A Momentary Taste of Being

The WSJ has something interesting to say about having children ( Thanks, Julie!) Exceprt: While the popular and the academic cases against kids have a kernel of truth, both lack perspective. By historical standards, modern parents get a remarkably good deal. When economist Ted Bergstrom of the University of California, Santa Barbara reviewed the anthropological evidence, he found that in traditional societies, kids don't pay. Among hunter-gatherers, children consume more calories than they produce, and grandparents produce more calories than they consume virtually until the day they die. Agricultural societies are much the same. Only in recent decades did people start living long enough to collect much of a "pension" from their kids. While big financial transfers from children to their parents remain rare, only in the modern world can retirees expect to enjoy two decades of their descendents' company and in-kind assistance.

Reading what our inner (or outer) teenager bought Who doesn't love a super-low-price booksale?  You can risk a quarter on any sort of literary nonsense--who knows what will turn up?

A Novelist Looks at the Financial Meltdown

Another country heard from An interesting analysis that parallels our own.  Prune away the massive popular tree-killers and make room for the real book-making art. 

The Economics of E-Books What does it cost to produce an e-book?  I haven't looked at the numbers with what I know about publishing, but I'll fill you in when I have a chance for a close reading.

New phrases --I love new phrases. Trout-pout Picasso porn

A nice list at Good Reads --go and gnash your teeth and tear your clothing with the many mourners.

To quote from some of my favorite philosophers, as if . Yes the Pope of Bill Donahue frowns and Hollywood trembles and hastens to kowtow.

A review here

Another I have somehow managed to overlook for some time--a review here . Live Chat with Lydia Davis today from 3:00-4:00.  Link here.

Here I had always wondered why Turkish delight would be a temptation to any sane child; however, the article tells us, that's mere intrusion of reason into the literary world.  Although I'm very, very partial to plum pudding myself (and stick toffee pudding, and almost anything the British call a pudding on the sweet side--there are some pretty unsavory-sounding savory puddings), I love the description of it as "compacted fruit compost."