The Chinese “tong shu” or almanac has been consulted by emperors and farmers alike for millennia to select optimum auspice for the action of government and the planting and harvesting of crops. Generals consulted it before battles, Daoists before the performance of rites, acupuncturists for “open” points, builders before digging foundations, and village folk to plan a wedding or funeral. Cataloging the collective experience/data was the duty of one of the Chinese government's largest…