Why Indie Magazines Continue to Rule the Roost

Despite the apocalypse predicted for the print industry for almost a decade now, more often than before new indie magazines are finding their way on to the magazine racks in bookshops across the world - making it difficult to buy into the prediction entirely. Here's why we think indie magazines continue to rule the roost, as it were, despite the unpredictability plaguing the print industry, in general.

1. Content

Most of the indie magazines approach their chosen subject/theme in ways that have rarely been experimented with before, thus making the content fresh and distinctive. The Gentlewoman, an independently published magazine based out of the UK is one such case in point, which celebrates modern women of style and purpose. This magazine is not just a mere catalog of faces and costumes; instead it showcases real women in the real world wearing their personalities as a style statement - offering a fresh and intelligent perspective on fashion. There are independent magazines showcasing an extraordinary range of topics, from travel, food, popular culture, visual communication to cats, dogs, running, surfing, skate boarding, cycling, graffiti et al, out there today. You think of a genre/interest and surely there will be a couple of super creative and competent blokes somewhere on the globe sharing these interests with like-minded people by way of a magazine.

2. Design

Each of these indie magazines bear a very distinct visual identity. With the use of creative layouts, type and designs, these magazines are carving a new future for editorial design as an art form, distinguishing them from the mass of glossies swarming the magazine stalls, each looking like the other. The indie magazines are designed with an objective of being part of your shelves for a long time to come - true collectibles.

3. Advertisement free

Working in small teams, self-funded and with limited circulation these magazines are carving out a new culture, which focuses on building relationships with its readers and not selling products. Most indie publishers are working towards replacing advertising with sponsors allowing the content to remain independent and instead acknowledging the sponsors who supported the print of the issue in an unobtrusive design that blends with the rest of magazine, with infinite grace. Thus ensuring an uninterrupted reading experience. Magazines such as Offscreen and Works That Work are stellar examples of those who have adopted an advert free approach from the very beginning of their print cycle, and very successfully at that.

4. Easier to publish

As the debates rage on about the future of print publishing in light of the digital age that we live in, where everything is at your finger tips (literally), good print continues to thrive. Perhaps the reason is that print and digital are not mutually exclusive after all; in fact, the digital revolution has allowed the publishers of today to push their limits and challenge the norms. Like everything else, print, both as a medium and product, has evolved. The result is that technology has made the necessity of having big budgets to produce good work redundant. Today all you need is talent and passion to produce your work with the use of digital tools available widely. This ease of producing a magazine is giving rise to the number of people who wish to showcase their creative vision using print as their medium of choice.

5. Slow Journalism/ Slow Web

The web today though serves up news real fast, often rates being first above being right. As proponents of 'The Slow Web' and 'Slow Journalism', the indie magazines are giving an opportunity to people to step back from the sensory overload and multiple mayhem of the web and read investigative reporting, and thought-provoking long form features in a distraction-free environment. Delayed Gratification is a quarterly indie magazine published by The Slow Journalism Company and is a very strong case in point. A company that holds itself out, with pride, as being the 'Last to breaking news'.

Paper Planes brings the world to your doorstep with its International Indie Magazine Subscription service. Niche Independent Magazine Subscription services with competitive pricing and discounts to boot.

Plausible Deniability

The political arena appears to be filling with multiple cases of plausible deniability. Having never heard this term until this pre-election year, I have noticed its use again and again. For example, when Trump stated that McCain was not a war hero, he utilized plausible deniability. Because McCain was captured, because he survived, because he returned to the United States to live a good life, Trump is free to deny him his hero status with the plausible reasoning stated that he was captured, survived, and returned alive. I suppose in Trump's mind, had McCain escaped or had he come back mentally and physically destroyed or had he died, then he could have been recognized as a champion and an idol.

Another example of plausible deniability is the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage. This right can be denied by those who find it unacceptable for multiple reasons such as poor court judges, the bible says it is wrong, and homosexuality is moral corruption. To some these are completely plausible reasons. For others, those who find the decision plausible and the deniability implausible, the court stayed true to its responsibilities in that the judges studied and discussed to make a wise decision, that the bible is a book among many and that there is a separation of church and state in this country, and that the court is not in charge of morality but rather dedicated to reading and translating the Constitution into modern situations while allowing for freedom of choice.

