Bizarre and suspicious tidings, everybody! Yes, the government's still shut down, with not much progress in sight on that front, but there are at least glimmers of reason popping and sparking in the GOP ranks. They've decided that maybe it's not a good idea for the US to default on its loans. The new, earth-shattering proposal: Raise the debt limit for six weeks, and hash out policy debates without murdering the country. Stunning, and viable if it can get past virulent House Republicans.

You have to give it to those Republicans, though. They march to their own rage-addled drummer. It's gotten to the point where—gasp!—even monied business interests are outraged.

I don't think I've read anything by Alice Munro. And now that she's sold out by winning the Nobel Prize in literature, I never will.

She's not the only one winning auspicious awards. Local boy Edward Snowden makes good.

Libya's prime minister was kidnapped by militants today. Then, you know, released several hours later.

Dave Chapelle's in town this week! Here's a really long, very new piece about him in the Believer.

The Trail Blazers: now 0-2 in the preseason.

Someone's gotta provide the technology that will obliterate Syria's chemical weapons. Why not us?

After a crass public blow up with talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, Kanye West appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live to make amends last night. Would you guess he acted like an out-of-touch jerk?

If you're from the Willamette Valley, it's possible you don't know how truly amazing this area's relative lack of mosquitoes is. Revel in that ignorance while you can, because the times are a'changing. Global warming is coming sooner than you think.

I'm not remotely mad at this:

You know, sometimes it's easy to get down on this great old country of ours. The only thing for it: Watch the 1986 animated classic The Adventures of the American Rabbit while you should be contributing to our crumbling society.