The Crockpot: A Weekly Digest 10.4.11

By Staff
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Before Indian summer is done, listen to the sound of crickets and katydids one last time. (And read a review of the book Cricket Radio here.)

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Hypersensitivity is good, according to Psychology Today.

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A dictatorial government recognizes–and attempts to restrict–the power of art. Check out the shift from avant-garde to realistic art in children’s books under Soviet rule.

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It takes a village to save a drowning farm.

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Gals, forget Lady Chatterly’s Lover. Order your copy of “Men of the Stacks,” a calendar of dreamy male librarians.

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American politicians and scientists are afraid to tackle the big challenges–like space exploration, environmental degradation, and renewable energy–argues science fiction author Neal Stephenson.

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The American Scholar, the quarterly publication that won the 2011 Utne Independent Press Award for Best Writing, is now on Tumblr.

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The New York Review of Books asks, Is Texas Governor and presidential hopeful Rick Perry “another slicked up trashmouth“?

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Booing a gay soldier? Cheering execution? Stop this now, says Susan Brooks at the Washington Post.

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Reporting for Mother Jones, Mac McClelland wonders why an indicted warlord isn’t in the Hague if even she can find him.

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Awesome Food (the Awesome Foundation’s food chapter) announces its very first $1,000 grant winner: Compost Mobile, a Miami home pick-up service for food scraps.

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Do you want to speed up or slow down? Nissan and Swiss scientists are developing a car that can read your mind.

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Open Minds wonder: Are they UFOs or biodegradable floating lanterns?

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