"Jon Stewart's Perfect Pitch": Want a healthy, intelligent and hysterical perspective on the day's news -- especially what's going on in Iraq? Watch "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" weekdays at 11 pm (EST) on Comedy Central. He's got "perfect pitch."

Coaster Call: I'm in Washington, D.C. on business this week and found the latest in customer service technology at a takeout restaurant where I was buying dinner. It's called "Coaster Call" and is a beeper in the shape of a drink coaster.

I gave my order to the person behind the counter and she gave me my coaster. I enjoyed my beverage while waiting for the order to come up (resting my drink comfortably on the coaster) and when it was my turn, the spunky pager and drink holder vibrated while its red lights flashed to tell me the food was ready.

Here's some more information about this technological breakthrough. BTW, the company behind this gadget also sells a pager in the shape of a lobster. Why am I not surprised.



©2002 Long Range Systems, Inc.

The Next Iraqi Government: Two views on the selection of the next Iraqi government.

"...the thing we have to pay attention to, the big question now is whether the Shiia community in Iraq would be able to develop a strong leadership, a combination of secular and religious elements. A leadership which would be committed to the idea of the separation between religion and politics. A leadership that can unify the various groups within the Shiia community in Iraq, and also reach out to the Sunnis and the Kurds and assure them that the change of regime in Iraq will not expose them to Shiite revenge and tyranny. This is the big challenge." (Yitzhak Nakash, Brandeis University, via The NewsHour)

"LOS ANGELES—Fox executives Monday unveiled their latest reality-TV venture, Appointed By America, a new series in which contestants vie for the top spot in Iraq's post-war government." (via The Onion)



© Copyright 2003, Onion, Inc

Card Crazy: A number of Nuggets readers have asked where they can buy those Iraqi "Most Wanted" playing cards issued by the Defense Department. Here are the two sites I found.

GreatUSAflags.com: This company says they're swamped with orders.

Firebox.com: This British company was one of the first I saw offering the cards.

Buyer Beware: It's not clear if these cards were made by the Texas company that actually printed them for the Department of Defense or are knock-offs. Everybody and their mother seems to be selling these cards. One company is even claiming copyright infringement.

If you're handy with a pair of scissors, you can get copies of the real cards directly from the Centcom Web site but you'll need to print them out and cut them up. Of course, it may be worth the effort since having the cards -- according to one of the sites selling a version -- is more fun than you can imagine. Featured in the deck:

"Saddam 'The Butcher of Baghdad' Hussein, 'Chemical' Ali Hassan Al-Majid, The Nasty Nine, (and) Uday 'The Playboy' as the Ace of Hearts." This same site is offering "a full sheet of all 55 cards (with) miniature thumbnails so you can mark them captured, neutralized or at large."

An Embarassment Of Riches: "Silicon Valley is known for its many technology companies and scientific breakthroughs. And, whether you like it or not, technology still happens to be a male-dominated field. So, it should come as no surprise that the male to female ratio in the bay area is rather high. In fact, some sources put it as high as 5:1 in some parts of the Valley."

"Although ratios varied widely from one bar to the other, I found that on average, in the cities of Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Mountain View, the male to female ratio was about 5 to 3. More precisely, I found that the ratio was about 62% men to 38% women..." (semisober.com via Muxway)

President Bush's Religion: "President Bush is a Christian. Why does that bother people?"

"The surprising thing is how much of the carping about the president's religion, especially in the context of war against Saddam Hussein, comes from the ranks of those who represent religion. Thus prominent theologian Martin Marty pens a piece in Newsweek entitled "The Sin of Pride," complaining about the President's "evident conviction that he's doing God's will." (via WSJ)

I don't have any problem with President Bush's religion. God bless him. My problem is when he tries to impose his religious ideals on the rest of us.

"The Department of Housing and Urban Development, for instance, recently announced plans to allow public funds to be used to help build churches, as long as part of the building is used to provide social services. That was one of the administration's multiple attempts to blur the line between church and state. As the Senate amended the "faith-based initiative" to try to keep that separation clear, administration aides were assuring reporters that what went out in the legislature was being reinstated through executive order." (via NYT)

Teen Boy's Dream Job: "MASHPEE, Mass. - A club known for nude dancers tried recruiting workers at a high school job fair this week before embarrassed school officials asked its representatives to leave." (AP via Yahoo! News)

Murder By Numbers: A walking tour with stops at street addresses that were the scene of infamous East Village crimes. Also, here's a site with interesting NYC historical facts and another with glimpses of forgotten New York. (via Muxway)

Bunch Of Boxcutters: From February through September 2002, the Transportation Security Administration confiscated 3,030,863 items from air passengers. The contraband included:

Knives: 783,670
Boxcutters: 31,064
Firearms: 813

Now That's A Car Ad: Why can't ad agencies make more car commercials like this one? (via GMSV)

Emergency IM Alerts: "In response to the heightened level of national security and efforts to prepare for terrorist threats and other emergencies, a number of U.S. government agencies are leading the charge in rolling out real-time alerting systems." (Instant Messaging Planet via atNewYork)

Bar Stool Racing: Move over Dale Earnhardt Jr., these boys mean business.

Here's a "sport" that combines American's need for speed with one of our other favorite pastimes, hanging out in bars. The result, high-powered bar stool racing machines that some claim have reached speeds of 50 miles per hour. Watch this video of the stools in action.

I just hope these guys don’t drink and drive. (via Slashdot)



Simon's Performance/BarStoolRacing.net

Tickle Your Fancy: This tiny robot "walks on the human body to generate a pleasant, tickling sensation." See it in action. It's a lot less conspicuous than one of those "magic fingers" motel beds. (via Muxway)



notnot

Another Kind Of Tank: It's the beginning of Passover and not coincidently, Jewish heritage day on Nuggets. I found a Web site, thanks to TMN, which answers a question many New Yorkers must ask themselves at least once in their lifetime.

"What in heaven's name are those guys doing in that Winnebago?"

You're barreling down the sidewalk deep in thought, when a young, bearded man in a black hat and black coat asks you if you're Jewish and -- if so -- whether you'd like to put on "tefllin," a leather strap that a Jewish man wraps around his arm during morning prayer. If you go along for the ride, you're brought aboard a mobile home aka a "miztvah tank" where the process unfolds.

For those of you who haven't had the experience, the religious group behind this rolling crusade is the Lubavitch Hasidic sect. Their departed spiritual leader Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson dreamed up the idea and "sent his tanks into the battle for the soul of the American Jew."

Read more about it here.



12 Tamuz 5762

"The Better Side Of Baghdad": Human beings boiled down to the basics.

"Iraqi Muslims came to the aid of Baghdad's tiny Jewish community yesterday, chasing out looters trying to sack its cultural centre in the heart of the capital."

"'The Jews have always lived here, in this house, and it is only normal that we should protect them,' said Ibrahim Mohamad, 36, who works in a small undergarments factory near the centre of town." (Sydney Morning Herald via Angela Gunn)

Saddam & UFOs: Aha! The truth about Saddam Hussein is finally surfacing.

