Gathering Justice

Probably the best quote in an Op-Ed I've read in awhile, referring to the laughable anti-gay marriage commercial entitled "Gathering Storm":

It is justice, not a storm, that is gathering. Only those who have spread the poisons of bigotry and fear have any reason to be afraid."

Obama releases torture Memos

The biggest development today has been Barack Obama releasing various memos written by lawyers in the Bush Administration Office of Legal Counsel which supposedly gave Americans legal cover to torture. Of course, torture is not only against U.S. law (no matter what OLC lawyers say), but it is also against International Law, which is why Spain is currently investigating these OLC lawyers for war crimes. If the U.S. doesn't do it, then Spain can, and should. Regardless, there are a lot of shocking excerpts that are out there today, but I would point people to Glenn Greenwald's post specifically the updates. Legally speaking, the most dishonest argument I've seen so far comes from Jay Bybee, who, thanks to President Bush, now has a lifetime appointment to a federal court:

You would like to place [Abu] Zabaydeh in a cramped confinement box with an insect. You have informed us that he appears to have a fear of insects.

...

[T]he insect's placement in the box would not constitute a threat of severe physical pain or suffering to a reasonable person in his position. And individual placed in a box, even an individual with a fear of insects, would not reasonably feel threatened with severe physical pain or suffering if a caterpiller was placed in the box.

The lawyers also try to redefine what "pain or suffering" means, essentially saying that "pain or suffering" actually means "pain and suffering". It's honestly just unreal. There's so much legal dishonesty going on that it's impossible to document. This is basically what the lawyers have done: they take the words of the law, redefine the words in a completely dishonest and incomprehensible way, and then say "see, according to the law, it's not torture! No one can possibly fear pain or suffering from a caterpillar.... oh, wait, or suffering? Well, whoever wrote that must have made a mistake, it really means pain and suffering. You have to fear both."


UPDATE:

Looks like an emailer into Andrew Sullivan had the same take as me

Just Smile

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xzkrMN9pcM

I'm a sucker.

Take A Vacation

Salon article:

"I call it the 'fuck-it phenomenon,'" said Matt Wallaert, a social psychologist with the financial advice site Thrive. "Everywhere you go the media tells you that things aren't going to get better any time soon," he said. "But if you feel like life has dealt you a bad hand, it's easy to say, 'Fuck it, I deserve this.'"

Go ahead, you deserve it.

I never liked putting lipstick on my pitbull...

So apparently Sarah Palin's daughter's baby's daddy is fighting back saying Palin is lying. What else is new?

Will this woman and her family PLEASE just fade back into the background. Stay in Alaska and out of my news. Nobody likes you.

The Man Who Helped Win Iowa

An interview in the Atlantic with the man who helped bring same sex marriage to Iowa.

Holla at'cha boy!

Not-so-critically-acclaimed, 80s sampling, boots-with-fur-loving, rapper Flo Rida (who also apparently doesn't know how to spell) gave his cell phone number out to the entire world in a CNN interview today. He says he wants to be "connected" and open with his fans. "I mean" if fans buy his albums then why shouldn't they have his personal cell phone number, right?

Flo Rida's cell is officially one of the numbers in "my circle."

Only not.

Let Them Spill Their Guts

The Daily Beast reports that Republicans may filibuster potential key Obama administration appointment nominees if they open up the Bush Administration's deep dark secrets.

It now appears that Republicans are seeking an Obama commitment to safeguard the Bush administration’s darkest secrets in exchange for letting these nominations go forward...not a single Republican indicated an intention to vote for Dawn Johnsen, while Senator John Cornyn of Texas was described as “gunning for her,” specifically noting publication of the torture memos.

My call to action for the Obama camp: say "damn yous, damn yous all to hell!" and keep releasing the information anyway (bonus points: name that film). Transparency is refreshing to a country used to being left in the dark.