Finishing Philip Kerr’s spellbinding Field Gray; began Jon Ronson’s Them: Adventures w/Extremists. I dig Ronson’s brand of participatory journalism, having earlier enjoyed his Men Who Stare at Goats and The Psychopath Test: Inside the Madness Industry.
“With the leadership and backing of the American people, President Obama will turn this country around.”–John McCain, on the campaign trail in South Carolina with Mitt Romney. H/t TPM for the hilarious video.
Enjoy this really sweet cover of The Band’s The Weight” performed backstage after a recent Wilco-Nick Lowe concert in Chicago. Magnificent Mavis Staples takes the lead vocal, and superbly plays the role of bandleader. What sweet sounds! Video provided courtesy of Yep Roc Records, Nick Lowe’s label.
A letter the Federal Bureau of Investigation sent in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request suggests that an investigation of Bain Capital–the company that Mitt Romney worked at for many years, and from which the New York Times has reported continues to receive significant compensation–is ongoing or possibly commencing within the Bureau. The letter, viewable on Scribd.com, has had the name of the person requesting information redacted, as well as the date it was written. The top of the letter reads “Subject: Bain Capital” The relevant paragraph in the letter, signed by the FBI’s David Hardy, Records/Information Dissemination Section Chief reads,
“I have determined that the records responsive to your request are law enforcement records; that there is a pending or prospective law enforcement proceeding relevant to these responsive records; and that the release of the information contained in these responsive records could reasonably be expected to interfere with the enforcement proceedings.” // see letter in post . . .
“Whoever is the standard-bearer, a Republican victory in 2012 would do nothing to reverse or restrain the radically rightward march of the party. The Tea Party movement has accelerated a process that has been under way for many years within the GOP, which is now firm in its identity as the insurgent party, set upon blowing up policies and public responsibilities that enjoyed bipartisan support for many decades. The Democrats are the status quo party— protective and pragmatic. The asymmetric polarization of the two camps is the most significant feature of contemporary American politics.”–from Washington Monthly’s issue devoted to the question, “What If Obama Loses?” // more. . .
Watch Under the Sea Near Antarctica, ‘a Riot of Life’ Discovered in Super-Heated Water on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.
Startling discoveries have been made of heretofore unknown species in explorations of deep ocean waters near Antarctica. Learning about all these newly discovered species, my mind turns quickly to thoughts of extraterrestrial life. After all, we know that conditions in space would be extreme, even more extreme than 800 degrees and all the pressure that must be exerted on life at 8000 feet below sea level. Still, if life forms can flourish in those conditions, maybe there are some kinds of organisms, beyond our current imaginings, that would also thrive in deep space. // more . . .