Musings On Iraq kept tabs on the violence there, Yglesias added his perspective to Ambinder’s obesity piece, and we checked in on the situation of Icelandic strippers. Continetti offered some good advice to the GOP, a reader piled on Thiessen, and the Dish capped off the discussion on “epistemic closure” among conservatives. TNC continued his slavery thread.

A reader illuminated a long history of Jesus phallus in art, another sent in another rock remix, and a homeschool mom shared her relationship with pot. Beard blogging here. Yglesias award here, Malkin here, and Hewitt here. Hathos here and creepy ad here. And this kid is so effing awesome.

Nantucket, Massachusetts, 1 pm

Thursday on the Dish we were all over the first debate of the British election. Andrew live-blogged the event and summed up his reaction. Reax here and here. We also highlighted the Tories’ approach to marriage.

Bloggers discussed the intellectual state of conservatism (we spotted another depressing sign) and Friedersdorf went another round with Thiessen. Andrew reasserted his fear of a Palin nomination while Brooks and Dickerson wanted everyone to focus their attention elsewhere. A Christian singer came out.

In other coverage, Niraj Chokshi told us about people are killing their TVs, McWhorter talked cussing, and Milbank got pareened. More women confessed their love of weed and Bolivia took it up a notch. Ta-Nehisi examined the horrors of slavery.

Beard blogging here. Crowdsourced art here, speed art here, and phallic Jesus art here. Urinating dildos here and porn for the blind here. Hewitt nod here, FNC hijinks here, and a frightening face of the day here. Also, we explained how we’re trying to improve the Dish a bit.

Wednesday on the Dish, Hitchens kept up his campaign to arrest Benedict, theocon Mark Stricherz turned on the pontiff, and Austen Ivereigh discussed pedophilia and homosexuality. In election coverage, we checked in on the polls, Renard Sexton accused Cameron of failing to unite the Tories, and Wife In The North vouched for Cameron and Brown to discuss their deceased kids.

Ambinder’s Atlantic cover story addressed American obesity. Ezra chimed in. Ambers also updated us on detainee policy. Torture defender Steve Kappes quit the CIA, Friedersdorf fisked Thiessen’s response to Jane Mayer, and Jonathan Bernstein preferred to pardon Bush. Andrew highlighted the disconnect between Congress and Jewish-Americans on Israel.

In other coverage, Brian Doherty profiled the pot capital of the US, Evgeny Morozov and Clay Shirky talked Twitter and Iran, Nick Baumann and Freddie DeBoer discussed Colbert’s WikiLeak interview, and Janelle Weaver reported on kids who can’t see race. Joe Carter complained of a bias towards covering white, politicized evangelicals.

Gabe and Max taught you a little something about filing taxes. More gendered cannabis commentary here and canine coverage here. RNC hathos here and Yglesias nod here. Another rock remix here, a cool app here, and kick-ass kangaroos here.

Tuesday on the Dish, Jason Berry continued to expose the evil of Marcial Maciel just as we caught wind of another case out of San Antonio. A reader dissented over Andrew’s approach to the scandal, Julian Sanchez jumped in the debate, and a female blogger explained why now is the best time to be Catholic. Meanwhile, the Internet continued to lampoon the Church.

In election coverage, the Tories released their own manifesto. Massie scrutinized its approach to civil liberties and Drum demurred over its view of referendums. The Conservatives targeted Brown’s supposed smugness and Paul Waugh figured Cameron will win by default.

In other news, Palin raked in $12 million, Medvedev flattered Obama, and Massa got creepier. Colbert grilled the co-founder of WikiLeaks, Larison tackled Jackson Diehl over the “snubbing” meme, and a new book in Israel targeted the settlers. Kristol approved of Elena Kagan, Andrew Bacevich compared Al-Qaeda to the mob, and Andrew articulated his South Park doctrine. More Kyrgyz commentary here.

Colin Dayan confronted canine profiling, readers sounded off on women getting high, and others recommended some smooth remixes. Hewitt Award here and Malkin here. Cool ad here. 

Monday on the Dish we collected fallout over the pontiff’s latest scandal. Andrew confronted the laicization canard and tweaked Ross over his semi-defense of Benedict. Richard Dawkins clarified his calling for the pope’s arrest in the UK and Dietrich Bonhoeffer contemplated the Church’s decline. More cases were bubbling beneath the surface in Canada, church authorities tried to block reform in Connecticut, the deputy pope blamed the gays, and the Internet kept up its mockery of the priesthood.

In election coverage, Gordon Brown presented his party’s manifesto and put out a handful of ads. A British blogger in the north reported on the BNP. In Palin coverage, Exum wonders why she ❤ Karzai, Scott Brown seemed to want nothing to do with her, and Tina Fey reprised her role. Sara Rubin tackled Bristol’s new abstinence ad.

Lawrence Wilkerson drilled into the deepest and darkest corruption of Cheney. Greenwald eulogized the nomination of Dawn Johnsen, Kinsley talked conservatism and the Court, Bernstein discussed the politics of debt, and Lisa Hymas pushed birth control to curb global warming. Commentary on the economy here and here. Readers from Quebec sounded off on the veil controversy. Huckabee garnered a Malkin and Ron Paul got an Yglesias. 

— C.B.