• Given the right topic, #Colbert can have a serious interview, and psychology can be fascinating http://j.mp/eXFOWg (time-travelling porn…) #
• Türkisch Deutscher Keks http://j.mp/eW82hN Mulitikulti kann auch lustig sein (sehr!) Danke an Bernhard für die Lachtränen! #
• Sachverständigenrat für Umweltfragen über den Weg in die Zukunft der (erneuerbaren) Energie http://j.mp/hs6Ko9 klingt sehr verständig #
• German newspaper ZEIT readers interview (in English) J. S. Foer („Eating Animals“) http://j.mp/fR9XYR — especially like his Veganism answer #
• aiming high, but Tunisia shows there’s some truth in it: Facebook and Peace http://j.mp/eMSgCX (nice little graphs) #
• Das ZDF kann Jahresrückblick (spät, ich weiß, aber gut) http://j.mp/frTs1t Danke Johannes! #
• #Ngram of sympathy, empathy and selfishness http://j.mp/emsrf0 (inspired by an interview featuring eco-psych book rec. http://j.mp/ibijzD) #
• US federal agency to enter drug research after 15 years of declining output in the industry http://j.mp/gOAUF8 #NewPlan #
• Twitter from #Tunisia (mostly in French) http://j.mp/ezljfl via #nytimes http://j.mp/hBD6YL #
• Old Europeans adopted by African families (no joke). Hope I can see that movie http://j.mp/gfA7pY German article about it http://j.mp/fLVHXw #

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• A book on (especially sociobiological) naturalism http://j.mp/dF5GiU gave me the idea for an #n gram of „normal“ http://j.mp/eJsnB6 #
• #travelinsight 3: practicing the art of relaxing. Way harder than I thought! #
• #valuescience #TED video http://j.mp/fkhGP2 are there right answers to moral questions? Don’t necessarily agree, but thought-provoking #
• I love semi-professional youtube stuff — like „Pale kid raps fast“ http://j.mp/eNxWUm Yo! #
• social costs vs monetary fines http://j.mp/fXaNaa (story of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation told nicely) #
• Justice is what love looks like in public, just like tenderness is what love feels like in private — Cornel West http://j.mp/gFlZ9g #colbert #
• „A Night in Tunisia“, Tunisian novelist describing his experiences with (and supporting) the revolution http://j.mp/f4FSLV #nytimes #op-ed #
• #travelinsight 2: don’t forget about sport #
• #travelinsight 1: one serving is enough, the pot need not be empty, and a vegan belly can feel even better after a meal #
• Wikileaks cables reveal Israel’s intention to „keep Gaza’s economy on the brink of collapse“ http://j.mp/dRg4ZO youtube: http://j.mp/hyKh3I #
• tax evasion uncovered 2.0 — this time through Wikileaks http://j.mp/dXVmxZ I hope Swiss courts have some sense of right and wrong #
• is the polarization and intensity of the political debate due to a general loss of personal modesty (replaced by ego)? http://j.mp/fUfun6 #
• given the bad press microcredit has recently gotten, good to read Yunus‘ explanations and solutions http://j.mp/gB9OG9 #nytimes #op-ed #

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• A book on (especially sociobiological) naturalism http://j.mp/dF5GiU gave me the idea for an #n gram of „normal“ http://j.mp/eJsnB6 #
• #travelinsight 3: practicing the art of relaxing. Way harder than I thought! #
• #valuescience #TED video http://j.mp/fkhGP2 are there right answers to moral questions? Don’t necessarily agree, but thought-provoking #
• I love semi-professional youtube stuff — like „Pale kid raps fast“ http://j.mp/eNxWUm Yo! #
• social costs vs monetary fines http://j.mp/fXaNaa (story of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation told nicely) #
• Justice is what love looks like in public, just like tenderness is what love feels like in private — Cornel West http://j.mp/gFlZ9g #colbert #
• „A Night in Tunisia“, Tunisian novelist describing his experiences with (and supporting) the revolution http://j.mp/f4FSLV #nytimes #op-ed #
• #travelinsight 2: don’t forget about sport #
• #travelinsight 1: one serving is enough, the pot need not be empty, and a vegan belly can feel even better after a meal #
• Wikileaks cables reveal Israel’s intention to „keep Gaza’s economy on the brink of collapse“ http://j.mp/dRg4ZO youtube: http://j.mp/hyKh3I #
• tax evasion uncovered 2.0 — this time through Wikileaks http://j.mp/dXVmxZ I hope Swiss courts have some sense of right and wrong #
• is the polarization and intensity of the political debate due to a general loss of personal modesty (replaced by ego)? http://j.mp/fUfun6 #
• given the bad press microcredit has recently gotten, good to read Yunus‘ explanations and solutions http://j.mp/gB9OG9 #nytimes #op-ed #

