Another is that unless the country's power vacuum is filled quickly by a clean election and a credible government, one capable of rebuilding the country's institutions, years of instability and chaos could lie ahead.

ECONOMIST: Peru��s confused path to democracy

Paris employs a huge work force to keep the city clean and its use of golf cart-like vehicles to vacuum dog droppings has received admiring -- and sometimes wry -- attention in the international media.

CNN: We'll always have Paris

I've clocked it: In my modestly sized rooms, the time it takes to prepare, deploy and clean the robots isn't much less than what it takes to vacuum or sweep.

WSJ: The Surprising Benefits of Robot Cleaners

The device, which resembles a Roomba vacuum cleaner, attaches itself to a pane, maps out its perimeter and proceeds to clean the surface, playing a tinny tune when the work is completed.

WSJ: Window-Washing Robots Rise; Humans Balk