Below are simple links to other interesting stuff I've come across on the web in the last day or two; they may or may not concern literature or photography, or indeed the arts at all. You can click here to learn more about how I compile this list and what software I use, if you're interested.

Regarding George Mitchell, the grand "Gray Man" of the Obama administration
Fascinating profile by Foreign Policy magazine on George Mitchell, one of the most effective "Gray Men" in modern history -- that is, the smart, level-headed people behind the scenes who actually get the real work done in international diplomacy. As all the people in Washington bluster and scream about the Middle East, Mitchell has actually been over there for nine months now; this article does a great job explaining what exactly he's doing over there when no one is paying attention.

SGI releases world's first 'personal supercomputer'
80 cores, a freaking terabyte of RAM, the ability to support up to 19 Intel Xeon processors, its own cooling system...oh, excuse me, I think I just spooed in my pants. Prices begin at only eight thousand dollars too! Can you believe it!? Home-based movie studios, here we come! (Via BoingBoing.net.)

Op/Ed: With Letterman appearance, Obama reminds us what exactly 'dignity' is
A nice editorial from The Daily Beast's Lee Siegel, arguing that President Obama's touching and masterful appearance on the David Letterman show earlier this week has almost singlehandedly shifted the conversation in this country back to one of civility, painting the ugliness of this year's town halls as "summer reruns" and repositioning the health-care debate back in dignified terms that favor the Democrats. A thoughtful analysis; now, let's see how long it lasts before the hate-filled wingnuts ruin everything again.

Werner Herzog announces new badass "anti-film-school film school"
German New Wave director Werner Herzog (whose '70s and '80s films with Klaus Kinski I'm reviewing here this year) has just announced a new project, an "anti-film school" series of film classes ironically titled "The Rogue Film School;" costing $1,500 altogether, students will entirely skip technical lessons on the actual filmmaking process, with the seminars instead acting as a dialogue about the arts and creativity in general, including such intriguing-sounding topics as "the art of lockpicking," "the creation of your own shooting permits," and "the neutralization of bureaucracy." Applications now being accepted!

FDA bans the sale of flavored cigarettes
Why? Well, because repeated studies have shown that high-schoolers are three times as likely to buy flavored cigarettes than middle-agers, that's why. Coming next: A ban this summer on cigarette companies using the terms "light," low" and "mild." (Via Daily Beast Cheat Sheet.)