Wankers!

Taxi to the Dark Side, a documentary about an innocent Afghan taxi driver tortured to death by U.S. officials at Bagram Air Base, has received wide critical acclaim since its debut in April at the Tribeca Film Festival. The New York Times’s A.O. Scott said, “If recent American history is ever going to be discussed with the necessary clarity and ethical rigor, this film will be essential.”

Director Alex Gibney agreed to sell the rights of Taxi to the Discovery Channel because executives convinced him they would “give the film a prominent broadcast.” Now, however, Discovery has dropped its plans to air the documentary because the film is too controversial.

...

It’s ironic that Taxi’s content is too “controversial,” considering it depicts real acts perpetrated by the current Bush administration. In an interview with the Center for American Progress, Gibney noted that Americans are excited about dramatizations of torture, such as in the show 24, but uncomfortable “with the reality of torture.” Listen to the interview here:

As Gibney added in the press release, “In refusing to air the film, Discovery is perpetuating what has become the policy of this government: it is ok to employ torture, just not to show it.”

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And this whole fauxbate thing reminds me that I could do my taxes this weekend now that I've finally received my W-2s.

I'd heard the "rebate" was going to be taxable (that is, added to taxable income), but not that the whole amount was part of the taxes. It really sucks if that's the case (I always end up paying federal and getting back from the state).

I went to the '93 inauguration. I'd forgotten about that. Other than the crowds and the cold, all I really recall is Maya Angelou.

But, you know, he promised equal rights for gays to us that day and then turned around and made the whole "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" thing happen when he was elected.

I don't by any means think DADT was a fantastic idea -- but I think it played out much worse than its proponents intended.

The definition of "tell" being expanded into freakin' witch hunts was very different than the initial WASP-esque notion of "we just don't bring it up and everybody is fine."

Anyone watching the African American Lives with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on PBS?

I saw it! Really interesting stuff (I missed the show the first time around, and now wish I hadn't).

I loved Morgan Freeman's family story. When Gates asked him about his great-grandfather, Albert Carr, MF fully acknowledged that he was an ancestor, even though he was white and there were suppositions that he had taken sexual advantage of Ceely, who was a slave at the time. Well, after digging around in census reports and land sales documents, Gates found that Albert had been an employee of Ceely's owner and had 8 children with her, and even after emancipation, she stayed with him and moved to another location with him and their children. Then, Albert had sold some land to some of their sons, which was the only way he could provide for the kids and Ceely by Mississippi law (illegitimate children could not inherit at the time). Gates and his researchers then went to that land and found the gravestones for the children and Ceely and Albert, buried next to each other and Ceely's with the last name of "Carr," even though she was never married to Albert. When Gates told Freeman that the two of them had remained together for over 35 years, he teared up.

You don't get the rebate if you make more than $75K as an individual or $150K as a married couple. Of course, I wonder if that's based on last year's income, or what...I'm all "I'm unemployed! I could use a rebate!"

I remember her poem, and the way she looked over the crowd and smiled so warmly on the last line. I don't remember it exactly, but it ended with "good morning"

Hmm. I thought I had a 3:30 meeting people were calling me for.

So what are people doing this weekend?

(I know it was asked yesterday, but it could have changed, or something.)