James or Mary?

A site has DaVinci's Last Supper online in very high resolution.

That person to the right of Jesus sure looks like a woman to me.

Mr. Sandman....Bring Me a Good Night's Sleep

Are dreams subconscious problem solvers, open pathways to our real selves, or reflections of our hidden desires?

So, if you dream you want to bash some guy's head in, do you want to a) marry him? b) solve your unresolved feelings for him? or 3) bash his head in?

A friend theorizes that every person in a dream is actually you. So do I want to bash my head in?

Dr. Freud, call your office.

Quote of the Day

"We're told that a high ranking member of the Bush administration reviewed someone's record, found him lacking, and then severed ties with him, an event long prophesied as the first horseman of the apocalypse. "

Keith Olbermann

Torture Kills

The following is from Andrew Sullivan, summarizing what might be the most critical argument against torture. It references the work of Charles Savage and his Pulitzer Prize winning book, "Takeover." It outlines why this administration is so dangerous. Because it is so reckless, and arrogant, and stupid!

"The torture techniques authorized by Rumsfeld, Bush and Cheney are not just immoral and illegal; they are a terrible threat to our national security. Why? Because they originated as a means to extract false confessions in totalitarian societies, not as a means to gain actual, workable intelligence, i.e. anything we might hope to think of as the truth. Many of the techniques were mirror images of techniques that American soldiers had been trained to resist if captured by Viet Cong or North Korean or Soviet thugs - the famous SERE training. They had also, of course, been used by the Nazis. Yes, these torture methods, in most cases, left no physical marks - precisely so that captured American soldiers could be shown on television giving confessions as if they were volunteering real information. But they were lying, of course, because torture forced them to lie. And so, in an unknowable number of cases, have the torture-victims of the Bush administration. One thing I'd forgotten, of course, is one central case in which torture did give us actionable intelligence:

"Al Qaeda continues to have a deep interest in acquiring weapons of mass destruction... I can trace the story of a sernior terrorist operative telling how Iraq provided training in these weapons to al Qaeda. Fortunately, this operative is now detained and he has told his story."

The man who spoke those words was Colin Powell at the UN. The "operative", we now know, was Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libbi. He was waterboarded and given Bush-approved hypothermia treatment, i.e. frozen till he could take it no longer. It was only then that he told of al Qaeda's links with Saddam's WMDs. Guess what? Libbi subsequently retracted his confession. According to ABC News, the CIA subsequently found al-Libbi "had no knowledge of such training or weapons and fabricated the statements because he was terrified of further harsh treatment." So I now realize that part of the reason I believed the WMD case for war against Saddam was because the Bush administration had been secretly torturing suspects and got false confessions. The biggest intelligence failure in recent US history - the WMD case in Iraq - was partly created by the torture policy.

The same story is true of another tortured prisoner, Abu Zubaydah, as recounted in Ron Suskind's book."

Continue reading "Torture Or National Security?" »

What's Love Got To Do?

Following is a replay of a post from May 2007. I was rereading it, noticing the typos (I have since found the spell check) and also noticing that I feel the same way I did then. So, in case you missed it.

"Fall in love, then fall in line."
Bill Clinton

The President said this regarding the 2004 Democratic primaries, exhorting us to pick our preferred candidate until February and then fall in line behind the victor. Cupid has not yet struck me with an arrow, but have a crush on several candidates for different reasons. Like all crushes, I'm waiting for the spark to flame out or to fall completely for one of the multitude.

HRC: Madam President. Will be moving the first time I say it. Why shouldn't she? She's as smart, gutsy, calculating, shrewd, qualified, ambitious, and as ready as the rest of them.

Barack Obama: I was at the convention and will never forget the feeling of being truly inspired to live up to the ideals of our nation. Not easy to shake when we cling by our fingertips to our idealism. We in politics. We who want the war to stop and Guantanamo closed, and the wiretaps to be dismantled. Maybe we truly can be inspired ....and an inspiring nation again.

John Edwards: Often eloquent, touches of WJC in him (in spite of/because of the accent). His announcement in New Orleans, his talk about the two Americas (both of which he has lived in, granted).

Bill Richardson: I have to disqualify him in large part because of the combing his hair at the head table at a fancy New York benefit incident. That, and the disturbing relationships with women in and out of his employ. * Best resume, but the kind of candidate you leave for a guy with a motorcycle and no checking account.

Joe Biden: See Richardson * above.

Mike Gravel: Who the hell is Mike Gravel?

The Others: Yeah, whatever.

Al Gore: Get in just for the fun of it. What the hell? Everybody else is doing it.

Giuliani, Angora

"They talk about sleep deprivation. I mean, on that theory, I'm getting tortured running for president of the United States. That's plain silly. That's silly." Rudolph Giuliani

OK, come on. Are people still believing that I'm a moderate bullshit?

Insane and Scary Republican Quote of the Day, Part Two

From Andrew Sullivan: "Giuliani tells the truth about what Bush and Cheney believe. Asked in Iowa last night whether he believed that waterboarding was torture, he replied:

It depends on how it's done. It depends on the circumstances. It depends on who does it."

It depends on who does it????

If you are one of those moderate Democrats who think highly of Giuliani for his perceived toughness and moderate social views, please look carefully at his record and listen to what he's saying.

A Candidate, Not a Wife

Despite Mitt Romney's attempt, Hillary Rodham Clinton did nothing during the Clinton administration to diminish the "nation's character." Her husband did.

