Blue light turns out to have some effects on melatonin generation in the body. Maybe I should stop reading on my tablet in bed every night.

Interesting read about how Asian culture self-imposes a bamboo ceiling on asians advancing in society. There's probably some truth to the article.

Great article explaining how revenues differ in quality between companies.

Satirical article explaining why becoming a prison guard by going to prison cadet school is much better than attending Harvard. It pays better (they pay you instead of you paying Harvard), you get a better salary and benefits, and you retire with a superb pension. On the other hand, you have to deal with prisoners all day. Funny yet sad.

Fascinating perspective of the early years of Microsoft from Paul Allen, the other cofounder.

It looks like wearing designer (and well known expensive) brands actually does affect other people's perception of you, perhaps through status displays.

The hygiene theory gets more evidence supporting it --- it looks like it's exposure to a diversity of germs and bugs that helps bolster children's immune systems (rather than quantity of exposure).

I did not realise that hair stylists in California needed to take 1500 hours of classes to get a hair stylist license. And that shampoo-ing hair in Texas required 150 hours of classes

"Texas, for instance, requires hair-salon "shampoo specialists" to take 150 hours of classes, 100 of them on the "theory and practice" of shampooing, before they can sit for a licensing exam. That consists of a written test and a 45-minute demonstration of skills such as draping the client with a clean cape and evenly distributing conditioner."

Synopsis of an interesting book on how progress in the rich world has slowed because low hanging fruit such as improving education has been picked, and that the emerging world will be the source of growth in the near future as they also pick these low hanging fruit to progress.

Interviews in the Economist with a western expat sent to China, followed by a Chinese expat sent to London --- their lives and motivations are, as expected, quite different and interesting.