Joe Sabia offers this hilarious and appropriately instructive recap of the Wikileaks saga as it has unfolded over the last few weeks.

[Video Link]

(Photo: Khaled el-Masri with his family in Germany, 2005. Dieter Mayr for The New York Times)

When Wikileaks released thousands of classified US diplomatic cables this week, a familiar criticism was repeated by the project's foes: these leaks could harm innocent people. There's no evidence of that yet, but within the documents there is evidence the American government has harmed innocent people.

One of them is Khaled El-Masri, a German citizen of Lebanese descent, and a victim of so-called "extraordinary rendition." He was a car salesman in Germany, a father of six. The CIA kidnapped him by mistake (his name sounds and looks identical to that of an actual terror suspect), and sent off to receive months of torture in Afghanistan.

When the CIA realized he was innocent, he was flown to Albania and dumped on a back road without so much as an apology.

El-Masri's futile efforts at receiving justice in the U.S. are well-known, but the cables published this week by Wikileaks include revelations the U.S. also warned German authorities not to allow a local investigation into his kidnapping and abuse.

The nearest he's gotten to justice is an arrest warrant for 13 CIA agents issued by prosecutors in Spain, which they entered on forged passports.

In this video, originally part of the Witness.org documentary OUTLAWED, El-Masri relates his experiences. Boing Boing presented a portion of this documentary on our video channel back in 2008; the documents brought to light by Wikileaks provide an opportunity to revisit the story with new context.

Related links: PDF of the ACLU/El-Masri lawsuit against the US; Washington Post article.

Watch on YouTube | Download MP4 | Dotsub (with foreign language translations)

In this episode of Boing Boing Video, I speak with Haitian-American blogger and sustainable tech development activist Catherine Lainé (photo at left from earlier this year). She was working in Haiti when the catastrophic earthquake struck earlier this week. Catherine spoke to us via Skype video from Cap-Haïtien, where she is working out of a space shared with AIDG (Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group) and a kindred nonprofit known as SOIL.

A number of her family members live in Haiti. At the time of this interview, all were safely accounted for, except for her brother, who resides in the devastated capital city of Port-au-Prince. He is currently still missing. Catherine is trying to get into the city to locate him, as I publish this blog post.

Among the observations she shares: aid groups are running out of body bags, and corpses are piling up so fast that the morgues have no space. The internet is a vital form of communication, as are cellphones—when they work—and she is seeing people in Haiti using social networking services as a means to try and locate missing loved ones within Haiti. The environment is so chaotic and roads so badly damaged that even in-country, mobile technology and web-based social networking services like Facebook are playing a vital role in the reconnection process. Don't assume that because Haiti is so poor, nobody's using the internet. She says cell service has been spotty, with certain carriers performing better than others. She connected to us using WIMAX, and the degree to which that service has performed during the disaster makes her a real believer in the promise of that particular wireless technology.

Edited video transcript after the jump (recorded at 1130pm ET on Jan. 14, 2010), along with Catherine's suggestions on how to help.

Fag. Homo. Queer. These were the words I grew almost accustomed to hearing as I walked the halls of my school. I hated those words. The truth is that I really didn't even understand what they meant. To me they just became bad words, words I never wanted to hear, and things I never wanted to be. Why did they call me those things? Why did I have to suffer through that relentless taunting? I remember getting tunnel vision as I walked those halls, trying to blur everything around me like a Van Gogh painting: if I just focused on where I was going, then maybe they would leave me alone, for once. It never happened. Without fail, someone would make some asinine comment about the way I walked or talked or looked.

Who the hell are these so-called normal people? It's really ridiculous when you think about it. There is no such thing as normal. Normal people to one person are complete oddities to someone else. But for some reason, human beings have this subconscious fear of what they don't know, don't understand, or deep down are themselves. So we make fun. We verbally jab at people to make ourselves feel better. What other reason would kids have for tormenting other kids for being gay? I hated every time I was picked on, but in hindsight, it made me who I am today. It gave me a thicker skin. It still hurts when someone says something today, and if anyone tells you it doesn't, that person is a complete liar. Nevertheless, now I feel I'm able to cope with it better.

