STRANGE BUT TRUE - Nov. 18, 2010

* It was journalist, entrepreneur and philanthropist Esther Dyson who made the following sage observation: “The Internet is like alcohol in some sense. It accentuates what you would do anyway. If you want to be a loner, you can be more alone. If you want to connect, it makes it easier to connect.”

* In China, the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau, which issues license plates, has recently stopped allowing the number 4 to appear on the tags. Evidently the number sounds like the word for “death” and is therefore considered to be unlucky.

* Here’s a startling statistic: If your family is average,...