"As often happens with figures prominent in the news - especially figures as notorious as Saddam Hussein - stories, legends and rumors of a paranormal nature tend to surface. With regard to Saddam, some say he possessed mystical, super-human powers, that he was the reincarnation of a great ancient king, that he bio-engineered giant scorpions, and that was tinkering with alien UFO technology and even sheltered extraterrestrials." (via About.com)

"Lesson From Lebanon": Jeff Jarvis posted a thought-provoking article from Al Jazeera's Web site in which Lebanese leaders wonder if the current Lebanese government -- which is a "patchwork of different religious communities and ethnicities, many of which have long-standing and unresolved problems separating them" -- can serve as a model for Iraq.

Let's hope that Iraq will take the best of what Lebanon has to offer but not the radicalism that still makes the Hezbollah* movement in Lebanon and Syria a threat to Israel. Even as late as Monday, Hezbollah forces lobbed artillery shells into Israel.

We have to be prepared for the possibility that once Iraq establishes a democratic government, it will be more closely aligned with Shia fundamentalists in Iran than more centrist Middle Eastern political groups. Our government is based on separation of church and state (although at times it seems like that bedrock is being whittled away in the U.S.). In Iraq, people are much more comfortable with less distinction between their religion and their government.

If we evaluate the success of efforts to bring Democracy to Iraq through a western prism, we may be disappointed.

*It's also spelled "Hizbollah."

Dog Noses: From the "way to much time on your hands" file -- a site that consists of nothing but pictures of dog noses. (via Webmonkey)

SARS Cell Phone Alerts: "A Hong Kong mobile phone company is launching a service that lets customers know which nearby buildings have housed carriers of the deadly SARS virus." (Reuters via Smart Mobs)

Great example of "Smart Mobs" at work. In addition to deadly viruses, what other things in NYC would I like to be warned by cell phone to stay away from?

-Restaurants or food stores fined by the Health Department
-Retailers fined by the Consumer Affairs Department
-The latest city street scam
-Subway delays
-Any location frequented by the Hilton sisters.

...Nevermind, they wouldn't let me in anyway.

There's already a cell phone service in NYC that has some of these alerts and lots of other interesting bits of news and info contributed by New Yorkers for New Yorkers. It's like a wireless e-mail mailing list.

Words Of War: Today's words of war -- "love shack."

"The doors of the town house opened to reveal a playboy's fantasy straight from the 1960s: mirrored bedroom, lamps shaped like women, air-brushed paintings of a topless blonde woman and a mustached hero battling a crocodile. Officials said they believed the house had been used by a mistress of Saddam Hussein, though it contained photos of Hussein and a woman who appeared to be his wife."

"'This must have been Saddam's love shack,'" said Sgt. Spencer Willardson of Logan, Utah. (AP via Newsday)

Top-Notch Toilet: Ben Affleck has way too much money.

"Ben Affleck has bought fiancee Jennifer Lopez a $105,000 gem-studded toilet seat."

"The pop diva's new loo is encrusted with rubies, sapphires, pearls and a diamond."

"A source tells British newspaper the Daily Star, 'The stones are set inside the plastic, so Jennifer's behind won't get scratched.'" (SFGate.com via Fark)

Taxes: "Six in 10 Americans say they are against more tax cuts when the country is at war and already faces budget deficits, according to an Associated Press poll. Still, half of all Americans say their taxes are too high." (AP via Fresno Bee)

American Jews Should Step Up: Has Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon cracked open the door to a possible peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians with comments published today by the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz? According to news reports:

"Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in an interview published on Sunday that Israel would have to remove some settlements to get peace with Palestinians, and called the fall of Saddam Hussein a chance to end the conflict...Sharon, long a right-wing champion of Jewish settlement on land occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, told the liberal Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz he was ready to take steps 'that are painful for every Jew and for me personally.'"

"'Our whole history is bound up with these places: Bethlehem, Shiloh, Beit El (The later two are Jewish settlements on the West Bank). I know that we will have to part with some of these places,' the former general said in an interview. 'There will be a parting from places that are connected to the whole course of our history ... As a Jew, this agonizes me. But I have decided to make every effort to reach a (peace) settlement.'" (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

Of course, we're far far away from signing on the dotted line. Sharon's government has many concerns about the latest U.S. peace proposal and Palestinian President Yasar Arafat is still wrangling with Palestinian prime minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas for control.

As I've said before, the wild card in all of this is American Jews. We need to send a strong signal to the Bush administration that this country's Jewish community is not a monolithic group that will support Israel's right-wing government no matter what.

There are three things that have to happen if peace has a chance -- the end of terrorist attacks against Israel, the end of Jewish settlements on the West Bank and a Palestinian state. People like me are not arguing from a position of strength in this case, though, since my on-again off-again Judiasm would probably make me a pariah even with the most liberal Jewish denomination.

There is one person, however, whose faith is not in doubt and that's Democratic Senator Joseph Lieberman. Lieberman, an orthodox Jew and presidential candidate, has the religious and political standing to stand up and say enough is enough. He can differentiate himself from the rest of the Democratic field and put the White House on the defensive by staking out a position that says -- If Israel has to make more than it's "fair share" of concessions to reach a lasting peace in that region, it's a sacrifice worth making.

Today In Central Park: A beautiful day to take in a little humanity.

Overheard: A young woman struggles to get her family settled down for a group photo.

"Will you stop whining about having to take a picture. You should be glad I'd want any of you in my picture."

Note To Self: The next time you decide to take a walk near the Central Park bridal path, swallow a few antihistamines first.

Jolly Good: "British Prime Minister Tony Blair put aside his concerns about Iraq for a few minutes to star as an animated version of himself in an episode of cult TV cartoon "The Simpsons," a Downing Street spokesman said on Saturday. (Rueters via Yahoo! News)

I knew there was a reason why I liked this guy.

BTW, Tony Blair is the kind of politican U.S. Democrats should want as that party's presidential candidate for 2004. He's "liberal on matters of education, welfare and technological change, but conservative on law and order issues and family values." (via CNN)

Blair has also been the only check on the Bush administration's "my way or the highway" approach to foreign policy.

Zippo Tricks: Although New Yorkers can't use their Zippos to light up in bars anymore, there's another way to get the most out of that classic flame thrower and wow bar patrons in the process. Check out these Zippo lighter tricks. (via Research Buzz)

Forward Command Post: It's war toy and memorabilia day at Nuggets. I promise this is the last one I'll post...until tomorrow.

"Enjoying the war coverage? Get the child in your life a realistic bombed-out dollhouse." (via Popbitch)

"It looks like Barbie went ballistic. The bombed-out dollhouse has a busted balustrade, crumbling bricks, bullet holes pockmarking its pretty pastel walls and, what's worse, it has been commandeered by fatigue-clad soldiers toting assault rifles. No, it's not a joke. It's a toy called Forward Command Post manufactured by the ironically named Ever Sparkle Industrial Co. Ltd." (via Common Dreams)



Ever Sparkle Industrial Co. Ltd.

