August 29, 2011: Afternoon
- Irene can't be pinned on global warming, but more events like Irene should be expected in a warming world.
- Hotels preserve chairs and tables during hurricanes by tossing them in the pool.
- Rivka Galchen's fabulous 2009 Harper's essay on the quest to control hurricanes.
- Scientists abused by journalists suggest new fact-checking seal of approval.
- Swiss political party advocates banning PowerPoint in favor of "more interesting and emotional" flip charts.
- Inventor/cartoonist Steven M. Johnson drew a Roomba 10 years ahead of time.
- Happy Birthday, Ray Bradbury.
- Timothy Ferriss sells "the promise of heightened braininess complemented by an enviable degree of brawniness."
- Aspects from NBA players' days culled from Twitter.
- Finding tennis partners akin to cruising.
- Former pro musician destroyed by former tennis pro.
- Paris Review email interview with Janet Malcolm.
- Q&A with longtime Haruki Murakami translator Jay Rubin, who doesn't recommend reading works in translation.
- Recent Bogotá graffiti of a zombie brain-eating sex kitten.
- Best (worst?) jokes from Edinburg Fringe Festival.