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Da sitze ich gemütlich auf der Couch in San Francisco, genauer Tiburon, höre draußen in der Nacht die Nebelhörner der Schiffe und schreibe zum ersten Mal etwas über den Anfang meiner Reise und die Pläne fürs nächste Jahr. Bis jetzt war noch alles sehr vertraut und ruhig, war auch nötig nach der unvermeidlichen Hektik von Zimmerausräumen über Weihnachten bis hin zum endgültigen Packen und Abschied. Jetzt steht schon bald der nächste Abschied bevor, von Cindy, die zurück nach Glasgow fliegt und ihre Show nochmal aufführt, und dann geht es bei mir richtig los.

Es kommen zuerst noch 12 Tage in Palo Alto bei Magic, meinen alten Freunden aus der Zeit des Praktikums in Stanford. Dann fliege ich am 1. Februar von SFO über und mit den Emiraten nach Chennai (Madras), wo ich am 3. Februar 2 Uhr morgens Ortszeit ankomme und in Auroville erstmal für eine Woche ein Zimmer habe. Was ich dort genau mache ist noch nicht geregelt, aber ich habe Vertrauen dass sich was ergeben wird, das scheint mir der dort vermutlich anzutreffenden Mischung aus indischem und Hippie-Geist zu entsprechen, und mich darauf einzulassen und zu verlassen ist irgendwie schon die erste Lektion dieser Reise.

Soviel erstmal zur noch vagen Zukunft, hier ist eine Karte mit den Stationen, ich konnte der Versuchung nicht widerstehen mal ein paar virtuelle Nadeln in die Erde zu stecken, und dann kommen ein paar Berichte und Bilder der letzten Wochen in Kalifornien:

[…]

• Für alle, denen Wikipedia immer ein bisschen unheimlich war: Drei Gesichter http://j.mp/dMsPOh kurz und knackig #
• much liked Jon Stewart http://j.mp/g2sVor over Colbert (who was barely bearable) the second night in a row. I might change camps #
• is Tucson due to political hate speech http://j.mp/eEBgZN poor gun control http://j.mp/e3n0oO or just mental illness http://j.mp/gefmPN ? #
• Jon Stewart has some very good words on the Tucson Shooting http://j.mp/hVg4DW and something on seniors‘ sex to make up for it #
• #nytimes op-ed with a very sinister view on money and politics http://j.mp/i3DzmZ #

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In an interesting online series called „Fixes“ the NYTimes showcases existing „solutions to social problems and why they work“. A recent post starting with an example of Brazil got me interested, maybe because I’ll be there this year. Also, the ever-present topic of how to help poor people in our own countries and abroad seems to be especially intensely debated these days, both in the US and in Germany.

What I didn’t know is that with Brazil and Mexico, two rather big newly industrializing countries are implementing on a large scale programs that transfer cash to the extremely poor, on conditions that mostly center around caring for your and your children’s health and education. And they seem to do a surprisingly great job at reducing poverty:

[…]

Via ZEITonline twitter: Sehen, was in Wikipedia gerade verbessert wird (ziemlich exotisches Zeug mittlerweile, trotzdem ein erhebendes Gefühl, dem Wissen eine Weile beim Wachsen zuzuschauen):

[…]

• Arizona immigration: Another controversial law banning Latino classes http://j.mp/gksXCv #nytimes Are they segregating or empowering? #
• Unsold Christmas trees as fish habitat http://j.mp/fc0A2Y #nytimes brilliant no matter what you think about fishing #
• #nytimes has a nice online version of the constitution, with comments on parts with debated interpretation http://j.mp/i2ydWE #
• Having the wrong name to fly — how airport security hazzles thousands, and how easy it still is to get around it http://j.mp/foi2ST #nytimes #
• der Dioxin-Skandal führt ganz nebenbei vor, wie krass die ganz normalen Abläufe in der Tierzuchtindustrie sind http://j.mp/foWfiy #
• personal ads are always a fun read, but British ones are even better, of course http://j.mp/fZXFWQ #montypython would be proud #
• #informationisbeautiful have sweet visuals on public money http://j.mp/f2GjCb, drugs http://j.mp/hqbOYk and data itself http://j.mp/fKDcFF #
• I like #GregMankiw for making conservative economic thinking understandable http://j.mp/fAE7zy. Still disagree with most of it though #

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• Can’t get enough of Sarah Palin’s Alaska: http://j.mp/ggFYrG — in #stephencolbert version #

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