also LOVE ice cream...4) Saving on paying models by asking staff writers to model clothes/gear. Often it doesn't matter, but Karen-what's-her-name and the pink haired guy should be left out of the pick. Using models with generally good looks allows you not not be distracted when looking objectively at a product.

Look for Bike Mag or Mountain Bike Action for a mag that is less counter culture attitude, more bike magazine!

Read Best Reviews of Dirt Rag Magazine Here

Dirt Rag is the definitive cycling magazine, whether you ride a few miles each month or dozens of miles a day. The staff is as committed to cyclists, cycling products and cycling trends as anyone; you will not find an editorial staff more committed or passionate about cycling.

From original fiction to technology reviews to simple columns that celebrate the elements that make cycling the wonderful activity it is, Dirt Rag has long served as a must-read.

As for purchases from the company, I've never encountered any trouble (going so far as to receive personalized email messages to ensure I was happy and satisfied with the service and products I received).

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If you own a mountain bike, commuter bike, uni, touring bike, snow bike, etc, why do you not already own this magazine? It is beyond awesome! Articles on pump tracks, off road unicycling, trail maintenance and advocacy, and of course, sweet trail riding. We savor and fight over this magazine when it comes in, reading it slowly to make it last 2 months. The only problem I have is this magazine's propensity to put scantily clad females on the cover and in prominent photo shoots. I can overlook that though, because this magazine is so sweet.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Out's Advocate Edition (1-year auto-renewal)

Out's Advocate EditionI normally purchase this magazine when I'm in a coffee shop or trying to pass the time, it's great having it sent to me every month. I can stay up on issues and media coverage in gay culture. Love this magazine.

Seriously, all of the Advocate products like this Out Magazine are terrible. I find myself flipping through the pages and trying hard to find something that is well written and interesting to read. I mean the pictures are briefly nice to look at, but I'm not spending this kind of money to see pictures of pretty guys that I can easily see online for free. This isn't the 1950's or 1960's when access to gay literature was so hard to come by that you needed to get a subscription to an overpriced lgbt magazine to read about your community. Yet, the creators of this product have not stepped up the quality of their writing and the quality of their work. I can find better quality reporting about issues that matter to the lgbt community from the Huffington Post or Mother Jones. Overall, for this price, I would not waste my money. As a matter of fact, I cancelled my subscription for all the Advocate products I tried to read. Gave up after a few months. It's just a waste of money. The magazine needs to be sold and placed under new management because they are producing poor quality material for a readership that can find better quality material for free online or at other magazines that actually treat the issues seriously and not like every member of the lgbt community is a freshly out, unsophisticated neophyte to the gay world. There are intelligent, responsible gay men, women, and families out there who want to read a serious magazine about our community and don't have time for this teenage nonsense.

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I am going to be so glad when this magazine finally stops coming. It actually annoys me to read it these days for a magazine that tries to represent the gay community, it is shocking how incredibly narrow and one dimensional it is. 99% of the magazine is focused on a specific type of homosexual a fashion/entertainment focused New York gay male.

Just look through their top 100 lists you'll be hard pressed to find one "powerful" gay person who isn't doing acting, fashion, or art. I live in San Francisco and can say confidently that quite a few gay men and women are shaking up the tech space (Tim Cook anyone?). Reading OUT magazine, however, you'd think that gays are a special species that are only good at interior design and picking out haute couture. I worry about young gay kids reading this and thinking that this is what defines us as a community.

If you're a gay guy with diverse interests, I'd highly recommend DNA magazine instead. They are based in Australia but somehow manage to be much more relevant and interesting to someone like me. They have a lot of fitness/outdoors focused articles, travel writing, and they also have unbelievably hot photoshoots. Why would anyone read out when this is an alternative?

Read Best Reviews of Out's Advocate Edition (1-year auto-renewal) Here

Geared to the gay community, OUT is a glossy magazine designed to appeal to individuals who find PEOPLE too deep.

The magazine is advertising heavy, and not surprisingly the advertising in question tends to be fashion-and-style oriented. The articles follow suit. This might not be a bad thing but for the fact that it is all 1980-ish clone in nature: guys in tight pants and open jackets, snippets of exercise advice, hair-style how-to, and tiresome underwear models. There is the occasional celebrity piece and the occasional nod to lesbians. When all is said and done, OUT has all the depth of a pancake--the sort of thing you flip through once and then throw away. Yawn.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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If you enjoy gay news, fashion, gossip and reviews than order the OUT/Advocate Combo. I've been a reader for years of both publications and they both get better and better each year.

