Roundup

Thomas Pynchon will be on The Simpsons.

Europe's Mars Express has detected water ice on Mars, while the American Mars rover Spirit might still be alive, or at least talking.

Matthew Yglesias is writing about sex and alternate history. Separately, of course.

The Invisible Adjunct features an essay on attirition in PhD programs.

Language Hat links to a blogger exploring Siberia.

Finally, J. Bradford Delong comments about the problems of illiberal democracy.

(Oh, and things aren't good for women in Afghanistan, either.)

::blinks::

You're T'Pol. You are very analytical and logical, as any good Vulcan is, but this makes you stick out like a sore thumb. You're cold and calculated, but there's a softer side to you that you tend to keep under wraps. Take the Enterprise Quiz! Brought to you by redanubis.