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A Wired article highlights China's efforts to control rainfall, even going so far as to plan for preventing rain during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. via Marginal Revolution

A leaked 2003 US military manual for Guantanamo Bay prison details guard instructions and camp operations, including procedures for handling detainees. via The source of this content is BBC NEWS.

Saudi Arabia's oil minister says the kingdom is content with the current oil price and would increase production if necessary, but sees no need currently. via The Oil Drum: Europe

The Economist (November 13, 2007) featured an article titled "Assassination Equilibria," with the subtitle "Assassins appear to be deterrable."

Absinthe is making a comeback in the US, but new research suggests its psychoactive effects may have been exaggerated. via Reason.com

Tyler Cowen on Marginal Revolution discusses Canadian book buyers being upset over high book prices. via Marginal Revolution

Spain's King Juan Carlos told Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to "shut up" after Chavez made inflammatory remarks about a former Spanish PM at the Ibero-American summit, which you can read more about here.

via BBC NEWS.

Tyler Cowen critiques Joseph Stiglitz's argument that President Bush's economic policies will be judged more harshly by history than Herbert Hoover's. via Marginal Revolution.

Reddit uses cookies to personalize content and ads, with some necessary for the platform to function. via Reddit

This article snippet ponders "Why does a salad cost more than a Big Mac?". via kottke.org

Economist's View shares an excerpt from Joseph Stiglitz's article critiquing the economic policies of George W. Bush, likening their impact to that of the Treaty of Versailles.

via Economist's View.

New data from the CDC shows that smoking rates have plateaued, and Reason.com reports that this may jeopardize national goals for reducing smoking prevalence.