Friday, October 16, 2009

Microwaved Lunch And National Geographic

I'd given up Banquet Select Recipes($1.67) Beggin' To Be Microwaved Meals for something less exotic, less expensive, the Space Food Sticks lunch of a mere laborer, in this case ConAgra's violently monikered Smothered Meat Patty Meal (10/$10). Dave's Cupboard had yet to review this particular flavor but I risked it all and bought five to last me through the work week.  Here it was Friday lunchtime and I've got non-specific meat, a tomato based gravy, whipped not mashed potatoes, and field corn cut from the cob.  Not as manly as an MRE but considerably less likely to be booby trapped.  Speaking of...

The best available reading material is National Geographic May 2009.
The copy I was holding (topless non-Anglo women) was  reading material for the customer waiting area.

For many years National Geographic was available only by subscription  I'm certain that the decision to change the marketing strategy was well considered by the publishers and happened something like this -
"Let's put the magazine on newstands."
"Make it so."

I recall when that familiar yellow mag first appeared on the rack. Booksellers gathered around the prime retail space face-out display to "Ooooh" and "Aaaaah".  Then we shut the fuck up and went back to work  - such is the cutthroat world of reading material distribution.

NG is geography and by default photography.  They've become so photo conscious that they regularly hold photography contests.  I recommend it highly to any lensman considering a career of capturing images of jungle roaming carnivores.

Everything about the magazine is oriented towards nature, the green movement, the perfection of technologically challenged cultures and the evil that is modern man.  Ad text for Canon photography is a lesson in zoology.  I figure if a photographer can get that close to one of these nimble, self propelled, fur covered nutrient supplements , so can a .25-06.  Hey, it doesn't take much bullet to drop Tenderosus Succulentus.

Originally "a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge knowledge", the new "purpose is to inspire people to care about their planet."  Such are the changes in American society.

May 2009's Letters to the Editor are a mixture including rants against human lust for gold, the dangers of mercury, a defense of the gold mining industry,  a suggestion, irony of ironies, that we should save every species based on the chance that some day man will find a way to exploit it as a natural resource and the most utilitarian letter, a hangover cure - all natural - Drink Water.  Take that, Prevention !!

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