-dop

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Sunday, June 8, 2014

TV Guide Magazine Crosswords

TV Guide Magazine CrosswordsWhen I purchased this it said a one year subscription, but it didn't mention that it is only 6 issues. They only send one ever 2 months. Very disappointing.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

School Arts - the Art Education Magazine for K-12 Art Educat

School Arts - the Art Education Magazine for K-12 Art EducatAs an art teacher who has taught at all level from elementary to high school, this is a very valuable resource. I have been a subscriber for 7 years and still have every issue. Whenever I am looking for new ideas for my classes, I turn back to my past issues and always find a great project. One of the best for our field.

As an elementary art teacher, this is a great resource! Not only are there many, many ideas for all age groups (many are very adaptable with a little creativity) it is a great source for new products. The clip cards are wonderful and I especially love the new Famous Artist cards giving a short bio of each artist in a card format. I keep all my clip cards organized in a file box and it has grown to be a fantastic place to look for new ideas no matter what grade I am teaching this week. I look forward to every issue. This magazine is a great inspirational tool!

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I love getting new, contemporary ideas monthly in the mail! I look forward to the trip to the post office just knowing that School Arts might be waiting for me. There are many wonderful ideas and beautiful pictures contained in the publication. The talent contained within amazes me, as it produced by such youngsters.

Read Best Reviews of School Arts - the Art Education Magazine for K-12 Art Educat Here

Friday, April 25, 2014

Organic Gardening (2-year)

Organic GardeningI subscribed to Organic Gardening decades ago when the magazine was digest size, printed on non-glossy paper, and jam packed with in-depth, substantive articles that took hours to read and even longer to think about. Now I can read the entire magazine in a brief sitting, and rarely find much to mull over afterward. It's departed from its origins as an intelligent publication focusing on the precepts and practicalities of growing organically, in favor of pandering to the attention-challenged reader who can't--or won't--concentrate on anything beyond quick bytes and pretty pictures. In short, it's abandoned a grown up approach for that of a little child's picture book without much content. I may or may not renew my subscription when it expires in another year. The few interesting bits that crop up--surprisingly--from time to time may keep me engaged. We'll see what the next year brings.

I've received the magazine for a few years and its pretty good. Not so much groundbreaking, but some interesting articles. But I give it one star because of new policies in place. I got a pretty nasty letter from the "Rodele Credit Department" (the publisher of OG) with harsh phrases like "in an attempt to collect this debt...", "to give you a chance to resolve this matter before it goes further...". "You must respond to this letter to resolve this matter." I thought, wow, this is how you ask me to renew my subscription? Using strong-arm tactics for renewal of a Green Magazine? This is unexpected. I'm feeling bullied.

Talking to their customer service today, twice, they freely admit that customers are slammed into auto-renewal if they don't respond saying "no" to something I don't even remember receiving. Then they are threatened with collection procedures for not paying "what I already owe". Yuk! Double yuk! This can be straightened out with a phone call, and they say they won't ding my credit report for "non-payment", they allowed me to "cancel". But who needs this? Who wants a magazine that wants to add stress to my life?

Come on Rodele, clean up your act please. Treat us with dignity and courtesy and we'll be loyal customers. Hazing and threatening us is not the experience we're looking for.

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This is a pretty decent magazine for organic gardeners. It is rather thin though. I haven't found myself needing some of the info given, but other articles have been useful. This of course makes sense because we all grow different things! There are articles that aren't related to gardening. For example, the issue of organic & non organic milk. I think this would relate more to an issue on farming not gardening. Plus it wasn't even about raising your own cows, it was about factory cows, milk in the store. Anyway, it's a decent source for the beginner. The best resource out there is the Rodales Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. It is simply PACKED with useful information.

Read Best Reviews of Organic Gardening (2-year) Here

So far I am dissatisfied with the format change in this magazine. I agree with other reviewers that I find fewer useful articles that describe techniques I can use in my own garden. They seem to have expanded the cooking/recipe sectionthis doesn't impress meif I wanted recipes, I would subscribe to a cooking magazine specific to the kind of food I like to cook.