You can name just about any hot topic and one side or the other will come up with plausible deniability. While it is good to apply reasoning to support an opinion, there is also the breakpoint when it is time to move forward. Issues like abortion, Benghazi, and misuse of email cannot be resolved if a compromise agreement cannot be obtained. Instead fighting to fight takes precedence over intellectual rationality. Because of this repetitive cycle of accusations using the "old" facts to try to generate a new decision, a quagmire of contempt arises. Nothing can be solved or resolved.

Children love to use plausible deniability as an escape from punishment. Even though Sweetie has been told numerous times to not leave her cup on the edge of the table or it will spill, she continues her pattern. When it does come crashing to the floor shattering glass and shooting juice, she can rely on the safety of plausible deniability including reasons for the disaster such as "Brother wiggled the table" or "I forgot" or feigned tears of repentance and sorrow to shift the blame from her and the mess to outside forces.

Adolescents wallow in plausible deniability when a school report arrives at home decorated with failing grades. "The teacher never explains"; "Mrs. Smith lost my papers"; "Mr. Jones doesn't like me" and so on and so forth are handy justifications and explanations. Many parents fall into this trap making excuses for the child and laying culpability upon another. Sometimes this system works well, frustrating the education efforts of the teacher as he is forced to lower standards and accept administrative decrees to raise a grade. Baby is happy, the grade becomes acceptable, and the child recognizes the value and significance of his wailing trump. When you question school organization and the academic delivery it provides, stop to think about the plausible deniability instituted by some parents and students and you may have a different view of the problem. No, teachers are not faultless as many utilize their own plausible deniability too, "I taught it but students did not learn" being a prime example, but most teachers want their students to learn and succeed.

Plausible deniability is a sort of no-fault, fail-safe situation. When it is acknowledged as the best route, the safest choice, the wisest decision, intellectual reflection, analysis, and thinking are tossed right out of the door. This unending rational of innocence or undeserved attack demoralizes our morality as it obliterates our ability to seek the truth and live with compromise and decisions made for the greater good.

Benefits Of Digital Magazines

Digital magazines are quickly replacing hardcopy magazines. Some of the benefits that come with digital magazines include:

Instant Access

When you subscribe to the magazines you will get an email with the login details that will allow you to start downloading your issues. The cool thing is that when there is a new issue you don't have to search for it-you will get a notification and a link to where you can download it.

Cheaper Price

Many magazines provide you with different types of subscriptions. For example, you have the option of making weekly, monthly or even annual subscriptions. The price that you pay for these subscriptions is usually very cheap compared to the price that you'd have paid if you had bought a printed magazine.

The cool thing is that many digital magazines have apps that not only make the magazines affordable, but they also make it easy for you to download your favorite magazine.

Easy To Track Your Readers

If you are a publisher, you don't have to ask your readers to give feedback on how they find the magazines as you can easily track the content that your readers are reading. To do this you only need to go through your data and find out the topics that most of the readers are interested in. This helps you to enhance your future publications.

Easy To Measure Your Advertising Goals

Digital magazines come with ad-management and ad-serving technology that helps you to easily identify the number of readers who have clicked on the hotlink provided by the advertiser. This helps you to tell the advertiser the exact number of people who have seen the advertisement. You will also help you to know the types of advertisements that are receiving a lot of views.

Multiple Downloads

As mentioned, almost all digital magazine publishers have an app that allows you to download your favorite issue on a wide range on of devices. For example, you can download your magazine on your phone, iPad, or computer. This allows you to read your magazine on your favorite device. All you need to do is to download the magazine's app into your device.

Easy To Store

It's stressful to store hard-copy magazines. For example, you may be required to find an empty cupboard to store the magazines. With digital magazines you don't need to create storage space as they are stored online. Most publishers will provide you with crowd space where you can store your magazines.

She Lived For 42 Years in a Vegetative State

Feminism is there, but primarily in developed world only. Plight of women in developing countries leaves a lot to be desired. It is still humiliating life for majority of women. They are denied even equal religious rights. There is a ray of hope; a light seen at the end of a dark tunnel, but it will take time. Humanity is moving in the right direction, but too slowly. A young nurse in a developing country was sexually molested in 1973 and was in coma for 42 years before death. Her molester was imprisoned for just 7 years in jail. This was grossly unfair. We need to amend old laws in developing countries. Euthanasia was denied to her for 42 years. Her relations had deserted her. Her colleagues in hospital served her and out of love, opposed her euthanasia. Were they right? It is a debatable question!

