Worried about the meaning of existence? You might want to check out Raj Patel's best-selling book The Value of Nothing. Its message about how we value -- and misvalue -- the world and ourselves charts a middle path toward a society in which our economic choices aren't dominated by Big Brother or big corporations.

It's called the vuvuzela (pronounced vu-vu-ZEL-uh) and it has swarmed into the spotlight of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The tournament kicked off a few days ago, introducing the world to a plastic horn capable of reaching 127 decibels.

When umpire Jim Joyce blew a call this week with two outs in the ninth, he ruined a pitcher's shot at perfection and ignited a national debate about the state of the game. One fan likes it pretty much just the way it is.