links for 2010-01-08

It looks like Al Jazeera should be reconsidered.

A listing of the 200 best and worst jobs in the country, based on a half dozen criteria. The best job is actuary, followed by software engineer (represent!) and computer systems analyst. The very worst jobs include dairy farmer, ironworker, lumberjack, and roustabout. Reporting and photojournalism are pretty close to the bottom of the list.

This study by folks from Hollins and Virginia Western Community College found that half of all drinks from soda fountains that they sampled contained fecal coloform bacteria. (Sadly, not fecal colorforms, which would be a lot more fun.) All of the samples were taken in the Roanoke area last May.

Josh Israel looked into this PAC and found that they spend basically nothing on actually accomplishing anything. Most of the money has been pocketed by head of the group, the Alexandria-based Ann E.W. Stone.

The husband talks in his sleep. The wife takes notes and posts his remarks to a blog. The result is hilarious.

This description of how Google's book scanning system works includes a fascinating revelation about how they adjust for page curl: by projecting the same infrared maze-like pattern on every page, so that the infrared channel on the scan can be adjusted to match the pattern, leaving the visible spectrum correctly straightened. I'm very impressed.