Thankfully Steven Bradbury has finally come up with a definition of torture.

"pain suffered by a prisoner had to be both severe and long-lasting for an interrogation tactic to be considered torture".

Based on his enlightening testimony, I can now firmly describe other things that our government may find perfectly legal.

Roger Clemens issued a press release announcing that he will not allow himself to testify before the senate in their ongoing investigation on steroid use in Major League Baseball.  In the statement, Mr. Clemens expressed his disappointment that he would not be allowed to testify as he had looked forward to clearing his name and assuring his fans, and the country that he has done nothing wrong.

...only 5 or 6 years ago:

I am proud to announce to the world that I am in favor of Doug Flutie being elected to the office of "Quarterback of the Buffalo Bills".

Remember how we used to hear Republicans pull out their favorite phrase "tax cuts" all the time.  Whatever else was going on, they seemed to be able to make everyone smile by promising tax cuts.  

Important and immediate action is required by the Senate and the US House of Representatives concerning recent advertisements for the Geico insurance company.

The levers of power to offer critiques on the ideas of others has never been more important than it is now.

Well folks, it is fairly clear to many of us that President George W. Bush's presidency is disintegrating into a completely disfunctional state.

I am sick of the thought of democrats attacking democrats while real work exists, and real enemies to our democracy sit back and laugh.

Forgive me, but I have not seen anyone connecting the dots between Newt's speech, and the constant threat to give the internet away to the telecom giants.

It would seem to me that the telecom boys are having Newt test a new message.

The first time that I remember hearing our Vice President present the idea that a "vote for a democrat" will bring an attack from Al Qaeda was during the 2004 Presidential election.

I remember joking that "Mr. Bush has a close relationship with the Bin Laden family and is very capable of making good on Mr. Cheney's threat."  I laughed and laughed.

There they go again,

A few outcasts start shooting up a few bottle-rockets and the weak-hearted media is fighting to tell us that there is a war going on.

When will the American people wake up to the liberal bias of the MSM?  When will the media stop hating, and report on all of the good progress happening in Lebanon?

Aren't we all a bit sick and tired of the blatant attempts to manipulate the public to distract from the media's crusade to replace America's values with their own agenda?

[ok...please get your brain together in time to realize that this is sarcasm...please.]

Journalism has become the logical place to go when you leave modeling school.  Journalism is non-functional, and will continue to drift into being "entertainment" until a new kind of journalism happens.  The next great news-network WILL be developed, somewhere, and it will include some or all of 4 repairs discussed in this humble diary.  

Planning ahead for some kind of advance by democrats in congress, it is only natural to consider what might be waiting if and when they get there.

It's a post-911 world.  Everything is different.  The mainstream media is must now be assumed to be part of the problem.

One aspect of the immigration debate seems to be completely ignored.  Economics.

By and large, the influx of illegal immigration has a whole lot to do with it being a financially advantageous thing for central American workers to do.  It has become an attractive option for the regular guy who wants to get more stuff on the table of his family in a chaotic, and depressed Mexican economy.  Contrary to popular belief, its not all about wanting to sing country music and root for football on sunday, and experience the bliss of American Culture.

It is high time that we all get onto the phone with our congressional representatives and demand that congress enact more tax cuts for the oil companies to encourage them to look increase the supply of oil, and ultimately drive down prices.

Obviously bribing the public is futile, (or perhaps Mr. Frist's $100 was simply too small of a bribe)...

Does anyone have video or audio clips of McCain urging people to vote for the great President Bush in the straw poll last month?

Something tells me that a clip like that might be a nice thing to have around in mid 2008.

http://abcnews.go.com/...

It won't be long before that statement will sound as foolish as it is to EVERYONE.

I am more and more convinced that the conflict in the Iran/Iraq/Egypt/Afganistan/Syria/etc are more based on the USA being resented for being powerful, and the paternalistic tendancies that come with that power.  Here are 10 truths that I believe would help.  How about a healing moment...

I am so tired of the Bush Administration trying to use Jimmy Carter's opinion to defend the transference of port operations to Dubai.

Let's face it, Jimmy Carter is a nice intellectual fellow, but how on earth can we call him an authority on the Middle East?

How many people still believe that the LA/Rodney King riots were took place because ONE GUY was beaten up by ONE GROUP of cops?

How many people believe that hundreds of thousands of people are demonstrating and rioting because of ONE SET of stupid cartoons?

I don't condone violence, or arrogance, or pulling truckers out of their trucks and kicking the crap out of them, but it helps to understand what motivates people.