Weekend link dump for June 14

She’s a grand old flag, she’s a high-flying flag, and forever in peace may she wave…

“Dog lovers in Japan have taken grooming to a whole new level of strange by styling their dogs into perfectly trimmed and symmetrical cubes.” I got nothing.

The Patient Zero of music piracy, and the person who identified him.

“Do you know what I’ve learned over the past half decade? When you stop obsessing over sex, it’s really not that big of a deal. There is no lifelong battle to be waged. It turns out that the guys who tend to be obsessed with sex are the ones obsessed with not thinking about it.”

“A new wave of truly gigantic telescopes is under construction, and will give astronomers the ability to learn more about our universe than ever before.”

“I love the swing-for-the-fences, bat-poop craziness of old-school superheroes, in all their gleefully gimmicky glory.”

What Neil Gaiman believes about ideas, and what Amanda Palmer thinks about empathy, outrage, and playing the Hitler card.

Why freezing your credit file is the best defense against identity theft.

Just a reminder that the Duggars played awfully fast and loose with the truth during that Megyn Kelly softball interview.

Bitcoin is a pyramid scheme or a Ponzi scheme, but not really a currency.

Everything you wanted to know about the Sad Puppies Hugo-nominations campaign, if you’re into that sort of thing and aren’t completely over it by now.

“I am pleased to learn that actor Leonard Nimoy has been given a singular honor: The asteroid 4864 Nimoy has been named after him.”

“Understanding hospital pricing and charges is one of the most frustrating experiences for ordinary consumers and health-care professionals alike. It’s virtually impossible to find out ahead of time from the hospital how much a procedure or stay in the facility is going to cost. Once the bill arrives, many Americans have difficulty understanding them. Most hospital patients covered by private or government insurance don’t pay full price because insurers and programs like Medicare negotiate lower rates for their patients. But the millions of Americans who don’t have insurance don’t have anyone to negotiate on their behalf. They are most likely to be charged the full hospital price. As a result, uninsured patients, who are often the most vulnerable, face skyrocketing medical bills that can lead to personal bankruptcy, damaged credit scores or avoidance of needed medical care.”

RIP, Vincent Bugliosi, prosecutor of Charles Manson and his “family”.

What Iceland has to teach us about the next financial crisis.

RIP, Vincent Musetto, world’s greatest headline writer.

Spocking your fivers is not illegal in Canada, but it is frowned upon by certain people who could do well to lighten up a bit.

RIP, Christopher Lee, versatile actor best known for playing Dracule and Saurumon, among many others.

RIP, Ornette Coleman, jazz saxophonist and composer. Here’s a brief conversation my college buddy Steve Smith had with him a few years ago.

RIP, Jack King, the voice of the Apollo moon shots.

I was going to say something about the dumb thing that Nobel scientist said about lady scientists, but I was too distracted by all the sexiness.

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