From the 3/14/08 issue of the Week: “A Chinese man is being hailed as a hero for diving into a pond to save a drowning 7-year old boy — 20 years after he jumped into the same pond to save the boy’s father. Wang Weiqing, 58, sprang into action when he saw the child struggling in the water as he walked past. Only when the boy’s grandfather arrived did the two men recall their previous encounter two decades earlier.”

Like father like son? Dad never taught the kid how to swim, or to stay out of the same freaking pond that almost killed him 20 years ago?!

Elliot Spitzer. ’nuff said.

I was looking through a Pottery Barn catalog recently and came across this description for an antiqued something or other: “hand distressing for lots of character.” Am I the only one that thinks there’s something wrong with having factory workers “hand distress” brand new furniture so that people can buy something that looks old?

Average compensation of the ten highest-salaried presidents of U.S. public universities: $533,000
Number of them who earn more than the school’s football coach: 2
Amount that Louisiana State University has raised since 2001 to care for its live tiger mascot: $3,750,000

Source: Harper’s index, March 2008