June 22, 2020 – I am shocked, I am shocked –
advertisements!
Now
that Garden Gate magazine is over 25 years old, they are taking
advertisements. HMMMMMMMM this is a
double edged sword for the consumer reader.
Advertisements are actually useful when they introduce the reader to
gardening products. But, on the other
hand, who buys a magazine to read advertisements when you want substance – the meat
and potatoes of the topic you want to read about.
Maybe
this is just how it works now in the world – maybe when someone is reading the
magazine on line – it is “click bait” advertising and they can X them off. However, in a magazine, you can’t “un-see” an
advertisement, it is right there in front of you, tangible on a glossy page.
I am
a great complaint letter writer and I just zipped off one to the advertising
department at Garden Gate to let them know I am a bit miffed and afraid that
the 82 pages of substance will suddenly become 20% or more of advertisements.
I am
also curious how they are going to “electronically digitize” their complete
magazine collection – on flash drives now.
Include or exclude advertising?
I
watched Horticulture Magazine dwindle into a 60 page vehicle. Years ago it used to be vibrant with
illustrations and information, now it is tepid in most aspects, its only
redeeming quality – great photos.
I
can hear some of you saying – it is the new normal, get used to it. But, I will lament having the printed word
reduced to gully location with advertisements filling up two-thirds of each the
page. Yes, I am a dinosaur, I still like
the printed page, a newspaper or magazine in my hand to curl up wherever I am.
I like to turn down a page to remind me, or to circle a quote, or comment in
ink to remind myself to add it to a letter or insert it into conversation, or
add to my quote book.
In
fact, today’s quote is:
Social
connection is a renewable
resource that helps address the
challenges we face as individuals and
as society.
- Vivek H. Murthly/Alice Chen
A
friend invited me out to lunch . . . my first toe in the water now that we are
in Phase II of the Covid19. Yes, I am
cautious, but we can’t all live at home for the rest of our lives.
I
have managed to slip out to get prescriptions and groceries and necessities
since the second week of March. And do an awful lot of on-line buying. It is
time, for me at least, to get out in the world again using precautions before I
become a dried, withered leaf which is tossed by the wind.
And,
some of you might wonder where I have been – I’ve been working furiously in the
gardens and on finishing up the paved patio and driveway. I will be back to blogging daily soon.
