Faith in the absence of Reason

Joi Ito found a good article on the International Herald Tribune about what international observers are saying about our election process…. I don’t do it because I have affiliation to another country (unless we finally get the New York succession movement going), but because I have friends and family overseas, I like to travel and because of work and research.

So there has been much ado about the arrest of Muslims related to terrorist charges. We all see the headlines. However, how many of them are actually holding up to close scrutiny? John Walker Lindh was plead out of the system. Jose Padilla was declared an enemy combatant once Ashcroft realized the evidence he had wouldn’t fly in the criminal justice system. Yaser Hamdi might be released after two years, with NO charges being brought against him. Brandon Mayfield was the latest Richard Jewel. Anybody know what’s going on with Lackawanna Six? Today’s news stories have to do with Michigan.…

As many of you know a horrific earthquake hit South and Central Asia almost a month ago. The need for donations remains immense. DesiPundit has nominated today as Blog Quake Day (found via Chapati Mystery, Danial, and Planet Granada; see also Avari-Nameh for more good links). Please donate to anyone you feel comfortable with. In addition, I’ve been working with people on the ground to get supplies and money over there and a friend is working with the UNDP to raise funds. His details are below (if you do donate this way, please indicate in the notes field that you…