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April 28, 2004

The names
: I've had to let sink in Ted Koppel's plan to read the names of all the American soldiers killed in action in Iraq to decide what I think about it.
I take Koppel at his word that this is a tribute to the soldiers and their sacrifice.
I take him at his word that he is not trying to be political:

"My first reaction was I didn't want it to be seen in any fashion as a political gesture," Koppel said. "We had to be careful that it could not be seen as political on our part.
"I think it can be seen just as powerfully by people who are totally supportive of the war, as those who aren't," he added.

But it is political. It is too reminiscent of Vietnam and of Life Magazine's statement against that war.
This has become, since that then-groundbreaking print documentary, a journalistic cliche. How many times have we seen such roll calls of death called out: war deaths; drug deaths; AIDS deaths; 9/11 deaths. It has been used so often that to pull it out now is a very conscious effort, a journalistic conceit with a clear purpose and a history that cannot be ignored. It means: Let's hit the people over the head with what we think they're ignoring; let's add it up for them; let's rub their noses in the enormity of it; let's remind them of a story nearly ignored.
But the Iraq war is hardly ignored. We don't need Koppel to bring our attention to the danger and death there.
Had this been positioned as a tribute to the dead and their sacrifice for freedom -- if it had come on, say, Memorial Day -- then I might not have such an uneasy feeling about it. But it doesn't.
So it seems to me that the names and faces of the dead are being used -- exploited -- to make a point.ace media player 2.2 serials

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Like a virus
: Muslim violence spreads to Thailand. ace media player 2.2 serials

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The R card
: Elton John says American Idol is racist. Nevermind that one winner was black. Nevermind that the first people voted off this year were white. A talented black singer was voted off while an untalented white singer with red hair stays on and Elton John throws out the glib charge of racism. ace media player 2.2 serials

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Mass destruction
: The Guardian reports that two Danish reporters face jail "after they were formally charged with publishing classified government reports that questioned the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq."ace media player 2.2 serials

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Something me
: Cameron Marlow finds a zeitgeist moment:

While walking home from work the other day I passed a group of guys emerging from a pizza joint. After a few handshakes and goodbyes they parted ways and made arrangements for their next meeting. And then one of them yelled across the street, "something me on Thursday." His friend looked a little confused, but I knew exactly what he was talking about. He added, "IM, call, email... I don't care."

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Young at mind
: The founder of amNewYork, one of the many free minipapers spreading across the country, tells Time:

"What these kids like is fast, blather free and unbiased," he says. "Something to give them a good, comprehensive scan of the country in 20 minutes."

Well, I'd say that's true not only of "these kids" but of everyone: Who wants to waste time reading the news just because writers and editors like to blather? That's why Metro and similar papers have succeeded around the world. That's why the Web has succeeded as a news medium! Just because it's short, that doesn't mean it's young (or dumb); short is efficient. ace media player 2.2 serials

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The Daily Stern

: COVER STORY: The magazine article I wrote the FCC, the First Amendment, and Howard Stern will be the cover story in the next issue of The Nation. This was the story I pulled from another magazine after a bad edit. Micah Sifry sent it to The Nation's Katrina vanden Heuvel and now it's on the cover. They tell me the story will be up online this week; I'll link to it as soon as it is.ace media player 2.2 serials

: THE PEOPLE SPEAK: The exodus of listeners from Clear Channel stations that dropped Howard Stern is breathtaking:

When they dropped his show from six stations at the end of February, Clear Channel expected a morning ratings exodus to follow. In San Diego, they got it. With Stern, KIOZ was No. 1 12+ in February with an 8.9. Without him, the station's morning drive ratings crashed to a 27th place 0.7 in March. The in-demo decline was even more spectacular: 12.7 to 0.7 in Men 18+, 20.6 to 0.8 in 18-34, and 10.1 to 1.0 in 25-54.