"Top Of The Pops" Downloaded: "UK will create the first official music download chart. Digital distribution specialist OD2 is backing the scheme in partnership with The Official Chart Company and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), which represents all the major record companies. OD2 is optimistic that the trial of a Top 40 download chart will be the turning point in the challenge to convince the traditional music industry to make a more concerted commitment to digital download music." (newmediazero via PaidContent.org)

"Comical Ali": He's a media darling and Internet "It" Boy. So it's not surprising that Iraq's former information minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf now has his own clothing line. Here's a place to buy a t-shirt emblazoned with the face of this revered double-talker. (via The Guardian)



© 2002, 2003
Rivals Digital Media Plc.

Evil-Doer Playing Cards: Collect them, trade them, give them as gifts....

"The U.S. military has issued a most-wanted list in the form of a deck of cards, and Saddam Hussein is the ace of spades in the pack of 55 top figures in his toppled regime."

"The cards, with pictures of the most-wanted figures, were distributed to thousands of U.S. troops in the field to help them find the senior members of the government." (AP via Fredericksburg.com)

All that's missing is the stick of gum. How long do you think it will be before these items wind up on Ebay?

Update (4/17/2003): You can buy the cards online.




CENTCOM via Sky News

Rumsfeld Rhymes: His military strategy vindicated, it's time to pay tribute to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld by introducing you to a collection of his words of wisdom. There are soundbites from BBC News and unintended verse from Slate. Here's a sample of the latter:

"The Unknown
As we know,
There are known knowns.
There are things we know we know.
We also know
There are known unknowns.
That is to say
We know there are some things
We do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns,
The ones we don't know
We don't know.

—Feb. 12, 2002, Department of Defense news briefing"

Words Of War: Today's words of war -- "the power of the state."

"The argument for introducing private-sector companies to Iraq should not just be about productivity. One of the many virtues of companies is that they provide a constraint on the power of the state. As Peter Drucker has noted, the joint-stock company was 'the first autonomous institution in hundreds of years, the first to create a power center that was within society yet independent of the central government of the nation state.'" (WSJ Op Ed)

What A Load Of Bull: I'm no fan of Tim Robbins. He does his cause more harm than good when he opens his mouth. I didn't agree with his stance against the war in Iraq.

I am a fan of Bull Durham, the movie he starred in with Susan Sarandon -- the woman he now lives with. The Baseball Hall of Fame's decision to cancel a showing of that film and related public appearances by Robbins, Sarandon and other cast members because of the couple's stand against the war in Iraq is childish. The reason given is ludicrous:

"In a free country such as ours, every American has the right to his or her own opinions, and to express them. Public figures, such as you, have platforms much larger than the average American's, which provides you an extraordinary opportunity to have your views heard � and an equally large obligation to act and speak responsibly," wrote Hall of Fame President Dale Petroskey in a letter to the two actors.

"We believe your very public criticism of President Bush at this important � and sensitive � time in our nation's history helps undermine the U.S. position, which ultimately could put our troops in even more danger. As an institution, we stand behind our President and our troops in this conflict."

What a load of bull. Can't anyone separate the artist from his/her political beliefs? Last time I checked, these were opinions they're entitled to have whether they're blithering idiots or Nobel laureates. It's not time for a new Hollywood blacklist. Then again, consider the source: Petroskey, was White House assistant press secretary under Ronald Reagan. (via The Globe and Mail)

What Do Iraqis Really Want?: Remember this quote from a recent NYT article?

"What, the man was asked, did he hope to see now that the Baath Party had been driven from power in his town? What would the Americans bring?

"Democracy," the man said, his voice rising to lift each word to greater prominence. "Whiskey. And sexy!" (via NYT)

We have a lot more in common with Iraqis than we might think.


Jessica's Well
© Copyright 1999-2003 CafePress.com

Words Of War: Today's word of war -- "freedom."

"There were scenes of joy across Baghdad as civilians celebrated what they clearly saw as their liberation day after decades of repression."

"'Oh people, this is freedom,' said one elderly man. As he beat a poster of Saddam with his shoe, the man shouted: 'This is the destiny of every traitor. He killed millions of us.'" (via Scotland's Evening Times)

It Pays To Stay In Shape: Found these two job postings on craigslist. If you're fat and old, you're worth about $100 less than if you're buff and boyish.

"Casting OverWeight & Middle age Men -- Photography student looking for Overweight and Middle Age Men to pose for various Photoshoots. Must be willing to pose nude or semi-nude. Paying job $100 others free prints." (via craigslist)

"MALE MODEL wanted -- A gay owned/operated clothing company seeks 2 male models for their new sportswear line - pays $200. Plz be caucasian (preferably gay)- 25-30 y.o. and another guy 30-35 y.o.. Must be over 5'10" tall, in-shape, and have a great face." (via craigslist)

Look Good & Feel Good: There are many forces driving fashion but I never thought a deadly virus or terrorist attack would be two of them. First, there were designer face masks to help protect people from the dangerous SARS virus. Now, there are scarves and neckties that you can wrap around your nose and mouth to ward off these SARS germs or particles from explosions.

"The answer to the deadly SARS virus sweeping the world may be a simple necktie, according to a college professor in Cleveland."

"John Haaga designed the $40 tie, and similar scarves for women, with silk on the outside and a special filter inside for use in a medical scare or terror attack." (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

This Freedom to Breath Safe Clothing is sold online. Did you ever think you'd have to follow these instructions during a terrorist attack?

"In times of emergency do not panic, take your neckwear and look for a safe escape path." (more)

As my wife mentioned, they better make the scarve in black or you can forget the New York market.



FBS Clothing Ltd.

Now What?: Like this statue of Saddam Hussein in downtown Baghdad, his regime has fallen. While the fighting isn't over, I'm relieved and thankful we've made it this far. Bringing democracy to Iraqis will be even harder than the military campaign but it's vitally important to the region's future stability. It's invigorating to see Iraqis dancing in the streets. It will be even more exciting to see them vote, establish a government and lose the fear that governed their lives. I just hope we take our task of rebuilding the country as seriously as we did the job of tearing down Saddam.

As you might expect, Thomas Friedman says it best:

"America broke Iraq; now America owns Iraq, and it owns the primary responsibility for normalizing it. If the water doesn't flow, if the food doesn't arrive, if the rains don't come and if the sun doesn't shine, it's now America's fault. We'd better get used to it, we'd better make things right, we'd better do it soon, and we'd better get all the help we can get." (via NYT)



(APTN via CNN)

Saddam's Netflix Queue: U.S. troops found the following pirated movies among the stash of films in Saddam Hussein's New Presidential Palace on the Tigris River. (via NYP)

"The Hanoi Hilton": Plot -- "A drama focusing on the suffering, torture, and brutal treatment the American P.O.W.s had to deal with daily while in North Vietnam's Hoa Lo Prison..." Saddam was just as good a host to coalition forces.

"The Assassination of Trotsky": Plot -- "After having been forced to leave the Soviet Union (1929) Trotsky has ended up in Mexico (1940). He is still busy with the politics..." It's never too early to plan for your retirement.