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Love the magazine but the customer service is not to my liking. Right

at this moment the "contact customer service" feature is not working

online. I cannot send them an email.They have made a mistake with my bill and I want to talk to someone. There is no number available to talk to a real person.I did contact customer service earlier and got

back what seemed to be some pre-programmed answer that did not help

me and that I was not able to forward a response to. They also have

an automatic renew feature that you have to be careful about. I was

able to cancel this feature with no problem.Love the magazine. Poor

rating because of customer service(it's just a magazine!). I can go

to the library. I have 2 subscriptions and I will not renew.

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Sunday, April 13, 2014

Dolly - Australia

Dolly - Australiaomg love this mag i would die for it and it has HOT gossip recconmend it to anyone who likes to read hot goss reconmend 5 star for me

It has interesting articles, inspiring real-life experiences, great clothes and make-up tips, and up-to-date celeb gossip and news! A really cool magazine for teenage girls. My personal favourite magazine in the world!

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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Woodcarving

WoodcarvingIf you're new to carving & want to get some ideas on where to start, this may be the magazine for you. Most of the projects (usually one per magazine) are relatively simple w/ decent instructions, firmly set in the "objet d'art" category. Stuff that makes for interesting gifts that may collect dust on someone's shelves.

If you're looking for information or properties of various types of woods, try an encyclopedia instead ("Encyclopedia of Wood," ISBN: 0816021597 is a good place to start).

If you are looking for events or carving groups in your area, you might want to search online unless you live in the U.K., where this magazine is produced.

Give it a shot for a year. You'll probably pick up a tip or 2 and then move on to bigger things.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

African Business

African BusinessThis isn't the Economist of Africa, it is what the Economist should be, only focused on Africa. While the Economist has slipped into more policy discussions, current events, and political coverage, African Business sticks true to its name. It covers what businesses are actually doing on the continent, analyses the trends in relevant sectors, and gives statistics that allow the reader understand the business environment. If that is what you are interested in, this magazine is for you.

"African Business" is filled with real life issues of business success and failures on the African continent. It is very informative and enlightening and highlights aspects of doing business in Africa which other magazines from outside the continent ignore.

This is a first rate business publication with helpful and interesting topics for both the African business people and investors from outside the continent. Those people interested in business and investment in Africa will find the magazine very handy.

Among the issues covered by the magazine are business developments and trends, business opportunities, risks of doing business in Africa, financial news including African currencies, feature articles, African and international economic issues.

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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Wnc

WncI recently found a copy of WNC in a waiting room and was blown away. It has higher quality photos, writing, and paper than most books I've seen. I've been impressed with subsequent issues and think it's a great addition to anyone's collection who enjoys mountain living.

This magazine is wonderfully useful for anyone visiting or living....or considering living....in Western North Carolina. WNC encompasses a wide range of topics including every physical activity that occupies N. Carolinians (hiking, golf, canoeing, kayaking,etc.) plus the arts (theatre, visual arts, music of all genres) and architecture & decorating styles of the region. It's the production values of this particular magazine that make it a stand-out among regional periodicals. The paper is of the highest quality out there for magazines, as is the photography & the travel info. I only wish they would strenghen the literary scope of their project....but, I think that it's very hard to "be all things to all people". Consequently, I rate them five stars for I believe they accomplish more than most magazines in present times.

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Thursday, October 31, 2013

Lucky

Luckythis mag should be free, for all the advertisements put in it!

I picked this up, hoping to get more in touch with what's 'in' right now, where to get it, and for what price. YOU'D THINK a mag about shopping would help with that.

Well, it might, if you're a millionaire size 0 who has no taste.

I mean, there wasn't ONE outfit featured that didn't have at least once of the pieces in the three figures category.

Oh, but they found the perfect leather jacket! It's only $1,395. SHUT UP. I'm ordering RIGHT NOW. Oh wait, but can I afford that AND the leather and wool jacket featured here too, that's a bargain for $2k? If you buy something to wear, and have to put a 'k' at the end of your price, what the hell is wrong with you??? Hurting for things to buy, huh? Damn! People go on trans-continental vacations for that amount!

What really pissed me off was the article about the UNRELEASED Origins Gingzing mascara. No, it's not out. No, you can't even try it. But some lady at this magazine went to a meeting with some other lady and in between being hypnotized by her RINGS she kept noticing her lashes! Oh, it's our new mascara! Isn't it marvelous, darling? *Flicks scarf made of Dalmatian fur out of way*

Gullible read...err, LUCKY readers can order it for $18 with free shipping using the special code! Whoa! I've always wanted to order an expensive mascara, sight unseen and untried, because some random lady at a mag. obviously got paid to endorse it! I can't get my credit card out fast enough!

