Linkee-poo… another one bites the dust

The CNN story on PayPal changing with a nod to the brouhaha over Jay Lake's fundraiser.

Twenty-five words that don't exist in English. although I think "schadenfreude" is sneaking into English. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)

A long, but engaging and interesting article on ritual, identity, community, connection, and being human. There's an on going discussion in SF/F about the "lack of religion" (even when it is everywhere), and while I personally disagree with those who say "in the past, religion was everywhere" (it was politically, but on a day to day basis for most people, we now have more religion and religious identity than in the past), it was there. In this article you see how that works, and what it meant. All through out I heard the echos of Joseph Campbell. We are all humans, it's just some of us forgot what that means. The internet facilitates sub-tribal identities, just like radio and TV did in their day. And ritual surrounds us daily, it is what we do. Most people think that "ritual" is "religion", but it really isn't. Ritual, for some people, is standing in line at Starbucks. And if you think Starbucks doesn't recognize it, you've obviously misunderstood why their sizes are listed as they are, the codification of language used to place orders, and the iconography prevalent. Same with Apple, same with most successful branding. Also watch how this plays out in social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr/Pinterest. (Grokked from Jay Lake)

To paraphrase Spinal Tap, "The numbers all go to 'kitten'… It's one louder." That's John Scalzi with the new way to handle trolls. Kittening is the new disemvoweling.

A video of the failed political assassination in Bulgaria during a political summit that was being broadcast. Without more information, I really don't want to comment. But seriously, thank the gods for incompetent criminals. Okay, one comment, good thing that was a Good Guy with a gun to stop it.

What does it mean to love our enemies? John Lewis shows us what it means. It means of not thinking of them as enemies, even when we stand in opposition.

Of some relation to a panel I was on at Confusion, an article on the use of ketamine as an "emergency" antidepressant. Ketamine is a "second generation" PCP (if you're of a certain age, you might remember PCP as the reason you weren't terribly shocked by the face eating guy on "bath salts"). Please note the several problems with the use of the drug, however I'm all for the effect of "knowing it's possible to be better." There was a little discussion about how most anti-depressants take weeks to show appreciable effects (but only days to lose them). There are reasons for this described in the article. (Grokked from Jay Lake)

The new VW "single-seater" (it actually has two seats) car. Here is an update on the progress of the car (which as far as I can tell, still isn't shipping even in China). Although the engine seems to be getting fitted in other models. Of course all of VW's coolest technology toys aren't available in the US. I think they underestimate the market here. Although I think they've got a vibe on America's distaste for diesel. (Pointed to by the Lycan Librarian)

Glenn Beck decides to go Gault. I wonder what will happen when they discover if they're in the US, they have to pay federal taxes, and if the state their in has income taxes they'll be subject to that as well. Or if they're outside the US, then they're no longer in the good ol' USA. Or when all those "Makers" can't get good help to mow their lawns or cook their food. Yeah, it's gonna be great. Can we get a live TV feed in there. It's not like I would watch it, but I think the highlight reel would be hilarious.

"I recently visited some Latin American countries that mesh with the N.R.A.’s vision of the promised land, where guards with guns grace every office lobby, storefront, A.T.M., restaurant and gas station. It has not made those countries safer or saner." In fact we tend to think of them as the Third World.

For those of us geeks, Gandalf explains why more guns and the "shoot from the hip" mentality isn't the best idea we could have.