Bits of this and that from here and there

In Argentina, DNA is being used to figure out the identity of skeletal remains from the prolonged “dirty war” and dictatorship that lead to the deaths and disappearances of as many as 30,000 people, reports the Associated Press.

Bottled water is the single largest unit seller at the American grocery chain Whole Foods, according to an article in Fast Company.

The New Yorker reports on the death of the newspaper, an industry specific article, which, in my opinion, has repercussions for general knowledge and civic society. (Not to mention my career options…)

World Politics Review covers the practically unknown conflict in northern Niger, and discusses some of the difficulties for journalists working in the region.

The price of a slave in Haiti may start at $100, but can quickly be bargained down to $50. Also, in prices adjusted for inflation, a slave purchased in 1850 cost $30,000 to $40,000 – pointing to the cheapening of human lives, Road to the Horizon blogs about Benjamin Skinner’s new book.

New York Times writes that family planning has a racist, sexist and ignorant past, with disclaimers about all that population control – often through educating young girls – can do in the future.

A friend of mine pointed me to the amazing photography of Marcus Bleasdale, who has worked extensively in Congo and Somalia, among other places.

An innovative new means of power generation is covered on Afrigadget. A teeter-totter with some kind of energy trapping mechanism (I don’t know the specifics), when used by school kids for an hour, can light a classroom for an entire evening.

The Guardian reports that Facebook is taking sides, and then trying not to, in the Israel-Palestine debate when users in contested territories list their addresses on Facebook and are automatically assigned to “Israel” or “Palestine,” with as many designation difficulties as the UN has.

Le Monde Diplomatique cites an old article of mine (see citation number 12, or for the article, “Does God Need Your Car?”).