Arthur S. Brisbane, the Public Editor of the New York Times, ably demonstrated Sunday why the New York Times requires the Public to be Edited:

The controversy over The Times’s use of the term “torture,” which was discussed two years ago by my predecessor, Clark Hoyt, has its roots in the newsroom’s aspiration to be impartial in a dispute that is both political and legal…

For his part, [Executive Editor Bill] Keller affirms that The Times has not “banished the word ‘torture,’ but we are careful how we use it” and avoid its use in contexts where it might appear The Times is taking sides.

Ummm, taking sides in what? Is the Times afraid that torturers will view its news coverage as unfair?

Actually, yes.

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Title: “The Notes: Ronald Reagan’s Private Collection of Stories and Wisdom”

Author: Ronald Reagan

Rank: 50

Blurb: “The Notes encapsulates a lifetime of reflections on work, marriage, and family in classic one-liners such as ‘Flattery is what makes husbands out of bachelors’ and ‘Money may not buy friends, but it will help you to stay in contact with your children.'”

Review: “It would not be a stretch to claim that Reagan was the best orator of the 20th century and rivals the great orators of the American founding.”

Customers Also Bought: “The Roots of Obama’s Rage”, by Dinesh D’Souza

Footnote: Jefferson stole his one-liners from Franklin.

The Notes [Amazon]

Buy or Die [Stinque@Amazon kickback link]

Whitehouse Post is a special-effects shop that would like your business, if your business has a need for digital simulations of shit blowing up.

If not, please enjoy this head-asploding demo reel on the house.

[via Nerdist]

“Overturning a common law dating back to the English Magna Carta of 1215, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Hoosiers have no right to resist unlawful police entry into their homes.” [Northwest Indiana Times]

We have a sneaking suspicion this is too good to be true — like the wife as human shield — but as they say, print the legend:

A stash of pornography was found in the hideout of Osama bin Laden by the U.S. commandos who killed him, current and former U.S. officials said on Friday.

The pornography recovered in bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, consists of modern, electronically recorded video and is fairly extensive, according to the officials, who discussed the discovery with Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Nobody’s claiming Osama himself acquired or watched the porn, nor is it clear where in the compound Team Six found the stash. But it does make sense of the dope garden.

Pornography found in bin Laden hideout: officials [Reuters]

“He talks about targeting priorities. He says the president is of course the top target if you could get a shot at him. Also the military chiefs like the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the defense secretary, top military people. There is a note indicating that the vice president is not an important target because that position has less weight.” [ProPublica]

Our guest columnist is in desperate need of a cold shower.

The Hamptons moved to Las Vegas in 2004. According to Ms. Hampton, it “was their [Doug and Senator Ensign’s] dream to always live by each other.” Further, per Ms. Hampton, Senator Ensign and Mr. Hampton sought to facilitate a relationship between their families to “walk through life together,” a term used by the [C Street] International Foundation spiritual advisors to Senator Ensign…

In November 2007, the Hampton home in Summerlin, Nevada was burglarized during the daytime. Although they were in Nevada at the time, none of the Hampton family members were home at the time of the incident. The burglars entered the home by breaking into the downstairs guest bathroom, and they stole electronics and jewelry. When Mr. Hampton came home, he saw that the front door to the home was left open, and suspected that something had occurred. Ms. Hampton was afraid to stay in the home, and the Ensigns offered to let the Hamptons stay in their home until the door was repaired and Ms. Hampton felt safe to return to the home. Senator Ensign said “well, you guys are going to have to come and stay with me.”

The extramarital affair between Senator Ensign and Ms. Hampton began after the Hamptons moved into the Ensigns’ home following the burglary…

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