Luke Melia

A NYT piece about a Nepalese immigrant locked up in error puts a human face and story to America’s new secret prison system. The prison system where an FBI agent’s caution gets you locked up in 23-hour solitary where the lights never go out and your stripped naked; where the same FBI agent that put you away can’t get you out even when he clears your name; where your case appears on no public documents and your family can’t contact you. And all of this just across one of my favorite bridges.

This morning, I’m admittedly overtired, but it puts a lump in my throat to read and write these words about America. This is not right.

Via Anthony via TalkLeft.

Most rants annoy me, but a real good one is friggin’ great. Dave Pell’s doozie is one of the good ones.

It’s shockingly refreshing to see a politician, albeit a retired one, speak as candidly as Bill Clinton has been. It’s far out for a President to speak honestly of his lies. Has this ever happened before?

Dave Pell has my favorite commentary yet on the story of our elected representatives attending the coronation of Reverend Sun Myung Moon as Messiah.

Oh, and congratulations to the Hack n’ Smack volleyball team for winning their quarterfinal match last night. Where were our congresspeople for that?

The reports have come in from Tennessee, and Bonnaroo sounds like a blast. My dad and sister Jessica went, and my stepdad’s brother Tom went.

The lineup was stunning. It included Wilco, Ani DiFranco, Bob Dylan, String Cheese Incident, Dave Matthews, Yo La Tengo and more. And that was just the first day!

My dad’s summary: “It was like Woodstock, but with food and beer.”

My surfer/baker stepfather, Michael, has transitioned over the past few years into a surfer/baker/mountain-biker stepfather. He’s applied his idealism and nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic to the field and done work on his local trail. It’s cool to see his work appreciated by others as in this thread.

This is really cool. Music and type… happy at last.

(Via Mike Davidson.)

First our administration wanted french fries labeled “freedom fries.” Now it has declared french fries to be a fresh vegetable.

The Frozen Potato Products Institute appealed to the USDA in 2000 to change its definition of fresh produce under PACA to include batter-coated, frozen french fries, arguing that rolling potato slices in a starch coating, frying them and freezing them is the equivalent of waxing a cucumber or sweetening a strawberry.

Have you no shame, you frozen potato greedmongers?

Over at Electablog, Dave Pell discusses the possibility that Bush’s strength in religious circles could reverse itself as he tries to push it too far.

This is in response, of course, to W’s recent veiled request for help from the Vatican. Bush told the Vatican secretary of state that “Not all the American bishops are with me.”

Read Pell’s perspective: On a Right Wing and a Prayer. Interesting, especially when you consider the numbers Pell cites.

I hope I have the courage and stamina to skydive at 80. Pretty cool.