Oh wait, here it is, right where I left it after spending $3K on two jackets!

I bought the first issue of lucky when it came out and was a subscriber for years. But I let it lapse awhile ago, because I was no longer interested.

The magazine used to be a little more broadly focused... they had great home decor articles, for example, including DIY tips at times. But Lucky's publishers came out with another magazine for home decor, so a lot of those articles stopped.

The "shopping tours" of various cities seem to be getting further and further away as the recession deepens, it would be nice to have them focus on more cities that were lesser known for fashion, to find more undiscovered gems.

For me, though, the worst thing was that when the magazine started out, they focused on showcasing different types of style, and the look of the items in the magazine narrowed and got more and more mainstream and boring over time. Since almost everyone who dresses well has a little bit of a different, signature style... This bothers me a lot.

YMMV, though. I was very into this magazine as a teen, but it seemed less and less relevant to my life and style as I grew up. My idea of what makes a wonderful fashion magazine may simply have changed a lot. Lucky is still an okay fashion/eye candy mag, but it feels more and more like it's lacking the kind of edge it used to have. It seems to be more and more like other fashion mags every day, And I'd like to see a different approach.

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'LUCKY" IS IN NEED OF A SANDWICH ...... in other words, it's getting thinner and thinner and isn't looking too healthy these days. In fact, it's been kind of a junky for a while now.

I keep up with magazine and publication news, and for a couple years or so 'Lucky' has been the sadder part of the news. Its numbers have been going down, and this current September 2012 issue is one of the thinnest September issues I've seen in a really long time. This isn't for nothing, thoughI've subscribed for about four years and I've got to say, 'Lucky' is really no longer worth subscribing to. Come December, I think I'm done.

Ever since they switched up their editor-in-chief (used to be Kim France), things just haven't been as strong for the magazine. Don't get me wrongI'm a die-hard, so-badly-wish-I-lived-in-NYC trendy hipster fashion slave. I love it all and I read almost all fashion publications on a monthly basis. But I really feel like the editors at 'Lucky' think its readers are robotic numbskulls. It's become almost nothing more than a glorified catalog, and there's barely any meaty content now. I understand that instant gratification is the name of the game these days in fashion publications, and that it's kind of a genius strategy to tell your readers exactly what to buy (with the item styled in a cute editorial shoot on the same page!). 'People StyleWatch' employs a similar technique. But I feel 'Lucky' has pigeonholed itself into catering to one specific kind of readersomeone who WORKS IN FASHION, LIKE THEMSELVES.

It's like the folks at 'Lucky' are working to create a publication simply for people EXACTLY like themselves! Same looks, same sense of taste and style, SAME PAYCHECK, same type of job, same type of living conditions (hip, urban), etc. Any time they do a feature on a 'Lucky girl' or some 'real person', they always seem to work in fashion, advertising, or are the owner of some fabulous salon. Oh, or perhaps they're a recording artist showing this year at Coachella, or they're the star of a film out this month. They always seem to live either in New York or Los Angeles. There are no teachers, no office workers, no folks from the mid-West, no one that just knows how to shop and dress damn well and WITHOUT the million-dollar budget or high-profile career. And AGAIN, don't get me wrongI am a fashion fanatic. However, my budget is, well, budget-ish. I can't identify with the 'Lucky' reader anymore because she doesn't seem to have a budget and she doesn't seem to be able to say "No" to advertising. I'm sure I could still subscribe to 'Lucky' for another year and suck the juice out of it, but I am just at the point where I feel insulted doing so. EVERY SINGLE PAGE is listed with attractively-styled items and their given prices, along with a sometimes-ludicrous description of each. Example"Bonjour, Cleveland! Rose-gold jeans feel so French rocker." I mean, ok. I get it, I like to write too. But you just feel like they're trying SO HARD to convince you to just BUY. Not to be inspired, but to buy. And they will shamelessly pitch that item to you, no matter what the price tag may be (frequently upwards of $500 ... BUT YOU'LL LOVE IT FOREVER!!!!).