From my earliest memory, I knew I was different from most. I just didn't know what it was that made me different. My mother used to say that aliens had brought me to Earth to test her. If those aliens were cross-dressers with a passion for pop divas, she might be right. I wasn't the easiest child. Yes, even then, I was ready to have my diva status. I was also painfully shy. So my mother spoke for me, a lot. Even to this day, I catch her doing it. She thought she was protecting me, but she was really covering me with a security blanket and then throwing me to the wolves. I was totally ill-prepared for the type of mental abuse I would receive on a daily basis. It is abuse. Mental abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse, just without the visible scars. All the taunts and jeers just told me that I wasn't good enough, that I wasn't worthy, that I was nobody. I got it from school, and then I would return home, where my father would either ignore me or scream at me because I hadn't put the cap on the milk jug or some other miniscule thing.

I had friends, I had my mother, and I had my sister (when she was younger, at least; popular teenage girls and older gay brothers do not always mix well), but still there were so many times I felt utterly alone. Invisible. I just wanted someone to notice me or care about me. I just wanted validation. Validation, I've learned, is what most people want. We want someone to validate us. We seek it all the time, through our relationships, our jobs, our children. We just want someone to say that we are important and we are valued. We just want simple validation. I wanted it so bad at one point in my life that I tried to take my own life to get it. It was the ultimate cry for help. I needed someone so desperately to love me and make me feel whole. The reality of it was that there were already so many people around me who did, but I couldn't see it through my pain. I couldn't see the love around me because I had no love in my heart for myself. I believed I was this horrible person because everyone had made fun of me. I let them take control of my life even when they weren't in it any longer. I was so damaged that I couldn't see that all I really needed was myself. I needed the love from myself.

Fag. Homo. Queer. To that I say, "Yes I am!" I am all those things that they said I was. I am effeminate. I do like other men. I do walk with a swish. I am proud to be a gay man. I am proud to be who I am, and who I always was deep inside the shell of that scared little boy. I wear those names as badges of honor now. I know that those were the words spoken by ignorant children who were raised by ignorant parents. I know that ignorance is the major downfall of the human race. Maya Angelou says, "When you know better, you do better." I know better, and I am doing better. It is through sharing our life experiences that we all begin to realize that we are not so different from each other. We all just want to be loved.

Though Super Bowl XLVI is sure to bring plenty of real-life drama and entertainment when the New England Patriots and the New York Giants go head-to-head on Sun., Feb. 5, TV's scripted football moments throughout the years have been equally captivating.

From the heartfelt moments of "Friday Night Lights" to the hilariously absurd on "Family Guy" to the progressive storylines of "Dawson's Creek," college, high school and even pee-wee football has often taken the spotlight on the small screen.

In honor of this weekend's Super Bowl, check out our favorite fictional TV moments from the field -- the ones that made us laugh, cry and inspired us to get in the game.

Vinny Guadagnino made his return to MTV's "Jersey Shore" on the Jan. 26 episode, and he couldn't wait to show his fellow cast members his new tattoo. Inked across the star's chest in scripted, black letters were the words "Let Go Let God."

CLICK FOR PHOTO

Entertainment blog "Wet Paint" reports that Guadagnino received the tattoo some time last year but that he said he was not allowed to talk about it until Season 5.

On a Hollywood TV clip, Guadagnino even refuses to answer a question about whether or not the tattoo hurt.

Wet Paint points out that the saying has roots in the Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous 12-step program, where the second and third steps both touch on the meaning of the phrase, according to 12step.com.

According to the website:

The real power in the "let go" set up is abandoning this phony idea that we control or are responsible for the world beyond our own small interactions. Trusting God, or our higher power, to handle all the extraneous junk allows us to focus on what we need to focus on - improving our own lives and working the steps.

However, the phrase also has spiritual and practical meaning.

In a lecture, the International Pathwork Foundation, a non-profit organization, explains the phrase by emphasizing that people should let go of "fears, distrust, misconception, and suspicion."

To "let God" from the center of your being, from your heart, from your innermost self where God speaks if you wish to listen -- that is truly the ultimate aim. Before this highest, most blissful and secure state can exist, obstacles and dualistic confusions must always be removed.

