Wednesday morning roundup

An activist in China is killed, but to that country's citizens' credit, people are furious. Meanwhile, another activist is freed from prison.

The Times would do well to mention that in much of the rest of the world, doubling up is the standard, not the last-recourse-in-tough-times. I'm not suggesting that's good, or bad, or that that family's situation doesn't suck, but I am making the point that it's a luxury to expect to not live with one's extended family.

Virginia schools are using error-laden history books.

There's hope for the Chesapeake but don't let the farms and developers off the hook yet.

Just as some phenomena are f*ed up enough that I sometimes find myself siding with McDonald's, to my surprise, I also find myself siding with a homeowner's association. As for liking communities that ensure homeowners keep their yards free of junk: there's only so much you can do when everyone around you litters and, speaking of the devil, there's a McDonald's two blocks away. I do my best to keep up with the crap that blows into my yard--at least half of which is McDonald's packaging--but I'm glad there's no "community" to big-brother my battle against the area's litter.

On a quasi-related note, DC area housing prices are going strong.