Yesterday, one of the most egregious parts of the "Patriot Act" was held unconstitutional by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. This decision was a no-brainer, but you can never take things for granted. The ACLU website summarizes the decision. Here's an excerpt: A federal appeals court today upheld,…
Rod Blogojevich is not a big fish by any means. Most of the big fish remain nameless and free, according to Frank Rich of the NYT: What went down in the Land of Lincoln is just the reductio ad absurdum of an American era where both entitlement and corruption have…
In an interview with The Washington Post, a U.S. Air Force counter-intelligence specialist explains that he was aghast when he saw how the U.S. was continuing to torture prisoners, even after he arrived in 2006. He further learned, based on first-hand interviews he conducted, that the torture committed by the…
Bill Ayers talked with Salon.com, exploring many issues. I was especially interested in his characterization of those Americans who would argue that they are passive or non-violent by the fact that they are not, themselves, physically violent. Per Ayers, there is no "neutral" when one's country is perpetrating despicable violence.…
In the dim light of the bar, it seemed like such a good idea. Things had been dull, though financially there'd been some improvement. Time to relax, maybe have a fling. The stranger sauntered over, holding a longneck, and leaned against the counter, smiled, and said "Hi. Come here often?"…