links for 2009-06-02

"The anecdotal pleasure in the author's account is complemented by a compelling theoretical framework and analysis. Gelber astutely recognizes hobbies as occupying a middle ground between work and leisure. More than a casual pastime and less than a paid task, he locates hobbies' origins in the attitudes and values encouraged by capitalism, not industrialization. He is largely convincing on this point, even though his story properly begins within the rise of Victorian collectibles during the heyday of metropolitan industrialization in the 1830s with signature and then spoon and stamp collecting. As Gelber notes, "Hobbies have been a way to confirm the verities of work and the free market inside the home so long as remunerative employment has remained elsewhere." (4) "

"Findings from the National Gardening Association’s (NGA) new survey, The Impact of Home and Community Gardening in America, indicate that food gardening in the U.S. is on the rise. Seven million more households plan to grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs, or berries in 2009 than in 2008 — a 19 percent increase in participation. This anticipated increase is nearly double the 10 percent growth in vegetable gardening from 2007 to 2008 and reflects the number of new food gardeners emerging this year."

A detailed look at the visual explorations for Up.