 | 08:41 am
President Obama is working to close Guantanamo and the CIA black sites, where people were held incognito and tortured, but he is not eliminating the possibility of using renditions -- where people are taken to other countries where they may be tortured.
The Mormon church spent $190,000 to pass Proposition 8 in California. And Cleve Jones, who learned about talking to people who don't agree with him or like him from Harvey Milk, is teaching gay rights activists how to do that, so they can go door to door and show voters someone who is being hurt by Prop. 8.
Oh, how convenient. Michael Steele was paid to run for lieutenant governor of Maryland by the Maryland Republican Party. I'm very glad he's out of office now; his term was a waste of a Maryland office chair. He and Ehrlich tried to sell off the state's assests and break the budget. Now he's chairing the Republican National Committee. Maybe he can sell off their assets and break their budget.
The ACLU is asking Obama to release the Bush-era memos that would allow people to track exactly how those secret programs worked.
In Austria, where the Roman Catholic Church is the established state religion and someone who does not belong may be denied some of the same civil rights as members, the pope has named as bishop the ultraconservative priest who called Katrina 'God's punishment' and said Harry Potter books were 'spreading satanism.' And nobody is pleased about this.
Why clone only one ibex? Won't it be lonely?
Farewell, Grannie-for-peace Lillian Willoughby
The presidential desk has been on a longer journey than many presidents.
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 | 03:50 pm - letter to someone who will not see it
Dear Bruce,
( as if he'd read LJ )
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 | 06:51 pm
Five facts about the new RNC chairman, Michael Steele, who was paid to run for MD lieutenant governor. You think he's harmless? Look at his record. Meanwhile, David Duke -- who *is* a racist and makes no bones about it -- doesn't like Steele's new authority one bit.
Sarah Palin's new website doesn't mention God. Maybe it's merchandising?
The Justice Department gets an overhaul -- and none too soon.
There's gold in that there ... sewage. Yes, I did say that.
Little Brother comes to life in San Francisco, when a driver can rewrite other users' RFID cards.
In Italy, stupidly banning foreign food.
In China, more unrest because of job losses.
In New York City, false arrests of gay men for prostitution in Manhattan; the arrests are reminiscent of the events that caused the Stonewall riots.
In the US, a dozen banks receiving billions in federal bailout money laid off US workers and brought in thousands of foreign "cheap" workers instead.
Obama stalls on don't ask-don't tell.
In Pennsylvania, two senior judges get seven years in prison for getting kickbacks for sending kids to juvenile detention centers. This happened in Luzerne County, PA; more here.
Do we have the right to walk away?
How would the USPS going to 5-day service affect Amazon and Netflix?
More peanut product recalls. Basically -- if you're eating anything containing peanuts right now? Check your sources.
Is that TV watching you?
From the New Yorker online:
-- alternative Eustace Tilleys, 2009 version.
-- The Fade Away, editing John Updike.
-- Beyoncé, the queen at last.
-- an exploration of tinnitus.
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 | 06:52 pm
I will be away Thursday through Sunday. Be kind to one another, please.
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