"Les Miserables": Plot -- "Jean Valjean, convicted of stealing bread, is hounded for decades by the relentless and cruel policeman Javert." Nothing like a heart-warming comedy to make those long nights in Baghdad just fly by.

I wonder what Saddam has in his Neflix queue?

Words Of War: Today's words of war -- "decapitation strike."

"The Iraqi dictator was spotted entering the building at 1 p.m. Baghdad time. The site was leveled in the "decapitation strike" an hour later by four megapowerful bunker-buster bombs dropped by a single B-1 bomber." (via NYP)

The Gift That Keeps On Giving: "...the University of Texas has acquired the Watergate papers of former Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward for $5 million." (Austin American-Statesman via I Want Media)

Lara Logan: Is this CBS News reporter covering the war in Iraq the next Ashleigh Banfield? I hope not -- for her sake. (via NYT)

Despite the deaths of a growing number of journalists in Iraq, there still seems to be a fascination with the glamour of battle and battlefield reporting. At the risk of sounding ghoulish, I think we all need to see pictures of dead soliders, civilians and journalists on television so we don't take the pain and suffering that goes along with this war for granted.

Jeff Jarvis reminds us that reporters covering the conflict are bringing us the news at great personal risk. For that I'm grateful.


Lara Logan, CBS News

Pulitzer Prizes: David Horsey of the Seattle Post Intelligencer won this year's Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning. Here's a sample:



David Horsey 6/9/02
© 2002 Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Here are the rest of the Pulitzer winners.

Words Of War: Today's words of war -- "tipping point."

"(Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld) remained reluctant to forecast when the war would end. "I can't say we're at a tipping point," Mr. Rumsfeld said at a Pentagon briefing, noting that the military picture varied widely across Iraq. Referring to perhaps the toughest of remaining challenges, the fighting in the streets of Baghdad and other cities, he said, "There is dangerous and difficult work ahead." (via NYT)

Farmer's Almanac: Are you surprised it snowed in NYC today? You shouldn't be.

From The Old Farmer's Almanac: "April 1-6: Chilly, periods of rain and snow."

Ok, so they missed it by one day. That's still pretty scary. Do these guys pick stocks?

"U.S. Says It May Have Found Iraqi WMD Storage Site": This report is developing so I'm not sure how reliable it is. If the information is true, that's good news and bad news all in one.

"U.S. biological and chemical weapons experts believe they may have found an Iraqi storage site for chemical weapons, a U.S. officer told Reuters on Monday."

"A military source who declined to be identified said there were unconfirmed reports there could be sarin -- a highly lethal nerve agent that causes death by suffocation -- at the site." (via Reuters)

Update: NYT reports that U.S. troops have found what they say may be chemical weapsons material.

Weather Watch: Here's some perspective on today's snowstorm in NYC.

War Graffiti: With a little spray paint and a point of view, graffiti artists from around the world have been weighing in on the war in Iraq -- both for and against. (via Graffiti.org)



By "Ladymack and Waf" -- Graffiti.org



By "Raims.DST" -- Graffiti.org

Fashionable Face Masks: Just because you're forced to wear a face mask to ward off the deadly SARS virus, doesn't mean you have to throw your fashion sense to the wind. ( Times Online via Boing Boing)

Iraqi TV: Unless coalition forces are able to disrupt broadcasts permanently, you can watch Iraqi television live at The Mother of All War Web Sites which is a portal of media streams from many satellite, broadcast and cable television networks covering the war in Iraq.

I'm watching Iraqi TV as I write this update. Programming consists of a "news" report from an anchor dressed in a military uniform, footage of Saddam Hussein waving to admiring Iraqis and angelic-looking children singing sweetly and wearing t-shirts with Saddam's picture. There's also crowds of men and women chanting Saddam's name as they jump up and down with machine guns in hand and man-on-the-street interviews in what looks like the pitch-black streets of Baghdad. One of the interviews was partially in English and the interviewee said life in the city was "normal."

My favorite moment so far, though, is what I can only describe as an Iraqi lounge singer in a dark suit and yellow tie crooning enthusiastically. I'm guessing that was the ratings grabber. (via TMN)

Snapshots Of War: The Digital Journalist asked photo editors from several major news organizations including The Associated Press, Agence France Press and The New York Times to contribute still photographs to the site. Have a look here and here.

"The coverage of the war in Iraq by both still and video photojournalists has been nothing less than revolutionary. Never before have so many talented photographers been able to cover a conflict up close, with the ability to beam their images around the world almost instantaneously. The quality of their work, under great personal peril and discomfort has been remarkable," said Dirck Halstead, the site's Editor and Publisher. (via Kottke.org)

"Iraqi Man Risked All to Help Free American Soldier": This is an amazing story. The Washington Post found the couple (an Iraqi lawyer and his wife, a nurse) who tipped off coalition forces that Pfc. Jessica Lynch was being held in a hospital where the wife worked. The couple drew maps to guide rescuers to Lynch and dodged guards to get word to the injured solider that help was on the way.

When I told the story to someone this morning, the first thing he asked was if the couple and their daughter were being protected by the U.S. As far as I'm concerned, we can't do enough for these people. To risk your life to save a solider whose country is bombing the bejesus out of your homeland is about as selfless as it gets.

Best Foot Forward: Here's a bit of travel advice. When flying, always remove your shoes before walking through the x-ray machines at the airport. On my trip to D.C. I did that and blew right through security. On my way back to NYC I tried to get slick and kept my shoes on. Big mistake. I set off the alarm, was placed in a holding pen while the Transportation Security Administration gang collected my things, then had my jacket and laptop run through a second set of screening machines, had a wand run over my body and last but not least -- had to take my shoes off so they could be checked.

It's like gambling in Vegas, you can't beat the house.

Today In D.C. I'm in Washington, D.C. today and tomorrow on business so I thought I'd wander around our nation's capital to see how people are holding up during this time of war. I didn't get a sense that things were much different until I reached the White House and noticed that Pennsylvania Avenue was shutdown, ringed by barricades and loaded with police.

If you're patient and persistent, you can get the sharpshooters on the White House roof to wave. A group of teenagers standing across Pennsylvania Avenue in Lafayette Park did just that. The cherry blossom trees were abloom and it was sticky hot (in the 70s). Not surprising since D.C. is built on a swamp.

There were only a handful of anti-war protestors to be found. One young woman circled The White House with a sign that read "I'm Proud To Be An American...Against The War." I didn't spot anyone showing support for the war.

Television camera crews were gathering on the White House lawn in front of the West Wing preparing for the evening news reports. Tourists snapped photos of landmarks while joggers trudged along sidewalks.

So in these tense times it seems that the people of Washington, D.C. are keeping their wits about them. It is comforting to know that those who need a greater sense of personal security won't need to travel far from the White House to find it. The K&B Newsstand (at F and 10th Street, NW) was selling the usual convenience and tourist items like magazines, frozfruit bars, souvenir t-shirts and Just For Men Shampoo-In Hair Color.