While some may argue that 'Lucky' is trying to provide fashion inspiration, let's face itthe point of 'Lucky' is to inspire SPENDING, and almost nothing more. Each month, I at least find myself at the drugstore buying some new body wash they recommend in each new issue, and I just don't need that right now. I understand that 'People StyleWatch' has the same thing going but I feel they do a much better job of catering to lesser incomes and helping you restyle your own wardrobe. They have their niche with their specific focus on celebrities, and everyone can name a celebrity whose style they like. 'Lucky' just leaves you feeling overwhelmed and as if you need to be one of the "cool girls" in order to relate. Your evidence of this problem lies in the fact that their issues have been growing increasingly thinner; they're losing readers and they're losing ad pages.

If you're not Olivia Palermo, pick something else to subscribe to rather than 'Lucky'. You'll enjoy it more in the long-run.

p.s. I do like their "City Guide" feature, with a shopping guide to a different major city each month. I tear all those out and keep 'em. And one extra star for Jean Godfrey-June, their beauty editor.

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This magazine is geared soley toward a very specific readership--a young, model-esque, affluent woman living in a major cosmopolitan city. I'd venture to guess that most of the products, clothing, and accessories featured will also be significantly out of the price range of most readers (not unusual to see 3 to even 4 figures per item). As an inspiration that you can use to build your own outfits, I also think what they offer is impractical. I'm not a particularly conservative dresser and have an average body, but I find the outfits they put together overly trendy (as in, it's got a shelf life of about 2 weeks or none at all), and caters to a super skinny and tall body type.

The tone of the writing throughout is also really grating. There are a lot of wannabe cutesy, dash heavy descriptions like "over-the-top-ness," "less-boob-featuring," and "as in still-wet-from-the-ocean," as well as the over-the-top-ness of descriptions like "astronomically hip." Nobody is getting this magazine for the writing, but this type of ad copy invades even the shortest product descriptions. It also has a tone of some sort of exclusive sorority, with one editor referring to another in glowing terms and even their end page is a fashion tribute to a different staff member's mother every month. It leaves me with a diabolically insane case of rolling-eye-tis.

It's basically much a pretty picture book for women to drool over, which is fine. That's why I get it; it's a diversion during a long commute when my brain is fried from work and, as you'd expect from a magazine devoted to shopping, I do often find some intriguing new product I want to try. But what finally got my rating down to a single star is that once my subscription started, the company used it as a means to clear out their backstock. It is well into July now and I've gotten the last 2 issues, both of which a regular reader and potential subscriber would already have. The next issue is already on newsstands, but I'm getting two-month-old stuff. What gives? That means 1/6 of your subscription is redundant and useless. The subscription is cheap enough that I won't bother canceling it at this point (Just when I'm about to actually get a current issue? That would be crazy!), but I won't continue to support a magazine that has so little respect for its customers.

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I subscribed to this magazine after having purchased, and really enjoyed, one issue at the newstand. I found I enjoyed the magazine a little less with each passing issue. While it's true that each issue is filled with new clothes and products, it gets sort of monotonous in its relentless search for the next big thing. This is especially so when that search overcomes all reason and leads to the writers praising hideously unflattering "new looks" and really strange and impractical styling.

Although the content of the magazine was inconsistent, sometimes interesting, often extended shopping guides to cities I have no plans to visit, my main issue is with the customer service I received from Conde Nast. When I subscribed, I specifically indicated that my personal information should not be sold/shared with anyone else. In contravention of Canadian privacy laws, Conde Nast ignored this request, and i started receiving my first junk mail in many years. When I called to cancel these catalogs etc. several of the advertisers confirmed through their records that they had bought my info from Conde Nast.

The realization that they were selling my info, and more recently the notification that they will be auto-renewing my subscription with an over 200% increase in cost, required my calling their customer service line. The line is mostly a circuituous maze of voice-activated commands, and makes it very difficult to speak with someone directly or tell if the line has adequately dealt with your request. I believe that I have cancelled my subscription, but the recording I got to interact with was unclear, and then the line disconnected. I plan to call back to confirm, but am leaving it for a day when I have enough patience and spare time to deal with the automated line again.

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Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Classic Trains

Classic TrainsI was born much too late to see steam engines in anything but excursion service. That said I love seeing all the pictures and reading about what it was like long before I was born. Being from Chicago I also constantly see pictures of sites I have visited or can recognize. This magazine is a bargain at its price.

This is one of the best magazines for fans of railroading on the newsstands. It contains many advertisers and resources for all aspects of the railroading lover's hobby. We have been getting this magazine for some time now. It is a great resource for ideas, available products and railroading news.

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Friday, July 26, 2013

Christian-New Age Quarterly

Christian-New Age QuarterlyThe "Christian-New Age Quarterly" magazine has helped realize I am a Christian even though my beliefs aren't orthodox and I certainly don't interpret the Bible literally.

