15 September 2008: Morning

Throughout her political career, [Palin] has pursued vendettas, fired officials who crossed her, and sometimes blurred the line between government and personal grievance.

McCain has long rankled evangelical voters--Obama isn't having much luck converting them, either.

Op: Palin makes thinking passé; saying her main qualification is that she didn't abort is not the path to victory.

"I believe the assertion that there is such a doctrine lends greater coherence to the administration's policies than they deserve." On the Bush Doctrine, and lack of.

New surveillance technology may provide an October surprise--success in Afghanistan would enhance Bush's legacy, Obama's chances.

Remembering David Foster Wallace: by Michiko Kakutani; with Charlie Rose; on Lynch; on Federer; on lobsters [pdf].

"I don't even remember why...I selected a new character, Miss Marple, to act as a sleuth in the case...I had no intention of continuing her for the rest of my natural life."

On Damien Hirst's piracy, art as indication of dullness.

In a rare interview, Kate Rothko recounts her parents' death, her battle with the art world.

Before Ike hit Galveston, the bears invaded.

The creator of the web has our backs, wants to stop the spread of disinformation, making the web relevant to everyone.

Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden pilots rescue flights for stranded vacationers in Egypt, Greece.

Many blacks dismissed rugby as "the brutish, alien pastime of a brutish, alien people." How Mandela turned rugby into a bridge over a racial chasm.