Why are magainze publication dates a week/month earlier?

It irks me to no end, as I have a (completely anal-rentative) rule that I won't read a magazine until I've entered the month of the issue date. Here's what The Straight Dope has to say:

"What you see on newsmagazine covers, at least, is not the publication date but what is sometimes called the "off-sales" date--that is, the date on which dealers are supposed to pull the magazine from the stands. It's the equivalent of the "fresh-until" date on milk. The feeling is that if people see a cover date a few days in the future, they figure they're getting the latest poop, even though the magazine may actually have been sitting on the rack for quite a while."

Makes sense. I guess. As a woman of advertising, I'm thinking its a jackpot for advertisers, who can get a jump on getting their new products in front of customers. Brand Name's product is launching in November and they have their splashy ads in front of Suzy and John Consumer in early October.

Very crafty. I'm obviously missing out.

*Source: http://tinyurl.com/l8x6km
*Photo Credit: Vougue Magazine

Read more of my musings at http://why-dogs-sniff-crotches.blogspot.com

Why do some sauces "thicken upon standing"

While I couldn't find an exact answer as to "why (or how) sauces thicken upon standing", I did find a couple tips for thickening sauces:

• Most sauces benefit from some simmering before you thicken them. Simmering them slowly allows them to reduce, which means excess moisture will evaporate and what's left will be more concentrated in flavor. Sometimes this is enough to thicken a sauce on its own, particularly with cream sauces or marinara and other sauces made from pureed vegetables.
• Reducing sauces can be tricky, though, because the amount of salt and other seasonings will also concentrate, so make sure to purposefully underseason everything and correct it only at the very end.
• Butter is the best thickener to use on very powerfully flavored liquids such as wine and concentrated pan juices. Butter softens the powerful flavors and smooths out the texture. Whisk in partially softened cubes of butter over very low heat, tasting as you go, and serve these sauces in tiny amounts. Don't heat them, or they'll separate.

*eSource: eHow
*Photo credit: thebittenword.com - Flickr