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Tracking urban eccentrics

From Foreign Policy, human rights groups are rightly outraged about China’s abysmal record, but it is foolhardy to treat a rising superpower like a tin-pot dictatorship — sometimes, a little pragmatism goes a long way; and you’ve heard the frightening statistics, seen the riots, and watched the food lines grow across the world: Have we entered some kind of permanent Malthusian trap? From LiveScience, here are 10 things you didn't know about you; and a look at the top 10 worst hereditary conditions. Anyone who dreams of a "classless society" may be disheartened by the results of a brain-scanning study. When does kinky porn become illegal? Jonathan Franzen says Michiko Kakutani is "the stupidest person in New York City". The introduction to Impossible? Surprising Solutions to Counterintuitive Conundrums by Julian Havil. From The Washington Monthly, an idea whose time has gone: Conservatives abandon their support for school vouchers; a look at why a resurgent labor movement is closer than you think; and how to dump the Electoral College without changing the Constitution. In her new book Wild Nights!, Joyce Carol Oates takes on the (largely male) Western literary canon. From Wired, a look at how websites go crazy tracking urban eccentrics. Hurdles on J Street: America's new liberal Israel lobby could change the middle east debate in Washington, but it faces major obstacles.