*Monday, October 13, 7:00pm, Harvard Book Store Greg Melville, Greasy Rider: Two Dudes, One Fry-Oil-Powered Car, and a Cross-Country Search for a Greener Future Tuesday, October 14, 10:30 am, Porter Square Books Susan Goodman, See How They Run Tuesday, October 14, 7:00pm, Harvard Book Store Jonathan Carroll, The Ghost in Love: A Novel Tuesday, October 14, 7:00pm, Brookline Booksmith William Conescu, Being Written Diana Spechler, Who By Fire Tuesday, October 14, 7:00 pm, Porter Square......

Gail Collins' recent op-ed in the New York Times waxes nostalgic about the old days of the presidential campaign, before we lost Mitt Romney and met Sarah Palin: Maybe the Republicans should have picked somebody else. I miss Mitt Romney. Sure, he was sort of smarmy. But when Mitt was around, the banks had money and Iceland was solvent. And, of course, when we got bored, we could always talk about how he drove to......

This piece by local artist Chaz Maviyane-Davies helped launch the countdown on 30reasons.org, which presents a new reason every day to vote in the upcoming election. So far, Maviyane-Davies' is our favorite, standing out as beautiful, dramatic, and not overtly political. Sign up for daily email updates of new posters--maybe it will help motivate you to register to vote.......

Each week Bostonist brings you the best of Boston-based viral videos the internet has to offer. Bostonist viral video takes a little break from hilarity to encourage you to dance--and to vote. You have until October 15 to register to vote in November 4's presidential election if you haven't already done so. Get on it! If you're already registered, join the danceoff at ibeatyou.com.......

So in case you haven't heard already, our homeboy Matt Damon's not a big Sarah Palin fan. Maybe he just doesn't like mooseburgers. Or lipstick. Or maybe he's sexist! Yeah, that must be it!......

You know how much we love the Globe's fluffy articles about summer homes and houseguests. The concerns of the rich are always amusing. However, it gets even more grating when the Globe turns an unilluminating upper-class lens on issues that actually matter to those of us without millions of dollars. The latest "Globular" travesty is a take on Election 2008 that focuses on that all-important issue: food. Featuring such hard-hitting insights as the fact that......

iMatthew caught a nice reflection of this Obama pin, creating an interesting double sunrise effect.......

[Allston water gun fight photos tagged Bostonist by cden4] Hillary unleashes the hounds. Or delegates. Or something. Whatever, it's for Obama. [Globe] Harvard-Gawker-Phoenix-Hub racist police officer controversy exPLODES! [Gawker, Phoenix, Universal Hub] You'll have to go to Nashville for nice bathrooms; the one at Smith College didn't make the cut. [Boston Daily] U.S. to adopt international accounting standards. [NYT] Spain swims in tomatoes. [Globe] New Orleans is wary of Gustav. [CNN]......

With Teddy and the Clintons behind him, Barack Obama now needs only for the Republicans to shoot themselves in their finely-clad feet--by having an inordinate amount of homes, making light of bombing, not knowing about the economy, and being computer illiterate. Or, since that's apparently not enough, by picking Mitt Romney as VP. Some Massachusetts pols think the Romster would be the kiss of death for the Republican party, and offer up critiques such as......

A roundup of some Democratic National Convention coverage, from friends DCist and Blue Mass Group: A conversation with Lt. Gov. Tim Murray. [BMG] DNC gets "bumpin'." [DCist] Thoughts on Kennedy's speech. [BMG] Day 1 highlights. [DCist] Chat with State Rep. Jamie Eldrige. [BMG]......

Senator Kennedy defied reports that he would not speak at the DNC last night, almost upstaging Michelle Obama with his calls to action and achievement. Below are some excerpts from his speech. I have come here tonight to stand with you to change America, to restore its future, to rise to our best ideals, and to elect Barack Obama president of the United States. Barack Obama will be a commander in chief who understands that......

Senator Edward Kennedy has arrived in Denver and is scheduled to attend the Democratic National Convention tonight, but probably will not speak to the crowd. However, a video tribute to Teddy's career will air.......

DCist is in Denver for the Democratic National Convention, which kicks off tomorrow. DCist was too wiped out to attend last night's big Media Welcome Party at Elitch Gardens (though there's some evidence may not have gotten in anyway), but they can tell you that the city of Denver set off an impressive fireworks display over the big bash at around 9:30 p.m. Apart from the actual work of adopting a platform and officially......

Barack Obama has chosen Joe Biden as his running mate. More importantly, he notified supporters by text message. Why aren't we on that list? Barack, why won't you text us? We weep. As David Brooks says "I told you so." We don't think Obama-Biden has a great ring to it (too many b's?), but if nothing else, let's hope Biden sets the message straight about non-Confederate Delaware soon.......

A money-crush, at least. The Herald reports that Bay Staters gave the most money per capita to Obama's campaign of any state, at $1.583 each. Vermont and Illinois were close, with $1.580 and $1.558 per capita respectively, but nobody ponied up as much dough as we did. The Herald points out that this is a little odd, considering Obama didn't even win the primary here. But apparently we've got enough rich-folks-getting-richer who don't want a......

Interesting image by dreamsrey Foreclosures more than doubled in Massachusetts last year... [Globe] ...and house prices are rising. [Globe] Romney's panting for the veep spot. [Salon] China can't recognize human rights--or potty-train its kids. [Globe] We have the laziness gene... do you? [Time] Seuss-like Heart Robot likes hugs, is creepy. [Engadget]......

TMZ has some exclusive photos of John Kerry getting down with taking photos with college students in Nantucket. We hope he wore his flip-flops. At the "political" party, a girl clad in a green dress buddied up to Kerry and hogged the Bud Light, while her friends made excellent use of penis straws. TMZ commenters, enlightened as always, theorize that green is the new blue and share insights such as "DON'T TAISE [sic] ME BRO......

Sources say Mitt Romney is near the top of John McCain's vice presidential running mate list. If Obama picked Patrick (not looking at all likely), we'd have quite the Massachusetts Governor showdown in the elections. Some say businessman Romney would provide the economic knowledge McCain seems to lack; others point out that Romney's not been nearly as successful in business as someone like Michael Bloomberg (even though Bloomberg was once targeted as a possible Obama......

While Young Hillary Clinton fights on with tenacity, the real Hillary Clinton waffles (mmm... waffles). Several reports this morning indicated that she would concede the Democratic presidential nomination to presumed winner Barack Obama tonight. The AP started the dropout rumors, and the Herald picked it up. Now Clinton's campaign says it ain't so, and the Globe reports on the limbo-like situation. The campaign is now clearly saying it "absolutely" won't concede anything until Obama reaches......

While chants of "Fired up! Ready to go!" echoed through the World Trade Center, Massachusetts political heavy-weights rallied behind the historic presidential bid of Senator Barack Obama. Senator Kerry's introduction spoke of experience that comes from "wisdom, instinct, gut, and courage - not age" and he stated that "history gives us moments and we must decide what to do with them." When Senator Obama finally took the stage he quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.......