Miscellaneous links, not big enough for their own postings:

OMG is in the OED. But lest you think this is a triumph of netspeak over proper English, the earliest citation for it is dated 1917.

John McPhee on finding structure in the subjects he writes about. Probably helpful for all kinds of technical writing, not just the more popular nonfiction McPhee is known for.

Harry Lewis on the conflicts of interest inherent in the collaborations between academic institutions and repressive anti-free-speech regimes such as the ones in the Middle East, Singapore, or Kansas.

A requiem for the American dream, by Hunter on the Daily Kos.

Complementing my recent posts on SODA 2014, here are some reactions by others: Abstract talk. Notes by Mahnush Movahedi. And Cora on the message we're sending by having an all-male keynote slate.