27 Nov 1973, 5PM

A young nurse had just finished her duty. She was changing her dress in the change room and was looking forward to meet her fiance, a doctor. But God had other plans for her.

A few days ago, she had reported to hospital authorities that a hospital staff - who looked after sick dogs - was stealing dog-food. He was angry and he had planned his revenge.

At an opportune moment, he entered the change room and molested her. She was found in an unconscious state after 12 hours. She was in coma.

Surprisingly, and unfortunately she was alive. She was in the vegetative state for 42 years, till 19 May 2015, when she died a natural death. She was denied euthanasia, as it was not legally permitted. Her relations have deserted her. Her friends - nurses and doctors - looked after their senior colleague with love and dedication. They too opposed her euthanasia.

Where is the accused!

He was caught and awarded seven-years imprisonment. He must have started his new life long ago, when released from jail. He may be living somewhere with a new, false identity. This is a punishment, he has to live with, till his death. If he is married and has a family, he would be always scared of his past catching up with him, and getting revealed to his wife and children. His inability to lead a normal life, is God's or his victim's curse on him.

What was the purpose of her life?

She, in her vegetative state, brought out the best in humanity. The nurses and doctors in the hospital served their suffering colleague selflessly, for 42 years.

Her vegetative state for four decades, influenced her country to legalize euthanasia, in extreme cases; although she was not its beneficiary.

Where is she or her soul!

It is a mystery. God knows the truth. Humanity has no answer. Is her soul waiting for the day of judgement? Was there a rebirth planned for her by God - in a suitable species, depending on her good or bad deeds in her life as per her religious beliefs?

Thank you, the brave fighter, for visiting the World for 67 years - including 42 years in vegetative state.

God bless you, with peace, happiness and harmony in your next life.

Amen!

Lesson to learn

Don't try to fix a person, who has not much to lose in life. Sometimes we get involved in a situation, where we have to deal with a menial, illiterate worker, from a lower strata of society, involved in a criminal activity. It is advisable not to deal with such persons directly. Better inform the bosses, with a request, not to divulge your name.

Importance of Tech News

We are living in a technology driven society. In this society, we should keep us updated with the latest technological inventions. We must try our best to get the latest tools, gadgets and software to execute multiple tasks with our least possible efforts. To make us aware of these tools, gadgets and software, many dedicated news portals, blogs, websites, magazine, tabloids, journals, and newspapers have appeared to the scene. They take important roles in the dissemination of latest information about technology.

There are a significant number of websites and blogs offering us latest tech news. We get to know about the latest gadgets, software and apps along with the right platforms to run them. Now we can travel faster and reach our desired destinations within a very short span of time. Doctors can get information about the latest machines and tools. They can use these to cure their patients. Alongside, they can give end-to-end solutions to some diseases that were incurable for last few decades. Besides, they let us know about the newly invented computer languages, new application software and latest database management systems. With the aid of these, businesses can execute a number of business activities that help them in better business management. They can perform well in their core competencies and create steady bottom lines for their companies.

Based on their information, we take some important decisions to make our life more comfortable and hospitable. We get to know about the probable risks and recent malware attacks that can help us in happy and safe internet browsing.

Significant benefits of tech news

Help us grow well

Tech news makes us aware of the latest inventions and technological advancements. We use them in our personal lives and business purposes. Many news items help us make our life more comfortable- as we start using these technologies in our own purposes. Sometimes, dedicated tech media bring out news on business management software and database management system. These help businesses perform well in their core competencies. As the consequence of these, they can grow well to become a globally recognized company or business entity.

Help us stay safe and happy

As these media include updated information about hacking, malicious attacks and dangerous "call to action points", we become aware of these. It helps us in safe browsing and secured transaction.

Save money and time

As we are informed about the latest technological trends, we can make some changes in our operation and production process. Using latest tools and methodologies, we can cut down our production costs and execute a number of activities quickly and easily. This helps us save our time and money.

Daniel Mcbreen is a professional writer. He is interested in writing articles on Tech News.

Self-Esteem, Shunned Commencement Speakers, and College Trigger Warnings

Here it is in a nutshell: Self-esteem comes from true accomplishment, or, at the very least, a strong effort to succeed, to attain a goal. It cannot be handed to children by well-meaning parents and educators who put every scribble on the fridge door or bulletin board.