So is Guadagnino trying to get in touch with his spiritual side? Is he going through the 12 Step program? Or does the phrase have a different meaning when emblazoned across one's chest?

Either way, the "Jersey Shore" cast member isn't the only reality star who's expressing interest in faith.

Kim Kardashian recently attended a church service in California and tweeted she was interested in starting a Bible study group with her friends, the Christian Post reports.

And "Teen Mom 2" star Leah Messer fired back at critics, who called her out for cheating on her now ex-husband Corey Simms, by tweeting with the hashtag "#GodsMyJUDGE," according to Babble.

Shortly after suffering a miscarriage, Messer also Tweeted how proud she was of her twins, with the message: "I literally have THE BEST two little girls in the whole world! God couldn't have gave me anymore of a blessing!!"

You may think you'd have to go to a diner, drive-in or dive to get delicious chicken wings for the Super Bowl, but Friday on "The Talk" (weekdays on CBS) Guy Fieri showed Julie Chen and Aisha Tyler how to grill healthy and flavorful wings at home. Although Fieri isn't known for healthy cooking, the segment was for the "Redo U" series "The Talk" has been running to help people make small changes to improve their lives.

So rather than battering and frying the wings, Fieri showed the ladies how to create a brine using water, Canola oil, honey and a multitude of seasonings. He had them drop everything into a zip-lock bag and shake it up. He then shared a grilling tip, marking the wings on the grill, then moving them to indirect heat so the fat wouldn't drip into the flames and cause the chicken to burn.

Fieri also suggested creating different sauces to cater to various heat preferences. They ranged from a sweeter rub to sprinkle on the wings while they were still on the grill to a fiery sauce made with sriracha, soy sauce and garlic chili sambal that nearly made Julie Chen sneeze. Fieri even shared his signature sauce, which he uses at his restaurant, Tex Wasabi. Without giving away the recipe, he simply said, "We use jalapenos, garlic, hot sauce and butter."

TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.

'Dora the Explorer' is a super cool exploradora and she's got a new actress behind her adventurous voice.

It's official! Selma Blair has been cast in Charlie Sheen's new FX dark comedy "Anger Management."

Blair, who last starred in the ill-fated NBC comedy "Kath & Kim," will play Kate. According to EW.com, Kate, who's described as Charlie’s "best friend with benefits," a fellow therapist who helps Charlie control his anger and uses radical approach with patients.

"Anger Management" will see Sheen playing a therapist who leads two therapy groups -- one in a prison and one un-incarcerated. He also live a complicated life, including an ex-wife (Shawnee Smith) and 13-year-old obsessive compulsive daughter. FX has ordered 10 initial episodes, and as long as those episodes reach a certain ratings mark, Sheen's series will be greenlit for an unprecedented 90 additional episodes.

During the winter Television Critics Association press tour, showrunner Bruce Helford told a group of critics that, "Everyone in the world calls to say they want to do [this] show."

A premiere date for "Anger Management" has not yet been set, but production is reportedly set to start in March.

Angelica Huston's black bob swings back and forth, keeping time with the click of her heels on the sidewalk. As the Oscar-winning actress passes, she throws us a warm but impish smile and then fades into the nighttime air. Her departure cheers the crowd, which has been waiting in the cold and will finally be called to fill the ground floor of VBH Luxury on New York's Upper East Side. The high-end showroom serves as an on-location site for Smash, the new NBC television show produced by Steven Spielberg about the birth of a Broadway musical.

Along with approximately 75 other people, I've been hired as background for a big party, which means we'll be seen but not heard in the episode, human props moved around to create an enthusiastic and festive atmosphere. The casting company told us in advance that we, along with lead character Tom Levitt (played by Christian Borle), are portraying gays and lesbians attending a Republican fundraiser for major donors. The men are outfitted in dark, pinstriped suits and somber ties, while the women are dressed in conservative business attire accented with expensive-looking scarves. I can't help but think we look like Ann Coulter groupies, fresh from a day slaving away in our Wall Street closets -- er, I mean cubicles.

