April 22, 2009

If He’s Not a Torturer, Why Is He Wearing a Mask?

Photo used under a Creative Commons license by flickr user <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21842149@N05/">nobt</a>

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HuffPo has a Playboy writer voluntarily trying to endure 15 seconds of waterboarding. He makes maybe 5 or 6. In the prelim, he asks the heavily masked ‘technician’ (who appears to be military but displays no rank and insignia. For you civilians: That’s HUGE) if waterboarding is torture. Nope, it’s “invoking an existing fear.” Which fear? “Drownding” (sic). Torture would be “invoking blood, physical pain.” OK, so how how does waterboarding work? “You’re going to want to breathe, but you won’t be able to breathe.” When the guinea pig tries to summon his yoga training, his torturer says confidently, “That won’t help you here.”

Nah. It’s not torture.

So what’s up with hiding his face?

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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