AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, A CONVENIENT “MISTAKE:” “The Justice Department on Friday provided Congress with documents detailing how department officials gave inaccurate information to a U.S. senator in the controversy surrounding Operation Fast and Furious, the flawed law enforcement initiative aimed at dismantling major arms trafficking networks on the Southwest border. In a letter last February to Charles Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Justice Department said that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms had not sanctioned the sale of assault weapons to a straw purchaser and that the agency makes every effort to intercept weapons that have been purchased illegally. In connection with Operation Fast and Furious, both statements turned out to be incorrect.”

UPDATE: Law Prof. Joseph Olson emails: “It was so simple to lie and they thought it would do the trick. Exactly how every cover up commences. Then the ball of string unravels.”

ANOTHER UPDATE: Prof. Stephen Clark writes:

They dump this stuff on Friday afternoon. Why? Does anyone even pretend to be surprised anymore?

You lie to the DOJ and you go to prison. The DOJ lies to you and it’s just another day at the office.

Indeed.

AT AMAZON, Up to 70% off on Jewelry.

MICKEY KAUS SPOTS “the latest, strange GOP trend: reasonableness. What caused it and what does it mean?”

100 CAMERAS IN 1: An iPhone Camera App review.

THIS IS A REAL DEAL: Today Only: Panasonic Lumix LX5 Camera for $269. I’ve got one, and it’s a great camera. (Bumped, because this is a good deal.)

TECHNOLOGY: Can big companies harness disruptive innovation?

TIM BLAIR: The Sacrament Of The Bulb.

AT AMAZON, Best Books of 2011.

REASON TV: Hot for Teacher: Criminalizing Sex Between Legal Adults?! Nanny of the Month November 2011.

IS PHYSICAL STRENGTH THE MOST IMPORTANT THING? “Most important may be not quite right; yet it’s more important than ever, morally and even politically.”

If you agree, this is a good place to start.

THE CADILLAC WORLD THORIUM FUEL CONCEPT. “Here’s another one from the world of unlimited conceptual design: the Cadillac World Thorium Fuel concept. Otherwise known as the Cadillac WTF. Created by Loren Kulesus, everything about the WTF has been created to last 100 years without maintenance. That’s the reason for the element number ninety, thorium: to act as a nuclear fuel powering batteries that would power the car.” Yeah, this is from a while back, but I’d missed it.

NANOTECHNOLOGY UPDATE: Darpa seeks nanotechnology defense against novel pathogens.

TECHNOLOGY: Firefox Add-on ‘Undoes’ U.S. Government Domain Seizures.

SUSANNAH BRESLIN: What Not To Say To Someone Who Has Breast Cancer.

BOB ZUBRIN: Methanol Wins.

BUMMER: Southgate House closing: Renowned Newport music venue hosted wide variety of acts.

I had a good time there a while back.

FASTER, PLEASE: Gene Therapy Can Protect Against HIV. “Gene therapy, an approach most commonly explored for curing chronic genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis, may also prove practical for disease prevention. In research published today in Nature, scientists in California show that a single injection — which inserted the DNA for an HIV-neutralizing antibody into the muscle cells of live mice — completely protected the animals against HIV transmission.”

Here’s the paper.

JOBLESS RATE DROPS UNEXPECTEDLY. The folks at ZeroHedge say it’s because of workforce shrinkage, and suspect chicanery at the BLS. I should note that I’ve looked into the chicanery issue, and folks who worked there under Bush don’t think there’s any funny business going on now.

Meanwhile, James Pethokoukis explains why it’s better but still terrible.

#GREENFAIL: Walter Russell Mead: Top Science Journal Challenges Green Carbon Assumptions. “This is modern science in action: some of the best minds in the discipline probing the validity of others’ hypotheses in the interest of advancing our understanding of the world around us. But don’t tell the folks in Durban — for the unicorn chasers, the science is settled.” They’re not chasing unicorns. They’re seeking power.

AMITY SHLAES: Taylor Swift As A Counterculture Icon For Young Girls. “Swift, the phenom, suggests the market for pop culture features elements of a vicious cycle perpetuated by music professionals, at least in the case of girls. She’s won Grammys. But she’s won more American Music Awards. The distinction is that the former prize is chosen by players in the entertainment industry. In the AMAs, music buyers choose the winner. Maybe the professional entertainers held sway too long.”

ROGER KIMBALL: Technophobia vs. Technophilia.

A TAX ON OPINION COLUMNS: Some thoughts inspired by Paul Krugman. Plus this: “Let the record show that neither of the two official long-range budget proposals for fiscal year 2012 (now entering its third month without even the semblance of a budget!) propose cutting spending.”

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Yesterday’s InstaVision with Virginia Postrel is now on YouTube.

CULTURE OF CORRUPTION: Another renewable energy loan recipient hires lobbyists, has fundraising ties to Obama.