Timely Snow

Two new examples of computers automating some of the drudgery that’s the downside of “point and click” interfaces.

   1. LibX Firefox Extension for Libraries

adds on to Firefox, and then, when customized for your local or university library, adds an icon that will allow you to go to a particular book. Really, really cool. Here’s [...]

We have a minor infestation of fruit flies, and I’m here to tell you that the method described here, specifically the “soda bottle trap”, seems to work.

Here’s how: How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies – wikiHow

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From the always interesting James Fallows, a report from Gary Hart supporting an idea that’s occurred to me, that the various Middle Eastern wars in which the U.S. has entangled itself has at least saved us from a much more serous conflict with China.

James Fallows
The commission had 14 members, split 7-7, Republican and [...]

Nice discussion of the problems of forced labor in China, recently illustrated by the brick kiln slave scandal: Wu Si on the intractable problem of forced labor.

This isn’t a new problem, as the title of this post (山高皇帝远: the mountains are high and the emperor is far away) attests.

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According to this article:
At long last, drinkable tap water?, Beijing now has potable water. I’ve always been aghast at the energy wasted in boiling tap water and transporting [hopefully potable] bottled water around Beijing. Now Beijing claims to have tap water that meets international standards. As Shakespeare noted, more or less, there’s many a [...]

as conceived by Penn & Teller. [thanks to Andrew Sullivan]