The Plight of Bradley Manning

What do you call placing someone who has only been charged with a crime (not even convicted) in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, without a pillow or a blanket, for six straight months?  Torture.

Incidentally, where was this form of torture invented?  Philadelphia.

In other cruelty-related news, former Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens has an interesting review of a book on the death penalty in the latest issue of the New York Review of Books.

Philadelphia: an Indictment

Bad, improbable combinations abound: ancient yet ignorant; centrally located yet parochial; old-moneyed yet threadbare; pedigreed yet insecure; historically important yet presently insignificant; well-schooled yet idiotic; well-nursed yet insalubrious. And they throw batteries at Santa! 

In Philly you'll find the worst of all worlds....

Philly Sucks

Here's reason number a bijillion why Philly is Camden's lamer next-door-neighbor: they wanna make you pay $300 for the privilege of blogging. Hey Philly: how about I give you nothing, trash you at every turn, root for the other team, and get outta here? Sounds like a better plan to me.

UPDATE: Money quote in the video segment from Colin Flatt, blogger: "I think what we really need to worry about here is the use of common sense and discretion, and these are two traits that we don't always see when it involves Philadelphia and the infrastructure here." You said it, brother.

Why I Can't Wait to Leave This Rat's Nest of a City

The latest in an apparently never-ending series.

Come the night, I like to study with a nightcap. Or seven. Anyway, the problem is that I sometimes go to a certain gay bar, in the hope that I can relax, review my notes, and have a quiet cocktail.

Sadly, no. Philadelphia (the most passive-aggressive city I have ever known) is home to gays that somehow think I would be thrilled to talk to them - notwithstanding that i) my head is buried in a book, ii) these men are walking antiques, and/or iii) my body language is very obviously and eloquently saying "go away."

To no avail. Some choice quotes from tonight's abortive attempt at studying:

"It's like I told my caseworker...."

"My son would love you."

"I don't tell my wife where I drink."

Ugh. Chicago, honey, I'm comin' back to ya!

The Pitfalls of Online Dating

Some interesting thoughts on online dating here. Dan Ariely of Duke thinks it focuses attention on categorizable but superficial qualities, making it difficult to form the holistic impression that underlies real attraction and compatibility.

He's probably right - but in my case, at least, the real problem is that I'm in Philly. The talent is lacking here.