Nevertheless, too many of us continue to ignore that truth, over-indulging our kids, defending the indefensible, and protecting them from failure. We hover, too.

Every kid now gets a trophy, merited or not, while many schools have done away with homework, red pens, and zeroes. Nowadays, we even see multiple valedictorians at graduations--or none at all. God forbid, the slackers out there should feel badly and left out.

Much of this is attributable to the self-esteem movement that got started back in the 1980's in California. The thinking at the time was that by downplaying grades and competition while praising even minimal effort, kids would feel worthwhile and be better behaved.

What we've ended up with instead are countless intolerant, arrogant, needy young people who've come to believe that life is supposed to be fair and that they're the be all and end all. They post the minutiae of their lives online, take countless selfies, expect good grades simply for showing up, cope poorly with failure, and lack adult-ready skills.

And all that me, me thinking is no more apparent than on our college campuses. Says comedian Jerry Seinfeld, "College kids are too politically correct; I hear it all the time. I don't play colleges, but I hear a lot of people tell me, 'Don't go near colleges. They're too P.C.' I'll give you an example: My daughter's 14. My wife said to her, 'Well, you know, in the next couple years, I think you're going to want to be hanging around the city more on the weekends, so you can see boys.' You know what my daughter says? She says, 'That's sexist.' They just want to use these words: 'That's racist;' 'That's prejudice.' They don't know what the _ _ _ _ they're talking about."

Along with all that unbridled political correctness and self-centeredness, many college students nowadays can't handle opposing points of view, so they protest, shun, or cause certain guests to be disinvited as speakers-and with many of their professors right there with them. In fact, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), since 1987, there have been at least 145 instances where speakers have withdrawn their names, had invitations revoked, or been the subjects of protests-with almost 100 of these in the last five years.

Notes the Washington Square News Editorial Board: "The protests follow party lines-with speakers who are perceived to be conservative uninvited almost three times as much as liberal guests." Last year, that included former U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice. Not only did Rutgers University students protest with a sit-in, the faculty council urged the university to disinvite her, calling her a "war criminal." She withdrew her name, so as not to detract from the ceremony itself.

Another who withdrew in 2014 was Robert J. Birgeneau, former chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley. Students at Haverford College liked that he champions undocumented and minority students but disapproved his use of force during a 2011 Occupy movement protest on campus. The upshot: They and some professors penned a letter asking that he apologize and support reparations or be disinvited.

Meanwhile, although Harvard's graduating seniors didn't want former NYC Mayor Bloomberg to speak last year, speak he did. Among his comments: "In the 1950's. the right wing was attempting to repress left-wing ideas. Today, on many campuses, it is liberals trying to repress conservative ideas, even as conservative faculty members are at risk of becoming an endangered species, and that is probably nowhere more true than it is here in the Ivy League."

Underscoring that fact, he noted that "all but 4% of presidential campaign contributions by Ivy League faculty and staff in 2012 went to Obama." Bloomberg himself endorsed the man at the time.

Among 2015's hit list:

St. John Fisher College: Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Dozens of professors wrote, "A graduation ceremony should be a moment in which we publicly acknowledge and show respect for all members of our diverse student body and their accompanying families. Regretfully, our speaker selection implies that we do not value all members of the Fisher family equally."

University of California, L.A.: Former Microsoft technology officer and co-founder of Intellectual Ventures Nathan Myhrvold. Offended, student Ara Shirinian called his company "the world's biggest patent troll" and insisted that, in the future, students be involved in the selection process.

LeMoyne College: Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Almost the entire graduating class signed a Change.org petition against him for opposing same-sex marriage and mishandling sex abuse allegations against priests.

And when Texas Governor Greg Abbott was asked to speak this year at the University of North Texas, "Turn Your Back on Bigotry" designed an AbbottFreeUNT Facebook page asking that agreeing students turn their backs on him for the duration. Part of their platform read, "Governor Abbott supports policies that impede the attainment of rights pursued by marginalized communities, including, but not limited to: the LGBT+ population, women, people of color, and lower/working class people, e.g. Abbott's attempts to block access to in-state tuition for undocumented migrants is antithetical to this university's purported commitment to higher education and opportunity."

The upshot: Only a few hundred of the 4,000 graduating seniors showed up, and many of them turned their backs as the governor spoke. Wonder what their parents thought.

