I ask in all seriousness, since, as I understand it, the mission is restricted to "civilian protection."  Are "civilians" the people just trying to go about their daily lives, or are they the rebels with guns?  Does going after Gaddafi's forces fall within the stated mission?  I'm assuming the answer there is "yes" as long as those forces are threatening civilian populations.  Are we taking the position that just because Gaddafi's forces have the ability to harm civilians, pretty much anything we do that takes those forces out, or affects their ability to function, is okay?

At what point does the mission that's been explained to the American people become a mission we said we weren't going to get involved in?  How much "creep" do we allow before the mission has officially -or unofficially, changed?

As you can see, I have no answers - just questions.  Questions that didn't get answered in the president's remarks last night.

Today my son had to put down his sweet, sweet funny Chocolate Lab.  I guess that makes her my granddog.  I love my dogs, but a better dog than his girl you will never meet.

But I understood why the question was asked. Private Manning's family, joined by a number of human rights organisations, has questioned the extremely restrictive conditions he has experienced at the brig at Marine Corps base Quantico, Virginia. I focused on the fact that he was forced to sleep naked, which led to a circumstance where he stood naked for morning call.

Based on 30 years of government experience, if you have to explain why a guy is standing naked in the middle of a jail cell, you have a policy in need of urgent review. The Pentagon was quick to point out that no women were present when he did so, which is completely beside the point.

Our strategic narrative connects our policies to our interests, values and aspirations. While what we do, day in and day out, is broadly consistent with the universal principles we espouse, individual actions can become disconnected. Every once in a while, even a top-notch symphony strikes a discordant note. So it is in this instance.

The Pentagon has said that it is playing the Manning case by the book. The book tells us what actions we can take, but not always what we should do. Actions can be legal and still not smart. With the Manning case unfolding in a fishbowl-like environment, going strictly by the book is not good enough. Private Manning's overly restrictive and even petty treatment undermines what is otherwise a strong legal and ethical position.

When the United States leads by example, we are not trying to win a popularity contest. Rather, we are pursuing our long-term strategic interest. The United States cannot expect others to meet international standards if we are seen as falling short.

[snip]

I stand by what I said. The United States should set the global standard for treatment of its citizens - and then exceed it. It is what the world expects of us. It is what we should expect of ourselves.

Innocent man does 20 years for a rape he did not commit...gets released via DNA testing, gets engaged to his high school sweetheart 30 years later, finds a job, waiting on his fat settlement check and better days...then dies on his new job in a mining accident.

On my home I pass by at least two human beings in some kind of costume holding a sign for taxes, or cash checking, and even Little Caesar's Pizza.

It bugs me to no end, some are in gorilla costumes, or dressed like Uncle Same, and even the Little Caesar dude.

In Houston yesterday it was 85, but these guys are out there year round, even when the scales hit 100.  On one hand, maybe they are glad to have a job, but it just seems so demeaning that I can't imagine putting someone in a costume on a busy corner and make then jump around with the sign.

Is this happening in other cities ?  I just don't ever remember seeing this until about 3 years ago.

It dramatizes Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson - and the whole aluminum tubes - uranium from Niger bullsh*t scene that the Bush administration put over on us.

There are clips of Cheney and Bush - and Condi Rice - all lying their heads off - and scaring us to death.

Watching the clips -- they are sort of convincing. The only thing that you can rely on is your gut - and watching these people - your gut tells you that they are lying.

But you're scared.

The water out of reactor two has measured 1,000 millisieverts per hour -- four times the recently-hiked total exposure limit for emergency staff, and a level that can cause radiation sickness with nausea and vomiting in an hour.

The immediate challenge is to safely dispose of the massive amounts of contaminated water -- the tunnel near reactor two alone holds 6,000 cubic metres (212,000 cubic feet), more than two Olympic swimming pools.

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Meanwhile, in hearings on Capitol Hill about the safety of nuclear power....

Top nuclear officials gave senators some tentative optimistic news, saying that the Fukushima plant appears to be in the early stages of recovery.