From the Jurist, U of Pittsburgh, March 1: The Council of Europe [official website] said Wednesday that an investigation into allegations that the US Central Intelligence Agency operated secret prisons [JURIST report] in Europe revealed no “smoking gun” evidence that proved the existence of the prisons. COE Secretary General Terry Davis [official profile], presenting his findings on alleged illegal detentions and rendition flights on European territory based on official replies

Stephen Hayes, writing in the Weekly Standard, on the release of Iraq documents:

Q: Why did the chicken cross the road? A: Who cares?  Did you see the tits on that chick at Foot Locker?  Yummy!

—‘Fraid not.  In a show of solidarity, the little fella agreed to have himself biopsied right along with me today, and the bandages on his undercarriage restrict his range of movement (particularly during splits). If you need a fix, though, I hear Saturday Night Fever is pretty good.  That is, if you don’t mind white polyester, platform heels, and feathered hair in lieu of the furiously-twirling, lathered and musky armor

Originally posted May 13, 2004:  “The protein wisdom interview: Ted Kennedy” **** For additional archived interviews, click here.  Interviewees include Noam Chomsky, Dan Rather’s Ego, John Kerry, Madonna, Jacques Chirac, and more.

1.  Via Allah, national embarrassment Jimmy Carter once again shows off his foreign policy acumen by arguing that “the pre-eminent obstacle to peace is Israel’s colonisation of Palestine.” So far, this piece has appeared only on Tom Paine and Pakistani papers, but, well, every little bit helps, Jimmy.  Seriously.  Just throw up a few houses and all will be forgiven. 2.  Via Ed Hirsch and The Corner, a William Saletan

Managed to get a dermatologist appointment today, so I’m going to bring these bastard moles to a mole expert and get his opinion on them.  I’m hoping he hates them with such a burning fury that he melts them off with a soldering iron.  But don’t tell them I said that.  They’re mean, spiteful, suspicious things, these irregular-shaped lesions—and it was all I could do just to get them to

To Nathan Woods for the Walk the Line DVD.  I’ll admit to having a soft spot for Reese Witherspoon (I’ve liked her since The Man in the Moon—and was blow away by her in both Freeway, a criminally underseen B-movie classic, and Election), and Joaquin Phoenix made me take notice in Too Die For, a cameo role in U-Turn (and of course, as a young kid—“Leaf Phoenix” back then—in Parenthood). 

From the Washington Post: The United Arab Emirates company that was attempting to take over management operations at six U.S. ports announced today that it will divest itself of all American interests. The announcement appears to head off a major confrontation that was brewing between Congress and the Bush administration over the controversial deal. Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) announced on the Senate floor shortly before 2 p.m. that Dubai Ports

Greg Lukianoff, Interim President Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), sent along the following email that I believe illustrates perfectly the critique of the academic “tolerance” culture that I’ve been at pains to describe and explain—both from a sociolinguistic and a political perspective.  And given how essential it is that such a philosophical paradigm is intellectually thwarted—despite its near ubiquity in university humanities departments, which then translates into its