I often come across links that capture the spirit of the time, links that I save using Pocket or Instapaper.  Here are some of them, with quick comments.

Politics, mostly American:

• Wired endorsesdHillary. That Hillary needs such full throated support was part of the problem with her as a candidate: WIRED Endorses Optimism | WIRED
• Very little was written about Trump that was good, including this: Donald Trump’s Ghostwriter Tells All – The New Yorker
• I think this piece will get referenced many times in the post Obama years. Obama After Dark: The Precious Hours Alone – NYTimes.com
• This sums up my problems with the Clintons in a nutshell: Loretta Lynch to Accept F.B.I. Recommendations in Clinton Email Inquiry – The New York Times
• Much has been said about Trump, but really there is an axis between Trump and Putin that will be what the world turns around in the next four years: Follow the money to see why Putin wants a Trump victory – The Globe and Mail
• A good piece that sums up the complexity of the horror story that is the civil war in Syria: Turkey Invasion of Syria Highlights Shifting Alliances – SPIEGEL ONLINE
•  Two articles on the boogeyman that is the Alt-right. One: The Alt-Right Has Its Very Own TV Show On Adult Swim – BuzzFeed News
• and two: Alt-Right Gathering Exults in Trump Election With Nazi-Era Salute – NYTimes.com

Culture:

• A good marker on the decline of Twitter, the company: Inside the secret meeting that changed the fate of Vine forever
• Everyone who connects to the Internet is attacked, you included. Here’s a taste of how it goes down: The Inevitability of Being Hacked – The Atlantic
• I think there will be a decline in selfies, but right now they are still the dominant format for most photographs (at least people have stopped taking photos of their feet and nails). So you can make yours better by doing this: 13 Clever Ways to Take a Selfie (That Doesn’t Look Like a Selfie
• Self driving cars are still up and coming hype: Stoplights with AI could mean no more pointless idling – Business Insider
• How rumours spread now: Have you heard? The maths of rumour spreading | plus.maths.org
• More on AI panic: Microsoft’s schoolgirl AI is playing depressed | Fusion
• America’s gun problem is definitely still part of the zeitgeist: Why I “Need” an AR-15 – Medium
• As is it’s racial problem: Black teens, white teens: Why Google displays racist results | Fusion

Psychology, mostly links about glumness in America

• How to stay happy when the world is collapsing
• How to Handle the Difficult Times : zen habits
• “Wine. Immediately.” The depressing reason so many women today drink. – Vox

Work, mainly grim or putting a good face on work.

• How to thrive as a freelancer
• Why careers are gone, and jobs are going next
• Many Middle-Class Americans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck – The Atlantic