As the WSN Editorial Board concluded, "Although the overwhelming majority of students support free speech in theory, those who protest visiting speakers do not reflect this belief. If students are to advocate for free speech, they must uphold it unselectively. Advocates for free speech should not try to eliminate opportunities for unpopular views to be heard, and should, in fact, encourage them. Exposure to dissenting ideas is especially critical to intellectual honesty, and growth in an educational setting."

Unfortunately, the threat to academic freedom and freedom of speech doesn't end with shunned guest speakers. Nowadays, trigger warnings on campuses also seek to protect "fragile" students from any topic that might "trigger" in them an emotional response.

For instance, Oberlin College's now-tabled policy warned faculty to "remove triggering material when it does not contribute directly to the course learning goals." Listed as potential triggers: "Racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism, cissexism, ableism, and other issues of privilege and oppression."

I needed help with:

Cissexism: "The appeal to norms that enforce the gender binary and gender essentialism, resulting in the oppression of gender variant, non-binary and trans identities."

Ableism: "a set of practices and beliefs that assign inferior value (worth) to people who have developmental, emotional, physical or psychiatric disabilities."

Even such classics as Huck Finn, The Great Gatsby, Mrs. Dalloway, and Shakespeare, too, have been targeted.

Such goings-on triggered this from The Daily Beast's Neil Gillespie: "Abetted by idiot administrators, today's students seem incapable of living in the real world. Every time we seem to have reached peak insanity when it comes to the intellectually constipated and socially stultifying atmosphere on today's college campuses, some new story manages to reveal vast new and untapped reservoirs of ridiculousness. In a world of trigger warnings, microaggressions, and official apologies featuring misgendered pronouns that start a whole new round of accusations, wonders never cease."

And so it goes...

Carol is a learning specialist who worked with middle school children and their parents at the Methacton School District in Pennsylvania for more than 25 years and now supervises student teachers at Gwynedd-Mercy University and Ursinus College. Along with the booklet, 149 Parenting School-Wise Tips: Intermediate Grades & Up, and numerous articles in such publications as Teaching Pre-K-8 and Curious Parents, she has authored three successful learning guidebooks: Getting School-Wise: A Student Guidebook, Other-Wise and School-Wise: A Parent Guidebook, and ESL Activities for Every Month of the School Year.

How Are Railroads, Engineering and Australia Tied Together?

Sometimes people forget that Australia isn't only a country, but it's on its own continent and that by itself is pretty interesting. The entire country covers an area that spans just under 3 million square miles with over 23 million residents! Given its size and population, you can bet the transportation system is complex and intricate because there's so much land to cover and so many people who need to use it. While there is hundreds of thousands of miles of paved and unpaved roadways, Australia has over 25,000 miles of railway track throughout the country. And with a massive amount of land on the continent, the Australian rail network has plenty of room for expansion.

Increased Usage

Rail networks all over the world are experiencing a big rise in ridership and usage, which goes the same for Australia. Whether it's taking the local subway around town or jumping on a regional train line to ride hundreds, if not thousands of miles, across the country, the people of Australia are taking advantage of this efficient transportation method. And according to a recent article in The Sydney Moring Herald, the city of Zetland (just a few miles south of Sydney), is experiencing such a high demand for rail transportation that the local government and state officials are hitting max ridership capacity and must grow the rail network in that area. But this is just one of many examples where Australians are packing onto trains!

How Can They Improve The Rail Network?

While state officials wish they could just snap their fingers and instantly improve the transportation system, they cannot; which means they must find a suitable strategy to fulfill the needs of their citizens. This is where they meet with engineers and outside firms who can deliver rail infrastructure solutions that'll accommodate the needs of their train network. Whether that consists of laying down new tracks or producing additional passenger trains or a combination or both, the upgrades could meet the rising passenger demands.

When it comes to choosing the right company to deliver on the transportation services, local and government officials should select the ones with previous experience and a proven track record of successful projects. This can be very beneficial in terms of a timely completion because the demand of ridership will only increase as time progresses.

To immediately alleviate some of the current strains on the rail network, the governing officials should first increase the number of passenger trains on all lines to increase the capacity and to shorten ride times. With more trains transporting passengers on current routes, it'll create the needed buffer time to implement new routes and tracks for the country. Since there is a surplus of area where tracks can be installed, the track implementation will probably be the most time consuming improvement initiative. However, the rail infrastructure project will benefit the country now and in the future!