Positioned at the head of the waiting line, I'm one of the first extras to enter into the two-story building. Living in Manhattan, it's easy to become immune to luxurious spaces, but the towering ceilings, plush, earth-tone furniture, and polished wood floor featuring my middle-aged reflection make even my jaded eyes pop. It's no surprise when the Second Assistant Director warns us not to sit on anything.

"No, no, no. That's not allowed either," he runs over and tells a woman rolling up her black overcoat and laying it on a cream-colored couch. I don't blame the A.D., since he's only following orders. No doubt VBH only agreed to the TV shoot under the proviso that there's no damage to the interior.

As I look around and take inventory of the other background actors, my gaydar barely bleeps. Maybe 10 percent appear to belong to the LGBTQ community. It's a surprise, as I figure there'd be a lot more of us, especially given the assignment.

"You," a crewmember points at me. "And you," he says to a handsome, silver-haired man. "Come with me." Gesturing to the gorgeous orange knot around my cast mate's neck, I bestow the "Best Tie of the Evening" award on him. Soon I learn that Stephen works as a banker, not as a professional actor. Like me, he is doing this for the adventure.

My new friend and I are instructed to act like a gay power couple, gripping and grinning as we work our way through the mass of guests in a specific sequence that we're to repeat for every take. With the long- and medium-shots, close-ups, reverses -- and numerous retakes -- we'll spend a great deal of the 10-hour shoot together. Fortunately, he's a charming conversationalist and seems comfortable putting his arm around me and playing the role of my date.

We agree that I'll wait for him at the top of a staircase, and in order to enhance the realism of the scene, he'll come up and "surprise" me at the start of each take. My position puts me behind two 20-somethings who've also been paired up. They're about three feet in front of me, so I'm close enough to hear their conversation, but not so close that they're aware of me.

"Which one of us has to be the girl?" jokes the blond.

"You're shorter than me. You lose," replies the dark-haired guy.

"All right, but only if I have to."

"Too bad, dude!"

They both start punching each other on the shoulder and even let out a giggle or two. Meanwhile, blood rushes to my face. I take in a long breath and then slowly exhale. Angered by their exchange, I want to let them know I find their attitudes both homophobic and misogynistic, but the director calls for quiet on the set. I hear the sound of the black and white clapboard strike. The high-definition camera begins rolling, and I hear the crew cry out, "Action!"

I try to focus on our cues so that Stephen and I cross in front of the camera at exactly the right time, but I'm struggling. It seems ironic that people can be so ignorant, even on the set of what will probably be one of the gayest TV shows of all time. (I mean, please, it's about Broadway.) Moreover, this is a scene where everyone is supposed to be queer. For actors, this is as gay as it gets.

Though I didn't speak up when I first overheard the offending comments, I want to say something during our next break. Part of me feels it's my obligation to educate these two young actors and let them know there is no "woman" in a gay relationship -- and no "man" in a lesbian one.

Another thing that angers me is their assumption that the shorter partner in a same-sex couple automatically assumes a more passive role. True, some couples use the 1950s model where one calls the shots, but many of us have created a new paradigm where both partners come as equals, and neither dominates the other, regardless of height, age, income, or any other metric.

But, maybe I should mind my own business. I don't want thought police attacking my every private conversation, and that's what this was -- a tête-à-tête that I happened to overhear.

I remember that many of the world's great religious and philosophical traditions admonish us to look within before finding fault with someone else. Jesus of Nazareth says, "How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:4-5 NKJV).

On the same subject, the Dalai Lama writes, "Rather than criticizing others, we should evaluate and criticize ourselves. Ask yourself, what am I doing about my anger, my attachment, my pride, my jealousy?"

Even from the world of psychology, Carl Gustav Jung advises, "Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves."

While I believe that it's always important to stand up for social justice and speak truth to power, even when inconvenient, this situation on the set of Smash doesn't fit that mold. The 20-something actors are mere extras, not authority figures, nor are they intentionally trying to hurt anyone. They're two nervous straight guys confronted with playing characters outside their comfort zone. Since the duo knew before accepting the background assignment that they'd portray gay men, I need to give them credit.