Why is it that she is being tainted and condemned for refusing to get a divorce? Are we eviewing every activity of the spouses of other candidates? Is she unique because she's the wife of a president? Or is she unique because she's a wife? Is it 1952?

Come on. Hate her because you think she's ______ (fill in the blank. Cold? Calculating? Opportunistic?) But stop with the "her husband's a two-timing jagoff, so why should she be president" excuse.

Quotes of the Day

"Just look at Osam . . . Barack Obama said just yesterday. Barack Obama calling on, on radicals, Jihadists of all different types to come together in Iraq." Mitt Romney, ABC News, 10/23

"I have a lot of trouble growing a beard. I don't have a lot of facial hair. He lives in a cave." Barack Obama, on how he differs from Osama bin Laden.
NBC/National Journal, 10/24

Seriously? A slip of the tongue is me calling my assistant Navin instead of Hasan (Both of South Asian descent, two syllable names, and I apologize every time I do it.)

Or Romney saying, Obama, I'm sorry, I mean Osama....." He used his full name. TWICE.

A presidential candidate who can't differentiate 'Osama Bin Laden' from 'Barack Obama' is doing it on purpose.

Start Swimming at Buffalo

MoveOn.org just sent an email listing a startling number of articles purporting to outline the administration's imminent plans to attack Iran:

1. "Shifting Targets: The Administration's plan for Iran," The New Yorker, October 8, 2007.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3097&id=11491-4240086-fHEyJ_&t=4

2. "Cheney Targets Iran," Rolling Stone, October 18, 2007.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3098&id=11491-4240086-fHEyJ_&t=5

3. "The Redirection," The New Yorker, March 5, 2007.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3099&id=11491-4240086-fHEyJ_&t=6

4. "The Secret History of the Impending War with Iran That the White House Doesn't Want You to Know," Esquire, October 18, 2007.
http://www.esquire.com/features/iranbriefing1107

5. "Big Coffers and a Rising Voice Lift a New Conservative Group," New York Times, September 30, 2007.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3100&id=11491-4240086-fHEyJ_&t=7

6. "Freedom's Watch targeting Iran," Media Transparency, October 17, 2007.
http://www.mediatransparency.com/story.php?storyID=216

7. "Nuclear-Armed Iran Risks World War, Bush Says," New York Times, October 18, 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/18/washington/18prexy.html

8. "Cheney Targets Iran," Rolling Stone, October 18, 2007.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3098&id=11491-4240086-fHEyJ_&t=8

9. Video clip of Sen. McCain in Republican Debate. October 9, 2007.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE_DcDsp8hg

A sample from #4:

But the engagement strategy was never serious and was designed to fail, they say. Over the last year, Rice has begun saying she would talk to "anybody, anywhere, anytime," but not to the Iranians unless they stopped enriching uranium first. That's not a serious approach to diplomacy, says (Hillary Mann, former Middle East policy expert for the National Security Council.) Diplomacy is about talking to your enemies. That's how wars are averted. You work up to the big things. And when U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker had his much-publicized meeting with his Iranian counterpart in Baghdad this spring, he didn't even have permission from the White House to schedule a second meeting.

My twelve year old nephew recently asked his father if he could go to Canada if he gets drafted. Danny, I'll drive.

Great Name for a Band

Everybody Charges Me Extra
(Thanks to Kathrine, who is always charged extra for deliveries to her six-flight walkup in the East Village.)

Gunga galunga

"I always believe that it is much better to have a variety of religions, a variety of philosophies, rather than one single religion or philosophy. This is necessary because of the different mental dispositions of each human being. Each religion has certain unique ideas or techniques, and learning about them can only enrich one's own faith."
His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama.

He sounds like a Unitarian!

Finally, a sitting U.S. president will meet with him publicly after Congress presents him with the Congressional Gold Medal tomorrow. Hope to see him, again. There is indeed something spiritual and calming and sweet about him.

(You don't think W asked him if he ever saw 'Caddyshack', do you?)

The Big Prize

Congratulations to Al Gore and the IPCC for winning the Nobel Prize! He seems to be winning everything since he lost the big one.

A clarification: Despite all the references to the contrary, Gore did not win the Oscar. Davis Guggenheim, Laurence Bender and Laurie David did. That said, he won the election, so I guess it evens out.

Paul Krugman hits on why Gore drives the right wing nuts nuts: "the biggest reason the right hates Mr. Gore: in his case the smear campaign has failed. He’s taken everything they could throw at him, and emerged more respected, and more credible, than ever. And it drives them crazy."

Another take from James Fallows, likening the criticism of Gore to that heaped on Dr. King, as well as how well past winners have held up over time.

Keep on talking, Al. After all of these years of being called a geek, a policy wonk, being made fun of (remember the commercial making fun of the myth that he claimed to have invented the internet? "I invented pants!"), we're finally listening.

Esquire once again has announced their Sexiest Woman Alive.

Wouldn't it be more fun to name the 876th sexy woman alive? I mean, Charlize, Angelina, Scarlett, that's too easy.

What the @#$%?

A fascinating article about why we curse. Parental advisory: the article doesn't mince words. So, if you're offended by swearing, read it. It'll explain why. If you swear a lot, read the end. It'll give you an excuse.

A Mosquito Bite?

'No cure'

It is found mainly in the eastern regions of the US and has a 35% mortality rate.

Symptoms develop after three to 10 days, and include flu-like illness, inflammation of the brain, coma and death.

Did anyone else know that you can contract a deadly disease while fishing....in NEW HAMPSHIRE??

Great Name for a Band Redux

Goat Milk Into Gasoline
Thanks to the Blues Brothers