Also displayed in a few glass showcases were stun guns, knives and red pepper spray.

NYC Offers Free Nicotine Patches: "City health officials are offering a free six-week supply of nicotine patches to residents who want to quit smoking as part of the city's comprehensive anti-tobacco program, the officials announced Wednesday."

"The patches may come in handy. On Sunday, the city enacted new laws prohibiting smoking in bars and restaurants." (CNN via TMN)

With what's going on in the world today, handing out Prozac would have been a better idea.

One Tough Customer: "Pfc. Jessica Lynch, rescued Tuesday from an Iraqi hospital, fought fiercely and shot several enemy soldiers after Iraqi forces ambushed the Army's 507th Ordnance Maintenance Company, firing her weapon until she ran out of ammunition, U.S. officials said yesterday."

"Lynch, a 19-year-old supply clerk, continued firing at the Iraqis even after she sustained multiple gunshot wounds and watched several other soldiers in her unit die around her in fighting March 23, one official said." (Washington Post via War In Iraq)

Still think women aren't fit for combat?

Barf Bag Museum: What people will spend their time collecting and cataloging on the Web never ceases to amaze me. This homage to the art of tossing your cookies features air, sea, rail and other sickness bags. The impressive collection includes those used by Uzbekistan Airways, a batch handed out at a 1972 Republican Convention, one bag bearing the MacDonald's logo (for use on the McPlane not in one of their burger joints) and my favorite -- the "Boogie Til You Barf" bag available to Grateful Dead devotees. (via Popbitch)


You'll be happy to know that these bags appear to have never been used.


airsicknessbags.com

Adios Al Jazeera: CNN just reported (via correspondent Nic Robertson) that Iraqi officials have asked Al Jazeera to remove all of its reporters from Iraq. CNN is saying that the Arab satellite television news network will still be allowed to broadcast video from the country. If CNN's information is correct, either Al Jazeera is starting to report information that troubles the Iraqi regime or cornered Iraqi leaders are close to making their last stand.

Update: According to this CNN report: "The Arab-language news agency Al-Jazeera reported Wednesday it has suspended the work of all its correspondents in Iraq, after Iraqi officials banned at least one of its employees from reporting. It said it will continue to broadcast video from some areas of the country."

Best NYC Public Schools: If only Jack Grubman knew about this Web site. (via TMN)

Going Cold Turkey In Iraq: New Yorkers think they've got problems coping with Mayor Bloomberg's new smoking ban? Please...

"There is a war on, and danger lurks ahead, and the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry are getting desperate — for tobacco."

"With the few remaining shreds of tobacco nearly gone, the Marines here face the prospect of being involuntarily enrolled in what could be one of the most successful programs to end nicotine addiction in history." (AP via Yahoo! News)

The Russians Are Watching: This Web site purports to have regular updates on the war in Iraq from Russian military intelligence. Can't be sure but certainly not beyond the realm of possibility. (Venik's Aviation via Iron Monkey)

Hearts & Minds: Coalition forces will win the military battle in Iraq. Not this week, maybe not this month but they will win. I only hope casualties are low. What's much harder to know is how long it will take to turn Arab popular opinion away from the image of the U.S. as a conquering crusader who ignores the plight of Palestinians and is blindly loyal to Israel.

We often hear that Arabs like, even admire the American people and our culture (There are no shortage of students from the Middle East in U.S. universities) but despise our government. If that's true, there are two things Americans can do -- sooner rather than later -- to chip away at this skepticism and hatred.

Show Them The Money: According to the Foundation Center an “estimated $2.6 billion” in total contributions from individuals and institutions has been distributed to victims of 9/11. It is safe to assume that much of that money came from American citizens. It’s time for Americans to open their wallets again – but now – for the people of Iraq. I know that the U.S. government is using our tax dollars to provide significant humanitarian aid to Iraqis during and after the war but that’s not the point. As my wife explained, (this is her idea) a significant outpouring of $ from Americans to help rebuild Iraq will speak louder than anything our government can say about America’s generosity and interest in seeing democracy succeed. Here’s one place to make a donation.

Stop The Madness: It’s time to put extraordinary pressure on the Bush administration, the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority to push for the creation of a Palestinian state, an end to Israeli settlements and the cessation of terrorism against Israelis – key ingredients for peace in that region of the Middle East and for winning trust from the so called "Arab street." That's what I'd hope we'd be marching for in the streets of NYC.

Secretary of State Colin Powell recently told a meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee that “...President Bush's Middle East peace plan, the so-called ‘road map,’ will require concessions from both Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Palestinians must end their use of terrorism as a political weapon, he said, and continued Israeli settlement activity was inconsistent with President Bush's goals.”

That comment drew “mild applause and a few boos” but the truth is that American Jews (myself included) are the best people to send a message to the Bush Administration that loyalty to Israel does not have to come at the expense of doing what is right for Palestinians.

Our Short Attention Span: "...news organizations already are dialing back their coverage of the nearly two-week-old war as interest from viewers and readers begins to wane."

"The sudden scaling down suggests that media outlets -- which may have anticipated a quick and decisive victory in Iraq -- now worry that viewers and readers are on the verge of information overload and need a break. Moreover, the cost of covering the war is beginning to weigh on their budgets." (WSJ via Yahoo! News)

Rumors: No shortage of misinformation and disinformation related to the war in Iraq and terrorism in general. A number of Web sites are doing their best to sort through the rumor and unconfirmed reports as events unfold. One of the more ironic recent rumors:

Dick Cheney's daughter is on her way to Iraq to act as a human shield -- (false).

Here are a number of Web sites you can visit in hopes of debunking war rumors:

The Command Post
Google News: Unconfirmed Reports
The Agonist
Military.com: Intel & Rumors
Snopes
Urban Legends

What Did You Expect?: "War is a time of disillusionment; and the Iraq War is proving to be no exception. But to expect war to confirm our expectations of it, and of our enemy, is to misunderstand the nature of war." (via Tech Central Station)

Bombast Bursting In Air: The war of words is just as nasty as the bullets and bombs combatants are heaving at eachother in Iraq.

"Following the rich literary tradition of their country, Iraqi officials from President Saddam Hussein to Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf have regularly taken to the airwaves to lambaste their U.S. and British foes with fiery rhetoric and vitriolic broadsides."

"The Iraqis' defiant tone is embedded in their literary culture, which has spawned some of the Arab world's most celebrated and eloquent poets." (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

Here are some of the terms used by the Iraqi regime to describe American and British leaders:

"an international gang of criminal bastards"
"blood-sucking bastards"
"reckless, little Bush"

Arab countries assisting American and British troops have been called: "jackasses of colonization."

The U.S. response has been a bit more muted with terms like "terrorist," "dictator" and "death squads" coming from coalition leaders.

Seems like the U.S. and Britian plan to let their ordnance do the talking.

The Real World -- Hindiyah: If I didn't know better, I'd think this footage from FoxNews -- recording a coalition attack on Hindiyah -- was a Jerry Bruckheimer movie. It's very real, though. Real bullets. Real injuries. (via The Command Post)

Art Of War (Part III): This drawing was done by NY artist and writer Eric Drooker before the war in Iraq but it resonates even more now.