To translate: The ratings for the station plummeted from 8.9 to 0.7; the ratings for men 18+ imploded from 20.6 to 0.8.
The people have spoken, again.
The FCC is protecting no one.ace media player 2.2 serials

: THIS SUCKS: NPR attorneys are telling Fresh Air that they can't say "suck."ace media player 2.2 serials

: FIGHT BACK: Viacom has filed a formal objection to the first of the recent FCC fines against Stern. ace media player 2.2 serials

: STERN POWER: The LA Times discovers the political power of Stern:

The long-sought liberal talk radio hero isn't Air America's Al Franken, but that walking, talking wedge issue, Howard Stern.....
Like his audience, Stern has always been broadly misunderstood. Calling Stern a "shock jock" does him an injustice, lumping him in with his lesser imitators and with the gross-out inanities of reality TV. In fact, Stern is a provocateur and comic talent in the tradition of Lenny Bruce. Whether his subject is sex, scatology, show business or his own failures and insecurities, he has brought unprecedented frankness to the airwaves. The real "shock" — and appeal — of Stern's show is how, with wit and brutal honesty, it punctures the phoniness of so much media chatter...
If Kerry wins a close election in November, he may well owe a debt to the man who calls himself King of All Media. And political analysts may find themselves enshrining another crucial voting bloc, alongside soccer moms and NASCAR dads: Howard Stern fans.

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From Iraq
: Iraqi blogger Mohammad doesn't want no stinkin' UN running his country:

When I heard about the decision of the coalition to get UN involved the in the process of authority handover, I grew really restless, and what made me more worried is that ‘all parts’ seem to agree on this; the coalition, the UN the GC and the whole world. Now wait a minute! Is that the same useless, half corrupted organization that supported Saddam, and still support his likes in the name of preserving the international wall? Is that the same organization that left Iraq and the Iraqi people after the 1st terrorist attack? I hope they are speaking of something other than that. Some people would say that this is what the Iraqi people want, but this (if it’s ever true) is not the question....
[T]here’s no possible way, with all this violence going, that the Iraqis can voice their real demands, or that significantly valid polls can be performed....
It’s my right and my duty as an Iraqi citizen and a human being to speak out and say that what Iraq needs is a firm alliance with the USA and the rest of the coalition, because these are the governments that have real interest in establishing a true democracy in Iraq and these are the people that I trust most. As for the UN, it can play a role in organizing humanitarian aids and can also play a minor role in the political future of Iraq.

: And his brother Ali lists the ideal qualifications for the interim head of state of Iraq:

1-He should not be a cleric.
2-He should be at least 84 years old with life expectancy of no more than 90 for his family.
3-Should have no criminal record.
4-He should have at least 2 chronic illnesses (organic) with no possible cure.
5-He should have NO sons.
6-He should not be able to make a speech longer than 15 minutes....
10-He should have no interest in nerve gas, mustard gas, abdominal gas…etc.
11-He should have no experience whatever with guns.
12-He should NOT be a war hero.
13-He should not have a history in using words like conspiracy, historical, mother of all …., the day of days…..etc....
16-The applicant should show documents that prove that he’s hated by the majority of Palestinians, Saudis, Egyptians and ARABS in general....

: River is nya-nyaing about Chalabi being on the outs (after reports that he won't be picked for the next government):

I've been reading articles about Chalabi being (very hopefully) on his way out. I can't believe it took this long for Washington to come to the conclusion that he is completely useless.

: Ays is ready to celebrate Saddam's birthday on Wednesday:

Hahaha.. Tomorrow is Saddam’s blessed birthday April 28 !!!!!!!! but he’s not here, so come on Iraqis, don’t be rude, let’s get there at his new house and throw a piece of cake in his jail !!
Thank God, we don’t have to pretend anymore, we are not afraid, tomorrow is an ordinary day, we have many channels to watch, we won’t be watching at Saddam’s channel anymore, we are not afraid from that decree that Saddam used to state on his birthday after he finishes many bottles of Whisky : ‘Let all the prisoners get out, this is a noble deed from the president, but don’t steal and kill.. OK.. ? come on ..feel free to roam in your country’ ! That’s why the criminals love him.!
Thank God, Saddam has gone forever, I hope someday we Iraqis, Americans, British and all the brave people who liberated us make parties and celebrate, cooperate and live in peace and build a prosperous world for our children and for us...

: Faiza at Family in Baghdad asks why us?

Did someone plan to make Iraq the battlefield for the war between terrorists
and their enemies??
Were ignoring borders' security and the state of lawlessness a planned thing
to draw America's enemies into Iraq where they can be fought?
When did the battlefield became Iraq instead of the US?
Iraq instead of Afghanistan?
what did We- innocent civilians- do?
Who cares about us?
Who defends us?

She also complains about the USA Today reporter who did a story on Iraqi blogs:

USA Today reporter visited us few days ago.
We talked about this site, when we started to blog and why.
Then I called the women and chidren from Falloja who were staying with their
relatives next door so he would interview them.
The fighting at Falloja was very intense at that time.
Then the article was published... It was tasteless and meaningless and he didn't write a word about the Falloja residents he met.

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