CBS News: Harry Potter’s Magical Print Run: 1.5M

“We have certainly never

heard of anyone else doing

such a large first print of a

book, children’s or

otherwise,” said Sarah

Odedina, editorial director of

children’s books at the

London-based publishers.

This meme is being propagated rapidly through the weblogging world (if you want to call it a meme). The do.some.good bookmarklet (linked to the left) opens browser windows for four donation sites — the

Hunger Site, Click for a Cause, The Rainforest Site,

and Clear Landmines —

with one click. Just go to each, click to donate,

and close the window. Drag the “do.some.good” link to the personal toolbar on your

browser and click on it daily to do.some.good with ease. [via Rebecca Blood]

An Apple a Day may be a better antioxidant than high-dose vitamin C.

Mean and green. Viruses given a gene for a toxin from one of the world’s deadliest spiders could replace chemical pesticides, say

researchers…When the modified baculovirus infects an

insect, the insect’s cells should start to produce the toxin, killing it faster than wild viruses.” ?Famous last words: ” Because the host dies

quickly, before much virus can replicate, the modified virus shouldn’t persist in the environment, say the

researchers.” [New Scientist]

“It’s just a horror, a plague. It’s biblical.”

“Left Behind”: Superficially Christian. Christian editor Michael G. Maudlin and theology professor Randall Balmer agree that this bestselling millennial pulp fiction series turns the Book of Revelation to “camp Christianity.” Along the way, they explain end-times theology to unbelievers.

Remote-Control Assassination. The improvement in precision of GPS now available to private citizens allows missile targeting of individuals by would-be assassins, says Robert Wright in Slate. Weblogger David Brake, who also knows something about location technology, thinks the Slate article isn’t worth much.