A quick look at the time-worn mug at the top of this column will tell you that obviously the headline doesn't have anything to do with me. But as you hold and thumb through our January 2009 issue, you likely will notice that our magazine's look has dramatically changed from last month to this one.

A total visual redesign of the printed BEEF package debuts this month. The packaging may be different but the focus and aim remains the same — and that is to help you manage your cattle operation for profit and posterity.

Besides modernizing our look (our last redesign was in September 2004), we also wanted to better tie together our print and electronic efforts. The aim is to provide readers with the more in-depth and targeted information you seek.

On the cover, we've pumped up the size of our logo and gone to more of a full-bleed image. We've also added a tighter tie-in between our print and electronic products in our cover lines by promoting related features available on our magazine website — beefmagazine.com.

On our index page, you'll notice that the articles are categorized by subject area. It's a nod that aligns our monthly editorial offerings with the content categories you'll find in our magazine archives at beefmagazine.com.

Further inside the issue, you'll find redesigned regular columns and a bright, airy feel to feature articles. Our new look retains the same business-oriented feel of old, but Art Director Krista Trempe added a dash of consumer style with the use of a new typeface, more white space, a lighter table style, and a more dramatic use of photos and graphics.

The new typefaces and fonts, redesigned departments and feature pages, and a new color palette are all designed to make your BEEF reading experience a little fresher, more fun and useful. But our editorial philosophy remains the same.

That is to utilize the synergy of our in-print, online and in-person products to provide you with practical production and industry information. The information we seek to provide is that which will allow you to more efficiently, cost-effectively and profitably manage your operation, while keeping an eye toward evolving industry changes and consumer concerns for quality.

We hope you like it and I welcome your comments.