I lost two promotions over there over various things. I tried. If you want to know some of the nightmares people with PTSD get.....

Yeah, I was an interogator in Iraq and I personally saw people go to Abu Ghraib who I and my command felt were wrongly accused. The system is appalling and it's ripe for abuse.

I like patriotism as much as the next person, but even the government has admitted that they have innocent men in detention. This kneejerk need to believe that Gitmo is just a necessary evil, that that's what it takes to keep us safe, is batshit insane.

Due process.

The alternative is to charge and try them. That's what we do with people who have blood on their hands. Or at least, it's what we're supposed to do.

Yeah, no. There are people detained who have been cleared of all charges, people detained after they have been found innocent of all charges, people detained who have never been charged, and a huge number who were rounded up based on having common names. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about.

I know. It's like they want to give the Islamic world more reason to hate us. I'm an atheist, but I respect that people have the right to observe their religious customs (as long as they aren't hurting anyone else). There is no reason not to allow prisoners to observe Ramadan.

lets assume that all the inmates that are left are indeed combatents, terrorists or have blood on their hands

Bless you, Yasiin.

hey - remember how everyone got really pissed about Paula Deen? Cover of magazines? Lots of articles written? Actually she doesn't matter at-fucking-all. What does matter is justice in our society. Respect of prisoners matters. Habeas Corpus matters. Privacy between lawyers and clients matter. Judicial process…

Fuck.

This is important. Thank you for putting it in the spotlight.

Oh, you are SO right. Most food/beverage service jobs take so much labor; people don't realize. When I used to be a server, my arms would get so pumped, and my sleeves on my right arm always got too "tight". ;)

I worked at a bakery in my 20's and although I was (and still am) VERY prone to weight gain (many factors, including family/genetics/lifestyle/current sedentary job) I was able to not only keep the weight OFF, but actually lose some. HOW?

OK - so I seriously suggest that if you have a carbwhorey-ish personality such as…

If we're playing a game of "Name the Tasty Bread," I choose Fig, Olive Oil, and Sea Salt Challah. It's 90 degrees out and a zillion percent humidity, but damnit I want to bake some bread.

I actually buy unsliced bread from a local bakery and not surprisingly, I eat less bread than I used to. I'm not sure if it's a convenience factor or because I've grown out of it. I slice the bread, then freeze it to keep it fresh. It tastes better, is less expensive and doesn't have all the shit that packaged, sliced…

I like to incorporate one thru-line to entertain myself and nerds when writing this column. Last week it was great American short stories; another time it was "Doctor Who;" this week it's "Master Chef." Just a goofy little habit I have.

Joe Bastianich is an untalented hack riding the coattails of his mother's glory. Google what he and Mario Batali did that garnered a lawsuit from their employees, and remember that he's the wine connoisseur that described a rose as, "like Pez, in a good way."

Yes.

The insurance industry: a giant, bloated group of companies that don't even try to make it look like they're doing anyone any good, except for in those commercials where The Cranberries play in the background or those vague ones with Dennis Hopper talking about Defining Your Dreams (R).