Assorted links

1. Google flu trends, and Google dengue trends.

2. Against empathy?

3. Kevin Drum on robots.

4. Japanese butter grater, and the standing restaurant (Japan also, coming to New York), and more Edward Hugh on Abenomics.

5. Italian designed sneakers.

6. The place names of Orkney and the Shetlands.

7. The wisdom of Steven Pearlstein, on austerity.

8. Geza Vermes has passed away, read all of his books.