Three comments on the smoking discussion: 1. In WW II. American soldiers got a smoking ration. (And could buy more at at a PX -- which they sometimes stepped outside and sold to foreigners.) 2. Cosmo… (View Post)

Here's the book I was thnking of: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Apple-in-China/Patrick-McGee/9781668053379 Named by both The New York Times and The Economist as one of the best books of the … (View Post)

FWIW: Some time ago I sent Tim Cook a letter offering him a "Free Tibet" bumper sticker, on the condition that he display it prominently. Curiously, he has not yet accepted my offer -- but … (View Post)

For some time I have been using these two rough comparisons: Stalin was responsible for about as many deaths as World War I, Mao about as many as World War II. They aren't perfect, but I don't know o… (View Post)

FPT: Off topic, but I think many of you will appreciate this travel suggestion:Much has been done to educate the public about the dangers these snakes pose to the ecosystem. The water management dist… (View Post)