When I ask myself why I became so outraged with the brief verbal exchange, I don't like the answer. As a guy of medium height (5'9" in shoes on an especially tall day), I've mostly dated men whose pants-length is much longer than mine. I have to come clean and admit that I fear that people will think I'm the more passive one in the relationship because of my stature. Plus, it really bothers me that others might think I'm feminine or womanly.

Whoa! Who's the real misogynist and homophobe now? With gritted teeth, I wave to the fellow I spy when I look down into the shiny parquet floors at VBH Luxury.

The Hindu sage Mohandas Gandhi tells us, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." If I want to live in a planet without prejudice, then I should start by eliminating my character defects before lecturing others.

Throughout most of the shoot, I've been so focused on working through my judgment that I haven't paid any attention to the two young actors. During the last take, shortly before the crew calls out "checking the gate," which signals the final workday wrap, I notice the taller one has his arm around the other's shoulder -- not like a lover, but like a brother. Still, it's obvious they are trying to play gay as best they can. I doubt the viewers at home will be able to tell the difference.

Have you ever accidentally overheard a homophobic comment? How did you react? I'd love to hear your story.

We all know Kim Kardashian has a habit of dating professional athletes, but that doesn't mean she's looking to date just any guy with a jersey and a multimillion dollar contract.

Rumors that the reality TV queen has been secretly dating New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, began popping up online this morning.

The rumors seem to originate from a website called starberryicecream.com that alleges the two started seeing each other when Kim began filming the first season of her show "Kourtney & Kim Take New York," in 2010. According to the site's source, now that Kim is back on the market she's gone back to dating Sanchez.

Kim indirectly denied the rumors when she wrote on Twitter:

dating rumors are always fun when u don't even know the people your supposedly linked to! Who makes this stuff up!

â€

2011 is the 300th anniversary of the completion of Christopher Wren's Cathedral in the City of London. This coincides with the completion of an historic 40 million programme of cleaning and repair, in which the building has been comprehensively restored inside and out. Now that the final scaffolding has been removed, the two million visitors and worshippers who come toSt Paul's each year can witness Gresham Professor Christopher Wren's original vision, see his cathedral as fresh as the day it was completed and understand something of the changes it has undergone in its first 300 years.
Martin Stancliffe, the architect of the recent refurbishments, gives an expert tour of the building, the renovations and the problems encountered along the way which are unique to a building of this age and grandeur.

For download and transcript versions of this lecture, please visit the event's page on the Gresham College website: St. Paul's at 300 - Lecture One

In space no-one can hear you scream... but it is still a noisy Universe. We are familiar with the many stunning images of space, but these are only part of the whole human experience. This lecture takes a new approach to appreciating the Universe, through the vehicle of sound. Once we understand how sound is propagated, we can look at the how and where it can exist in space. We examine how sound can be a diagnostic of cosmic phenomena (such as the song of the Sun and distant stars), the way it can carry energy across vast volumes of space (away from a black hole humming in B♭), how it can be a useful way to illustrate processes in astronomy (such as the rapid spin of pulsars, and other more local radio emissions) and how it is ultimately responsible for the growth of all structure we see today in the cosmos.

For download and transcript versions of this lecture, please visit the event's page on the Gresham College website: The Sounds of the Universe

Bonuses in the banking sector are at an all-time high even as the system teeters on the edge of collapse. How are we to combat the culture of rewards for failure, without negatively affecting growth in the economy? The policy solutions are there, but are we re brave enough to take them?

For download and transcript versions of this lecture, please visit the event's page on the Gresham College website: How do we deal with rewards for success while supporting growth?

After the largest financial crisis in the history of the capital markets, what changes do we need to promote liquidity recovery? As authorities world-wide seek a safe framework within which we can behave as entrepreneurs, what insights can Equities offer Over-The-Counter markets andvice-versa?Investors and Exchanges empowered with choice of on-and-off-orderbook mechanisms, dark and light, will innovate electronic trading to diversify by geography and asset class. Come and learn the bold ideas shaping the new landscape.

