inkbluesky

During the hearings last week in which former Attorney General testified we heard this exchange,

On Thursday, Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee picked up the theme, arguing that waterboarding and other harsh tactics yielded information that saved lives.

Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-California: “Had we not used those, would the probability of another attack not only be a probability but a certainty?”

Ashcroft: “It could well have been.”

Unless one is so partisan that nothing in the ballpark of actual evidence exists to support the claim that torture has resulted in any actionable intelligence then this wasn’t more then some adults letting out their inner juvenile liar. The same people that have lied about everything from golf to WMD want the country to take their word that violating the law and traditional American values stopped another 9-11,

Bearden said professionals he describes as the “old hands” in the CIA, the ones who know something of interrogation and intelligence, don’t believe administration claims. Worse still, they say, torture is counterproductive:

“This is not just because the old hands overwhelmingly believe that torture doesn’t work — it doesn’t — but also because they know that torture creates more terrorists and fosters more acts of terror than it could possibly neutralize.”

If parents find out that their sixteen year old has lied to them a couple of times about something important their are usually consequences for that behavior. Engage in the same behavior as an adult politician, wrapping your lies in fear and the flag you still get to keep your job and health benefits.

high on grass

*the dog is not actually high its a play on words so chill.

I mentioned that this past week was the anniversary of Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. As you probably know Salinger while not an absolute recluse, but is a very private person. He would probably hate Facebook, I Look Stupid How to take a Web head shot

These new tools are much in evidence on MySpace and Facebook, where everyone grapples with the head shot issue. I’ve found that the non-sex-worker photos on MySpace often have a pleasing “what the hell” quality, as if the person just uploaded the first thing they could find. Sprinkled among these are the aspiring seducers, whose ingenious, flaw-obscuring photos have given rise to the term “MySpace angles.” These include the tummy-hiding overhead shot and the “check out my eye” extreme close-up. Facebook, reflecting its clenched Ivy League origins, has a lot more staged and professional shots. Everyone either looks ready for the job or ready for the canoe ride.

This pressure to put up a photo rather then an avatar is a little strange in the age of glamor photography and photo editors. I tend to agree with Mr. Egger that the what the hell shots are probably the for the best. The OK you want to see what I look like well take this. “Image management” both the personal and digital seems so exhausting, but I’m not sure which takes more energy; the elusive quest for one’s perfect on-line persona or a picture of someone that doesn’t want to put up their photo. Maybe in some cases the people that are so very careful about managing their on-line images are the ones hiding the most.

desert clam