Linkee-poo sings the songs that remind him of the good times, sings the songs that remind him of the better times

I'll just drop this here, Flamethrower versus Firehose.

The costs of paying attention. On the social costs of inserting advertising and communications in every available space. I think this hit the ridiculous level for me when they started putting ads on the pump handles at gas stations (although I am very glad the concept of video terminals on gas pumps hasn't taken off). But the kicker line is, "Silence is now offered as a luxury good." And in case you don't believe that, you can search for vacations that are sold as "no tv, no radio, no wifi, no bars on the cell phone." These "rustic" experiences are sold at a premium. (Grokked from Terri Windling)

The speed of social change in America. Who says the world isn't getting faster. (Grokked from John)

The forgotten Historic Jersey City and Harsimus Cemetery. Just in case you think there aren't modern things that go missing, even in the well developed State of New Jersey. Also useful for story plots (the description of the site is fabulous, including all the things being found so far and the history of the usage of the site). (Grokked from Matt Staggs)

A professor at Texas A&M fails his entire Strategic Management class citing "examples of students cheating, telling him to 'chill out,' and inappropriate conduct. He said students spread untrue rumors about him online, and he said at one point he even felt the need to have police protection in class." I'm sure the smear campaign against the professor will begin soon, although I've seen other instances of this (first hand). My heart goes out to the professor. See, colleges no longer view students as students, but as customers and revenue sources. Once the professor requested police protection in class, that should have been a signal to the administration that something was wrong here (add in the discussion after the Virginia Tech shooting and you can see where this is something serious). But, "Dr. Patrick Louchouarn, the vice president of Academic affairs at the university made it very clear that although they respect Horwtiz, his failing grades won't stick." That'll learn 'em. (Grokked from TPM)

"German car manufacturer Audi has reportedly invented a carbon-neutral diesel fuel, made solely from water, carbon dioxide and renewable energy sources." I'm wondering if this isn't just an updated "they invented an engine that runs on water" thing that pops up every 5 to 10 years? Maybe not. (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)

So, ever wonder what happened to those German engineers that built the V2 rockets? Yea, we brought them back to the States and used them to launch our own high-altitude/space missions. Here's an Army News Reel that documents both the building and launch of a V2, in the US, made from mostly pre-VE day materials made in Germany. Note the packing of "glass wool" without respirators. Ah, the good old days. It's a pretty good documentary of the whole process (construction, launch - including how the countdown was handled prior to display screens, and recovery). (Grokked from Dan)

And because we're talking about WWII, for your edification, the Gehlen Organization. Or, "How German Spies Got Their Groove Back." (Grokked from Matt Staggs)

"In this world, 'property' becomes the exclusive purview of manufacturers. You don’t get to own your computerized devices: You are only and forevermore a tenant of them, and the manufacturers are the landlords and they get to decide how you use the goods they deign to allow you to pay for." In 21st century, product owns you. As Rachel said, "Isn't that just kick-you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck fantastic?"

See, I told you it was a thing. "Regardless, the Kleins got a GoFundMe, because that is what happens when you are a gay-hating wingnut (or a black-hating wingnut, whatever), and you openly discriminate against people in Obama’s America. You cry and bitch, in a very public way, and then mouthbreathers from around the country worship you as a martyr and give you their money." And who could have cancelled their GoFundMe campaign? Could it be… SATAN? (Grokked from Matt Staggs)

And, while we're talking about crowd-sourced funding and milking the rubes, how about a kickstarter to prove Newton was correct, and that having satellites in orbit is possible? Because that sounds legit, doesn't it? Because it's impossible to view things in orbit from surface of the Earth. (Grokked from Dan)

Ted Cruz says he'll still love a daughter if they came out as gay, during a fundraiser thrown by openly gay investors. There is so much to unpack in that statement that it would require a research grant. Pandering? Of course a parent would love a child (not in the real world, but the hypothetical world of uncomfortable political questions always). But here's the question I'd really like to see him asked, "Dear Senator Cruz, so, okay, one of your daughters announces she is gay and you love her dearly. What if she wanted to marry an openly gay man?" ::munches popcorn, waits for head to explode::

I imagine it would be something like this.