Miscellanea #15

A continuing series of noteworthy tidbits gleaned from all over.

It pays small farmers to go up market
With the UK countryside in crisis, farmers are surviving by cutting out the middlemen and selling straight to foodies. (BBC News | UK)

not the great american novel
I left the house around noon today with, as usual, every intention of writing the Great American Novel. I do that on free weekend days; I set out in search of the Pulitzer…. (strip mining for whimsy)

Kiwis Cop Stonehenge’s Star Buzz
The mysterious ring of megaliths erected on England’s Salisbury Plain has enthralled visitors for millennia. Now a group of astronomers in New Zealand is trying to one-up the ancient Brits by erecting a combination solar calendar and star compass. Kim Griggs reports from Wellington. (Wired News)

Good Booking
Good Booking ? Good god, what a bad idea. But what an advance in literary culture, as Penguin promises: we’ll turn books into fashion accessories. (the Literary Saloon)

An African in Greenland
In this month’s issue of The New Criterion John Derbyshire writes about The strangest travel book ever written, Tete-Michel Kpomassie’s An African in Greenland. (the Literary Saloon)

John Sutherland: America’s fundagelicals
US elections: The race for the White House will be decided by fundagelicals. That’s good news for twice-born George Bush, says John Sutherland. (Guardian Unlimited)

SFWA writing articles
SFWA writing articles are a collection of useful articles for those interested in writing science fiction and fantasy… (Inkygirl)

Kill A Watt
If you’re going to live in a more sustainable way, you have to be able to figure out what you’re doing that is unsustainable… (WorldChanging)

Conflict Map
The 20th century was bloody, and the 21st century isn’t getting off to a very good start itself. (WorldChanging)

My Child Is an A Student at National League Elementary
Having as much trouble as I am believing that this Dodger team has the best record in the National League? (Dodger Thoughts)

Public Service Announcement…
It appears to that the warmer weather is finally upon us, white legs all over the place are coming out of hibernation (mine included) a finally feeling the sunlight. I’ve noticed over the past few weeks that here and in DC (and I assume all over the US) that hip hugger shorts and skirts are back in… (What is a CyclingPlatypus?)