1. I have a few thoughts on the CIA, literary modernism, abstract expressionism, Nina Simone, heavy metal music, torture podcasting, and, for old times sake, Jack Kirby.

2. There's been a lot of chatter lately about possible CIA infiltration of the left, perhaps though podcasts. On the one hand, this is absurd. On the other hand, we do for a fact that the CIA does in fact have a history of infiltrating left-wing and counter-cultural movements.

3. There's an excellent new podcast called Winds of Change from @praddenkeefe which investigates the rumor that one of the big hits of the German metal band Scorpions (1990s "Winds of Change") was in fact composed by the CIA, to spark opposition to communism.