Friday morsels

Sooooo much to tell all of you about but sooooo little time. Here are a few bullet points:

- Nightshade Kittytoes (don't you love that name?!) has an interesting post up about Burger King and nutrition: apparently Burger King subjected villagers in Africa to a taste test between the Whopper and the Big Mac? NK asks for ideas on how to fix the problem. Let's start with significant subsidies for local farmers who sell at local markets. Revamp the FDA, USDA, DofA...it's a big ol' mess and it's high time someone fixed it. Dismantle the whole damn thing and start fresh, I say. Shouldn't bringing our troops home free up some cash?

- You won't believe what the Washington Post is spewing about children's and young adult literature. I thought we were sooo over this, but I guess we have to go there again. I'll save you my own rant and just send you over to Librarilly Blonde.

- What will they think of next? Customizable M&Ms!!! Thanks, Rachel!

- Ramona may finally be turned into a movie. I find her darling in print...I suspect I may want to slap her big-screen incarnation.

- I may be vocal about the fact that I don't bake, but that doesn't stop me from ogling others' delicious confections. My latest food porn is Clotilde's Flourless Poppyseed Cake. The offer is open again, readers: you make this for me, bring it over, and I'll serve you a phenomenal dinner. Wine included.

- Nick Kristof suggests to Obama renaming the Department of Agriculture for "change we can believe in."

- Got blog envy? I know I do. How do these people find the time????

Eat, drink, and finish your holiday shopping!

The One Where I Don't Mention Food

** U.S. News just came out with its list of Best Careers 2008, and Librarian is on it. And I’m just thinking, “Well, DUR!” We’ve all known this for awhile and now America is catching on. What raised a red flag with me is that the median annual pay is listed as $51,400. Really? I mean, reallllly???? I want to know why I live in one of the most expensive cities in the world, holding the position I hold, and I make well under that. Seriously, we’re talking $10k less than that. How annoying. The Man is damn lucky I like my job so much. Damn lucky.

Thanks to Annoyed Librarian for the link.

** Publishers Weekly has the scoop on the joint book tour with Shannon Hale and Libba Bray, and I just have to ask: are there two authors more fun than these two? I don’t think so. I just want to be best friends with them. (Thanks to PW for the photo!)

** The Oregonian has an interview with Beverly Cleary, who I can credit almost entirely with shaping me as a young reader. Ramona spoke to me as a child; she was a kindred spirit. Then I moved on to Dear Mr. Henshaw. Then it was Sister of the Bride, Jean and Johnny, Fifteen, and The Luckiest Girl. She’s the one single author I can say I grew up with; after all, I didn’t discover L.M. Montgomery until I was 15 and Sweet Valley High was just a phase. And I was never into Judy Blume as a kid. It’s delightful to see that, at 91, Cleary is as spunky as ever: when asked to comment about children reading so much less than they used to, Cleary answers: “I don't think I'm qualified…because I only hear from children who do read." Wonderful. I don’t have very many heroes, but she is one of mine.