© 2003 Eric Drooker

Dictator Weblogs: Even Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong Il are hopping on the Weblog bandwagon. (via Buzzmachine)

Back Biting: It hasn't taken long for second-guessing about how the war in Iraq is being conducted to pop-up even within the Republican Party.

"Already there is a behind-the-scenes effort by former senior Republican government officials and party leaders to convince President Bush that the advice he has received from Vice President Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz -- a powerful triumvirate frequently at odds with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell -- has been wrong and even dangerous to long-term U.S. national interests." (via The Washington Post)

Saddistan: Nick Denton suggests a different look for post-war Iraq:

"So, a proposal: partition Iraq. It was worth trying a lightning strike on Baghdad, to overturn the entire regime, but it hasn't worked. Now's the time for some flexibility. The US should complete the liberation of the north and south of Iraq, and establish protectorates in both those regions: a free Kurdistan and a Shiite state between Baghdad and Basra. Leave a rump Iraq -- a Saddistan -- to support a bloated apparatus of tyranny without subject people, and oil." (via nickdenton.org)

Car Rentals By The Hour: Manhattan User's Guide has a feature about Zipcar, a company that offers car rentals by the hour.

Rumsfeld's Media Offensive Is Offensive: Did Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld get his media relations training from former Vice President Spiro Agnew? Agnew's famous reference to the press as "natttering nabobs of negativism" has been replaced with Rumsfeld's characterization of the reporters covering the war in Iraq as neurotic worrywarts who need to control their "mood swings." The phrases are different but the tactic is the same -- blame the media when sensible people start to question government actions.

Why do I want to smack this character upside the head every time I see him on television? He oozes arrogance and imperiousness at a time when he should be steadfast but humble. The NYT does a better job of expressing my sentiment:

"In the best of times, Donald H. Rumsfeld parried questions from the Pentagon press corps in the same imperious way Professor Kingsfield dismissed his class of rookie contract law students in 'The Paper Chase.'"

"But as the public face of a nation at war — and a war not progressing as smoothly as some had predicted — Mr. Rumsfeld, the secretary of defense, has assumed an even crustier, testier tone in defending his war plan from public criticism and second thoughts from even some of his own commanders." (via NYT)

Donald Rumsfeld may be getting his comeuppance as current and former military leaders and intelligence agency analysts continue to question the military tactics he had a significant role in developing. The New Yorker magazine reportedly has an article scheduled to hit newsstands tomorrow that says (according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation) "Senior US war planners have accused Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld of 'micromanaging' operations in Iraq and ignoring recommendations from military officials." (Update 3/31: The New Yorker article)

Rumsfeld denied today (on CNN) that he refused any request from U.S. military commanders for resources and said the current battle plan was developed by General Tommy Franks. (Update 3/31: Transcript of Rumsfeld's comments)

Rumsfeld's -- my way or the highway -- approach to taking the U.S. into battle is bad enough to watch when it results in him scolding reporters like puppies who just took a dump on his office carpet. It's unconscionable, though, if it has resulted in soldiers losing their lives.

Dumb In Dumbo: There's a group of indoor enthusiasts who have been climbing an elevator shaft in Dumbo -- for fun. (via NYT)

Toys Of War: I used to dress my G.I. Joe in his rain poncho and helmet, place him in the shower and turn on the water to simulate combat in the rain-soaked jungles of some distant battlefield. Little did I know that I was actually providing valuable research to the Pentagon. According to an article in today's NYT, toy manufacturers and the Defense Department have been learning from each other for years.

"'The M-16 rifle is based on something Mattel did,' said Glenn Flood, a spokesman for the Pentagon, which is looking to toys and electronic games for parts, prototypes and ideas that can be developed effectively and inexpensively as battlefield tools. Inspiration has come from model airplanes (reconnaissance drones), 'supersoaker' water guns (quick-loading assault weapons), cheap cellular phones for teenagers (video-capable walkie-talkies) and gaming control panels (for unmanned robotic vehicles)."

"Because the newest generation of soldiers grew up playing with electronic toys and games, the symbiosis between them is nearly genetic. Today's troops received their basic training as children." (via NYT)



© Plan B Toys 2003-2004

Art Of War (Part II): WNYC asked their listeners to submit original works of art reflecting their thoughts about the war in Iraq. Here is the gallery. Some of the work is quite powerful. There are works both for and against the war.



WNYC

Free But Hateful Speech: "The president of Columbia University said yesterday that he was horrified by the remarks of an anthropology professor who said at a campus antiwar teach-in Wednesday night that he hoped to see "a million Mogadishus" — referring to the city in Somalia where American soldiers were ambushed in a lethal firefight in 1993."

"The professor, Nicholas De Genova, also called for the defeat of United States forces in Iraq, and said the only true heroes are those who help defeat the American military. He said Americans who call themselves patriots are imperialist white supremacists." (via NYT)

In a democracy, you take the good with the bad when it comes to free speech. It's nice to know, though, that De Genova is untenured. I hope it's just a matter of time before he's driving a cab for a living.

Troops Go Shopping In The Iraqi Desert: "Caught short of one or two essential supplies in the middle of the Iraqi desert, the U.S. army has gone shopping." (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

Do-It-Yourself-War Reporting: Christopher Allbritton, a freelance writer and former AP and New York Daily News reporter, is in Turkey and on his way to Northern Iraq. Allbritton, who has been covering the war from his Warblog Back To Iraq, financed this trip with $10,000 in donations raised on the Internet.

Allbritton must be the first reporter who has had this close a relationship with his readers since they're also his financial supporters. I can't wait to see his war coverage. I'm hoping it's honest, accurate and compelling. If it is, he'll be pushing the media model in an interesting direction.

NYT Editorial: "Secrecy: The Bush Byword."

"This week President Bush signed an executive order that makes it easier for government agencies, including the White House, to keep documents classified and out of public view."

This, from an administration fighting for Democracy in Iraq?

Military Name Game: Here's a program that automatically generates the names of ficticious military operations by combining words into random associations. You'll get a different 20 combinations each time you visit the site. (Ftrain.com via GMSV)

Some samples:

Operation Legendary Sunrise
Operation Ravenous Opossum
Operation Narcoleptic Sucker Punch
Operation Merciful Preacher
Operation Raging Boyfriend
Operation Aggravated Eagle
Operation Tempestuous Copperhead Snake
Operation Merciful Soldier
Operation Prairie Lilac
Operation Unstinting Mongoose
Operation Turban-burnin' Dragonfly

Statuesque: From the craigslist job board:

"Can you stand still for long periods of time and pretend that you are a statue? Remember the movie "AMELIE" when the oxidized man pointed up to the sky? That is what we are looking for. I'm having a party in NYC and I'm looking for a few people to do this."