I couldn't accept many of the Christian messages I was taught as a youth. How could a God of unfathomable love send--or allow any of His children to choose--a fiery hell forever? Designing a plan for his "only Son" to suffer and die so everyone is saved didn't make too much sense to me either. Original sin, only one way to salvation, a literal devil, one lifetime only it was all just too bizarre and nonsensical to me.

Over the years, I developed a deep and ecletic spirituality based on Eastern philosophies, native wisdom sources, metaphysics, and contemporary research like near-death experiences. I was very comfortable with this blend but figured I probably didn't qualify as a Christian anymore.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered the "Christian-New Age Quarterly" and many people who had also merged spiritual wisdom with Christ-centered teachings. Reading insightful writing by pastors and theologians with open hearts and minds helped me realize I am a Christian. My own particular mix of New Age, liberal, enlightened, and widely encompassing Christianity makes the most sense to me. I'm grateful that this magazine has provided a wider sense of faith, knowledge, and fellowship.

I discovered Christian * New Age Quarterly when a dear friend loaned me a copy. In it was a fascinating book review about feminine spirituality in early Ireland. Since subscribing, I"ve realized that the name C*NAQ in not incongruent.The combination of Christian and New Age content in every issue reaffirms that we ARE ALL ONE, simply taking different paths to enlightenment. When my issue arrives, I turn first to the "Pensive Pause," always insightful and upbeat. The book reviews offer enticing glimpses at a wide variety of topics. C*NAQ proves the adage that "good things come in small packages." The content is thought provoking and relevant to the 21st century. There are no sound bites or gratuitous glitz, just perceptive articles written for me to think about and apply to my life. Try it. You'll like it!

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Discovering C*NAQ reminds me of when I found my "Not Your Mother's Green Bean" recipe. In other words, C*NAQ content, like the new recipe ingredients, were a far cry from the traditional green bean holiday casserole and the Christianity I was fed as a child. Simply put: Canned vs fresh. Devoid of the fat and preservatives, you can really taste the natural goodness of fresh beans in the recipe. Reading C*NAQ, you can savour Christianity unadulterated by dogma and doctrine. On the New Age side, it's the same story. New Age thinking is presented as a philosophy for living and progressing on our individual path to oneness with Spirit. Stripped of emphasis on incense, tie dye, and crystals, New Age thinking has astonishing appeal for and many common threads with modern Christianity. C*NAQ is good hearty food for the soul!

Read Best Reviews of Christian-New Age Quarterly Here

Having been raised a Christian a long, long time ago -but now more a student of Buddhism and other new edge philosophies -I must admit I initially had doubts about reading this publication. However, since subscribing to Christian*New Age Quarterly about a year ago, I have found every issue to be just the right blend of traditional theology and new age ideas.

Catherine Groves has the ability to attract some of the most insightful writers on the subjects at hand -and the discourse that results has always been helpful to me. (Coincidentally enough, each issue always seems to have some particle of wisdom or truth that focuses on an issue going on in my own life as I am reading it.

So it's easy for me to see why this publication has been going strong for 20 years -its brilliant ideas and polished writing make it a worthy companion to any other spiritual books you have in your library today.

And after a grueling day in the "real world", reading C*NAQ can be a breath of fresh air!

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This is more of a newsletter than a magazine. The articles are interesting, but not intriguing. I get the impression it is "published" on a mimeograph machine in someone's basement. The subject matter is not the problem. I have been looking for a publication with just this subject matter. This is not what I've been looking for, however. I was hoping for a more professional magazine with meatier articles. I'm not going to cancel my subscription, as I am an optimist. However, I'm not sure I'll renew when the time comes.

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Sunday, July 21, 2013

Vogue Italia

Vogue ItaliaI ordered this subscription on February 26, 2007. It is now July 5, 2007 and I have not received an issue.

Two fashion seasons have passed and I am out of $225.00.

This order is placed through a third party called "Magazine Express" NOT Amazon. So, the customer service is disastrous.

You would be better off buying this from your local bookstore (i.e the shelves of Barnes & Noble)

Italian Vogue is very avant garde, and features the world's best photographers, models, and designers. But it's been exactly the same for like 13 years. It even got overplayed a few years back, as the only magazine carried around by top stylists. It's definitely worth a one year subscription, but you may want to reconsider renewing it.

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