Interesting post on energy consumption in the U.S.

The Internet... Ways to support charities without spending money

TabForACause.org offers “one of the simplest ways to raise money without lifting a finger (well, almost).” Add the group’s extension to your Web browser and every time you open a new tab, a fraction of a penny will be donated to a charity you choose. You’ll see an ad on each new tab, but feel free to ignore it.

Shopkick.com offers a free smartphone app that lets you earn points every time you enter participating stores—no purchase required. Those points can eventually be cashed in or turned into a charitable gift.

Socialvest.us encourages giving by directing a percentage of your purchases to any of more than 1.5 million charities. Socialvest purchases can be made at the organization’s online shopping site or by using a registered credit card at any of several hundred retailers.

Sexiest man alive Kim Jong Un? Oops! Chinese media gets fooled by the onion

One hot dictator Beijing

Mistaking an Onion spoof for actual news, Chinese media reported this week that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had been named “sexiest man alive.” The Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily ran a 55-photo slide show of Kim in various poses on its website, accompanied by this quote from the Onion article: “With his devastatingly handsome, round face, his boyish charm, and his strong, sturdy frame, this Pyongyang-bred heartthrob is every woman’s dream come true.” Chinese media routinely praise the North Korean regime, so it’s not surprising the newspaper failed to recognize the sarcasm. It took the slide show down after being widely mocked in the international press.