Some suggested themes from the job poster:

"JUSTICE: a woman with one breast bare holding a scale
THE KISS: a couple holding each other while naked
Michaelangelo's DAVID: nude male in contrapasto pose
MANIKIN PIS: the belgium boy who pees in fountain (must be a smallish boyish person for this one)
BACCHUS: God of wine, holding grapes
LIDA AND THE SWAN: woman holding a swan, nude
THE DYING SLAVE: nude male with arms up
THE ETERNAL IDOL: need a nude couple
CUPID: male, draped, with wings
PAOLINA BORGHESE: elegant nude reclines on sofa
THE THREE GRACES: 3 nude woman in a classic pose"

Just in case you were wondering: "This is NOT a sex party. It is a fun themed costume art party."

If you say so.

Soft Stuff: Cell phones and computer keyboards made of fabric. (via Web Monkey)



Photo credit: Marcus Rose
© 2003 ElekSen Ltd

In God They Trust: A group of U.S. Representatives filed House Resolution 153 last week calling on President Bush to designate "a day for humility, prayer, and fasting" to "secure the blessings and protection of Providence for the people of the United States and our Armed Forces during the conflict in Iraq and under the threat of terrorism at home."

As you might imagine, this brought both ridicule and support from those who discussed it online.

"When the House began the French bashing, I thought, well it can't get any uglier than that. I was wrong," wrote one person.

"There is certainly nothing more important than making smart remarks about people who believe in God, right?...I'm praying to God every hour of every day. I'm praying to free the Iraqi people from this vicious thugocracy, I'm praying for our troops, I'm praying for mercy. I'm proud to admit it. Prayer works," wrote another.

Although such resolutions have no force of law, mix religion and government and you're guaranteed an unstable brew. (via Fark.com)

Update: The House passed the resolution today (346-49).

"Send A Salami To Your Boy In The Army": I saw this headline today: "Girl Scouts To Send Cookies To Troops", and remembered that Katz's Deli on the Lower East Side has been shipping salami to service men and women since World War II. The person I spoke to at Katz's said if you can give them an APO or FPO number (a military mailing address) for a military base in the Middle East, they can send the goods.

Here's a Website that will tell you how to find military postal addresses. The catch is that the military mailing addresses will only be made available to "family members and close friends of deployed soldiers."

Update: A smart reader just helped me avoid creating an international incident with this bit of advice.

"Just make sure there's no pork in the Salami...WASHINGTON (AP) — Don't send pornography or pork products to American troops in the Middle East."

Fortunately, salami is made with either beef or pork. At Katz's Kosher Deli, you can count on it being made of beef.

Gas Masks -- We Deliver: I saw a handmade sign wrapped around a street light poll this morning with a bunch of those pull-off tabs that usually include the telephone number of someone willing to teach you the guitar or build a bookshelf. This time, it was an ad for "Brand New Gas Masks" in adult and children's sizes. Because New Yorkers crave convenience, it was nice to see that this street corner entrepreneur offered home delivery.

Sabbath Panhandler: A friend told me about a street encounter both she and another woman have had at least four times over the last year -- most recently about a week ago.

The events usually unfold this way: A few hours before sundown on a Friday, an earnest looking young man (wearing a yarmulke) approaches and says he's rushing home to celebrate the Jewish Sabbath. His problem, though, is that he doesn't have enough money for the subway. As NYC panhandler's go, these guys are not particularly aggressive.

The cynic in me says this is just another NY street scam. The believer in me remembers reading that some Hasidic families are barely scraping by and have been forced onto welfare -- so panhandling to get home for the Sabbath isn't beyond the realm of possibility. Am I being too generous?

Why Some Iraqis Are Fighting Back: If this NYT report is accurate, it's not surprising that some Iraqis are putting up such a fight against coalition forces. If they don't, they'll be executed by Saddam loyalists:

"But the Iraqi private with a bullet wound in the back of his head suggested something unusually grim. Up and down the 200-mile stretch of desert where the American and British forces have advanced, one Iraqi prisoner after another has told captors a similar tale: that many Iraqi soldiers were fighting at gunpoint, threatened with death by tough loyalists of President Saddam Hussein." (via NYT)

What Is A Life Worth?: If you're the U.S. Department of Transportation, about $2.7 million.

The Environmental Protection Agency is a bit more generous with the coin.

"The EPA has decided that each human life is worth $6.1 million. This may seem cold or unfeeling, but it is a central question in the murky science of cost/benefit analysis. The Bush administration now says that the value is too high. This has plenty of implications for environmental policy, and the administration is probably right." (via Tech Central Station)

The Fog Of Peace: "In a Jan. 7 Knight Ridder/Princeton Research poll, 44% of respondents said they thought 'most' or 'some' of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers were Iraqi citizens. Only 17% of those polled offered the correct answer: none."

"This was remarkable in light of the fact that, in the weeks after 9/11, few Americans identified Iraqis among the culprits. So the level of awareness on this issue actually plunged as time passed. Is it possible the media failed to give this appropriate attention?" (Editor and Publisher via I Want Media)

The World According To Tivo: "The war-related comments by Oscar winners Michael Moore and Adrien Brody were the most replayed part (of) Sunday's Academy Awards broadcast, according to TiVo, the personal video recorder technology company." (via AdAge)

What I'm Worrying About (Part II): I do the worrying so you don't have to. Today, here's what I'm worrying about.

Will NY State get enough $ for homeland security?: Neither Gov Pataki nor Senators Schumer or Clinton think President Bush's proposed $75 billion budget appropriation to fund the war in Iraq includes enough funds for homeland security. The U.S. Senate voted today to reduce President Bush's tax cuts to help fund the war effort. Schumer and Clinton are pushing to increase the $4.5 billion homeland security portion of the bill to between $7 billion and $11 billion. Let's at least put as much money toward homeland security as the appropriation bill does for foreign aid.

Can the coalition avoid occupying Iraq like Israel did Lebanon or Britain did Northern Ireland?: Today's reported insurrection in the southern Iraqi city of Basra -- which saw Shia Muslims fight back against Sunni Muslims loyal to Saddam Hussein -- is a hopeful sign that coalition forces might be seen as liberators not occupiers. Still too soon to tell, though.

Another One Bites The Dust: Looks like someone (I'm guessing Time Magazine's Web site) was not overjoyed that freelancer Joshua Kucera posted reports from Northern Iraq on his personal blog as well as filing other material to Time.com.

In today's WSJ a Time spokeswoman said: "Time.com only asks that Kucera file to Time first, then he can blog away."

Kucera, though, has posted the following message to his site: "My editors have demanded that I stop posting to this site until the war ends. And they pay the bills, so what can I do. Thanks everyone for reading, and I hope to be back here soon. Peace, Josh."

CNN correspondent Kevin Sites was also told to stop posting to his Weblog by CNN.

I understand that if someone is paying the bills, you owe them your best work first. That's what freelance contracts are for. But there's a larger point. Kucera should have been writing for a Time.com blog but there isn't one (at least not that I could find). Big media organizations should embrace Weblogs (a growing number are starting to) as the next generation of online publishing tools and just one more way of communicating with their readers.

Now that freelance writers have an outlet to reach large, international audiences without any help from media companies, some media managers are getting nervous and overreacting. That's silly. They have more to fear from trying to squelch blogs than from embracing them.

