Farmers’ Almanac and Current Topics

I always enjoy my Sunday morning. It affords me an opportunity to read at least three Sunday newspapers. There are so many ways to get news hand delivered electronically, but the Sunday paper offer a breadth of information. I look carefully at the Sunday magazines including USA and Parade. They tend to carry current topics of interest. As editor of the Farmers’ Almanac, I not only think about our long range weather but, the topics that go into the book and will be of interest to our readers over an entire year. Since we go to press almost 6 months in advance, Sandi and I have to deliberate long and hard about the topics we include.

If I use Parade Magazine as an indicator of what is relevant, then we did well with the 2008 edition. For example:

Their cover story was called “Is Anything Private Anymore?”. The article talked about cameras and computers tracking your every move. We have a story titled Don’t let Someone Steal Your Good Names. Don’t use obvious passwords, don’t hand out personal info over the phone (ever), protect your SSN like it was gold, etc. Our story runs on pages 76- 78 and has a number of links to valuable websites.

Another Parade article is called 6 Ways to Lower Your Energy Bills. We had a story about this in the 2006 edition. This year we have one called Turn Up The Heat on Greenhouse Gases. We offer similar advise on what do to to save energy and pollute less. Better insulation, careful use of water, changing light bulbs, properly inflated tires, etc. Check it out on pages 48 – 54.

In the news tonight, there was a report about a stinky plant at a college (I think it was in Ohio). Sure enough, it was the Corpse Flower. Better known as the Amorphophallus titanium, it is a giant stinker. With only 20 documented blooms between 1939 and 2006, this is big stinky news.We discuss a variety of smelly flowers including the skunk cabbage, voodoo lily and stinky gourde among others. They may stink but it is entertaining to learn when and where you might find these flowers.

Sandi and I are always looking for stories of interest. If you have a suggestion, we’ll be planning the 2009 edition before long.

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