If you want to be horrified and ashamed:

You ought to listen to this, particularly if you're an American.

Habeas Schmabeas from This American Life

It won a Peabody award, and you can download the mp3 of it for free for a limited time.

I already knew about a lot of this, but still...it's awfully shocking. They interview some people who were actually held prisoner in Guantanamo; they describe what was done to them, what it was like. This stuff is being done in our name, and is funded with our taxes.

There's also a very helpful and detailed explanation of just what habeas corpus is. It's all very well done indeed. But obviously, it's not for young children.

If you want to be horrified and ashamed:

You ought to listen to this, particularly if you're an American.

Habeas Schmabeas from This American Life

It won a Peabody award, and you can download the mp3 of it for free for a limited time.

I already knew about a lot of this, but still...it's awfully shocking. They interview some people who were actually held prisoner in Guantanamo; they describe what was done to them, what it was like. This stuff is being done in our name, and is funded with our taxes.

There's also a very helpful and detailed explanation of just what habeas corpus is. It's all very well done indeed. But obviously, it's not for young children.

Random stuff

I was going to do some entries, or something, but my brain isn't together enough to deal with it. So I'm just dumping stuff randomly.

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Video links for Bill Moyer's "Buying the War". It includes a long interview with Jon Stewart. Definitely worth watching.

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Recently David Broder, bloviating jackass and so-called "Dean" of Washington pundits, wrote an article calling Democratic Senator Harry Reid the "Gonzales" of the Democratic Party. In response, all fifty other senators in the Senate Democratic caucus wrote a letter refuting Broder by name. The Washington Post's so-respected media critic, Howard Kurtz, did not see fit to note the controversy, and so far, Broder hasn't responded.

I've noticed that when Post columnists write particularly egregious articles, comments from readers aren't allowed (as is otherwise standard). No comments were allowed by the Post on the letter from the Democratic Senators. But they made a mistake: there's still an active comment section for the print version of that letter, linked above. Just thought I'd let you know, if you feel like giving some feedback.

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Here's a question that I posted to Post reporter Lyndsey Layton which was, unusually, ignored. I guess the quirkiness of "Woonsocket, RI" didn't work its magic this time. Or perhaps my question was just too poorly written. :D

I don't expect an answer to this; there seems to be a code of omerta at the Post. To be fair, I can understand that criticizing a fellow employee, particularly one who has become an institution, can be a daunting prospect.

But since you asked, what's on my mind this morning is the astonishing claim by David Broder that Senator Reid is the Democratic equivalent of Alberto Gonzales, credibility-wise. The letter to the contrary from EVERY SENATOR in the Democratic caucus - all 50 of them - is quite unprecedented in my experience! What happened here? Is anyone at the Post willing or authorized to address this astonishing disconnect?

The answer, apparently, was "No".

Interestingly enough, the chat transcript does not allow comments - but the print version of the chat log does. It's well-hidden, of course, so mine is the only comment there. I wonder if anyone will read it?

Random stuff

I was going to do some entries, or something, but my brain isn't together enough to deal with it. So I'm just dumping stuff randomly.

---

Video links for Bill Moyer's "Buying the War". It includes a long interview with Jon Stewart. Definitely worth watching.

---

Recently David Broder, bloviating jackass and so-called "Dean" of Washington pundits, wrote an article calling Democratic Senator Harry Reid the "Gonzales" of the Democratic Party. In response, all fifty other senators in the Senate Democratic caucus wrote a letter refuting Broder by name. The Washington Post's so-respected media critic, Howard Kurtz, did not see fit to note the controversy, and so far, Broder hasn't responded.

I've noticed that when Post columnists write particularly egregious articles, comments from readers aren't allowed (as is otherwise standard). No comments were allowed by the Post on the letter from the Democratic Senators. But they made a mistake: there's still an active comment section for the print version of that letter, linked above. Just thought I'd let you know, if you feel like giving some feedback.

---

Here's a question that I posted to Post reporter Lyndsey Layton which was, unusually, ignored. I guess the quirkiness of "Woonsocket, RI" didn't work its magic this time. Or perhaps my question was just too poorly written. :D

I don't expect an answer to this; there seems to be a code of omerta at the Post. To be fair, I can understand that criticizing a fellow employee, particularly one who has become an institution, can be a daunting prospect.

But since you asked, what's on my mind this morning is the astonishing claim by David Broder that Senator Reid is the Democratic equivalent of Alberto Gonzales, credibility-wise. The letter to the contrary from EVERY SENATOR in the Democratic caucus - all 50 of them - is quite unprecedented in my experience! What happened here? Is anyone at the Post willing or authorized to address this astonishing disconnect?

The answer, apparently, was "No".

Interestingly enough, the chat transcript does not allow comments - but the print version of the chat log does. It's well-hidden, of course, so mine is the only comment there. I wonder if anyone will read it?