Update: Jeff Jarvis (a media exec who sees the value of Weblogs) understands why some of his peers may be a bit skittish but explains why they should still take the plunge.

The Art Of War: Here's a headline I found in my e-mail inbox this morning.

Sender: "Breaking News"
Subject: "GULF WAR II: the Art market in turmoil."

A company that tracks art auction prices sent spam warning that if I didn't subscribe to their service, "geopolitcal" events could put a crimp in the value of my art collection. They offered reassuring news that art prices had remained stable so far but urged in the e-mail that I "not rely on outdated price information as in 1991," the first Gulf War. The Web site behind the e-mail identifies itself as a subsidiary of the French company, The Server Group, "a major collator and distributor of judicial, legal and economic databases for nearly 15 years."

And to think, I was worried about war casualties.

Jacko & Khalid Shaikh Mohammed In 3D: You can now buy a 3D depiction of Michael Jackson dangling his child from a hotel balcony. Even more bizarre, plunk down $49.95 and you'll get a painted "cast sculpture" of Al-Qaeda mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. For $10 less, PopSculptures.com will sell you an unpainted version which the company's Web site promotes this way:

"Feeling crafty? Get this unpainted version of the �Khalid Shaikh Mohammed� sculpt(sic) and paint it yourself. Makes a great gift for someone interested in learning how to paint as well as ommemorate(sic) our fight on terror."

What is this company thinking? Oh, sorry -- they're not thinking.



�2003 PopSculptures.com

Watching War TV Can Make You Sick: "Studies show regular television exposure to traumatic events can increase risk for stress and depression and it can even weaken our immune systems. Doctors think excessive war viewing before bedtime can cause stress-induced night-time snacking and interfere with sleep." (WSJ via Yahoo! News)

I'm totally screwed.

Battlefield Diary: Kevin sites, the CNN correspondent whose personal war Weblog was shut down by the cable news network, continues his reports from Northern Iraq on the CNN site.

"It's the first day of the war and things are not going so well. I mean for us, not the combatants. So far, the Iraqis have fired three mortars in our general direction and fired rounds from their Russian-made, Dushka heavy machine gun, several of which hit the road behind my partner Bill Skinner moments after he crossed." (via NewsIsFree)

"New York Stock Exchange Bars Al-Jazeera Reporter": "The New York Stock Exchange banned an AL-Jazeera reporter from its trading floor on Monday, saying it was restricting access to "responsible" networks, as the Arab satellite television channel faces criticism in the United States for its coverage of the war in Iraq." (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

This is foolish. Although Al-Jazeera is far from an objective news organization, the U.S. can't be seen as silencing the Arab press -- especially not now. If Al-Jazeera can attend Pentagon press briefings, why shouldn't they be able to report from the floor of the NYSE?

"Over One-Half of Job Offers in NYC Declined": "According to a recent survey from the New York Times Job Market, 40% of job seekers in the NY metro area received a job offer in the past three months, but 67% of these people turned the offer down." (via eMarketer)

What I'm Worrying About: I do the worrying so you don't have to. Today, here's what I'm worrying about.

Are We Facing A Humanitarian Crisis?: We've got to get into Basra as soon as possible to make sure there's enough water and food for Iraqi citizens living there. You can't make a case for liberating Iraqis by force, if you create a health crisis in the process.

Have We Underestimated The Enemy?: "The Iraqi army is playing a weak hand with some skill against US-led forces, says the BBC's Jonathan Marcus." No one said it would be easy and it's not unreasonable to expect a war that will last a month or more, it just seems like we're being pulled into the kind of war everyone said we didn't want to fight -- house to house. Now I'll stop acting like I have any idea what I'm talking about.

Are We Losing The Propaganda War?: Why aren't we knocking out Iraqi TV so Saddam and his inner circle can't use it as a disinformation tool? A group of analysts discussed the issue on the PBS News Hour this evening. Click on the link marked "Military Moves" near the top of this page to get the video of their discussion.

Al-Jazeera In English: Al-Jazeera just launched its English language Web site. (via BoingBoing)

If Only It Worked This Way: Here's a doctored photo of someone's ideal solution for avoiding conflict in Iraq. Just one of the politcal statements anti-war protestors used to make their point during Saturday's march in NYC. Blogger Jason Kottke captured the photo in use.

Street Fighting Men: Nick Denton offers an interesting insight into the pyschology of Saddam loyalists and how dealing with this group will be tough for American troops.

Britney vs. Saddam: Yahoo! measures Net buzz on these two personalities.



© 2003 Yahoo! Inc.

"War As Viagra:" Media columnist Michael Wolf writes that the press is so excited about covering the war in Iraq, they've been cowed.

"The excitement may be why the press is so obviously cowed. Such giddy excitement puts everyone on his best behavior. Indeed, this best-boy behavior is not a secret, and, it seems, barely an embarrassment. (A certain press docility surely continues from 9/11; you can argue, of course, that a weird docility has been present since the beginning of the Bush administration.) Nobody is even very defensive about it. The president’s get-ready-for-war news conference may in fact be some sort of landmark in the history of a well-behaved press. The quiescence is in the open, treated jocularly, or with only a smidgen of sheepishness: Yes, it's scripted. Duh. Everybody is playing a part. (Except that old bag, Helen Thomas.) It's a prayer breakfast. (Nobody, however, is going to bring up the prayer issue. 'Mr. President, can you expand on your views relating to Armageddon?')" (via New York Metro)

Roman Polanski: Academy Award winner Michael Moore was booed last night when he criticized President Bush for waging war against Iraq but the Hollywood nitwits cheered Roman Polanski when he won the Best Director award for his movie The Pianist. Tell me that makes sense. If I could have, I would have sent every Academy member a copy of the recently unsealed Grand Jury testimony from the woman who accused Polanski of sexually assaulting her when she was 13-years-old.

As reported by The Smoking Gun Web site: "Following his indictment on various sex charges, Polanski agreed to a plea deal that spared him prison time (he had spent about 45 days in jail during a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation). But when it seemed that a Superior Court judge might not honor the deal--and sentence Polanski to prison--the director fled the country." (via The Smoking Gun)

The Pianist is a wonderful movie. Roman Polanski is predator. Sorry, I just can't separate the two.

Casualty Count: These are among the sites attempting to keep track of casualties related to the war in Iraq:

U.S. And Coalition Military: From CNN.
Iraqis: From Iraqi Body Count.

I can't vouch for the accuracy of the second site but they do have a detailed explanation of their methodology and a description of who they are.

Al-Jazeera: I've gotten lots of hits from people searching for a place to find the Arabic TV network Al-Jazeera translated into English. Here's a Web site that will translate Al-Jazeera's Web site into English. Al-Jazeera is expected to launch an English-version Web site in the coming weeks.

Also, here is a live feed of Al-Jazeera on the Web. A warning, though, the footage of dead American soliders is very graphic. I'm not running any photos of the American POWs on this site since I'm not sure their next of kin has been notified.