Operation AXIOM | Urbi et Orbi
'Tis All Saints' Day, 'tis a holy day of obligation. (This is why Hallowe'en is called Hallowe'en, "All Hallows' Eve.") May all the saints of the Church Triumphant pray for those of us yet in the Church Militant & the Church Penitent, as we are all one in the Christ.

Atlanticism: Maghreb Edition
Count me an enthusiastic supporter of Tunisia's post-dictatorship prosecution of corruption: warrant-link. If the widow Arafat was anything like her late, unlamented husband—both a Nobel Peace Laureate & an unrepentant supporter of suicide bombings to the day he died—then she must be guilty of staggering corruption, avarice beyond conception. May she face swift & sure justice.

This Week in Motorsport
The Buddh International Circuit is magnificent, as was the inaugural Indian Grand Prix! Respects were paid to the tragedies of the late fortnight: the death of driver Dan Wheldon in the IndyCar fiasco at Las Vegas & the death of rider Marco Simoncelli in a Moto G.P. race in Malaysia. I am very glad that these are not the bad old days, when deaths in motorsport were commonplace, but the mere fact that today's grand prix was held confirms that, in John Hodgman's memorable words, "we will not be cowed by death." They were not the first to die, &, alas, they shan't be the last. That they were willing to risk life & limb signals, me thinks, that they would want the races to continue. Messers. Simoncelli & Wheldon, requiescat in pace.

Reigning double World Champion Sebastian Vettel completed what Speed's commentators—the collective "Ben" Kenobi to my F1 Luke Skywalker; it is difficult to overstate how influential Bob Varsha, David Hobbs, Steve Matchett, Will Buxton, & Peter Windsor have been in fostering my understanding of Formula One—described as a "grand slam": start from pole, lead every lap, set the fastest lap, & win the grand prix. With the pole, Vettel's thirteenth on the year, Red Bull set a new team record for the most poles in a season: sixteen. The previous record, fifteen, held by McLaren, was set during a sixteen-round season; so, while Red Bull have claimed the record, they need to earn the pole in both of the remaining grands prix to equal McLaren's achievement of all-but-one over the course of a season. The thirteenth pole also tied Vettel for second, with triple World Champion Ayrton Senna ('88, '90, & '91) & quadruple World Champion Alain Prost ('85, '86, '89, & '93), for numbers of poles in a season; one more is required to tie '92 World Champion Nigel Mansell's record of fourteen. These are heady times for those of us who jumped on the Red Bull bandwagon. Woo hoo! (We shall save any wide-ranging philosophical discussions of fandom & reflected glory for another occasion, thank you very much.)

There does not appear as if there will be as much activity in the market for drivers between '11 & '12 as there was 'twixt '10 & '11 or '09 & '10, but there might yet be some moves. Lotus Renault have four drivers in the frame, including reigning GP2 Champion Romain Grosjean, who drove for Renault in '09, before he was ready & when the Renault car was hapless (even in the hands of double World Champion Fernando Alonso). Force India (Mercedes) might give Adrian Sutil's seat to '09 GP2 Champion Nico Hülkenberg, who drove for cash-strapped Williams (Cosworth) in '10 before the team sold its corporate soul for Hugo Chávez's petrodollars. Rubens Barrichello, the most experienced driver in F1 history, might not have a drive, since both he & Williams seem eager to part company. (Williams will switch to Renault engines next season.)

The United States Grand Prix is to return next season, at the brand-new, purpose-build Circuit of the Americas outside Austin, Texas. It was announced this week that in '13 the U.S. will host a second F1 grand prix, the "Grand Prix of America" in New Jersey, on a street circuit opposite the New York City skyline. Holy moley! The best part of this news is that is resolves a personal dilemma: I want to see F1 grow in these United States, & so wished to attend next year's U.S. Grand Prix. At the same time, though, I wish sincerely never again to debase myself by setting footing in the State of Texas. With the Grand Prix of America at the Port Imperial Street Circuit, I can have my cake & eat it, too, both supporting F1's presence in the land of the free/home of the brave & not subjecting myself to those jerks in the worst state in the Union! Win-win!