Keeping an eye on business and its machinations is the province of Bloomberg Markets, which utilizes the resources of more than 2,300 Bloomberg reporters worldwide to produce a rarity in today's news cycle: in-depth, investigative journalism.

It's been over a year since Bloomberg bought the venerable yet ailing Business Week, and since then its staff has undoubtedly been grappling with questions like: How far down must a billionaire dig into his pockets to finance what Bloomberg Businessweek President Paul Bascober hopes will be "the most influential business magazine in the world"? And, is that goal impossible -- or simply irrelevant -- with the weekly print business pub possibly as dinosaur-like as the print newsweekly in the face of digital competition?

Anna Wintour be damned. The September/October issue of Weight Watchers magazine features plus-sized models who look nice, but realistically chunky -- unlike fashion magazines where "plus size" means having the teensiest bit of stomach pooch.

Outdoor magazines always amaze me. Yes, nature is lovely to look at -- but what do you think the Discovery Channel is for? First, it's the safest way to travel. Camping is a euphemism for no toilet paper -- or worse. Stephen Colbert isn't the only one terrified of bears. But for those humbled by its wonders, such as conservationist and Sierra Club founder John Muir, the wilderness is transcendent. "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees." That's Muir; unlike me, he didn't dive into the nearest Greenwich …

The American guitar-collector phenom tracks the baby boom, the instrument's electrification and consequent graduation from rhythm instrument in big bands to solo instrument, and its explosive proliferation in style and variety. But the first instrument of today's law firm partners, plastic surgeons, bankers, account executives and yours truly was very likely an air guitar. That's Guitar Aficionado's reader base.

Should Essence, one of very few magazines exclusively for black women, have hired a white fashion editor? After debate on this question recently simmered online, Editor In Chief Angela Burt-Murray defended her decision as a color-blind merit pick. She also noted that when the mag covers issues possibly more substantive than an editor's race, the public reaction is generally "crickets" (or, as translated by my people, "bupkes").

The meaning of "vintage" depends on usage. For our purposes, we won't be discussing wines from a particular harvest, apologies to our vintner readers. Instead, the term, via Vintage, will be used to showcase, per Dictionary.com, "the high quality of a past time." The goal is to explore the impact of history on our current culture.

When you think Jews and Las Vegas, what comes to mind? If you answered Bugsy Siegel, we're on the same page. Or maybe you guessed Mo Greene, the Siegel stand-in, in "The Godfather." He's the one who slaps Freddy Corleone around -- and gets shot in the eye as payback. Greene is also referenced in "Godfather II," touted for transforming a once-dusty stopover for GIs into, according to David magazine, "the world's most dynamic city." I'd challenge that assertion, as a New Yorker, but I agree: Jews do wondrous things in the desert.

The Empire State Building is my true north -- as it is for anyone who lives in downtown Manhattan. We get the occasional cowboy -- but he tends to be more Village People than Buffalo Bill. Also, our sense of space is radically different from the rest of the country. Some 3 million people inhabit this island; if "bedrooms," plural, is part of your vocabulary, count your blessings. To find, as Cole Porter once wrote, "land, give me land, and the sunny skies above," we head west. For those seeking an authentic experience without actual contact, try True West.

ShopSmart;) , a nifty Consumer Reports shopping guide, presents helpful, easy-to-understand information, laid out by an art director who knows how to use his color wheel. The mag's mission is awesome; it works "for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves."