And Oh How The Liberals Rejoiced

I want to be the first homosexual on my block to get a confirmed kill.

Don't Get Me Wrong...

I'm truly sorry, but I just don't know if I can go through Megan's gift garbage again. She has gotten extremely verbose, lately (or else my patience for her continues to diminish... somehow) and I just don't fucking care anymore. Especially so since I've come to the opinion that all the other morons are only a hair behind in their immoral, side-cheering and self-centered stupidity.

Matty Y, on the other hand, can keep it short and sweet and has the decency to make large block quotes of articles I've already read. I just can't thank the man enough for making my job easier that way:

So as best I can tell Manning is, in fact, guilty of serious crimes. And unlike the nutty and dangerous effort to legally sanction Julian Assange for publishing leaks, I have no problem with the government punishing people who violate the terms of their classification status. But Manning hasn’t had a trial and hasn’t been convicted. Somewhat punitive post-arrest pre-trial measures are kind of a necessary evil, but the prolonged confinement of Manning under cruel conditions go well beyond the necessary into the straightforward evil.

Matty boy isn't quite ready to go so crazy and say that EVERYONE should be considered innocent (and thus treated with respect) until proven guilty, but he's willing to make the bold moral claim that horrible torture should at least be reserved for those who've had their trial. Wouldn't want to drive the wrong man insane for the crime of letting the public know what horrible things his government was doing and lying about.

Incidentally, I assume the majority of humanity, including many of the officials responsible for the conditions of Manning’s detention, haven’t read Atul Gawande’s brilliant March 2009 article on solitary confinement. But absolutely everybody should. It utterly transformed my conception of what it meant to hold someone in isolation like this, and makes the idea of doing it to someone who hasn’t even had his day in court seem completely outrageous.

Actually, Matt, I was way into Atul before he got all big and sold out, but I'm glad his words are speaking to you. I, too, had to be told it was excruciating to be locked in a box without human contact for months. Thankfully, now that we know how horrible and soul destroying a torture solitary confinement really is, our conscience will only allow us to use it on the worst of citizens... like soldiers who use their conscience.

But this is all incidental. We wouldn't want to let it distract from the bigger issue, such as Matt's hip neighborhood that he's totally loving ever since he got famous on the blog boy scene! UH!

SAME!

It is now literally true that nothing has been accomplished.

VOTE DEMOCRAT!

UPDATE: Oh shit, what if Obama tries his hand at court packing? Man, that'd be fun.

He Said It

Newt Gingrich on John Boehner to the New Yorker:

You have to measure Boehner against other Boehners

And remember to start the measurement at the base.

Last Minute Shopping

Goy Day is only two weeks away and still no word on our muse's (about whom I simply CANNOT stop thinking) decision about what to buy our loved ones.

I'm getting a little antsy. OMG. What if I can't display my affection this year because Megan doesn't tell me how? That'd be horrible.

UPDATE: Well, at least I've found this to tide me over.

I Feel Like Sharing

That is all.

I Say Good-Pie

This beautiful image doesn't do it for Megan.

This seems like the stupidest appliance ever: it makes mini pies. Or rather, it bakes them. You still have to make the pie first.

And Megan knows from stupid appliances, let me tell you! And let me tell you with several paragraphs wrought in a self centered and condescending style, cuz it's write like McArdle day.

I'm reminded that the holidays are nearly upon us, which leaves me wondering if I should prepare for another holiday gift guide takedown. The last one was one of my better received pennings, which leaves me both eager to follow up but hesitant to ruin it. What say you all?

I don't really make pie often enough to have a whole appliance just dedicated to pie.

From the fucken horse's mouth, folks.

UPDATE:

Oh boy!

The gift list is on its way, and will be massive this year, since we have a lot of new gadgets to talk about. Meanwhile, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and my thoughts have turned to baking.

What are you making this year? Recipes welcome, particularly if they are for British fruitcake, which is not horrible like American fruitcake. Also naturally welcome: recipes for Hannukah or other non-Christmas holidays. While I am denominational, the blog is not.

I guess I'll have my work cut out for me...