For download and transcript versions of this lecture, please visit the event's page on the Gresham College website:The Future of the EU and Global Markets

In the early 1880s, informalimperial expansion gave way to formal imperial acquisitions. Between this pointand the outbreak of the First World War, more colonial territory was acquiredby European states than in the previous three-quarters of a century. New statesentered the business of imperialism, notably Belgium,Germany and Italy. Sofierce was the competition that in 1884 an international congress was held in Berlin to establishdemarcation lines between the new colonial possessions. The Scramble forAfrica extended in fact to other parts of the globe and brought in new possessionsin Asia, North Africa and the Pacific. Manyexplanations have been advanced for this sudden expansion of empire, rangingfrom changes in the European economy to the rise of European nationalism, fromthe need perceived by some European statesmen to provide an outlet for populardiscontent at home to the exploitation of colonial issues by Bismarck for diplomatic purposes. Thislecture analyses the process of partition and assesses the best way to explain it.

For download and transcript versions of this lecture, please visit the event's page on the Gresham College website: The Rise and Fall of European Empires from the 16th to the 20th Century: The Scramble for Africa

Personality disorders are a contentious issue in psychiatry. How many are there and how reliable is their diagnosis? Are we just medicalising bad behaviour and social inadequacy. How should medical and criminal justice sectors divide responsibility?

For the transcript or download versions of this lecture, please visit the events page on the Gresham College website: Mad, bad or sad?

The Price of Fishaddresses issues related to 'real' (as opposed to 'transactional') commerce: the complex ways in which people, organisations and societies communicate and deal with each other. The book argues that real commerce drives society, politics, the economy and our future, including the ways complex interactions adapt and change over time. The aim of the book is to make sense of the way the world really works beyond economics. This event is a book launch to mark the publication ofThe Price of Fish: A New Approach to Wicked Economics and Better Decisions.

For the transcript or download versions of this lecture, please visit the events page on the Gresham College website: The Price of Fish - Making sense of the way the world really works

How can Usain Bolt improve his world 100 metres sprint record significantly without improving his speed? How fast should he be able to run? We will also examine the mechanics of sprinting and the effects of wind assistance, timing accuracy, and altitude on sprint times and look at the status of the long-standing womens sprint world records set by the late Florence Griffiths Joyner (Flo-Jo) in 1988.

For the transcript or download versions of this lecture, please visit the events page on the Gresham College website: Maths and Sport: How Fast Can Usain Bolt Run?

Is sustainability investment missed by our focussing on market bubbles in current economical and financial discussions?

Sustainability calls for timescales far beyond the scope of market bubbles, working in tens or even hundreds of years, in contrast to the increasingly fast pace of market volatility. Does this mean that it is immune to market bubbles, or is it doomed to be hindered by many collapses of the market before any investments are able to come to fruition? Are there fundamental market factors that can drive sustainability investment (and return) regardless to the bubbles?

For the transcript or download versions of this part of the Long Finance conference, please visit the conferences page on the Gresham College website: Bubble Trouble - Pop Goes Sustainability?

John Redwood delivers the keynote speech in the Long Finance conference, Bubble Trouble Pop goes sustainability?.

This conference focussed on the subject of market bubbles and their effects on efforts to ensure sustainability. The event was introduced by Professor Michael Mainelli.

For the transcript or download versions of this part of the Long Finance conference, please visit the conferences page on the Gresham College website: Bubble Trouble - Pop Goes Sustainability?

Date: Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:00:00 -0700
Location: London, England, HSBC Canada Square, Gresham College
Program and discussion: http://fora.tv/2011/11/04/John_Redwood_Does_Bursting_One_Bubble_Lead_to_Another

Patience is a virtue. But does it have value? Andrew Haldane will discuss the importance of patience to growth and stability, its recent evolution and its implications for financial markets and systems. There is evidence that capital market myopia short-termism may be mounting. If so, what if anything should be done about it? Andy Haldane delivers this year's Sir Thomas Gresham Docklands lecture. The event is chaired by Professor Michael Mainelli.

For the transcript or download versions of this 2011 Sir Thomas Gresham Docklands Lecture, please visit the events page on the Gresham College website: Get Shorty